Motor Trend Magazine Continues To Enjoy Audi A8 Long Term Tester

“It would be great if I could just download the manual directly into my cerebral cortex. Then I’d be as smart as my car.”

That’s what Motor Trend’s Angus MacKenzie said about the long-term Audi A8 he’s been testing. Now, it’s one thing to beckon amazement to an average consumer. But to wow a senior member of the world’s biggest automotive magazine takes serious ability. The Audi A8 is one of those cars where every single detail was painstakingly processed for indulgence. And the sheer amount of technology found in the A8 leaves MacKenzie comparing it to Apollo spacecraft.

“The electronic device that allows me to remotely unlock and keyless start my Audi A8 probably has more memory than the 64 kB computer Apollo 11′s lunar module took to the surface of the moon. Next to my old Mini the A8 is a real spaceship, jam-packed with powerful, complex, super-fast computer systems beyond the wildest imagination of NASA’s best and brightest 43 years ago.”

And while the technology and looks of the 2012 Audi A8 are nothing short of impressive, it’s the personalization and attention to detail that really gives drivers like MacKenzie satisfaction. Here’s an excerpt from what he had to say about the modern spaceship built for the road:

“The more I live with the car the more I’ve come to appreciate the fact I can have it set up exactly the way I want it, right down to the most arcane detail. When I walk up to it and press the button on the remote, I do more than just unlock the doors: The Audi wakes up, a zillion electrons zapping this way and that through its man-made neural network as makes itself ready to serve me.It’s taken nearly 8000 miles and a couple of months of fine tuning, but I know that even before I thumb the start button on the center console the suspension and transmission and throttle and steering calibrations are now exactly the way I want them; that the sound system and seat and climate control settings are just right; that my iPhone will sync seamlessly with the on-board hands-free system; that the interior mood lighting will fade just the way I want it. I can even Google a nice restaurant near my destination now I’ve set up the on-board internet connection.”

The A8, which carries a prestigious starting MSRP of $99,700 in Canada, is the benchmark for luxury and design. And with a futuristic 8-speed Tiptronic transmission and Quattro all-wheel drive, it’s the new measure for athleticism, too.

Audi A7 Makes WardsAuto 10 Best Interiors For 2012

Without a doubt, the 2012 Audi A7 is one of the most beautifully sculpted vehicles on the road today. It’s futuristic four-door-coupe design, slick roofline, sharp angles and everything in between is guaranteed to turn heads. But what’s the point if the interior of the sexy Audi can’t match the sheetmetal? Thankfully, that’s not the case at all, as WardsAuto, a leader in automotive news and reviews, deemed the A7 worthy of its 2012 roster of 10 Best Interiors.

“We saw a tremendously diverse group of interiors this year, and it’s obvious to us that auto makers are pushing their design staffs harder than ever for interiors that are beautifully appointed, well-equipped and extremely comfortable,” saysWardsAuto World Editor-in-Chief Drew Winter.

“There are too many great interiors in the market for any auto maker to think it can stand pat with its current interior offerings and remain successful,” he says. “Based on some of the vehicles we have seen at recent auto shows, we can tell the competition among interiors will be fierce in the next few years.”

The A7 won over WardsAuto editors with an interior styling theme that does, in fact, manage to be every bit as dramatic and inviting as the sheet metal. Good enough to the point where the 4-passenger luxury liftback carries the aesthetics of an exotic much higher than its sticker price. Notably, the generously applied matte-wood trim and intuitive human-machine interface were what really tipped the Audi in the editors’ favor, labeling the entire brand as “a leader in lavish interiors.”

This is the second year WardsAuto has recognized outstanding interior designs, fit-and-finish and comfort by applying the same proven model used to select Ward’s 10 Best Engines, of which also includes the Audi A7′s 3.0L supercharged V6 engine for 2012.

Until 2011, the WardsAuto competition had been known as Interior of the Year. But considering the diversity of the industry, a list of 10 cars are now created instead. Notably, there is no ranking within the Ward’s 10 Best Interiors. In other words, there is no No.1, 2 or 10, but we imagine the Audi A7 is the most desired interior on the list.

WardsAuto editors scored and ranked all 40 nominated interiors are ergonomics, safety, material selection, overall value and aesthetics before winding the list down to 10. In addition, judges rated each interior’s human-machine interface in determining how effectively vehicle information is communicated to the driver.

The 2012 interior winners will be honored in a ceremony at this year’s WardsAuto Interiors Conference, to be held May 17 at The Henry hotel in Dearborn, MI.

An extensive package profiling the winners in more detail will appear April 30 onWardsAuto.com and in the May issue of Ward’s AutoWorld magazine. Stay tuned for a more comprehensive breakdown.

Papercraft anyone?

Striking Audi A5 Has “Ugly Duckling” Roots

Paul Jaray was an Austrian-born engineer who transferred his aerodynamic designs for zeppelins to the smaller canvas of the automobile. Most of his creations weren’t exactly pretty, however, as the Audi concept car from the 1920′s in the opening scene of the new advertisement demonstrates. But Audi’s come a long way, shedding old awkward looks for a design language that is both envied by rival brands and desired by consumers. And one of the best vehicles to exhibit this is the 2012 A5, with a little help from singer Danny Kaye and Hans Christian Andersen.

The Audi A5 family builds on its looks with diversity, being offered in Sportback, Coupe, Cabriolet, and the range-topping S5 here in North America.

For 2012, the interior of the Audi A5 is more elegant than ever – with new steering wheels, including an option for a flattened ring, new steering column stalks, and narrow chrome clasps that frame the control elements. Also updated were the ignition key, selector lever for the automatic transmission, button for the optional Audi drive select system, and the controls for the high-efficiency air conditioning and multifunction steering wheel. All displays now illuminate in white.

Under the hood, the A5′s line of engines include three gasoline and four TDI units. All engines feature forced induction and direct injection for greater pulling power. Even the entry level engine produces 320 Nm (236.02 lb-ft) of torque and puts out 125 kW (170 hp). Unlike any other manufacturer, the start-stop and recuperation systems are standard with all engines.

The completely redesigned 1.8 TFSI features ground breaking innovations in the control of the valves and lifters, the thermal management concept, the injection system, the turbocharger, and the integration of the exhaust manifold. In the A5 Coupe, the high-end four cylinder unit consumes on average just 5.7 liters of fuel per 100 km (41.27 US mpg). This best-in-class value corresponds to 134 grams CO2 per km (215.65 g/mile) and is 21 percent lower than before. The output of the 2.0 TFSI remains unchanged at 155 kW (211 hp). While new to the Audi A5 lineup is the 3.0 TFSI which is a supercharged V6 producing 200 kW (272 hp).

The diesel engines are also impressively efficient. With the 130 kW (177 hp) 2.0 TDI and a manual transmission, the A5 Coupe consumes on average just 4.7 liters of fuel per 100 km (50.05 mpg) which has a CO2 equivalent of 122 g per km (196.34 g/mile) — a milestone in the coupe segment. Three V6 diesels round out the lineup on the top end. The 3.0 TDI with 150 kW (204 hp) is the most fuel efficient six-cylinder unit in its class worldwide. in the A5 Coupe with multitronic, it consumes on average 4.9 liters (48 US mpg) of fuel and emits just 129 grams CO2 per km (207.61 g/mile). The second variant of the 3.0 TDI produces 180 kW (245 hp). Arriving at a later date is a particularly low-emissions clean diesel model that will make the A5 the first coupe on the market to meet the Euro 6 diesel standards.

All A5 models are equipped with a CD radio and eight speakers. The optional top-of-the-line unit is MMI navigation plus a large hard drive, seven-inch color monitor, 3D graphics and DVD player. Its controls have been improved where the number of buttons have been reduced from eight to four and the volume control now features a joystick cap to make it easier to choose songs. The voice control and digital radio reception have also received some fine-tuning.

An additional option is the Bluetooth car phone. Audi connect is the catchphrase for the attractive services this phone brings to the A5, which includes Google POI search, navigation with Google Earth images and a WLAN hotspot. The hotspot enables enables the passengers to surf the internet and send and receive email with their mobile devices.

Audi Continues Innovation With e-tron Sound Development

The 2012 Audi R8 already has the looks that could pass for a stealth fighter plane, but with the incredible sound emitting from the mid-rear mounted V8 or available V10 engine, the exotic machine is on everybody’s radar. But with an electric motor, the R8 becomes much more incognito. Audi is working on just that with the futuristic R8 e-tron experimental vehicle.

With this different power source, comes a different sound in power. A throaty, high-revving exhaust note has long been recognized as something tops the automotive food chain, but when there is no internal combustion engine, that sensation disappears. That’s why Audi has developed a special sound for the Audi R8 e-tron, one that delivers a new-found sense of power with the push of its accelerator pedal. Audi has taken more than three years in developing the acoustics program for the R8 e-tron, blending the talents of composers with acoustics engineers to find that perfect sounds.  In its current form, the sound changes based on what the e-tron is doing. It comes out of a speaker blasting up to 40 watts that is attached to the bottom of the car.

The e-sound is played via a sturdy loudspeaker attached to the car’s undercarriage. Axel Brombach, the specialist in this field, shares details: “We designed it to handle as much as 40 watts, but during normal operation it ranges between five and eight watts. That’s loud enough for nearby pedestrians and cyclists to hear the e-tron.” A fraction of the sound signature enters the vehicle’s interior via airborne and structure-borne sound waves.”We could utilize sound paths and mechanical actuators for more sound in the interior,” explains Dr. Ralf Kunkel, Head of Acoustics at Audi. “After all, a vehicle body is basically a large soundboard.But we believe strongly that our e-tron models call for an atmosphere of calm, which best conveys the unique experience of electric driving.”

The e-sound for this electric-powered high-performance sports car is just the beginning. Audi notes that every e-tron model will have a sound signature all its own.

#WantAnR8? Be Sure To Tweet About It

After an immensely positive consumer response in 2011, Audi is bringing back the popular #WantAnR8 Twitter campaign. This is a contest where fans can tweet for the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a 2012 Audi R8 for a day. The #WantAnR8 hashtag is featured on a new 30-second spot called “Once Upon a Time,” featuring the acclaimed R8 supercar.

“Last year, what started as a small swell on Twitter erupted into a nationwide battle to win an R8 for a day. The #WantAnR8 Twitter campaign allowed Audi fans to engage in a fun, exciting way and we’re thrilled to bring it back for a second year,” said Scott Keogh, Chief Marketing Officer of Audi of America. “The spot highlights the Audi R8 as one of those iconic vehicles that leaves a lasting and memorable impact on the world at large. The spot is exhilarating, fast paced and portrays the R8 as a history-defining vehicle.”

In 2011, local D.C. Audi fan Joanne McCoy tweeted Audi of America about how much she wanted the R8. When she used the hashtag #WantAnR8 in her tweet, Audi took notice, and decided to send a brand new Audi R8 to Joanne’s house to use for the day. From there, Audi decided to make everything official, and launched an official Twitter campaign to give Tweeters the very same opportunity as Joanne. The rest is pretty much history. And since, the hashtag has been used over 75,000 times.

The new #WantAnR8 Twitter contest will run from March 20, 2012 through October 29, 2012. More specifically, the contest is split up into four entry periods, and two winners will be selected in each round, with eight winners in total. Like Joanne, winners will have an R8 delivered to their home, but they also have the option of driving the R8 on the track at the Audi Sportscar Experience in Sonoma, CA. The practicality of living with an R8 for a day sounds greatly enticing, but who could resist unleashing its power on a race track?

All drives will happen within the 2012 calendar year. Terms and conditions, can be found at audi.us/R8contest.

The coveted 2012 Audi R8 is available as both a Coupe and Spyder bodystyles, with each style offering two levels of power – a 4.2-liter FSI V8 or a 5.2-liter FSI V10. While the V8 generates a potent 430 hp at 7,900 rpm, with 428 Nm of torque at 4,500 – 6,000 rpm, the high-revving 5.2-liter V10 gives the driver 525 hp at 8,000 rpm with 530 Nm of torque at 6,500 rpm.

Audi Celebrates Quattro All-Wheel-Drive Technology With New Video

New age. New ideas. When Audi first introduced Quattro in Group B rally racing nearly 30 years ago, people were stunned by the capabilities of all-wheel-drive. Fast forward to today, and Audi is once again implementing all-wheel-drive, this time in LMP1-class endurance racing. But those who are versed in FIA rules will know that four-wheel-drive isn’t allowed in LMP1. The clever loophole here is that the series allows up to 500kJ (approximately 70bhp) of stored energy to be transferred to the wheels between two braking ‘events at speeds above 120km/h (75mph).”

This is made possible by a hybrid kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) feeding electric power to the front wheels, gathered from otherwise wasted energy lost in braking. The 510 horsepower V6 TDI on the other hand sends its might to the rear wheels. And even though the hybrid powertrain adds weight, it’s actually offset by a lighter carbon-fiber gearbox housing, used for the first time in endurance racing.

Audi  plans on entering two examples of the R18 e-tron Quattro at the high-profile 24 Hours of Le Mans in June and at Spa beforehand in May, alongside two of the R18 Ultras with conventional diesel power. Since both cars were developed together, they use mostly the same components, enabling more efficient race logistics for the team.

Notably, one does not have to be a race car driver to experience technology derived from racing. From the small A3 to the mighty Q7, owners can possess the power and efficiency found in Audi’s TDI turbodiesel engines. If Quattro all-wheel-drive is desired, one only needs to look towards the acclaimed A4, or even the awe-inspiring R8 supercar. And with this new technology Audi has ventured into with its racing program, we can only imagine what the technology of a TDI AWD Quattro system will transfer like from track to street.