Motor Authority - blog Tag: Audi A7

As part of its new model blitz to drive its offerings up from the current 23 cars to a total of 40, Audi is augmenting its lineup with new coupes, soft-roaders and sedans. Late last year Audi revealed the new S5 and A5 Cabrios and the Q5 SUV is already priced and safety-tested for North America. One of the next models Audi plans to bring to market is its A7 four-door coupe, which is scheduled to make its debut late next year as a 2011 model.

Production is a certainty now that Audi has decided to put millions of euros into the plant in Neckarsulm in order to make the necessary upgrades and changes to build the A7. Production will start... As part of its new model blitz to drive its offerings up from the current 23 cars to a total of 40, Audi is augmenting its lineup with new coupes, soft-roaders and sedans. Late last year Audi revealed the new S5 and A5 Cabrios and the Q5 SUV is already priced and safety-tested for North America. One of the next models Audi plans to bring to market is its A7 four-door coupe, which is scheduled to make its debut late next year as a 2011 model. Production is a certainty now that Audi has decided to put millions of euros into the plant in Neckarsulm in order to make the necessary upgrades and changes to build the A7. Production will start toward the end of next year, reports Auto Motor und Sport, which means the new model is unlikely to make its way into U.S. showrooms until sometime in early 2011. A very wide range of powertrains will be offered in the A7 and its S7 and RS7 sport-focused variants. Everything from diesel-electric hybrids to 600hp (448kW) V10s will be found under the hood of one variant or another. The hybrid drive is expected to show up first in the company’s Q5 soft-roader. A diesel-electric version is rumored, but the company may end up using a petrol engine instead. The more ordinary A7 variants will be powered by a pair of V6s. The first, a 204hp (152kW) 2.8L engine is the base model, while the 3.0L supercharged engine making 300hp (225kW) will be the first step up. An upgrade to S7 trim will bring with it another 94hp (70kW) in the form of a 4.0L V8. The RS7’s 600hp (448kW) 5.0L twin-turbo V10 is the range-topper. The S7 and RS7 will be released two years apart, with the S7 arriving first in early 2011 and RS7 after that. A six-speed manual gearbox and eight-speed automatic will be available in the lower-spec models, while a seven-speed dual-clutch unit is also expected to be offered in the higher-performance variants. North American models are also expected to get Audi’s quattro AWD standard, though it is not known if European market variants will have a RWD option. Audi’s new torque-vectoring system will also be part of the package. Air suspension will replace the standard spring-based system found in other Audis. The change is designed to help the car compete with the progenitor of the four-door coupe genre, the Mercedes CLS. Sales of the car are only expected to reach the 40,000 mark, but the image boost it will offer with its high-tech features and glamorous look - especially in the soft-top variant - are important for Audi’s development as a brand. Audi released several official sketches of its future lineup late last year, including one of the A7, and our preview fleshes that sketch out into a three-dimensional look at what could be.Audi A7 first spy shots2011 Audi A7 previewAudi future lineup official sketches Read More

While many carmakers are either scaling back their 2009 Detroit Auto Show presence, or pulling out altogether, Audi has bucked the trend with a number of important unveilings at this year’s event. The German luxury marque has already released details about its new V10-powered R8 supercar, and now it has released full details for a concept version of its upcoming A7 four-door coupe.

The new concept is simply called the ‘Sportback’ and not only does it show the design of the A7, but it also previews Audi’s future design language. Furthermore, the concept also signals Audi’s determination not to limit the... While many carmakers are either scaling back their 2009 Detroit Auto Show presence, or pulling out altogether, Audi has bucked the trend with a number of important unveilings at this year’s event. The German luxury marque has already released details about its new V10-powered R8 supercar, and now it has released full details for a concept version of its upcoming A7 four-door coupe. The new concept is simply called the ‘Sportback’ and not only does it show the design of the A7, but it also previews Audi’s future design language. Furthermore, the concept also signals Audi’s determination not to limit the sportback bodystyle to the compact car segment. With its sleek profile and large rear hatch, the 4.95m long, 1.93m wide and only 1.40m high vehicle easily fits into the burgeoning premium coupe-sedan segment. Power is provided by the world’s cleanest diesel technology - a 3.0L V6 TDI that almost completely eliminates nitrogen oxides. This engine already meets the emissions limits of all 50 U.S. states and the EU6 standard scheduled to take effect in 2014, and in the Sportback concept is expected to achieve fuel economy of 39.87mpg (5.9L/100km). As in the U.S. version of the Audi Q7 3.0 TDI and upcoming Touareg V6 TDI, the 3.0L diesel mill produces 225hp (165kW) and 405.66lb-ft (550Nm) of torque in the Audi Sportback concept. Power is transferred to all four 21in wheels via a new 7-speed tiptronic gearbox and quattro permanent AWD. Weighing 1,800 kilograms (3,968.32lb) and with a drag coefficient of 0.30, the coupe will accelerate from 0-62mph in less than seven seconds and reach a top speed of 152mph. New Audi styling features previewed by the concept include the reduction of the number of lines, especially around the roof and shoulders, a markedly horizontal shoulder, broad and flat LED tail-lights, and a new interpretation of the single-frame grille. The interior design has also been kept simple and elegant, with a large glass roof, a driver-oriented cockpit, and a retracting MMI monitor. When the ignition is activated, the new monitor extends horizontally from a slot above the central air register before moving in an elegant arc into a vertical, easy-to-read position. Inside, there is space for four adults and 500L of storage in the trunk. The concept also comes with a new five-link front suspension set-up, CDC (continuous damping control) shock absorbers with magnetic fluid control, electronic steering (which also provides a parking assistant), carbon- ceramic brakes discs and 6-piston brake callipers. The production A7 coupe isn’t expected to go on sale until next year, however, you can see a number of spy shots of a prototype in our previous story, as well as read up on details about a four-door convertible version that is rumored to be in development. Also on display in Detroit this month will be the Q5 compact crossover, the new 300hp 3.0L supercharged V6 A6 range, the 265hp TTS sports coupe, and a new turbodiesel A4 saloon designed for the U.S. market.Audi A7 first spy shots2011 Audi A7 preview2009 Audi A7 Sportback Concept Read More

Just as it did back in July with its upcoming R8 Spider convertible, Audi has released several teaser sketches for some of its important future models. The images reveal new details about the upcoming A5 Sportback model due next year as well the all-new 2010 A7 four-door coupe and next-generation 2011 A8 flagship saloon.

The closest of these future models to production is the A5 Cabrio, which as expected will be styled almost exactly like the Coupe but will feature an automatic folding soft-top. More interesting is the A5 Sportback, which as the images reveal looks more like a low-slung sedan that a traditional Sportback hatch. Both these... Just as it did back in July with its upcoming R8 Spider convertible, Audi has released several teaser sketches for some of its important future models. The images reveal new details about the upcoming A5 Sportback model due next year as well the all-new 2010 A7 four-door coupe and next-generation 2011 A8 flagship saloon. The closest of these future models to production is the A5 Cabrio, which as expected will be styled almost exactly like the Coupe but will feature an automatic folding soft-top. More interesting is the A5 Sportback, which as the images reveal looks more like a low-slung sedan that a traditional Sportback hatch. Both these models will feature the same powertrain lineup as the A5 Coupe and will be available in the performance ‘S’ trim and possibly as RS versions as well. Next in line is the A7 four-door coupe, which is expected to be launched late next year as a 2010 model. Unique elements are the extremely short overhangs, reminiscent of the TT Coupe, as well as aggressively tapered headlamps, and a straight roofline that slopes down and blends directly into the rear hatch. The A7 lineup will start with a 204hp 2.8L model, followed by a 300hp 3.0L supercharged version, and finally a 394hp 4.2L V8 range topper. Eventually an RS7 model will be added to the lineup and this is expected to get a 600hp twin-turbocharged 5.2L V10. The last model to be previewed in this latest series of sketches is the next-generation D4 A8 due in late 2010. The single image of the flagship saloon reveals a single-frame grille design, a low profile roof, and a much more aggressive look than the conservatively styled D3 model currently on sale. The new engine lineup will feature a 250hp 3.0L V6 TDI, a 290hp 3.0L V6 FSI, a 340hp 4.2L V8 TDI, a 372hp 4.2L V8 FSI and finally a 620hp 5.0L V10 FSI reserved for the S8. Other new models in the pipeline for Audi include the A1 minicar, R8 Spider and V10-powered RS R8, all of which are expected to go on sale next year.Audi future lineup official sketches Read More