The Los Angeles Auto Show saw the unveiling of the Audi Convertible – the Cross Cabriolet Quattro Concept. This Audi concept vehicle sports an engine capable of low emissions with its 3.0-liter TDI Diesel engine but gives out 240 maximum horsepower.

The Cross Cabriolet Quattro is a two-door vehicle that can seat four people, is presented in a copper sunset finish, and is 4.62 meters long. But what’s remarkable about this concept car is that it has the qualities of sports utility vehicle even though it just looks like you regular convertible top. Its top is made with fabric and retracts behind the rear seats in 17 seconds. This fabric hood also has no roll-over bars or B-pillars that will only spoil the view of the passengers.

A look at the Cross Cabriolet Quattro and you’ll notice the single-frame radiator grill that has been polished with aluminum longitudinal struts, highlighting a vertical orientation. The concept sports the most recent full LED headlight technology as well.

The recorded fuel economy of the engine is 7.3 liters of diesel per 100 kilometers covered. This means that the model has met the  strict emission standard set forth by the EU 6. This emission standard is scheduled to be introduced in 2014 so the Cross Cabriolet is already advanced with regards to the emission standard.

The SUV feature in the model is the electric ride height adjustment. This varies the ground clearance by 40 millimeters by just pressing a button. What makes the raising or lowering of the vehicle body are the electric motors under each of the wheel’s spring plate.

Three configurations for the engine and gear-change characteristics are available to be selected by drivers. It also has adaptive shock absorbers that have three modes namely dynamic, efficiency, and sport modes.

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Audi has proven itself to be a producer of safe vehicles as the recent tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed that the lineup of the cars sold by Audi in United States are some of the safest cars. The two companies had the Audi vehicles undergo crash tests and the automaker’s vehicles scored high in both passenger safety and vehicle crash worthiness.

In the Midsize category, IIHS has included the Audi A3 as “Top Safety Pick.” The 2007 winners of “Top Safety Pick” awards were the Audi A4 and the Audi A6. these two models also continued to be the “Top Safety Pick” winners in the Midsize and Large vehicle categories.

These vehicles were able to win this award because they received a “Good” rating for their passenger protection in off-set frontal, rear, and side crashes. The vehicles were also tested by IIHS in terms of crash prevention and occupant safety measures. Also, to be rated “good” in these terms, vehicles must be equipped with electronic stability program which Audi made standard on every vehicle it produces.

The NHTSA tested the Audi Q7 SUV for crash worthiness this year and scored high so NHTSA awards the Audi sports utility vehicle with a “five star rating” for front and rear passengers in a side collision, and driver and passenger in a frontal collision. This five-star rating indicates that there is only a 5 percent chance that the passengers will have serious injuries in the event of a collision.

The frontal crash tests measure the force of the collision brought to the neck, chest, head, and pelvis of the passengers in the front. On the other hand, the side tests measure the gravity of injuries to side and rear passengers in the event of a collision.

The safety equipment and measures that Audi has incorporated in its vehicles include the four-wheel disc brakes complete with anti-lock braking system (ABS). Audi has also made this a standard in its vehicles. also included are daytime running lights (DRL) and electronic stability program (ESP) which are standard as well. For its 2008 model year range, Audi added a standard ire pressure monitoring system to its vehicles. All these contribute to reducing the chances of collision.

With regards to driving convenience, Audi has decided to have optional convenience features in its vehicles for 2008. For instance, an Audi lane assist feature is one option on the Audi A6/S6, A8/S8, and the Audi Q7. It could be remembered that Audi was also the one which started the blind spot protection in 2006, making it the pioneering automaker of the blind spot assist system.

With all these safety features and equipment installed in Audi vehicles, there is no doubt that Audi deserves the awards it has received from IIHS and NHTSA.

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Audi in Ireland will have quite a busy year in 2008 as there are a lot of introductions of vehicles happening. Fist of, the arrival of the new Audi A4 Saloon will happen in January. The powertrain options for this model are 1 2.0-liter TDI engine and a 1.8T turbo powered petrol engines.

Another model to be launched in January is the new and improved Audi A8 which was initially launched during the Frankfurt Motor Show. The new Audi A5 equipped with a 1.8-liter turbo charged version will be introduced in January as well. Audi is expecting that the Audi 5 will provide it with some 80 percent of all the total sales of the A5 range in Ireland.

In May, the Audi A3 Cabriolet will also be introduced in the country together with other three models – the RS6 Saloon and Avant. An in Summer, the Audi A4 Avant will have its arrival. And during Autumn, Audi Ireland will introduce its new Audi Q5 SUV.

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Audi has once agin proves itself to be a well-respected automaker as during the 2007 Australian Direct Marketing Association (ADMA) Awards, Audi Australia has bagged the silver and bronze medals.

The campaign ‘Not for Everyone’ of Audi S3 was the one which bagged the silver medal for the category of “Effectiveness.” It also won the bronze medal in both the categories of “Creative – standard direct mail” and “Creative – websites.” Because of these two awards that Audi Australia has received, Audi has become more than proud of itself. It is also because it is the only automaker to receive an award from the prestigious 2007 ADMA Awards.

Mr. Joerg Hofmann, the Managing Director of Audi Australia, has commented regarding the awards. He said that these awards serve as recognition to Audi’s innovation that is not only evident to the models it produces but can also be seen in other areas of business as well.  He said, “The Audi S3 direct mail campaign was targeted and successful as evidenced not only by vehicle sales, but also by the Award for Effectiveness from ADMA.”

The campaign that won Audi Australia the awards has given the automaker impressive results that include response rates that are nine times more than the target rates of the campaign. The criteria for judgment in the categories of creativity and effectiveness are strategy, craft, tracking analysis, creativity, reporting, and idea and measurement.

For more news on this, read from Autoweb

Customization of Audi vehicles seem to be the trend of the automaker nowadays. After the Audi R8 has been customized and it aerodynamics enhanced by PPI, German tuning firm MTM has decided to work its magic of Vorsprung durch Technik on Audi’s new A5 coupe. With that, MTM was able to bring the 3.0-liter V6 diesel into the range-topping ranks like that of the S5 model.

The design may be understated but it was able to give more than just justice to the advanced engineering that can be found beneath its bonnet. The front grill has been redesigned and now comes close to its rival, the S5. The Audi A5 coupe has also been provided with new lower bumper surround and the exhaust at its rear are four-piped coated in chrome.

The redesigned version of the Audi A5 has been named MTM A5 “Thunderbolt.” The power has been increased from 240 horsepower on the standard 3.0-liter TDI model to 300 horsepower an the torque has also been increased from 500 Nm to 550 Nm on the MTM A5 Thunderbolt. The top speed of the MTM A5 is 265 km per hour. The standard production model’s top speed is 250 km per hour, thus, there’s an increase of 15 km/h. the acceleration speed from 0-100km  is just 5.9 seconds.

The suspension system have been improved as well on the MTM A5 Thunderbolt, thus it has now become more ideal for the winding roads of Europe. MTM has provided the A5 with ‘perfectly tuned’ coilover suspension system. MTM has insisted that with this kind of suspension installed in he A5, car owners will be seeking out the backroads just to they can experience the thrill. But that’s not all that’s impressive about the MTM A5 Thunderbolt. MTM also equipped this vehicle with high-performance brakes, as ‘races are won on brakes.” For better grip and feel, MTM has equipped the 5 Thunderbolt with custom-designed semi-perforated brake discs. these discs avoid the cracks that come with fully-perforated discs after long time of usage. Safety is important above everything else so MTM designed the Audi A5 Thunderbolt to be able to stop from 100km/h in just 35 meters.

Read more about the Audi A5 V6 TDI here.

Audi has launched its flagship sports car, the Audi R8, and which also brought the automaker to rival against the likes of Bentley, Porsche, and Ferrari. Thus, in order to stand out amongst the competition, the Audi R8 had gone through customization under the guidance of the Swabian, German tuners PPI Automotive Design GmbH. This company decided on customizing the Audi’s flagship sports car. It has provided the Audi R8 with improved driving dynamics and vehicle performance and also clothed the sports car in an enhanced look. What the company put in was a wind tunnel-tested aerodynamic kit of carbon fiber combined with an enhancement in performance. The Audi R8 has also been given a special lightweight magnesium wheels in 19-inch dimensions which makes the Audi have an improved appearance on both race track or as one of the elite sports cars.

The Audi R8 now sports a more optimized performance for better resilience and also provides drivers with increased driving pleasure through the kits that have been installed in the sports car. The stage 1 kit has provided the sports car an increased horsepower and torque – from 420 horsepower it has now become 460 horsepower; and from 317 pound-feet of torque the Audi R8 has now 343 pound-feet torque. PPI designed a performance kit which the company also used on the Audi R8. this performance kit contains durable components such as corrosion-resistant stainless steel sport rear muffler with throttle system. A sport air filter has also been installed, providing the Audi sports car with extra breathing abilities. With all these installed in the R8, the sports car could only be more fun to drive as it is now capable of a top speed of 305km/h and acceleration speed from 0-100 km/h in only 4.4 seconds.

PPI’s plan for the Audi R8 is just to improve the sports car while retaining the standard series design. The company decided on developing aerdoynamics of the sports car and so decided on aerodynamic materials made of carbon fiber. This is because carbon fiber decreases the vehicle’s general weight but at the same time increases its sturdiness, thus it is usually used in motor sports. Carbon fiber has already been applied in the Audi base model so PPI just took a further step in using the carbon fiber with the highest quality as the main material for the entire car body. Furthermore, the aerodynamics of PPI has a lift reducing front lip spoiler, an aggressive air dam designed to channel air to the front brakes and cut through the air. PPI also designed front bumper air intake “cartridges” which were created for OEM fitting. It was designed to enhance the air ventilation of the radiator in front and has a different air passageway for the brake cooling. Its side appearance has also been enhanced with the installation of the side blades in carbon fiber matte finish. An adjustable rear wing spoiler has been installed, thus downforce  is increased on the rear axle and provided the R8 with an enhanced elegant but sporty appearance.

The 19-inch wheel lightweight magnesium wheels are the new PPI wheels design. These wheels fuse sporty elegance to high technical demands. The wheels have nine spokes and their rims are of carbon fiber. The dimensionsof the PPI MAG9 wheels are 9×19 front and 11×19 rear.

The interior of the Audi R8 has also been given attention by PPI in order to complete the look of sporty elegance. The handbrake, middle instrument panel, and door entry threshold plates are in carbon fiber.

For more information, visit Autoblog

The Los Angeles Motor Show had just recently concluded and so automakers were able to showcase their concept vehicles and new models. Audi was included in the long list of automakers which presented their vehicles. One of the things Audi showcased during the event is its 5.2L V10 FSI engine, a powertrain capable of 450 horsepower and connected to a six-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission. This engine powers the Audi S6 and S8 sedans.

What makes this Audi engine different from its lot is that it has been incorporated with the FSI technology. FSI is what Audi calls its direct injection fuel delivery system and because this is the first time that the FSI technology has been mated to a ten-cylinder engine, Audi has become the pioneering automaker for that technology.  When the engine is seen up-close one would see that the injector extends up to the left side of the combustion chamber. This way, the fuel is directly injected to the combustion chamber. It injects the fuel under extreme high temperature, making the fuel escape the injector nozzle as gas vapor. This setup makes the mixture of fuel and air in the chamber increased, thus there is a complete burn. Fuel economy will then improve, allowing the car to run at maximum power output.

The materials used for the production of the 5.2L V10 FSI engine are of premium quality, as this guarantees longer engine life and service. The engine’s crank-case is made with die-casted hypereutic aluminum alloy. This material also has reduced rates of the unwanted thermal expansion. Grey iron bearing bridges have also been cast into the crankcase to help in decreasing the thermal expansion. These also aid in keeping the crucial crankshaft bearing clearances as they decrease deflection under stress. Forged steel connecting rods and oil cooled aluminum pistons are also connected to the crankshaft . The exhaust valves have been made with sodium and the intake manifold with magnesium.

This Audi engine is packed with so much power, making it a race-proven package. It is also equipped with most of the modern and efficient technologies for internal combustion engines.

Info taken from Autoblog

Tox Pressotechnik, in cooperation with its support partner Profil, supplied the automaker Audi with a universal pressing machine. The engineers of Tox created the complete solution machine and included two pressing buttons.

The machine comprise of different components including press substructure that carries two C-frame table presses, conveying and sorting device with control professionally made by Profil, two-hand machine control, as well as safety gadget like protective gear. Setting or fixing the punching bolts is also easy because of several tools included in the pressing machine.

Each of the C-frame table presses is prepared with the type S30 pneumo-hydraulic Powerpackage drive cylinder. The cylinder with six bar can achieve an outstanding pressforce of 170kN and even 300kN with 10 bar. These reaching depend on the air pressure.

In order for the C-frame table presses to be accurately moved in and out of the apt punching position, they are mounted and placed on the guide carts. This would also provide an easy charging or discharging of the scuttle. The C-frame table presses as well as the drive cylinders are capable of meeting an utmost stroke of 250 mm.

The cylinder rams are supplied with change holding fixtures specially made for the punching bolts’ swage head. On the other hand, the dies are offered in piecepart holding fixture.

Tox Pressotechnik is a leading producer of high-tech joining techniques and first-rate press drive systems. The company provides wide-ranging engineering expertise, high-quality products and extensive service. It operates in 37 companies around the world and been in the industry for more than 28 years.

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Bang & Olufsen shows the new trend and development in audio technology. The company presents exceptional growth from their advanced technology, many patents, to their incredibly skilled staff. Combining all significant factors yields to various competitive advantages in the field of acoustic technology, that is redefining the loudspeaker/amplifier design in the ‘90s. Bang & Olufsen modifies the design and shape of loudspeaker and integrates amplifiers into this loudspeaker. With this, the quality of sound is improved. Though the improvement consequently increases the price, the amount of sales still continues. The company is able to handle the customers and encourage them to provide additional payment for the loudspeakers since they can get more out of these components.

The Bang & Olufsen professionally improve and applies state-of-the-art technology. This gives the company noteworthy achievements like being acknowledged by Audi. The automaker approved a deal in 2003 and recognized that Audi and Bang & Olufsen was a good brand match aside from considering it as a business opportunity. Proving someone with the complete acoustic experience inside the car makes Bang & Olufsen confident enough and able them to obtain the real “wow” factor.

The Bang & Olufsen system is specially intended and designed for Audi models like Audi A4, A5, A8, R8, S8 and Q7.

Further information including the Q&A with Bang & Olufsen’s Managing Director can be viewed via carpages.

The ADVAN WINTER (V902) tires, the new addition to the ADVAN WINTER series of Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd, have been the official original equipment tires of AUDI AG for its two great models, Audi S6 and Audi S8. This was approved by the automaker by meeting their strict standards. Audi S6 is offered with tires sizing to 265/35R19 98V XL (Extra Load) while the Audi S8 in 265/35R20 99V XL tires. Both the tire sizes are for the rear and front.

Audi’s S6 and S8, included in the S-series, are the primary Audi vehicles to be outfitted by the Yokohama tires and are both in the finest performance range of Audi.

Yokohama’s array of ADVAN WINTER tires provides reliable performance, balances swift stability, and improves braking and handling whether in dry and wet conditions. The tires also show good traction and fine braking on icy and snowy surfaces. All these unfailing actions and other aspects help Yokohama in meeting AUDI AG’s high technical requirements and standards which makes the tire company delighted and proud of.

Not only winter tires, the “ADVAN Sport” summer tires have also been adopted for other world’s largest car manufactures since 2004. These include the Bentley Continental series, Porsche 911, Mercedes-AMG models and Cayenne. Since 2006, ADVAN was the official control tire in motor sports particularly in FIA WTCC.

Yokohama is driven by its passion and dedication in producing high-quality and great performance products, which are well presented by its ADVAN brand. The company is also determined to keep its commitment and continue introducing the ADVAN brand products to the users and consumers from all over the world.

Aside from AUDI models, Yokohama will also provide original equipment tires for 2008 Chrysler Town & Country as well as for Chrysler Grand Voyager which are sold worldwide and 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan sold in North America.

For more information about this article, visit carpages.