Month: October 2010

Categories
Audi

Audi TT RS now available with S tronic

Audi TT RS

Audi has today released new information confirming the availability of a new 7-speed S tronic dual clutch transmission on the 250kW TT RS. European deliveries of S tronic equipped cars start this month.

Compared to the 6-speed manual box you can expect a 0.3 second improvement for 0-100km/h times. By employing a tall seventh gear the new transmission brings with it added fuel saving benefits. The S tronic TT RS has a rated overall consumption figure of 8.5l/100km against Euro test data (0.7l/100km improvement).

Hmm, those numbers seem a tad high, but that’s what you get when you compare published figures for the Coupé to the figures given in the press release available below.

Australian availability and pricing has yet to be confirmed by Audi Australia. Expect local deliveries to commence in early 2011 and the extra price difference to be under $5000.

UPDATE 7 October: AUSmotive has been in touch with Audi Australia; at this stage there is no firm ETA regarding availability of the S tronic in the TT RS for the local market.

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Audi Motor Shows

Paris 2010: Audi quattro concept “Rallye”

Audi quattro concept 'Rallye'

Tucked away on the Audi stand at the Paris Motor Show, almost out of sight, is this “Rallye” version of the Audi quattro concept. Firstly, it looks sensational and clearly harks back to the all conquering Quattro rally beasts of the 1980s.

Secondly, what does it mean? There’s is nothing apparent on the usual Audi press portals that explain anything about this car. In fact, this picture isn’t even an official Audi image.

Is it simply a homage and nothing else, or is this even more extroverted concept a hint of something new to come? WRC perhaps? Or is that simply too much wishful thinking?

If you see anything that offers more than this World Car Fans article, please post a link in the comments section below.

UPDATE 7 October: According to a response from a representative of Audi AG this car is nothing more than a scale model produced to illustrate what a Group B rally car might look like today if the category was still alive. I still want one!

Categories
Audi Motor Shows

Paris 2010: Audi highlights

Audi highlights - Paris 2010

Audi has released a brief clip showcasing their highlights from the Paris Motor Show. Of course, that means the e-tron Spyder and the quattro concept. In addition individual promo videos on both cars can also be seen.

Rupert Stadler, Chairman Audi AG, reckons the “e-tron” name will end up holding a similar significance for Audi as the term “quattro”. Will be interesting to see if that comes to fruition in the coming years.

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Categories
Lotus Motor Shows

Paris 2010: Lotus Eterne

Lotus Eterne

The fifth and final installment from the Lotus surprise pack at Paris this year is this four door sports saloon, the Eterne. It’s the company’s answer to the Aston Martin Rapide. So much so they even dared to borrow the swooping detail along the window line leading into the C-pillar.

Throwing Chapman’s lightness mantra even further out the window the Eterne weighs in at 1800kg. Still, for a big cruisy GT that’s probably not too bad in this day and age. The 620PS 5.0 litre V8 form the Esprit gets another guernsey here and propels the Eterne to 100km/h in 4.0 seconds, with a top speed of 315km/h.

Contradicting himself slightly Dany Bahar says, “We truly believe that there is a market for the Eterne, there is nothing else like it out there both in terms of design, capacity and performance. The biggest difference between the Eterne and it’s class competitors is that it’s not an evolution of an existing two-door model, it’s a deliberate and considered stand-alone creation. It’s the ultimate four door sports car.”

More pics, video and official press release are available after the break.

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Categories
Lotus Motor Shows

Paris 2010: Lotus Elite

Lotus Elite

You’re looking at an all new model for the Lotus brand, it’s called the Elite. In the video below it is described as a “gentleman’s car”. Basically it’s a 2+2 grand tourer fitted with the same 620PS 5.0 litre V8 from the new Esprit.

Lotus CEO, Dany Bahar, says the company is moving with the times by providing a more luxurious sportscar. What he’s really doing is softening the blow made by the Elite’s 1650kg weight, which is starting to push the boundaries of Colin Champan‘s legacy of “simplify and add lightness”.

Bahar continues his defence accordingly, “Make no mistake, there’s a definite market requirement for the Elite – it’s the ultimate sports car feel with comfort and space. There will always be those who believe that Lotus should stick to small sports cars but we didn’t take the decision to design something like the Elite lightly, it’s based on months of careful research and planning.”

The Elite continues the new visual language so clearly defined at Paris this year and it’s certainly no slouch. Able to reach 100km/h in 3.7 seconds before achieving a v-max of 315km/h the Elite is due to go on sale in the second half of 2014.

More pics, video and official press release are available after the break.

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Categories
Lotus Motor Shows

Paris 2010: Lotus Elise

Lotus Elise

Continuing the Lotus revamp is this new Elise concept. The car is not due until 2015 so there’s a whole heap of spy shots, testing images and information to come. For now, though, we can tell you the car will be powered by a 320PS 2.0 litre four-cylinder engine and with a very light 1095kg to shift around the new Elise is sure to build on the current model’s razor sharp handling prowess.

Lotus say the new Elise do the 100km/h sprint in 4.3 seconds and will have a top speed of 270km/h. The interior pics supplied are just renderings at this stage, but you can see enough to know it’s the bare essentials only, albeit presented in a slightly more upmarket finish than the current Elise.

Lotus CEO, Dany Bahar, hopes the all-new model wll attract an all new generation to his brand, “The design of the Elise 2015 is perfect for the target market, it’s young, strong, confident, verging on ruthless, it mirrors the engineering and technology. It’s the next generation Elise for a new generation of Lotus drivers.”

More pics, video and official press release are available after the break.

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Categories
Lotus Motor Shows

Paris 2010: Lotus Esprit

Lotus Esprit

“The icon is back.” That’s how Lotus has titled their press release for the new Esprit. It’s only back in concept form right now, but Lotus says the car will be on sale in 2013. The new aggressive lines and sharp edges make a bold statement and position the Esprit right in the heart of supercar territory. A fact mentioned many times in the promo video below.

The Esprit will be powered by a 5.0 litre V8 producing an inspiring peak power figure of 620PS (456kW) and a very encouraging 720Nm of torque. Tipping the scales at 1450kg (roughly the same as a Golf R) the Esprit rockets to 100km/h in 3.4 seconds and can reach a top speed of 330km/h.

Lotus CEO, Dany Bahar, is pumped, “Not only does the Esprit look incredible but it has the performance to match. We’ve stuck to the Lotus core values of performance through lightweight and teamed them with future technology and exceptional engineering to ensure that the Esprit will be the leader of the pack. The design is aggressive, you have to see it to appreciate how low and wide the proportions are but it still retains a level of dignity, of class and most of all exclusivity. I’m very proud of this car.”

More pics, video and official press release are available after the break.

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Categories
Lotus Motor Shows

Paris 2010: Lotus Elan

Lotus Elan

Lotus has come to the Paris Motor Show, and it means business. In total they have presented five new concept cars. This is the new Elan. It’s due for release in 2013 and features a 450PS V6 engine with a 7 speed DCT. The car weighs 1295kg and can reach 100km/h in 3.5 seconds with a top speed of 310km/h.

It looks pretty good don’t you think? Inside, there’s a hint of Ferrari 458 Italia with the digital display and centre console design.

Lotus CEO, Dany Bahar, reckons they’re on to a winner, “If there was ever a car to make you drive the long way home, it’s the Elan. Perfect for both road and track, the Elan not only ticks all the boxes, it creates new ones too.”

More details after the break.

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Categories
Audi

Audi RS5: Australian pricing & specs

Audi RS5

Audi Australia has launched the RS5 with a manufacturer’s list price of $175,300. You’ll still need to pay a few statutory charges, but that’s about $4600 less than the AUSmotive prediction. A small saving, however, you still sense that price point is going to ensure Audi has to fight hard for every sale. Okay, it’s probably a bit tired to continually make this comparison, but you can bet the words BMW M3 will cross the lips of most RS5 buyers at some stage.

The RS5 has received extensive coverage on AUSmotive, so there’s no great need to go over the details again. The basics remain, that is the RS5 is powered by a 331kW 4.2 litre V8 driven by a quattro system featuring trick terms like torque vectoring and crown-gear centre differential. You can find out more on that technology here: quattro 101.

After the break you can read Audi’s press release and check out their latest gallery of images. It’s a great looking car, that’s for sure. Also included for download are the following items, all correct at time of publication:

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Categories
Alfa Romeo Fiat Volkswagen

Volkswagen CEO admits “we’d be interested” in Alfa Romeo

Volkswagen-Alfa Romeo-Fiat

In late August news emerged that Volkswagen insiders had confirmed a keen interest in buying Alfa Romeo. Back then people were willing to talk, but they weren’t prepared to give their names. Now, word has come straight from the top with Martin Winterkorn, Volkswagen Group CEO, admitting, “Alfa is a very emotional brand. If Fiat considers selling, we’d be interested.”

Winterkorn went further, offering a critique of the Alfa brand and highlighting where improvements could be made, “It’s a beautiful brand but there are quality issues with the engines and suspension systems for example. I’m quite sure we could make a beautiful brand out of Alfa again.”

According to the Volkswagen CEO they no interest in making a bid for Alfa and would only be willing to deal if Fiat expresses an interest to sell.

[Source: Autocar]

Categories
Ford Motor Shows WRC

Paris 2010: Ford Fiesta RS WRC

Ford Fiesta RS WRC

Ford has made it a trifecta of WRC reveals with these new images of their race-prepped Fiesta RS. The car has undergone 3000km of limited testing in Britain and France already. Next week the Fiesta RS WRC will be in Spain for more test sessions, the first with full 2011 specs.

Gerard Quinn, Ford of Europe’s Motorsport chief, says, “We’re delighted to preview the Ford Fiesta RS WRC in such a prominent Motor Show as Paris. There are significant visual differences from the Fiesta S2000 base car as well as major changes under the skin. The biggest, of course, is the 1.6-litre Ford EcoBoost turbo engine -the original version of which was developed by Ford’s Powertrain Engineering team.”

More pics and details after the break. Unfortunately the last three pics are only available in 1024px sizing. The first three can be viewed as 2000px super images and if I stumble across full versions of the other pics I will update them accordingly.

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Citroen Motor Shows WRC

Paris 2010: Citroën DS3 WRC

Citroen DS3 WRC

Citroën has just fired back at MINI by releasing new images of its 2011 DS3 WRC. It looks pretty cool, too, but I think the MINI WRC is still a bit better. Of course, with eleventy-times champion Sebastien Loeb at the wheel, the DS3 WRC is sure to be the car to beat next year.

The full reveal of the DS3 WRC will take place very soon at the Paris Motor Show. More pics after the break.

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