http://www.azaudi.org/ AZAUDI en-us Mon, 25 Feb 2008 02:35:08 GMT 1440 CPG-Nuke Dragonfly AZAUDI News http://backend.userland.com/rss http://www.azaudi.org/images/azaudi_logo.jpg http://www.azaudi.org/ http://www.azaudi.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=196 The Forgotten Quattro The original Audi Coupe Quattros were hot in the early '80s but 25 years later they leave collectors cold by Rob Sass Audi Coupe Quattro How the mighty have fallen. In 25 years, most expensive cars depreciate, but few cars as significant as the original Audi Coupe Quattro (Ur-Quattro from the German for "original") have so utterly disappeared both in value and visibility from the marketplace. Although Audi was not the first to offer an all-wheel-drive sport coupe—Jensen briefly offered the FF in the late '60s and early '70s—Audi brought the concept to the mainstream with the Quattro. They promoted it by dominating the world rally scene and successfully integrated all-wheel-drive into their main product line. Lamborghini Countaches and Ferrari 308s may have dominated the dorm room posters of the early 1980s, but if you spent any of your formative years either following big-time rallying or living in places like Boulder or Aspen, Colorado, the Coupe Quattro was the car you wanted. As SCM's Thor Thorson noted in his July 2002 profile of the Audi Quattro Coupe, "At the 1980 Algarve rally in Portugal, Audi served notice when a Quattro was used as a course car (first car through, to clear the roads). Had it been a competitor, it would have won by 30 minutes." While based on the underrated Audi 4000-derived Coupe, the relationship was like that of an E30 BMW M3 to a garden-variety 318i. Like the original M3, the Quattro pumped up the aggression level to the point of needing anger management therapy—the big fender blisters and Auto Union ring side decals signaled that Audi was back on the enthusiast map in a way not seen since the 1930s. Boost gauge one of the few clues The car's aggressive good looks didn't translate to the inside, which looked almost identical to a 4000 sedan, with plastic no better or no worse than the standards of the day. Most U.S. cars came with leather seating with funky diagonal pleating. The boost gauge and the differential control knob in the center console were the only giveaways to the special nature of the car. One bonus is the acceptable rear seating the Quattro inherited from the ordinary coupe. U.S. cars unfortunately missed the good-looking, non-sealed-beam (i.e. effective) headlights of the Euro cars, making do with four square sealed-beam units. Most Quattro geeks have remedied this by retrofitting the Euro lights and adding a set of round driving lights. By today's standards, the 2.1-liter KKK turbocharged inline 5-cylinder was neither particularly smooth nor powerful, putting out just 172 hp in U.S. trim. But it was good enough to push the Coupe Quattro from idle to 60 in a little over seven seconds—not much slower than a Ferrari 308 GTB of the day. And unlike a Ferrari, you didn't have to put the car away at the first sign of bad weather. In fact, "bad weather" was really "good weather" for the Quattro. The Coupe Quattro was poised enough on dry roads, but lock the center differential with the knob on the console (complete with a lighted drivetrain diagram) and the car became nearly invincible. In the hands of drivers like Blomqvist, Mikkola, Hertz, and Mouton, the CQ was a weapon of mass destruction, from Pikes Peak to Monte Carlo, winning the manufacturers title for Audi in 1982 and '84. Today's Subaru WRX and Mitsubishi Evo owe their existence to the Ur-Quattro, which proved that a lightweight all-wheel-drive system and a compact high performance car were a match made in heaven. Doesn't seem exotic today Although considered relatively exotic when new because of its drivetrain, there is very little to the Quattro that seems exotic today. Like most early turbos, post-shutoff heat spikes could cause oil to coke, which ruined turbo bearings and impellers. New or rebuilt KKK turbos are shockingly expensive. Using modern synthetic oils and allowing a cool-down period of several minutes after a hard drive is advisable. Blown head gaskets are also a family flaw in Audi inline 5-cylinder engines. Expect the usual electrical issues and also brake booster problems. Quattro coupes are only average rusters, but since fun in the snow was the raison d'etré for the Quattro, it's probably best to avoid Salt Belt cars. In addition to European headlights and a honking set of Hella or Cibié spotlights, most Quattro owners have made the wise decision to replace the stock wheels. For whatever reason, Audi chose to deliver the Quattro with the same skinny, finned "turbine" wheels that came standard on the 5000 of the day. They look lost in the big blistered fenders of the Quattro. A set of period Ronals, Gottis, or BBS wheels can be found on most surviving examples. A few Quattros modified by ABT are still running around. ABT is to Audi what Alpina is to BMW. Turbo and exhaust mods gave these cars the jump of the European cars. If you find one still on the road after all this time, that answers any longevity questions. Lousy cars change hands for $6,000 As far as future collectibility goes, the short-wheelbase, high-horsepower, unobtainium-in-the-U.S. "Sport Quattro" will always steal the limelight from its older brother. However, don't count out the Ur-Quattro. Although they rarely appear at land auctions, there have been a few recent eBay sales of good cars at close to the $20,000 level. I have a feeling the lousy ones change hands publicly for $6,000-$7,000, but the really good ones trade among those in the know for a lot more. Cars like the original E30 M3 already have an intense following. Maybe the Gen-X WRXers will want to examine their cars' ancestor in much the same way the Boxster has caused the once-overlooked 914 to be re-examined by collectors. Provided by Sports Car Market—The Insider's Guide to Collecting, Investing, Values and Trends Mon, 25 Feb 2008 02:35:08 GMT http://www.azaudi.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=195 Fri, 07 Dec 2007 05:09:14 GMT http://www.azaudi.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=194 LeSueur Car Company is proud to announce our sponsorship of AZAudi.org! This is Rob O'Brien in the Service Department. You might be more familiar with my username, Type44. I wanted to take a second to tell you a bit about LeSueur: We specialize in sales and service of used/pre-owned Audis and Volkswagens. We have been in business since 1975. Currently, we have about 30 Audis including the A6, A4, A3, and TT, to say nothing of the over 200 VWs in stock including the Jetta, Passat, GTI, Golf, Rabbit, Beetle, TDI, Touareg, Jetta Wagon, and Passat Wagon. We also offer a wide selection of other vehicles from BMWs to Volvos (alphabetically speaking...) but what I'd really like to tell you about is the Service Dept. I've been an Audi owner since 1996 and have been professionally repairing them since 1999. Prior to coming aboard at LeSueur I was a tech at Perri's German Auto. I am an ASE Certified Master Technician- and I'm not the only one here. Our Service Mgr. Doug Dwyer, can also claim ASE Master status. And my fellow tech, Jack Paonessa, has worked at LeSueur for over 12 years. As one of the few... the proud... the AZAudi 5 year members, I'm pleased to be associated with LeSueur Car Company- and I'm sure Joshua is pleased that LeSueur has stepped up to sponsor the site. Look for AZAudi member service specials, tech tips, and more to come. Thu, 08 Nov 2007 16:55:36 GMT http://www.azaudi.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=193 The Audi S5’s 4.2 liter V8 engine that produces 354 horsepower is more than adequate to lead the coupe segment with BMW’s 335i coupe and Infiniti’s G37 following behind. But what does Audi have planned to rival the new 2008 BMW M3 coupe? Most would jump to the conclusion that the next Audi RS 4 with a rumored 450 horsepower engine would be the perfect competitor. However, the RS 4 is a sedan and will be a great competitor for the M3 Sedan rather than the M3 Coupe. The answer to the 2008 BMW M3 Coupe will be Audi’s upcoming RS 5, which is expected to hit the market later next year. While no official details have been confirmed it is rumored that Audi will most likely fit the RS 5 with the same 420 horsepower V8 engine from the RS 4. Even better, Road&Track sources are saying that Audi may even look to fellow Lamborghini for the 5.2 liter V10 engine that produces 500 horsepower in the Gallardo. That should definitely leave the M3 in the dust. Whatever the case, Audi will fit the RS 5 with Quattro all-wheel-drive and most likely offer big arse Brembo brakes. The body will take on a much more aggressive look than the S5 along with a sportier interior. We expect some word on the Audi RS 5 at the Geneva Motor Show, but wouldn’t be surprised if it’s pushed back until Frankfurt in September next year. Thu, 08 Nov 2007 15:36:11 GMT http://www.azaudi.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=192 Our friends over at CarMagazine have caught the Audi RS6 doing high-speed testing at the Nurburgring. The Audi RS6 is expected to be powered by a 5.2 liter V10 engine that produces 530 horsepower, well over BMW M5’s 500 horses and Mercedes E63 estate’s 514 horsepower. The Audi RS6 Avant will have ability to do 0-62 mph in 4.5 seconds with a top speed of 155mph. The car is made fully by Audi’s Quattro division and, according to CarMagazine, should cost somewhere around £67,000. Sat, 18 Aug 2007 19:00:25 GMT http://www.azaudi.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=191 We’ve seen the prototypes testing at the Nurburgring and read about the Lambo-sourced V10 engine. Now, we finally get a glimpse of what the final production version of the RS-prepped Audi R8 should look like. The current V8 model is already impressive enough to compete with Porsche’s best and can even give its Gallardo cousin a run for its money, but with a V10 powerplant on board developing around 500hp, the new RS version of the R8 will be in another league altogether. Key differences between the V10 model and the regular R8 are the larger air intakes along the sides. The trademark side blades will be sculpted to form the larger opening, while pumped rear guards emphasize the larger ten-cylinder powerplant. Whether or not the new model will be called an RS is still undetermined. Other names that have been suggested include ‘R8-S’, similar to the sporty TT variants, or ‘R10’ to denote the new engine as well as allude to Audi’s diesel Le Mans racer. To ensure that the new model doesn’t tread on the toes of the much more exclusive Gallardo, Lamborghini is expected to upgrade the baby supercar to maintain a performance buffer. Wed, 01 Aug 2007 16:56:45 GMT http://www.azaudi.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=190 The new Audi R8 Spider comes with removable targa panels rather than a space-gobbling removable fabric roof or folding hard-top.It will be powered by the same 4.2 litre V8 delivering 414 bhp that is currently powering the RS4 and the R8 coupe.Audi also plans to equip the R8 will the V10 engine from Lamborghini Gallardo delivering 500bhp+. Sun, 29 Jul 2007 07:34:53 GMT http://www.azaudi.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=189 Iron Man drives an Audi. In a rare case of a superhero owning a car that can also be bought by mere mortals, the German automaker has partnered with Marvel Studios and Paramount Pictures to tie in with the bigscreen adaptation of "Iron Man." Pic is now in production under the helm of Jon Favreau and stars Robert Downey Jr. Deal calls for Audi's R8 supercar to be the vehicle of choice for billionaire industrialist Tony Stark when he's not wearing his high-tech suit of armor as the title character. The upcoming S5 sports coupe is also driven by a lead character in the movie. Audi's A6 sedan and Q7 SUV will make onscreen appearances in the pic as well. As part of its involvement, Audi will likely pony up tens of millions of dollars to help promote the movie worldwide upon its release, set for May 2. Details of the marketing plans are still being worked out. Recruiting heavyweight promotional partners like Audi for "Iron Man" is particularly crucial for Marvel given that the pic is the first the company is self-financing, with Par only distribbing. Audi's involvement and ad coin could also could go a long way toward introducing the character to non-comicbook readers, who can easily identify Superman, Spider-Man or Batman but are not likely to be as familiar with Iron Man. "It's a big deal whether it's a character that millions of people are familiar with or if people are not as familiar with," said Marvel Studios prexy of production Kevin Feige. "There's so much product going out that anything you can do to make your film stand out is important." Marvel didn't have to do much to pique Audi's interest in the property. In fact, it was Audi that went to great lengths to put itself in front of the filmmakers. Other carmakers auditioned their fleets, but Audi was so set on landing the placement that it flew in two R8s from Germany for Favreau and his production designer to consider. "The car fit very well with the aesthetic the production designer was putting together," Feige said. The R8 hooked filmmakers in part because elements of the car's design closely resemble Iron Man's superhero garb. Automaker was attracted to the property because of the Stark character, a weapons manufacturer who opts to use his Stark Industries' technology to fight evil. Out of the office, he's a playboy accustomed to the finer things in life. "With his ingenuity and passion for technology, Tony Stark personifies Audi's values," said Dirk Roder, Audi international film marketing, entertainment and gaming. "He's the kind of guy every girl wants to date and every guy wants to be."The sleek $108,000 car, which was launched this year, features an engine housing in the rear of the car that glows at night, mimicking the glowing chestplate Stark must wear to stay alive. Design of the car's headlights also resemble the eye slits of Iron Man's helmet and light up in similar fashion. "The R8 was the perfect car for Tony Stark," Favreau said. "It's wonderfully engineered. It's fast, it's safe and it's flashy." To promote its tie-in, Audi will likely use the pic's technology theme to tout its own engineering superiority in its marketing messaging, rather than promote a single model, in part because only a limited number of R8s are being built. Audi becomes the second major automaker to brand a superhero's car after Dodge landed a deal with Fox to plant its moniker and influence the design of the Fantasticar in this summer's "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer." Audi is looking to up its presence in the U.S., and is relying on high-profile film placements and tie-ins to make its four-ringed logo stand out. "Iron Man" will be the first major movie tie-in for Audi since Fox's 2004 sci-fier "I, Robot," for which it designed a futuristic concept car that Will Smith piloted in the pic. Sun, 29 Jul 2007 07:34:36 GMT http://www.azaudi.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=188 Audi has released a teaser of its upcoming four-door coupe that’s due to hit showrooms by September of ’09. Before that, we should see a near-production ready concept car at next year’s New York Auto Show. According to the Audi source that leaked the sketch to Car, the A7 will feature a range of V6 and V8 powerplants with high-performance V10 units reserved for the S and RS sports models. Pricing will start below that of the A8 flagship but a new convertible version could turn out to be the most expensive Audi on sale. The new A7 will have some serious competition by the time it arrives. Sister company Volkswagen is preparing its own low-priced four-door coupe and BMW is also prepping a new flagship model based on the Concept CS. Then, of course, there’s the Aston Martin Rapide and Porsche Panamera as well as segment starter Mercedes and its CLS, which is due for a facelift next year ahead of an all new model in 2011. Sun, 29 Jul 2007 07:34:17 GMT http://www.azaudi.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=187 It's been a few years since the A2 ceased production, and Audi is chomping at the bit to join the ranks of the premium superminis. You can't blame them after jealously eyeing five years of BMW success with the pricey Mini. Audi's own supermini will be a classy hatchback laced with the brand's design flourishes - and will form a crucial plank in its strategy to become the world's biggest premium car maker by the middle of the next decade. The A1 will also be among the first VW group models built around its new MQB formula (that's platform boffin-speak for modular transverse matrix). Sounds a bit dull, but the important thing is this: it will also underpin the next A3 in 2010 and other minis elsewhere in the group, and it's designed to be cheaper to build, easier to assemble and more flexible to drop in different modules to tailor the spec for different brands. Audi reckons it'll be $1000 cheaper per car than today's small-car architecture. Audi plans four different A1 versions: a chunky three-door hatch (revealed here in our exclusive sketches), a roomier five-door hatch, a two-door coupe and an open-top model. Will it be a four-seater cabriolet or a two-seater roadster? We don't know yet. It may be something else altogether, like an evolution of the interesting A2 Open Air concept we saw at the 1999 Frankfurt show. Audi will equip the A1 with quattro four-wheel drive. That's one reason why it won't be based on the new 2008 Polo's front-drive only PQ25 architecture. Why introduce quattro in this price-sensitive segment? Because premium customers don't mind spending money on comfort and safety options - and quattro is writ through Audi DNA like a stick of Blackpool rock. All-wheel drive gives planned S1 and Q1 derivatives more kudos, too. [img] The S1 is tipped to get angular flared wheelarches like the 1980 quattro coupe, and will be powered by a 200bhp turbo engine driving all four corners for all-weather traction. This official Audi sketch shows how a butch, bodykitted S1 could look with large alloys, tarmac-hugging spoilers and LED daytime running lights. Base A1 models will of course be front-wheel drive, and the engines will be direct-injection from bottom to top. Audi plans to offer five different derivatives of the same 1.4-litre petrol. With and without turbo, the power output ratings are 65, 85, 105, 140 and 170bhp. The same reduce-to-the-max strategy applies to the diesels. Here, it's a new 1.6-litre four-pot, which has been selected to do the job in 75, 90, 105 and 130bhp guise. The transmission of choice is a heavily re-engineered low-cost dual-clutch unit dubbed DSG250 which boasts seven forward ratios, a world first in this price segment. Audi hopes to build 100,000 units in its first full year of production, 2010. But once the open-top version and the Q1 are in production, Audi intends to boost the capacity in Brussels to an ambitious 190,000 vehicles. To make sure the new car takes off like a rocket, prices are expected to start at €16,000 (£10,700) in today's money, thereby undercutting the least expensive Mini by almost 10 percent. Fri, 27 Jul 2007 05:33:18 GMT