by Damon Lavrinc

With both Audi and Apple’s minimalist design ethos, it was simply a matter of time before they joined forces and offered a way to integrate the new iPhone across the four-ringed lineup. Any Audi model equipped with Bluetooth will allow the iPhone to be paired with the vehicle, giving users the ability to make and receive hands-free phone calls, as well as providing a signal strength indicator, assigning specific names to numbers (Work, Home, etc.) and allowing access to call lists.

On the music front, the addition of the Audi Music Interface will give the vehicles MMI system direct control of all the iPod capabilities of the iPhone, allowing users to navigate everything from playlists to albums. The AMI is available as an optional extra on the A5, A6, A8 and Q7, although we’d expect the full line of Audi vehicles to allow integration sooner rather than later.

[Source: Audi]

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Cynics call the Audi TT a reworked Volkswagen Golf with a swoopier body. In a way, they’re right: The TT platform is derived from the Golf’s, with familiar engine choices, too.
Our test car had the optional 3.2-liter, 250-hp, direct-injection V6 powerplant mated to a six-speed direct-shift gearbox driving all four wheels. VW/ Audi’s DSG remains the pinnacle of the auto manuals, with crisp upshifts and rev-matching downshifts made via steering-wheel-mounted paddles. And when you leave it in automatic mode, it works as smoothly and effortlessly as a true automatic.
Once we got out to the track, however, the TT’s straight-line performance proved less than stellar, with a 6.11-second 0-to-60-mph time that only barely bests the VW GTI (6.33 seconds) we tested a year ago (“Pocket Rocket Referendum,” AW, May 1, 2006). Through the quarter-mile sticks, the TT took 14.69 seconds to reach a top speed of 93.8 mph, which, again, just barely beats the GTI’s 14.72 seconds at 94.9 mph.
Granted, the density altitude at the time of testing wasn’t working in our favor (78 degrees F, 41 percent humidity), but unlike common practice among other car books, AutoWeek doesn’t correct its numbers. What we run (on track) is what we run (in the magazine).
So the TT isn’t going to blow the doors off too many competitors during stoplight drags. It doesn’t matter. There is so much more to this coupe than 0-to-60 times.
Through the slalom course, the TT shines, though it took a while for us to understand how it wanted to be driven. Throttle-lift oversteer when slaloming the TT is no different from that with many other cars, if a little more pronounced here. At first, we had its tail wagging all over, with runs aborted before they turned into big loops. (Our test car was fitted with the optional magnetic ride suspension, a $1,400 item.) Eventually, we found the TT behaved best with light but constant throttle throughout the run, the awd system easily pulling the TT around the cones. The TT rises to the occasion when pushed.
One tester commented, “The TT really feels a lot better in the slalom than I had given it credit for. It feels much more like a sports car than I had assumed before we got to the slalom.”
Our speed of 45.9 mph through the cones blew away the VW GTI (44.6 mph).
The TT grumbles around the 200-foot skidpad with little drama, a moderate amount of understeer marked by the front tires scrubbing every inch of the way, but the car stays on line very predictably and is very easy to steer.
Off-track with the sport mode activated, the TT delivers a firm, sports-car-like ride on the freeway. It’s never unduly harsh, but you can definitely feel the bumps. A bit of tire patter can be detected at times, and only on the worst stretches of freeway hop does the car get slightly jiggly. Switch the sport mode off, and everything feels much smoother.
In a drive of the convertible, most noteworthy was how quiet the TT remained on the freeway, even at speed. With the cloth top up, only a very small amount of wind noise kicks up at the top of the windshield.
Owners seemed to agree with our on- and off-track findings. “It is powerful and fast, and the steering is rock-solid,” an owner wrote. “Going around curves is a breeze. You feel stuck to the ground.”
Handling may close the deal with owners, but Audi’s highly vaunted interior-design ethic and impeccable execution are more reasons owners love their TTs. “I ordered the enhanced interior, which in typical Audi fashion is gorgeous,” said one owner. “Fit and finish are superb, interior feels very well put together, and the dash layout makes all necessary items convenient,” said another.
The ’08 TT might be a tick behind the competition at the track, but taken as a whole—especially by those who live in the Northern states and like having awd—the overall package is tough to beat—gussied-up Golf or not.

autoweek.com

SPECS & DATA
MANUFACTURER INFO
Audi of America, 3800 Hamlin Road,
Auburn Hills MI 48326
Customer assistance: (800) 367-2834
Internet address: www.audiusa.com
Country of origin: Hungary
Number of dealers: 267
STICKER
Base (includes $720 delivery): $42,900
As tested: $51,595
Owners paid; average: $47,800 to $53,200; $50,042
OPTIONS AS TESTED
Navigation ($1,950); magnetic ride suspension ($1,400); enhanced interior package, with leather seats, instrument cluster, center console, armrest, door pull, door inserts, storage package, with folding compartment under front seats, footwell net, nets on back of front seats, luggage compartment ($1,100); audio package, with satellite radio, Bose premium sound system ($1,000); 18-inch alloy wheels ($800); bixenon adaptive headlights ($800); light silver metallic paint ($475); Bluetooth phone prep ($450)
OTHER MAJOR OPTIONS
None
CHASSIS
Unibody two-door coupe
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase (in): 97.2
Track (in): 61.9 front, 61.3 rear
Length/width/height (in): 164.5/72.5/53.2
Curb weight/GVWR (lb): 3262/4123
CAPACITIES
Fuel (gal): 15.9
Cargo (cu ft): 13.1
ENGINE
Front-transverse 3.2-liter/195-cid dohc V6
Horsepower: 250 @ 6300 rpm
Torque (lb-ft): 236 @ 2500-3000 rpm
Compression ratio: 11.3:1
Fuel requirement: 91 octane
DRIVETRAIN
All-wheel drive
Transmission: Six-speed dual-clutch
sequential manual
Final drive ratio: 3.60:1
SUSPENSION
Front: MacPherson struts with coil springs, lower wishbones, hydraulic shock absorbers with magnetic particle fluid, antiroll bar
Rear: Four-link rear with coil springs, hydraulic shock absorbers with magnetic particle fluid, antiroll bar
BRAKES/WHEELS/TIRES
Vented discs front and rear, ABS
Aluminum 245/40 ZR-18
Pirelli PZero Rosso
STANDING-START ACCELERATION
0-60 mph: 6.11 sec
0-100 km/h (62.1 mph): 6.49 sec
0-quarter-mile: 14.69 sec @ 93.8 mph
ROLLING ACCELERATION
20-40 mph (second gear): 2.6 sec
40-60 mph (second gear): 3.3 sec
60-80 mph (third gear): 4.5 sec
BRAKING
60-0 mph: 110 ft
HANDLING
490-ft slalom: 45.9 mph
Lateral acceleration (200-ft skidpad): 0.85 g
INTERIOR NOISE (DBA)
Idle: 39
Full throttle: 79
Steady 60 mph: 64
FUEL ECONOMY
EPA combined: 20 mpg
AW overall: 24.4 mpg
TRUE COST TO OWN^SM
Year 1 $20,379
Year 2 $13,447
Year 3 $12,610
Year 4 $13,938
Year 5 $12,372
Total: $72,746
Average cost per mile: $0.97

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by Damon Lavrinc

CAR has been releasing what it’s called “official sketches” from Audi execs privy to the future of the four-ringed automaker. This latest drawing shows what Ingolstadt plans to pit against the Mercedes CLS in the burgeoning sports sedan segment, likely to be dubbed the A7. Built off the next generation A6 platform, the shapely sedan will get similar styling cues as its cross-town rival, with a steeply raked roof flowing into what looks like a low-slung hatch.

Power is expected to come from either a three-liter V6 or a 4.8-liter V8, with the RS model fitted with a Lamborghini-sourced V10 in either naturally aspirated or twin-turbo’d trim. Expect a 4.2-liter TDI unit to be available in Europe as well.

Pricing will land squarely between the A6 and A8, so its safe to assume that prices abroad will be in the £35,000-£50,000 range, with the possibility of a soft-top model also being offered further down the road.

According to CAR, the A7 will make its debut at the 2008 New York Auto Show, with sales beginning in September 2009.

[Source: CAR]

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by Dan Roth

SEAT, being under the VAG corporate umbrella, certainly knows what’s been going on with Audi’s racing diesels. Perhaps the division looks up to its Ingolstadt cousins with admiration, and it’s hoping that imitation yields the same type of success. SEAT will be the first manufacturer to field a diesel-powered entry in the FIA’s World Touring Car Championship. Two TDI racers will take to the macadam on July 28th and 29th in Sweden.

The car itself is a Leon sporting a 2-liter diesel engine that’s based on the 170PS street-going mill. In WTCC trim, power is up to 280PS, and the turbocharger and gearbox have been swapped for racing units. The rules stipulate that a diesel car carry a 30kg weight penalty, and the attendant hardware for the powertrain shifts the weight distribution in a bad direction. SEAT is banking on the moves the chassis provides, as well as the muscular torque delivery of the diesel to make the Leon competitive.

Press release after the jump

[Source: SEAT]

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The origins of Audi
The company traces its origins back to 1899 and August Horch. The first Horch automobile was produced in 1901 in Zwickau. In 1910, Horch was forced out of the company he had founded. He then started a new company in Zwickau and continued using the Horch brand. His former partners sued him for trademark infringement and a German court determined that the Horch brand belonged to his former company. August Horch was forced to refrain from using his own family name in his new car business. Horch immediately called a meeting at the apartment of Franz Fikentscher to come up with a new name for his company. During this meeting Franz’s son was quietly studying Latin in a corner of the room. Several times he looked like he was on the verge of saying something but would just swallow his words and continue working, until he finally blurted out, “Father - audiatur et altera pars… wouldn’t it be a good idea to call it AUDI instead of HORCH?”. “Horch!” in German means “Hark!” which is “Audi” in Latin. The idea was enthusiastically accepted by everyone attending the meeting. [1] It is also popularly (but incorrectly) believed that Audi is an acronym which stands for “Auto Union Deutschland Ingolstadt”.
Audi started with a 2612 cc (2.6 Liter) four cylinder model followed by a 3564 cc (3.6 L) model, as well as 4680 cc (4.7 L) and 5720 cc(5.7L) models. These cars were successful even in sporting events. August Horch left the Audi company in 1920. The first six cylinder model ,4655 cc (4.7 L) appeared in 1924. In 1928, the company was acquired by Jørgen Rasmussen, owner of DKW, who bought the same year the remains of the US automobile manufacturer, Rickenbacker including the manufacturing equipment for eight cylinder engines. These engines were used in Audi Zwickau and Audi Dresden models that were launched in 1929. At the same time, six cylinder and a small four cylinder (licensed from Peugeot) models were manufactured. Audi cars of that era were luxurious cars equipped with special bodywork.

Source: Wikipedia

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by Alex Nunez

On the eve of the Shanghai Motor Show, Audi will hold a press conference at which Chairman of the Board of Management, Rupert Stadler, will unveil a design study of what the automaker only describes as a “compact performance SUV.” Needless to say, our interest is piqued. The reveal is scheduled to occur at 11:15AM GMT Thursday, so we’ll make sure we’re up bright and early to bring you the details in time for your morning coffee.

Stay tuned. (And no, the image above is not of the Shanghai concept. It’s just a file photo.)

[Source: Audi AG]

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