Audi R8 V10 Spyder Priced for UK

Audi UK has announced prices for the R8 V10 Spyder. The topless German model with a fully automatic lightweight fabric roof is to retail for £111,955 OTR for the manual and £117,155 OTR for the robotic R tronic. Power still comes from the 5.2-litre naturally aspirated V10 engine putting out a solid 525PS. It is good for a sprint time of 4.1 seconds from 0 - 62mph and tops off at 197mph.

At the same time the company said that a British LM-spec R8 will compete in the FIA GT3 European Championship. The R8 LMS is based on the road-going coupe version, and two examples have been sold to the new racing outfit United Autosports. This is the first British team to run an Audi R8 LMS car.

It features a lightweight carbon fibre body and a race-spec gearbox. The interior has been completely stripped of its luxury trim. Having debuted in 2009 and going on to win 23 races, the R8 is now considered a bargain buy that has justified its £267,000 ‘list price'.

Audi S4 2010

Featured Specs

Vehicle Tested:
2010 Audi S4

Base Price (MSRP including destination charge):
$46,725

Price as Tested (MSRP including destination charge):
$59,150

Engine:
3.0-liter supercharged V6

Gearbox:
Six-speed manual

Power:
333 hp @ 5,500 rpm

0-60 mph:
4.9 seconds

Fuel Mileage:
15.9 combined

What Works
Responsive and powerful engine; all-wheel-drive confidence; roomy backseat.

What Needs Work
Lacks the feedback of its competition, but does it matter?


Specs & Performance

Vehicle
Make 2010
Model Audi
Model year S4
Style Premium Plus Quattro 4dr Sedan AWD (3.0L 6cyl S/C 6M)
Base MSRP $46,725
As-tested MSRP $59,150
Options on test vehicle Prestige, Driver Assist Package, Audi Drive Select Package, Silk Napa Leather Seats, Metallic/Pearl Effect Paint.
Drive type All-wheel drive
Transmission type Six-speed manual
Transmission and axle ratios (x:1) I=3.667:1, II=2.158:1, III=1.520:1, IV=0.133:1, V=0.919:1, VI=0.778:1
Engine type V6
Displacement (cc/cu-in) 2,995cc (183 cu-in)
Block/head material Aluminum/aluminum
Valvetrain Double overhead camshaft
Compression ratio (x:1) 10.3
Redline (rpm) 7,000 rpm
Horsepower (hp @ rpm) 333 @ 5,500
Torque (lb-ft @ rpm) 325 @ 2,900
Brakes, front Ventilated disc
Brakes, rear Disc
Steering type Electric speed-proportional power steering
Steering ratio (x:1) 16.5:1
Suspension, front Multilink
Suspension, rear Multilink
Tire size, front 255/35R19
Tire size, rear 255/35R19
Tire brand Dunlop
Tire model SP Sport Maxx GT
Tire type Performance
Wheel size 19-by-8.5 inches
Wheel material Alloy
Curb weight, mfr. claim (lbs.) 3,847
Curb weight, as-tested (lbs.) 3,984
Weight distribution, F/R (%) 56/44
Fuel type Premium unleaded (recommended)
Fuel tank capacity (gal) 16.9
EPA fuel economy (mpg) 18 city/27 highway
Edmunds observed (mpg) 15.9

Conditions for Testing
Temperature (°F) 70.56
Humidity 67%
Elevation (ft.) 1,121
Wind (mph, direction) 1.62 mph headwind

Performance
0 - 30 (sec.) 1.9 (2.2 with stability control on)
0 - 45 (sec.) 3.3 (3.6 with stability control on)
0 - 60 (sec.) 4.9 (5.2 with stability control on)
0 - 75 (sec.) 7.2 (7.5 with stability control on)
1/4 mile (sec. @ mph) 13.2 @ 106.1 (13.4 @ 106.0 with stability control on)
0-60 with 1-ft rollout (sec.) 4.6 (4.8 with stability control on)
30 - 0 (ft.) 27
60 - 0 (ft.) 109
Braking rating Excellent
Slalom, 6 x 100 ft (mph) 68.8 (67.2 with stability control on)
Skid pad, 200 ft diameter (lateral g) 0.90 (0.92 with stability control on)
Handling rating Excellent
Sound level @ idle (db) 36.3
Sound level @ full throttle (db) 76.4
Sound level @ 70 mph cruise (db) 63.0
Acceleration comments Turning off stability/traction control also removes launch rev limiter. However, electronics still protect drivetrain once the clutch comes out through throttle manipulation and clutch damping. Very respectable numbers with stability control on or off. Incredibly responsive engine. Good shifter.
Braking comments Solid pedal has more mechanical feel than some competitors. Loud ABS. Consistent, fade-free stops.
Handling comments All handling tests with Drive Select in Dynamic mode. Somewhat erratic front grip (perhaps due to varying torque split?) makes driving around the skid pad more difficult and less predictable than some RWD competitors. With stability control on , however, it works awesomely on skid pad. Requires neutral throttle or acceleration with stability control off through slalom. Otherwise, it will go backward -- probably a useful trick on the track or back roads.

Specifications
Length (in.) 185.2
Width (in.) 71.9
Height (in.) 56.2
Wheelbase (in.) 110.6
Front Track (in.) 61.6
Rear Track (in.) 61.1
Turning circle (ft) 37.4
Headroom, front (in.) 40.0
Headroom, rear (in.) 37.5
Shoulder room, front (in.) 55.5
Shoulder room, rear (in.) 54.3
Seating capacity 5
Cargo volume (cu-ft) 12.0
Max. cargo volume, seats folded (cu-ft) 34.0

Warranty Information
Bumper-to-bumper 4 years/50,000 miles
Powertrain 4 years/50,000 miles
Corrosion 12 years/Unlimited miles
Roadside assistance 4 years/Unlimited miles
Scheduled maintenance 1 year/5,000 miles

Safety Information
Front airbags Standard
Side airbags Standard dual front
Head airbags Standard front and rear
Knee airbags Not available
Antilock brakes 4-wheel ABS
Electronic brake enhancements Braking assist, electronic brakeforce distribution
Traction control Standard
Stability control Standard
Rollover protection Standard
Tire-pressure monitoring system Tire-pressure monitoring
Emergency assistance system Not available
NHTSA crash test, driver 5 stars
NHTSA crash test, passenger 5 stars
NHTSA crash test, side front 5 stars
NHTSA crash test, side rear 5 stars
NHTSA rollover resistance 5 stars
IIHS Offset Good

Audi S4 Full Test 2010

Don't let the fact that the 2010 Audi S4 says "V6T" on its quarter panels confuse you. This alphanumeric soup has more to do with Audi's marketing department than it does with anything going on under the hood of the new S4.

Rest assured, the 3.0-liter V6 in the 2010 Audi S4 cranks out 333 supercharged horsepower and 325 supercharged pound-feet of torque, which hit the ground via a six-speed manual transmission and standard all-wheel drive. Audi's seven-speed, dual-clutch automated manual S tronic transmission is optional.

You see, the sassy Germans running Audi's marketing department decided that "T" should be the moniker used to indicate both turbo- and supercharged engines on the fenders of all S models using forced induction. For this, Audi lacks a good explanation — offering only that the "T" is, in fact, misleading.

We agree.

Accordingly, we've come up with an equally sensible name for the new sedan. For the remainder of this review, this Imola Yellow S4 will be known as the Red Baron.

From Eight to Six
Indeed, this 2010 Audi S4 is a giant leap for Audi, if not in the expected direction. After all, its last S4, which disappeared in 2008, had under its hood the genuine article as far as Americans are concerned — a V8 power plant. That all-aluminum mill revved to a righteous 7,000 rpm, cranked out 340 hp at full tilt and made all the right sounds. It was also strapped to a car which (according to our measurements) was lighter than this new-generation S4 that replaces it.

To these facts the Red Baron flips a big, supercharged middle finger and disappears into the distance. This is because in addition to being bigger (a good thing for rear-seat passengers) and heavier (a bad thing for everyone), it manages to punch through the 60-mph barrier in only 4.9 seconds (4.6 seconds with 1 foot of rollout like on a drag strip). It goes on to complete the quarter-mile in 13.2 seconds at 106.1 mph.

Both of these numbers are considerably more impressive than those of the previous S4, which might have sounded good, but simply wasn't as quick. At least part of the gap can be explained by the fact that the blown V6 makes more torque than the old V8. Its 325 lb-ft of torque is delivered as low as 2,900 rpm, while the V8's torque peak of 302 lb-ft didn't arrive until 3,500 rpm.

Lightness and Its Measurement
Run these figures past anyone at Audi and they're quick to point out that the new 2010 S4's chassis is actually 10 percent lighter than the outgoing S4. Our scales show that this does not translate into a lighter car, but when you consider the fact that the new car's wheelbase and overall length is more than 6 inches longer than the previous generation, it's quite a feat to have kept this package as light as it is.

There's also the matter of weight distribution. Hanging eight cylinders forward of the front axle gave the old S4 an unavoidable 62 percent front/38 percent rear weight distribution. The Red Baron hit our scales at 3,984 pounds. The front axle, however, bears only 55 percent of that weight thanks to the new car's revised engine placement and its lighter engine. Meanwhile the 2008 S4's claimed curb weight was 3,864 pounds.

Better weight distribution almost always means better manners, and we were impressed with the 2010 Audi S4's handling. At 68.8 mph it charged through the slalom at a rate approaching the last BMW 335i sedan we tested, which managed the feat at 69.9 mph.

Lateral acceleration around the skid pad was also striking. A two-way average of 0.90g with the stability control off is good, but the 0.92g average with the system turned on speaks volumes for Audi's attention to the calibration details.

The S4's 109-foot stop from 60 mph is also better than most of its competition, as is its pedal feel.

Driving Reality
Following are the words you'll need to understand what's missing from the above acceleration numbers.

Topping BMW's twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter six in a contest of throttle response is a task we figured impossible. But tickle the Red Baron's go pedal and its V6's instant snap makes the Bimmer engine feel positively apathetic.

So rapid and immediate and crisp is the supercharged Audi engine's response that it made us forget all about the fact that turbos are, ultimately, more efficient than superchargers when it comes to adding power. Again, in response to this fact, the Red Baron simply snaps to attention and begins making real, usable power faster than you can say "turbo lag." Such is life with belt-driven boost.

To that snap this S4 adds Audi's Drive Select — a $3,950 option that includes adjustable suspension damping and steering assist as well as Audi's active rear differential, which can bias torque individually to each rear wheel. Of course, this is coupled with all-wheel drive, 60 percent of which the 2010 S4 now biases to the rear under normal conditions.

Maximum Attack
When you're driving hard, you'll likely not notice these bits of management, but you will get a sense that you're driving one of the most capable sport sedans available today. The S4's balance rivals its German competitors even if feedback — especially through the steering wheel — is less natural. Drive Select can add or remove steering assist, but the S4 lacks the high-resolution steering communication we'd like it to have.

Still, there's more control here than we expected, largely due to the adjustable suspension, which stiffens up the ride control to a level that permits maximum attack, a level of confidence that can only be had with all-wheel drive. Oh yes, and it's fast. Very, very fast.

We worked up to a quick rhythm in the 2010 Audi S4 until we channeled our inner Walter Rohrl and dared to touch the brake pedal with our left foot. That mistake shut down the fun faster than you can say "unintended acceleration," as the electronics cut back the throttle in response. Audi says the electronics' lack of tolerance for an overlap between throttle and brake action is a safety feature. We say it diminishes the S4's abilities when going flat out and takes away a useful driving tool for skilled drivers.

It's What's Inside That Counts
There is no shortage of S4-specific niceties on this car. Embossed into the silky napa-style leather upholstery of the optional seats is the S4 logo. The front brake calipers share this logo as do the rocker sills, steering wheel and grille.

The rest of the interior is typical Audi, with lavish materials solidly assembled in a sensible and appealing fashion. Everything the driver needs to touch feels solid, durable and responsive. Quirks include the iPod cable in the glovebox that needs to be about an inch longer, because it binds when the door is fully open. And there's the engine start/stop button, which seems to kill the engine only about half the time. (Certainly this is because of something we are doing or not doing, but, really, should this ever be a problem?)

Your rear-seat passengers will never notice this gaffe because they'll be too busy appreciating the abundance of legroom. No longer is the backseat in the 2010 Audi S4 a penalty box. In fact, it's so commodious that a 6-foot-1 passenger will fit comfortably behind a driver of the same size.

Then there's the $6,100 Prestige package, which adds 19-inch wheels, the ear-tingling Bang & Olufsen audio system, keyless start/stop, navigation, voice-activated controls, auto-dimming mirrors and seat memory. Really, that's a lot of goodness for $6 grand.

The Tally
All in — with its Prestige package, Drive Select, leather seats and Driver Assist package — the S4 you see here totals $59,150 including destination. That's no small investment for a car in this class, but the S4 is no small consideration, either.

The Drive Select adjustable suspension and steering alone set the Red Baron apart from most of its rivals, many of which are just as comfortable, but lack the ability of the 2010 Audi S4 to adapt to full-whack driving with the push of a button. Plus, the S4 is quicker. And in the sport sedan segment, quick counts for something.

The fact that the German marketers behind this car don't give a rip about the difference between a "T" and an "S" probably isn't going to keep anyone from enjoying this truly great car. Least of all us.

Diesel Audi TT Sips Fuel at 42 MPG

INGOLSTADT, Germany — After showing a diesel concept of its R8 supercar in Detroit, Audi is bringing diesel to the sports-car market with the TT 2.0 TDI. Audi claims to have the first diesel sports car with its unique package that combines the TT's iconic sloping roof line and respected handling with a fuel-sipping engine.

Making 170 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, the diesel TT isn't exactly a rocket. The coupe is capable of reaching 60 mph in less than 7.5 seconds and hitting a top speed of 140 mph, while the convertible is slightly slower. The diesel's standout stats don't come from performance, but efficiency. Both coupe and convertible average more than 42 mpg.

Due to the engine's torque output, all diesel TTs will come equipped with Audi's Quattro four-wheel-drive system. In normal operation, it sends 85 percent of the power to the front wheels, but is capable of diverting all power to either the front or the rear axle. Sales of the TT 2.0 TDI are currently only planned for Europe.

What this means to you: Audi creates a new niche with sports-car style and subcompact efficiency. — Eric Tingwall, Correspondent.

Chevrolet Volt Mobile Smartphone App

Chevrolet Volt Mobile Smartphone App – Click above for high-res image gallery

When the Chevy Volt goes on sale late this year, General Motors intends to leverage its popular OnStar technology to help drivers maximize their electric driving time and minimize their use of liquid fuel. To do that, GM created an OnStar/EV lab last year at its Detroit headquarters. Engineers there have been working on how they can utilize available communications technology to save fuel, and the first public result is a new mobile phone application that is being announced at this year's Consumer Electronics Show.

When the production version of the Volt was unveiled in 2008, many called the interior very Apple-like because of its smooth white plastic center stack with capacitive touch controls. Thankfully, for those of us who have not fallen prey to the allure of the iPhone, the new mobile phone app is being developed to work on other touch screen phones including the Motorola Droid and Blackberry Storm. Read on after the jump to learn more about what OnStar has created.

Chevrolet Volt Mobile Smartphone App

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Toyota Etios Concept

Toyota Etios Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

It doesn't take a MENSA member to understand that small, inexpensive and reliable transportation is a big thing in India. On one side, you've got the diminutive Tata Nano. On the other, Honda's New Small Concept. And right in the middle is this: the Toyota Etios concept.

Due to be available in both four- and five-door variants, the Indian-market Etios is yet another inexpensive, easy to maintain runabout for India's burgeoning middle class. Amenities are minimal and so are the engine choices –a 1.2-liter in the hatch and a 1.5-liter in the sedan. But basic transport is each models reason for being, and when the Etios goes on sale in India later this year with a price well below $10,000. Toyota expects to sell around 70,000 units annually and plans to export the Etios in markets outside of India in the near future. But don't expect the either model to arrive in the States anytime soon. Hit the jump for the press release and thanks to Indianautosblog for the pics.

Toyota Etios Concept

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2010 MR Audi S3 Black Performance Edition

the Audi S3 Black Achievement Edition by MR Car Design

comes with date III achievement kit includes new agent electronics and an upgraded bankrupt arrangement that assignment calm accession the achievement to 337 hp and 450Nm of torque. The MR Car Design Audi S3 Black Achievement Edition comes with a downpipe including sports cat, sports bankrupt arrangement with optimized activating burden and a new intercooler.

Nissan Maxima SV Sport is a lot of car for a lot of coin

2010 Nissan Maxima SV Sport – Click above for high-res image gallery

Front-wheel drive is a funny thing. When originally introduced during the Thirties in the Cord 810 (then later in the awesome supercharged 812) and the Citroën Traction Avant, FWD was hailed as a major breakthrough, a wondrous technological innovation that allowed for lower ride height and greatly increased passenger space. Postwar consumers got a taste of the wonders of FWD with the iconic Citroën DS. At the top of its game in the Sixties, General Motors reintroduced FWD to American consumers with two remarkable luxury coupes: the 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado and the 1967 Cadillac Eldorado. Come the Seventies, Citroën produced what is arguably the greatest GT coupe of that decade, the impeccable (and FWD) SM.

It's not that RWD is always better than FWD. Only in this case, it is.

Roll the clock forward to the Eighties and suddenly everything was being tugged around by its front wheels. Honda, Toyota, Nissan, General Motors, Ford and Chrysler all jumped head first onto the FWD bandwagon and, for the most part, they haven't looked back. Granted, Cadillac has rethought which wheels get driven, but with the exception of a dinosaur livery-mobile, there isn't a single rear-wheel-drive Lincoln to be found. Even Volkswagen got in on the transversely-mounted engine madness. This left only the Germans – namely Mercedes-Benz and BMW – to seriously carry the rear-wheel drive passenger car torch for nearly a decade. Sure, Lexus and Infiniti brought out some heavy hitting RWD sedans along with a raft of FWD offerings (M30 I30, G20 anyone?), but Acura never bothered.

The average gearhead hates FWD for all the right reasons (weight distribution, steering feel, the front tires being asked to both propel and turn, etc.), and during a recent discussion we had with a half-in-the-bag PR guy, [NAME REDACTED] exclaimed, "Front-wheel drive sucks!" So, how can a technology go from the penthouse to the doghouse like that? One answer (of many) comes from the Minnesotan economist/social philosopher Thorstein Veblen and his book The Theory of the Leisure Class. Here's a quick, ten-cent Cliff Note version: When electric lighting first appeared, only the rich could afford electric lights. As such, electrically lit dinners were considered romantic and desirable. However, once electrification trickled down to the unwashed masses, only the rich could afford both bulbs and candles. Hence, candlelit dinners became en vogue. Which – believe it or not – leads us very nicely to the 2010 Nissan Maxima SV Sport and its $38,384 asking price.

2010 Nissan Maxima 3.5 SV Sport

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Audi R8 5.2 V10 FSI Quattro - 2010

Base Price: $115,400 - $156,300

Vehicle Details

EPA Classification Compact
$117500 R8 2dr Cpe 4.2L Man quattro
2-Door All Wheel Drive Car, 420 bhp, 317 lb-ft, 6-sp Manual, 12/19 mpg
2 passengers, 3600 lb, 4.2-liter, 8-cylinder engine, 8.6 lb/bhp

Engine
Engine Type Gas V8
Displacement 4.2L/254
Fuel System FSI Direct
SAE Net Horsepower @ RPM 420 @ 7800
SAE Net Torque @ RPM 317 @ 4500-6000

Transmission
Drivetrain All-Wheel Drive
Trans Type 6
Trans Description Cont. Manual
First Gear Ratio (:1) 4.37
Second Gear Ratio (:1) 2.71
Third Gear Ratio (:1) 1.88
Fourth Gear Ratio (:1) 1.41
Fifth Gear Ratio (:1) 1.13
Sixth Gear Ratio (:1) 0.93
Reverse Ratio (:1) 3.71
Final Drive Axle Ratio (:1) 3.46