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Seat gears up for Audi Q3 production at Spanish plant

Filed under: SUV, Europe, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Plants/Manufacturing, Crossover, Audi, SEAT

Seat plant in Martorell, Spain

Last week, Porsche announced production plans for its upcoming Cajun sport-ute at its Leipzig plant in Germany. Now, sister-company Seat is following suit with preparations to build the Audi Q3 at its facility (pictured above) in Martorell on the outskirts of Barcelona.

If you’re wondering what Audi has to do with Seat, allow us to fill in the blanks. Most essentially, the two are sister brands fall under the larger Volkswagen Group umbrella. Seat’s flagship Exeo is essentially a re-bodied version of the previous-generation Audi A4. And when Audi was looking for the right place to build its upcoming Q3 compact crossover, it turned to the Spanish subsidiary.

In preparation for Q3 prduction to start, Seat is hiring over 700 new employees. Overall the company has undertaken the training of 1,200 new personnel, and if production requirements demand, could hire some or all of the remaining 500. Hit the jump for the full details in the press release.

[Source: Seat]

Continue reading Seat gears up for Audi Q3 production at Spanish plant

Seat gears up for Audi Q3 production at Spanish plant originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 06:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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T-Mobile tapped for Audi Connect service, LTE not coming until 2015

Filed under: Technology, Audi, Luxury

2012 Audi A7

2012 Audi A7 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Audi has announced that T-Mobile will supply wireless data for its growing line of net-connected vehicles, allowing drivers to access a range of Audi Connect services on the go. That’s the good news. And there’s a bit more.

The service will debut on the 2012 Audi A7 (with integration for the 2012 A8, A6, Q7 and Q5 Hybrid coming later) and allow drivers to access Google Local Search and Sirius Traffic data, which combined with voice-controlled Google Earth integration will provide drivers with topographical and satellite imagery – the first of its kind in the industry.

Other services include real-time news, weather data and fuel prices, and if your passengers have a WiFi-capable device, Audi Connect will turn the vehicle into a secure, rolling hotspot. All of this will be accessed directly through Audi’s MMI control system, with a T-Mobile sim card provided by the dealer, plugged into the dash and owners given a six-month trial period for the service. After that, you’ll have to sign up for a monthly plan, which Audi and T-Mobile have yet to announce pricing for. So… all good stuff. Now for the bad news.

Markus Putze, VW/Audi’s Senior Engineer on the program, told Autoblog from the CTIA Wireless show that Audi’s much-hyped implementation of 4G LTE connectivity won’t be coming anytime soon. “There are no automotive grade [LTE] modules available at this time,” says Putze, and because of that, integration of high-speed wireless broadband into Audi’s lineup isn’t due to arrive until 2015. At the earliest.

And before the naysayers jump in and say T-Mobile already offers 4G, we’ll stop you right there. According to the definition provided by the International Telecommunication Union, T-Mobile’s HSPA+ system doesn’t provide the speeds necessary to be defined as 4G – that’s at least 100 Mbps down and T-Mobile’s “4G” service only clocks in at 12 Mbps.

However, the agreement between Audi and T-Mobile is set for a minimum of eight years – plenty of time for the carrier to roll out its own real 4G LTE network – and if the deal with AT&T goes through (at least nine months to a year away), that could escalate the development of the service.

Gallery: Audi A7

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T-Mobile tapped for Audi Connect service, LTE not coming until 2015 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi A9 to come with two doors before four?

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Sedan, Audi, Rumormill, Luxury

Audi A9 design by Daniel Garcia

Audi A9 design by Daniel Garcia – Click above for high-res image gallery

With every number from A1 to A8 having already been assigned, Audi is rumored to be working on an A9 to top its ever-expanding range.

Earlier reports indicated that the A9 would arrive as a four-door coupe to take on the likes of the Mercedes-Benz CLS. But while a four-door model may be in the cars, the latest word from Autobild is that the A9 will arrive first as a two-door coupe and convertible.

Platform underpinnings are still tipped to be shared with the upcoming Lamborghini Estoque, as well as the next-generation Porsche Panamera, Audi A8 and possibly the next Bentley Continental GT as well. If a four-door model follows, the A9 could follow a similar derivative rollout scheme as the A5, which came first as a coupe before being turned into the five-door Sportback version. Either way, we suspect it won’t look anything like the rakish A9 concept conceived of by independent designer Daniel Garcia shown above.

Gallery: Daniel Garcia’s Audi A9 Concept

[Source: AutoBild]

Audi A9 to come with two doors before four? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VW Beetle to debut in China; powerful Audi-engined model in the cards?

Filed under: China, Hatchback, Volkswagen, Shanghai Motor Show

2012 Volkswagen Beetle Spy shots

2012 Volkswagen Beetle spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery

The latest from the Volkswagen bunker in Wolfsburg is that the second-generation New Beetle (henceforth to be known mercifully as ‘Beetle’) is officially dropping its towel to the floor at the Shanghai Motor Show in April. Whooda thunk it just five years ago? The Beetle is an American pop phenomenon, and it smarts a bit to have lost even that cachet to the all-powerful Chinese venue.

Early word on the Beetle is that it is dynamically far sportier than the outgoing matzoh-ball built exclusively for people desperate for cutesy-ness and absolute symmetry. Oh, yes, and rear passengers without heads.

While Europe is not intended to get the sensational 335-horsepower “W28” in-line five-cylinder turbo seen so far in both the Audi TT RS and RS3, it would seem there is a plot afoot to bring such a Beetle to North America. “The Beetle,” a source in Wolfsburg tells Autoblog, “is so much sportier now. It’s much more appealing to male buyers as well.” Some off-the-record remarks tell of a Beetle thus equipped that is better on the track than another VW R coupe that North America sadly still doesn’t get.

The message? No more dung beetles.

Gallery: 2012 Volkswagen New Beetle: Spy Shots

2012 Volkswagen New Beetle: Spy Shots

[Images: KGP Photography]

VW Beetle to debut in China; powerful Audi-engined model in the cards? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 14:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Audi to bring back the A2 to slot in between A1, A3

Filed under: Hatchback, Audi, Luxury

Audi A2

Remember when German automakers’ line-ups were fairly straightforward? Take Audi, for example. There was the A4, the A6, and the A8. And that was pretty much it. But now there’s an A1, A3, A5, A7, TT, R8, Q5, Q7…the list keeps growing. And it looks ready to keep on growing, too, as reports come in of Ingolstadt’s plans to bring back the A2.

The original A2, as you may recall, was a lightweight premium hatchback that was built from 1999 through 2005. A little too pricey and a little too ahead of its time, the A2 never gained the traction in the world’s marketplaces (it was never offered in North America). But now that nearly every automaker is exploring smaller vehicles and customers are detaching themselves from the notion that luxury equates with a certain size, the time could be right for the A2’s return.

Of course it would have to slot in between the new A1 and the existing A3, and differentiate itself from both. Sources suggest that the new A2’s curb weight could actually undercut its predecessor, which tipped the scales at under 2,000 pounds thanks to its lightweight aluminum spaceframe construction. To get there, the A2 could be the first to use Audi’s new MLB-Evo multi-material platform, made out of steel, aluminum and composites bonded, screwed and riveted together for optimal weight, rigidity and cost.

[Source: Autocar]

Rumormill: Audi to bring back the A2 to slot in between A1, A3 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Audi developing Q6 to square off against BMW X6

Filed under: Coupe, Crossover, Audi, Design/Style, Luxury

Audi Sportback Crossover

Still think the BMW X6 is a dumb idea? Well, you’re not alone, but given that the “Sports Activity Coupe” has reportedly sold more than double its original projections, you’d also appear to be betting against the market. Apparently Audi can’t ignore those kind of numbers, spurring reports that Ingolstadt is preparing a coupe-like crossover of its own.

Tentatively dubbed (predictably enough) the Q6, the slant-roofed Audi crossover would slot in between the Q5 and Q7. Sources suggest it will be based on the same platform that underpins the Volkswagen Touareg and Porsche Cayenne (as well as the Audi Q7, albeit in an extended form).

Engines would naturally borrow from the Audi parts bin, but a hybrid version like the Touareg and Cayenne is also reportedly in the cards. As is a potential RS version, which would have another go at the on-again, off-again reports of Quattro GmbH delving into the hyperpower CUV game to battle the AMG-fettled Mercedes-Benz ML and BMW’s X5 and X6 M.

[Source: AutoWeek]

Report: Audi developing Q6 to square off against BMW X6 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Mar 2011 16:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Audi treats aluminum like Play-Doh in new A6 ad

Filed under: Sedan, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Audi, Luxury

Audi A6 Commercial

2012 Audi A6 commercial – Click above to watch video after the jump

Audi has just released a new commercial to underscore the company’s commitment to lighter materials in the 2012 A6. In its never-ending quest for better fuel economy and performance, the automaker has embraced aluminum as the material of choice for much of the sedan’s unibody structure. The metal has allowed Audi to increase the interior room of its products without suffering a weight or rigidity penalty. Of course, attempting to explain that in a way that doesn’t sound like a more boring interpretation of high school chemistry class is a bit of a challenge.

That’s where the miracle of CGI comes in.

The ad turns slabs of aluminum into an easily malleable material able to be stretched and formed into any shape, allowing the audience to draw easy parallels between the sculpting on screen and the work of the automaker’s engineers. Sure, an A6 is impressive, but we’d like to see this guy work up a giraffe.

Hit the jump to see the full video for yourself.

Gallery: 2012 Audi A6: First Drive

[Source: Audi via YouTube]

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Video: Audi treats aluminum like Play-Doh in new A6 ad originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 Audi R8 GT to start at $196,800

Filed under: Car Buying, Coupe, Performance, Audi, Specialty

2011 Audi R8 GT

2011 Audi R8 GT – Click above for high-res image gallery

Audi has announced that the 90 examples of the 2011 R8 GT slated to come to this country will carry price tags starting at $196,800. The R8 GT packs a version of the 5.2-liter FSI V10, but cranked up to 560 horsepower, mated to Audi’s R-Tronic sequential transmission. Backing up the transmission is a four-wheel-drive system with a locking rear differential.

The R8 GT is built using more aluminum and carbon fiber than the standard car, which translates to a 180-pound weight loss. The rear hatch, spoiler and front splitter on the GT are all carbon-fiber pieces.

The weight savings, power increase, and sequential gearbox team up to scoot the R8 GT to 60 miles per hour in 3.6 seconds, and a up to a 199-mph top speed.

Gallery: 2011 Audi R8 GT

2011 Audi R8 GT

[Source: Audi]

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2012 Audi R8 GT to start at $196,800 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: More powerful Audi TT RS Plus on the way

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Audi, Rumormill

Audi TT RS in white

Audi TT RS – Click above for high-res image gallery

Is there a more powerful Audi TT RS on the horizon? According to some leaked information, that appears to be the case. An iteration of the two-door has appeared in internal Audi documents with the name TT RS Plus. It’s power output is listed at 355 horsepower, which is a 20 pony jump over the current 335-hp TT RS.

It may not sound like much, but if Audi can shed some weight, in addition to the horsepower increase, then it should have an even more serious sports car on its hands. The leaked document states that the car will be introduced in May, so until that happens we’ll dream that it looks something like the DTM-inspired TT RS we drooled over back in October 2010.

Gallery: Audi TT RS and Roadster

[Source: WorldCarFans]

Rumormill: More powerful Audi TT RS Plus on the way originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 Mar 2011 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: 2013 Audi S6 undresses in Germany

Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Performance, Audi, Luxury

2013 Audi S6 spy shots

2013 Audi S6 spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery

In addition to a hybrid version, Audi is giving its sleek new A6 the full S treatment. Our spy photographers recently snapped this completely undisguised prototype out testing in Germany, leading us to believe that the production car will likely debut in the not-too-distant future. Audi’s usual S up-do is fully evident here, with the more aggressive front fascia, side sill extension and four exhaust tips out back all signaling a more sporting sedan.

The new S6 will likely ditch the current car’s 5.2-liter V10 mill in favor of a turbocharged 4.0-liter V8. Since the S6 will compete with the likes of the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG and BMW M5, expect power output to be somewhere in the 500- to 550-horsepower range.

Gallery: Spy Shots: 2013 Audi S6

2013 Audi S6 spy shots

[Source: KGP Photography]

Spy Shots: 2013 Audi S6 undresses in Germany originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Mar 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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