Four-door coupes are still a relatively new segment, especially in the mainstream large luxury arena, which the Mercedes-Benz CLS essentially has to itself for now. But Audi has a rival in the works, a sleek yet spacious four-door cruiser called the A7, and it's due in late 2010.
Recent heavy investments in the Neckarsulm plant tip Audi's intent to take the car to production. Cars are expected to start rolling off the assembly line late in 2010, according to a report by Auto Motor und Sport. U.S. buyers can expect to see it on showroom floors early in 2011.

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BMW confirmed today that its BMW X1 crossover SUV will debut in the United States during the 2011 calendar year. The X1 will be available in rear-wheel drive and xDrive all-wheel drive flavors powered by both gasoline and diesel powertrain options.In Europe the X1 will be available in six trim levels, from the 258 horsepower, straight-six gasoline powered X1 xDrive28i to the turbodiesel X1 xDrive23d, which produces 295 pound feet of torque. BMW isn't telling which, if any, of the European powertrains we will see in the North American X1, but the press release makes special mention of the X1 sDrive18d, which reaches an estimated 54.3 mpg (EU standard), so we think it's safe to assume that at least that variant will make the hop across the pond.

BMW cites "US market demands, fuel prices, and regulatory standards" as factors in its decision to bring the micro-ute to US shores.

Audi heeft een druk programma aangekondigd voor het viering van het honderdjarig bestaan. Het eerste evenement waar groots wordt uitgepakt, is het Goodwood Festival of Speed.Daar worden demonstraties gegeven met auto’s uit de vroege racehistorie van het merk, maar ook met de laatste R15 die onlangs nog de 24 uur van Le Mans reed. Andere takken van autosport krijgen uiteraard ook ruim aandacht.

IMSA
Zo is verder de beroemde Quattro te zien waarmee talloze rallyoverwinningen behaald zijn, maar ook de grote toerwagens uit de IMSA-klasse en uiteraard DTM-auto’s. Enkele moderne modellen die Audi aan het publiek zal tonen zijn de A1 concept auto, de TT RS en de R8 V10.

Boekwerk
Het Audi-jubileum wordt in Nederland verder gevierd met het uitbrengen van een prachtig boekwerk onder de titel ‘De Vier Ringen’. Hierin wordt de indrukwekkende historie van Audi nauwgezet beschreven en fraai in beeld gebracht.

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BMW is taking the unusual step of inviting customers to order a new high-powered diesel version of its flagship 7 Series saloon for delivery this autumn before the company has decided how much to charge.
The German car maker says it is so confident that the ultra high-performance oil-burner will be a sell-out that it has opened the order book now but does not intend to announce prices until just before the on-sale date in September.
Likely to cost in excess of £55,000, the BMW 740d will be so powerful that the top speed has to be electronically limited to 155mph.

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Uncompromising quality in every detail is a solemn obligation at Audi. This standard shapes the thinking of the entire company – the customer is the measure of all things. Audi’s quality has long been legendary; it sets standards throughout the automobile industry. And it must be achieved anew every day through hard work along the entire process chain: from Development to Production to the suppliers – everything in the name of maximum customer satisfaction. Audi’s aspiration of quality and Vorsprung durch Technik are indivisibly joined.

Audi is the leading premium brand with respect to quality as has been documented time and time again by surveys, competitions and analyses. The latest ADAC breakdown statistics for 2008 proclaim Audi the “most reliable brand” with three class victories (Audi A2, A3 and A6). Audi took first place in the latest ADAC AutoMarxX image and brand study – for the sixth time in a row. And the readers of “auto motor und sport” magazine placed three Audi models – the Audi A4, the A6 and the Q5 – on the pole position in their respective classes for the “Best Cars” awards.

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Looking at the fuel-economy numbers of 19 miles per gallon city and 26 mpg highway, you'd say "Big whoop -- get that on Honda Accord or Chevy Malibu sedans."

But here's the gee-whiz part: The BMW X5 xDrive 35d is no midsize sedan. It's a 5,200-pound full-size sport-utility vehicle. The X5 carries seven passengers and has the power to smack down any V-8 on the road -- yet it gets midsize-car fuel economy.

This X5's clean little secret is its high-tech turbocharged inline six-cylinder diesel engine, a power plant almost 20 percent smaller than the V-6 in an Accord or Camry. But thanks to the almighty shove from its sequentially turbocharged I-6, the BMW X5 performs better than a V-8.

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There are numerous reports coming out of a BMW 7-Series hybrid having been spotted on German roadways with no camouflage to hide itself. Aesthetically, the only real difference between the gas-electric version and the standard production 7-Series is the presence of “Hybrid Vehicle” badging located just below the hood line. The car is being labeled as the 755ih, but this is purely an internet-generated model name at this stage.

“Though the model name has not been officially announced, this is a very real car,” BMW spokesperson, Matthew Russell, told Hybridcars.com. “As of right now, it is internally referred to as just the 7-Series Active Hybrid, and it’s due out some time early next year in the US.” The car will make its world debut at the Frankfurt International Auto Show later this fall.

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Our faith in Audi developed engines has only been reinforced by the fact that the company has been awarded for the fifth time in a row the "International Engine Of The Year Award." The engine in the limelight is the 2.0 TFSI four cylinder engine which bagged the award in the 1.8-2.0 litre category again. Audi has already sold over 1.3 million vehicles fitted with this engine worldwide. According to the jury, the 2.0 TSFI is a complete blend of performance and efficiency which translates into great drivability and great driving pleasure.The 2.0 TSFI made its grand debut in the summer of 2004 in the Audi A3 Sportback. Since then it has proved to be the engine of choice for many Audi customers and the fact that it is available in other models have only added to its fame.

In India, the engine is available in both the Audi A4 and the recently launched Q5. The engine does have a different state of tuning for both cars (180 hp in the A4 and 211 hp in the Q5) however, the underlying tech and set up are exactly the same.

Guys were blowing kisses, sounding wolf whistles, winking and giving their overwhelmingly enthusiastic thumbs-up. Girls too, were displaying amorous looks, mock kisses and “grrrr” sounds. People of all ages were showing their approval in most unusual ways.Not for me – for the CAMARO!
This car looks insanely cool. Every line exudes sex appeal with one of the most aggressive front fascias in the industry. There’s a growl in its angry face that looks even more ferocious than the lovingly designed Dodge Challenger. Add this to the cropped roof line (which sits impossibly low) and huge fender flairs and you have one of the most attractive vehicles General Motors has designed.It gets better!
My tester was the V6 with the RS package and an automatic 6-speed transmission. It was as if the automotive gods were teasing me when I found out. Even in this slowest form, the Camaro impresses. You see, many of the components were sourced from the excellent Cadillac CTS.

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This is a bit old, so forgive me if you’ve heard of this ridiculous story already.

But— it seems like one dude, after suffering from a distorted “pimp sense” and chronic inferiority syndrome, decided to fix up his life and boost his self esteem…..by plating his BMW M5 in gold, complete with a chrome (platinum?) racing stripe.

There are several parts I don’t understand about his decision. First off, why? Second, if your self esteem was truly that low, why plate a M5? I assume that he is not short of money, with gold hovering at around 1000 dollars an ounce, so why not plate your Ferrrari? Or Bentley? Or Rolls? And third, if you get clipped, scratched, dented, or impacted in any way, it’s gonna be GOLD that falls off your car, instead of paint. Not to mention the problem of thieves trying to shave off your handles.