The R18 gets its grunt from a 3.7-liter TDI V6 engine, and while Audi isn’t saying exactly how much horsepower or torque the oil-burner produces, we have to guess that the figures are nothing to sneeze at. Behind the engine is a new six-speed transmission, though the innovations aren’t simply chained to the drivetrain. Audi used a single-piece construction carbon fiber monocoque to keep weight down and increase stiffness, and those epic all-LED headlights are the first make their way to Le Mans.

While Audi is planning to campaign a total of three R18 racers at the 2011 Le Mans race this summer, the vehicle’s first appearance will be at the six hours of Spa on April 24

Fortunately, Kovalainen was not seriously injured during the bang-up. Likewise, his girlfriend, who was riding in the vehicle at the time, walked away from the incident without so much as a scuff as well.

2011 Audi A1 by HS Motorsport
By eauto

In cooperation with Autohaus Kempen (Meckenheim) and other partners, HS Motorsport has built a spectacular project car based on the highly popular Audi A1.

What attracts the eye, first and foremost, is the effect-rich silver finish of the classy small car. The masterfully executed work of the CFC Styling Station in Neuss has ensured an avant garde optical effect. HS Motorsport has given the rear of the vehicle a modified bumper, which appropriately houses the R32-look tailpipes developed and manufactured especially for this project by Fox Sport Exhaust Systems. The classy tailpipes are complemented by a full-throated sporty rumble – almost cocky for a vehicle of this class.

Go-Kart with glamourous wheels

The running gear, from the house of H&R, is also a new development. The team from Lennestädt have made a coilover suspension system for the small Ingolstadt manufacturer’s project vehicle, lowered to 55 mm at the front and 60 mm at the back. This upgrade gives the already snappy A1 a genuine go-kart feeling!

In terms of wheels, HS Motorsport offers plenty of choice – in fact, purchasers are spoilt for choice. Because: Both the classic ASA GT1 rims in black silk matte with a silver accent ring and the edgier ASA GT2 alloy wheels with their seven double spokes (available in either black silk matte or anthracite shine front-polished) appear to be made for the polished Audi. The 8.5 x 18 inch rim sizes remain the same. The 215/35R18 tyre configuration comes from Vredestein (Ultrac Sessanta) or Hankook (Ventus V12 evo).
Sit more comfortably

HS Motorsport has placed two Recaro Sportster CS lightweight bucket seats inside the A1, in carbon and original A1 upholstery, from Recaro Sportline Center Germany. The seat consoles have been manufactured especially for the A1 project by Weinkarth.

HS Motorsport have left the engine capacity of the concept car untouched at 122 hp. The Bavarians do offer increased performance for the Audi A1 1.4 TSI, however. The installation of an additional module generates 25 additional hp, and 50 additional Nm, making a total of 147 hp and 250 Nm available. Also available as an option is an Alpine sound system with navigation unit. In addition, a snappy Brembo braking system is also being developed for the front end of the Audi A1.

The S1 Quattro lives again! Audi is set to resurrect the name of its firebreathing world rally champ from the Eighties for a spectacular performance flagship of the A1. And purists needn’t worry – because the newcomer will pack plenty of power, style and, of course, the quattro four-wheel-drive system that made the original such a success.

Audi had considered using the name for the 182bhp 1.4 T version of the A1, revealed at the recent Paris Motor Show. But it backtracked at the last minute, fearing that the model’s two-wheel-drive layout would put off customers loyal to the brand.

Instead, bosses have decided to develop a new S1 alongside the Polo R, which is being readied by VW’s performance division in Germany. The cars will share underpinnings, to keep costs down, while VW may also add the scaled-down four-wheel-drive technology to its rugged CrossPolo and subsidiary Skoda’s Fabia Scout to further increase economies of scale.

But the full, sophisticated version of the quattro system will be reserved for the S1. And the car will continue Audi’s recent push to use innovations from its larger models on smaller products – the S1’s 4WD will have the option of the torque vectoring rear sport differential from the 
S4 and RS5, which promises agile handling.

Engine choices are still being considered, although the 1.4 TFSI from the current flagship won’t be used. Instead, to distance the S1 from the rest 
of the line-up, Audi is likely to employ one of the VW Group’s larger petrol turbos, which currently power the Golf GTI in 2.0-litre form and the top-spec Skoda Yeti in 1.8-litre tune.

A further option is a new 1.6-litre unit. Audi has already said it won’t return to rallying, but VW is planning an entry with a car prepared by a new team set up by Spanish former WRC ace Carlos Sainz. This is likely to be based on the Polo R, and as the sport’s rules dictate that cars be powered by a 1.6-litre turbo, the engine from this model could make it into the S1.

The Audi is likely to deliver around 240bhp – more than the 208bhp of the MINI Cooper S John Cooper Works – and offer scorching performance. The sprint from 0-62mph should take around six seconds, and top speed will be limited to 155mph. A choice of six-speed manual and seven-speed S tronic gearboxes will be available.

Despite the fireworks under the bonnet, the S1 won’t look vastly different to the 1.4 TSI. It will get a unique, deeper front bumper, more pronounced wheelarches to fit larger alloys, a gloss black rear diffuser and special badging. Two-tone paint will also be offered.

The high-spec interior boasts sports seats and a flat-bottomed sports steering wheel, plus drilled pedals and carbon fibre trim. The S1 is expected to debut as a concept later next year, before going on sale in 2012, with an anticipated starting price of around £25,000. ]]> http://www.gtscene.com/2010/10/audi-a1-quattro-revealed/feed/ 0 http://www.gtscene.com/2010/10/audi-r8-lms-in-top-10-on-challenging-bathurst-gt-debut/ http://www.gtscene.com/2010/10/audi-r8-lms-in-top-10-on-challenging-bathurst-gt-debut/#comments Sun, 17 Oct 2010 14:45:17 +0000 admin http://www.gtscene.com/?p=832

The only only Audi R8 Le Mans-specification sports car racing outside Europe or the United Kingdom has claimed two top-10 finishes in its debut on Bathurst’s Mount Panorama circuit. The Penfold Audi Sport Audi R8 LMS driven by owner Mark Eddy finished eighth and ninth in races for round five of the Vodka O Australian GT Championship last

weekend. The Audi challenged a world-class field of almost 30 GT3-level sports cars representing Aston Martin, Mosler, Lamborghini, Porsche, Lotus, Viper, Corvette and Nissan. In only its fourth Down Under event and its first outing since round three in May, the 500 horsepower V10-engined coupe performed faultlessly and continued to improve its lap times, Eddy said. The car’s progress through the field to finish ninth in race one was impressive, considering it started only 16th after a frustrating build-up to qualifying. “There were delays because of accidents and incidents in both practice sessions and we really didn’t get enough laps for the first time on a track like this. “Then I got baulked in qualifying. I was pretty frustrated, because I don’t think I’ve qualified outside the top 10 in about five years.”

However, Eddy made amends immediately in race one, proving the pace of the Audi R8 LMS. He overtook three cars on the first lap, advanced two more spots on the second lap and another on lap six and clinched ninth place on the final lap.

Starting ninth in race two, Eddy duelled with a Lamborghini Gallardo rival for 12 laps before taking eighth place at the chequered flag.

“In the end I was pretty happy. The car went really well and didn’t miss a beat. I’ve come away from this round with the car in perfect shape and with some set-up data for the next time we come to Bathurst,” Eddy said.

“We’ll try to have a test before the next round and then I’ve also entered the car in a one-hour race at the Island Magic meeting at Phillip Island later in November. It’s at its best over longer race distances and we should go well there.” Mark Eddy is now eighth in the Vodka O Australian GT Championship drivers’ standings.

The Penfold Audi Sport team will contest the Championship’s sixth and final round at Melbourne’s Sandown Park circuit on 19-21 November, during the Norton 360 V8 Supercar event.

2010 Vodka O Australian GT Championship, Mount Panorama (Round 5 of 6)

Race 1: 1 Tony Quinn (Aston Martin) 2 Klark Quinn (Mosler MT900) 3 David Wall (Porsche 997 Cup S) 9 Mark Eddy (Audi R8 LMS)

Race 2: 1 Tony Quinn (Aston Martin) 2 Klark Quinn (Mosler MT900) 3 David Wall (Porsche 997 Cup S) 8 Mark Eddy (Audi R8 LMS)

Drivers points after Round 5: 1 David Wall (Porsche GT3 997 Cup S) 475.5 2 Dean Grant (Lamborghini Gallardo GT3) 423 3 Peter Hackett (Lamborghini Gallardo GT3) 397 4 James Koundouris (Porsche 997 Cup S) 386
5 Greg Crick (Dodge Viper GT3) 336.5
8 Mark Eddy (Audi R8 LMS) 287.5 *

(*Mark Eddy did not compete in round four)

Penfold Audi Sport by Chris Nixon, Automotive Publicist.

Are you ready to write a check for a true German luxury sedan stunner? If so, you’ll surely be interested to hear that pricing has arrived for the 2011 Audi A8. Base MSRP for this Bavarian beauty is $78,050 including all extra charges, which puts it squarely between its two main rivals: the Mercedes-Benz S-Class ($87,950) and the BMW 7 Series ($70,150). The long-wheelbase A8L starts at $84,000 and both versions will be in dealer showrooms starting late November 2010.

It’s an enticing price for the finest luxury sedan to wear four rings. The all-new A8 packs brand new features into a sleek body wrapped around a wonderful 4.2-liter V8 engine. The car and engine work so well together that the A8’s 17 mile per gallon city/27 mpg highway rating put it right next to the Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid in the fuel economy category. Those figures are also enough to surpass the I6, V8 and Hybrid versions of the 7 Series.

No word yet on how many organs we need to sell to purchase the W12-equipped A8.

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As if we needed another reason to salivate over the delicious little Audi A1. The Four Ring’d One has just announced that it will pull the sheets off of a new, hopped-up version of its tiniest hatch at this year’s Paris Motor Show. Here’s the important part: under the hood, there’s a 185-horsepower dual-charged 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine with 185 lb-ft of torque. That’s right, this machine makes use of both a supercharger and a turbocharger, and as a result, Audi says that its new A1 1.4 TFSI can scoot to 60 mph in a quick 6.9 seconds.

By way of salting the wound even further, Audi says that the meanest of the A1 breed returns around 40 mpg U.S., effectively making the Honda CR-Z look both lethargic and overtly wasteful. A seven-speed DSG gearbox handles shifting duties and likely helps with that massive fuel economy number. Quattro all-wheel drive is still not available, however.

European buyers can expect to see the brawny A1 by the end of this year, where it will carry a price tag of around $31,500 at current conversion rates (though the included EU taxes inflate that figure somewhat). As usual, we won’t see it on our shores.

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Demand for Audi branded cars has increased on a worldwide scale and to keep up with this, the German luxury car maker have firmed up plans to launch their A1 model outside of Europe from 2011. Customers from all over the world numbering to a mammoth 150,000 have hit the dedicated website that A1 has. This number far surpasses what the company had thought or contemplated: that of 100,000 A1 units per year and that too just for the European market.

An increase of production by 20 percent is to be carried out by the team as per their sales chief Peter Schwarzenbauer. The introduction of this car into the market would also place a stiff competitive element for the BMW who have their Mini Cooper in the market as of now and no other model to compete with the A1 segment.

In a statement issued by Audi, Schwarzenbauer says, “Reports from our international dealers show us that interest in the A1 is exceeding our expectations considerably.”

When the car would enter the US and Chinese market is yet a big question. It is expected that only after 2011 the car would be in the Chinese market but such decisions need time to be formalized and finalised.

The Chinese people taking to a small Audi or not would be the deciding factor if the A1 would make it to the Chinese market and when.

I’ve said it before, I’m saying it again: “I’m not a R8 fan!”, and when I see R8s with paint jobs like this one, it fills my heart with joy. Audi, it’s your fault. That’s what happens when you build a car for mindless rich people. That’s why I hate the R8 so much. It’s a car made only for image. Made to reflect what you are not.

So, how dumb you have to be to buy a car, which has a starting price of $130,000, and paint it in pink? That’s what happens when you got more into your pockets than into your head. So, once again, thanks Audi for making rich people display their good taste.

Look at the poor car! Just look at it, and tell me you don’t feel like smashing your head to the walls when you see that purple side blades. Purple carbon fibre? Not to say that purple and pink simply don’t match.

But you know what? That feeling of happiness I was talking about earlier it’s easily taken over by a strange feeling. I think it’s The Pity. Yes, that’s it. Pity. No car deserves a treatment like that. Not even an R8. Take care.

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As stated earlier – and despite quotes to the contrary – Audi is increasingly serious about alternative propulsion. After pioneering direct injection and pushing the envelope of diesel technology, Audi is looking to electricity for its next round of innovations. And the fruits of its labors are coming this year.

In addition to the forthcoming hybrid Q5 (due to arrive this fall), Audi announced plans today to unveil the 2011 Audi A8 Hybrid at the Geneva Motor Show this March. All told, Audi will release eight new models in 2010 and hopes that its continued work in the diesel realm, coupled with its burgeoning image in the U.S., will thrust it over one million sales next year.

However, Audi of America President Johan de Nysschen said in no uncertain terms that, “We must say no” to technologies that don’t move the game forward. As such, Audi will not create any “mild” hybrids and instead focus its efforts on full gasoline-electric technology as they “share more relevencies to EVs and consumer expectations.” With products like the Q5 and A8 hybrid, the new interest in diesel technology in the States and the forthcoming e-tron, Audi has placed its bets and by the end of the decade, it needs them to pay off.

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