Filed under: Technology, Audi

How many gears are enough? While it seems that six-speed automatic transmissions are just now becoming the de facto standard in most circles, Mercedes-Benz has been working with seven ratios for a while now and Lexus did its German rival one better by designing its own eight-speed. Not content to sit idle while other marques earn bragging rights, Audi and BMW have recently utilized eight-speeders of their own for their latest flagship models.

Citing unnamed sources within Audi, the crew at Inside Line are suggesting that the automaker will spread the eight-gear love across its model line, including even the lowly entry-level A3 hatchback with its 2.0-liter turbocharged four. Why all those gears? More ratios to choose from generally equals quicker and smoother acceleration along with increased fuel efficiency and reduced emissions.

As an aside, we’re not quite sure where the law of diminishing returns will intersect with the desire for performance and bragging rights when it comes to automatic transmissions. In other words, what are the chances that we’ll someday see nine or 10-speed gearboxes in luxury cars? Time will tell.

[Source: Inside Line]

Report: Eight-speed transmissions to proliferate through Audi lineup originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Watch the Audi commercial featuring Cheap Trick, the Green Police, and the Audi A3 TDI® clean diesel, Green Car Journals 2010 Green Car of the Year®.

For the third year in a row, Audi will be running an add during the Superbowl. First there was the Godfather parody where the “Old Luxury” dude was put on notice about the R8 (which is a sports car, but who cares). Then last year’s really excellent Jason Statham spot called, “Chase.” This year things are going to be a bit, well, more rocking.

Ditching the notion of parodying films, Audi is instead employing the talents of the ageless (though quite well aged) rockers in Cheap Trick to promote the A3 TDI. The ad will focus on the diesel A3 being named Green Car Journal’s Car of the Year. In it, Cheap Trick will be reinterpreting one of their classics and the spot should sport a, “fun, tongue-in-cheek environmental theme.” Any guesses as to which song? We’re thinking “He’s a Whore.”

At the LA Auto Show this morning, the Audi A3 TDI was crowned the 2010 Green Car of the Year, wresting the title away from last year’s winner, the Volkswagen Jetta TDI. Even though three hybrids made this year’s list of finalists, the A3’s win marks the second year in a row that a TDI diesel car took top honors in the Green Car Journal competition.

Each year, Green Car Journal picks the five finalists and then hands over selection duties to celebrity jurors (Jay Leno, Carroll Shelby, and the Sierra Club’s Carl Pope, to name a few). During the award ceremony, Green Car Journal editor Ron Cogan said that the five finalists are notable because they are all mainstream vehicles that are available today. They exist because that’s what the market is asking for.

Filed under: Coupe, Recalls, Hatchback, Audi

If you’ve got an Audi A3 or TT and like to drive it hard, you may want to check in with your local dealer, because a recall notice has been issued that is directly focused on enthusiastic drivers.

The action concerns a spring that holds the fuel tank ventilation valve closed. Under “extreme driving conditions”, the spring in question might not be strong enough to prevent gasoline from leaking out. And since that could start a fire, this recall strikes us as rather important.

The vehicles in question include some 10,200 A3s, TT coupes and TT Roadsters built between September 29, 2005 and August 26, 2009. Volkswagen of America will be contacting vehicle owners to notify them of the recall, and Audi dealerships will replace the faulty ventilation valves with an improved design free of charge. Full details in the recall notice after the jump.

[Source: NHTSA]

Continue reading Audi recalls over 10,000 2006-2010 A3 and TT models over potential fuel leak

Audi recalls over 10,000 2006-2010 A3 and TT models over potential fuel leak originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Audi A3 has been a real success, one which re-defined the term “premium” for the compact car class. An extra portion of dynamism in the optics and the performance is offered by ABT Sportsline. The renowned vehicle turner of course also took on the facelifted version of the long-term best-seller from the Ingolstadt company - and thanks to the modified bonnet, grill, bumpers, fenders and LED light line from their product range the car has an even greater presence. It stands there as if it`s ready to attack, even more so with the ABT bodywork kit signalising extra power and sportiness: its front spoiler insert, side skirts, fender inserts as well as a rear apron have been tailor made for the cool body of the ABT AS3. Even the typical ABT 4-pipe exhaust unit blends into the sporty design perfectly. The Allgaeu company recommends mounting model AR or BR ABT Sports alloys, which are available in 18 and 19 inch, as an extravagant supplement to the optical package.

It goes without saying that the AS3 does not just look fast, but is fast too. This is because ABT POWER also brings the engines up to speed: with it the 1.4 TSI, for example, brings a brisk 160HP (118kW) to the road instead of the series-standard 125HP (92kW). With the next largest unit, the 1.8 TSI 160HP (118kW) achieves an everyday 210HP (154kW). And the largest petrol engine, the 2.0 TSI, provides 240HP (177kW) with ABT as opposed to 200HP (147kW) in the basic version. In spite of the HP boost the fuel consumption does not increase and the reliability of the engines remains the same. ABT also offers performance increases for the two-litre turbo diesel: depending on the starting power output either 170HP (125kW) or 190HP (140kW) is achieved - and both bring plenty of torque with them.

In order to utilise the well-trained “ABT horses” in the best possible way on the road, ABT Performance Springs are recommended. Thanks to the lowering of the car`s centre of gravity by around 35 millimetres the agility of the AS3 is improved, which makes itself felt especially at corners. The ABT braking unit with its disc diameter of 345 millimetres provides the best deceleration values, even in borderline areas. All components have been tuned to the AS3, making the compact ABT a real sports car, both on the inside and outside.

Covering over 4,900 kilometers (3,044 miles) in three days, driving specialist Gerhard Plattner is gearing up for his next record-breaking attempt as the first driver to reach three continents in just three days. On June 8, Plattner and his co-pilot Franz Doppler will depart from Rabat, Morocco, in an Audi A3 1.9 TDI e with the goal of reaching the Asian side of Istanbul no more than 72 hours later. Today’s presentation of the vehicle at the Audi Forum Ingolstadt marks the beginning of a phase of intense preparation for the team of drivers.

Gerhard Plattner has already circled the globe seven times in attempts to set new records. Now the passionate motorist is seeking to set his latest world record by reaching three continents in just three days, covering over 4,900 kilometers (3,044 miles) from the Moroccan capital of Rabat to the Asian side of Istanbul, crossing Europe and a total of 13 countries – in just 72 hours. The route will present an enormous challenge to the team’s endurance, driving skill and physical fitness.

Extreme conditions on the record-breaking drive will also serve as a tough test of the vehicle’s safety, efficiency and comfort on long-distance routes.

Plattner and his co-pilot Franz Doppler therefore chose a standard Audi A3 1.9 TDI e with an output of 77 kW (105 hp) to help them successfully complete the difficult journey. “The A3 has ideal characteristics for all three continents. Nevertheless, any attempt to break a record also requires a lot of good luck, especially regarding the weather and traffic,” said Gerhard Plattner during the presentation of the vehicle at the Audi Forum Ingolstadt.

The two driving specialists plan to start their journey on June 8 from the royal mausoleum in Rabat, later crossing to Tarifa in Spain with the high-speed ferry. Plattner and Doppler will then drive along the Mediterranean coast of Spain, France and Italy. After crossing the Alps and a brief stop in Munich, Plattner will pilot the A3 through the Balkan States, arriving in Istanbul and crossing the Bosporus to reach the finish line in Asia on June 11, after no more than 72 hours of total driving time. However, the driving specialist is not just interested in a new entry in the record books. Plattner plans on returning to Ingolstadt with a photographic document containing precisely 100 commemorative photos – the passionate driver’s way of wishing the Audi brand a happy 100th birthday.

The Guinness Book of World Records has dubbed Gerhard Plattner “the most versatile driver in the world.” To date, the journalist from Tyrol has covered just under 7 million kilometers (4.3 million miles) by car, setting numerous world records for speed, efficiency and endurance in the process. In 1991, Plattner completed the fastest round-the-world drive in an Audi S2, a record that still stands today. Plattner also set a record for the most efficient round-the-world journey in a car from the brand with the four rings, an Audi 80 TDI. In 1992, the record-breaking driver piloted an Audi duo, the world’s first standard hybrid vehicle, from Ingolstadt to the World’s Fair in Seville.

Check out this Audi A3 by Caractere!

The fascia has been tweaked with a few cues from the recently revamped A4, including new LED daytime running lamps, and redesigned rollers fill the wheel wells, hiding Audi’s optional Magnetic Ride suspension system.

The five-door’s powertrain choices remain, with either a 2.0-liter turbocharged four or a 3.2-liter V6, and all-wheel-drive is finally available as an option on the 2.0T model. Previously, Audi’s hill-start assist was only available with the S-tronic dual-clutch transmission, but it’s now standard on models fitted with the six-speed manual.

Pricing has been set at $26,920 for the front-wheel-drive, six-speed manual model equipped with the 2.0T, while the top of the line 3.2-liter Quattro variant comes in at $36,975.

New Parallel Park Assist system available now for all A3 Cabriolet models uses ultrasonic sensors to seek out suitable parking spaces, alerts the driver via the in-dash Driver’s Information System (DIS) and then steers the car automatically into the space in one manoeuvre
Priced at £725 for Sport and S line versions fitted with DIS, and £925 for standard models which also require upgrade to DIS
A3 Cabriolet range priced from £19,995 OTR for the new 1.6 model to £27,060 OTR for the 2.0 TFSI S line
Three specification levels – Standard, Sport (£1,850 premium over standard) and S line (£1,550 premium over Sport)
Standard specification includes alloy wheels, semi-automatic hood operation, air conditioning, powered windows and mirrors and a CD audio system
Sport and S line models incorporate a fully automatic acoustic hood and wind deflector which can be lowered in just 9 seconds and raised in 11 at speeds of up to 19mph

The new Audi A3 Cabriolet is already adept at getting its driver out of a tight spot thanks to a powered roof which can shrug off sharp showers in as little as 11 seconds, but it can now also find its way into one with the help of a new Parallel Park Assist feature. This sophisticated urban stress reliever is available right across the A3 Cabriolet range, which is priced from £19,995 OTR for the new 1.6 petrol model to £27,060 OTR for the 2.0 TFSI S line.

Working in conjunction with the A3 Cabriolet’s sophisticated in-dash Driver’s Information System (DIS) - a standard feature of Sport and S line versions - the new Parallel Park Assist system is available as an optional extra costing £725, or £925 in combination with the £200 option of DIS for standard models.

Using ultrasonic sensors, the system monitors longitudinal parking spaces at speeds below 19mph, and if it detects that a space is sufficiently large to reverse into, the driver is alerted via the DIS. If the driver then engages reverse gear and touches the accelerator pedal, the Park Assist system takes over the electromechanical steering and automatically steers the car into the space in one manoeuvre. The driver can hand over complete control of the steering wheel to the car, and only has to operate the accelerator, the clutch and the brake for obvious safety reasons. Audible chimes which increase in frequency depending on proximity to cars in front and behind allow the driver to position the car perfectly in the space once the ‘hands-free’ steering input has been completed.

Wide engine choice
Power for the A3 Cabriolet range comes courtesy of five responsive petrol engines, including the 1.6-litre 102PS four-cylinder petrol which has just been introduced, the 160PS 1.8 TFSI petrol and the 200PS 2.0 TFSI petrol, and in the diesel camp the 105PS 1.9 TDI and the 140PS 2.0 TDI with common rail piezo fuel injection. These are combined with either a five or six-speed manual gearbox, depending on version, or the option, for all models bar the 1.6 and 1.9 TDI, of the acclaimed six-speed S tronic twin-clutch transmission.

Practicality has been considered as carefully as optimum performance, the A3 Cabriolet not only converting to topless mode and back extraordinarily rapidly, and at speeds of up to 19mph, but also comfortably accommodating four passengers without ruling out impressive luggage capacity that is expandable thanks to the standard split/fold rear seat. An ingenious Z-fold mechanism eliminates the need for a deep stowage compartment for the roof within the body of the A3 Cabriolet, and therefore also eliminates the compromise in boot space that is often required.