| Business Week Road Test?:Audi's Adrenal RS 4 | | Posted Wednesday, November 01, 2006 6:46:59 AM by Blog57 Team | | For automotive journalists everywhere, running out of superlatives represents a profound crisis of conscience. But every once in a while, along comes a car so entertaining, so unexpected that it transforms the habitually loquacious into babbling idiots. Consider me flabbergasted. This muting wasn't the effect of a throbbing BMW, glitzy Mercedes-Benz, or even a rowdy American hopped up on muscle nostalgia. It wasn't at the wheel of relentless Japanese precision or even a four-leaf-clover-rare exotic supercar. No, I was flummoxed by the RS 4, a product of the little German luxury brand that apparently can, Audi. The RS badge is Audi's answer to the more powerful, sportier versions of mainstream vehicles that BMW and Mercedes sell under the M and AMG badges, respectively—and at a hefty premium.... | |
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| | | Going Inside the PGA | | Posted Monday, October 09, 2006 6:46:02 AM by Blog57 Team | | Greenville native Will MacKenzie has gone from struggling to stay on the PGA Tour to being featured on the organization's weekly television show. MacKenzie took the Inside the PGA Tour crew on a tour of Greenville this week as the PGA made its way to North Carolina for the Chrysler Classic of Greensboro. The tournament kicks off Thursday at Forest Oaks Country Club. .... | |
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| | | Audi U.S. August 2006 Sales Up 3 Percent | | Posted Saturday, September 16, 2006 2:46:59 AM by Blog57 Team | | AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Sept. 1 -- Audi of America, Inc. today reported August 2006 sales of 7,115 units, an increase of three percent compared to year ago sales. Through the first eight months of 2006, Audi dealers have sold 54,575 vehicles, an increase of 5.4 percent over the same period a year ago, and an annual record pace for the brand. The all-new Audi Q7 performance SUV was the sales highlight during August. Audi dealers sold 777 SUVs last month, and since introduction earlier this year dealers have sold nearly 2,700 units. "It's clear that the Audi Q7 is attracting new customers to the brand," said Thomas Del Franco, Chief Operating Officer, Audi of America, Inc. "Dealers are reporting increased traffic to the showrooms and increased web activity, and they have orders in hand for Audi Q7s that have yet to hit the dealership." Audi saw a significant sales increase in key metro markets this month, including Miami, Atlanta and Dallas-Fort Worth.... | |
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| | | Pricing Set for 2007 Audi S6 and S8 Sedans | | Posted Sunday, September 10, 2006 4:45:58 PM by Blog57 Team | | Audi said in a news release that pricing for the 2007 S6 will start at $72,000, and the 2007 S8 will start at $92,000. A destination charge of $720 is not included in the base price. The S6 carries a gas-guzzler charge of $1,300; the S8 has a charge of $1,700. Both vehicles are equipped with a 5.2-liter V-10 FSI engine and are the latest to Audi's performance car portfolio, that also includes the S4 sedan, Avant, and Cabriolet, and the RS 4 sport sedan. To date, over 200 orders have been placed for the S6, and close to 350 have been taken for the S8, Audi said. The 435 hp S6 accelerates from 0-60 mph in 5.1 seconds. Torque is rated at 397 ft. lbs., with ninety percent of it available from 2300 rpm. The V-10 FSI engine is mated to a six-speed Tiptronic transmission and quattro all-wheel drive.... | |
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| | | Audi Announces US Pricing for 2007 Audi A4 and 2007 Audi S4 ... | | Posted Wednesday, August 16, 2006 4:46:05 PM by Blog57 Team | | AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Aug. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Audi of America, Inc. today announced pricing for their new 2007 Audi A4 and 2007 Audi S4 Cabriolet models. The turbocharged four-cylinder Audi A4 2.0 T Cabriolet starts at $39,100 for FrontTrak models and $41,200 for quattro models. The V6 equipped Audi A4 3.2 Cabriolet starts at $46,950, and the Audi S4 Cabriolet is priced at $55,700 for manual transmission cars and $56,900 for Tiptronic equipped cars. Destination is $720 and is not included in the base price. .... | |
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| | | Audi S3 is a hot hatch with plenty of power | | Posted Tuesday, August 15, 2006 6:46:02 AM by Blog57 Team | | Joining the ranks of the S4 and S6 before it, the Audi S3 is a performance-minded vehicle that takes the garden variety hatchback to a whole new level. Based on the three-door A3 (not available in North America), the Audi S3 gets a significant power boost from its 2.0L TFSI turbo engine, bringing its numbers up to 265 horsepower and 258 lbs-ft of torque. Add to that a short-throw six-speed shifter, Quattro AWD, and a lower, stiffer suspension, and this really could be the total package. But this car isn't all about "go", it's got some "show" to it as well with the chrome and aluminium accents, 18-inch wheels, and the appropriate aerodynamic tiddlywinks to give it an aggressive, but not overly menacing look. No word on an American launch, but the people of Europe will be able to get their hands on the Audi S3 for 35,150 (around $44,600 USD).... | |
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| | | Spy Shots: Lexus IS500 | | Posted Monday, July 24, 2006 4:46:32 PM by Blog57 Team | | The Lexus brand was built on the idea that no segment is sacred, and for too long the German automakers have owned the high-performance entry-level luxury market. The BMW M3, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class AMG, and the Audi S4/RS4 go at each other like Rottweilers fighting over the last piece of Kibble, and now Lexus is planning to stick its snout in the fray with this IS500 seen track testing at the Nurburgring in Germany. The IS500 will be a more potent version of the IS sedan that currently tops out at 306 horsepower in IS350 trim (that's with a 3.5L V6). The photos reveal flared fenders, an aggressive face and oddly stacked quad-tailpipes. According to The Car Connection, the IS500 will probably receive the 4.6-liter V8 from the new Lexus LS460 (wouldn't that make it an IS460?), which would up the power to around 380 horsepower.... | |
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| | | First-ever local car rally goes off with no problems | | Posted Sunday, July 23, 2006 6:46:12 AM by Blog57 Team | | SCHOFIELD -- As the clock approached 11:45 a.m. Saturday, anticipation took hold of the estimated 30 drivers ready to roll through the Wausau area for the first locally organized Sport Compact Rally. You could see it in the eyes of the participants, who stood around a collection of sport-compacts, a hodgepodge of Hondas, Acuras, Mazdas, Audis and other vehicles. The typical reaction for those standing in front of AutoZone on Business Highway 51 in Schofield was similar to that of a Hollywood premiere -- lots of gazing. Instead of designer threads, Saturday's stars, the cars, flaunted designer stickers and souped-up engines. "This is a chance for people to meet one another, talk to each other and show off their cars," said Chris Sattler, 20, of Wausau, who drove a 2001 Audi S4 in the rally.... | |
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| | | Audi delivers the ample Q7 SUV | | Posted Saturday, July 01, 2006 8:46:04 PM by Blog57 Team | | Having derived its platform from the five-passenger Volkswagen Touareg and Porsche Cayenne, Audi delivers the seven-passenger Q7 SUV. Audi stretched the wheelbase by nearly six inches and the overall length by a full foot, providing adequate cargo room even when the removable third row of seating is installed. Like other luxury-oriented Audi products, Quattro AWD and a powerful 4.2-liter V-8 engine yield a satisfyingly competent all-around driving experience for warm or cold-weather climes. Unlike some other seven-seater sport utility vehicles, however, the Q7 does not overwhelm with its mass. Stance and styling characteristics are close enough to the smaller A6-size all-road wagon for the Q7 to appear manageable -- and it is. Large wheels and tires that fill out the fender arches provide proportions similar to Infiniti's FX45 crossover SUV.... | |
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| | | Jalopnik Reviews: 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX MR, Part 3 | | Posted Friday, June 30, 2006 6:46:03 PM by Blog57 Team | | Why you should buy this car: You want a performance car that's friggin' sweet but need four doors or all-wheel-drive; you like humiliating Corvette owners. Why you shouldn't buy this car: You're a little too mature to have a giant wing on your car, or you're not interested in insurance premiums as high as your car payment. Suitability Parameters: · Speed Merchants: Yes · Fashion Victims: No · Treehuggers: No · Mack Daddies: No · Tuner Crowd: Yes · Hairdressers: No · Penny Pinchers: No · Euro Snobs: No · Working Stiffs: Yes · Technogeeks: Yes · Poseurs: No · Soccer Moms: No · Nascar Dads: No · Golfing Grandparents: No Also Consider: · Subaru Impreza WRX STI · Audi S4 · MazdaSpeed 6 Vitals: · Manufacturer: Mitsubishi · Model tested: Lancer Evolution MR · Model year: 2006 · Base Price: $35,189 · Price as Tested: $36,894 · Engine type: Turbocharged 2.0-liter DOHC 16-valve inline four · Horsepower: 286 hp @ 6500 rpm · Torque: 289 ft.-lbs.... | |
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