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Thursday, January 20, 2011

2012 Audi E1 City Car

Audi engineers and designers have been given the green light to produce the E1 – a super-efficient small car that, at least in spirit, replaces the discontinued, slow-selling A2 city car. The unnamed Audi would go up against the new Ford Ka and the Fiat 500, and we’ve received renderings of the upcoming Audi E1 city car based on the Volkswagen Up! concept car.

Audi’s new small car is reportedly capable of 95 mpg and fewer than 100 g/km, which would put the car in the lowest possible tax brackets in Europe. Engines are speculated to be a pair of two-cylinder, 600cc turbocharged units, one powered by diesel and the other by unleaded. An all-electric version has already been given the go-ahead as well.

We expect the E1 city car to be front-wheel-drive and front-engined, unlike the smaller Smart ForTwo. Like the Smart ForTwo, the Audi E1 will feature a 2+1 layout that will seat two adults in the front, and room for luggage and a child in the rear.

Initially, sales in North America aren’t very likely, though Audi might test the waters in Canada – a market prone to purchase small cars – and then import the car to the United States. But this is all unconfirmed speculation.

2012 Audi A1 Convertible

The Audi A1 is based on the Metroproject Quattro that debuted at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show. The A1 hard top is scheduled as a 2011 model and is scheduled to enter production before the release of the convertible the following year. So how might the A1 Convertible look? Our artist put together an illustration of what to expect.

A1 used hybrid powertrains — with electric motors providing Audi’s signature quattro all-wheel drive — but the production version will likely use conventional drivetrains. Power for the MINI-fighting drop top could come from a wide range of small engines at Audi’s disposal thanks in part to VW. One possible engine derivative is the TSI engine range found in the Golf GT Sport. That means a turbo and supercharged 1.4L, good for either 140 or 170 horsepower. A 150 horsepower 1.8L turbo unit and a 102 horsepower 1.6L are expected to round out the gas engine offerings.

Also possible are the several versions of Audi’s 1.4L TFSI engine. If so, the base model would likely put out 120 horsepower. Performance oriented S1 and RS1 models are believed to be in the works, generating 180 and 220 horsepower, respectively. Audi’s DSG dual-clutch transmission will at least be optional on A1 models. In true European style, the A1 cabrio will also likely offer two version of the company’s 2.0L TDI, producing 140 and 170 horsepower respectively.

There are also reports that Audi is readying an S1 version of the A1 convertible, which will likely use the same 261 horsepower engine found in the S3.Also worth noting is the expectation for the A1 to feature automatic engine stop/start and brake energy regeneration, improving overall fuel economy by about 15 percent, regardless which engine(s) it receives.

The A1 is expected to hit the European market shortly after its Geneva debut, but U.S. sales are still in question. However, the latest photos were sourced from a Los Angeles photo shoot, but it remains to be seen if that has any bearing on where the A1 will be sold. Audi has reportedly set a sales target between 100,000 and 120,000 units annually.

2012 Audi R8 V12 TDI

R8 supercar has caused quite a stir with its V8 and V10 gas variants, but Audi thought it would change things around by adding a V12 diesel into the mix for good measure. This R8 concept car deviates wildly from traditional gas-powered sports cars, but with a race-proven turbocharged diesel it might be one of the most promising exotic concept cars ever created.

Power for the concept comes from the automakers race-derived 6.0 liter V12 diesel motor, which was first used in the R10 Le Mans competition car, and is now available in the Audi Q7. The engine produces 500 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque. The peak torque, reached at only 1,750 rpm.

The car sprints to 62 mph in 4.2 seconds, according to Audi. Like most German automakers, Audi is probably reporting a very conservative acceleration time for this car.Other highlights of the show car include a glass roof, an increased use of carbon fiber, revised front and rear aprons, and larger air intakes all around.

The car also features all-LED headlights, which are visually very appealing, not to mention very energy efficient and bright. With a color temperature of 6,000 Kelvin, the light emitted resembles daylight much more closely than xenon or even halogen light.

Earlier reports suggested that Audi would equip the R8 with a diesel engine for the 2009 model year, but the latest word is that the TDI R8 may never make it into production. Audi engineers are reporting that fitting the turbochargers into the allotted space is proving impossible, and the costs associated with making it fit would make it impossible for Audi to ever turn a profit from a TDI R8.

2012 Audi S8

The S8 disappeared from Audi’s lineup for the 2010 model year, but the sports sedan looks primed for a 2012 model year revival. Our spy photographers recently spotted the high-performance 2012 S8 undergoing some shakedown testing.

At first glance, this may just look like a blacked-out, 2011 Audi A8. However, all it takes is a quick look at the details of this car to know we’ve just captured the first up-close photos of Audi S8 test vehicle.

This S8 test car is an early development vehicle, so it is not wearing any of the sportier “S” bodywork just yet. What it does have are large brake rotors and calipers along with a quad tip exhaust setup — obvious signs this is no ordinary A8.

The S8 will get the usual upgraded suspension, brakes and powertrain that all “S” models get. Exactly which powertrain the S8 will receive seems to be a mystery so far, with the strongest rumors suggesting that a 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V8 will be under the hood of the 2012 S8.

2011 Audi S1

Aside from letting us know when the S1 will debut, Audi has not yet released any further details on the car, but our spy photographers sent us the first images of an Audi S1 prototype just a few weeks ago.

Set to do battle with cars like the MINI John Cooper Works, Alfa Romeo MiTo GTA and Fiat 500 Abarth, the Audi S1 will likely get a tweaked version of the 1.4-liter supercharged and turbocharged TFSI four-cylinder used in the VW Polo GTi, producing at least 180 horsepower.

Backing the S1′s forced induction engine will be Audi’s latest seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The S1 will be Audi’s only S product not to offer Quattro all-wheel drive, but the hot hatch should still be capable of accelerating from 0-60 in under 6 seconds.It is also expected that the S1 will feature a stiffened suspension set-up with magnetic dampers.

The S1 will look the part thanks to flared wheel arches, 19-inch wheels, a roof-mounted spoiler, a front splitter and daytime LED headlamps like the rest of the Audi line – including LED running lights.As the current-generation A1 won’t be sold in North America, don’t expect to see the hotter S1 on our shores anytime soon. However, Audi has indicated that the second-generation A1 will be sold in the U.S., so here’s to hoping the next S1 also makes the journey.

2011 Audi Q3

The next Q3 to be fairly rugged and aggressive in design. It is also easy to see the similar design cues in the front fascia with the bigger Q5.

Expect moderately larger wheels – something in the realm of 18 to 20-inches. The Q3 will essentially fill the role of an upscale and more luxurious VW Tiguan – of which it shares a platform.

The Q3 is set to ride on the same VW chassis that the Golf and Tiguan use. We also hear it will have a Haldex all-wheel drive system instead of the usual Torsen all-wheel drive system found on most other Audi vehicles.

In the U.S. market, the Q3 will likely only be available with a 211 horsepower 2.0L TFSI four-cylinder. However, the supercharged V6 used in the S4 may find its way under the Q3′s hood. A next-generation version of Audi’s dual clutch “S-tronic” manu-matic transmission is also a likely bet.

European Q3 buyers will likely have the option of VW’s 1.4-liter TFSI inline-four engine — tuned to somewhere in the neighborhood of 125-150 horsepower — as well as two turbo-diesels powerplants, one of which may boast as much as 200 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque.

2011 Audi Q5 Hybrid

Audi has officially announced a hybrid version of its Q5 compact SUV. Reports of a hybrid version of the Audi Q5 have been circling the internet rumor mill since 2008.
Audi says the Q5 Hybrid will make its debut in late 2010 – possibly indicating a Los Angeles Auto Show reveal – with sales set to kick off in early 2011. United States sales are a sure bet but it remains to be seen if the Q5 Hybrid will be offered in Europe where diesels still reign supreme.

No technical specs were released for the Q5 Hybrid but it is believed the SUV will employ nickel metal hydride batteries rather than a more advanced – and expensive – lithium-ion batteries. The Q5 Hybrid will be Audi’s first full hybrid model.

Audi still prefers diesel technology to hybrid technology – saying the company is developing “hybrids in order to show people that we are able to do them” – but the Q5 Hybrid should help the German automaker in the U.S. market, both in terms of sales and fuel economy regulations.