Filed under: Europe, Paris Motor Show, Hatchback, Audi

Despite the success of the Mini Cooper and America’s newfound love of hatchbacks, Audi continues to deny us the all-new A1. There are a variety of reasons for excluding the pint-sized hatch from the U.S. market (marketing, brand image, average transaction price, etc.), but the introduction of the twin-charged A1 here at the Paris Motor Show has us questioning all of them.

Packing a 1.4-liter TFSI (read: both turbo and supercharged) inline four-cylinder engine, the A1 puts out 185 horsepower and 185 pound-feet of torque, sends it to the front wheels through a seven-speed S tronic gearbox and can sprint to 60 in 6.9 seconds on its way to a top speed of 141 mph. Think of it as the luxury alternative to the Ford Fiesta, with a price tag to match: €24,250 or just over $30k at current exchange rates. Get all the details in the press release after the jump.

Live photos copyright (C)2010 Damon Lavrinc / AOL

Continue reading Paris 2010: 2011 Audi A1 1.4 TFSI

Paris 2010: 2011 Audi A1 1.4 TFSI originally appeared on AudiMobiles on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 06:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Europe, Paris Motor Show, Hatchback, Audi

Despite the success of the Mini Cooper and America’s newfound love of hatchbacks, Audi continues to deny us the all-new A1. There are a variety of reasons for excluding the pint-sized hatch from the U.S. market (marketing, brand image, average transaction price, etc.), but the introduction of the twin-charged A1 here at the Paris Motor Show has us questioning all of them.

Packing a 1.4-liter TFSI (read: both turbo and supercharged) inline four-cylinder engine, the A1 puts out 185 horsepower and 185 pound-feet of torque, sends it to the front wheels through a seven-speed S tronic gearbox and can sprint to 60 in 6.9 seconds on its way to a top speed of 141 mph. Think of it as the luxury alternative to the Ford Fiesta, with a price tag to match: €24,250 or just over $30k at current exchange rates. Get all the details in the press release after the jump.

Live photos copyright (C)2010 Damon Lavrinc / AOL

Continue reading Paris 2010: 2011 Audi A1 1.4 TFSI

Paris 2010: 2011 Audi A1 1.4 TFSI originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 06:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This mute sequence was used to introduce the Audi e-tron Spyder model at the Autosalon Paris 2010. For more impressions visit: www.audi.com www.audi.de

Audi presents the Audi e-tron Spyder, the study of an open sports car, at the fall 2010′s largest auto show.

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Performance, Paris Motor Show, Audi

Here they are folks, the first live images we’ve managed to snap of the Audi Quattro Concept that’s currently being debuted at the Paris Motor Show. We expect to get much more closely acquainted with the machine over the next couple of days, but until then, take a gander at the machine that Audi crafted to celebrate 30 years of Quattro performance.

Keep in mind that this sucker is packing 408 horsepower from its turbocharged five-cylinder engine and routing all those ponies through a six-speed manual gearbox to all four wheels, making for a power-to-weight ratio on par with that of the Audi R8 5.2 FSI. See the rest of the details here. A fitting tribute, if we do say so ourselves.

Live photos copyright (C)2010 Zach Bowman / AOL

Paris 2010: Audi Quattro Concept celebrates 30 years of performance originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Sep 2010 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Performance, Paris Motor Show, Audi, Design/Style

We’ve been speculating, applying the magnifying glass to spy shots and just plain wishing that the rumors were true. They are – Audi is set to debut the Quattro concept car at the Paris Motor Show in celebration of its famous all-wheel-drive system’s 30th anniversary. Drawing its inspiration from the original 1980 Audi Ur-Quattro and using some underpinnings from the current RS5, the Quattro concept features a shortened wheelbase, lower roofline and a sub-3,000 pound curb weight.

The original Ur-Quattro weighed in under 3,000 pounds and featured a turbocharged five-cylinder engine paired with a five-speed manual. Keeping in line with that spirit, the Quattro concept ditches the V8 and dual-clutch transmission from the RS5 in favor of a turbocharged inline five-cylinder engine and six-speed manual gearbox. Power output for the Quattro concept is rated at 408 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque. All that energy is put to the ground through Audi’s famous quattro torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system, which in this case is setup with a 40:60 rear-biased torque split. The weight savings mixed with the power output create a vehicle with a power-weight ratio on par with that of the Audi R8 5.2 FSI.

Since this IS a modern Audi, it features stylish exterior features and a wonderful cabin space. The seats are leather-lined Sparco units that weight in at just 40 pounds apiece. The Quattro concept also makes use of the Audi MMI infotainment system. In this application, MMI includes a slew of screens useful for rally racing like classically-styled round gauges and a page for pace notes. On the outside, the Quattro concept boasts the signature Audi LED treatment, but this time it’s in the form of headlamps that adjust their direction both vertically and horizontally, as well as being able to open fully or close to a slit.

This is an exciting concept that pays homage to a true motoring classic. If Audi doesn’t find a way to put a version of this into production, we’re sure that four-ring fanboys around the world will storm Ingolstadt.

[Source: Motor Trend]

Audi Quattro concept celebrates 30th anniversary of original originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Sep 2010 16:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In celebration of the 30th anniversary of the debut of the quattro, Audi is presenting a show car at the 2010 Paris Motor Show that moves a futuristic interpretation of this concept into the fast lane: the Audi quattro concept –a thoroughbred driving machine with 300 kW (408 hp), five-cylinder turbocharged engine, a lightweight body and — of course — the latest generation of quattro permanent all-wheel drive.

Third place for Audi at the inaugural Intercontinental Le Mans Cup in Silverstone.

Filed under: Car Buying, Sedan, Audi, Luxury

Are you ready to write a check for a true German luxury sedan stunner? If so, you’ll surely be interested to hear that pricing has arrived for the 2011 Audi A8. Base MSRP for this Bavarian beauty is $78,050 including all extra charges, which puts it squarely between its two main rivals: the Mercedes-Benz S-Class ($87,950) and the BMW 7 Series ($70,150). The long-wheelbase A8L starts at $84,000 and both versions will be in dealer showrooms starting late November 2010.

It’s an enticing price for the finest luxury sedan to wear four rings. The all-new A8 packs brand new features into a sleek body wrapped around a wonderful 4.2-liter V8 engine. The car and engine work so well together that the A8′s 17 mile per gallon city/27 mpg highway rating put it right next to the Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid in the fuel economy category. Those figures are also enough to surpass the I6, V8 and Hybrid versions of the 7 Series.

No word yet on how many organs we need to sell to purchase the W12-equipped A8.

For more information on the 2011 Audi A8, as well as pricing for the rest of the 2011 Audi lineup, you can read the full release after the jump.

Photos copyright (C)2010 Drew Phillips / AOL

[Source: Audi]

Continue reading 2011 Audi A8 to start at $78,050

2011 Audi A8 to start at $78,050 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Frankfurt Motor Show, Sedan, Performance, Paris Motor Show, Hatchback, Audi, Luxury

Audi’s lineup is expanding so quickly you’d think its cars were spawning new models by mitosis. In a few days at the Paris Motor Show we’ll be seeing the newest hot addition to the A1 range: the 185-horsepower 1.4 TSFI with thrust provided by a twin-charged four cylinder. That’s not the S1, it just has the S-Line package thrown on for racy looks. Next year, the S1 itself will step forward, with the Golf GTI‘s turbocharged 220-hp engine sitting up front. It is a sure bet to shave serious time off the TSFI’s 6.9-second run from zero to 62 miles per hour.

After that comes the Audi RS3, using the same 340-hp, five-cylinder turbo from the TT RS. Sub five-second runs to 62 mph are in the offing, and its 250 kph (155 mph) top speed can be raised to 280 kph (174 mph) for a nominal fee. Then, at the Frankfurt Auto Show in the fall, the RS7 Sportback takes a bow. Powering the four-door fastback will be the 4.0-liter, 550-hp twin-turbo V8 that’ll be shared with the 2011 Bentley Continental GT. That would put it about 100 horses clear of the rumored output in the S7 we should see next week in Paris, and the V8 is said to be 20 percent more fuel efficient than the 5.0-liter V10 in the RS6.

[Source: Auto Bild via German Car Blog]

Audi ready to play hot odds: A1 S-Line, S1, RS3 and RS7 on deck originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 25 Sep 2010 15:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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