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Audi News: Rumorpile: Audi To Resurrect Horch For A Top-Line A8
William Maley posted a topic in Audi
Audi is planning to bring back a long-defunct name for an ultra-luxurious version of the A8. Automotive News has learned from sources that the luxury automaker is planning to introduce top-line A8 with the Horch name. Horch was a successful luxury brand in Germany during the 1920s and 1930s. In 1932, it would merge with Audi, DKW, and Wanderer to create Auto Union - what we know as Audi. Production of Horch vehicles would halt when World War II broke out. The brand would briefly would produce vehicles after the war before being shuttered. Audi has briefly toyed with the Horch name is the past two decades, going as far as creating mock-ups, but didn't go any farther. The A8 Horch is expected to get more luxury features, along with a Horch logo on the flanks or C-Pillar - similar to what Mercedes-Benz does with the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class. Power is expected to come from twin-turbo W12 engine. According to AN, the regular A8 W12 is on hold, despite being market-ready. There is the possibility of an V8 being on offer as well. Audi is planning to launch the Horch version of the A8 in two to three years, when the model is expected to be refreshed. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) View full article -
Audi is planning to bring back a long-defunct name for an ultra-luxurious version of the A8. Automotive News has learned from sources that the luxury automaker is planning to introduce top-line A8 with the Horch name. Horch was a successful luxury brand in Germany during the 1920s and 1930s. In 1932, it would merge with Audi, DKW, and Wanderer to create Auto Union - what we know as Audi. Production of Horch vehicles would halt when World War II broke out. The brand would briefly would produce vehicles after the war before being shuttered. Audi has briefly toyed with the Horch name is the past two decades, going as far as creating mock-ups, but didn't go any farther. The A8 Horch is expected to get more luxury features, along with a Horch logo on the flanks or C-Pillar - similar to what Mercedes-Benz does with the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class. Power is expected to come from twin-turbo W12 engine. According to AN, the regular A8 W12 is on hold, despite being market-ready. There is the possibility of an V8 being on offer as well. Audi is planning to launch the Horch version of the A8 in two to three years, when the model is expected to be refreshed. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) -
Audi could be raiding Porsche's engine room for the next-generation S8. According to Evo, Audi will be using the twin-turbo 4.0L V8 found in the Panamera Turbo for the S8. The engine will be detuned from 542 horsepower to 530 for S8. That's still a noticeable improvement from the 513 horsepower the current model produces. Evo speculates the new engine will rocket the S8 to 60 mph in 4 seconds and hit a top speed of 185+. There will also be a more potent S8 on offer known as the S8 Plus. Again, Porsche will be providing the powertrain. In this case, it will be plug-in hybrid powertrain from the upcoming Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid. The twin-turbo 4.0L V8 is paired up with a 136 horsepower electric motor to deliver a total output of 680 horsepower and 626 pound-feet. This powertrain will be detuned for the S8 Plus - possibly to 630 horsepower and 600 pound-feet. Still, that should provide a 0-60 time in under four seconds. The S8 and S8 Plus are expected to debut early next year. Source: Evo View full article
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Audi could be raiding Porsche's engine room for the next-generation S8. According to Evo, Audi will be using the twin-turbo 4.0L V8 found in the Panamera Turbo for the S8. The engine will be detuned from 542 horsepower to 530 for S8. That's still a noticeable improvement from the 513 horsepower the current model produces. Evo speculates the new engine will rocket the S8 to 60 mph in 4 seconds and hit a top speed of 185+. There will also be a more potent S8 on offer known as the S8 Plus. Again, Porsche will be providing the powertrain. In this case, it will be plug-in hybrid powertrain from the upcoming Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid. The twin-turbo 4.0L V8 is paired up with a 136 horsepower electric motor to deliver a total output of 680 horsepower and 626 pound-feet. This powertrain will be detuned for the S8 Plus - possibly to 630 horsepower and 600 pound-feet. Still, that should provide a 0-60 time in under four seconds. The S8 and S8 Plus are expected to debut early next year. Source: Evo -
The current Audi A8 was one of the oldest models in the flagship class, but this changes as the German automaker revealed the all-new A8 at an event in Barcelona, Spain. We have to give Audi some credit for at least trying to make the new A8 look slightly different than the outgoing one. Elements of the 2014 Prologue Concept are present with similar styling in the rear - slightly angled trunk lid and LED taillights with a light bar. The front end features the largest version of Audi's Singleframe grille and headlights equipped with lasers that double the range of the high beams at speeds above 43 MPH. But the big story about the new A8 is the smorgasbord of technology available. The virtual cockpit system now comes with a 720P HD screen Audi's updated MMI system doesn't feature any knobs or buttons. Instead, various functions are accessed through the 10.5-inch touchscreen or voice controls. Sound and tactile feedback tells a driver the function is being executed. Audi claims the A8 is "the first production automobile in the world to have been developed for highly automated driving." (We're sure some competitors will be balking at this exclamation.) Audi AI is an artificial intelligence-based software system that controls the self-driving aspects of the A8. This system is the first production vehicle with SAE Level 3 self-driving tech - a vehicle can take full control of driving the vehicle, but only in specific situations. In this case, Audi AI can take care of accelerating, steering, and braking at speeds below 37.3 MPH. Audi AI can also maneuver the vehicle into a parking spot or garage space without the driver in the vehicle. All A8s will come with a 48-Volt electrical system - first shown on the SQ7 TDI. This means the A8 will come with an active suspension system that uses an electric motor and various components for each wheel to adjust suspension load. Audi claims this gives the A8 a comfortable ride and sharp handling characteristics. The 48-Volt system also means all A8s will have a mild hybrid system to improve fuel economy. For the European market, the Audi A8 will launch with two turbocharged 3.0L V6 engines (gas and diesel). Down the road, Audi will add 4.0L V8 (gas and diesel), W12, and a e-tron plug-in hybrid to the A8's powertrain lineup. An eight-speed automatic routes power to all four wheels. Audi will launch the A8 in Germany this fall with other markets to follow. Pricing will begin at €90,600 (about $103,318) for the standard wheelbase and €94,100 (about $107,310) for the long-wheelbase A8 L. Source: Audi Press Release is on Page 2 The new Audi A8: future of the luxury class World debut for flagship model at Audi Summit in Barcelona New design language and a pioneering touch operating concept Piloted driving functions to be rolled out in production Audi A8 versions from 2018 Today is where the future begins in the luxury class: The new Audi A8 makes its world debut at the Audi Summit in Barcelona. In its fourth generation, the flagship model again provides the benchmark for Vorsprung durch Technik – with a new design language, an innovative touchscreen operating concept and a systematically electrified drive. The Audi A8 is also the first production automobile in the world to have been developed for highly automated driving. From 2018, Audi will gradually be taking piloted driving functions such as parking pilot, garage pilot and traffic jam pilot into production. Doyen of style: the exterior design The Audi A8 is stylistically defining – it signals the dawning of a new design era for the entire brand. The front end with the wide, upright Singleframe grille and the fluid, muscular body symbolize sporty elegance, sophistication and progressive status. The new A8 delivers on the promise made by the Audi prologue design study. The luxury sedan possesses a powerful presence – whether in the 5.17 meter (17.0 ft) standard version or the A8 L, which has a 13 centimeter (5.1 in) longer wheelbase. The Audi brand is renowned worldwide for sports appeal, lightweight construction and quattro permanent all-wheel drive – and the design of the new A8 conveys these values. The balanced proportions emphasize all four wheels in equal measure. Muscular shapes above the wheel arches give visual expression to the quattro drive. Viewed side-on, the upright front end combined with the gently inclined rear create visual tension. The flagship model proclaims its identity both day and night, drawing on both the striking HD Matrix LED headlights with Audi laser lighting, and the LED light strip combined with OLED technology rear lights. These produce unique light animations as the driver approaches and leaves the car. Luxury lounge: the interior Freedom is the defining design feature with a new luxury slant. This explains the A8’s resemblance to a lavish, spacious lounge. Compared to the predecessor model, it has grown substantially in length in both body versions. The range of equipment and materials is extensive, with every detail radiating superlative bespoke quality – from the perforation in the seat upholstery to the electrically opened and closed shutters on the air vents. The classiest seat in the new Audi flagship model is in the rear right – the optional relaxation seat in the A8 L that comes with four different adjustment options and a footrest. In this seat, the passenger can warm and massage the soles of their feet on a unit with multiple settings incorporated into the back of the front-passenger seat. The new comfort head restraints complete the experience. The rear passengers can also control an array of functions such as ambient lighting, the new HD Matrix reading lights and seat massage, plus make private phone calls, via a separate operating unit. The rear seat remote, with its OLED display as large as a smartphone, is a removable unit housed in the center armrest. Fingertip response: the controls The luxury sedan’s interior deliberately adopts a reductive design; the interior architecture is clear and with a strictly horizontal orientation. Audi carries its high quality standards into the digital age with a radically new operating concept. It does away with the familiar rotary pushbutton and touchpad of the predecessor model. The instrument panel is kept largely clear of buttons and switches. At its center is a 10.1-inch touchscreen display which, when off, blends almost invisibly into the high-gloss black surround thanks to its black-panel look. The user interface appears as soon as the car is opened. The driver controls the Infotainment system with fingertip control on the large display. They can use a second touchscreen display on the center tunnel console to access the air conditioning and comfort functions as well as make text inputs. When the driver activates a function in the upper or lower display, they hear and feel a click by way of confirmation. The glass-look operating buttons respond in the same way. The combination of acoustic and tactile feedback along with the use of common touch gestures such as swiping make the new MMI touch response especially safe, intuitive and quick to use. The A8 can also engage in intelligent conversation. The driver can activate an array of functions in the automobile using a new, natural form of voice control. Information on destinations and media is either available on board or is delivered from the cloud at LTE speed. The extensive Audi connect range also includes traffic sign recognition and hazard information – innovative car-to-X services that draw on the swarm intelligence of the Audi fleet. The extensively optimized navigation is another new feature: It is self-learning, based on the route just driven. This provides the driver with intelligent search suggestions. The map also incorporates highly detailed 3D models of major European cities. World premiere: the pilot-driving Audi A8 The new A8 is the first production automobile to have been developed specially for highly automated driving. The Audi AI traffic jam pilot takes charge of driving in slow-moving traffic at up to 60 km/h (37.3 mph) on freeways and highways where a physical barrier separates the two carriageways. The system is activated using the AI button on the center console. The traffic jam pilot manages starting, accelerating, steering and braking. The driver no longer needs to monitor the car permanently. They can take their hands off the steering wheel permanently and, depending on the national laws, focus on a different activity that is supported by the car, such as watching the on-board TV. As soon as the system reaches its limits, it calls on the driver to take back control of the task of driving. From a technical perspective the traffic jam pilot is revolutionary. During piloted driving, a central driver assistance controller (zFAS) now permanently computes an image of the surroundings by merging the sensor data. As well as the radar sensors, a front camera and the ultrasonic sensors, Audi is the first car manufacturer also to use a laser scanner. The introduction of the Audi AI traffic jam pilot means the statutory framework will need to be clarified in each individual market, along with the country-specific definition of the application and testing of the system. The brand’s high quality standards are equally applicable in the realm of highly automated driving. In addition, a range of approval procedures and their corresponding timescales will need to be observed worldwide. Audi will therefore be adopting a step-by-step approach to the introduction of the traffic jam pilot in production models. The Audi AI remote parking pilot and the Audi AI remote garage pilot autonomously steer the A8 into and out of a parking space or a garage, while the maneuver is monitored by the driver. The driver need not be sitting in the car. They start the appropriate system from their smartphone using the new myAudi app. To monitor the parking maneuver, they hold the Audi AI button pressed to watch a live display from the car’s 360 degree cameras on their device. New dimension: the suspension With a whole package of innovations, the suspension revisits the very limits of what is physically possible. One such innovation is dynamic all-wheel steering, which combines direct, sporty steering with unshakable stability. The steering ratio for the front wheels varies as a function of speed; the rear wheels are turned in or against the direction of steering depending on the speed range. The car’s handling becomes even more dynamic and precise with the sport differential. This actively distributes the drive torque between the rear wheels, complementing the quattro permanent all-wheel drive that is now standard in the new A8. The second new technology, Audi AI active suspension, is a fully active suspension system. Depending on the driver’s wishes and the driving situation, it is capable of raising or lowering each wheel separately with electric actuators. This flexibility imparts the driving characteristic with huge latitude – ranging from the smooth ride comfort of a classic luxury sedan to the dynamism of a sports car. In combination with pre sense 360°, the car is raised with lighting speed if there is an impending lateral collision, reducing the potential consequences of the accident for all occupants. This highly innovative suspension system obtains the energy it requires from a 48-volt electrical system. Audi now for the first time fits it as the primary electrical system in all model versions of the A8. In conjunction with the advanced air suspension for the A8, the innovative suspension concept delivers an utterly new driving experience. Mild hybrid and e-tron: the drives The new A8 starts out in the German market with two extensively reengineered V6 turbo engines: a 3.0 TDI and a 3.0 TFSI. The diesel develops 210 kW (286 hp), and the gasoline version 250 kW (340 hp). Two eight-cylinder versions – a 4.0 TDI with 320 kW (435 hp) and a 4.0 TFSI with 338 kW (460 hp) – will follow slightly later. The exclusive top engine version is the W12 with a displacement of 6.0 liters. (These vehicles are not yet on sale. They do not yet have type approval and are therefore not subject to Directive 1999/94/EC.) All five engines operate in conjunction with a belt alternator starter (BAS), which is the nerve center of the 48-volt electrical system. This mild hybrid technology (MHEV, mild hybrid electric vehicle) enables the car to coast with the engine switched off, and to restart smoothly. It also has an extended start/stop function and an energy recovery output of up to 12 kW. The combined effect of these measures is to bring down the fuel consumption of the already efficient engines even further – by as much as 0.7 liters (0.2 US gal) per 100 kilometers (62.1 mi) in real driving conditions. The A8 L e-tron quattro with its powerful plug-in hybrid drive will follow at a later date (This vehicle is not yet on sale. It does not yet have type approval and is therefore not subject to Directive 1999/94/EC.): Its 3.0 TFSI and the powerful electric motor achieve 330 kW (449 hp) of system power and 700 Nm (516.3 lb-ft) of system torque. The lithium-ion battery stores enough power for about 50 kilometers (31.1 mi) of electric driving. It can optionally be charged by Audi Wireless Charging. A pad in the garage floor transfers the power inductively to a receiver coil in the automobile with a power output of 3.6 kW. The new Audi A8 and A8 L are being built at the Neckarsulm site and will appear on the German market in late fall 2017. The starting price for the A8 is EUR 90,600, with the A8 L starting at EUR 94,100. View full article
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The current Audi A8 was one of the oldest models in the flagship class, but this changes as the German automaker revealed the all-new A8 at an event in Barcelona, Spain. We have to give Audi some credit for at least trying to make the new A8 look slightly different than the outgoing one. Elements of the 2014 Prologue Concept are present with similar styling in the rear - slightly angled trunk lid and LED taillights with a light bar. The front end features the largest version of Audi's Singleframe grille and headlights equipped with lasers that double the range of the high beams at speeds above 43 MPH. But the big story about the new A8 is the smorgasbord of technology available. The virtual cockpit system now comes with a 720P HD screen Audi's updated MMI system doesn't feature any knobs or buttons. Instead, various functions are accessed through the 10.5-inch touchscreen or voice controls. Sound and tactile feedback tells a driver the function is being executed. Audi claims the A8 is "the first production automobile in the world to have been developed for highly automated driving." (We're sure some competitors will be balking at this exclamation.) Audi AI is an artificial intelligence-based software system that controls the self-driving aspects of the A8. This system is the first production vehicle with SAE Level 3 self-driving tech - a vehicle can take full control of driving the vehicle, but only in specific situations. In this case, Audi AI can take care of accelerating, steering, and braking at speeds below 37.3 MPH. Audi AI can also maneuver the vehicle into a parking spot or garage space without the driver in the vehicle. All A8s will come with a 48-Volt electrical system - first shown on the SQ7 TDI. This means the A8 will come with an active suspension system that uses an electric motor and various components for each wheel to adjust suspension load. Audi claims this gives the A8 a comfortable ride and sharp handling characteristics. The 48-Volt system also means all A8s will have a mild hybrid system to improve fuel economy. For the European market, the Audi A8 will launch with two turbocharged 3.0L V6 engines (gas and diesel). Down the road, Audi will add 4.0L V8 (gas and diesel), W12, and a e-tron plug-in hybrid to the A8's powertrain lineup. An eight-speed automatic routes power to all four wheels. Audi will launch the A8 in Germany this fall with other markets to follow. Pricing will begin at €90,600 (about $103,318) for the standard wheelbase and €94,100 (about $107,310) for the long-wheelbase A8 L. Source: Audi Press Release is on Page 2 The new Audi A8: future of the luxury class World debut for flagship model at Audi Summit in Barcelona New design language and a pioneering touch operating concept Piloted driving functions to be rolled out in production Audi A8 versions from 2018 Today is where the future begins in the luxury class: The new Audi A8 makes its world debut at the Audi Summit in Barcelona. In its fourth generation, the flagship model again provides the benchmark for Vorsprung durch Technik – with a new design language, an innovative touchscreen operating concept and a systematically electrified drive. The Audi A8 is also the first production automobile in the world to have been developed for highly automated driving. From 2018, Audi will gradually be taking piloted driving functions such as parking pilot, garage pilot and traffic jam pilot into production. Doyen of style: the exterior design The Audi A8 is stylistically defining – it signals the dawning of a new design era for the entire brand. The front end with the wide, upright Singleframe grille and the fluid, muscular body symbolize sporty elegance, sophistication and progressive status. The new A8 delivers on the promise made by the Audi prologue design study. The luxury sedan possesses a powerful presence – whether in the 5.17 meter (17.0 ft) standard version or the A8 L, which has a 13 centimeter (5.1 in) longer wheelbase. The Audi brand is renowned worldwide for sports appeal, lightweight construction and quattro permanent all-wheel drive – and the design of the new A8 conveys these values. The balanced proportions emphasize all four wheels in equal measure. Muscular shapes above the wheel arches give visual expression to the quattro drive. Viewed side-on, the upright front end combined with the gently inclined rear create visual tension. The flagship model proclaims its identity both day and night, drawing on both the striking HD Matrix LED headlights with Audi laser lighting, and the LED light strip combined with OLED technology rear lights. These produce unique light animations as the driver approaches and leaves the car. Luxury lounge: the interior Freedom is the defining design feature with a new luxury slant. This explains the A8’s resemblance to a lavish, spacious lounge. Compared to the predecessor model, it has grown substantially in length in both body versions. The range of equipment and materials is extensive, with every detail radiating superlative bespoke quality – from the perforation in the seat upholstery to the electrically opened and closed shutters on the air vents. The classiest seat in the new Audi flagship model is in the rear right – the optional relaxation seat in the A8 L that comes with four different adjustment options and a footrest. In this seat, the passenger can warm and massage the soles of their feet on a unit with multiple settings incorporated into the back of the front-passenger seat. The new comfort head restraints complete the experience. The rear passengers can also control an array of functions such as ambient lighting, the new HD Matrix reading lights and seat massage, plus make private phone calls, via a separate operating unit. The rear seat remote, with its OLED display as large as a smartphone, is a removable unit housed in the center armrest. Fingertip response: the controls The luxury sedan’s interior deliberately adopts a reductive design; the interior architecture is clear and with a strictly horizontal orientation. Audi carries its high quality standards into the digital age with a radically new operating concept. It does away with the familiar rotary pushbutton and touchpad of the predecessor model. The instrument panel is kept largely clear of buttons and switches. At its center is a 10.1-inch touchscreen display which, when off, blends almost invisibly into the high-gloss black surround thanks to its black-panel look. The user interface appears as soon as the car is opened. The driver controls the Infotainment system with fingertip control on the large display. They can use a second touchscreen display on the center tunnel console to access the air conditioning and comfort functions as well as make text inputs. When the driver activates a function in the upper or lower display, they hear and feel a click by way of confirmation. The glass-look operating buttons respond in the same way. The combination of acoustic and tactile feedback along with the use of common touch gestures such as swiping make the new MMI touch response especially safe, intuitive and quick to use. The A8 can also engage in intelligent conversation. The driver can activate an array of functions in the automobile using a new, natural form of voice control. Information on destinations and media is either available on board or is delivered from the cloud at LTE speed. The extensive Audi connect range also includes traffic sign recognition and hazard information – innovative car-to-X services that draw on the swarm intelligence of the Audi fleet. The extensively optimized navigation is another new feature: It is self-learning, based on the route just driven. This provides the driver with intelligent search suggestions. The map also incorporates highly detailed 3D models of major European cities. World premiere: the pilot-driving Audi A8 The new A8 is the first production automobile to have been developed specially for highly automated driving. The Audi AI traffic jam pilot takes charge of driving in slow-moving traffic at up to 60 km/h (37.3 mph) on freeways and highways where a physical barrier separates the two carriageways. The system is activated using the AI button on the center console. The traffic jam pilot manages starting, accelerating, steering and braking. The driver no longer needs to monitor the car permanently. They can take their hands off the steering wheel permanently and, depending on the national laws, focus on a different activity that is supported by the car, such as watching the on-board TV. As soon as the system reaches its limits, it calls on the driver to take back control of the task of driving. From a technical perspective the traffic jam pilot is revolutionary. During piloted driving, a central driver assistance controller (zFAS) now permanently computes an image of the surroundings by merging the sensor data. As well as the radar sensors, a front camera and the ultrasonic sensors, Audi is the first car manufacturer also to use a laser scanner. The introduction of the Audi AI traffic jam pilot means the statutory framework will need to be clarified in each individual market, along with the country-specific definition of the application and testing of the system. The brand’s high quality standards are equally applicable in the realm of highly automated driving. In addition, a range of approval procedures and their corresponding timescales will need to be observed worldwide. Audi will therefore be adopting a step-by-step approach to the introduction of the traffic jam pilot in production models. The Audi AI remote parking pilot and the Audi AI remote garage pilot autonomously steer the A8 into and out of a parking space or a garage, while the maneuver is monitored by the driver. The driver need not be sitting in the car. They start the appropriate system from their smartphone using the new myAudi app. To monitor the parking maneuver, they hold the Audi AI button pressed to watch a live display from the car’s 360 degree cameras on their device. New dimension: the suspension With a whole package of innovations, the suspension revisits the very limits of what is physically possible. One such innovation is dynamic all-wheel steering, which combines direct, sporty steering with unshakable stability. The steering ratio for the front wheels varies as a function of speed; the rear wheels are turned in or against the direction of steering depending on the speed range. The car’s handling becomes even more dynamic and precise with the sport differential. This actively distributes the drive torque between the rear wheels, complementing the quattro permanent all-wheel drive that is now standard in the new A8. The second new technology, Audi AI active suspension, is a fully active suspension system. Depending on the driver’s wishes and the driving situation, it is capable of raising or lowering each wheel separately with electric actuators. This flexibility imparts the driving characteristic with huge latitude – ranging from the smooth ride comfort of a classic luxury sedan to the dynamism of a sports car. In combination with pre sense 360°, the car is raised with lighting speed if there is an impending lateral collision, reducing the potential consequences of the accident for all occupants. This highly innovative suspension system obtains the energy it requires from a 48-volt electrical system. Audi now for the first time fits it as the primary electrical system in all model versions of the A8. In conjunction with the advanced air suspension for the A8, the innovative suspension concept delivers an utterly new driving experience. Mild hybrid and e-tron: the drives The new A8 starts out in the German market with two extensively reengineered V6 turbo engines: a 3.0 TDI and a 3.0 TFSI. The diesel develops 210 kW (286 hp), and the gasoline version 250 kW (340 hp). Two eight-cylinder versions – a 4.0 TDI with 320 kW (435 hp) and a 4.0 TFSI with 338 kW (460 hp) – will follow slightly later. The exclusive top engine version is the W12 with a displacement of 6.0 liters. (These vehicles are not yet on sale. They do not yet have type approval and are therefore not subject to Directive 1999/94/EC.) All five engines operate in conjunction with a belt alternator starter (BAS), which is the nerve center of the 48-volt electrical system. This mild hybrid technology (MHEV, mild hybrid electric vehicle) enables the car to coast with the engine switched off, and to restart smoothly. It also has an extended start/stop function and an energy recovery output of up to 12 kW. The combined effect of these measures is to bring down the fuel consumption of the already efficient engines even further – by as much as 0.7 liters (0.2 US gal) per 100 kilometers (62.1 mi) in real driving conditions. The A8 L e-tron quattro with its powerful plug-in hybrid drive will follow at a later date (This vehicle is not yet on sale. It does not yet have type approval and is therefore not subject to Directive 1999/94/EC.): Its 3.0 TFSI and the powerful electric motor achieve 330 kW (449 hp) of system power and 700 Nm (516.3 lb-ft) of system torque. The lithium-ion battery stores enough power for about 50 kilometers (31.1 mi) of electric driving. It can optionally be charged by Audi Wireless Charging. A pad in the garage floor transfers the power inductively to a receiver coil in the automobile with a power output of 3.6 kW. The new Audi A8 and A8 L are being built at the Neckarsulm site and will appear on the German market in late fall 2017. The starting price for the A8 is EUR 90,600, with the A8 L starting at EUR 94,100. -
The diesel emission scandal has once again flared up as Audi stands accused of using illegal software on certain A7 and A8 TDI models. Yesterday, German Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt announced that Audi employed illegal software to cheat emission tests on certain A7 and A8 models built between 2009 to 2013. The affected models are said to emit twice the legal limit of nitrogen oxides when the steering wheel is turned more than 15 degrees - a condition that would happen in the real world and not in the lab. German tabloid Bild reported that Volkswagen Group CEO Matthias Mueller was summoned to the transport ministry. A ministry spokesman confirmed Muller's visit to Reuters. The ministry has requested the company to issue a recall on the two models - 24,000 in total with 14,000 of those registered in Germany - and set a deadline for June 12 for a plan to retrofit the vehicles with legal software. Audi did issue the recall last night and said it has a fix coming in July. According to a source, the issue deals with the interaction between transmission and engine control units and that a fix has been submitted to Germany's transportation watchdog, the KBA. Source: Deutsche Welle, Reuters View full article
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As the Diesel Emits: Audi Faces Accusations On A7 and A8 TDIs Cheating
William Maley posted an article in Audi
The diesel emission scandal has once again flared up as Audi stands accused of using illegal software on certain A7 and A8 TDI models. Yesterday, German Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt announced that Audi employed illegal software to cheat emission tests on certain A7 and A8 models built between 2009 to 2013. The affected models are said to emit twice the legal limit of nitrogen oxides when the steering wheel is turned more than 15 degrees - a condition that would happen in the real world and not in the lab. German tabloid Bild reported that Volkswagen Group CEO Matthias Mueller was summoned to the transport ministry. A ministry spokesman confirmed Muller's visit to Reuters. The ministry has requested the company to issue a recall on the two models - 24,000 in total with 14,000 of those registered in Germany - and set a deadline for June 12 for a plan to retrofit the vehicles with legal software. Audi did issue the recall last night and said it has a fix coming in July. According to a source, the issue deals with the interaction between transmission and engine control units and that a fix has been submitted to Germany's transportation watchdog, the KBA. Source: Deutsche Welle, Reuters -
November 19th, 2012 Drew Dowdell Managing Editor - CheersandGears.com Ahead of the 2012 LA Auto show Audi is releasing news of four new TDI clean diesels bound for the U.S. Starting in spring of 2013, Audi will first introduce the TDI in the A8 flagship luxury sedan. Preliminary estimates put the A8 3.0 V6 TDI's fuel economy at 24mpg city and 36mpg highway while the 240 horsepower and a stump ripping 406 lb-ft of torque allow the 4300+ lb. sedan sprint to 60 in about 6.4 seconds. Following along in fall of 2013, the A7, A6, Q5 will join in on the diesel fun using the same 3.0 V6 TDI as the A8. While BMW is only rumored to be planning diesel availability across much of the rest of their lineup, Audi has gone ahead and beat them to an actual product announcement. We're okay with that, because in the end it means more diesels for everyone. Source: Audi USA News Drew Dowdell is Managing Editor of CheersandGears.com and can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter as @cheersngears View full article
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November 19th, 2012 Drew Dowdell Managing Editor - CheersandGears.com Ahead of the 2012 LA Auto show Audi is releasing news of four new TDI clean diesels bound for the U.S. Starting in spring of 2013, Audi will first introduce the TDI in the A8 flagship luxury sedan. Preliminary estimates put the A8 3.0 V6 TDI's fuel economy at 24mpg city and 36mpg highway while the 240 horsepower and a stump ripping 406 lb-ft of torque allow the 4300+ lb. sedan sprint to 60 in about 6.4 seconds. Following along in fall of 2013, the A7, A6, Q5 will join in on the diesel fun using the same 3.0 V6 TDI as the A8. While BMW is only rumored to be planning diesel availability across much of the rest of their lineup, Audi has gone ahead and beat them to an actual product announcement. We're okay with that, because in the end it means more diesels for everyone. Source: Audi USA News Drew Dowdell is Managing Editor of CheersandGears.com and can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter as @cheersngears
