Posts Tagged ‘audi quattro’

First Look: Audi RS6

One of four new RS models due in 2013.

by on Dec.06, 2012

Audi's third-generation RS6 Avant will make its debut at the Detroit Auto Show next month.

Audi’s third-generation RS6 Avant will be making its debut at the Detroit Auto Show next month, but the maker has offered up a sneak peek at what will be one of four new RS offerings added to its line-up during 2013.

The new RS6 abandons the old Lamborghini-based V-10 in favor of a new 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 making a significant 552 horsepower.  The engine is essentially the same powerplant used by the latest-generation Bentley Continental. And to keep it in the broader Volkswagen AG family while putting things into perspective: the new Audi RS6 Avant is expected to deliver 0 to 100 kmh (0 to 62 mph) times of just 3.9 seconds.  The Porsche 911 Carrera S needs 4.5 seconds to get there.

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As the new RS6 will also feature cylinder deactivation – allowing it to shut off four of its eight cylinders when loads are light — it is anticipating better fuel economy than the outgoing model.  Also helping drive up mileage, the new Audi performance sedan will weigh in at about 200 pounds less than the old RS6, and it will be outfitted with new Stop/Start technology to shut its engine off instead of wasting gas idling.

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Audi A6: Similar Look, But Completely New

Numerous improvements advance Audi sedan's appeal.

by on Jun.21, 2012

Audi's A6 may look like little more than a styling refresh, but it's actually completely new.

Audi’s latest-generation A6 may look a lot like its predecessor, but its understated exterior hides numerous improvements over its predecessor.

Immediately noticeable are the LED taillights and optional LED headlights. But more importantly, the new A6 is up to 176 pounds lighter than the slightly smaller model it replaces.

Audi accomplished this mostly through the increased use of aluminum, where it is the acknowledge leader.

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The engine is largely carryover. A supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 provides the power. It sings an expressive tune to well past 6,000 rpm.

New in this model is an eight-speed transmission. In normal driving, it shifts almost inperceptably. Shifts are only slightly more pronounced in spirited driving. A sport mode seems to change its characteristics only slightly. The transmission can be manually shifted with paddles behind the steering wheel or with the stick.

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AWD or Stability Control: Which Is More Important?

Stability control may be the most important auto safety technology in a generation, but there's still a place for AWD.

by on Dec.16, 2010

Subaru's WRX STi puts its power to all four wheels.

The day after this week’s blizzard, a co-worker asked if I had driven my all-wheel-drive Subaru or the 2011 Buick Regal I happened to be testing.

AWD traction would seem to be a big advantage, and considering that I have a 55-mile commute, I’ll take all the advantages I can get.

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But the Subaru is a 10-year-old warrior, so, while it does have anti-lock brakes, it doesn’t have the latest safety devices such as traction control or stability control. So, even thought the Regal puts power down through its front wheels only, I’ll take the modern car in most circumstances over the older one, even if it is driving all four wheels.

Traction control and stability control are that important. In the old days, you wanted a limited-slip differential to keep the wheel with the least amount of traction from spinning. But traction control effectively replaces the limited slip, in many respects. By selectively braking the wheel with the least traction, the wheel that can get the best bite gets some of the power.
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First Look: Audi Quattro Concept

"Heritage," yes; retro, no.

by on Oct.01, 2010

Audi avoids the heavy-handed retro approach but still has a heritage feel to the Quattro Concept.

Marking the 30th anniversary of its original Quattro model, Audi has lifted the covers on a tempting new show car, the Quattro Concept, at the 2010 Paris Motor Show.

Though it’s anything but retro, the Quattro Concept revives the long-nosed, angular-backed shape of the original, 1980 Audi four-wheel-drive model. 

While there appears to be no immediate plans for production, Audi is in the midst of a rather rapid expansion of its line-up – most recently with the A7, also on display at the Mondial de l’Automobile. 

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That’s keeping its engineers busy, but as CEO Rupert Stadler told TheDetroitBureau.com, the Volkswagen AG subsidiary is keeping an ear out for public reaction to models like the Quattro Concept and eTron sports cars – the latter in both coupe and Spyder form.

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Audi eTron Spyder Opts For Through-The-Road AWD Hybrid Drive

Convertible version tests out alternate approach to battery supercar.

by on Sep.30, 2010

The Audi eTron Spyder with CEO Rupert Stadler.

It’s been barely a year since we first got look at the innovative Audi eTron, one of the first in a wave of new battery-powered supercar concepts that have been charging out on the auto show circuit.

But the big difference between the original Audi eTron and the eTron Spyder debuting at the 2010 Paris Motor Show really isn’t the lack of a roof, it turns out.  The latest take on this battery sports car concept introduces an alternative way to power its wheels.

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Where the original eTron relied purely on lithium-ion batteries, much like a Nissan Leaf on major league steroids, the eTron Spyder opts for a plug-in hybrid powertrain, and one that adopts a novel through-the-road approach to all-wheel-drive.

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