Many of us choose to buy Audi cars because they're stylish and perform well, but those with families (or who want to live through a crash, for that matter) are looking for safe vehicles.
Well, look no further. The influential Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) chose three Audi models – the Audi A3, Audi A4 and Audi Q5 – as 2011 TOP SAFETY PICK winners. This marks the third year in a row that these three Audi models have earned the Institute’s top recognition.
TOP SAFETY PICK recognizes vehicles that do the best job of protecting people in front, side, rollover, and rear crashes based on good ratings in Institute tests. Winners must also have available electronic stability control, a crash avoidance feature that significantly reduces crash risk.
Here's a video of a side crash test for the 2010 A4:
Side crash test for the 2010 Q5:
Front crash test for the Q5:
Front-runners: Hyundai/Kia and Volkswagen/Audi each have 9 winners for 2011. Next in line with 8 awards apiece are General Motors, Ford/Lincoln, and Toyota/Lexus/Scion.
As an aspiring photographer, I enjoy browsing through pictures of Audi cars on Flickr and finding inspiration for my own photos to post on The Unofficial Audi Blog's Flickr photostream.
Today I came across this little piece of eye candy - a picture of the 2009 Audi R8 with a gorgeous backdrop (Credit: Jeff Glucker):
If you are on Flickr and want to share your photos of Audi, you may want to consider joining the Audi Motorcars group. I also love the photos posted at the Audi worldwide Flickr group.
We've been having some beautiful weather here in San Diego this "winter", and what better place for Audi to launch the R8 Spyder.
In the following video, Chas Murphy, Audi of America Sports Car Manager, discusses the Audi R8 Spyder including the convertible's new design, its retractable ragtop, new thermal-resistant seats, and bluetooth-enabled seatbelt microphones.
The 2011 R8 Spyder 5.2 quattro features the same V10 engine found in the R8 LMS racecar and the R8 5.2 quattro coupe. It achieves 525 horsepower at 8,000 rpm and 391 lb-ft of torque at 6,500 rpm. The top track speed for the R8 Spyder is 195 mph with a 0-60 mph time of 4 seconds.
2011 R8 Spyder 5.2 quattro (V10) pricing (excluding $1,250 destination charge, taxes, title, options and dealer charges):
Month by month, and year by year, Audi continues to progress - not just in auto design, but in sales as well...
The company has reported that they have broken its sales record from 2008 in the first eleven months of this year. Audi vehicles continue their popularity in the United States and China, while demand in Germany is picking up too. With an improvement of 23.6 percent increase from last year, Audi is on its way to breaking the 100,000 cars sold in the U.S. for the first time ever. In China the company has already exceeded the 200,000 mark for the first time.
Here's a chart showing their cumulative global sales growth...
We've seen many car commercials lately, and although many luxury auto makers have stepped up their game and created very stylish-looking cars, Audi continues to be a leader when it comes to innovation and technology.
Not only does Audi have a team of creative individuals who are continuously coming up with innovative car designs, but Audi always comes out with thought-provoking TV commercials and ads.
Audi is also exploring other ways to connect with their customers and create a better experience for them - as evidenced by the recent launch of the ‘Audi A8 Experience’ App for iPad (available for free from the App Store on iPad or at www.itunes.com/appstore).
This app features virtual test drives and allows prospective buyers to preview the A8 in advance of a dealer visit, like full panoramic views of the stunning new interior and exterior. The App also offers an interactive look at the engineering deep inside the vehicle and features a virtual product customization tool that allows buyers to outfit their Audi with choice of fabric and exterior color and then connect to audiusa.com to see what their vehicle would look like as a finished product.
When it comes to creativity and innovation, Audi ceases to surprise us. What will they think of next?
Finally! Not too long ago we saw an Audi commercial during a Monday Night NFL game. Audi of America just uploaded it a few days ago...
Yes, Audi has certainly progressed since the 1970's, when the first model arrived in the U.S. It'll be interesting to see what the future holds for Audi!
If you don't like small cars, but don't want a big sedan either, then the Audi A6 just might be the car for you. Audi recently announced that the redesigned A6 will be arriving in dealerships in early 2011.
It's sporty, yet elegant...classy and innovative. Just like its predecessor, the new Audi A6 is also available with a wide range of drivetrains. The choice, based on the engine version, will include a manual six-speed transmission, the continuously variable multitronic, and the brand-new, sporty S tronic.
What we're really excited about, though, is that Audi will begin series production of the A6 hybrid, its second hybrid model after the Q5 hybrid quattro.
Here's a video with more details about the A6...
Audi A6 Specs
Body
- Light, extremely stiff body, with a significant proportion of aluminum and high-strength steel
- 4.92 meters (16.14 ft) long, 2.91-meter (9.55 ft) wheelbase, 530-liter (18.72 cubic ft) trunk capacity
- Optional xenon plus and LED headlights with LED tail lights, as well as adaptive light with headlight range control
Interior
- Spacious interior offering an ambiance of luxury
- Standard MMI radio operating system, engine start-stop button, multifunction steering wheel, two screens, and high-efficiency two-zone automatic air conditioning system
- Head-up display and ambient lighting available as options
- Optional front seats with ventilation and massage function
Engines
- Wide selection of engines, two gasoline engines and three TDI units at launch
- Redeveloped 130 kW (177 hp) 2.0 TDI, emitting 129 g CO2 per km (207.61 g/mile)
- A6 hybrid with system performance of 180 kW (245 hp)
- Manual transmission, multitronic, or S tronic for the drivetrain
- Four-cylinder with front-wheel drive, V6 with quattro drive standard or optional
- quattro drive with new crown-gear center differential, optional sport differential
Chassis
- Sophisticated chassis design, wheels ranging from 16 to 20 inches in diameter
- High-efficiency electromechanical power steering
- ESP with electronic limited-slip differential on front-wheel-drive models
- Selective torque vectoring with quattro drive
- Audi drive select dynamic handling system standard
- Optional adaptive air suspension with controlled damping
Assistance and infotainment systems
- Optional MMI navigation plus with MMI touch and 8-inch display, Internet services by Google, and Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System
- Advanced safety and assistance systems such as Audi pre sense, adaptive cruise control with stop & go function, Audi active lane assist, Audi side assist, night vision assistant with highlighting of detected pedestrians, speed limit display, and park assist
