Audi – Car of the Day

Diesel Do

garythepowers — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 17:18:37 +0000

There have been a few diesel stories making the rounds in the last few weeks. A VW TDI Jetta has set a new world record. After 20 days and 9,400 miles John and Helen Taylor averaged 58.82 miles per gallon. The record is actually for a cross-country drive. The Jetta actually was getting better gas mileage as their trek eneded and averaging over 60mpg as the engine was breaking in and starting to work more efficient.

Volkswagen diesels are nothing new, they’ve been around for years and they have come a long way in terms of refinement. The VWs have come such a long way that VW is ready to share thier TDI power plant with their corporate cousin Audi.

This week at the Paris Auto Show Audi is introducing a new A4 TDI concept that is rated at 59mpg. Diesel engines are popping up all over the place in luxury cars and economy cars alike.

If mpg is a top priority in your next car, whatever the type of car. Do some research and find yourself a diesel option to test drive. You just might be surprised.

Warning: Do Not Read This Article!

garythepowers — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 19:01:26 +0000

Ok. Not this article, but this article. Inside Line is a favorite place of mine to get some great car comparisons and new car news. They usually provide me a sneak preview of what to expect in my mailbox via the standard car magazines.

Today I was extremely excited about their new featured article, “Clash of the V8-Powered Titans – The Audi RS5 meets the M3”.

When I clicked on the article I was sent to a page with over 1500 words all about Audi vs. BMW. There were action shots of the Audi and BMW sparring on a road course somewhere. I was getting ready to settle in for possibly one of the best comparison articles of the year.

But as I started reading, I noticed that there was a lot of extra marketing info about the cars and the manufacturer’s philosophy behind the cars. What it came down to was really just an article previewing the Audi RS5 and how looks compared to the benchmark. This article is not a comparison test. It isn’t even a first drive. It is just a tease.

Inside Line is anticipating a potential showdown between the RS5 and the M3 CSL. However, the M3 CSL may not even make it to production because there isn’t enough demand for a such a niche vehicle.

The interesting thing about the Audi RS5 and its little brother the S5 is how they get their power. The new S5 and S4 will no longer be powered by a V8, but a turbo-charged V6 like the older S4’s. The V6 S4 and S5 will have 350hp and that equals 10 more hp than last years V8 S4. The RS5 goes the turbocharged V8 route to 450hp out of its 4.2 liters.

Ok, so the article wasn’t that bad, I was just disappointed that what looked like a comparison test was just a tease. You can read the full tease at Inside Line.

America Gets Jipped

garythepowers — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 01:41:05 +0000

Sometimes I think Japan and Germany still have a mini-grudge against the USA because of how WWII turned out.

Japan’s Honda Motor Cars has a for a long time kept their very best Civic to themselves in the form of the Civic Type-R. Another hot rod Civic has been making the rounds as Honda thumbs its nose at America with the new Honda Civic Mugen RR.

The RR is Honda’s 237hp Civic that is nearly track-ready. Take a Honda Civic Type-R and let Mugen tune it and you end up with this little gem that the American car buying public will never get a chance to buy. Actually, no body is going to get a chance to buy the best Civic. The RR started its life sold out. There are only 300 of these confusing little cars. Confusing, because this car has a serious identity crisis. It is basically a full-on track car that started its life as an economy car.

And on the other end of the scale is another car that is making the rounds in the automotive test fleets and that is the Audi RS6. The Audi has more than twice the power and cylinders of the Civic. It is powered by a 571hp twin-turbocharged V10. Ahhh, I love the smell of overkill in the morning.

The meanest A6 has a conservative factory 0-60 estimate of 4.5 seconds. It will be faster than that.

There are no plans to bring this version of the Audi RS6 to the USA. Are the Germans still bitter? They actually plan to bring the next version of the RS6 to America in 2012, but a lot can change in 4 years. The one thing the RS6 isn’t, is a deal. This sedan is on sale right now in Germany for $126,000. That puts the RS6 in some rarified company, but it has the horsepower to back it up.

If you really want one of these cars I would suggest the one of the 1000 Honda Civic Mugen Si’s that came to America this year.

Or if you need a RS Audi sedan you can buy the 420hp Audi RS4.

You can read more about each of these cars at Inside Line.

Honda Civic Mugen RR

Audi RS6

Honda Civic Mugen Si Sedan

Audi RS4

2009 BMW 335d

garythepowers — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 01:01:15 +0000

In May I wrote about the Audi A3 Clubsport a diesel powered sports car concept. Well BMW is bringing the US the first diesel powered sports sedan in the form of the 2009 335d. If the idea of an oil burning 3 series that gets 22/33mpg and 425lb-ft of torque and 265hp appeals to you, then this car may be just the ticket. Unfortunately, right now diesel costs more per gallon than unleaded gas and the diesel version of the 335 will cost a few thousand more than its gas burning stablemate the 335i.

The 335d is powered by a twin-turbo inline six cylinder and it makes 125 more lb-ft of torque than the 335i and only 35hp less. The trick to remember is that this a turbo-charged engine and they are very responsive to tunes. I wouldn’t be surprised to be writing about a new tune for the 335d that makes over 300hp and nearly 500lb-ft of grunt.

The Mitsubishi Evo X Holds its Own VS the World

garythepowers — Wed, 28 May 2008 21:48:49 +0000

What happens when a Nissan GT-R, Audi R8, Lotus Elise SC, Porsche 911, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X MR and Subaru WRX STI meet up for a track and mountain road challenge?

That is what the guys at Inside Line set to figure out.

Well my current COTD (the Evo) didn’t win that challenge, but it did perform admirable well against performance cars that cost more than twice as much. The Evo did so well that the author commented that if the Evo had just 75hp more it may seriously upset the pecking order of these cars. As it stands now it finished in front of the Porsche 911, Lotus Elise SC, and the STI. I happen to know where I can get an easy 75hp for the Evo to make that a reality. (read more at Do you Vishnu)

And you can read the full article by Josh Jacquot at Inside Line.

The M3 Sedan Comparison Comparo

garythepowers — Sun, 25 May 2008 05:36:59 +0000

It seems everywhere you look there is an article comparing the new 2008 BMW M3 Sedan to the handful of other 4-doors capable of legitimately running with the ultimate Ultimate Driving Machine.

I’ve located 5 reviews comparing the best luxury sports sedans in the world to each other. The requirement for this review of reviews is that one of the cars being tested is the 4-door M3.

I will attempt to determine who has the best review of the best sports sedans in the world. Who has the best review? Can I just read the best review and save all the repetitive reading? Is the M3 really better than sex? (well, not if you do it right)

Inside Line Review

At the end of March Edmunds Inside Line published the first comparison of the M3 sedan vs. the Mercedes-Benz C63. Inside Line does a great job of regularly scooping the automotive rags with their reviews. While most car magazines are putting together next month’s articles Inside Line has already posted the earliest review. Inside Line presents a very technical review of the M3 and the C63. They took the BMW and M-B to the 1.5 mile track of Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch and gave each car a proper wringing out. The BMW lapped the track 1.8 seconds faster than the Benz. The final synopsis had the BMW occupying first place. Inside Line may have had the first comparison, but it places 5th in this review of reviews.

Car and Driver Review

Car and Driver published their review in May and chose to simply compare the M3 to the Lexus IS-F. The writers at C&D cited a former test in which the M3 coupe trumped the C63 and the Audi RS4. Laguna’s 2.2 mile track was the testing ground for their edition of car vs. car. However after a frustrating search, the actual track times aren’t recorded in the actual article. (perhaps if you download and decipher the test data sheets you can glean that information) This review was well written with a bit more personality than I noticed in the Inside Line comparison. Car and Driver does a good job of organizing their comparison test. It is a simple 3 page layout with page one introducing the vehicles and laying the stage and page 2 dedicated to the Lexus and the 3rd page for the M3. The article also had the BMW M3 as the winner of their comparison and is the 4th best comparison featuring a BMW M3 sedan.

Motor Trend Review

Motor Trend also had their version of a M3 comparison test for their May issue following a theme from the motion picture “There Will be Blood”. Motor Trend decided to do a little more work than Inside Line and Car & Driver by adding a third car to their test. This was a M3 vs. C63 vs. IS-F battle royale. Or simply a combination of the previous two reviews. Motor Trend has a frustrating style of organizing their reviews by category and not by car. I prefer a comparison organized by car so I can quickly go back and read about a specific car without having to wade through and entire review to glean the information that I need. It was an entertaining enough review and, surprise, had the BMW in the top spot followed by the C63 and then the IS-F. Motor Trend takes the bronze and lands in third place with their review.

The Truth About Cars Review

The Truth About Cars posted their comparison involving the BMW M3 in the middle of May. They chose the Audi RS4 as the contender to the BMW M3. The TTAC review was well written with wit, opinion, humor and some information. It lacked the hard test numbers of the other comparisons. You had to learn 0-60 times in other places and frankly there are plenty other places to get those simple stats. The opinions and impressions of the cars from the TTAC comparison is really what I am trying to get an understanding from in a comparison. The TTAC article ends with the author preferring the Audi over the BMW. For those of you scoring at home that is first loss for the BMW and a second place finish for the TTAC review.

Road & Track Review

Road & Track came to the “car vs. car” party the latest. However, there is good reason for their tardy arrival. The Road & Track comparison is the uber-test of the uber-sedans. The Audi RS4, the BMW M3, the Lexus IS-F, and the Mercedes C63 AMG made up the field for their test. If you can only read one comparison, this is the one to read and it even has a surprise outcome. The gold medal goes to Road & Track for the best M3 sedan comparison test.

A Car Delivery Vacation

garythepowers — Mon, 19 May 2008 02:41:35 +0000

Are you looking at buying a new Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz or Porsche? Why not visit Germany and actually take delivery of your fine German automobile from the mother country?

I’ve already discussed the greatness of the new BMW M3 Sedan here. So if you are going to purchase a special car like this why not head to Munich and pick up your car straight from the factory?

Some of the manufacturer’s offer a discount for customers willing to take a European delivery of their car. The discount can well pay for your vacation and it’s not just a vacation it is a chance to drive your new car in its home country. A country where there are roads with no speed limits.

The nice thing about these European delivery programs is they aren’t reserved for the super expensive models; all of their models are eligible for this option. The down side with a European delivery is having to wait for your car to be shipped back home. It can be a bit like meeting your soul mate on an exotic vacation and then having to wait way too long to see her again. It can be a long wait until your new baby gets back to the States.

It makes for a very interesting option for a vacation. The team at AskMen.com has more information on their site.

A Diesel Sports Car?

garythepowers — Sun, 18 May 2008 05:06:40 +0000

Audi is currently working on some higly tuned versions of their 2.0 liter TDI engines. The engine in this concept has 221hp and 332lb-ft of torque. This car is the Audi A3 Clubsport.

There are currently no plans to bring this car into production, but is does give us a glimpse of what is possible in the future.

Someday a “Car of the Day” could be a sporty diesel powered car. You can read more about the Audi at Autocar-UK. In Europe the diesel engine and fuel station network is much more common and accepted. There are still a few challenges here in the United States before diesel is seen as anything more as just an “alternative” fuel option. Sporty automotive applications such as this could help the American case for diesels.

Ironman has Cool Cars Part II

garythepowers — Sat, 10 May 2008 16:15:30 +0000

The new “Iron Man” movie has cool cars in it. The mini car collection that Ironman has in his garage is a sweet little grouping of cars. In addition to the Audi R8 that I’ve mentioned in “Ironman has Cool Cars” and “Ironman’s cars vs Batman’s cars”, there is a Shelby Cobra, a Saleen S7 and a Tesla Roadster. (plus a couple of unidentified custom motorcycles)

The Shelby Cobra is the holy grail of 1960s muscle cars, unfortunately it ends up accidently crushed when Iron Man falls through his house and ruins his piano and his Cobra. (but does create a nice skylight for Iron Man to use in the future)

This isn’t the only time for the Saleen S7 to be in a major motion picture. When Jim Carrey was imbued with power from on high in Bruce Almighty, the car he chose for himself was the Saleen S7.

The Tesla Roadster promises to be the first 100% electric sports car. The Tesla Motors home page states a 0-60 time of 3.9 seconds. They are just now beginning production on this $100,00+ electric super car.

We also see Tony Stark/Ironman being chauffeured about in the back of very nice Bentley.

If you like cars, I mean really like cars, you should look into to being a fictional hero, they get the best stuff. Just ask James Bond, Batman and Iron Man, they would agree.

Ironman’s cars vs Batman’s cars

garythepowers — Fri, 09 May 2008 04:42:54 +0000

I’ve already talked a little bit about the cars of Ironman or actually the cars of Tony Stark. Once he dons the Ironman suit the concept of driving a car is irrelevant. The premier auto of Tony Stark that was featured was the fantastic Audi R8.

Enter the Lamborghini Murcielago LP640, that Bruce Wayne will drive in the upcoming Batman movie “The Dark Knight Returns”. Of course Bruce Wayne actually has one of the coolest cars ever in the Batmobile, but if you leave the world of fiction, the Murcielago LP640 is the nearest thing to a real world Batmobile.

If Tony Stark and Bruce Wayne were to roll up next each other at a stop light Tony Stark would get smoked by Bruce Wayne’s Lambo.

Tony Stark probably didn’t think his 420hp V8 powered Audi that can hit 60 in 4.2 seconds would ever put him in a position to get smoked by the guy in the next car over. Most of the time Mr. Stark would be right about his R8 doing the smoking. But when the next guy pulls up in the LP640 with a 640hp V12 that can eclipse the 60mph mark in 3.3 seconds there’s not many options with 4 wheels that can compete with those numbers.

There is a great line in the new Batman movie previews where Alfred asks Bruce Wayne if he is going to take the Batmobile. At which point Bruce responds with simple “no.” This causes Alfred to quip “The Lamborghini then, much more subtle.” It’s nice to see Alfred still has his sense of humor.

Now if Tony Stark’s and Bruce Wayne’s alter egos were to meet at a stop light. Ironman would blow away the Batmobile. So each Super hero comes away from this comparo with a win.