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Spectacular New Jaguar roadster sports car set for 2011

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 04:50:49 +0000

Jaguar has earmarked March 2011 and the Geneva show to launch a new two-seat sports car, likely to be called the Jaguar XE. “Geneva 2011 will be the 50th anniversary of the launch of the E-type and what better way to celebrate that than to launch a new sports car,” company boss Mike O’Driscoll told Autocar. The new sports car is tipped to be a front-engined, rear-wheel-drive, alumninium car based on a cut-down Jaguar XJ platform. Speculation is also mounting that it could be powered by a supercharged V6 engine, based on the all-new V8 motor powering the new Jaguar XFR saloon, which was unveiled at this week’s Detroit motor show. O’Driscoll also hinted that a new sports car was not the only ambition of Jaguar and that he and his team were considering a fifth, smaller model. But the new small Jaguar would not be a direct replacement for the X-type, which is due to bow out next year. O’Driscoll said: “A smaller car could be interesting for us, but it shouldn’t be a cheaper Jaguar.” He wouldn’t be drawn on Jag’s exact plans, but insiders have hinted that a car based on the 2003 RD6 concept is still being considered. O’Driscoll hasn’t ruled out further engine options for the Jaguar XF either. “In a couple of years there’s no reason why we shouldn’t put a four-cylinder diesel in it,” he said. Jaguar XFR

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Spectacular New Jaguar roadster sports car set for 2011

Mercedes Benz unveils all-new E-Class

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 03:26:16 +0000

The AMGsports package gives the new E-Class a similar look to the 525hp E63 due later in the year. In and amongst all the releases for new vehicles and concepts for this month’s Detroit Auto Show, Mercedes Benz has decided to quietly reveal details for its all-new E-Class sedan, which is set to go on sale in Europe this March following a debut at the Geneva Motor Show. The new model features more than 20 new or further technical developments, with a bevy of advanced safety features including Attention Assist, Adaptive Main Beam Assist and automatic emergency braking. The car also sports a new bodyshell that is 30% more rigid than the outgoing model, as well as further improved seats and a newly developed suspension whose shock absorbers automatically adjust to the current driving situation. The optional air suspension also now works together with an electronic damping system. Engineers have also made the new E-Class much more efficient, with direct-injection technology enabling the range to be, on average, 23% more fuel-efficient. The most frugal model is rated at 44.3mpg (5.3L/100km) for fuel-economy. All the engines also meet the EU5 emission standard, and in the case of the E350 BlueTEC the emissions are already below the EU6 limits planned for 2014. The range of engines available for the new E-Class comprises four, six and eight-cylinder units with outputs from 100 kW/136 hp to 386 kW/525 hp – the top end model being the E63 from AMG. The four-cylinder engines are newly developed direct-injection units, which develop a higher output and torque than the comparable V6-engines of the preceding series despite a smaller displacement. The top model in the new E-Class diesel range is the six-cylinder E350 CDI with an output of 170 kW/231 hp, which uses 0.5 litres per 100 kilometres less fuel than the previous E320 CDI. Safety features include an optional Adaptive Main Beam Assist, which uses a camera on the windscreen to recognise oncoming traffic and vehicles moving ahead, and controls the headlamps so that their beams do not reach the other vehicle. Also new is a Lane Safety package, which includes a Blind Spot Assist feature and Lane Departure warning system that causes the steering wheel to vibrate gently if it detects the car is leaving its lane. Night View Assist from the S-Class is also available as an optional extra for the new E-Class. Engineers have improved this system with a special pedestrian detection function – as soon as Night View Assist Plus recognises pedestrians ahead of the car, they are highlighted in the onboard display to provide a greatly enhanced warning effect. One other feature is Attention Assist, which monitors how drowsy a driver is using a steering wheel angle sensor and can alert them if they start to dose off. continued…. With seven airbags as standard, belt tensioners, belt force limiters, crash-responsive head restraints and ISOFIX child seat attachments, the new E-Class has even more extensive safety features than the preceding model. Another new feature is the active bonnet, which raises the rear section of the bonnet by 50mm within milliseconds of an accident to protect pedestrians. A similar system has been used in the Jaguar XK and Nissan GT-R. For improved comfort and style, Mercedes has added seat-piping, a new massage function from the S-Class, and an optional rear seat unit consisting of two individual seats. Standard specifications include 16in light-alloy wheels in a nine-spoke design, eucalyptus or embossed aluminum trim (optional) and a four-spoke multifunction steering wheel lined Nappa leather with chrome inserts. Also included in the standard equipment is the Audio 20 CD infotainment system with a twin receiver, CD-player, eight loudspeakers and a Bluetooth interface for a mobile phone. The colour display in the centre of the dashboard can be operated by the driver or front passenger, using the Controller on the centre console. Once again, the E-Class can be ordered in the Elegance or Avantgarde lines of trim, and there is also an AMG sports package that adds a bodykit, sport seats with enhanced lateral support, a three-spoke sports steering wheel with shift paddles, perforated disc brakes with the Mercedes logo and 18in light-alloy wheels in an AMG design. The specifications listed are primarily for the European models, though we do expect some of the above trims to come to the U.S. Official details for the new 2010 U.S. E-class will be revealed closer to the launch date. source:motorauthority

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Mercedes Benz unveils all-new E-Class

Motoring: Lotus Europa SE

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 03:23:09 +0000

The Lotus Europa SE doesn’t have power steering or state-of-the-art electronics, and it’s the better for it You might have read about the new Lotus Evora, a sophisticated Lotus designed to steal sales from Porsche. It was the star of the London motor show, and production of this mid-engined, V6-powered GT car is under way with sales starting in March. That’s the big Lotus news, along with the fact that the company still exists. A strong research and development division is one reason; Lotus does much of this for other motor industry clients, and has much expertise in the attributes we’ll need in the near future such as lightweight structures and alternative power units. It also builds the Tesla electric sports car. The Tesla is based on the bonded-aluminium structure of a Lotus Elise. So, too, is the other new Lotus, the latest version of a car most of us had forgotten about. The Europa, whose name reprises that of Lotus’s first mid-engined sports car in the 1960s, was conceived as a luxurious, softer-edged, compact GT, not open like the Elise but with a fixed roof like the racy, almost-hardcore Exige. Nice idea? Maybe, but the Europa has been scuppered by curious frontal styling and a feeling that, as no car of this family is ever going to be a paragon of refinement and civility, it’s superfluous. So it has had a bit of a makeover. There’s now a cheaper entry-level version and there’s the subject of this test, the Europa SE, which, at £32,293, has a bit more power and the ability to go round corners more quickly. One simple change has transformed the troubled face. The front foglights are set in housings which are no longer black but body-coloured. This means that instead of being drawn to a nose shape which looks as though it is formed out of pastry rather than glass fibre, your eye now homes in on the smiley air intake that has long been a Lotus trademark. continued…. Now let’s thread ourselves into the cabin. There’s a high sill to get past, making decorous entry hard to achieve, and once you’re in, a conflict of sights meets your eyes. As an SE, this Europa has the Luxury Touring Pack which includes swathes of self-consciously stitched leather over what, in the Elise and Exige, is normally a stark and pure dashboard. And what’s this? The key and the stalks on the steering column look familiar. They are from the old Vauxhall Cavalier, which reminds you of a key difference between the Europa and its siblings. It is powered not by a Toyota engine but a turbocharged Vauxhall one, as used in the faster version of the now-gone Vauxhall VX220 which was itself Elise-based and Lotus-built. The stalks come as part of the engine’s electronics package. You sit very low, of course, but it’s airy in here in the way an Exige is not. There’s a good view aft, via a window through which, from the outside, you can see the engine. It always was a good engine, this 2.0-litre turbo, and with the SE’s power boost to 225bhp it’s even better. Its energy extends through the speed range, helping you to make the most of the Europa’s fabulously subtle, and supple, suspension dynamics. There’s no power steering, nor any need for it in such a light car. So you feel every camber change, every tiny ice patch, and once you have recalibrated yourself to this level of detail every road becomes a sensory revelation. Hardly any cars do this nowadays, and to experience it is a joy. However, to regard the Europa as a proper grand touring car in the usual sense is fanciful, given the noise from the tyres, the primitive air-conditioning which demands use of the noisy fan if any air at all is to enter the cabin, the lack of any internal adjustment for the door mirrors. Instead the Europa makes you think about things, and do things, yourself in the way sports cars used to do. Drive a big distance in the Europa and you will learn more about the terrain you have covered than in nearly anything else with a solid roof and a heater, Exige excepted. Maybe that is what “grand touring” should be about. Forget the fat, thirsty Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Maseratis. In our grave new world, what you need is a Europa.

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Motoring: Lotus Europa SE

Upcoming dymanic Audi A7 four-door coupe

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 03:14:39 +0000

First hi-res images of the Audi A7 Sportback Concept (the nameplate on the car seems to say Audi Sportback Concept) set to be displayed at the Detroit Auto Show tomorrow have been unveiled on the internet. The front-end looks alot like the ones shown on the Audi metroproject quattro and its evolution, the Audi A1 Sportback Concept, except the front grille loses the vertical slats, leaving only the horizontal ones. It has a fastback roofline, more like the Porsche Panamera rather than the Aston Martin Rapide, which might lead some to think its going to have a hatchback boot, but a look an image of the rear after the jump and you can see the bootlid’s lines do not really meet the rear glass in a way that a hatch would, but then again Audi could also be doing a hatchback-sedan dual bootlid combo much like Skoda’s new Superb. The Audi A7 is said to be larger than the Audi A6 and built on the new Audi MLP platform, which is modular in terms of length and width to suit different sizes of cars while retaining many components in the interests of economies of scale.

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Upcoming dymanic Audi A7 four-door coupe

The Affordable Honda Insight hybrid bids for broader audience

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 03:07:49 +0000

To hear Honda tell it, the new 2009 Insight coming to market this April is all about making hybrid technology available to Gen-Y. That’s because it’s smaller and less expensive than the class-leading Toyota Prius or Honda’s own Civic Hybrid. We drove the Insight in Arizona recently and found it also more fun to drive than most hybrids, another attribute that ranks high among young buyers. Depending on who’s doing the defining, Gen-Y, also known as Millenials, is comprised mostly of people in their 20s or late teen years–Honda says they’re age 20 to 29, significantly younger than today’s crop of hybrid-car owners, predominantly in their 50s. But Insight is a five-seat compact sedan, a practical, mainstream car that–given current economic circumstances–is likely to find a market among older consumers, up to and including the baby boomer parents of those Millenials. Honda hasn’t set a firm price yet except to say it will be cheaper than the Civic Hybrid, but the expectation is that it will be significantly under $20,000, perhaps in the high $18,000 range. The new Insight gives Honda a dedicated hybrid model again, which it has lacked since dropping the original two-seat Insight in 2006, but the new car dumps the whole hair-shirt routine. Its front structure is shared with that of the Fit, the sub-Civic model that sits at the bottom of the company’s U.S. car range. By reducing the size of the battery pack (seven nickel-metal hydride or NiMH cell modules vs. 11 in the current Civic hybrid) and the electronic control module so that they now fit below the rear floor behind the 10.4 gallon gas tank, Honda gave the car a useful rear cargo area, folding rear seats, and enough rear seat room for average-size adults. Where the tiny original two-door coupe prioritized weight savings with its costly all-alloy structure (built alongside the S2000 and NSX), the new one is more conventional but lighter than most sedans. The curb weight of the new Insight is less than 2,800 lbs (2,733 for the base LX model, 2,785 for the tricked-out EX), or 200 pounds lighter than the ’09 Prius and 100 pounds less than the Civic Hybrid. Overall, the Insight is shorter, about 10 percent smaller inside, lighter and will be less expensive than the Toyota Prius, the big dog of dedicated hybrid models, which itself sees a new version revealed in Detroit, but one that’s not going on sale until fall as a 2010 model. continued…. Styling of the Insight resembles that of Prius, both being shaped to accommodate five passengers with minimal aerodynamic drag. Honda claims Insight is significantly slipperier, but that factors in the lower frontal area of its smaller car. To these eyes, there’s a nicer curve to the Insight’s roofline, which peaks a little farther back than the Toyota’s and doesn’t look so humpbacked. If there’s a styling cue that says “hybrid” to Americans, it must be the lower window in the back of the rear hatch, a feature of the original Insight and Prius. It’s here, too, while at the front the Insight borrows the signature face of the FCX Clarity fuel-cell car. Inside, Insight is a bit more Spartan than a Civic Hybrid or Prius, but not punishingly so. The base LX model, like Honda’s own subcompact Fit, has good interior appointments for its price class, including automatic climate control, power windows and locks, tilt-and-telescope steering column, rear window defrost and a cargo light. The EX, distinguishable from outside mostly by its alloy wheels vs. the full-cover steel wheels on the LX, adds cruise control, paddle shifters, steering wheel controls, vanity mirrors and map lights, heated side mirrors, variable speed intermittent wipers and such, but the big addition comes with optional navigation system with voice recognition and Bluetooth. Even without the navi system, the instrument panel steps up to give hyper-milers the information they want about fuel and power usage, and using those we were able to post short-range fuel economy readings into the high 50 mpg range, and even bettered 62 mpg on a 16-mile test loop incorporating significant up- and down-hill portions. This was not a creep-and-crawl exercise, though we did moderate our driving style for the test and engage the “econ” button to call up functions that enhance fuel mileage. This driver-selectable mode (there’s a green button the dash, left of the steering column) engages the idle-stop function at higher speeds, uses recirc mode on the a/c more often, reduces the climate control system’s peak fan speed, and adjusts the drive-by-wire throttle programming to optimize the driver’s inputs in concert with how it operates the CVT. Peak power is also restricted by four percent, unless you floor it, in which case you get the full output. On a longer test route where we drove normally, the dashboard readout was in the 45 to 46 mpg range using Econ mode, and slid into the 41-43 mpg range without it. The more compact electronic package, despite having fewer battery cells than the Civic Hybrid’s, doesn’t sacrifice much power–each module makes 30 percent more power than before, so the Insight’s package is rated at 5.75 Amp-Hours vs. 6.0 for the Civic Hybrid version. Peak output of 100.8 Volts is low vs. the larger battery pack, but unlike the circumstance in many earlier Honda hybrids, the Insight sometimes moves under electric power alone–we saw this at steady low speed operation (25 to 30 mph) on level or downhill terrain when we drove it in Arizona, as indicated on the dashboard display. The 1.3-liter inline four-cylinder gas engine makes 88 hp on its own and 98 hp combined with the electric supplement (vs. 110 for the 1.5-liter in the Civic Hybrid). On its own, the electric motor produces 13 hp at 1500 rpm (vs. 20 for Civic’s) but, more importantly, its 58 lbs-ft torque output contributes to an overall rating of 123 lbs-ft., for lively acceleration. As ever, Honda’s IMA (integrated motor assist) approaches hybridization differently than does Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive system. Where Toyota’s approach tends to excel in stop-and-go city driving, aided by its stronger electric motor’s ability to accelerate from a standstill under electric power alone, Honda’s system does best on the highway cycle. The current Prius is rated by the U.S. EPA at 48 mpg city/45 highway for a 46 mpg combined. The new Insight is rated at 40 mpg city, 43 mpg highway and 41 combined–that’s for a lighter, smaller car, but one that feels livelier when driven back-to-back with the Toyota. Another reason this is so is that the Insight may be the best-handling hybrid sedan yet. Like other mpg-conscious cars, it still rides on tires designed for low rolling resistance, but these aren’t the hard narrow sort found on the original Insight, but ones we could live with–175/65 R15, with an all-weather compound. Front suspension is McPherson strut, rear by torsion beam, and the overall balance is improved by mounting that heavy electronic module low in the chassis. Honda, ever mindful of criticisms, has also done a masterful job of tuning its electric power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering and the electronic braking system (discs front, drums rear, with ABS and the regen feature for the drivetrain) for smooth, responsive operation with better feel than before. You’d never mistake the new Insight for a sports sedan, but as hybrids go, it goes well. For a livelier package, look to Honda’s promised hybrid versions of the Fit subcompact and the upcoming CR-Z coupe. We think those cars, more than the Insight, are likely to find the younger crop of buyers Honda seeks to bring into the hybrid fold.

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The Affordable Honda Insight hybrid bids for broader audience

Lotus to enter exotic electric cars

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 06:33:01 +0000

Envied worldwide for producing feather-lite supercars just itching to be made into electric torque monsters (even Tesla has borrowed heavily from the Lotus parts bin), Lotus has indicated it wants to enter the world of exotic electric cars itself – perhaps even as soon as late 2009. Ever since the late Colin Chapman began building his own sportscars under the Lotus brand (way back in 1952!) the company has followed a simple philosophy for its go-fast racers: add lightness. “Adding lightness” meant that Chapman’s cars were incredibly efficient – using less fuel and fewer tires than the competition. For this very reason, Lotus cars had to pit less often during races, giving them a clear advantage over the bigger Mercedes and Ferraris that had dominated the sport until Chapman came on the scene. To this day Lotus still produces extremely light cars that make use of advanced extruded-aluminum chassis to extract exotic, supercar performance from relatively mundane components. In fact, the current Lotus Elise uses a Toyota engine similar to the one found in the Corolla. It should come as no surprise, then, that a lightweight Lotus chassis has become THE must-have Festivus gift for any company wanting to make a big splash in the EV world, with companies like Tesla, Proton, and Chrysler actively publicizing their raids of Lotus’ parts bins (note: Chrysler’s Dodge EV is a UK-only Lotus Europa model with an off-the-shelf electric motor and flash yellow paint). Surprising absolutely no-one who’s followed Lotus’ fortunes over the past 50 years, Mike Kimberly (Lotus’ current CEO and bona fide low-weight/high-efficiency evangelist to the automotive stars) will be throwing Lotus’ hat into the EV ring later this year with a new, extended-range plug-in hybrid sportsscar to be unveiled at the Geneva motor show this March (according this quick blurb in the UK’s Financial Times). I’m putting my smart money on this new hybrid being a version of Lotus’ upcoming Evora 2+2 passenger coupe (shown above), which will be sold as a 2010 model in the US beginning this April (hint: look for the battery pack to replace the car’s smallish rear seats).

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Lotus to enter exotic electric cars

Fiat Planning 500-based Abarth sports car

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 05:39:12 +0000

Fiat has revived the historic Abarth badge for a sporting version of its 500 and Punto minicars and the Italian automaker says it wants to create an entire unique Abarth brand starting with a sports car. As we’ve previously reported, Fiat has been working on a low-slung sports car, but news comes today that the Abarth coupe will be based on the Fiat 500, itself closely rated to the rather humble Fiat Panda. But don’t let its platform fool you: AutoExpress reports that the Abarth coupe will feature a lightweight aluminum chassis and a 1.4-liter turbo four from the 500 Abarth (good for 135-horsepower). Though it will be front-wheel-drive, the Abarth Coupe will employ Fiat’s Torque Transfer Control, which acts like a limited slip differential up front. Later on, expect a 158-horse high performance variant that should still average 45 mpg on the European combined cycle. AutoExpress speculates that the little Abarth coupe, which will resemble both the Lotus Elise and the ill-fated Smart Roadster, will start at £12,000. Don’t expect North American sales unless Fiat decides to bring the 500 to the United States in Canada. But the Italian automaker recently put the 500 on sale in Mexico – its first North American market – so it’s possible that an Italian invasion could come sooner rather than later.

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Fiat Planning 500-based Abarth sports car

Reva Plans to Launch L-Ion Battery-Powered Car in Europe

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:01:42 +0000

The carmaker plans to launch its L-ion in Europe, with a lithium-ion battery upgrade that improves on its lead-acid predecessor, which sells for about $9,000. Could a lithium-ion upgrade come close to meeting that price point? India-based electric car maker Reva announced Monday that it plans a 2009 European launch of a lithium-ion battery-powered version of its long-selling electric car, along with a fast-charging station that can charge it in an hour. Since 2001, Reva has been making a lead-acid battery-powered car with a range of about 50 miles per charge. Reva has sold about 2,200 of those cars for about $9,000 apiece, according to the New York Times. The new lithium-ion battery-powered car, called the L-ion, will have a range of about 75 miles and a top speed of about 50 miles per hour, Reva said in a Monday press release. Reva also intends to market a fast-charge station that can charge the new car’s lithium-ion batteries in about an hour, compared to about six hours without the charging station. Reva’s lead-acid battery-powered car takes about eight hours to charge, the company said. Reva plans to have the cars and charging stations available for pre-order in February and start delivering them in May. The cars will be available through distributors in Norway, the United Kingdom, France, Cyprus, Greece, Spain, Belgium and Ireland, and Reva will seek to expand its network throughout Europe in the coming year, the company said. The company will also sell upgrade kits to convert lead-acid battery-powered Reva cars to lithium-ion batteries, the company said. Pricing for the L-ion and charging station – available for lease or purchase – won’t be announced until later this month, the company said. But if the L-ion’s price is anywhere close to the $9,000 for its lead-acid battery-powered predecessor, it could find itself in strong competition amongst carmakers seeking to supply urban dwellers with low-cost electric-powered transportation for shorter drives.

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Reva Plans to Launch L-Ion Battery-Powered Car in Europe

Toyota Unveils Prius Hybrid Electric Cars

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:09:00 +0000

The 2010 Toyota Prius includes a new revised Hybrid Synergy Drive system which vows to be one of the top electric cars. The electric vehicle delivers improved fuel economy. Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc will premiere its new 2010 Prius Hybrid electric car at the upcoming 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The vehicle offers a revised Hybrid Synergy Drive system and promises to deliver improved fuel economy. “As the world’s leading hybrid vehicle, the Toyota Prius offers anything but an ordinary driving experience,” Toyota said in a statement on its Web site. Hybrid electric cars run quiet, at least most of them do. What’s unique about the Primus is that drivers will experience nothing more than a whisper when starting the new Hybrid ignition system. “You’ll start the car to hear just a whisper – and be taken aback to discover that despite its apparent meekness, the Toyota Prius pulls off like a dream and powerfully overtakes its competitors,” Toyota said. One of the things striking about the vehicle are the many features it has. It has no ignition key and uses Prius’ Smart Key System. Drivers start the car by hitting a power button while pressing on the brake pedal. “The Toyota Prius hybrid car does not have a traditional ignition and key, but instead features an advanced keyless start-up,” The car maker said. Electric cars are the goal for every auto maker and the race is on to see who can build the better vehicle. Next year will be filled with battery powered cars and low fuel capacity. General Motors, Ford, Nissan and Chrysler have already developed similar Hybrid vehicles to display next month.

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Toyota Unveils Prius Hybrid Electric Cars

2010 Audi A8 / 2011 Audi S8

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 05:04:23 +0000

Audi is charging ahead with its third-generation A8, set to be unveiled at the Frankfurt auto show in the fall of 2009. Once released, it will battle a slightly face-lifted Mercedes-Benz S-class, expected to be unveiled next spring, and BMW’s all-new 2009 7-series. But unlike the rather conservative 7-series, which backed away from the audacious styling of its predecessor, the next Audi A8 will show a new look and carry the brand forward stylistically. Audi’s chief designer Stefan Sielaff explains: “The first generation was very dogmatic and product-design-like. With the second generation, the theme was ‘elegance’—softer, flowing lines. The upcoming third generation will be stronger, sharper, and more precise.” Highlighting the Technology Within While the design of the current, second-generation car is pleasing to our eyes, you could argue that it doesn’t properly convey the advanced chassis technology under the skin—the A8’s all-aluminum structure is lighter and stronger than those of its steel-intensive competition. The next A8 continues to use an aluminum space frame and aluminum exterior panels, all of which bring weight down compared to a conventional steel design. Sielaff says that the next-gen Audi A8’s styling will play up that distinction. “It will highlight the aluminum aspect, and it will have a strong three-dimensional theme. In that respect, the next A8 will be the first of a new styling language at Audi. We are entering a new phase with a clear top-down strategy.” The A8 will be futuristic, but it will also have enough chrome to please customers in emerging markets such as Russia and China. There will be both short- and long-wheelbase versions, the latter to be launched in mid-2010. The A8 uses Audi’s new modular longitudinal architecture, introduced on the A5, A4, and Q5. Compared to the current A8, the front axle is shifted forward. The A8 will keep the Quattro all-wheel-drive system, but an entry-level front-wheel-drive version is again possible if the market demands it. In Europe, such a model is currently offered as an especially fuel-efficient alternative. Initial engine offerings will likely include a 4.2-liter gasoline V-8 and a 4.2-liter V-8 turbo-diesel, both equipped with an all-new, ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic (a gearbox which will simultaneously go into the BMW 7-series). Audi will also offer its 3.0-liter V-6 turbo-diesel, an extremely popular engine in Europe, and the supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 from the A6 and S4. And even though the current W-12 engine is no more than a footnote in the A8′s European home market, expect Russia and China to demand a successor of the prestigious powerplant. Audi could also offer a version of the V-12 turbo-diesel introduced in the Q7, although modifications would be required to fit this big and heavy unit into the A8′s engine bay. We expect the next S8 to become available sometime in late 2010 or early 2011, and it will use the turbocharged V-10 found in the high-performance, Euro-only RS6. It will likely be even more powerful than the RS6, though, which could mean 600 hp—or more. A Fantastic Interior Gets Better, the Dance Moves Get Sportier Audi engineers tell us to pay special attention to the interior, which they say represents as much a step forward as does the exterior. A large center screen and a new MMI architecture will be “more innovative” than the current system. We hope Audi won’t tinker too much with MMI, a system we’ve always liked. On the road, we expect the A8 to give the BMW 7-series a fight for the title of sportiest offering in the segment. The A8′s all-wheel-drive system will be rear-biased, and it will be available with the same torque-vectoring system (“sport differential”) that we found impressive during our drive of the latest S4. In Europe and China, the current A8 has caught up with the 7-series and S-class in terms of sales and image. With the next generation, Audi may be able to pull off the same trick in North America. Click for More details

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2010 Audi A8 / 2011 Audi S8