The smallest car in Audi’s lineup, the Audi TT (Tourist Trophy), started its life back in 1998 after being previewed by a first concept car in 1995. The second generation TT was then unveiled 8 years later - in 2006 - and was still offered in both coupe and roadster versions. Now, we hear that the third generation Audi TT will be unveiled in 2014, following the eight year pattern set by the first and second generations. This generation will debut as a coupe version with a roadster set to follow a few months later.
The first details on the car suggest that it will be nearly as long and wide as the current type, but the chassis and engines will be the same as the future R4, most likely a 186 hp 1.4 TSI and a 2.0 TDI unit with 170 hp.
UPDATE 11/19/11: The next-generation Audi TT may be unveiled in concept form sooner than we thought. According to Audiblog.nl, the Audi TT Concept could very well make its debut at the Tokyo Motor Show, following in Audi’s tradition of holding that specific show to introduce their popular TT line. It also appears that we may have the first look at the next-generation TT in the form of a sketch drawing of the car’s rear end. Judging by the look of the concept, it appears that Audi may have done a good job in drawing inspiration from some of its existing models, including the R8 and the E-Tron Concept.
UPDATE 02/09/2012: British magazine AutoCar is offering new details on the next generation TT sports car. The new TT will be built on Volkswagen’s new MQB transverse architecture that will be used in the new generation A3. With the new generation, Audi will be focusing on making the car lighter and more driver orientated. The list of exterior changes will include the latest six-corner single-frame grille, slimmer and more angular headlamps, prominent wheel arch flares, a more defined shoulder line, and a rounded rear end. The engine line-up will include a new 1.8-liter engine and two different 2.0-liter four-cylinder engines. The coupe version will arrive in 2014 and the roadster will arrive in 2015.
Hit the jump to read more about the third generation Audi TT.
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The facelift version of the R8 should be showing its face in the Summer 2012, but Audi has even bigger fish to fry at the moment. A new generation for the R8 sports car is currently under development and will use the latest advanced construction techniques. This advanced construction will make the car lighter and faster, giving it the opportunity to provide real competition for the likes of Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Porsche.
The exterior design of the future generation R8 will be inspired by the E-Tron Concept, but the rest of the vehicle will carry almost identical features with an evolutionary styling theme and the absence of the current model’s sideblades and manual transmission. It will feature an aluminum structure, a long wheelbase, a roomy two-seat cabin, a mid-engined layout, and four-wheel drive. Despite these similarities, the next R8 will lose up to about 130 lbs from its total weight. This will be possible mainly because of the addition of some selected parts made of a new lightweight carbon-fiber and aluminum monocoque structure that is about 50 lbs lighter than the current one. Audi will also use plenty of carbon fiber elements for the transmission tunnel, floor, rear bulkhead, and B-pillars.
As is typical for the R8, the new generation will be offered in both V8 and V10 versions, with both receiving increased power and improved fuel economy. Rumors say that the V8 version will deliver 450 HP, the V10 version will deliver up to 550 HP, and that the fuel economy will come in at 25.7 mpg. The GT version will also see an increase to 580 HP. It has also been rumored that the engine will be mated to a dual-clutch transmission.
Expect to see the new Audi R8 sometime in 2014, with a roadster version to follow during the second quarter of 2015.
Leave it to Forza 4 to give us even more reason to love this game. Fresh off of releasing a new downloadable content just a week ago, Turn 10 Studios has announced that another pack will be released on February 7th, one that includes past and present ALMS race cars.
The pack, deliberately called the "American Le Mans Series Pack," will include some of the finest ALMS machines we’ve ever seen, including the legendary 1991 Mazda 787B, the Platinum Motorsport Bentley Continental GT, the 1992 Alfa Romeo 155 Q4, the 1995 Ford Mustang Cobra R, and yes, even last year’s title-winning race car, the Audi R18 TDI.
Just like the February Launch Bonus Pack, the ALMS Pack will come with a total of ten cars, and will cost you 560 Microsoft Points when it hits Xbox Live next week.
We don’t need to remind you that this is one pack that you shouldn’t miss. But just to be sure, we’re here to say that THIS IS ONE PACK THAT YOU SHOULDN’T MISS!
Glad we got that straightened out.
Okay, so this isn’t exactly the most surprising news of the day, but it sure ranks up there with the coolest. Audi is said to be launching a Spyder version for the R8 GT at the Frankfurt Motor Show this Fall. As with the coupe version, the Spyder will be limited to 333 units and should be priced at about $20,000 higher than the coupe, which is sold for about $196,800 in the U.S. The similarities will even extend to the number of units available in the U.S. We last heard that we were getting 90 units of the GT Coupe and we expect the same number for the Spyder version.
Under the hood, Audi will place the same 5.2 liter V10 engine that delivers a total of 560 HP and 398 lbs-ft of torque. The Spyder version will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds and will be capable of a top speed of 196.97 mph. Thanks to body parts made in carbon fiber the R8 GT Spyder is 187 lbs lighter and in the same time delivers performance numbers that makes it the top-of-the-line version of the high-performance sports car.
UPDATE 11/16/11: The Audi R8 GT Spyder made its debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The lightweight, drop-top German supercar will be available in North America beginning next year and will be limited to just 90 units in the region. Audi is planning on building 333 units of the R8 GT Spyder so 90 models in North America is a pretty sizable chunk of the whole inventory. Interested parties should be on their toes so they can be part of the 90 people that can score the German supercar when it becomes available.
UPDATE 02/02/12: Audi of American has announced that the R8 Spyder will be priced at $210,000 plus a $1,200 delivery fee for the US market. Only 50 units will be offered on our side of the pond.
More details on the Audi R8 GT Spyder after the jump.
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Audi has unveiled the new twin-turbo V6 TDI engine in UK. This engine will be used on models like the A6 sedan and the Avant, as well as the A7 Sportback models. The new models are already on sale and prices will start from £43,810 ($69,200 at the current rates) for the A6 models and from £51,645 ($81,500 at the current rates) for the A7 Sportback.
The new V6 TDI engine has been equipped with a two-stage turbocharger group that delivers a maximum boost pressure of up to 3.2 bar. This allows the engine to deliver a total of 313 HP from 3,900-4,500rpm and a peak torque of 479 lb-ft available from 1,450 to 2,800rpm.
With this amount of power, the A6 3.0 BiTDI quattro sedan will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.1 seconds and the Avant and A7 in 5.3 seconds. On all three models, the top speed is limited to 155 mph.
The new engine has been combined with technologies like start-stop and recuperation systems and the innovative thermal management system that quickly brings the coolant and oil up to their operating temperatures. With these additions, the fuel economy went up to an impressive 44.1mpg.
