Showing posts with label E38 7-series. Show all posts
Showing posts with label E38 7-series. Show all posts

29.9.08

Audi Mania!

Audi has done it again and again. If there is a third time, I promise it will be a charm. Audi has blessed the world with two new sport-sedans and they’re pissed off.

The new RS6 sedan will be utilizing the same power plant as the avant, which is out overseas. The statistics are astounding: 580 bhp accompanied by 479 lb-ft of torque. Essentially, that is the same as God descending from the heavens. Striking and awesome.

Source: Autoblog.com

The twin-turbo V10 means business and will not stand for anything less. 0-60 comes in an Audi-claimed 4.5 seconds. I think it is safe to assume it can knock off a couple tenths of a second from their claim, albeit with 580 bhp, I was hoping for a sub four second number.

Source: Autoblog.com

I am going to stop there though. Long story short, it would be a fantastic rival to BMW’s M5 and Mercedes’ E63 AMG, but the Audi folks will not be bringing the RS6 stateside. I find this quite disheartening because it is head and shoulders above its competitors – at least in styling.

Something we Yankees can relate to is the B8 S4. Yes, she will be coming stateside.

One problem; no more avant!

Blasphemy. From the company that produces the best wagons in the planet, we have received the shaft.

Looking beyond this disturbing fact, Audi has done a fantastic job putting together a respectable offering. Fitted with a new 3.0 TFSI supercharged V6, the new S4 will do 0-60 in a claimed 5.1 seconds. Not bad. The specs are pretty nice, 333 bhp and 325 lb-ft torque. Personally, I would have loved to see a twin-turbo set up a la B5 S4. God, I loved that car and just about every B5 owner did as well.

Source: Audiworld.com

Matted to the new engine is a fresh 7-speed “S tronic,” dual clutch transmission. You can expect this “S tronic,” gadgetry to impress with head-snapping upshifts. As with all modern transmissions, I am stoked to hear the throttle blips.

An interesting option is the new quattroSport rear differential. I want to hear more details on this when they are available.

The car’s interior is, as expected, stunning. Audi does every interior “right.” They really do. A mixture of top-notch plastics, piano black trim and aluminum adorn the cockpit. If that center stack is oriented slightly towards the driver, Audi has won me over – for good.

Source: Audiworld.com

Audi has been turning out fantastic designs as of late. The brand is where BMW use to be; subtle, classic and aggressive designs. Remember the E39 M5, the E46 M3? How about the E38 7-series? The new design language Audi has tapped will make many new styling triumphs. I wish I could shake the designer(s) hand.

Expect the B8 S4 in showrooms next fall as a 2010 model – womp womp.

Conspiracy theory: Audi kept the B8’s bhp under 350 in order to make room for a new RS4 which I presume will debut with upwards of 450-500 bhp.

In other Audi-related news, I will be covering the Audi Mileage Marathon from Chicago to Denver. It will be a very nice way to get more acquainted with Audi’s diesel variants.

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