Spyshots: Audi Q5 Facelift

The Audi Q5 was officially introduced in 2008 at the Beijing Auto Show. Exclusively manufactured by the Ingolstadt, Germany Audi factory, the Q5 is one of the first models to be entirely based on the company's LP modular platform.

Audi Q5 Facelift

In our eyes, it’s the Audi SUV everybody should have wanted - smaller and more practical on a daily basis than the Q7. Yet somehow, they seem to have gotten the design a bit wrong in a market where looks are everything.

We’re not sure if they are going to get it right with the facelift, since spy shots reveal precious little other than the fact that it will have fresh headlights and a hexagonal grille. Let's just hope Audi doesn't make minimal changes like they have done recently.

This mule is a bit puzzling, as it’s got 3.0T quattro written on the back. Currently, the Q5 only comes with a 3.2-liter FSI, and we though the 3.0-liter turbo would be reserved for the Q5 S. The V6 unit has the potential of making 333 horsepower, but since this Q5 hasn’t got the quad exhausts of an Audi ‘S’, we don’t expect that much.

Source: Auto Evolution

Spy Photos: BMW X5 M Facelift

Here are the first spy photos of the upcoming BMW X5 M facelift. In 2009, BMW offered their life cycle impulse to the standard X5 models, but the X5 M model came to market around the same time with the pre-facelift design cues.

BMW X5 M Facelift

Nearly three years later, BMW is ready to offer small visual upgrades to the super sporty SAV.

The spied prototype carries light camouflage around the headlights and taillights, an indication that the full LED treatment is coming to the X5 M as well. The X5 M LCI will make use of the adaptive LED headlights, along with redesigned taillights.

No power upgrades are planned for the X5 M so expect the same tuned up 4.4 liter V8 engine delivering 555 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 500 lb-ft of torque from 1,500 to 5,650 rpm. The engine uses the twin-scroll twin turbo technology with High Precision Direct Injection. By positioning the twin-scroll turbochargers together with the catalytic converters in the “V” section between the cylinders, it minimizes the turbo lag and offers better fuel efficiency.

Inside, BMW will most likely offer specific trim and leather options for the X5 M, but no other significant changes.

We predict a premiere of the twin-M SUVs at the New York Auto Show in April.

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Source: BMW Blog

Audi’s Next Generation RS4 to Debut at Geneva

According to Auto Express magazine, an official document leaked on the Internet has confirmed that Audi’s next generation RS4 Avant will debut next month at Geneva Motor Show.

Audi RS4 Avant

But while the previous range-topper was sold as an sedan and estate, it appears the new Audi RS4 will only come as an estate.

According to the same document, the new RS4 will use the same 4.2-liter V8 engine as the RS5 coupe, with 444 hp, mated to a seven-speed twin-clutch S tronic gearbox.

Performance should be on par with the RS5 = with 0-60mph in 4.6 seconds. It is expected to start at 66,000 euro.

The fact the Geneva Motor Show is just around the corner makes it a very likely contender, although it remains to be seen whether it would debut production ready or as a pre-production concept.

Source: INAUTONEWS

2013 BMW M6 Coupe and Convertible unveiled

BMW’s M division has just unveiled the new 2013 M6 Coupe and Convertible. The coupe is set to debut at the 2012 Geneva Auto Show in March, while the convertible will arrive at the 2012 New York Auto show in April.

2013 BMW M6

Powered by a 560-horsepower twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8 engine, which is coupled to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, the new BMW M6 will accelerate from 0 to 62mph in 4.2 seconds (4.3 the convertible M6). In standard form, the M6 reaches a top speed limited to 155mph — or 189mph with the optional M Driver’s Package.

To help rein in all that performance, the M6 has massive brake rotors measuring 15.7 inches in diameter in front and 15.6 inches in the rear. The car also will introduce M division’s first-ever carbon ceramic brakes as an option with the 20-inch wheel package. The new carbon-ceramic brakes are distinguished by six-piston and single-piston floating calipers painted gold.

Also included is BMW’s Active M Differential, an electronically controlled multi-plate limited slip diff that works in conjunction with the DSC and the new Dynamic Damper Controls that electro-hydraulically tweak damping force on-the-fly depending on the settings and the situation.

The front-end of the M6 Convertible will stand out among the other M models. The newly designed M kidney grille now bears an M6 badge, an homage to the first generation M6. The grille’s black, paired kidney grille slats take their cues from the characteristic double-spoke design of the M light-alloy wheels.

The 30 millimeter (1.2 inch) increase in track width over the two cars’ respective 6 Series stablemates is complemented by powerfully flared front wheel arches, which sit flush with the wheels. This extra width offers a clear nod to the optimized roadholding of these high-performance sports cars.

The three-dimensional shaping of their air intakes and race-inspired flaps designed to control airflow to the outer air intakes also underlines the cars’ forward-surging, dynamic character.

An LED accent light cuts across the tops of the standard Adaptive Xenon Headlights. The bright white, three-dimensional LED corona rings are leveled off to striking effect at the top and lower edges. Adaptive LED Headlights are available as an option on both M6 models.

Almost all BMW 6 Series equipment options available, including Comfort Access, active seats, heated steering wheel, doors with Soft Close Automatic function, Navigation system Professional, Bang & Olufsen High- End Surround Sound System.

2013 BMW M6 Performance, fuel consumption and emissions data:

BMW M6 Coupe:

Acceleration [0 – 100 km/h (62 mph)]: 4.2 seconds,
Acceleration [0 – 200 km/h (124 mph)]: 12.6 seconds,
Top speed: 250 km/h (155 mph), 305 km/h (189 mph) with M Driver’s Package,
Average fuel consumption: 9.9 litres/100 kilometres (28.5 mpg imp),
CO2 emissions: 232 g/km, exhaust standard: EU5.

BMW M6 Convertible:

Acceleration [0 – 100 km/h (62 mph)]: 4.3 seconds,
Acceleration [0 – 200 km/h (mph)]: 13.1 seconds,
Top speed: 250 km/h (155 mph), 305 km/h (189 mph) with M Driver’s Package,
Average fuel consumption: 10.3 litres/100 kilometres (27.4 mpg imp),
CO2 emissions: 239 g/km, exhaust standard: EU5.

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Source: INAUTONEWS

Spy Photos: F31 BMW 3 Series Touring

F31 BMW 3 Series Touring

At the upcoming Leipzig Auto Show in June, BMW is expected to unveil the next generation F31 3 Series Touring. As expected, the F31 Touring picks up the design details from the new 3 Series Sedan and adds the typical sport wagon lines.

The spy photos showcase the usual psychedelic camouflage that hides the final design cues, but we don’t expect any major changes at the front or rear-end.

In Europe, the entry level model will be the 320d producing 184 horsepower. Next in the line-up is the more powerful 325d which uses the twin-turbo 218 horsepower four-cylinder engine from the 525d. The six-cylinder diesels will make their way into the 330d and 335d, producing 258 horsepower, respectively 313 hp.

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Source: BMW Blog

New Audi A3 Completely Revealed in Spy Photos

Audi A3 Spyshots

Want to know what the new A3 looks like in the sheetmetal, without the help of renderings or teaser images? Pictures are likely not going to get any clearer than this until Audi themselves publish them!

The all-new A3, based on VW Group’s new modular MQB architecture, has been captured completely undisguised with the exception of a bit of tape round the edges of the lights. Our spy photographers captured it while it was undergoing final tests in northern Scandinavia before it will be officially presented later this month.

The new A3 will be available with a number of advanced powertrains, including the new 140 hp 1.4-liter with a cylinder deactivation system that enables it to work on two cylinders on partial loads.

Expect Audi to reveal the new A3 in the coming couple of weeks, ahead of the auto show debut in Geneva.

Source: Auto Evolution

Audi TT RS plus coming with 360 horsepower

If you are looking for a small car with plenty of power and can go real fast Audi will have a car for you early this year. The Audi TT RS plus will come in both coupe and roadster form with 360 horsepower and capable of 173 mph.

Audi TT RS

The five-cylinder, 2.5-liter TFSI in the Audi TT RS plus is a turbocharged direct-injection unit which delivers 465 Nm (342.97 lb-ft) of torque. Customers can choose between a manual six-speed transmission and the seven-speed S tronic with its lightning-fast gearshifts. The dual-clutch transmission comes with a launch control function which optimizes acceleration from a standing start. The quattro permanent all-wheel drive system, which operates with a multi-plate clutch, transfers engine power to the road.

The Coupé with S tronic catapults from a standstill to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 4.1 seconds (with manual transmission: 4.3 seconds). The Roadster does the same exercise in 4.2 seconds (with manual transmission: 4.4 seconds). Top speed is limited to 280 km/h (173.98 mph) for all versions of the car. The Coupé with S tronic uses an average of just 8.5 liters of fuel per 100 km (27.67 US mpg); the Roadster uses 8.6 liters per 100 km (27.35 US mpg).

Alongside numerous efficiency-improving measures, the impressive mileage figures are due primarily to the extremely lightweight Audi Space Frame (ASF) bodies made of aluminum at the front and sheet steel at the rear. The Coupé with manual transmission, including quattro drive, weighs just 1,450 kilograms (3,196.70 lb); its power-to-weight ratio is 4.0 kilograms (8.82 lb) per horsepower. The power-to-weight ratio of the Roadster is 4.2 kilograms (9.26 lb) per horsepower.

Audi TT RS

The TT RS comes with a high-performance brake system that is able to cope with the engine’s power. Four-piston fixed calipers in conjunction with perforated brake disks are installed on the front axle. The Audi TT RS plus is fitted with 19-inch cast wheels of five-arm “Rotor” design; they are painted black with contrasting red rim flanges. The wheels are fitted with 255/35 tires. The adaptive damping system known as Audi magnetic ride is available as an option. A large, fixed rear wing increases downforce at the back of the car.

The Singleframe radiator grille also sets the Audi TT RS plus apart visually. Its diamond-pattern mesh is in highly polished anthracite, its trim frame has a matt aluminum-look finish. The housings of the exterior mirrors are made of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP). The dual-branch sport exhaust system has black oval tailpipe trims. A sound flap further intensifies the sound of the engine. The Carbon design package gives the engine compartment a more exclusive look. The knob on the gear or selector lever features an aluminum-look trim ring and a TT RS plus badge.

The TT RS plus Coupé with manual transmission costs €60,650 ($79,979) in Germany or €62,800 $82,814) with the seven-speed S tronic . The TT RS plus Roadster has a list price of €63,500 ($83,737) or €65,650 ($86,572) respectively.

Source: Sports Car Illustrated