Audi Challenges BMW, Mercedes and Lexus with new Ad Campaign

Audi of America has launched a new advertising campaign that will most likely generate a similar response from the competition in the premium segment. Under the tagline “Car Carrier”, the two Audi commercials feature a BMW owner that goes nuts when he sees a truck full of brand new automotive metal from Ingolstadt.

The driver gets out of his BMW 3-Series through the sunroof and jumps on the truck only to discover that the cars have already been claimed for by people like himself (i.e. desperate to get their hands on an Audi). Therefore, he has no choice but to settle for the passenger seat.

The voice in the ad explains the situation: “More people are leaving BMW, Mercedes and Lexus for Audi than ever before”.

Fact or marketing fiction (we incline towards with the latter), expect to see a reply in the form of a campaign from one of Audi’s rival brands in the very near future. But until then, scroll down to take a look at Audi’s TV spots.

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2011 Audi TR8

Judging this tuning package on the project name alone would lead anyone to believe that Project Kahn had worked on another kit for the Audi R8. Take a close look at the images provided and any Audi lover will tell you that this is simply not the case. Although the vehicle you see before does come with the face of an R8, the body actually belongs to its younger brother, the Audi TT

The TR8 project seems to be the kind of project that could provide any TT owner a chance to look like a baller without actually spending the cash needed to back it up. The package started with a 2.0 FSI Audi TT and then escalated with the use of new front and back vented bumpers with mesh inserts and a new front grille fashioned to look like the ones found on the R8. What really makes the tuning package are the R8 style side blades that we guess, at a quick glance, can make a small number of people think they just saw an R8 go by. Other additions to the exterior are a new rear spoiler, a stainless steel quad exhaust system, sports lowered suspension springs, and a front lower bumper lip and door mirrors in a billet steel finish to match the dark gray exterior paint of the Audi. The shiny factor is taken care of with a new set of 20" RSV alloy wheels. For further customization, the TR8’s interior can be altered using a complete bespoke interior design service available to suit individual tastes.

A lot of work was put into the exterior of the car, but that’s where the similarities - if you can really call them that - to the R8 end. The TR8 is simply all bark and no bite with only 200 HP and 207lb-ft of torque coming out of the 2.0L FSI TT engine which is a far cry from the R8’s 430 HP and 317 lb-ft of torque.

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2014 Audi Q6

There’s been talk about an Audi Q6 as far back as 2006 when it was reported that the company had registered the name in Europe. Nothing much was said until two years later when it was reported that its underpinnings would be shared with the Porsche Cayenne to get it ready to do battle with the BMW X6. The Q6 went back into news hibernation for a few more years and now we’ve come across more information to prep us for the coupe-like SUV’s entrance into the market around 2014.

As far as we can tell, the Audi Q6 will be slotted between the Q5 and the Q7, and will share its underpinnings with the Q7 and Porsche Cayenne. It will be offered with a variation of gas and diesel engines, plus a hybrid option as seen in the Cayenne. The top of the line model is rumored to be called the Q6 RS and may share the turbocharged 4.0L V8 engine as seen on the new generation RS6.

More details will be Announced sooner.

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All-New 2012 Audi A6

It’s only been five months since Audi pulled the wraps off the four-door saloon version of its fourth generation A6 executive model at the 2011 Detroit Motor Show, but the brand with the four rings has already prepared a more practical station wagon body style with the Avant moniker.
Today, Audi announced that it will reveal the spanking new 2012 A6 Avant next week on Wednesday, May 18, during a special event at the Humboldt Box in Berlin, which will also be broadcasted online. Don’t expect any surprises under the hood, with the Avant model gaining the same range of diesel and gasoline engines (depending on the market, of course) with the option of the firm’s Quattro all-wheel drive system.
Talking about all-wheel drive, aside from the standard Avant model, Audi is also believed to be readying a replacement for its high-riding soft crossover, the A6 Allroad Quattro.

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Audi Trimaran Concept

If Audi can make themselves a cool little bicycle, why not throw in a boat while they are at it? That’s the opinion of German grad student, Stefanie Behringer, which is why she designed a trimaran yacht as her graduate project under the supervision of the AUDI concept design group in Munich, Germany.

The new trimaran boat integrates two jet skis within a motorboat, but its basis is pure trimaran. A trimaran is a boat with multiple hulls that features a main center hull. This center hull is supported by two smaller outrigger hulls on either side of the boat. The Audi trimaran is 15m long and only 6.40m wide. The deck has enough room for 12 people, but more space is available in the form of four berths.

Audi’s part in the project involves two efficient and lightweight Audi TDI (turbo-charged injection) diesel engines that develop about 500 HP each. For speeds of up to eight knots, the boat will use the 100 HP electric engines that are used to drive the jet skis, but at higher speeds (of up to 30 knots), the boat will use the two engines alternatively. With a total output of about 1200 HP, the boat is rumored to hit a top speed of 40 knots.

Automakers sure don’t make what they used to.

The specifications available are:

 length: 15 m / 49.2 ft
 width: 6.40 m / 21 ft
 draft: 0.58m / 1.9 ft
 width main body: 2.80 m / 9.2 ft
 length jet skis: 3.2 m / 10.5 ft
 width jet skis: 1.15 m / 3.8 ft

 maximum velocity: 74 km/h / 40 kn
 maximum velocity (e-engines): 15 km/h / 8 kn

 2x 500 horsepower V12 TDI (turbo-charged injection)
 2x 100 horsepower / 74 KWI

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Seat Start Production of Audi Q3 in 2012

It seems that the VW Group’s Martorell plant in Spain will not only build the new Audi Q3, but a similar version of the compact SUV for Seat as well, according to a report from British car magazine, What Car. Industry sources told the publication that the Seat IBX crossover study shown at Geneva this year will be built in the same plant with the Audi Q3, with both models to share the same platform. The production version of the IBX is expected to be introduced next year.

The IBX is Seat's second SUV concept after the Tribu shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2007. The Tribu was initially supposed to spawn a production model but the project was canned due to the grim economic outlook at the time.

Now a Seat SUV is closer than ever to reality, even though the production version could differ from the three-door IBX design study. The series production model could feature a more conventional five-door bodywork and internal combustion engines, as opposed to the concept's full-electric setup. The IBX study uses an electric motor to power the front wheels and a battery package that offers a driving range of 45 kilometers (28 miles).

The road-going model is expected to adopt a variety of TSI and TDI engines offering buyers the choice of front-wheel or all-wheel drive. At 4.26 meters long, 1.80 meters wide and 1.62 meters tall, the IBX is very close in dimensions to the Audi Q3, which measures 4.39 meters in length, 1.83 meters in width and 1.60 meters in height.

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Audi 2012 Q3 SUV

If you’re done looking over the official gallery of the new Audi Q3 compact SUV, we have some good news as the Ingolstadt-based automaker has released the first video of the smallest Q series model yet. The new promotional clip shows the Q3 testing on an oval circuit while also offering us a quick walkaround of the exterior and interior.
The 2012 Audi Q3 will be one of many new production and concept models to be introduced in a world premiere at next week’s Shanghai International Auto Show in China. It will first go on sale in Germany this June, and shortly after to the rest of Europe. Audi has not yet decided if it will bring the Q3 to North America.
In European guise, Audi’s answer to the BMW X1 will offer buyers a choice of two gasoline and two diesel engines, all of which are four-cylinder units with a 2.0-liter displacement and turbocharging technology.

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BMW Vs Audi and Mercedes with Six M3 Race Cars

BMW's Motorsport division announced today that it will enter six M3 race cars in the DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters) starting from the 2012 season. The Bavarian company will be represented in the highly competitive championship by three teams, each entering two cars. The chosen teams are long-term partners BMW Team Schnitzer and BMW Team RBM, plus the newcomer Reinhold Motor sport GmbH.
Development of the M3 DTM car has been running at full speed in Munich for the past few months, with the first track tests are scheduled to begin this month. “The concepts presented by BMW Team RBM, BMW Team Schnitzer and Reinhold Motorsport GmbH ultimately convinced us. This is an excellent team line-up for BMW. For us, it is important that all three teams have absolute equal rights. We are looking forward to cooperating over the coming years – and hope to enjoy great success together,” said BMW Motor sport boss Mario Theissen.
No announcement has been made regarding the BMW driving line-up for the DTM. Of the three teams, only Schnitzer was part of BMW's DTM participation in the 80's and early 90's, winning the 1989 title.
BMW was officially involved in the DTM between 1987 and 1992, winning two titles with the M3 E30 in 1987 and 1989, with drivers Eric van de Poele and Roberto Ravaglia respectively. Before that, private team Gubin won the inaugural 1984 DTM season with Volker Strycek behind the wheel of a 635CSi.


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