Audi Unveils Limited-Production 256-HP 2012 A1 Quattro

Audi Unveils Limited-Production 256-HP 2012 A1 Quattro:


Audi is launching the ultimate A1, a limited-edition supermini designed to put the Mini John Cooper Works hardtop to shame. Powered by a turbocharged, direct-injected 2.0-liter four-cylinder producing 256 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque, the all-wheel-drive A1 Quattro is said to hit 62 mph in 5.7 seconds and top out at 152 mph. The JCW Mini needs another half-second or so to get to 62 and tops out at 147. A six-speed manual is the only available transmission; the estimated fuel consumption is 27 mpg in the optimistic European cycle. The A1 Quattro rides on 225/35 rubber and 18-inch cast-aluminum center-lug wheels. Its suspension setup is much firmer than those of lesser A1 models, and the stability-control system can be switched off entirely.

To make sure this A1 does not go unnoticed, it features a seriously modified exterior, available only in white metallic with a black roof and white spoiler. The lower intakes have been enlarged so that they consume almost the entire front fascia, the wing-shaped elements within the xenon headlights are painted red, and the exhaust system sports twin large-diameter tailpipes. If it looks familiar, that’s because it’s basically a production A1 Clubsport concept—unfortunately with barely half of that car’s 503 hp. The interior is dominated by black leather, red accents, brushed steel, and a small flat-bottomed steering wheel. Unlike the Clubsport, the Quattro retains its rear seat.

This limited-edition A1 comes fully equipped with an MMI navigation system; xenon headlights; LED taillights; a 465-watt, 14-speaker stereo system; leather seats; and Wi-Fi. The price has not yet been announced, but Audi will make just 333 units, available beginning in the second half of 2012. It won’t be coming to the U.S.

The A1 Quattro is a precursor to the slightly more civilized S1, which will be launched in 2013. Don’t look for this one as a consolation prize; it’s not coming to the U.S., either. The S1 might also have a 2.0-liter—detuned from the A1 Quattro’s 256 horses—or possibly an upgraded version of VW/Audi’s turbo- and supercharged “twincharger” engine. Whichever it uses, Audi will be sure the S1 outguns the 208-hp Mini John Cooper Works.

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Ferrari Tailor-Made

Ferrari Tailor-Made:

Want your Ferrari to stand out from the crowd? Then the marque’s new Tailor-Made program is what you need.
The Tailor-Made program continues a longstanding Maranello tradition which began in the 1950s and 60s, when clients personalized their cars as a matter of course and enjoyed huge freedom when it came to materials, colors and finish. The result was genuinely unique cars tailored to suit the desires of each individual owner.

That prestigious past has now been revived through a program that permits owners to specify every last detail of their Ferrari, from the exterior livery color to the cabin trim, via an unprecedented choice of finishes, accessories, materials, treatments and colors. All of which are the fruit of the ongoing research and development by the Ferrari Styling Center, taking inspiration from the company’s core values of innovation, elegance and passion.
Owners are assisted and guided through the selection process by their own Personal Designer who is charged with guaranteeing that the resulting cars are both unique and consistent with the Ferrari brand and its tradition. Once the car’s details have been defined, the client can then track all of the various processes involved in its creation, right up until they take delivery or go to Maranello to collect their car.

Scuderia, Classica and Inedita are the three different collections to choose from to create bespoke Ferraris through unique combinations of the many options available.
The Scuderia collection is very much an homage to the track, a fact reflected in the materials and finishes it includes. The list of options ranges from carbon fiber trim to technical fabrics, chamois and rubberized leather, Alcantara, micro-fibers, Kevlar, satin-finish and matte metals.

In the Classica collection, the styling cues and features are given a more modern yet still classic look, through the use of the latest materials and production techniques. Elegant pastel colors of the past; the use of vintage leather, or wool, cashmere or velvet; special treatments for the hard areas of the cabin to match the exterior; chromed elements, stitching details and more natural leathers are just some of the options available.

Inedita is the most experimental of the three collections and Ferrari feels it may well give rise to some of the classic trims and finishes of the future. Denim, bold leather upholstery, suit fabrics and technical fabrics are just a few of the innovative and intriguing options available to owners who choose to personalize their cars from the Inedita collection.

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Honda to Preview 2013 Accord with Accord Coupe Concept at Detroit Auto Show

Honda to Preview 2013 Accord with Accord Coupe Concept at Detroit Auto Show:

Honda has announced that it will bring a design study of the 2013 Accord Coupe to the Detroit auto show. The Detroit show is already shaping up to be a big one for Honda—Acura, its luxury subsidiary, will debut the next NSX sports car, RDX crossover, and the new Honda Civic–based ILX in Detroit—and the Accord is one of the automaker’s most important models. The current-generation Accord (the 2012 coupe is pictured below) hit the market in 2007, and although it’s a perennial sales leader and is again on our 10Best cars list this year, it could certainly use a few updates.

Honda didn’t offer us any peeks at the new coupe, but the announcement does confirm that the next Accord family will include a two-door model. Honda has a history of displaying “concept cars” that look nearly identical to the production models that follow; expect that to be true of this Accord coupe concept, too. The next Accord—coupe and sedan—will go on sale in the fall of 2012.

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The Acura of Tomorrow.

The Acura of Tomorrow Drives Itself:

Honda’s latest concept drives itself, letting you to literally kick back and enjoy the ride.
Little of the AC-X — for Advanced Cruise eXperience — is grounded in reality, but then again, this is the Tokyo auto show. Few concepts we see in Tokyo aren’t grounded in reality. Like the gorgeous, but slow, electric Honda EV-STER, the AC-X is a glimpse of what could be. There’s a lot to like about this slick plug-in hybrid, and a lot to make you wonder, WTF?
Lets start with the interior, where Honda continues showing its disdain for steering wheels.

The AC-X is at least the third concept we’ve seen from Honda that features joysticks instead of a steering wheel. Honda calls it “twin-lever steering” and claims it is easier than using a wheel. According to the guys at Autocar, Honda tested the tech in an old F1 car and claims it led to better lap times. Hmmm…
In any event, the joysticks are available in “Engine-Drive Mode,” which lets you drive the AC-X pretty much like you’d drive a Civic or Accord. When the rigors of driving become too much, flip the switch to “Automatic-Drive Mode.” The joysticks retract and the car takes over, leaving you free to kick back in a reclining seat with an ottoman.

The exterior is stylish, even if we have no idea what Honda means when it describes it as “dual solid motion.” It continues a theme we’ve seen with cars like the FCX Clarity and FC Sport, but is more futuristic. The front end is a bit much, but Honda design director Yoshinori Asahi told Car & Driver the AC-X could influence the look of future Acura TL or RL models.
The body is accentuated by active aerodynamics that lower the front fascia and side skirts and adjust the rear diffuser. All of the moving around makes the car a little slicker at high speed, when half the energy a car expends is needed to simply push the air out of the way.
For all the high-tech gadgetry, the drivetrain is relatively standard fare, which suggests it might be something we’ll see in showrooms in the near future. It features a 161-horsepower electric motor mated to a 127 horsepower 1.6-liter gasoline engine. Honda says it will go up to 62 mph on electric power alone. Claimed range is 31 miles, though Honda didn’t offer any specs on the battery.
Honda’s said it will have some plug-in hybrids on the road next year, so although the AC-X is an outlandish flight of fancy, the drivetrain underpinning may not be.
Images: Honda

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Volvo Designer Re-Imagines the 1960s-Era P1800 Sports Car for Its 50th Anniversary

Volvo Designer Re-Imagines the 1960s-Era P1800 Sports Car for Its 50th Anniversary:

To honor the 50th anniversary of its P1800, Volvo had its design director Christopher Benjamin pen a few sketches of what he thinks the P1800 of today might look like. An attractive 2+2 coupe that first bowed in 1961, the P1800 was later joined by an even-cooler hatchback/shooting brake iteration. In its day, the P1800 was more of a grand tourer than a sports car, but over its lifespan, it was still the sportiest member of Volvo’s lineup.

Benjamin’s sketches, posted on Facebook for public feedback, show a thoroughly modern coupe that borrows just enough detail from the classic P1800 for a familial link, but not so much that it can be considered retro. The basic grille shape and well-balanced proportions are shared with the old car, and Benjamin also incorporated the P1800’s signature upswept body-side character line. He even cleverly echoed that car’s “bull horn” front bumpers with subtle character lines on the concept’s front fascia.
The original coupe’s design was so good that it went nearly unchanged until it went out of production 11 years later in 1972. The hatchback model, called the ES, joined the lineup in 1971 and lasted until 1973. Its all-glass hatch served as inspiration for the current C30‘s funky rear end. With Volvo canceling less-profitable models left and right, it seems unlikely to devote resources to a low-volume sports car. Then again, CEO Stefan Jacoby has made it clear that the company is thinking about a replacement for the C70; maybe these sketches will influence that car’s shape.

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McLaren Mercedes SLR 722 "Epochal" by Wheelsandmore

McLaren Mercedes SLR 722 "Epochal" by Wheelsandmore:

There are those tuning companies that can be out of the spotlight for a few months, generating little to no headlines, but when they do resurface, they come out swinging with some pretty jaw-dropping projects.
That’s the case for German tuning company, Wheelsandmore. We haven’t seen or heard from these guys for a while now, but they’ve definitely come back with a bang with their new "Epochal" program for the McLaren Mercedes SLR 722.
It’s hard to build a program for a car as exclusive a the McLaren SLR 722, but Wheelsandmore was certainly up to the task. The carbon fiber body of the McLaren SLR 722 received a pretty svelte companion in the form of a new set of 20" handmade Type 6Sporz ² forged wheels wrapped in Dunlop tires. For the interior, the luxury refinements come in the form of grandiose interior leather matched with doses of Alcantara and carbon fiber, plus a modern steering wheel with carbon gearshift paddles that have been installed from its exclusive Performance Series. The company also provided an improved suspension set-up to be able to handle the increased performance of the supercar. With the help of suspension specialist KW Automotive, Wheelsandmore managed to improve the suspension of the supercar by developing in train and rebounding the adjustable coilover suspension with housings made of high strength aluminum alloy.
For the engine upgrade, Wheelsandmore made use of a customized software program on the supercar’s 5.5-liter V8 front-mid engine, while also installing a hand-made exhaust system and a remotely controllable exhaust muffler with flaps. From the already impressive 650-horsepower output of the supercar, Wheelsandmore managed to spike up the power all the way to 727 horsepower with further enhancements taking the output to a mouth-watering 800 horsepower.

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Ferrari Tailor-Made Personalization Program

Ferrari Tailor-Made Personalization Program:

Ferrari is now offering its clients the chance to create a truly bespoke vehicle with a new, exclusive Tailor-Made personalization program. This new program continues a tradition started in the 1950s and 60s, a time when clients enjoyed huge freedom when it came to materials, colors, and finish.
The new Tailor-Made program includes three collections inspired directly by Ferrari’s DNA: Scuderia, Classica, and Inedita. Regardless of the collection the client chooses, he will have the opportunity to select everything from traditional and luxury materials - including cashmere, denim, or carbon-fiber - to every possible color.
The Scuderia collection was inspired by Ferrari’s sporting history. It includes anything from carbon-fiber trim to technical fabrics, chamois and rubberised leather, Alcantara, microfibers, Kevlar, satin-finish, and matte metals.
The Classica collection is for those who want to give a modern twist to their vehicles. It includes elegant pastel colors of the past; the use of vintage leather, or wool, cashmere or velvet; special treatments for the hard areas of the cabin to match the exterior; chromed elements, stitching details, and more natural leathers.
Finally, the Inedita collection introduces an element of experimentation and innovation in terms of styling, colors, and materials. With this collection, customers will be able to opt for denim, bold leather upholstery, suit fabrics, and technical fabrics.

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Car and Driver reveals its 2012 10Best cars [w/video]

Car and Driver reveals its 2012 10 Best cars :

Each year, the scribes at Car and Driver go through every new vehicle on sale and pick the ten best cars available here in the United States. And while some major automotive awards are only shelled out to vehicles that are all-new or significantly updated for a certain model year, C/D's approach is to look at the full scope of cars currently on sale. After all, there are some cars that are simply perennial favorites, even if they haven't changed year over year.


For 2012, the Chevrolet Volt and Hyundai Sonata have fallen off the list to make room for the Audi A6/A7 and Ford Focus. The other eight vehicles that round out the 10Best list have carried over from the 2011 winners, but we can't say we're surprised. These ten cars indeed represent some of the best vehicles on sale today.


The 2012 Car and Driver 10Best winners are:

• Audi A6/A7
• BMW 3 Series / M3
• Cadillac CTS-V
• Ford Focus
• Ford Mustang GT / Boss 302
• Honda Accord
• Honda Fit
• Mazda MX-5
• Porsche Boxster / Cayman
• Volkswagen Golf / GTI

Head over to Car and Driver to read the full 10Best roundup.

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Ward's releases annual 10 Best Engines list

It's that time of year, folks. No, we're not referring to the oodles of time spent shopping for the holidays, we're talking about end-of-the-year lists. Kicking things off in the automotive spectrum is industry stalwart Ward's Auto, which has just released its annual 10 Best Engines list.

Without further ado, here are the award-winners for 2012:

• 3.0L TFSI Supercharged DOHC V-6 (Audi A6)
• 2.0L N20 Turbocharged DOHC I-4 (BMW Z4/528i)
• 3.0L N55 Turbocharged DOHC I-6 (BMW 335i Coupe)
• 3.6L Pentastar DOHC V-6 (Chrysler 300/Jeep Wrangler)
• 2.0L EcoBoost DOHC I-4 (Ford Edge)
• 5.0L DOHC V-8 (Ford Mustang Boss 302)
• 2.0L Turbocharged DOHC I-4 (Buick Regal GS)
• 1.6L DOHC I-4 (Hyundai Accent/Kia Soul)
• 2.0L Skyactiv DOHC I-4 (Mazda3)
• 3.5L DOHC V-6 HEV (Infiniti M35h)

It comes as little surprise that seven of the ten engines on the list feature the most recent advance in power and efficiency, namely direct injection, or that a full half of them are boosted with the addition of either a supercharger or a turbocharger. Perhaps more surprising is that there's only one hybrid powertrain on the list, and it's from Infiniti, not Toyota or Lexus.


In fact, there isn't a single engine from Honda or Toyota on 2011's edition of the 10 Best Engines, nor are the 1.4-liter/111kW electric motor package in the Chevrolet Volt or 80kW AC motor in the Nissan Leaf anywhere to be found - both of which were on the list in 2010. Also missing? A diesel... any diesel - and there certainly are a few options from the likes of Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen from which to choose.


Though its neither direct-injected nor turbocharged, the Pentastar V6 from Chrysler is surely worthy of inclusion, if for no other reason than its single-handed ability to transform any vehicle it's in from an also-ran to a competitive proposition.


We'll also give a shout-out to Ford, which earned two spots on the list but could seemingly have garnered another for the excellent 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine in the F-150 pickup. Ward's has plenty of commentary on why each engine was chosen, and you can read all about it right here. But first, have a look at each powerplant in our high-res image gallery.

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Ferrari F430 Scuderia Art Car by Philippe Pasqua

Ferrari F430 Scuderia Art Car by Philippe Pasqua:

Earlier this year, we chanced upon a dressed up Ferrari F430 Scuderia that was turned into a proverbial art car by digital artist Laurence Gartel, the same dude that pretty much taught Andy Warhol the ropes.

Recently, another 430 Scuderia-based Art Car was seen being developed, only this time, it’s the work of one Philippe Pasqua. The French artist took the task of wrapping up the Italian super car’s body in treated cowhide leather before putting his artistic skills to good use, designing the 430 Scuderia’s body in what can only be described as a comprehensive ode to something you’d see from Ed Hardy.

We doubt that Pasqua’s design had anything to do with the American clothing brand, but the intricate detail of Japanese motifs, sea creatures, and frightening skulls certainly speaks to the language of Hardy’s work. What we can take away from Pasqua’s design on the 430 Scuderia is that the man is a hell of an artist. What’s especially impressive is the fact that he was able to work around all of the edges and tiny crevices on the Italian supercar to enhance the beauty of his project.

We’ll give props where they’re due, and in Pasqua’s case, it’s all very much warranted. Now, if you happen to be in Paris next month, be sure to stop by at the Galerie Laurent Strouk to check out the Pasqua’s Ferrari F430 Scuderia Art Car hanging on a wall as an exhibit.

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Audi exec reconfirms plans for BMW X6 rival

Audi exec reconfirms plans for BMW X6 rival:

It's been a spell since we caught wind of the rumored BMW X6 fighter from Audi, but Automotive News Europe reports the vehicle is still in development. The publication quotes Walter de'Silva, design chief with the Volkswagen Group, as saying Audi will definitely launch a more athletic crossover positioned between the Q5 and the Q7. Details are understandably scarce at the moment, but the vehicle will likely be designed to help Audi tap into the premium softroader segment where buyers aren't afraid to pay top dollar for a vehicle. Unless Audi unexpectedly decides to completely scrap its alphanumeric naming scheme, odds are the newcomer will wear Q6 badges when it bows.

Previously, we've heard the Q6 will ride on the same bones as the Volkswagen Touareg and Porsche Cayenne, though no engine specifics have surfaced as of yet. It doesn't take otherworldly powers of deduction to realize it wouldn't be difficult for Audi to produce a hybrid Q6 if the vehicle does, in fact, share a chassis with its Volkswagen and Porsche cousins.

What about other bouncing baby crossovers from Audi? De'Silva said that the company is still investigating whether to introduce a new Q4 to give BMW X4 buyers another option.

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Honda Announces "Earth Dreams Technology"

Honda Announces "Earth Dreams Technology": TOKYO, Japan - Honda announced the outline for a revolutionary next-generation technology for automobiles called "Earth Dreams Technology."

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2012 Automobile of the Year - Audi A7

2012 Automobile of the Year - Audi A7:

	2012 Automobile of the Year - Audi A7 The Audi A7 is Automobile Magazine's 2012 Automobile of the Year. Read the full story to learn why the A7 won Automobile of the Year here: www.automobilemag.com	From: automobile Views: 5545 39 ratings
	Time: 04:36	More in Autos & Vehicles

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Bugatti venom the latest car 2011-2012.

The latest Bugati Venom.

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2012 Rolls-Royce Phantom

2012 Rolls-Royce Phantom: The Basics: Long considered the premier name in automobiles when extreme luxury and refinement are desired, Rolls-Royce's Phantom is the marque's current top-of-the-list, available in Sedan, Coupe, and Drophead Coupe (convertible) styles. No matter the body style chosen, the Phantom is an expansive automobile. The distinctive, classical exterior...

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2012 Audi Q5

2012 Audi Q5: The Basics: The 2012 Audi Q5 is part of a burgeoning class of compact luxury crossovers, but it's one of the most stylish, fuel-efficient, and enjoyable to drive among tough competition that includes the Mercedes-Benz GLK and BMW X3. Nice proportions, and a clean, cohesive look inside and out make the Q5 feel less like merely a downsized Q7 and...

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Tata Motors September sales up 24 per cent - Business Today - Business News

Tata Motors September sales up 24 per cent - Business Today - Business News

Automobile giant Tata Motors Group on Friday reported a 24 per cent increase in its global sales for September which stood at 107,258 units.

The group's global passenger car sales grew by 21 per cent in September at 55,539 units while cumulative sales for the fiscal declined by four per cent at 268,138 units.

"Global sales of Tata passenger vehicles and the distribution off-take in India of Fiat cars were at 27,900 for the month, higher by five percent over September 2010," the statement said.

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