Being a man is awesome – it really is. We get to pee standing up, we get more distinguished looking as we get older and every time we see car being driven like it was stolen we get excited. It’s just the way it is. So imagine my state of well being after I spied this video of the new V10 Audi R8 Spyder being driven through a parking lot at speed. We’ve got fishtailing, a wicked exhaust note and flames coming out of the pipes in the rear. Like I said, it’s good to be a man…
Audi is showing an all electric version of its A1 minicar at Geneva, but this one has a novel twist. Like the Chevy Volt, it’s battery powered and uses a gasoline motor to recharge the batteries; unlike the Volt, or any other electric car to date, the A1 e-tron concept uses a Wankel motor to produce the charge. More after the jump.
Audi has chosen the Geneva Motor Show for the introduction of the 2011 RS5, but was kind enough to leak pictures in advance. The tastefully styled coupe will feature a 450 horsepower V8, a seven speed dual clutch transmission and Audi’s Quattro all wheel drive system.
Hooniverse recently posted this spectacular video of an ’80s Audi SportQuattro making mincemeat of its tires and screaming its turbocharged head off. It reminded me of another video of a homebrew mini monster truck spraying a herd of Harleys with molten rubber.
At first glance it seems like the vehicles have nothing in common. The Audi is a tour de force of Teutonic technology. The monster truck is a homemade carnival ride. The Quattro has an über turbo with a waste gate that spits like a cobra. The mini monster has a supercharged big-block Ford V8 that’s so wicked it refuses to shut off.
But these beasts have much in common. Both have 600-ish horsepower. Both can make all four tires go critical in the blink of an eye. Both seem to have sprung fully formed from the fantasy of a 12-year-old boy.
So the question is: Which performs the better burnout?
Audi’s A1, their much anticipated answer to the Mini and BMW’s 1 series, will make it’s official debut next month at the Geneva Motor Show. Aimed at the growing (in the EU, at least) subcompact luxury market, the A1 will be launched with four powerplant options, including two 1.6 liter turbo diesel motors (one at 90 hp and 160 lb-ft of torque, the other at 105 hp and 184 lb-ft). Gasoline engines offered include a 1.2 liter producing 86 horsepower and 118 lb-ft of torque, and a 1.4 liter good for 122 horsepower and 148 lb-ft. Only the latter gasoline motor will be offered with an automatic transmission, Audi’s S-tronic dry dual clutch variant.
I want to preface this list by saying that there were many factors going into the reasons as to why each one of these cars made the cut. Some of you will agree with my choices and others will not. You see, when I do a list like this I don’t just go with who’s got the highest hp numbers, or which is the best car from 60-0. I try to be objective and look at things like, everyday usage, price, reliability, performance and roominess. I look at these cars from the vantage point of using them as an everyday driver, which means 24/7/365. Yes, some will be pricey and deservedly so and others will be more budget oriented. So, now that you know the parameters, lets get down to business.
Well the game is over and the Saints pulled out a victory as another Super Bowl has fallen by the wayside. All through the game I was thinking, life is good, and I feel proud to be an American. There was pizza on the table, a Budweiser in my hand and a big block muscle car in the garage – man does that sound like an American stereotype, or what? Regardless, it was Super Bowl time and that meant only one thing… COMMERCIALS!!
Throughout the game we saw ads from Dodge, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Audi and Volkswagen. The big question is, were they any good? So with that in mind, I’ve compiled a list of all the automobile ads that ran, so you, the readers can choose and pick your favorites.
I’ve never really been a big fan of diesels. Not because I don’t like them, but simply because I really don’t have any real world experience with them. Hell, the last diesel experience I had was way back in 1981 with my Dad’s diesel powered Buick Riviera. I was 9 years old and only remember my Dad constantly cursing the thing – I won’t lie, it left an impression.
There are some cars out there that will, for one reason or another, stop you dead in your tracks. What you see before you is one of those cars. Fully clad in its brilliant red paint the this Audi R8 Spyder was simply beautiful to witness in person, as was evident from the hoards of people that surrounded it. Now, let me preface this by saying that I actually have a fair amount of seat time in a standard 4.2 liter R8 (as if you can call any R8 standard), so I was pretty psyched to see how the Spyder stacked up from not only a visual standpoint, but a comfort standpoint as well.
Regardless of how legitimate the global push towards green may or may not be, there’s no escaping the impact the rapid shift in consumer demand has had on the automotive industry. Ward’s 2010 10 Best Engines list reads like an Al Gore-scripted porno and in the 16 years they’ve been objectively evaluating engines, this year marks the first time only one V8 unit (from Hyundai, ironically enough) has made the cut. The rest of the selections are smaller, more fuel-efficient units including the frustratingly underpowered 1.8L DOHC I-4 Hybrid from the Toyota Prius.
Fortunately, the rest of Ward’s choices aren’t nearly as boring and include the 3.5L Ecoboost turbocharged V6 from the comeback kid himself (herself?), the Taurus SHO, and the snarling 3.0L supercharged V6 from the Audi S4. The 2.4L DOHC I-4 from the Chevy Equinox also made the list, purportedly thanks to its “groundbreaking” performance and segment-leading efficiency, though it’s reasonable to suspect that pity might have played a small role too.
Hit the jump for the full list of Ward’s 2010 picks.
