Filed under: Coupe , Recalls , Hatchback , Audi 2009 Audi TT - Click above for high-res image gallery If you've got an Audi A3 or TT and like to drive it hard, you may want to check in with your local dealer, because a recall notice has been issued that is directly focused on enthusiastic drivers. The action concerns a spring that holds the fuel tank ventilation valve closed. Under "extreme driving conditions", the spring in question might not be strong enough to prevent gasoline from leaking out. And since that could start a fire, this recall strikes us as rather important. The vehicles in question include some 10,200 A3s, TT coupes and TT Roadsters built between September 29, 2005 and August 26, 2009. Volkswagen of America will be contacting vehicle owners to notify them of the recall, and Audi dealerships will replace the faulty ventilation valves with an improved design free of charge. Full details in the recall notice after the jump. Gallery: Audi TT 2.0 TDI Gallery: 2009 Audi A3 [Source: NHTSA ] Continue reading Audi recalls over 10,000 2006-2010 A3 and TT models over potential fuel leak Audi recalls over 10,000 2006-2010 A3 and TT models over potential fuel leak originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read

Filed under: Concept Cars , Coupe , Performance , Audi , Alternative Fuel Audi e-Tron concept - Click above for high-res image gallery Even though we knew it was coming, the Audi e-tron concept still caught us by surprise. After all, who would have expected an electric sportscar with over 3,000 lb-ft of torque? But if that wasn't enough of a shock, reports now suggest that Audi is actually preparing to put the green beast into production. Although clearly based on the R8, the e-tron concept unveiled just a couple of weeks ago at the Frankfurt show is actually sized in between the range-topping supercar and its kid brother, the TT. In that frame, however, are packed four electric motors and a lithium-ion battery pack pumping out the equivalent of 313 horsepower and an unfathomable 3,319 lb-ft of torque. According to a report from Automotive News , Audi's North American chief Johan de Nysschen says the company is proceeding with plans to put the e-tron into production, and hopes to start testing working prototypes within the next two years. So if you were disappointed that Audi didn't produce the V12 TDI version of the R8 , you've now got something else on which to feast your imagination. Gallery: Frankfurt 2009: Audi e-tron concept [Source: AutoWeek ] REPORT: Audi plans to produce e-tron, begin testing prototypes within two years originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read

Filed under: Car Buying , Wagon , Technology , Videos , Audi The Neue Digital / Razorfish car configurator - Click above to watch video Microsoft Surface is, at its most basic, a table-sized touchscreen computer. You can play with them at rather select locations, but we haven't yet begun to see what the thing can do because there aren't enough people investing in applications for it. But for a glimpse of a potential automotive use, Neue Digitale / Razorfish (ND/R) created a configurator that turns accessorizing into building a car in your bare hands. One of the coolest things about ND/R's take on customizing is that Surface allows for a huge car because the screen is, literally, a table. The haptic controls let you move the car - in this case, an Audi - with a finger or two in any direction, and zooming and jumping in and out of the vehicle take just a few finger touches. The neatest thing of all is the actual physical widget that, when placed on the screen, pulls up a topical menu on the screen that can be flipped through by rotating the widget. And get this: two people can use it at the same time. It's not quite as revelatory as the configurator that Aston introduced last year for the DBS, only because it's not yet real. But it probably will be soon enough. Follow the jump to have a look at the video.

Filed under: Car Buying , Etc. , Government/Legal , Hirings/Firings/Layoffs , Videos Holdiman Motor terminated dealer plea - click above image to watch the video Since government money washed in to pump out General Motors' and Chrysler's swamped and nearly sunken businesses, there's been little mention of the cuts to the dealer base that both automakers have made as part of their rebirth. Tammy Darvish, whose DarCars Automotive Group lost two Chrysler outlets, has started a YouTube channel that encourages terminated dealers to send in videos telling their stories. Co-chair of the Committee to Restore Dealer Rights, Darvish feels that the dealers' stories have largely been ignored. Many of the videos tell tales of long family histories in the dealership business, and all have an air of incredulity about how their American Dreams could be snatched away. These personal accounts may not return any franchises to operation, but at the very least, the effort is cathartic and airs the plight of the many hardworking employees that found work at the now-closed stores. An example of the numerous videos on the channel posted after the jump . [Sources: Automotive News - sub req , YouTube ] Continue reading REPORT: Rejected GM, Chrysler dealers telling their story on YouTube [w/VIDEO] REPORT: Rejected GM, Chrysler dealers telling their story on YouTube [w/VIDEO] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read

Filed under: Performance , Audi 2009 Audi RS6 - Click above for high-res gallery The next generation Audi A6 is expected to debut early in 2010 and that means a new performance S6 and super-performance RS6 will likely follow a couple of years later. As improved efficiency and reduced CO2 emissions take hold in the early years of the next decade, that almost certainly means the S6/RS6 will follow the trend of this year's new S4 and down-size its powerplant. The larger RS6 is currently propelled by a twin turbocharged 5.2-liter V10. The V10 which is shared with the Lamborghini Gallardo (in normally aspirated form) will likely give way to a smaller, boosted V8 that should be lighter and more compact. In all likelihood, the smaller engine won't result in a reduction in performance and will probably be in the 4.0-4.5-liter range with either supercharger, turbos or perhaps both. Recent rumors have indicated that the next M5 will follow the same path taking on the 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 from the X6 M. Gallery: 2009 Audi RS6 [Source: Autoblog.nl ] Next-gen Audi RS6 to drop V10 in favor of V8? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

Filed under: Government/Legal After a month of relentless Cash for Clunkers coverage, we were more than pleased when the Fed's buy-back program finally ended. Nearly every other day C4C was in danger of getting shut down because of a lack of funds. Then there were dealers were worried about getting paid and customers who had to sign responsibility forms in the event their clunker wasn't covered under the program. But while we've had more than our fill of C4C, the car-buying public wants more. A recent poll conducted by Kicking Tires shows that 55 percent of recent car buyers and current shoppers feel C4C should be resurrected. You might be thinking that anyone who's recently purchased a new car would be pleased with any program which provided $4,500 for an inefficient hunk of junk, but only ten percent of respondents participated in the program. Among those involved, 37 percent would have purchased a new car over a used car if C4C was in effect, 30 percent weren't anticipating a purchase of any kind and 24 percent held off on new car purchases until clunkers arrived. While many car buyers would love a continuation of Cash for Clunkers, we're guessing tax payers probably don't want to dole out another $3 billion to clear our nations roads of additional rust buckets. Heck, according to an Automotive News survey , 44 percent of dealers didn't even want the program extended the first time. [Source: Kicking Tires | Image Source: Justin Sullivan/Getty] Cars.com survey says public wants more Cash for Clunkers.

Filed under: Aftermarket , Coupe , Performance , Ford , Design/Style Iacocca Silver 45th Anniversary Edition Ford Mustang - Click above for a high-res image gallery With its Metalcrafters-sculpted body, Lee Iacocca's Silver 45th Anniversary Edition Ford Mustang is one of the hottest pony cars on the market. Unfortunately, it's one of the most expensive too. I Legacy, the company in charge of building the car, recently announced that pricing for each of the 45 examples available will start at $89,950. That's about $10,000 more than the GT500KR or more than triple the base price of a 2010 Mustang GT. If you want items like the Ford Racing supercharger or the big brake kit, you're looking at nearly six figures. Are we surprised? If anything, we're surprised the price tag isn't more. Creating custom coachwork for a vehicle isn't cheap, especially when the cost is only spread over 45 cars. Think about it - Jim Glickenhaus had to pay Pininfarina around $3 million to turn an Enzo into his one-off P4/5 . Okay, so that might be comparing apples to oranges, but you get the point.

Filed under: Crossover , Audi , Reviews , Luxury 2009 Audi Q5 - Click above for high-res image gallery Quality costs. Ask a recording engineer. For the same money you'll burn on a pile of inexpensive, non-serviceable gear whose greatest virtue is that "it works," you could alternatively purchase one channel's worth of serious equipment. The trade-off is that the real kit sounds great all the time, while the cheaper stuff never does. Boiled down to their essence, they both do the same thing, but it's the quality of the components and the careful construction that make all the difference. It's the same thing with the 2009 Audi Q5. $50,000 will put your rump in vast automotive acreage, but for the same coin, the Q5's dimensions are tidy. Combating the "quantity equals quality" mindset, Audi has made the Q5 a standout. It's filled with luxury and comfort items, and put together with typical German fastidiousness. And out on the road, the Q5 chats you up with feedback that's - dare we say - sports-like.

Filed under: Concept Cars , Coupe , Marketing/Advertising , Technology , Audi , Toys/Games , Alternative Fuel You might expect a car with four motors and 3,319 lb-ft of torque to take a great deal of electronics and skill with the right foot to drive properly. If so, you got the electronics part right at least: Audi has created a virtual world for its e-tron electric car that will be featured in Playstation Home later this year. The action takes place in Audi Space, the digital realm that Audi has built inside the Playstation Home online community. The car is featured in the Vertical Run driving game, featuring a track with enough dimensions to impress Speed Racer. The point of the game is to gather enough electrical energy to get the highest top speed, and if you're one of the best, you'll get one of the skyscraper apartments in Audi town. It will probably be the closest anyone will get to driving an e-tron for years -- if ever -- so if you're an Audi-phile who's been looking for a reason to buy a PS3, here's your card. For the full scoop, check out the press release after the jump, and you can see the car again in the gallery of high-res photos below. Gallery: Frankfurt 2009: Audi e-tron concept [Source: Audi] Continue reading Want to take the Audi e-tron for a test drive? Grab your Playstation 3 Want to take the Audi e-tron for a test drive? Grab your Playstation 3 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:32:00 EST.

Filed under: Frankfurt Motor Show , Sedan , Audi , Diesel , Luxury 2010 Audi A4 3.0 TDI Clean Diesel Quattro The 3.0-liter, 240-hp diesel that first served in the Audi Q7 has been assigned to duty in the Audi A4. We drove the 3.0 in the Q7 during last year's Audi Mileage Marathon , and both mileage and power didn't disappoint. Put into the A4, the oil burner with 369 lb-ft should shine like Alpha Centauri. Audi says it will get you to sixty in 6.2 seconds with the six-speed Tiptronic and return 35 mpg at the same time as it already meets the Euro 6 standards coming in 2014. It's unlikely we'll get the treat in this corner of the Western Hemisphere, but that doesn't mean we won't keep looking out for it... especially as an Avant... with those wheels... Gallery: Frankfurt 2009: 2010 Audi A4 3.0 TDI Continue reading Frankfurt 2009: 2010 Audi 3.0 TDI clean diesel quattro would make an excellent gift to the U.S. Frankfurt 2009: 2010 Audi 3.0 TDI clean diesel quattro would make an excellent gift to the U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:21:00 EST.