Audi News

There are a number of changes to the body on the new car, forced in large part by series regulation changes. The car is narrower, particularly at the front, but it's also taller. The front end is set off by a new wing, as part of a new WEC regulation. Audi seems quite pleased about this, citing an improvement in front end downforce and a reduction in cost. Like Formula One, the WEC contenders now have to contend with a ban on the so-called blown diffuser, which forced exhaust gases over the diffuser, creating downforce. That's necessitated some changes from Audi, although as we have no rear shots of the car, we can't tell you what it looks like, The car's full name is the Audi R18 E-Tron Quattro, just like last year's car. Also like last year's car, the new R18 draws its power from a V6 turbodiesel, which powers its rear wheels, and Audi's E-Tron hybrid system, which runs its front axle. Unlike last year's car, though, this R18 has a secondary hybrid system. Audi has fitted the V6 with an electric turbocharger and figured out how to capture waste heat generated when the engine reaches its boost limit. That power can then be stored and fed back into either the turbo or the front axle's hybrid system under acceleration, This is the new Audi R18. It looks like the Bond villain of race cars, it has red running lamps, and if Audi's past is any indication, it'll prove difficult to beat in the LMP1 class of the 2014 World Endurance Championship.


The carryovers from last year were Honda's 3.5-liter V6 from the Accord and Audi's excellent 3.0-liter, supercharged V6 from the S4 and S5. Other big names to make the list include the 3.0-liter, turbodiesel six-cylinders from the BMW 535d and Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, as well as the new 6.2-liter V8 from the seventh-generation Chevy Corvette Stingray. The Stingray and Cruze make Chevy the only brand to score two wins in this year's awards, although the Chrysler Group and Volkswagen Group had two awards among their sub-brands (Chrysler had Ram and Fiat, while VW Group had Audi and VW), the latest contest was marked by the widespread emergence of diesel power and the continued success of turbocharged engines. There was even an electric motor on this year's list. In fact, only three of the ten winners were naturally aspirated and only two winners returned from last year, With the Car and Driver Ten Best decided, the North American Car and Truck of the Year finalists announced and Cadillac, Ram and Subaru chalking up wins with Motor Trend, it's fair to say that the automotive awards season is in full swing. The next set of trophies to be handed out will be from Ward's Automotive, which has announced the winners of its 2014 10 Best Engines.

That's quite a record to defend, and defend it Audi will with an evolved LMP1 racer next year. Only a week after tying up its second consecutive world championship, the German outfit is already back at this weekend testing the successor to the all-conquering R18 e-tron Quattro. Unfortunately as the new United Sports Cars Championship doesn't include LMP1s, the only chance we may have to see it competing here in the United States will be at the 6 Hours of the Circuit of the Americas in September, we can't debate Audi's record in endurance racing. With 12 victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, it comes second only to Porsche in the history books of the famous endurance race – only in Audi's case, all of those victories have come in the last 14 years, losing only twice: once to its partner team Bentley in 2003 and once to rival Peugeot in 2009. It's won the FIA World Endurance Championship in both of the seasons it's run so far, and has won championships in the European and American Le Mans Series, judging by the direction Audi is taking with recent concept vehicles, the forthcoming Audi Q1 crossover and confirmed for production in 2016 – should be an exciting little crossover. Last year, the automaker revealed the Crosslane Coupe Concept, and now it has announced it will reveal a new CUV concept at the Detroit Auto Show next month, if Egger does move to Italdesign, his successor is likely to be Marc Lichte, the Volkswagen designer behind the current Golf. Of course, these personnel changes haven't been officially confirmed, and Audi is thus far refusing to comment on either Egger or Lichte's possible career shifts, Egger took over the position at Audi from Walter de Silva, and has been responsible most recently for the Audi A6 and A3, as well as the 2010 Quattro Concept and the E-Tron Concept. He previously was head of design at Lancia and then at Alfa Romeo, where he was responsible for the achingly gorgeous 8C Competizione, Wolfgang Egger, Audi's chief designer, is leaving the company according to a Automotive News Europe, which cites a report from Germany's Automobilwoche. Egger won't be going far, though, remaining within the Volkswagen family and taking up head design position Italdesign Giugiaro, a VW subsidiary as of 2010, Audi just announced its intentions to build the Q1 in 2016. By that time, the company will already have introduced the opposing bookend to that subcompact utility vehicle, the fullsize Q7. The last time we saw the next-gen Audi Q7 out testing, our spy shots were very low quality and didn't reveal much about the luxury SUV. This time around we're able to make out a few key elements about the Q7.

Audi

With a potent 450-hp 4.2-liter FSI V8, Audi quattro all wheel drive with sport differential and a flawless interior, the Audi RS 5 Coupe is the quickest way to put distance between you and everything else, Audi is a German luxury brand that has been a wholly owned subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group since 1964. Based in Ingolstadt, Germany, the marque is well known for its best selling models only now, the A4, as well as the R8 sports car and the company's dominating presence in Le Mans racing both in North America and Europe. Vorsprung durch Technik is the brand's slogan, which means Desire Innovation through Technology.

Aston Martin 2014

While the Vanquish uses light materials in its construction, it uses a lot of them, resulting in 3897 pounds of car. Driving briskly, you get the impression that the Vanquish is rather heavy, yet it doesn't feel unwieldy. The mass doesn't grow the faster you drive, but neither does it shrink. It does seem to slightly dull the response of the V-12. The six speed automatic translate exacerbates the sensation, seeming to operate only in slow motion. Downshifts slowly bring the engine up to the appropriate rpm. Around town, it makes for a powertrain that feels soft and relaxed, not quick to do anything, not wanting to be bothered by the trivialities associated with haste. The powerband feels out of reach, and with it the excitement the orange bodywork so clearly promises.

In keeping with its Grand Touring intentions, the Vanquish offers greater headroom and more legroom than does the outgoing DBS. The cockpit is large, but outward visibility, especially through the windshield, feels bunker-like, although not intrusively so. You get the sense that the tall center console can barely contain the V-12 that sits just ahead of it. That V-12 is right there, brooding and beating and waiting for the chance to fill its intake plenums with oxygen, then scream.

For a moment we forget how the Vanquish Volante will breathtakingly gain speed, flashing from 0 to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds on the way to 183 mph; how the 565 hp and 457 lb-ft of torque are diplomatically modulated by the rear-mounted, six-speed automatic transmission; how the chassis, which is fourteen percent stiffer than the old DBS Volante, is as self-possessed as an explosive ordnance disposal technician.

Sleek, elegant, and powerful, the 2014 Aston Martin DB9 is mostly unchanged for the new model year, but then you don't mess with success, For 2014, Aston Martin has priced the DB9 from $185,400 and the DB9 Volante from $200,400, a $400 increase over last year.  Delivery and destination fees (not included) are $2,825.

While no new features join the spec sheet for 2014, last year's additions of a pop-up navigation screen, rearview camera, and automatic headlights help keep it up to date. The navigation system continues to be a weak spot in the Aston Martin ownership experience, proving slow and frustrating. On the entertainment front, the DB9 succeeds, however, with an available Bang & Olufsen 1000 watt audio system that's on par with the Naim, Burmester, and Bowers & Wilkins alternatives in competitors' cars. An optional carbon fiber package adds interior and exterior trim in the material, and while it definitely is (and looks like) the real thing, the available leather headliner is a better direction for the DB9's nature unless you have the convertible's standard power top and glass rear window.

Despite the pair of vestigial seats on standard models, the front row is comfortable and properly roomy for a car that should see its share of road trips. An available composite sport seat package includes a rear seat deletion, and the loss is less than the gain. You'll be using the space for luggage either way, as the trunk is very small even amongst its sportier alternatives.

For those that might consider driving their DB9 on the track, carbon ceramic brakes are standard, providing not just good stopping power but better heat tolerance for extended hard use.

The careful balance required for grand touring ride and handling like the DB9's requires a solid platform to build from, and the all best aluminum, bonded and riveted chassis and body provide it. Despite the aluminum focus, the DB9 isn't especially light: a typical example weighs about 3,800 pounds. In the context of some competitors, however, it's not nearly as heavy as it could be.

Despite its grand tourer nature, the DB9 is quick, launching to 60 mph in just 4.6 seconds and capable of a top speed of 186 mph, For both the coupe and DB9 Volante convertible, under the hood there's a 6.0-liter V-12 engine loosing 510 horses and 457 pound feet of torque. Last year's 40 horse power jump woke the DB9 back up, and it continues to exude the purest of grand tourer experiences: fast, comfortable, and quiet thought it will bark with provocation. A six speed paddle shifted ZF automatic transmission clicks quick shifts, but lacks the crisp, throttle blipping precision of a modern dual clutch. You wouldn't expect the DB9 to be fuel efficient, and it's not: the EPA estimates 13 mpg city and 19 mpg highway for 15 mpg combined.

Its gorgeous exterior form aside, the interior's tightly fitted leather and clean wood or carbon fiber trim feel current, too. An LCD touchscreen sits front and center, and the crystal tipped key/fob is a unique feature that rises above the gimmick. The details are simple and restrained, the total effect one of sophistication.

Approaching its ninth year on the market, the Aston Martin DB9 captures the brand's essence and ethos in a timeless package. A brief attempt to replace the DB9 with the Virage ended with the newcomer off the market within two years, more a statement of the DB9's strength than the Virage's weakness, the Aston Martin Vanquish is a grand tourer that was introduced in 2001 as a successor to the ageing Virage range. The first-generation V12 Vanquish, designed by Ian Callum.

Aston Martin 2013

The Vanquish retains the 5.9 liter 12 cylinder, but upgraded to produce 565 hp at 6750 rpm. It served up 510 hp in the DBS. Maximum torque is 457 lb-ft at 5750 rpm, up from 420 lb-ft. Aston declined to adopt direct injection, the benefits are not worthwhile," an engineer told us. Top speed will be around 183 mph, 0 to 60 mph comes up in a claimed 4.1 seconds, and 0 to 100 takes less than 10. When developing the car, the engineers didn’t see any benefit to fitting an eight speed automatic, and so the Vanquish keeps the ZF6HP six speed box of the DBS. Sadly, there is no manual transmission, and the Graziano built seven speed automated manual will remain confined to Aston's V-8 Vantage lineup. At least the six speed automatic can blip the throttle on downshifts, and it shifts up to 37 percent quicker than before. "This transmission fits the character of the car," we are told, and that's probably true.

The Vanquish does actually mark a significant evolution of the VH architecture in a few ways. For starters, most of its body panels are constructed from carbon fiber; they are hung on an upgraded version of Aston's bonded-aluminum monocoque. Aston claims the new platform is 25 percent torsionally stiffer than the DBS’s. The front-end structure is lower and also lighter, thanks to the use of hollow cast aluminum. Overall weight has been reduced by 120 pounds or so; based on DBS models we’ve weighed, that will put the Vanquish at around 3800 pounds. The Vanquish has a stated 50/50 weight distribution; the steering is of the conventional, hydraulically boosted type. Carbon ceramic brakes are standard, as is a three-mode (Normal, Sport, Track) driver selectable suspension. Twenty-inch wheels are standard, and are fitted with 255/35 front and 305/30 rear Pirelli P Zero rubber. Vehicle dynamics benefit from mounting the V-12 engine lower than before, which was required to comply with pedestrian-protection regulations.

The new Vanquish replaces the DBS, which replaced the first generation Vanquish. That car was launched in 2001 as the brand's top of the line models a rare and expensive car hand assembled in Aston Martin's old Newport Pagnell production site. Resurrecting the Vanquish nameplate emphasizes the new car's status at the top of the brand's lineup, while distancing it from the DBS, which was too close to the DB9 not only in name, but also in execution.

Aston Martin executives get philosophical when they describe the development process of the new Vanquish and its underpinnings. The British manufacturer's new top of the line model is still based on the VH architecture that debuted with the DB9 in 2003. But VH is not a platform, Aston suits explain: It is a method and a way of continuous improvement. VH stands for “vertical horizontal” and “vertical” meaning shared construction and “horizontal” meaning shared components, i.e. across several models. With each significant new vehicle introduction, VH enters a new generation; the architecture is now entering gen four, it is explained.

New Aston Martin Vanquish Volante, right. It replaces the existing DBS Volante and so sits at the head of the convertible Aston range above the similar-sized DB9 Volante and the smaller Vantage Roadster. As is the way with Astons, even though the look is unmistakably a product of Gaydon's finest, there are loads of little and not so little details that have been changed for the latest car.

The Aston Martin Vanquish is a grand tourer that was introduced in 2001 as a successor to the ageing Virage range. The first-generation V12 Vanquish, designed by Ian Callum, was unveiled at the 2001 Geneva Motor Show and was produced from 2001 to 2005. It featured as the official James Bond car in the film Die Another Day. The Vanquish S was unveiled in 2004 with a more powerful engine and improved aerodynamics. The Vanquish S and V12 Vanquish were replaced by the DBS in 2007. In 2012 the Vanquish name was revived for the successor to the DBS.

Alfa Romeo Profile

Alfa Romeo has competed successfully in many different categories of motorsport, including Grand Prix motor racing, Formula One, sportscar racing, touring car racing and rallies. It has competed both as a constructor and an engine supplier, via works entries (usually under the name Alfa Corse or Autodelta) and private entries. The first racing car was made in 1913, three years after the foundation of the company, and Alfa Romeo won the inaugural world championship for Grand Prix cars in 1925. The company gained a good name in motorsport, which gave a sporty image to the whole marque. Enzo Ferrari founded the Scuderia Ferrari racing team in 1929 as an Alfa Romeo racing team, before becoming independent in 1939.

In 1928 Nicola Romeo left, with Alfa Romeo going broke after defense contracts ended, and at the end of 1932 it was rescued by Benito Mussolini's government, which then had effective control. The company struggled to return to profitability after the Second World War, and turned to mass-producing small vehicles rather than hand building luxury models. In 1954 it developed the Alfa Romeo Twin Cam engine, which would remain in production until 1998. During the 1960s and 1970s Alfa Romeo produced a number of sporty cars, though the Italian government parent company, Finmeccanica, struggled to make a profit so it sold the marque to the Fiat Group in 1986.

The company that became Alfa Romeo was founded as Società Anonima Italiana Darracq (SAID) in 1906 by the French automobile firm of Alexandre Darracq, with some Italian investors. In late 1909, the Italian Darracq cars were selling slowly and a new company was founded named A.L.F.A. (Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili, English: Lombard Automobile Factory, Public Company), initially still in partnership with Darracq. The first non-Darracq car produced by the company was the 1910 24 HP, designed by Giuseppe Merosi. A.L.F.A. ventured into motor racing, with drivers Franchini and Ronzoni competing in the 1911 Targa Florio with two 24 HP models. In August 1915 the company came under the direction of Neapolitan entrepreneur Nicola Romeo, who converted the factory to produce military hardware for the Italian and Allied war efforts. In 1920, the name of the company was changed to Alfa Romeo with the Torpedo 20-30 HP the first car to be so badged.

Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. (Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili) on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars. It was owned by Italian state holding company Istituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale between 1932 and 1986, when it became a part of the Fiat Group, and since February 2007 a part of Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A.

Alfa Romeo is one of the most famous sports cars in the world, along with Porsche, Ferrari, Maserati, Corvette, Lamborghini, and Jaguar. After experiencing severe economic difficulties during the early 1990s, which resulted in the company's pullout from the U.S. market, Alfa Romeo and its parent company, Fiat, have performed a turnaround of the legendary car maker booking international success with the 156 model, introduced in 1998 to universal acclaim, followed by the 166 sedan. In 2000 the company prepared for more success with the October launch of the 147. Alfa Romeo's renewed success has not been enough for Fiat, however, which saw losses totaling more than US$100 million in 1999. In March 2000, Fiat announced a share swap partnership agreement with General Motors Corporation (GM), giving the U.S. carmaker 20 percent of Fiat and making Italy's dominant automaker the largest single GM shareholder, with 5.1 percent of the Detroit company. The GM Fiat agreement has already produced a bonus for Alfa Romeo following the agreement, Fiat announced its intention to reintroduce Alfa Romeo to the U.S. market with best and new Spider design.