We Withhold Judgment On The Minerva J.M. Brabazon

It might be amazing, and it might never materialize.

Apparently taking a cue from Spyker, a Belgian boutique supercar maker, called Minerva, has decided to resurrect the name of a long-forgotten prewar luxury marque. The first model from the reborn company is known as the J.M. Brabazon, a plug-in hybrid supercar named after a British racing driver. The gasoline engine is a twin-turbo V12 mated to a six-speed F1 gearbox, while the electric portion of the drivetrain consists of two motors which drive the front wheels.

The top speed is said to be 248 mph, and the car has five different driving modes: Economy, Normal, Sport, Race and Safe Mode. This all sounds like it could be promising, although we’re always a bit skeptical when a new company announces a new and magnificent supercar. Assuming the hybrid setup is something like the one used by Audi in its Le Mans prototype cars, there is definite potential here. But a company which leaves the initials of the person they’re naming their car after in the model name is clearly a company which makes odd decisions. In all, we’ll wait to judge it until we’ve seen it.

Source: http://timchieu.com/audi/we-withhold-judgment-on-the-minerva-j-m-brabazon.html

Read more »

Audi Introduces New 240HP 3.0-liter V6 Diesel for A6, A7, A8 and Q5 SUV in the U.S.

 

While extremely popular in Europe, for a long time, diesel-powered passenger cars were a non-entity in the U.S. automotive business. Furthermore, it was more likely to see pink flamingos parading in Times Square than a premium brand automobile with a diesel engine under its hood.

Today, things are quite different. Diesel engines are nothing like they used to be, nor are gasoline prices, so manufacturers are not afraid to add diesel variants to their U.S. line-up.

Audi, for one, introduced no less than four new models fitted with its new 3.0-liter “clean” V6 diesel at the LA Auto Show. The TDI unit is already available in the updated Q7 full-size SUV since September and will go on sale in the 2014MY A8 flagship saloon from next spring and in the A6, A7 and Q5 in fall 2013.

The engine has an output of 240HP and 406 lb-ft (550 Nm) of torque and, according to the German carmaker, enables each of its models to improve fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions by 30 percent compared to gasoline engine-powered versions.

"Owners of Audi TDI engines have helped save over 4 million gallons of gasoline, or the equivalent of more than 240,000 barrels of foreign oil, since the introduction of Audi TDI to the U.S. in 2009", said the president of Audi North America Scott Keogh. "TDI technology delivers better fuel efficiency without sacrificing performance”, he added.

 

 

PHOTO GALLERY

Read more »

Audi TT to Spawn Lightweight Performance Version

Former Porsche development chief wants to apply the GT3 treatment to the Audi TT.

If you like the Audi TT, there's a number of engines to choose from. The base model can be had with engines ranging from around 200 horsepower to nearly 250 in base form. Not enough? There's the 268hp TTS. Still not enough? Try the 335hp TT RS on for size. Even more? The latest TT RS Plus packs 355 hp. But Audi isn't about to stop there. Word has it that the German automaker is working to increase the car's power-to-weight ratio even more, only not with more muscle - with less weight.

[gallery columns="5"]

Read more »

Audi R8 Spyder by SR Auto Group

Carbon-fiber exterior and interior treatment, new wheels and performance upgrades have refined Audi’s open-top supercar.

Vancouver-based tuning house SR Auto Group has returned to one of its most popular projects, reinventing the Audi R8 Spyder with a host of carbon-fiber parts, new wheels and some modest performance upgrades. Dubbed the Speed Walker, the revamped R8 Spyder's only exterior change is a carbon-fiber front spoiler courtesy of Hofele and a set of 20-inch PUR 4OUR monoblock alloys finished in modern gloss black and housing a set of red brake calipers.

On the inside, SR fitted a PPI carbon-fiber steering wheel, and a carbon-fiber center console and gear shift ring both by MA. To improve performance and refine the engine's soundtrack and breathing, the tuner added a Carbonio carbon-fiber intake sytem, a Miltek exhaust system and an APR ECM upgrade.

Read more »

Senner Tuning gives Audi S5 Coupé an RS5 Look and 429-Horses for a…Higher Price Than a Real RS5

erman aftermarket firm Senner Tuning is revisiting the freshened up Audi S5 coupe with a new assortment of goods for the exterior and interior as well as its mechanical hardware.

Senner's second take on the facelifted S5 (read about the first one here) brings a brawnier styling package that gives the coupe the look of its RS5 sibling through the use of a new front bumper with a carbon fiber spoiler and grille design, carbon fiber side skirts, a discreet boot lid spoiler and a new rear diffuser with two oval, instead of four quad tailpipes.

There's also a set of carbon fiber mirror caps, LEDs for the rear license plate, and new 20-inch alloy wheels shod in Vredestein Ultra Sessanta tires size 245/30R20 and 295/25R20 at the front and rear end, respectively.

For the interior, Senner Tuning added black and red Nappa leather surfaces to the seats and door panels together with red stitching, a comprehensive carbon fiber trim kit that covers the steering wheel, dashboard, doors and lower console, plus an R8-sourced flat-bottom steering wheel with shift paddles, and a DVD player.

In regular guise, the S5 features a 3.0-liter supercharged V6 rated for 328bhp (333PS) and 440Nm (324 lb-ft). The German brand's engineers managed to squeeze 429hp and a peak torque of 501Nm (369 lb-ft) out of the engine. By comparison, the RS5's V8 delivers 444hp (450PS) and a maximum torque of 430Nm (318 lb-ft).

An adjustable KW coilover suspension system and a power converter that is said to "sharpen the characteristic of the electronic accelerator pedal", complete the upgrades.

Senner Tuning will sell you a complete vehicle (based on a brand new S5 Coupe) for the paltry sum of €99,700 (US$127,000 at today's exchange rates).

The company is also offering the press car you see in the pictures with around 4,000km (about 2,500 miles) on the odometer for €69,990 (US$89,000), excluding sales tax, which in Germany, is 19 percent.

Then again, for €58,700 (US$74,800) you can get yourself inside a brand new S5 Coupe or better yet, for €78,200 (US$99,600), into a spanking new 444bhp RS5, instead of paying €20k more to buy an S5 that pretends to be an RS5…

 

PHOTO GALLERY

Read more »

A Carrera 4 All Seasons

Whether it's snow, ice or rain-soaked roads, the Porsche 911 Carrera 4 is equipped to handle whatever nature can throw at it.

It's impossible to deny the impact the Porsche 911 has had on the sports car industry over the decades. Love it or hate it, the 911 is often viewed as the quintessential sports car for a number of reasons, one of which is its available all-wheel drive configuration. Cheaper (but not by much) than an Audi R8 and its Quattro all-wheel drive system, the 911 Carrera 4 is one of the few high-performance sports cars on the market today that can handle just about any weather condition it encounters.

To drive that point home, Porsche has just released this video showcasing the new 911 Carrera 4 and how its advanced traction system makes it suitable for year-round motoring.

Read more »