New Audi S4 gets a Supercharged V6

The speculation as to if the new S4 would go back to its turbo charger roots is over. It will receive a new supercharged 3.0 V6 aptly named the 3.0TFSI. At the heart of the upcoming A4/A6, a new 3.0-litre supercharged V6 with direct injection and 1.1 bar boost is expected to produce in the region of 220 kW and 420 N.m of torque between 2500 and 4850 r/min.

Although no details regarding power outputs are known, pundits have suggested 260 kW for the new range-topping variant of the A4. Mated with the new dual clutch S-Tronic transmission, expect the S4 to sprint from zero to 100 km/h in less than six seconds.
Audi says comparative tests showed the mechanical supercharger spins at up to 23 000rpm. It will be released in South Africa in 2009.Audi says comparative tests showed the mechanical supercharger, when combined with direct fuel-injection, gave better performance off idle and more dynamic response, in a more compact package, than a dual-turbo set-up.The Roots-type supercharger is so compact it fits neatly into the vee of the engine; it has a figure-eight shaped chamber with two four-vaned impellers that mesh together as they counter-rotate to push air through the bottom of the casing.It's belt-driven off the crankshaft and spins at up to 23 000rpm to delivering 1000kg of air an hour at a boost pressure of 0.8 bar. The engine has a 10.5:1 compression ratio, also made possible by direct injection; the incoming charge cools the cylinder as it vaporises and helps prevent knock.

Two aluminium, water-to-air intercoolers with their own coolant circuit are built into the compressor housing and the gas paths between compressor and cylinder are very short so torque builds up very quickly, says Audi, enabling it to pull very long gearing.Audi claims it will use less than 10 litres/100km in virtually any longitudinally-engined models, which is what it's intended for.The 90-degree engine block has a bore and stroke of 84.5x89mm for a displacement of 2995cc; the crankcase is reinforced to take the extra thrust on the conrods, the inlet cams can be adjusted through 42 degrees and tumble flaps in the intake ports start the incoming air swirling before it gets to the inlet valves to speed up the mixing process in the cylinder.Audi says the injection hardware is also new, a common-rail system with six-hole injectors that inject the fuel directly into the combustion chambers at 150 bar, with three separate injections per operating cycle to optimise combustion.


Being a big fan of the B5 S4 I loved the twinturbos and I'm not alone, although I enjoyed the V8 there is nothing like the rush of a mildly modified TT S4. I'm sure the new S/C V6 has the intial torque meter of the older S4's but I'm afraid the time of enthusiasts flocking to Audi has come to a stand still.

Audi A4 2.0 TDI Achieves CO2 Emissions of 88 Grams Per Kilometer

The second part of the efficiency drive through Austria and Switzerland, like the first, was thoroughly successful: 20 randomly selected readers of a motoring magazine and a team of two from Audi once again fully exploited the efficiency potential of the new Audi A4 2.0 TDI with an output of 88 kW (120 hp) in order to drive a route of 1,650 kilometers (1,025.26 miles) from Vienna to Basel and back on a single tank of fuel. All eleven teams reached the finish on Sunday: the most efficient driver duo achieved an average fuel consumption of 3.32 liters of diesel fuel per 100 kilometers (70.85 US mpg). This equates to CO2 emissions of 88 grams per kilometer (141.62 g/mile). With these figures, it would even have been possible to cover a distance of over 2,000 kilometers (1242.74 miles).

This achievement once again topped the outstanding result of the first part of the efficiency drive from Basel to Vienna and back. The winning team of that round, which also lasted 1,650 kilometers (1,025.26 miles), had recorded an average fuel consumption of 3.44 liters per 100 kilometers (68.38 US mpg) and CO2 emissions of 91 grams per kilometer (146.45 g/mile). This, however, was at a higher average speed of 81.4 km/h (50.58 mph).

With full concentration from beginning to end and outstanding levels of enthusiasm, the participants in fact managed to surpass the very high expectations. After a total driving time of 22 hours on average with an average speed of between 73 and 80 km/h (45.36 and 49.71 mph), the white Audi A4 cars reached their destination. It thus became clear just what potential there is in the driver’s foot for reducing fuel consumption.

The new two-liter TDI engine provides ideal conditions for economical driving. With a combined consumption figure of just 5.1 liters per 100 kilometers (46.12 US mpg) and CO2 emissions of only 134 grams per kilometer (215.65 g/mile), the efficiency of the sportiest midsize sedan is simply outstanding. At the same time, the A4 is always capable of bringing the impressive dynamism that distinguishes every Audi onto the road.

However, participants in the Audi efficiency competition significantly bettered even these impressive combined consumption figures. The winning team needed just 3.32 liters of diesel fuel per 100 kilometers (70.85 US mpg). This equates to CO2 emissions of only 88 grams per kilometer (141.62 g/mile) – an outstanding figure at an average speed of 74.6 km/h (46.35 mph). Five teams achieved under 3.45 liters (over 68.18 US mpg). But even the Audi in eleventh place recorded an impressive average fuel consumption of 3.50 liters (67.20 US mpg).

To achieve these extremely low figures, the teams had the air conditioning switched off nearly all the time. However, considering the amount of fuel left in the tanks of the eleven Audi A4 cars at the end, it would certainly have been possible to enjoy the comfort of the high-performance, ultra-efficient automatic air conditioning as well.

No VAG F1 team due to Max Mosley "Nazi Orgy" Fiasco...

The VW Audi group has decided it would be unwise to create an F1 team under the current controversy with FIA head Max Mosley.

Max Mosley, one of the most powerful men in world sport, was under pressure to resign as boss of Formula One’s governing body last night after he was exposed enjoying a Nazi-style orgy with five prostitutes.

Jewish groups condemned the behaviour of Mosley, 67, whose father, Sir Oswald, was the leader of the British Union of Fascists and a friend of Adolf Hitler.

Mr Mosley was caught on video by the News of the World with five women in an underground “torture chamber” in Chelsea, where he spent several hours allegedly indulging in sado-masochistic sex.

The Oxford-educated former barrister, who is president of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), reenacted a concentration camp scene in which he played the role of both guard and inmate.

Speaking in German and brandishing a leather whip, he beat the women after allowing himself to be subjected to a humiliating inspection for lice and an interrogation in chains.

Mr Mosley, a close confidant of Bernie Ecclestone, who holds the commercial rights to Formula One, paid £2,500 cash for the sex services, the Sunday newspaper claimed.

His antics stunned Jewish leaders and motorsport insiders. “This is sick and depraved,” Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said. “For anyone to be in such a position of influence and power beggars belief. I am absolutely appalled.”

Stephen Smith, director of the Holocaust Centre, said: “As Mr Mosley has condemned the racism in motor sport he should live up to the standards he sets. This is an insult to millions of victims, survivors and their families. He should apologise. He should resign from the sport.”

Sir Stirling Moss, the former world champion racing driver whose father was Jewish, said: “I don’t see how he can continue. I hope he can, frankly, because I think he’s very good at what he does. I suppose what goes on behind closed doors is his business but when a thing comes out like this . . . it’s an absolute shocker.”

Mr Mosley, whose two years in Germany as a young teenager gave him fluency in the language, has helped to turn Formula One into a multi-billion-pound business since he became FIA president in 1993. The FIA is a nonprofit association that represents the interests of motoring organisations and car users worldwide.

Mr Ecclestone said that he was shocked by the allegations but did not expect Mr Mosley’s position to be affected. “I’ve known him an awful long time. If somebody had told me this without the evidence I would have found it difficult to believe,” he said.

“Assuming it’s all true, what people do privately is up to them. I don’t honestly believe [it] affects the sport in any way. Knowing Max it might be all a bit of a joke. You know, it’s one of those things where he’s sort of taking the p***, rather than anything against Jewish people.”

Mr Mosley, who lives in Monaco, is understood to be pursuing legal action against the News of The World for breach of privacy. His spokesman said: “This is a matter between Mr Mosley and the newspaper in question and the FIA has no comment.”

Martin Brundle, the driver-turned-pundit who was recently the subject of a libel action brought by Mr Mosley, said: “It’s not appropriate behaviour for the head of any global body such as the FIA.”

Mr Mosley, who once harboured ambitions to be a parliamentary candidate for the Conservative Party, is known for being eccentric and outspoken. Nicknamed “Mad Max” by some in motorsport, he once said he didn’t mind flak because he came from a family used to getting it all the time.

Hitler was present at the wedding of his father, Oswald, and mother, Diana, which took place in Joseph Goebbels’s drawing room. They were interned in Holloway and Brixton prisons for their Fascist connections.

Most recently, Mr Mosley stood up against racism in Formula One by giving warning of immediate sanctions if there was a repeat of the abuse against Lewis Hamilton, the only black driver on the circuit, in Barcelona during testing this season.

The wit and wisdom of Max Mosley

He goes around dressed up as a Thirties music hall man. He’s a certified halfwit”
On Sir Jackie Stewart (a dyslexic)

There was always a certain amount of trouble until I came into motor racing. ‘Mosley, he must be some relation of Alf Mosley, the coachbuilder'. And I thought to myself, ‘I’ve found a world where they don’t know about Oswald Mosley’. And it has always been a bit like that in motor racing: nobody gives a darn”
On being the son of Sir Oswald Mosley

There is always somebody new. If it wasn’t him it would be one of the other new stars . . . There is a tendency to exaggerate the importance of Hamilton”
On British motor racing star Lewis Hamilton

Biela's future with Audi!?!

Biela's future with Audi's sportscar team is in doubt following the German manufacturer's decision to replace him with Dindo Capello in their American Le Mans Series line-up.

Capello, who won the Le Mans 24 Hours with Allan McNish and Tom Kristensen two weeks ago, will share the No.1 Audi R10 TDi with Emanuele Pirro for at least the next two races, at Lime Rock Park in a fortnight and Mid-Ohio a week later. The switch casts a shadow over Biela's future as Audi revealed he was only contracted to contest races prior to Le Mans.
It leaves the five-time Le Mans winner without a race programme for the rest of the season and with no deal in place to remain with Audi beyond this year.
Biela is also a two-time ALMS champion, while Capello is already the most successful driver in ALMS history with 26 race wins and also has two titles to his name, having won the LMP1 championship with McNish for the last two seasons.

The New Audi Valvelift System

Taking a que from Honda more power and torque with less fuel consumption – that is the dream of every engine designer. With the Audi valvelift system, which manages the inlet valve timing in a gasoline engine in a very innovative way, that dream becomes a reality. Audi uses this technology for its direct-injection 2.8 and 3.2-liter V6-FSI engines in the A4, A5, A6 and A8.

The cylinder head in the case of a vehicles engine. The aim is to open and close the valves in such a way that the correct charge of air is always drawn into the cylinders. The first breakthrough came years ago with the rotation of the camshaft by means of adjusters – permitting the valve opening and closing times to be varied. The Audi valvelift system now achieves the next step – variable control of the valve lift, thus influencing the cross-section of the intake duct.

How it works: The two inlet camshafts are equipped with teeth. On each of them sit three cam elements – cylindrical sleeves, on the outside of which there are spiral grooves. There are six metal pins integrated into the ladder frames of each of the two cylinder heads, which extend by four millimeters, powered by lightning-fast electromagnetic actuators. Two of them are responsible for each cam element.

The top illustration on page 2 of this newsletter shows the right-hand pin in action. It engages in the groove of the rotating cam element and so pushes it by seven millimeters to the right on the shaft. It is locked in the end position by means of a spring-loaded pin. The metal pin, now idle, is pushed back mechanically.

Each cam element carries two adjacent profiles for small and large valve lifts. When pushed to the right the cam element is in the full load position, where the voluminous full-load profiles (shown in red in the drawing) operate the especially narrow roller cam followers. They open the two inlet valves with a lift of 11.0 mm – ideal for high charge volumes and flow speeds in the combustion chamber.

Under partial load the cam element is pushed to the left by the left-hand pin; now the small cam profiles come into play. They open the valves with a small and variable lift, either only 2.0 mm or 5.7 mm. This asymmetric opening leads the to the charge air rotating both spirally and cylindrically as it flows into the combustion chamber. This "drumble", which is assisted by edges and bumps in the combustion chamber and a specially shaped piston, renders superfluous the charge motion flaps which are otherwise necessary in the intake duct of FSI engines.

The changeover between the valve lift settings takes place in the range between 700 and 4,000 rpm; it is completed within two revolutions of the crankshaft. A collection of short-term interventions – a switch to retarded ignition, the adjustment of all four camshafts and the closing of the throttle – prevent torque surges. What the driver will notice are the engine’s smooth power build-up and spontaneous throttle response.

The most important effect, however, is that fuel consumption drops by up to seven percent. AVS technology achieves its greatest potential fuel savings at a constant speed in the mid-load range. In sixth gear, the engine of the Audi A6 2.8 FSI propels the car at up to 150 km/h (93.21 mph) using the small valve lift setting.

The Audi valvelift system enables the volume of air drawn in to be controlled to a large extent by the opening of the inlet valves. The throttle butterfly can remain fully open even under partial load and the undesirable choke losses are considerably reduced. A technical pipe dream becomes reality – in a new, intelligent way. Current solutions operate with additional elements such as levers or cups between the camshafts and the valves. This has various disadvantages: the increased mass of the moving parts, greater friction and reduced valve gear rigidity.

None of these problems are associated with the two-stage Audi valvelift system. Its uncomplicated design means that it can cope with engine speeds of up to 7,000 rpm, so it can deliver high peak performance. Its compact proportions also simplify the packaging of the engines in the vehicle and permit efficient production using the modular system. The components are made in the engines plant at Györ in Hungary, where a large proportion of the V6 engines also come off the production line. In AVS technology, which is the result of six years of development work, Audi sees a solution with great potential for the future. In theory it will be possible to implement further development stages, up to and including the complete shutdown of individual cylinders.

The FSI engines with AVS sport a few other special features. A new type of sensor technology feeds data to their management systems. It gets its information from the position of the adjustable inlet camshafts and no longer from the pressure in the inlet manifold as before, which is in fact constant when operating with the throttle wide open. In the case of the 2.8-liter V6, a variable intake manifold enhances the effect of the AVS system. It increases torque at low revs and power output at high revs.

Audis LeMans win powered by Shell BTL (biomass to liquid)

The Audi R10 TDI runs on diesel, but not just any old diesel. It used Shell’s BTL biodiesel (BTL stands for biomass to liquid). The other good thing is that it isn’t based on corn or anything else edible. It uses things like wood scraps instead. Compared to traditional diesel, this fuel can emit almost 90 percent less carbon dioxide. For the race, Audi used a combination of BTL and GTL (gas to liquid) -- which is a synthetic fuel made from natural gas. The racing industry has been using Biofuels since mid 2004, which used Bioderived fuels and spread into the British Touring Car Championship, WRC and had been used in privateer LeMans team pre-07.

Audi raising vehicle pricing (again)

Audi recently raised MSRP to match BMW & Mercedes but Rupert Stadler said that the Volkswagen-owned luxury brand “would be prepared” to raise its prices next year if current cost trends continued, and depending on what its competitors did.

“If prices remain on this high level, the pressure for sure is increasing for everybody,” he said.

Carmakers rarely admit they are contemplating price hikes in one of the world’s most competitive industries, for fear of tipping off other manufacturers on their plans or losing market share. All face intense pressure from carbuyers to offer incentives on their vehicles, especially in slow markets such as the US.

The admission is especially noteworthy coming from Audi, a profitable premium brand seen by analysts as better-placed than most others to withstand tough markets because it pools many costs with its parent group.

Commodities rising prices has roughly doubled this year, adding to carmakers’ rising cost burdens arising from investment in cleaner ecological engines and smaller vehicles, and exchange rate-related losses on overseas markets.

“The real burden is not to be seen in 2008,” Mr Stadler said. “The big question is what is coming in 2009.”

Audi raised prices for some of its cars by between 0.5 per cent and 1.5 per cent earlier this year. BMW, the biggest producer in the luxury segment, raised its prices in the US, its largest market, by less than 1 per cent earlier this month. The pressure from rising costs is more intense for mass-market carmakers, which operate on thinner margins than luxury brands.

“If the industry is taking these head winds seriously, they will have to raise prices by 5 to 10 per cent,” said Arndt Ellinghorst, head of European automotive research with Credit Suisse. “But it could cost them 10 to 20 per cent of their volumes, and then we’re talking about under-utilised capacity.”

Like other carmakers, Audi is considering launching hybrid and electric vehicles, alongside other investments in new engines and technologies and lighter materials, to meet tougher emissions regulations.

Audi A3 TDI Club sport Quattro Concept

The A3 TDI Clubsport quattro concept is the German car maker’s latest effort to convince buyers that sports cars and diesel power can go hand in hand.

Audi has already unveiled a diesel version of its TT sports car, which can be expected in Australia by early 2009.

Hot on the heels of Audi’s R8 diesel supercar concept that's also expected to make production, the A3 super-hatch will be displayed at next week’s Lake Worther Tour in Austria with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel that delivers 165kW of power and 450Nm of torque to all four wheels.

The A3 Clubsport hatch will reach a top speed of 240km/h and sprint from 0-100km/h in 6.6 seconds, according to Audi.

Although that acceleration time is nearly a second slower than the range-topping S3, the six-speed-manual Clubsport quattro is significantly quicker (by 2.6sec) than the A3 Sportback equipped with an identically sized 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine.

The A3 Clubsport’s diesel engine is far more likely to make it into production than the car’s sheetmetal. Audi claims the 165kW turbo diesel already complies with Euro V emissions regulations that don’t come into effect until 2010.

The Clubsport quattro is 40mm longer and 36mm lower than the regular A3, and sits on huge, 20-inch alloy wheels. The front and rear tracks have also been widened (by 34mm and 46mm respectively) to give the racier A3 a bigger footprint on the road.

The front end is dominated by an even wider version of Audi’s trademark gaping grille, though the huge air intakes either side are never going to be described as subtle. The bi-xenon headlights are accompanied by LED daytime running lights.

At the rear, a conspicuous roof spoiler is inspired by the one that sits on Audi’s A4 German Touring Car race car. Two large exhaust pipes sit in a dark grey diffuser as an exit point for an “optimised exhaust system”.

The side profile is given a more muscular appearance with chunkier sills and bolt-on wheelarch extensions.

Underneath, Audi’s magnetic ride system – available on the TT and R8 and seen on the likes of Ferrari’s 599 GTB – allows the driver to stiffen or soften the suspension at the touch of a button.

Audi has fitted larger, carbon-ceramic brakes to the front for improved stopping power, although unusually the rear brakes remain the same as the production A3’s.

The A3 TDI Clubsport quattro’s interior is fitted with racing-style bucket seats, an open-gate manual gear-shifter, and a flat-bottomed steering wheel that includes the engine start/stop button.

The Audi Drive Select system that debuted on the company’s new A4 this year is also included. It allows the driver to vary a number of parameters, which on the A3 Clubsport include throttle response, exhaust sound, steering power assistance, stability control threshold, and damping.

Audi CEO optimistic to reach global, U.S. 2015 sales target

INGOLSTADT, Germany - Audi AG Chief Executive Rupert Stadler said the automaker sees no major impact from the global economic slowdown in the current quarter and he is optimistic about reaching the company's ambitious long-term target of selling 1.5 million cars worldwide in 2015.
"It remains crucial that we achieve profitable growth and not just boost the sales volume," Stadler told Dow Jones Newswires in an interview, adding that business in the second quarter showed no signs of a significant downturn.
Stadler said Audi expects to double sales in the troubled U.S. market to 200,000 vehicles in 2015. His remarks come at a time when major automakers such as Toyota Motor Corp. and Ford Motor Co. are voicing concerns about the state of the U.S. market and many analysts have lowered their forecasts for coming years. The auto industry continues to be squeezed by higher raw material prices and lackluster consumer confidence.
Audi wants to become the world's leading premium automaker in terms of customer satisfaction and quality and aims for an annual increase in car sales by between 5% and 6% on average in coming years.
Earlier this month, Audi improved by 16 places in the closely watched J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Initial Quality Survey for initial product quality, and now ranks 10th among the world's car makers.
Stadler reiterated that Audi aims to sell more than a million cars worldwide this year as sales are expected to be boosted in the second half by the revamped A4 model. He said the second-quarter sales had started "according to plan."
He said Audi is "well on track" to achieving its 13th consecutive annual sales record after selling 964,151 cars in 2007, which makes it the world's third-bestselling premium automaker behind BMW AG and Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz brand.
Stadler said the Ingolstadt-based company is "already ahead of schedule" after the first five months of the year.
In the January-to-May period, Audi's car sales were up 1.5% compared with the same period last year at around 426,200 vehicles, driven by strong demand in Eastern Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
Stadler said Audi's first half of the year has been characterized by the changeover of its best-selling A4 model. The launch of the A4 sedan was followed in May by the introduction of the new A4 estate version, or Avant, across Europe. The revamped A4 sedan will be launched in the U.S. this fall.
Audi's new small sports-utility-vehicle, dubbed Q5, is set to be launched in Europe this fall and will hit U.S. showrooms "by summer (2009) at the latest," Stadler said.
The revamped A4 model along with the new A5 coupe and the Q5 are cornerstones of Audi's plan to narrow the gap with BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
The key earnings contributor of parent company Volkswagen AG (VOW.XE), Europe's biggest automaker by sales, has enjoyed strong growth in recent years, especially in Asia and Europe, but still lags its German peers in terms of sales in the U.S. market.
In 1986, safety concerns over some models shattered Audi's reputation in the U.S. and sales nose-dived. Federal authorities were unable to identify any mechanical defects, but numerous legal disputes turned Audi's U.S. recovery into an uphill battle.
"Today, Audi is a totally different company than it was back then," Stadler said. "The U.S. premium segment has the potential to grow further," he said, adding that Audi targets a "slight increase in market share" in the U.S. this year, despite adverse conditions.
Stadler said Audi plans to increase its exclusive dealerships in the U.S. to up to 150 within the next three to five years from 118 now.
Audi's U.S. dealers are planning to invest $180 million in the next three years as part of the company's growth plan.
Stadler said Audi's U.S. dealers are expected to sell between 600 to 800 cars on average per year, up from between 380 and 550 cars currently.
Stadler confirmed that the company aims to boost its U.S. sales to 200,000 in 2015 from 93,506 in 2007. Audi has sold 36,820 vehicles in the U.S. during the first five months of the year, down 2.9% from the same period last year.
Global car sales in May caused concern among investors as even a dynamic market such as China posted a 12% decline on the year, adjusted for working days. Imported vehicles in China recorded their first drop in sales in two years, down 19%, Citicorp said in a recent note, adding that it sees increasing downside risks for the auto sector as adverse conditions persist.
"We firmly believe in the growth potential of the Chinese auto market," Stadler said, adding that automakers have to deal with a certain level of volatility in emerging markets. Audi is the best-selling premium automaker in China, the company's biggest overseas market.

Source- Marketwatch.com

Audis LeMans Finish