The 2011 Audi A8 Is Sure To Be a Luxury-Car Front-Runner

by Mallory Wiggins

For 2011, this luxury car is bigger, more sophisticated and more luxurious than ever. The 2011 A8 outshines its competition with its sporty handling, progressive design, superior quality and innovative technology.

All-new for 2011, the Audi A8 is longer, wider and taller than previous models, making it even more spacious and comfortable than before. The A8 is 40 percent lighter with its all-aluminum chassis, which gives the car better handling and improved fuel economy. Both models, A8 with the normal wheel base and the A8L with the longer wheel base, come equipped with a 4.2-liter Fuel Stratified Injection V8 engine. The Audi drive select system also contributes to the A8’s sporty driving capabilities by allowing drivers to set the drive characteristics exactly the way they want them, choosing between Comfort, Auto, Dynamic or Individual settings.

Much of what makes Audi vehicles so luxurious are all the “little extras” that Audis, like the A8, have to offer. One feature that sets Audi apart from the rest is its LED lighting technology. The ambient interior lighting, taillights and door handle lights and the industry-first full-LED headlights—the use of LEDs gives the A8 that one-of-a-kind “Audi look.” Some other exceptional features that come standard on the A8 are Audi’s revamped Multi Media Interface (MMI)® navigation system with a touch screen, music interface with iPod® integration, Bluetooth® and HD Radio™ technology, voice recognition and a BOSE® premium sound system,.

Audi doesn’t stop there, though. The new A8 is also equipped with some great safety and security features, including an advanced airbag system, optional night vision assistant with pedestrian detection, anti-theft alarm system with engine immobilizer, adaptive cruise control, Electronic Stabilization Program and Audi pre-sense, which takes preventative measure and provides additional passenger protection to lessen the severity of a collision.

And just when you think the A8 can’t get any better, Audi offers drivers a long list of options and packages for the A8, designed to help meet your every automotive need. For instance, the Premium Package offers extras to make the A8 feel even more luxurious (if that is at all possible), while the Driver Assistance Package includes features to provide a safer and more comfortable ride. The solar sunroof is an available option that supplies power to the ventilation system to circulate fresh air while the car is off and the dual-pane acoustic and security glass option provides stronger windows to prevent break-ins and diminishes outside noise, resulting in a quieter cabin. The A8 can be everything you want in a luxury sedan, and more.

With a fall 2010 release date, the all-new Audi A8 is sure to be a favorite in its class. Its sporty driving dynamics and countless luxurious and technology features make the 2011 A8 a fun-to-drive, luxury sedan must-have.




Mallory Wiggins is a young, new-found automotive enthusiast who contributes to the Automotive News blog and social networking sites for a new and used car directory, CarLocate.com, which provides car shoppers with everything they need when buying a car. In her free time, she enjoys reading, taking spinning classes, playing volleyball and watching college and professional football and baseball.

The Audi A1 Launches in Europe

If live in Europe or you're going to be in Europe sometime in the near future, you may want to test drive the new Audi A1, which will be available in dealerships in Germany beginning tomorrow.

Apparently, interest in the A1 has exceeded expectations. The company is planning to increase production by 20 percent with units to be launched in the Asia-Pacific region as well as South America in early 2011. The company is also thinking about bringing the A1 to China.

So, will the A1 make it to the U.S.? Kirby over at TopSpeed says that there is a glimmer of hope - only if the U.S. market is willing to pay premium price for a hatchback. It has a starting price of €15,800, which converts to about $20,074.

Would you be willing to spend that much for a A1?

Audi Autos: Satisfy the Senses

Audi is not just in the business to create automobiles to get people from point A to point B; they want to give drivers enhanced driving and sensory experiences. That’s right; Audi aims to create an environment in their vehicles that is absolutely appealing to each of the senses used while behind the wheel of an Audi vehicle—how things look, sound, smell and feel in an Audi.


How an Audi looks…
…depends a lot on one simple factor: light. A feature that is distinct to Audi vehicles is the use of LEDs. The headlights and taillights play a big role in the appearance of an automobile. Audi’s light designers draw inspiration from industrial design and architecture, nature and technology influences, helping them create lighting that is unique to each Audi model.

Audi’s lighting technology isn’t limited to headlights and taillights; they have also created interior lighting features, like the new Audi A8 that provides a lighting package that allows drivers to customize the interior lights to adjust to certain driving situations—when driving through a brightly-lit city or a dark rural area. The goal of Audi developers is to create “the right light for every driving situation.”

How an Audi sounds…
…is determined by the customers’ expectations of a given model. Audi’s acoustics team make sure that the sporty models get a sporty, robust and “fast” sound, while the more sophisticated models possess a sound that exudes comfort and elegance. To achieve these specialized sounds, engineers analyze and manipulate the various noises made by each Audi automobile. The end result is not a uniform “Audi sound,” but instead a tailored acoustic designed specifically for each individual model.

How an Audi smells…
…depends on the noses of the Audi Odor Team (a.k.a. the “Nose Team”). It’s up to the “Nose Team” to sniff out any parts that give off any unpleasant odors or unhealthy emissions in the car. Audi sets the benchmark for the industry as they apply the strictest standards, smelling every single material that goes into an Audi. At the end of the day, every Audi reaches a “neutral odor,” like that “new car smell” that we all know and love.

How an Audi feels…
…is about more than just the sense of touch. It’s up to Audi’s Haptics Team (haptics refers to the science of touch), to make sure that the car has the necessary design and function that will make the driver and passengers feel comfortable and give them a sense of precision and quality. From simple switches to the complex Multi Media Interface buttons, the Haptics Team wants to make life easier for the driver and give them that “Audi feeling.”

Driving an Audi is a full-blown sensory experience. Getting behind the wheel of an Audi, you’re sure to see, hear, smell and feel the luxury and sophistication that the brand is known for.

About the Author:
Mallory is a young, new-found automotive enthusiast who contributes to the Automotive News blog and social networking sites for CarLocate.com, a new and used car directory that provides car shoppers with everything they need when buying a car. In her free time, she enjoys reading, taking spinning classes, playing volleyball and watching college and professional football and baseball.

Sale on Audi Merchandise

It's summertime savings at Audi and there are some good deals on Audi merchandise. T-shirts, jackets, and other fun accessories are on sale. You can even purchase gift certificates and give them to the other Audi enthusiasts in your life. It's never too early to do a little Christmas shopping!

Click here to shop the Audi Collection.

Review: 2010 Audi Q7 3.0 TDI Quattro Tiptronic

In a world of gas-conscious car consumers, Audi has come out with a SUV for the future. When the Q7 3.0 TDI was introduced, it went against the grain of what Americans perceived of luxury SUV’s. It promised excellent gas mileage and it had a diesel engine. But could it deliver on appearance and performance?

The Exterior

The Q7 commands attention unlike SUVs in its class. There’s something about it that makes jaws drop. Maybe its those beautiful LED lights or the big shiny emblem on a powerful-looking grille. Whatever it is, you can’t deny the luxurious appearance.






The Q7 is attractively styled, lending itself to a sleek and sporty look. It’s classy and elegant without being stuffy. Think of it as the Julia Roberts or Brad Pitt of utility vehicles.






The Interior

Audi delivers on its promise of luxury with the interior of the Q7. The one we test drove had the Cardamom Beige leather seating. The front seats are heatable (if you purchase the cold weather package) and feature 12-way power control, meaning ultra comfort when driving.

If you decide on a Premium plus model with all the bells and whistles, you get the Audi MMI navigation, Xenon plus with LED lights, auto-dimming, and power-folding mirrors, Bose surround sound, advanced parking system with a rear view camera, and a panorama sunroof. The sunroof actually makes the interior appear much bigger than it actually is.








You wouldn’t think that a vehicle like this would have a great deal of room, but during our trip to Big Bear Lake we actually ended up sleeping in the back because the campsites where we had planned to camp out were actually closed. Instead of checking into an inn, we decided to test out the roominess of this 7-seater. All the seats in the back can fold down for cargo space, so we were able to sleep in the back with our legs stretched out.





Although the Q7 does seat seven, the two people sitting in the back will not have that much leg room. Three adults in the middle and two kids in the back would be ok.

The Drive





The Q7 TDI features a 225 horsepower V6 turbocharged engine that served well in our road trip to Big Bear. Driving up the windy mountains requires a firm grip of the road, which the Q7 provided. The quattro permanent all-wheel-drive and six-speed auto transmission with tiptronic are standard.

In our week together, the average miles per gallon was around 22-23, which I consider pretty decent. It’s rated at 17 city mpg and 25 highway mpg. A nice feature is that the car automatically calculates your average mpg which you can view on the dash.

The diesel engine is a faint murmur and gas fumes were virtually non-existent. Finding gas stations that carry diesel gas is relatively easy in Southern California, however, I was surprised to discover that diesel is actually much more expensive - around 25 cents more than regular unleaded. I paid around $3.25-$3.30 per gallon, which is considerably higher than the rest of the country.

The Price

The base model of the Q7 TDI is $50,900, but with the premium plus features ($6,000), cold weather package ($500), and Destination Charge ($825), the total for the model we test drove came out to $58,225.00

2012 Audi A2 Rendering

Want to know what the 2012 Audi A2 might look like?

Steering News has posted a rendering as well as anticipated details of this compact car. However, the German Car Blog has posted a slightly different version.

And for your amusement, here is a funny video I came across featuring the A2...




At least we know that if you wanted to commit any crimes, you can use the A2 as a somewhat quick getaway car :)