2012 A6 Allroad biturbo diesel; 479ft-lbs, 42mpg, NOT coming to the USA :(

From autoblog.com; As an American living in Italy, there are often entire month-long stretches where I drive nothing but European cars that will sadly never come out to play on American soil. Such is the case for the abundantly adored Audi A6 Allroad Quattro seen here. I was initially of the assumption that since the A4 Allroad had already been confirmed for the U.S. that the A6 Allroad would be coming as well, but I am dismayed to report otherwise.

Such a pity, too. The business case for giving North America the whole range of Audi models that Germany offers apparently just doesn’t pan out financially – and for some of us, it’s the old predictable story of unrequited love across the chilly Atlantic.

Team Ingolstadt brought me into their home in Neckarsulm just north of hilly Stuttgart for this drive through the area’s precisely cultivated fields of hops. The aroma of beer is everywhere here, which may go some way toward explaining just why the new A6 Allroad felt so good under and around me as we freight-trained along the Swabian two-lanes.

On hand, a trio of engines: the 241-horsepower 3.0 TDI V6 with 428 pound-feet of torque and seven-speed S tronic, 306-hp supercharged 3.0 TFSI V6 with 325 lb-ft of torque and S tronic, and all-new biturbo 3.0 biTDI V6 with 313 hp and a cranking 480 lb-ft of torque paired with an eight-speed Tiptronic. I felt obliged to try out the TFSI gas-powered A6 Allroad that in theory would be the most likely candidate for U.S. importation, and sure enough, it was solid work over Germany’s postcard roads. Even so, my mind was on my appointment with the mighty biturbo diesel the entire time.

With the A6 Allroad in the TFSI engine trim costing 12-percent more than a similarly equipped sedan in Germany, a U.S. price would most likely follow suit and hover dangerously near $57,000 after destination charges. As for the raucous biturbo diesel, we’d be staring at around $62k.

All testers came fully optioned, too, of course, so those added accessories would jack the price up nicely. Standard wheel size is 18 inches on these husky taskmasters, but my cars for the day were fitted with optional 19-inch treads – the 3.0 biTDI sporting 255/45 Pirelli P Zeros (20s are available, too). Most of the driving was over those idyllic sun-drenched roads of beer, but I escaped to some no-limit autobahn as well, plus I had to find some grassy dirt two-track through a pretty field or two to see how this bigger Allroad behaved in its truest theoretical element.

I’m a supporter of the seven-speed S tronic transmission, certainly versus Audi’s clunky R tronic, and this setup proved itself highly capable once again, wonderfully flexible in every condition mated to the supercharged TFSI V6. Germany gives this particular A6 Allroad a curb weight of 4,255 pounds, and the standard air suspension with Audi Drive Select chassis calibrations did a good job of reining in the mass even as I let loose. If nothing else, Audi has learned how to deal with Quattro’s weightiness and the neutral handling seen on nearly all of its hefty cars. In these Allroad models, one comes to expect the thick and somewhat numb steering feel, but the emphasis on comfort is certainly well executed.

To emphasize the Allroad’s ruggedness, Audi has thoughtfully added both Tilt Angle Display and Hill Descent Control functions to its Multi Media Interface (MMI). The former is a cool tool while softroading for monitoring the sideways incline and fore-aft inclines you’re putting your family through while on the way to grandma’s house. It gives a graphic display that I found very helpful in a couple of tight spots along the way. And while you may think it’s a caving-in to the almighty Apple, the new pair of iPad holders that slip into the backside of the front seats are a first and they are a brilliant touch. Here they cost roughly $200, and I would expect to see them offered in the U.S. very soon on various models from Audi and others.

But I digress from the Holy Grail of my journey: the A6 Allroad with 3.0 biTDI and eight-speed Tiptronic. Whoa, this horse goes. It can get to 62 mph in a stated and conservative 5.6 seconds versus the TFSI’s 5.9 seconds, and top speed is predictably governed at 155 mph. Curb weight rises to 4,380 pounds, but the V37 engine’s potent and progressive biturbo setup makes all action between 1,450 and 4,500 rpm terrifically nimble. As the torque wave that gets everything going under hard acceleration starts to fall off at 2,800 rpm, the power curve takes over as it rises steeply up to 313 hp from 3,900 to 4,500 rpm. The redline is pegged at 5,100 revs and the sound that comes from the optional sport exhaust when all things in ADS are set to Dynamic is brilliantly un-diesel.

The biturbo strategy here with the V37 works thus: Under easier throttle loads, the smaller GT17 Garrett turbocharger works up until the engine reaches 3,600 rpm, while the larger GT30 unit (which never really stops circulating completely) chimes in at 3,000 rpm. From 1,200 rpm under any load, the small-volume GT17 is at its maximum boost pressure of 31.9 psi. When the accelerator demands full power, however, both the GT17 and GT30 work together up to 3,000 rpm for maximum boost, at which point the stressed GT17 bows out and all forced induction bypasses to the lower-pressure but higher-throughput GT30. From behind the wheel, the feeling is that the urge to thrust forward never pauses, not even for a moment. It’s incredibly addictive, especially when the fuel needle moves downward so slowly. Estimated U.S. gallon averages linger around 35 mpg, which is pretty hot stuff for something this versatile and powerful.

This Ingolstadt wagon still leads the herd with a roof weight capacity of 220 pounds, while towing weight on this biturbo TDI reaches 5,500 pounds and cargo space ranges from 20.0 cubic feet on up to 59.3 cu ft. It’s easy to imagine the full-family, four-season road trips.

Sadly, Audi has seen fit to deny North America the glory of driving an A6-based Avant model. We’ll have to content ourselves with the A4 wagon and Allroad as the only load-lugging offerings from Ingolstadt for the foreseeable future. Maybe if people buy the smaller softroader in sufficient numbers, Audi will be able to screw together a business case for the wonderful A6 Allroad as well. Open your checkbooks, voters.”

More pics here; http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?5644767-Audi-A6-Allroad-3.0v6BiTDi-%28EVO-first-drive%29
Another review here; More pics here; http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?5644767-Audi-A6-Allroad-3.0v6BiTDi-%28EVO-first-drive%29

’12 VW Polo GT–50mpg

From autoblog.com; “Volkswagen already offers quite a bit of fun in the small hatchback segment with the 177-horsepower, 40-mpg Polo GTI, but for those wanting even better fuel economy without sacrificing any fun, VW has announced the Polo Blue GT.

Fitted with the new 1.4-liter TSI inline-four, the Blue GT is capable of achieving up to 50 mpg thanks to direct injection, cylinder deactivation and stop/start technology. With 138 horsepower, the hatchback is capable of reaching 62 mph in 7.9 seconds and can achieve a top speed of 130 mph.

Distinguishing itself from the rest of the Polo lineup, the Blue GT features a mix of components from the VW parts bin including front and rear bumpers and a rear spoiler from the Polo GTI, as well as side sills from the BlueMotion model. The car also features unique 17-inch wheels, special badging and a lowered ride height of 15mm. Inside the Blue GT gets redesigned sports seats, a leather-trimmed steering wheel and instrumentation from the GTI model.”

German site link here; http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/07/2012-volkswagen-polo-blue-gt-geneva-2012/

Audi A2 Electric Car Drives 375 Miles at 55mph, recharges in 6minutes

From greencarreports.com; “We all know that battery packs are the weakest link in electric vehicles. Not only are they heavy and expensive, but they take a long time to recharge and on average can only provide around 100 miles per charge.

A German-based company has changed all that with a new vehicle capable of driving up to 375 miles at moderate highway speeds.

That’s roughly the equivalent of driving from Santa Barbara, CA to the Hoover Dam, without a recharge.

It doesn’t end there. The company responsible for the battery pack, DBM Energy, claims a battery pack efficiency of 97 percent and a recharge time of around 6 minutes when charged from a direct current source.

Unlike the small Daihatsu which was heavily modified by a team in Japan earlier this year that achieved a massive 623 miles on a charge at around 27 mph, the Audi A2 modified by DBM Energy was able to achieve its 375 miles range at an average speed of 55 mph.

In contrast to the Japanese Daihatsu which had just one seat to enable more batteries to be squeezed into its diminutive frame, the DBM A2 retained its four original seats.

At the end of the historic drive, DBM’s CEO Mirko Hannemann, who has been driving the car for around seven hours between the German cities of Munich and Berlin even offered to charge up the cellphones of the waiting journalists with the remaining power left in the car.

Funded as part of a joint venture between German utility company Lekker Energie and the German Economy Ministry, the prototype battery offers a glimpse into the future of the electric car.

Don’t think for a second that this is a one-off battery pack. DBM’s battery technology, called KOLIBRI AlphaPolymer, is already in use in the unglamorous role of warehouses, where forklift trucks running on the same battery pack are capable of 28 hours of continuous operation before recharging is required.

We’re always a little cautious of battery technologies offering ultra-fast recharge and a magnitude of range improvement on other battery chemistry types, but everything we’ve seen and heard from DBM Energy thus far points to a battery technology we’re all keen to watch.

Could this be the future of electric vehicles? Is it ready?

If the battery technology is truly as revolutionary as this impressive journey hints and the battery packs from DBM are ready for the arduous duties of daily abuse at the hands of electric car drivers worldwide it is conceivable that this could be the answer to range anxiety.

Even more, dare we suggest it, the conventional combustion engined car may have met its match.

Only time will tell.”

Audi runs rings around green lobby…with heated gearbox oil!

From autocar.co.uk;

“The blink-and-you’ll-miss-it star of the Paris show was undoubtedly the Audi A4 Concept E.

European government is well down the road on demanding that the average CO2 output of a car maker’s range is just 130g/km – with promise of further cuts to come. As a result, some people in the industry wondered whether the day of the large car was over, and whether we would all end up in diesel-powered Ford Focuses.

However, the EU hadn’t figured on the might of the German auto engineer.

By applying a host of detailed fuel-saving measures, Audi has managed to turn its new A4 into a Prius-humbling fuel sipper.

The Concept E’s 105g/km CO2 (58.95mpg) rating has been achieved through some extremely clever lateral thinking. The 2.0-litre TDI engine gets new software, a new cooling system, de-coupling oil and water pumps and even softer valve springs. The stop-start system is backed up by a secondary battery, which powers the A4’s ancillaries when the engine is off.

The rear brakes are electrically actuated and the Concept E gets an aerodynamic underbody. Weight saving measures include a magnesium casing for the gearbox.

But the crowning glory is the Concept E’s heated gearbox oil, which helps reduce frictional losses when the car is first started.

Even better, the EU legislators – who are mostly trying to pick a fight with the EU car industry – have been put firmly on the back foot.”

Did you know there was a factory B5 A4 TDi/electric hybrid??

Translated; “It’s built on the B5 Audi A4 Avant. Audi Duo is the first in Europe to standard hybrid vehicle, which was offered from 1997 at a price of 60,000 DM. Due to low demand, production was halted in 1998.

The proven TDI engine with a displacement of 1.9 liters and 66 kW power was used as an internal combustion engine. As an electric drive of the Audi Duo, a synchronous machine with an output of 21 kW (29 hp) installed, which is accompanied by a translation stage to the five-speed gearbox connected. 1/min due to the rated speed of 10 000, this system is called a high-speed concept (because the speed is significantly higher relative to the engine speed).

As a lead-acid battery energy storage has been used with a weight of 320 kg, providing a capacity of 10 kWh and is installed in the trunk. As a special feature you can perform the power cable with which it allows the driver the car is it can be connected to the outlet.”

Rumor: BMW X6 M50d 0-62mph in 4.9 sec and 545 lb-ft of torque…38mpg!!

From bmwblog.com; “BMWBLOG learned from our sources that the new and first M diesel, the BMW X6 M50d, will run from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.9 seconds. Furthermore, we learned that the car will output 381 horsepower and 545 lb-ft of torque (740Nm).

The X6 M50d will come equipped with an innovative and unique engine, a tri-turbo six-cylinder diesel. The internal code for the BMW X6 M50d is FH81 and production will begin in April 2012.

The M division will offer the M50d with a revised front hood, included as option number 348.

But this is not all. We also learned that the “step-brother”, BMW M550d xDrive will also be equipped with the same powerplant, running to 62 mph in 4.7 seconds. Thanks to the innovative diesel technology, BMW expects a fuel consumption of 6.3 liter per 100 km, or nearly 38 MPG. CO2 levels are 165 g/km.

The FV71 M550d will go in production in March 2012 and will be offered as an European only model.”

Of course, European only.

Report: All Audi models to be available with diesel engines by 2015

From autoblog.com; “Diesel is slowly making an impression here in the United States and Audi has been paying attention. Parent company Volkswagen has been selling a steady stream of diesels for many years, and the enthusiasm for the oil-burners has filtered up into the luxury segment. By 2015, Audi plans to have a diesel variant available for every volume product in its lineup.

This means we still won’t see a production R8 V12 TDI, but it does mean we can look forward to seeing the A4, A6, A8 and Q5 with TDI variants. Currently, the A3 and Q7 are the only US Audis available with diesel engines. You’ve no doubt seen A3 TDIs rolling past you as you stop for gas, since the diesel version now accounts for nearly half of all A3 sales. 40 percent of Q7s have the diesel engine under the hood, and Audi is having trouble keeping either model in stock.

Automakers face stricter fuel economy targets in the coming years, and one way to improve their lineups’ mile-per-gallon figures is by adding diesel versions across the entire range. Audi believes that by 2015, diesels will make up 20 percent of the U.S. sales volume – a vast improvement over the current 5.5 percent.”

Let’s just hope that they’re all Quattro!!

Audi Mum On Mexico Plant; Delaying A6, A8 Hybrids

From wardsauto.com;

“Audi remains tight-lipped about any plans for a new vehicle-assembly plant in North America, hinting its U.S. sales volume does not warrant the capacity yet.

Supplier sources tell WardsAuto this week the German luxury brand will build a new facility in Mexico.

But Audi of America President Johan de Nysschen says “no decision has been made.”

“First of all, Audi of America has to earn its right to a factory,” he tells WardsAuto at the auto show here.

“We passed through the 100,000 (calendar-year sales) barrier last year for the first time,” he says. “Even the most modern and lean and efficiently constructed facility wants to produce 120,000 to 150,000 cars in order to be (profitable).

“If you want local content, you’ve got to get suppliers to set up with you, and they’re not interested in selling you 10 widgets,” de Nysschen adds. “They would like to sell a whole lot.”

However, given Audi’s continued ascendancy worldwide and in the U.S., where sales were up 16.5% through October to 95,206 units, a new plant likely will be necessary sooner than later.

In the “pro” column for a North American site with local content is a potentially large revenue stream.

“We’ve doubled our size, and it will not be very long before you have as much as $10 billion, $11 billion, $12 billion of revenue that is hanging out there and exposed to exchange-rate fluctuations,” de Nysschen says.

Also to be decided is whether Audi would build a factory to supply vehicles exclusively for North America or for the global market, he says. “Those conclusions haven’t been finalized.”

Looking to next year, Audi of America will focus heavily on diesels.

Diesel variants of the Q5 cross/utility vehicle and A8 flagship sedan will launch in 2012. But a diesel version of the new A6 sedan, originally pegged for next year, may be pushed to early 2013, de Nysschen says.

A diesel A7 5-door sedan has “potential,” he adds, without putting a date on the introduction.

Also due in 2012 is a hybrid version of the Q5, but Audi is holding off on bringing hybrid A6s and A8s to the U.S. to minimize lineup complexity.

De Nysschen touts the success of the new A6, with deliveries up 14.1% through October.

Sales have risen in a stagnant segment, he contends, meaning the brand is conquesting sales from competitors.

However, the Mercedes E-Class is up as well, gaining 4.1% in the first 10 months. But neither the A6 nor the E-Class can keep up with the BMW 5-Series, sales of which soared 46.4% through October.

Audi expects roughly 17% of A6 sales to be the new S6 performance variant, which debuted here at the auto show.

That percentage is on par with the S4’s slice of A4 deliveries, de Nysschen says.”

Unique TDI engine for the Audi R18 TDI

Courtesy of Audi MediaInfo;

Unique TDI engine for the Audi R18 TDI

• Only six weeks to go before the 24 Hours of Le Mans
• Compact V6 TDI power unit with single turbocharger
• Exhaust manifold and VTG sit between cylinder banks

Ingolstadt, April 28, 2011 – The new Audi R18 TDI with which Audi targets its tenth victory in the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 11/12 is ready today with “tomorrow’s” technology. During development of the new LMP1 sports car the integration and future electrification of the powertrain and various possible concepts for energy recuperation have been taken into account.

“We are very conscious of such systems,” explains Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. “In our opinion, just as soon as this technology proves to be the most efficient we will use it at Le Mans.”

Although diesel engines have been repeatedly restricted by the regulations since their victorious introduction in 2006, Audi relies on TDI power once again for its new LMP1. “Audi invented the TDI engine and is convinced that this technology remains one of the most efficient and modern forms to power a car – especially at Le Mans where engines with high specific power, low fuel consumption and low emissions are a necessity.”

New regulations devised by the Automobile Club de L’Ouest (ACO) and introduced this year dictate significantly smaller engines. Audi has chosen a particularly compact 3.7 liter V6 TDI engine, which is about 25 per cent lighter than the V10 TDI power plant previously fitted to the older R15 TDI, and which leaves all options open for the technicians with regard to electrification and energy recuperation. “This would not be the case with a V8, for example, which is also permitted by the regulations,” explains Ulrich Baretzky, Head of Engine Development at Audi Sport.

However, Audi does not only surprise with its extremely compact engine. The concept is also innovative for an LMP1 sports car. To lower the center of gravity as much as possible and to improve airflow through the car, the exhaust manifolds were migrated from the left and right hand sides of the engine to sit between the two cylinder banks. “Hot side inside” is the name given to this concept by specialists, which was implemented in similar form in Formula 1 in the 1980s. But the V6 TDI engine powering the Audi R18 TDI, which has a cylinder angle of 120 degrees and thus an extremely low center of gravity, is technically generations further along the line and is also a technology-demonstrator for future production engines.

In contrast to previous Audi Le Mans sports cars, which all had twin turbochargers, the R18 TDI is quite logically now only fitted with a single turbocharger that also sits above the engine and draws its air directly through the air scoop mounted on the roof. “In this way we are able to convert the dynamic pressure generated at high speeds with minimal losses into power,” explains Dr. Martin Mühlmeier, Head of Technology at Audi Sport.

The mono-turbo concept developed in cooperation with Garrett was only made possible by the variable turbine geometry (VTG) already used victoriously in the R15 TDI. “Otherwise the response characteristics of such a large turbocharger would just be too bad,” explains Baretzky.

The concept was continued logically through a single pipe exhaust that exits at the rear of the R18 TDI below the new fin which is stipulated by the regulations. “This also stands for Audi ultra lightweight technology,” says Baretzky, “since we save components and weight – for example for a second diesel particle filter.”

Audi Sport has worked since July 2009 on the innovative engine concept for which numerous new routes had to be explored. To control the enormous ignition pressures and loads now only distributed between six cylinders, a unique method of cooling the cylinder heads was developed for the aluminum power unit, a concept that could also be interesting in the future for production.

Owing to the compact engine and uncluttered flanks, the airflow from the coolers can now exit practically unobstructed through the rear end. “We could increase the aerodynamic efficiency of the car as a result,” says Martin Mühlmeier, Head of Technology at Audi Sport. This aspect is even more important than ever before at Le Mans due to the reduction in engine power – for the Audi R18 TDI more than 397 kW (540 hp).

Another unique aspect of the new Le Mans sports car is its unusual sound. The Audi R18 TDI is probably the quietest race car Audi Sport has ever built. “Noise is unused energy,” stresses Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich who is delighted by the whispering murmur of the R18 TDI. “The sound is unique,” raves Le Mans record winner Tom Kristensen. “It’s hard to describe. You have to hear it yourself. I think it’s fantastic.”

Audi to bring more diesels to U.S. market

From Autoweek.com;

“Encouraged by healthy U.S. demand for diesel-powered versions of the A3 hatchback and Q7 crossover, Audi will add diesel powerplants to the A8 and A6 sedans and the Q5 crossover within the next 24 to 30 months, Audi of America Inc. president Johan de Nysschen said Tuesday.

Also, Audi will decide before the end of 2015 whether to set up a U.S. manufacturing plant, de Nysschen said.

Audi’s U.S. sales are forecast to exceed 150,000 units by the second half of the decade, giving the brand the volume it would need to justify manufacturing in the United States.

“We have to earn the right to set up a manufacturing plant in the U.S. It is volume determined,” de Nysschen said in a Web cast summing up Audi’s 2010 U.S. performance. “You need a critical mass in order to justify investment in the plant.”

De Nysschen did not say whether Audi would build a factory or share the VW brand’s new plant in Chattanooga, where the all-new Passat designed for the United States is being built.

De Nysschen forecast Audi will sell 114,000 vehicles in the United States this year, up from 101,629 in 2010. The sales increase will be driven by demand for the new-generation A8 flagship sedan launched late last year, the all-new A7 coupe and the redesigned A6 due later this year, he said.

De Nysschen said Audi expects U.S. sales to reach 130,000 to 140,000 by mid-decade.

Audi’s growth in 2011 will be constrained by limited supplies because of high worldwide demand. According to the Automotive News Data Center, Audi had a 28-day supply on March 1.

“We have become the victims of our own success,” and because of the shortage of vehicles “we have not attained all the retail sales opportunities we have had available to us,” he said.

In the U.S. market, supplies of the Q5, Q7, A3, along with diesel versions of the Q7 and A3, are especially tight.

Audi is ramping up production but de Nysschen said he did not expect inventories to improve until “towards the end of the year.”

Because of the tight supply, about 25 percent of Audis sold in the United States are presold customer orders, he said.

De Nysschen said Audi will continue to curtail incentives and said its spiffs have been lower than that of its luxury competitors for the past four years. He declined to give internal figures but said Autodata Corp.’s figures show Audi spent $2,700 to $2,800 per vehicle on incentives last year.

“Our quest is not to park an Audi in every driveway,” he said, “but in the right driveway.”

Let’s see an A3Q, A4QA, Q3 as well……