As you may have guessed, this year's edition of the Super Bowl football extravaganza will be jam-packed with automotive advertisements. Following the 2012 VW Passat and Beetle TV spots we showed you earlier today, we now bring you two teaser commercials from Audi, both centered around the 'Goodbye to Old Luxury' campaign for the new A8 limo. Click past the jump to watch for yourself.
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Like many other automakers, Audi is constantly expanding its production network to include new countries. This time, the German premium carmaker has launched a new assembly plant in Indonesia in cooperation with INDOMOBIL /Garuda Mataram Motor, to produce the Audi A4 1.8 TFSI and A6 2.0 TFSI cars in the capital city Jakarta.
The first A4 and A6 models were delivered to Indonesian customers earlier this month, with the German company planning to assemble around 2,700 cars per year by 2015, including 2,000 A4 models, exclusively for the Indonesian market.
Audi said the Indonesian car market is forecast to grow by 15 percent this year, with sales in the premium segment expected to double over the next five years.
“After having done so in key markets like China and India, we’ve now found an outstanding partner for local assembly of our Audi models in Indonesia: INDOMOBIL/Garuda Mataram Motor,” said Frank Dreves, Member of the Board of Management for Production at AUDI AG.
"As one of the most important countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Indonesia is one of Asia’s most dynamic growth regions. We’d like to contribute to this growth, since growth is an important component of Audi’s brand strategy,” Dreves said.
The looting of the Ferrari 599 GTB owned by former Tunisian president Zein al-Abidine Ben Ali and the smashing of cars owned by his relatives including a Ferrari California may have been eye-catching in an offbeat sort of way, but there are more important automotive-related stories coming out from Tunisia.
It has been reported by several news agencies that Tunisians are also destroying random vehicles made by Kia, Fiat, Porsche and other makers. The reason? Because the companies that distribute them are controlled by members of the ruling family. Now, in light of all the latest developments, many international automakers are reviewing their business ties to the extended family of Zein al-Abidine Ben Ali, according to the Financial Times.
The daily newspaper said that up until now, the country's car market, which totaled just under 60,000 units in 2010, was heavily regulated by its trade ministry that favored importers controlled one way or another by relatives of the former president or his wife, Leila Trabelsi.
Companies controlled or owned by the family members of the ousted presidential couple include:
-Ford, which sells cars in Tunisia through a company partially owned by Belhassen Trabelsi, the former president’s brother-in-law;
-Ennakl, a dealer for Porsche, Volkswagen, Audi, and Seat controlled by Mohamed Sakher al-Materi, the president’s son-in-law;
-Kia, which distributes its models through City Cars, part of the El Materi Princess Holding, another company controlled by the former president’s son-in-law, Mohamed Sakher al-Materi;
-Le Moteur, which acts as an importer for several companies including Mercedes-Benz and Fiat, and is owned by Marouane Mabrouk, the deposed president’s son-in-law;
-Peugeot, which is represented by Stafim, a company in which Mehdi Belgaid – said to be engaged to Halima Ben Ali, the former president’s daughter – owns a stake;
Some carmakers such as Audi have stopped exporting their cars to the country because they are not sure if they would clear customs as well for their safety once they arrive on the dealer lots. The financial daily quoted Audi as saying; “We will have to look at whether we can continue doing business with this partner and whether they are the right partner for us. ”
Ford said it also looking into the matter and reassessing ties with its Tunisian importer, while Mercedes-Benz said it found no wrongdoing on behalf of Le Moteur but will monitor the situation. A Peugeot spokesman said the automaker will wait to see what the new government will do with companies associated with the president's family.
Other carmakers, including Kia and Porsche, said that for the time being, they will continue to do business as usual with their partners. Porsche in particular said it has no plans to change its arrangement with Ennaki “as long as the company is operational and paying for cars”.
The newspaper said that Fiat "would not comment on its business in Tunisia, or its local partner."
Source: Financial Times
An Audi A3 Sportback owner in New York City's East Village received a chilly surprise on Monday after finding his car literally encased in ice. The freakish incident occurred after a pipe broke under the street sometime during the weekend causing a sinkhole that formed a small pond around the Audi. The passing cars splashing water all over the A3 and subfreezing temperatures did the rest. As you can see in the video after the jump, the ice was so thick that the owner's attempts to free the car from its frozen cage with a chisel and a hammer proved futile.
Source: KLG News
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This here shiny black Audi A6 is the work of Japanese paint specialist Artis. The German executive sedan features a special finish with diamond shape grooves that was achieved by applying a patterned film all over the car and then painting on top of it. The Japanese firm also added a custom bodykit along with 20-inch alloy wheels shod in 225/30 rubber, and upgraded the suspension and 3.2-liter V6 engine. See the rest of the pictures in our image gallery below.
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The most powerful version of the new Audi A1 to date, the 185-horse 1.4 TFSI S-Line is now available to order in the UK with prices starting from £20,705 on-the-road (US$32,900). The 1.4-liter supercharged and turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine comes with a standard S tronic seven-speed twin-clutch transmission that transfers power to the front wheels.
Audi says the car can accelerate from rest to 62 mph (100km/h) in 6.9 seconds, and continue on to a 141mph (227 km/h) top speed, while returning a combined fuel efficiency of 47.9 mpg UK (39.9 mpg US or 5.9 lt/100km).
The A1 1.4 TFSI 185HP is equipped with Audi's S-Line packages which include a sports suspension, a bodykit with different bumpers, side skirts and a rear diffuser, plus 17-inch alloy wheels and part leather-upholstered sports seats.
Other standard features include remote central locking, air conditioning, electric front windows and mirrors, Bluetooth mobile phone preparation, Driver’s Information System and a six-speaker single CD audio system with auxiliary iPod connection.
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At this year’s International Toy Fair in Nuremberg (February 3-8), Audi will showcase a selection of model cars and other products, including the Auto Union Type C e-tron, a concept study with a fully-electric drive based on the firm's limited edition pedal car, which is sold through is quattro GmbH subsidiary.
The one-of-a-kind Auto Union Type C e-tron boasts a hand-finished body made of aluminum and carbon-look material. Measuring 2.32 meters (91.34 inches) in length and 97 centimeters (38.2 inches) in width, the 1:2 scale model is suitable for children as well as adults up to 1.8 meters (5’11”) tall.
The high-tech toy car is powered by an electric motor delivering 1.5HP (1.12kW) and up to 60 Nm (44.25 lb-ft) of torque, fed by a lithium-ion battery. Power is sent to the rear wheels and the study is also equipped with a reverse gear.
The top speed is a very respectable 30 km/h (18.64 mph) and, depending on the driving style, the electrified Type C can travel as far as 25 kilometers (15.53 miles). Charging takes about two hours at most, using any standard 230-volt household socket.
Audi did not say if it has any plans to introduce a production model of the study in the future.
By Csaba Daradics
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VW Group specialist ABT Sportsline will bring several Audi models to the 2011 Geneva Motor Show in March, including the eye-catching R8 GTR with a chrome finish pictured above, as well as its newest tuning proposals for the A7 Sportback and 2012MY A6 sedan.
Alongside the R8 GT-R, A7 Sportback and A6, the German tuner will also be presenting a fourth model, which is being kept a secret for now. “We will be bringing along a sports car which I personally like a lot. For it shows our technical capabilities and offers a maximum level of driving enjoyment. I am looking forward to seeing how it is received by the public in Geneva," said the ABT general manager, Hans-Jürgen.
The pre-facelift Audi Q7 4.2 TDI is the focus of MR Car Design's latest tune. The German firm starts off with the exterior styling of the large SUV, bringing it in line with the refreshed Q7. The kit includes a front bumper with LED daytime running lights, new headlamps and LED tail lights. There's also a new set of 22-inch wheels wrapped in 265/35-22 rubber, while interior improvements are limited to an available sports steering wheel sourced from the RS6.
Under the hood, MR Car Design's engineers managed to squeeze another 48-horses and 110Nm from the 4.2-liter turbocharged V8 diesel, lifting output from 326HP to 374HP, and peak torque from 760Nm to 870Nm. They also removed the electronic speed limiter.
Other available performance upgrades include an electronic module for the suspension that lowers the Q7's ride height.
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Now here's a video worthy of the all-new Audi RS3's sporty credentials and quattro heritage. Forget about the bland static footage of the car released at launch because this clip is -mostly- about having some slideways fun on the snow accompanied by the howling sounds of the RS3's 340HP turbocharged inline-five. Enjoy the 7 minute long film, which was shot in Canada, right after the break.
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Striving to improve the look of the 2011 Audi Q7, British tuner Project Kahn released a comprehensive styling package for the German SUV. While there’s nothing wrong with that, we feel that an engine conversion would’ve been a welcome addition as well, justifying the aggressiveness of the wide body kit.
Taking inspiration from the firm’s previous Q7 project, the bodykit includes widened wheel arches, front wings with vents, modified bumpers and a rear roof wing. Kahn RS-X alloys round up the exterior changes.
Inside, all seven seats are clad in black perforated Nappa leather with contrasting Maranello Red stripes , while passengers sitting at the back can enjoy the entertainment package that includes two headrest-mounted 7-inch TFT screens, DVD player, wireless headsets and remote control.
The white speedometer and red rev-counter, new sill plates and aluminum pedals complete the interior upgrades.
All accessories are available as standalone pieces.
By Csaba Daradics
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