Audi ready to play hot odds: A1 S-Line, S1, RS3 and RS7 on deck

Filed under: Frankfurt Motor Show, Sedan, Performance, Paris Motor Show, Hatchback, Audi, Luxury

Audi A1

Audi’s lineup is expanding so quickly you’d think its cars were spawning new models by mitosis. In a few days at the Paris Motor Show we’ll be seeing the newest hot addition to the A1 range: the 185-horsepower 1.4 TSFI with thrust provided by a twin-charged four cylinder. That’s not the S1, it just has the S-Line package thrown on for racy looks. Next year, the S1 itself will step forward, with the Golf GTI’s turbocharged 220-hp engine sitting up front. It is a sure bet to shave serious time off the TSFI’s 6.9-second run from zero to 62 miles per hour.

After that comes the Audi RS3, using the same 340-hp, five-cylinder turbo from the TT RS. Sub five-second runs to 62 mph are in the offing, and its 250 kph (155 mph) top speed can be raised to 280 kph (174 mph) for a nominal fee. Then, at the Frankfurt Auto Show in the fall, the RS7 Sportback takes a bow. Powering the four-door fastback will be the 4.0-liter, 550-hp twin-turbo V8 that’ll be shared with the 2011 Bentley Continental GT. That would put it about 100 horses clear of the rumored output in the S7 we should see next week in Paris, and the V8 is said to be 20 percent more fuel efficient than the 5.0-liter V10 in the RS6.

[Source: Auto Bild via German Car Blog]

Audi ready to play hot odds: A1 S-Line, S1, RS3 and RS7 on deck originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 25 Sep 2010 15:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Volkswagen rigs newspaper to play audio ad

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Volkswagen, India

Volkswagen talking newspaper ad

Volkswagen’s talking newspaper ad – Click above to watch the video after the jump

Imagine sitting down to this with your morning coffee. Volkswagen has teamed up with The Times Of India to insert an audio chip into its full-page ad on the back of the newspaper. Nifty, yes, but we wouldn’t be surprised to learn that a handful of readers were startled enough to blow tea out their nose. It’s an unexpected piece of advertising, but it certainly draws in a reader’s attention.

According to the folks at Wired, the audio chip appears to use a photodiode (a device that controls an electric current based on the presence of a light source) attached to a small battery for power. The audio loop is activated once the newspaper is opened and keeps playing until the paper is shut (or until cereal milk is spilled on it – whichever comes first). Seeing is believing, though, so hit the jump to watch a video of the talking ad in action.

[Source: Wired]

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Video: Volkswagen rigs newspaper to play audio ad originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 23 Sep 2010 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chrysler UAW employees work hard play hard; busted for drinking, smoking weed during break [w/video]

Filed under: Etc., Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Plants/Manufacturing, Videos, Chrysler, UAW/Unions

Chrysler plant workers enjoying an extended break

Chrysler workers enjoying a break – Click above to watch video after the jump

Making your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got. Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot. Wouldn’t you like to get away…? Some members of the UAW, employed at Chrysler’s Jefferson North Plant in Detroit, feel the need to do just that. The team at My Fox Detroit received a tip about some auto workers who were using their breaks to catch a little buzz before heading back to the line. The video, which you can watch after the jump, shows several plant employees meeting in a parking lot and throwing back some cold ones. The camera also catches a few folks enjoying some of Michigan’s finest herb. Maybe this is how you respond to working after winning the lottery?

Make the jump for the video and responses from Chrysler and the UAW.

[Source: My Fox Detroit]

Continue reading Chrysler UAW employees work hard play hard; busted for drinking, smoking weed during break [w/video]

Chrysler UAW employees work hard play hard; busted for drinking, smoking weed during break [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 23 Sep 2010 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: The Smoking Tire gets to play with the Firebreather

Filed under: Aftermarket, Coupe, Performance, Pontiac

The Smoking Tire drives the Firebreather – Click above to watch video after the jump

Matt Farah and the crew from The Smoking Tire just can’t seem to get enough of the 2011 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Convertible they had for this year’s Bullrun. With the cross-country party over and nothing but a mountain of citations looming in the distance, The Smoking Tire set out to give the big Blue Oval one last goodbye. Of course, they couldn’t spend an entire episode pouring over every last detail of a vehicle that regular viewers know all too well. Instead, the show lined up a quick stint behind the wheel of the Classic Design Concepts Firebreather.

Think of it as what the 2010 Pontiac Firebird would have looked like if the Poncho had survived the GM apocalypse and the company’s designers had been on acid. If you can get past the wildly rear sheet metal and the drooping front fascia, there’s a supercharged version of the 6.2-liter V8 in the Chevrolet Camaro on which it’s based. The whole concoction is good for 600 horsepower, and while the car was originally worked up for an Exodus Productions movie, Classic Design Concepts will be selling genuine Firebreather models to the public. Hit the jump to see Farah wrangle the car through a canyon or two.

[Source: The Smoking Tire]

Continue reading Video: The Smoking Tire gets to play with the Firebreather

Video: The Smoking Tire gets to play with the Firebreather originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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