Filed under: Sedan, Audi, Diesel

The arrival of the Audi A7 in the U.S. is almost a given, designed to slot in - predictably - between the A6 and all-new A8, while finally providing Audi with a Mercedes-Benz CLS competitor. But what of the A5 Sportback?

According to our sources, the success of the A7 will play a key role in Audi’s decision to import the A5 Sportback into the States. If the A7 is well received, the Sportback could be slotted in as a smaller alternative to the larger A7 and its closest competitor, the CLS. We haven’t been given a timeline on when the A7 could arrive, but with the European launch happening early next year, a Stateside debut in 2011 isn’t out of the question.

Audi’s product expansion isn’t just limited to new models, but includes the continued proliferation of available drivetrains. To that end, a diesel-powered A8 should arrive in the U.S. sometime next year.

When the A8 goes on sale this November, both the standard and long-wheelbase versions will launch simultaneously, each packing Audi’s 450 horsepower 4.2-liter TSI V8. The 500-hp W12, however, won’t be an option on the A8L until the first quarter of 2011. If Audi decides to equip the A8 with a diesel, expect the same 3.0-liter V6 TDI fitted to the refreshed Q7, outputting around 225 hp and 406 pound-feet of torque.

Audi A5 Sportback could come to the States, A8 diesel due next year originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Aug 2025 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Sedan, Hatchback, Audi, Design/Style, Luxury

There’s a new automotive segment being born as we speak. Previewed by the Porsche Panamera, Aston Martin Rapide and BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo, modern four-door sportback sedans combine the functionality of a hatchback with seating for four or five, all wrapped in a shapely, sleek package. Audi previewed its own offering at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show by way of the Sportback concept, and now the production model has officially been unveiled in Munich.

From a design standpoint, it’s obvious that the A7 Sportback was penned alongside the all-new flagship A8 sedan. Audi’s signature LED running lamps are intact up front, in a more angular shape than what you’d see on the A4 or R8, and the chopped rear deck is not only a throwback to fastback sedans from many decades ago, but its design mimics that of the larger A8, as well. The most striking view, however, is the side profile, which looks to be one part shooting brake and one part coupe, though if we’re honest, we wish the A7′s front overhang were reduced just a bit. Interestingly, at one point, Audi refers to the A7 has having a boattail, which initially made us cringe, but staring at it a bit more, this notion makes a degree of sense.

Powertrain details are slim as of this writing, but Audi says that the A7 Sportback will debut with four different V6 offerings, two petrol and two diesel. Expect the 3.0-liter supercharged V6 from the S4, S5 and A6 to be on hand, as well as the 3.0-liter TDI V6 found in the Q7 SUV. Audi will offer the A7 in both front- and all-wheel-drive configurations, with the Multitronic CVT and seven-speed S-tronic transmissions being used, respectively. Interestingly, unlike the A8, the A7 will make use of electric power steering, so we hope Audi’s boffins have done their homework on dialing in feel and linearity.

Inside, we expect the standard raft of Audi amenities, including the automaker’s new MMI Touch infotainment interface. From there, the latest in Audi technology will be on hand, including wireless internet connectivity. The interior is very much akin to that in the new A8, and we fully expect that it will offer premium creature comforts while still being driver-focused.

No official confirmation for North American consumers just yet, but we expect an all-wheel drive model to make it to these shores - presumably with a gasoline and S-tronic gearbox only configuration.

Hit the jump to read the full details in Audi’s press release, and click through the attached gallery for high-res shots. We fully anticipate that Audi will open the floodgates on further information and images in the near future, so stay tuned.

[Source: Audi]

Continue reading 2011 Audi A7 Sportback shows its shapely rump in Munich

2011 Audi A7 Sportback shows its shapely rump in Munich originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Jul 2025 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Sedan, Hatchback, Audi, Luxury

2011 Audi A7 Sportback - Click above for image gallery

Tomorrow afternoon, Audi will formally unveil the new A7 Sportback at a museum in Munich. While that fanfare will go on as scheduled, as is so often the case nowadays, the big reveal has been undercut somewhat as leaked official images have made their way onto the web a day early. Carscoop.com has posted four shots of the A7 Sportback, giving us the first solid looks at the production car’s bodywork and interior. As you can see, the five-door A7 remains true to the concept car that made its debut at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.

Carscoop further reports that the Audi A7 Sportback is a four-seater only, and will be offered with a selection of gas and diesel V6 engines (in European guise, we assume). We’ll have full details and more images tomorrow once the car gets unveiled at 2:30 PM Eastern. In the meantime, have a gander at the leaked shots below to whet your appetite. Top tip, Rally!

[Source: Carscoop]

Audi A7 Sportback images leaked ahead of Monday reveal originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 25 Jul 2025 09:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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War Rooms: The mid-size sports sedan battle rages on. 2009 Audi A6 3.0T vs.

Filed under: Sedan, Hatchback, Audi, Luxury

The long-awaited production version of the Audi A7 will finally debut on Monday, July 26 at 8:30pm CET - that’s 2:30pm Eastern - and you’ll be able to watch live on the interwebs at Audi TV. interestingly, Audi has chosen to head over to the hometown of one of its primary rivals for the unveiling. The A7 will be unwrapped at the Pinakothek der Moderne art museum in Munich, just a couple of miles from the world headquarters of BMW.

The A7 is expected to take the form of a large, five-door fastback built on the modular platform shared with the A8 sedan. The styling is expected to be very close to the Sportback concept that we saw at last year’s Detroit Auto Show. Unlike BMW’s 5 Series Gran Turismo, the A7 doesn’t have the elevated roofline that adds passenger volume, so it’s likely to be tighter inside, but it’s also likely to avoid the 5GT’s ungainly appearance.

[Source: Audi]

Continue reading Audi confirms A7 Sportback global reveal for Monday

Audi confirms A7 Sportback global reveal for Monday originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Jul 2025 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi A5 2.0 TDI quattro S-Line Coupe Registration: BT58MRU Registered: 27/02/2026 Mileage: 30138 Transmission: Manual Fuel: Diesel Exterior Colour: Phantom Black Interior Colour: Black Interior Material: Leather Retail Price: £27430Gross (Non VAT Qualifying) EquipmentAudio / CommunicationsMobile Phone Preparation - Bluetooth Interface Audi Music Interface Inc Ipod Preparation ExteriorSport Chassis Front Fog Lights Headlamp Wash Electric/Heated Door Mirrors Rain Sensor Body Coloured Bumpers InteriorClimate Control Front Armrest Front Electric Windows Front/Rear Head Restraints Steering Wheel Leather Driver ConvenienceDriver Information System Cruise Control 6 Speed Manual Gearbox Power-Assisted Steering Rake/Reach Adjustable Steering Column/Wheel HDD Satellite Navigation Rear Parking Aid Multi Function Steering Wheel Safety / TechnologyAnti-Lock Brakes Driver, Passenger And Front Side Air Bags Electronic Stability Programme SecurityAlarm Remote Central Door Locking Immobiliser Wheels18In Alloy Wheels Spacesaver Spare Wheel TrimGear Knob Leather

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Performance, Europe, Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Lamborghini, Porsche, Misc. Auto Shows, Ferrari, Racing

Every two years in July, hundreds of vintage race cars gather at the famed Le Mans race circuit in France to fire up their engines and relive the glory days in the historic corners and long straights of the nearly 8.5-mile Circuit de la Sarthe. But that’s just part of it. In addition to the priceless machinery racing on the track, thousands of other classic cars trek to the grounds to fill nearly every open spot at the huge venue. Autoblog was invited by Porsche France to enjoy the 2010 Le Mans Classic in person, and needless to say, it was absolutely spectacular.

According to the organizers, this year’s show welcomed 100,000 spectators, 8,000 display cars, 460 racing cars and 1,000 drivers. With sunny 95-degree temperatures over both days, the weather was unusually hot and the grounds chokingly dusty, but it didn’t seem to keep anyone - or anything - from the event.

When not enjoying the racing, we strolled the show and stumbled over well-preserved classics from Jaguar, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Renault, Lamborghini, Audi, BMW and more. Porsche models were everywhere as the various European Porsche Car Clubs stormed the venue with more than 800 cars. Where else can you physically brush elbows with a race-ready BMW M1, a brand-new 2011 Ferrari 599 GTO and ride in the back of a historic war-era Willys Jeep all within the same 60 seconds? Le Mans Classic, baby. And these weren’t sterile, stuck-behind-the-ropes museum stock, either - everything was meant to be driven and enjoyed.

We’ve put together a massive gallery offering just a taste of the caliber of vehicles on display, running hot laps and racing last weekend. While we’ve attempted to caption many of these, some still have us stumped. If you can identify a few of the nameless, give us a shout in the comments (with the photo number as seen in the URL) and we’ll update the captions as quickly as our server’s cache will let us.

Photos by Michael Harley / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

Autoblog attends 2010 Le Mans Classic, celebrates 80 years of legendary racing originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Jul 2025 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, Ford, Jeep, Mercedes-Benz, Suzuki, Volkswagen

Porsche once again grabs the top spot (for the sixth time in a row) in the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Automotive Performance, Execution, and Layout (APEAL) Study. This year’s study asked 76,000 owners 90 days after purchasing their 2010 model-year cars “how gratifying their new vehicle is to own and drive.” The answer, for the first time since 1997, was that the domestic brands were more “appealing” as a whole than the imports (the domestics earned a score of 787 on a 1,000-point scale - 13 points greater than the imports).

When it comes down to specific awards (as shown in the segment-level graphics), Ford leads with five. The automaker earned one each for the Expedition, Explorer Sport Trac, Flex, Fusion and Taurus. Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen each garner two awards. The Ford Taurus and Chevrolet Avalanche, both segment leaders, are the only two models that ranked highest in the 2010 APEAL study and in the 2010 Initial Quality Study (IQS) announced in June. Suzuki is credited with the greatest improvement this year, while Jeep drops one slot from last year’s 2009 APEAL Study and falls to the bottom of the list for 2010. Check out the gallery for the graphics, and read the full press release after the break.

[Source: JDPower.com]

Continue reading Domestics surpass imports as a whole in 2010 J.D. Power APEAL study

Domestics surpass imports as a whole in 2010 J.D. Power APEAL study originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Jul 2025 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Audi, Diesel

Audi is following BMW by introducing a mechanism to prevent misfueling of diesel vehicles with gasoline. It’s generally not possible to put diesel into a gasoline-powered vehicle as the larger diesel nozzles won’t fit in the filler neck. However, the smaller gas nozzles will fit in the diesel neck. Audi’s system, similar to the one used by BMW, adds a flap in the neck to prevent fuel flow. The flap only opens if the nozzle presses on contact points just below the cap. The smaller gasoline nozzle won’t be be able to hit all of the contacts at once and the flap will prevent fuel from getting into the tank. Apparently, the improved refinement of modern diesel engines has led to an increase in misfueling in recent years, prompting both BMW and Audi to add the new feature. BMW has had this mechanism in all of its diesel vehicles since early 2009 and Audi’s system is set to appear next year.

[Source: AutoCar]

Report: Audi developing new diesel fuel cap to avoid misfills originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Jul 2025 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Europe, Audi, Electric, Racing

Audi is letting the mighty e-tron out to play with the other kids, taking its EV concept to the Silvretta E-Auto Rally in Austria. The competition is designed to pit the latest and greatest of the electric vehicle world against each other over 10 special stages that cover a total of 104 miles. The company has picked Michael Dick, a member of its board for technical development, and Lukas Luhr, a factory race driver, to helm the machine throughout the event.

If you rack your brain a bit, you just might recall that the e-tron uses a total of four electric motors to put power to the ground. The company is still standing by its claim that the machine puts out a total of 3,319 pound-feet of torque, even though it was eventually settled that the figure came from torque at the wheels, not at the output shaft. Even so, it should be plenty quick with the joy of all-wheel drive and a little over 300 horsepower to scoot the car around.

Look for the car and its crew to show up at the race starting this weekend. Click the jump for the press release.

[Source: Audi]

Continue reading Audi R8 e-tron entered in road rally

Audi R8 e-tron entered in road rally originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Jul 2025 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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