Handy Auto Guide

Leftlane News has reported on the launch of the new 2007 Audi Q7 V12 TDI van. 'Audi today unveiled the Q7 V12 TDI with an engine similar to the one featured in R10 Le Mans racing car. It produces 500 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque (1000 Nm). The crossover is capable of hitting 62 mph in 5.5 seconds, with a limited top speed of 155 mph. Maximum torque is available from just 1,750 rpm. The engine features the world's first 2,000 bar Bosch Common Rail system. Up to 2,000 bar of pressure is kept within the twelve piezo injectors – a further technological breakthrough. Unlike other Audi V-engines, this model features a special cylinder angle of 60 degrees.'

CNET has reviewed the 2007 Audi A4 2.0 T Quattro which has been described as Audi's "entry-level luxury car". 'Audi's all-wheel-drive Quattro system gives the 2007 Audi A4 2.0 T incredible handling, its most impressive feature. The audio quality from the sound system is very nice, too, but everything else in the A4 is merely good. This little sedan gets around the city and highways adroitly and is fun to drive even with the six-speed automatic that we had in our test car.

A review of the 2008 Audi R8 sports car has been posted over at Automobile Magasine. 'Measuring 174.4 inches long, 74.8 inches wide, and 49.2 inches tall, Audi's first mid-engine sports car is shorter than a 911 and as wide as a Gallardo. At 104.3 inches, the wheelbase of the R8 exceeds that of the related Lambo by 3.5 inches. As a result, the Audi offers more passenger space and--in addition to the 3.5-cubic-foot front trunk--a second luggage bay behind the seats. Despite the polarizing sideblades, the three-quarter rear visibility is also much better than expected.

A review of the 2007 Audi A3 wagon/four-door hatchback has been posted on CNET. 'The 2007 Audi A3 is a good-looking little car, and particularly noticeable with a Misano Red Pearl paint job, which our test car had. Our car also came with the S Line Sport Package, new this year, which gives it a bevy of cosmetic options, along with sport seats, a trip computer, and sport suspension. However, don't let the S Line fool you, it's not an Audi S3, as that European-only car gets a more powerful engine than either the two-liter turbocharged four cylinder or 3.2-liter V-6 available in the States. The S3 also gets Quattro all-wheel drive, which isn't even available on the turbo four-cylinder A3.

John Stein writing over at SearchChicago.com has posted his review of the 2007 Audi A4 Cabriolet convertible. 'The acoustic convertible roof was part of a convenience package ($1,800) on my tester. I’ve thought pretty highly of Audi Cabriolet convertible tops up to this point; they have always been much better than average, and when it comes to cabin noise with a convertible top, well, you come to accept a certain amount of wind and road noise. With the exception of an actual hard top convertible, this acoustic top is about as close to a hard top as it gets.

Even though she views the Audi S6 as a "man’s car", Jill Ciminillo, writing over at SearchChicago.com, has however posted an insightful review of the pricey marque. 'It has a 435-horsepower, V-10 engine. The side bolsters on the front seats protrude several inches from the seatback and are better suited to a 200-pound man than to a 100-pound female. The 15.9 cubic-foot trunk is plenty large enough to hold a few golf bags. And the Formula-One-inspired Tiptronic shift paddles are much better placed for larger, beefier hands.

A review of the Audi R8 sports model has been posted over at AskAPrice.com 'The two-seat R8 just looks fantastic, a real supercar, stunning and a huge crowd puller – it demands attention and gets it. The pictures do much better justice to the styling than my words. From the front, side or rear, the R8 is one of the most pleasing cars, I think, currently available and without doubt Audi’s finest car to date. The interior is also sporty, stylish and relatively roomy for both passengers and there is just enough luggage storage place under the front bonnet and behind the two seats for soft carrying bags.Audi say two golf bags can be carried behind he seats. Perhaps so but no mention of bags with clubs in them and certainly there is no space for golf trolleys.'

Having spent some wheel-time with the 2008 Audi TT, Jason Cammisa writing in his review over at Automobile Mag gives the roadster top marks for performance. 'The TT is an immensely capable machine whose abilities become more profound the harder you push it. It has the best suspension and body control I have ever experienced in a small car. Neither mid-corner bumps nor frost-heaves, camber changes, potholes, jumps, or a sapling laying across the road can ruffle its suspension's feathers. (And this with the standard suspension - the optional magneto-rheological suspension has two distinct modes: normal, which felt slightly softer than the standard suspension, and sport, which is quite punishing. Paying extra for two modes is unnecessary in my opinion - the conventional suspension is the Goldilocks "Just Right" setting, anyway.)'

AutoCar-Show have published their "test driven" review of the 2008 Audi R8 sports car. 'Inside are the usual high end amenities, including a full telematics system and an optionally available Bang & Olufsen sound system. Although our test cars were pre-production Euro / North American hybrids there was still a very close attention to interior detail shown. Each vehicle demonstrated just how good things get when hand-assembly is part of the build process. Finally behind the wheel, we headed together with a co-driver into the desert in search of tarmac which could be torn up. With high daily temperatures we actually encountered grippy roadway made all the better for the optional 295 width 19-inch wheels on our test car. This particular test car was also equipped with the manual 6-speed gated shift, European only ceramic brakes and Audi’s magnetic ride. With a Valentine One securely attached to the front windshield, we first navigated towards Lake Mead and then later through The Valley of Fire State Park.'

The folks over at Inside Line spent some wheel time with the 2008 Audi RS4 Cabriolet and have posted their impressions in a review of the marque. ‘We can hardly believe our eyes. We're part of a group huddled in the pre-dawn light of Paris, and no one has stepped up to snag the keys to the 2008 Audi RS4 Cabriolet present for our edification. Yes, that RS4 — the one with the fantastic 420-horsepower V8 up its nose now comes as a convertible.Apparently everyone else is afraid that by wading into the notorious Parisian traffic they risk getting brushed off the road by a wayward bus, into the path of an apple cart or a row of café tables.’

Inside Line have published a review of the 2008 Audi TT Roadster. ‘Redesigned for 2008, the new Audi TT Roadster has more generous proportions in every direction but has lost 200 pounds thanks to the liberal use of lightweight aluminum. Though the TT is still more than 500 pounds heavier than a Porsche Boxster and more than 300 pounds heftier than a BMW Z4, this exercise in slimming has done wonders, making it more of a driver's car at last.

A review of the 2008 Audi TT 3.2 Quattro Roadster has been posted over at the Car and Driver. 'For 2008, the TT—still largely based on the latest Golf platform, but with extensive use of aluminum throughout—has gotten an overtly sporty makeover, starting with a crisper, chiseled evolution away from its rounded-sheetmetal roots. That philosophy also carries over into steering that’s quicker to react (although it doesn’t offer much feedback), deeply sculpted seats, and a far stiffer structure. Audi isn’t shy about this, having tuned the TT’s suspension in a way that introduces you to each and every pothole.'

A review of the 2008 Audi TT Roadster has been posted over at BusinessWeek.com. ‘While the original TT was underpowered unless you went with the six-cylinder engine, the '08 is genuinely quick, even with the smaller power plant. It also has an ingenious ragtop that folds down behind the passenger cabin in a mere 12 seconds while taking up virtually no trunk space. A couple can actually take off for a weekend jaunt in this two-seat convertible without having to choose between keeping the top up or leaving their luggage behind.

CNET have published their review of the 2008 Audi TT 3.2 Quattro 2dr Hatchback AWD (3.2L 6cyl 6M). ‘The new TT roadster deemphasizes the curviness of its predecessor's body and breaks up the smooth sides with a more distinct beltline. It looks like a slab on wheels, but Audi proves that a slab can be sculpted. The headlights and grille give the front end a distinct face, while the curved trunk lip has a retractable spoiler. The convertible top works effortlessly, lowering and raising at the push of a button, and latching itself down without driver intervention.

Car Pages have published their review of the 2008 Audi R8. 'The test car had running-lights formed of a strip of 12 LEDs, below the main headlamp cluster, which looked like diamante eye-liner, further enhancing the supermodel tone. At the time of writing, the headlights were Xenon but Audi tells us that by the end of 2007, the R8 will be the world’s first vehicle to be equipped with LEDs for all lighting functions. Strong design-lines flow rearward over the wings, following the pronounced front wheel arches, before continuing along the broad shoulder-line to the innovative side panels. Some people said that this feature, especially in silver, reminded them of a smart car. However, it is more than a design gimmick as it captures air, flowing along the contoured doors, and directs it into the engine bay. It also has the effect of visually separating the engine area from the passenger compartment, where degrees of separation are also evident.'

The Car Connection have published their review of the 2008 Audi RS4 Cabriolet convertible. 'At first glance, the Cabriolet maintains the same, handsome lines of the RS4 sedan, albeit sacrificing two doors and a few inches, here and there. The RS4 sits lower and wider than the standard A4 and S4 models, with flared wheel arches and a menacing, black honeycomb grille surrounded by a chromed monoframe. Inside, the Cabriolet is a pure 2+2, with two thickly bolstered seats up front, featuring unique piping that is matched across the cabin. The instruments are sporty, striking, and easy to read, even with the sun's glare in your face. Audi's decision to go with a soft top, counter to the growing, retractable hardtop trend, actually pays off in usable space.'

A review of the 2007 Audi S3 two-door hatchback has been posted over at CarAdvice.com.au. 'The 130i tested was fitted with a 6-speed automatic gearbox. The 6-speed is a ZF Sachs unit and offers very precise and predictable shifts when cruising along, while turning into a veracious unit when sport mode is selected. Steering wheel mounted pads also allow for manual shifting. Cornering in the 130i is let down by run-flat tyres which exhibit a rigid nature during harder cornering. The hard tyre walls don’t flex as a regular tyre does under exceptional load, as such, any bumps experienced mid-corner are felt through the wheel and chassis. Although these don’t unsettle the car, they are detrimental to the overall package and put it behind the S3 in terms of handling dynamics.'

CNET have published their review of the 2008 Audi TT Coupe. 'Aesthetically, the TT Coupe's interior is very pleasing, in keeping with Audi's recent success in this department. The signature round air vents are carried over from the original TT, and our car's black plastics and optional Nappa tan leather ($1,100) worked well together. Less convincing was the "Storage Package" as part of this option: Even for a small two-door coupe, there is an utter lack of places to put stuff in the TT. Cargo nets are part of the option, as are cubbies below the front seats, but a bigger glovebox or any center console at all would have been better. In a similar vein, the rear seats are useless and would be replaced by a lockable bin if we had our druthers.

A review of the 2008 Audi S5 coupe has been posted over at Forbes Autos. ‘Much of the Audi S5’s sleek styling — inspired by the striking Nuvolari Quattro concept coupe that graced the auto show circuit in 2003 — is carried over from the A5, but with a few more aggressive touches. The brand’s signature outsized trapezoidal grille is finished in platinum gray and fitted with chrome inlays. It’s flanked by wide headlamps and larger lower air intakes, with bulging wheel wells, a flowing beltline, and a squared-off rear-end treatment; this last region features a more pronounced rear spoiler than on the A5, with quad exhausts lurking below.

CNET have published their review of the 2008 Audi S5 quattro Coupe. 'As a coupe, the 2008 Audi S5 doesn't offer the most spacious cabin. And while we liked the Tuscan Brown leather package and the wood inlays, the console and dash use some plastics that look cheap; not a great find in an expensive sports car. As for the cabin electronics, we've seen the Audi Multimedia Interface (MMI) and its navigation, Bluetooth, and stereo on past Audi models, but in the S5 everything seems a bit more refined. It looks as if Audi keeps fine-tuning these electronics to make them better, without making any radical changes. The MMI uses a large knob and buttons mounted on the console, the positioning previously reserved for bigger, more expensive Audis. As we saw in the new Audi A4 at the Frankfurt auto show this year, Audi is migrating the MMI controls to the console on even its lower end cars.'

Auto Express have published a review of the Audi R8 V12 TDI diesel-powered supercar. 'Unveiled first as a working prototype at this year’s Detroit Motor Show, the 500bhp two-seater also appeared at Geneva in March, painted a brilliant red. According to Audi, the colour was a matter of much internal debate. Originally the R8 was finished in silver, but after a single outing for the cameras, red was chosen to highlight its diesel performance credentials. Combined with a unique smoked chrome finish for the air intakes and aerodynamic aids, the new colour scheme is inspired by the distinctive red and silver of Audi’s Le Mans-winning diesel endurance racers. It’s a fitting tribute, too. From a distance, the R8 V12 TDI looks similar in all but detail to its petrol-engined brother. But in reality, the two cars could hardly be more different.'

CNET have published their review of the 2008 Audi R8 Coupe. ‘The beating heart of the Audi R8, its 4.2-liter direct injection eight-cylinder engine, sits under a glass panel behind the cabin. As mentioned above, this engine puts out 420 horsepower, at 7,800rpm, and 317 foot-pounds of torque, from 4,500rpm to 6,000rpm. Although the horsepower is significantly more than the torque, at this level of power and with a 3,600-pound curb weight, you don't feel shorted. With a hard foot on the gas the car will punch you in the back. Audi gives the R8 a top speed of 187 mph and only 4.4 seconds to 60 mph.’

The Independent have published their “Test driven” review of the Audi A4 Avant 1.8 TFSI estate car. ‘This Avant has, according to its creators, a bigger loadspace volume than any of its rivals, including the Mercedes-Benz C-Class estate and it has a reversible boot floor, useful if your dog enjoys muddy puddles. Increasingly, though, car-makers are fudging the way rear seats fold, leaving the cushion fixed and merely letting the backrest fold down on to it. That means, in this Audi and in others, that the load floor heads uphill where it is formed by the seats, and cargo-carrying ability is compromised.

The Truth About Cars have published a review of the 2008 Audi A5 coupe. 'Inside, Audi must have replaced their regular junta of haptic sticklers with out-of-work Citroën engineers. Virtually every control lives somewhere other than where you'd expect. The stereo's volume knob hides to the right of the gear lever (thankfully there's a thumbwheel on the steering wheel). To adjust the fan, you have to push a button to let the HVAC controls know you're interested in changing the fan speed, and then change fan speed. After a week, I still have no idea (let alone a theory) on how to switch air flow between vents. While BMW's iDrive gets more bad press than Kim Kardashian, Audi's MMI (Multi-Media Interface) requires its own adult education class. After an hour of pushing and swearing, I still couldn't reset the average MPG.'

The Independent have published their review of the Audi TTS Coupe. ‘The TTS is good fun to drive, helped by crisp steering and Audi's excellent magnetic ride dampers. But the engine's bigger turbocharger takes the edge off its initial accelerator response. Overall, it's hard to make a case for the TTS, given its price, and when the regular TT 2.0 is so pleasing. Then there's the new TT TDI turbodiesel, with a hefty 170bhp, the same 258lb ft of torque as the TTS, and the promise of 50mpg and a 140g/km CO2 score. It even sounds racy, with a keenness to reach engine speeds rare in a diesel. This new common-rail unit is an excellent engine, able to propel the TT TDI to 62mph in 7.5 effortless seconds.’

CNET have published their review of the 2008 Audi A5 coupe. 'One of the prettiest coupes around, the 2008 Audi A5 comes in with excellent handling, thanks to the standard Quattro all-wheel-drive system. Its 3.2-liter engine produces adequate power, but you'll have to step up to the Audi S5 for real fun. Our test car came with a smooth-shifting six-speed manual transmission in lieu of the available six-speed automatic. We also had all the goodies in the cabin, including an excellent sounding Bang & Olufsen audio system and the Audi Music Interface, which let us connect a crazy variety of music devices to the car. We're also very happy with the Bluetooth phone support, but the navigation system really needs help, despite its high-resolution maps. Audi rounds out the gadgets in the A5 with its very useful blind-spot warning system and the best rear-view camera available.'

Auto Express have published a "test driven" review of the AudI Q5 2.0 TDI SE SUV. 'Few motor manufacturers have had such a long association with four-wheel drive as Audi – the quattro system has underpinned some of the most memorable sports cars in its history. But only in recent years has the brand begun to apply this knowledge to SUVs. The newest arrival to benefit is the Q5. As with the Q7, the car is late to the prestige 4x4 party – main rival BMW’s X3 turned up five years ago. Yet it’s joining at a time when demand is at a record high. Volvo is about to launch the XC60 and Saab the 9-4X, while there’s existing competition from Land Rover’s class-leading Freelander. The Q5 should be one of the best models to drive in its sector – so has Audi got it right?'

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