The guys over at VW Vortex were apparently at the right place at the right time when they were in Germany a couple of weeks ago. They came upon a bunch of new Audi catalogs and while flipping through the pages, they came across a little sporty discovery.
Audi Exclusive is offering a new interior option for the TT sports car, both coupe and roadster versions. The new interior is inspired by the RS5’s interior and includes a combination of black and accenting Karmesin Red fine Nappa leather. With the TT, Audi has decided to filter even more of the Karmesin Red throughout the interior by including it in on the center console, 6’oclock spoke on the steering wheel, and even on the inside of the doors; elements to which were left in black on the Audi RS5.
The new option can be ordered anywhere in Europe, but there are no details yet on its availability in the North American market.
After hitting Porsche below the belt a few days ago with their controversial advertising stunt, Nissan decided that they weren’t quite finished expressing themselves. Their most recent scathing attack was aimed at their more stable competition, the Audi TT.
With cut throat competition in the sports coupe segment, Nissan has embarked on a serious marketing strategy of winning new European converts. This goal was evident in London, where the Japanese company took an Audi TTS bearing the slogan "More expensive, slower and less powerful than a Nissan 370Z" around the streets of London.
Adding salt to the wound, the branded Audi TT was trailed by another branded Porsche Cayman with the words "I dream of being as fast as a Nissan 370Z". Talk about being aggressive!
With Nissan’s changing fortunes, the company has been churning award winning vehicles, challenging even the top tier. The company has launched a series of media campaigns highlighting the fact that both sports cars are better in terms of performance yet cost less than their equivalent European rivals. According to Nissan’s marketing director, these campaigns are targeted to alter the perception that only German sports cars are the benchmarks for measuring performance and quality.
With all this rooftop declaration, we are sure you would be interested in the performance of the 370Z in relation to the German trio, so we have included a picture that displays these specs, courtesy of Nissan. Enjoy!
Audi’s future plans have been revealed! And we have to admit they look quite promising! The end of this year will bring the new RS3. It will be launched at a major auto show and will be powered by the same engine as the current TT-RS, meaning a turbocharged 2.5-liter engine with direct gasoline injection that produces 340 bhp and 330 lb.-ft. of torque. It will be built as a limited edition.
A successor for the current A3 is also in the works and will be unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. It will be built on a completely new chassis, same as for the seventh generation Volkswagen Golf. There are plans for a compact sports car (R4), additional variants of the A1 (including a hybrid version with rotary engine as the base unit), and a revival of the A2, that will be a pure electric model. An emission-free version of the R8 sports car will come in late 2012.
A new Audi TT will be unveiled in 2014. This will be the third generation of the German model and will debut as a coupe version; a roadster version will debut a few months later. First details on the car suggest that it will be nearly as long and wide as the current type, but chassis and engines will be the same as the future R4, most likely a 186 hp 1.4 TSI and 2.0 TDI unit with 170 hp.
Along with the release of the TT version, Audi also revealed a facelift version for the more powerful Audi TTS. Like the TT, the TTS will also go on sale this summer with minor changes made to the price list.
The TTS is powered by a 2-liter TFSI engine, that now received a larger turbocharger and many additional modifications obtaining a total output of 272 hp (7hp more than the previous model) while the torque remains at 258.15 lb-ft of torque from 2,500 to 5,000 rpm. The sprint from 0 to 60mph is now made in 5.2 seconds while top speed is limited to 155 mph.
The TTS comes standard with the Audi magnetic ride adaptive shock absorber technology, the Sport button, and a high-performance brake system. The car also gets new 18-inch wheels with size 245/40 tires and a new grille combined with chrome air inlets. A new color combination – spectral silver/black – is available for the interior.
Updated 05/26/2010: Audi has revealed today new images of the Audi TTS Coupe version. The pictures reveal an amazing orange exterior color and an interior that combines orange with black. Delightful!
Press release after the jump.
Full story
In 2006, Audi revealed the second generation TT sports car. After four years, the car has finally received its first facelift with sales to begin later this summer. Both coupe and roadster versions have been revised with great attention to detail while new technologies lower fuel consumption of this compact sports car.
The car’s exterior is characterized by a more powerful bumper, larger air inlets with three-dimensional, sharp edges, and fog lights set in chrome rings. The lattice of the single-frame grille is now offered in high-gloss black with tubular reflectors in the tail lights, larger tailpipes for the exhaust system, and a larger, flat black diffuser. Both the coupe and roadster version got an extra two centimeters in length.
Under the hood there is a choice of three four-cylinder engines with turbocharging and direct fuel injection. The entry-level is a 1.8 TFSI engine with a total output of 160 HP and 250 Nm of torque. With this engine under the hood the TT sprints from 0 to 60 mph in 7.2 seconds and can hit a top speed of 140 mph; all with a fuel consumption of 36.75 US mpg.
New to the line-up is the 2.0 TFSI engine with an output of 211 hp (it replaces the 200 HP version). This engine sprints the car from 0 to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds, while top speed goes up to 152 mph. Finally, we have the 2.0 TDI engine that delivers 170 hp and 350 Nm of torque. It sprints the car from 0 to 60 mph in 7.5 seconds and acceleration continues to a top speed 140 mph. All the engines are mated to either a six-speed manual transmission or a S tronic dual clutch transmission as an option. These upgrades to the engine leave the Audi TT to compete with such V6 engines as the BMW Z4 sDrive30i and the Mercedes-Benz SLK 300 with the Mercedes being the favorite in the horsepower department delivering 300hp.
The 2011 TT comes with a long list of standard equipment: a "chorus" audio system, a driver information system, an automatic climate control system, two navigation systems, a universal cellular phone preparation, and the sonorous Bose Surround Sound system.
Press release after the jump.
Full story
