Welcome to Essex Audi's Blog - Audi News and Reviews

Initial UK Budget Car Related Taxes Summary

Increase in fuel duty by 2p delayed by 6 months. From 2009, major reform of the vehicle excise duty. For new cars from 2010, the lowest polluting cars will pay no road tax in the first year. Higher polluting cars will pay more - Cars under the 130 g/Km will pay £0 road tax in the first year.

New Audi A4 Avant at the 2008 Genova Auto Show

Audi will introduce the Audi A4 Avant next week at the 2008 Geneva Auto Show. The Audi A4 Avant goes on sale this spring in Germany and other European markets, with prices starting at $40,600.

When the 2009 Audi A4 series goes on sale, the sedan will get a 265-horsepower 3.2-liter FSI V6 that makes 243 pound-feet of torque, while both the sedan and wagon will offer a “high-powered four-cylinder turbocharged engine,” according to Audi.

In Europe, the new Audi A4 Avant will be offered with a choice of five engines, including two gasoline and three diesel power plants, as well as six-speed manual, Tiptronic gearboxes and a continuously variable automatic.

Audi says the new wagon is 4.7 inches longer than its predecessor, with a longer wheelbase providing better stability, while the body is nearly 10 percent lighter and considerably more rigid. As usual, the Avant will come in front-wheel-drive and Quattro all-wheel-drive variants.

Among the wagon’s technical features are LED headlamps, an electromechanical parking brake, adaptive cruise control, a lane departure warning system and a side hazard warning system.

A music interface provides a connection with an iPod, and cell phones can be integrated into the hands-free multimedia system. A top-of-the-line option is a 505-watt Bang & Olufsen audio system with 14 speakers.

New Audi A3 - Meets London´s Congestion Charge

New ‘green’ version of Audi hatchback with 119g/km CO2 output will be exempt from proposed congestion charge.

• A3 1.9 TDI with engine, transmission and aerodynamics optimized to reduce CO2 output to 119g/km and increase fuel economy to 62.7mpg (combined).
• A3 1.9 TDI with five-speed manual transmission – 105PS @ 4,000rpm, 250Nm @ 1,900rpm, 0-62mph in 11.4 seconds, 120mph, 62.7mpg, CO2 119g/km.

A specially developed A3 1.9 TDI joins the Audi range, with extensive revisions that ensure it will fall under the proposed 120g/km CO2 limit permitting exemption from the congestion charge. Available in three-door and five-door Sportback body styles.

Following closely behind the swift yet sparing A3 1.4 TFSI, the even more acutely economy and efficiency-focused TDI model has been developed on the foundations of the existing A3 1.9 TDI. It benefits from a specially modified version of the already frugal 105PS diesel with new friction minimizing components and redeveloped ancillary units, combined with a manual gearbox with remapped, economy-biased ratios and an in-dash indicator informing the driver of the most effective gear change points for optimum economy.

Helped externally by tyres with reduced rolling resistance, and by additional modifications to further increase aerodynamic efficiency, the A3 1.9 TDI combines 62mpg-plus fuel economy with CO2 output of just 119g/km. Acceleration from rest to 62mph in the three-door model with five-speed manual transmission takes 11.4 seconds, and a top speed of 120mph is possible where conditions allow.

The measures taken to increase economy and minimise emissions in the A3 will also be employed in the creation of more efficient versions of other models in the Audi range in the near future.

Audi S5 Review in the Guardian Weekend

A review of the Audi S5 4.2

Audi’s latest model, the Audi S5 gets a going over by The Guardian Weekend:

The Audi S5 drops it’s weight even closer to the ground than previous Audi models, comes with four exhaust pipes instead of two, and features a set of 19-inch alloys.  

All this weight is distributed pretty evenly on to both axles.  Jump on the accelerator, therefore, and there is little chance of your Audi S5 rearing up on its back wheels like a panicked horse.

Being an Audi, the car’s behaviour is, by default, mature and sensible.  The Audi S5 doesn’t so much overtake other cars as patronise them until they slow down.

Top Speed: 155mph

Acceleration: 0-62 in 5.2 seconds

‘The Audi S5, a four-seat grand tourer that says “Ambassador, you are spoiling us”, quicker than a tray of Ferrero Rocher ever could’

- Giles Smith (The Guardian Weekend).

Audi R8 18 Scale Model

Looking for a present for the Top Gear fans in your family?

You can now get an Audi R8, the Audi Super car that Jeremy Clarkson drooled over earlier in the year for a mere £45 it represents a saving of exactly £78,150 over the standard R8.

The catch? this is a 1:18 scale model, enabling Audi R8 fans to bypass the current twelve month waiting list for a full-size example and park one on the mantelpiece almost immediately.

The meticulously finished Audi R8 model is faithful to the much admired design of the full-blown original right down to the detailing of its windscreen wipers. Only 750 examples of its all-aluminum, mid-engined and quattro-equipped big brother will find homes in the UK in 2008, thrilling their drivers with a mighty 420PS output, 4.6-second acceleration from rest to 62mph and, for those lucky enough to be visiting an Autobahn next year, a 187mph top speed.

The real Audi R8 is available from Essex Audi dealers Of course if you want the real thing contact or if you want one as a r8 company car - check out audinationwide.co.uk

Go on Richard or James buy one for Jeremy

Audi A4 Already An Awards Winner

The new 2008 Audi A4 has already begun to recognize its significance overseas. German newspaper Bild am Sonntag has awarded the new midsize saloon with the Golden Steering Wheel Award.

The Audi A4 has also been awarded the title of “Imported Car of the Year” by the RJC (Automobile Researchers and Journalists Conference). This respected jury, made up of 70 Japanese automobile market researchers and journalists, testified to the A4’s “perfect balance between the four key elements of the Audi brand - design, driving dynamics, safety and quality”.

In Spain, the Audi A4 has been awarded the title of “Family Car of the Year” by “Car & Driver”, one of the leading Spanish car magazines. The readers of the magazine, which has connections with the US periodical of the same name, chose the Audi A4 because of its high levels of “safety and comfort, combined with low fuel consumption”

New Audi A1 Pictures from Tokyo Show

Some renderings of what the ‘Audi A1 Metroproject Quattro’ concept will look like have been leaked.

It features a new take on Audi’s established Quattro technology. The Audi qautro four-wheel drive system is usually a traditional one engine driving four wheels affair. But the 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine under the A1 Metroproject’s bonnet only powers the front wheels. It gives a respectable 148bhp but is not going to help out with back-end traction. The secret is instead under the boot floor, where lurks a compact 40bhp electric motor, driving the rear wheels.

The A1 Metroproject is a hybrid, too. an extra 40bhp might not sound very much, the real bonus of an electric motor is the instant - and we do mean instant - torque. In the Audi A1 Metroproject’s case, the motor delivers an extra 148lb ft of torque. More than enough to propel what is supposedly an environmentally friendly city-car concept to 65mph in 7.8 seconds. The electric motor can also power the Audi A1 Metroproject entirely on its own at urban speeds, with a range of up to 65 miles thanks to lithium-ion batteries. As with all hybrids the only real downside is the weight penalty; the set-up reputedly adds 70kg to the Metroproject’s overall weight.

The Audi A1 Metroproject is also a ‘plug-in’ hybrid. So it can be recharged at any standard power outlet as well as via the petrol engine. It uses various regenerative techniques to recover energy while driving too, just like the Toyota Prius, and new BMW and MINI EfficientDynamics models. As a result it produces just 112g/km of CO2 and is capable of 57.6mpg. if you do not think that too impressive, remember: we are talking about 148bhp turbocharged petrol engine here, not some kind of diesel. The 1.4 turbo should appear in a refreshed A3 next year, the new A4, and the production A1.

New Sports Specification For Open Air Audi A4

A new version of the sought-after Audi A4 Cabriolet featuring a particularly impressive sports-oriented specification joins the UK range this week. The new A4 2.0 TFSI S line Special Edition combines styling enhancements with extra interior luxuries to create one of the most covetable Cabriolets this side of the RS 4.

To do justice to its strong performing 200PS, 2.0-litre Turbo FSI petrol engine, the A4 Cabriolet S line Special Edition rides on exclusive 18-inch 7-arm double spoke design alloy wheels with 235/40 R18 tyres and lowered sports suspension. At no extra cost, visual impact can be added by an S line exterior styling pack, which brings a highly polished black painted grille and unique front and rear bumper design with rear diffuser. Xenon head lamps also add to the visual impact, as well as of course providing major benefits in visibility and safety.

Inside, the S line specification, which normally includes trimmings such as Pearl Nappa leather-upholstered sports seats, a perforated leather trimmed S line sports steering wheel and brushed aluminium inlays, is enhanced by an upgraded Symphony audio system with six CD changer, a BOSE speaker system, rear acoustic parking sensors and aluminium foot pedals.

Helped by a healthy 280Nm of torque, available from 1,800rpm, the A4 Cabriolet 2.0 TFSI S line Special Edition with six-speed manual transmission. Combined cycle fuel consumption is an impressive 34.0mpg. True to form, the optional, and still unique-in-class, multitronic continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) permits performance and fuel economy that run the manual version incredibly close.

Green Cars Major Theme at Frankfurt

Audi showed a couple of new green energy power plants at the Frankfurt Auto Show - small and econ friendly cars where the major theme this year at the show.

Audi A4 E-concept Car

The The A4 e-concept features a 2.0 TDI engine returning a useful 58mpg and 129g/km CO2 via the usual Frankfurt 2007 fuel-saving measures: clean diesel engine, stop-start system, low-friction tyres and tweaked aerodynamics.

The e-concept also has detailed driver info: turn on the air-con or heated seats and it tells you how much extra fuel you’re using. For example Increase the cruise control by a few mph and it tells you how many minutes you’ll save for your journey, and how much diesel it’ll need. Maybe a bit too geeky , but it could make playing the mpg game an obsession - it could also be a safety risk if people pay to much attention to the gauges on the  dash board rather than road conditions around them.

Audi/Porsche Petrol Electric Drive Train

Audi also showed a full 4WD hybrid drive train, being co- developed with Porsche, involving a petrol engine, an electric motor powerful enough to drive the car alone and batteries in the boot. In an A6, with a 2.0-litre turbo, it would have the performance of a 3.0 petrol but use 30 per cent less fuel. The system will fit the A4, A5, the next A6 and A8 plus next year’s Q5 SUV.

One interesting historical snipit is that Porsche of course have a lot of experience with hybrid drive trains having developed a petrol electric drive for the Tiger tank back in the 40’s.

New Audi RS6 Leaked

There have been persistent rumors of some new Audi announcements at next weeks Frankfurt Car Show for some time now

It now looks like one of the announcements was to have been  the new Audi RS6 - information has been leaked about the new audiRS6 model.

The new RS6 will be powered by a twin-turbo version of the S6’s 5.2-litre V10, which now develops 572bhp at 6,250rpm.

There’s 480lb ft of torque available from as low down as 1,500rpm, helping to shove the RS6 (in Avant guise) to 62mph in 4.6 seconds and on to an electronically limited top speed of 155mph.

Transmission is a six-speed Tiptronic auto gearbox, while Dynamic Ride Control and ESP ensure that all four driven wheels stay on the road.

A bulked-up Torsen diff divides torque with a 40:60 front/rear split, while huge ventilated all-disc brakes take care of stopping duties. Ceramics are a extra cost option.

It’s the tried-and-tested RS approach in the visuals department - nothing too extravagant but plenty of subtle pointers.
Wider wheel arches house 19-inch spokes - although 20s are available if you want them - while at the front there’s a meatier bumper and LED running lights.

The rear gets a full-width diffuser and a pair of chromed oval tailpipes, but all-in-all there’s not too much to indicate the power lurking within.