bring Archives | AutoDepot

Official: Audi first to bring LTE to the car later this year

Filed under: Performance, Technology, Hatchback, Audi, Luxury, Infotainment

It appears Audi will be the first to market with in-car LTE service later this year. We knew that BMW was working on LTE integration last year with its ConnectedDrive, and we’ve been told that, by the end of 2015, most General Motors products will have it, but LTE can be ordered on the S3 Sportback (pictured) as soon as July. Other models in the A3 line-up will add the option in November.

Inserting an LTE-enabled SIM card into the Audi’s MMI navigation will make the S3 a WLAN hotspot that can quickly shuffle high-definition content from the cloud to the cockpit. It will also bolster Audi Connect services like Google Earth, Facebook and Twitter, e-mail, and streaming internet radio.

We’ve been told that we’ll be offered the LTE option when the 2015 A3 sedan gets here in the spring of 2014. Since the service requires you to provide a SIM card, we expect that costs and data caps will be a matter between you and the service provider; speaking of which, Audi hasn’t announced yet who that provider will be on this side of the Atlantic. The press release below has more details.

Continue reading Audi first to bring LTE to the car later this year

Audi first to bring LTE to the car later this year originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Jul 2013 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Official: Audi first to bring LTE to the car later this year”

Video: Ferrari Racing Days at Laguna Seca: F1 Clienti bring the Formula 1 experience closer to the masses

Filed under: Motorsports, Ferrari, Racing

Ferrari F1 Clienti at Laguna Seca

Without a doubt, the highlight of this past weekend’s Ferrari Racing Days at Laguna Seca was the F1 Cliente. Ferrari started the program in 2003 to allow their most significant and wealthiest customers to own and operate old Formula 1 cars at some of the world’s best racing circuits under the guidance and supervision of a dedicated team of Ferrari’s own mechanics and engineers. Participants in the program need only to show up – Ferrari takes care of the maintenance, care and transportation of the cars. The crew will even bring the owner’s racing suit to each of the events.

For the event at Laguna Seca, a total of six F1 cars were in attendance, ranging from a 1972 312 B2 driven by Jacky Ickx to an F2007 test car driven by Michael Schumacher. Two other Schumacher race cars from 2001 and 2004, an F2003-GA driven by Rubens Barrichello, and a Berger/Mansell F1-89 filled out the rest of the lineup.

The best part about the F1 Clienti is that Ferrari allows a relatively good amount of access to see the cars up close. Just try walking into the Ferrari garage at an actual Formula 1 race. To see and hear the cars in person is also an entirely different experience than watching on television. The zoom lenses of the television cameras betray the actual speed at which an F1 car can travel. The 599XX and FXX actually seemed slow in comparison.

You can watch the Ferrari F1 Clienti at Laguna Seca for yourself in the video after the jump, or check out our photos from the event in the gallery below.

Continue reading Ferrari Racing Days at Laguna Seca: F1 Clienti bring the Formula 1 experience closer to the masses

Ferrari Racing Days at Laguna Seca: F1 Clienti bring the Formula 1 experience closer to the masses originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 May 2011 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Video: Ferrari Racing Days at Laguna Seca: F1 Clienti bring the Formula 1 experience closer to the masses”

Lexus planning to bring three new models, hotter CT200h to market

Filed under: Sedan, SUV, Crossover, Lexus, Australia, Luxury

Lexus logo

It looks like Lexus is planning to bring a range of new models and customer options to market in Australia soon. The Japanese luxury brand has met with struggling sales down under, and according to The Age, the automaker plans to reverse that slide by giving buyers more choices. According to Tony Cramb, the chief executive of Lexus, that will begin with the addition of a number of new paint colors and interior finishes to put the Lexus option sheet on par with what rivals Audi and BMW offer their buyers.

In addition, the Lexus showroom will grow a little more crowded with the introduction of three new models. Those include a CUV, a more affordable luxury sedan and a seven-passenger SUV. Details on those creations are slim at the moment, though Cramb says that the vehicles will join a new hotter version of the CT 200h called the CT 300h. That wee beastie will come with a more potent gasoline engine and a jazzed-up electric motor to match.

Lexus planning to bring three new models, hotter CT200h to market originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 May 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Lexus planning to bring three new models, hotter CT200h to market”

Report: Volkswagen wants to bring three-row CUV, subcompact to U.S.

Filed under: Etc., Crossover, Volkswagen

jonathan browning, vw Volkswagen is working hard to make sure it accomplishes its North American assimilation plan. In order to fully realize its ambitious 800,000-unit volume target, the automaker will be required to introduce an even greater variety of vehicles into its existing lineup. Jonathan Browning, CEO of Volkswagen North America, says that he and his team understand this, and a few new VW family members could wind up in U.S. dealer showrooms.

According to Car and Driver, Volkswagen believes that an additional crossover is needed to help round-out the lineup. This vehicle would need three-rows of passenger seating, and its crosshairs would target the likes of Ford’s Explorer and the Honda Pilot. For whatever it’s worth, the scuttlebutt we’ve heard is that VW is considering a stretched Tiguan to fill this duty, as a three-row Touareg would be too costly for the family-oriented segment.

Volkswagen could also be looking to go small. Though its current European-market Polo seems like an easy solution, VW believes that’s not the case. The car is not ready for U.S. consumption, and it would require a bit of “Americanizing” before VW will sell you one.

We love the Polo and are looking forward to whatever form in which it arrives, but we’d love to see us some Scirocco and Amarok, too.

[Source: Car and Driver]

Report: Volkswagen wants to bring three-row CUV, subcompact to U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Apr 2011 14:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Report: Volkswagen wants to bring three-row CUV, subcompact to U.S.”

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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Rumormill: Audi to bring back the A2 to slot in between A1, A3”

Rumormill: Bentley to bring new Continental Supersports to Geneva?

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Bentley, Rumormill

2012 Bentley Continental GT

2012 Bentley Continental GT – Click above for high-res image gallery

The first generation of Bentley’s Continental range spawned as many variants as its engine has cylinders. Over seven years of production, they including the GT coupe, the GTC convertible and the Flying Spur sedan, in three levels of engine output (standard, Speed and Supersports), with countless special editions and factory-sanctioned coachbuilt variants (like Zagato’s GTZ and Touring’s Flying Star) along the way.

So what’s next in the pipeline? Well, now that the second-generation Continental GT has hit the market, we can expect the whole rigamarole to start anew. While the range will expand southwards with a new V8 engine option, rumors have begun to surface over the northward expansion with a new Supersports model.

Tipped to be even more extreme than the stripped-out, pumped-up, flex-fuel first-gen Supersports, the new version based on the new Continental GT could benefit from a more aggressive aero package with spoilers and vents aplenty, and a potentially even more powerful engine. Word has it that production could be capped at 100 units, and that Bentley could be planning a surprise unveiling at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show. That said, we’d be a little surprised if Bentley jumped right from the Conti GT to the top whack Supersports – if they follow tradition, other bodystyles and a Speed-series of models will arrive first.

Gallery: 2011 Bentley Continental GT

[Source: TopSpeed]

Rumormill: Bentley to bring new Continental Supersports to Geneva? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Rumormill: Bentley to bring new Continental Supersports to Geneva?”

Rumormill: Mercedes-Benz ready to bring hybrids to AMG

Filed under: Hybrid, Performance, Mercedes-Benz, Rumormill, Luxury

Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG

2011 Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG – Click above for high-res image gallery

The era of the green(-ish) sports car is fast approaching. Porsche unveiled its 918RSR at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show while Audi enjoys showing off one of its many e-Tron concepts at nearly every expo. Mercedes-Benz is no stranger to pairing up powerful vehicles with electric propulsion, trotting out the SLS AMG E-Cell at the NAIAS and searing our retinas in the process. Now there’s word that AMG is ready to cut fuel consumption across its lineup by partnering its torquey gasoline engines with some kind of hybrid electric powertrains.

According to Daimler’s head of future mobility and advanced engineering Herbert Kohler, it’s a “given” that AMG vehicles in the coming years will be available as hybrids. The AMG family will still be about performance, but – like every other automaker under the sun – fuel consumption is a constant part of engineering discussions going forward.

Gallery: 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG: First Drive

2011 Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG

Rumormill: Mercedes-Benz ready to bring hybrids to AMG originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 Jan 2011 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Rumormill: Mercedes-Benz ready to bring hybrids to AMG”

Audi creates petition to bring TT RS to U.S.

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Etc., Audi, Luxury

The Audi TT RS wasn’t meant for U.S. consumption, but the door hasn’t quite closed on that possibility. When Audi of America let us drive the 340-horsepower coupe (it’s faster and cheaper than a Porsche Cayman S), it earned all kinds of thumbs up. Still, Ingolstadt needs to know you really want it, so now you can register your desire via a new Facebook petition.

Audi hasn’t said how many signatures are needed before importing the TT RS is deemed a “go,” but your signature can’t hurt – this one’s all carrot, no stick. If you need a reminder of the possibilities, have a look at the TT RS in the gallery of high-res photos below. Hat tip to Danielle

Gallery: Quick Spin: 2010 Audi TT RS

[Source: Audi on Facebook]

Audi creates petition to bring TT RS to U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 08 Aug 2010 12:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Audi creates petition to bring TT RS to U.S.”

Rumormill: Mercedes-Benz A-Class AMG to bring 270 hp to the party

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Hatchback, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

A few months back, word began to spread that AMG is working on a performance version of one of Mercedes’ smallest cars. If true, it would not only mean giving the hi-po treatment to a segment hitherto untouched by the gents at Affalterbach, it could entail swapping a front-wheel drive hatch for a RWD platform. A month later, this small car’s benchmarks were found out: the Golf R, Audi S3 and BMW 1 Series. And a month after that the rumors began to coalesce around the B-Class as AMG’s subject of choice.

It turns out that the A-Class will be the first in line for an AMG makeover and the Ford Focus RS is also one of its targets. The diminutive Benz will get a four-cylinder, direct-injection engine with a pressure-wave supercharger that’s looking at an output of somewhere around 270 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. That gumption will reportedly get to the wheels through a dual-clutch gearbox and then navigate yet more clutches in the rear-biased all-wheel-drive system.

A two-car line-up is planned: a five-door hatch and a CLS-like sedan. But we won’t see any of this until 2012 or so, when the next-generation A-Class arrives. And the U.S. is only expected to get the sedan version, which will wear the name CLC, salvaged from the C-Class sport coupe that ended production not a moment too soon.

[Source: Autocar]

Rumormill: Mercedes-Benz A-Class AMG to bring 270 hp to the party originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading “Rumormill: Mercedes-Benz A-Class AMG to bring 270 hp to the party”