Motor Authority - blog Category: TTS

We have a preview of one of the challengers that will tackle the very special Annual Autonomous Robot Race next July, a self-driving Audi TTS Coupe nicknamed Shelley.

The vehicle gets its name from Michele Mouton, one of the most successful female rally drivers to date who played a significant part in Audi's racing history, and was developed by Audi together with a team from Stanford University.

The goal in developing Shelley was to build an autonomous vehicle capable of completing the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in a reasonable time using rally driving techniques.

Audi enlisted researchers from the Volkswagen Electronics Research...

We have a preview of one of the challengers that will tackle the very special Annual Autonomous Robot Race next July, a self-driving Audi TTS Coupe nicknamed Shelley. The vehicle gets its name from Michele Mouton, one of the most successful female rally drivers to date who played a significant part in Audi's racing history, and was developed by Audi together with a team from Stanford University. The goal in developing Shelley was to build an autonomous vehicle capable of completing the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in a reasonable time using rally driving techniques. Audi enlisted researchers from the Volkswagen Electronics Research Lab to develop a safety architecture to ensure a reliable autonomous drive. The team at Stanford University, meanwhile, developed the control algorithms that enable the vehicle to drive at the limits of handling on a variety of surfaces, and lets it complete the Pikes Peak course. [Audi] Read More

For a robotic car, there can hardly be a more perilous challenge than the Pikes Peak run, as even city traffic and concrete barriers don't pose the same risk as several-thousand-foot falls and sheer rock walls. Despite the fact that the Audi TTS housing the system--dubbed Shelley after famed female rally legend Michele Mouton--will be driverless, the team from Stanford must still be nervous about the attempt.

Shelley won't be taking it easy, you see--the plan is to hit the slopes as hard as possible, racing to the 14,000-foot-plus summit in the shortest time possible. This is a feat that only the most elite human race car drivers can...

For a robotic car, there can hardly be a more perilous challenge than the Pikes Peak run, as even city traffic and concrete barriers don't pose the same risk as several-thousand-foot falls and sheer rock walls. Despite the fact that the Audi TTS housing the system--dubbed Shelley after famed female rally legend Michele Mouton--will be driverless, the team from Stanford must still be nervous about the attempt. Shelley won't be taking it easy, you see--the plan is to hit the slopes as hard as possible, racing to the 14,000-foot-plus summit in the shortest time possible. This is a feat that only the most elite human race car drivers can accomplish with any degree of safety, so it's sure to be a serious challenge for a purely computer-controlled system. Nevertheless, the computer appears to have a fair grip on the dynamics of sliding around in the dirt as the preview video below shows. The Pikes Peak challenge won't actually happen until 2010, but between now and then Stanford will be working hard to get the robot-driven Audi TTS up to speed. The Shelley project is a continuation of the driverless car systems spawned by the likes of the DARPA Challenge. [BotJunkie] Read More

Porsche, the once unassailable leader in the sports car segment, has proven that it is not completely shielded from the current economic crisis sweeping the globe. In an official statement, Porsche revealed back in March that its sales have been struggling and earlier in the year the company reported a 27% decline in sales. Hit hardest was the Boxster mid-engined roadster, which despite a recent facelift has experienced a sales decline of almost 60%.

To overcome this, European media is reporting that Porsche is looking to expand its Boxster range with a cheaper base model. If the reports are true then Porsche is strongly considering a new... Porsche, the once unassailable leader in the sports car segment, has proven that it is not completely shielded from the current economic crisis sweeping the globe. In an official statement, Porsche revealed back in March that its sales have been struggling and earlier in the year the company reported a 27% decline in sales. Hit hardest was the Boxster mid-engined roadster, which despite a recent facelift has experienced a sales decline of almost 60%. To overcome this, European media is reporting that Porsche is looking to expand its Boxster range with a cheaper base model. If the reports are true then Porsche is strongly considering a new Boxster model powered by the same engine found in the Audi TTS. Currently, the base Boxster features a flat-six engine that outputs 255hp (190kW) and 213lb-ft (290Nm) of torque. Introducing the new TTS engine as it is found in the Audi model would give the Boxster an additional 20hp (15kW) and 44lb-ft (60Nm) of extra torque, as well as allowing the car to be sold for a cheaper price. According to Auto Motor and Sport, the idea of putting the TTS engine into Boxster has already been discussed by a joint Audi-Porsche product planning committee, and if Porsche decides to go ahead with the plan then we might see a raft of new Boxster owners swayed by the cheaper price tag. In Europe, the cheapest Boxster runs for around €46,500 ($64,000), but with a TTS engine in place it has been estimated this figure could go down to €40,000 ($55,000). However, some obstacles may stand in the way of a Porsche-Audi tie-up, especially the issue of brand cannibalization between the two. There is also the issue that many Porsche purists will have with an Audi engine, rather than a Porsche engine, sitting under their bonnet. The story doesn’t end there, however. The same reports also claim Porsche is considering adding a new roadster model to its lineup that will be positioned below the Boxster. For more information on this vehicle, check out our previous story by clicking here.2009 Audi TTS2010 Porsche Cayman and Boxster Read More

Porsche’s current financial troubles are no secret, which is why it’s understandable that the company would welcome any additional sources of income. One suggestion is the introduction of a new entry-level roadster positioned below the current Boxster and built along the lines of the Porsche 914 of the late 1960s and early 1970s. While Porsche research and development chief Wolfgang Dürheimer recently denied claims the company was working on such a car, German media is today reporting that it is still a possibility.

Though the lightweight mid-engined Porsche 914 was far from a perfect machine, it has developed a cult following... Porsche’s current financial troubles are no secret, which is why it’s understandable that the company would welcome any additional sources of income. One suggestion is the introduction of a new entry-level roadster positioned below the current Boxster and built along the lines of the Porsche 914 of the late 1960s and early 1970s. While Porsche research and development chief Wolfgang Dürheimer recently denied claims the company was working on such a car, German media is today reporting that it is still a possibility. Though the lightweight mid-engined Porsche 914 was far from a perfect machine, it has developed a cult following that keeps it active in the streets and on tracks around the world to this day. With Volkswagen now sitting on a new mid-engined platform developed for its Bluesport roadster concept and eventual production version, as well as Porsche’s strengthening links with the German auto giant, the case for a new baby Porsche roadster is made even stronger. Speaking with Automobilwoche, Porsche production manager Michael Macht said the car could be as priced as low as €33,000 to €35,000. However, he explained that this would not fit in with the company’s current market position but it could if a fifth model line was added. If built, the baby roadster would be a joint effort between Porsche and VW though the basic mechanicals would likely be drawn primarily from VW's massive corporate parts bin. The two engines with the most potential are the 1.4L turbocharged/supercharged TSI unit that's good for 170hp (126kW) and the 125hp (93kW) diesel four-cylinder. Though the diesel would likely be more fitting of an economy-version of the car than a Porsche-badged model. Expect it to come sans-LSD, however, in order to keep the car from vying too closely with the lower end of the Boxster range. At an estimated 2,200lbs (1,000kg) and 170hp (126kw), the baby roadster could be expected to give the standard Elise a run for its money, especially considering it is likely to benefit from Porsche's legendary suspension tuning and steering design. There remains no official confirmation of any such joint project as yet - it's still purely in the realm of speculation, and optimistic at that - but it does make sense. Tight fuel economy requirements make production of a quick, nimble and miserly car an appealing maneuver, and tying the car into established enthusiast history could help Porsche side-step issues that such a car might create for its image. Not that the Panamera, soon to be available in diesel and hybrid forms, or the Cayenne in its many guises do much to keep with the company's tradition of sports car-focused performance.Porsche 914 and 914/6 Read More

No matter how far the carmakers take the horsepower wars - or how much they back down from them - the aftermarket is always prepared to go farther. Too much is never enough for a determined tuner, and the latest example is mcchip's Audi TTS.

Rolling off the factory floor with 272hp (203kW) from its 2.0L TFSI engine, the small and svelte TTS offers impressive performance from day one. But the Germans at mcchip wanted more, so they applied a quick ECU tune to get another 43hp (32kW) and 66lb-ft (90Nm) out of the four-banger, bringing totals to 315hp (235kW) and 325lb-ft (440Nm) of torque. Top speed rises to 171mph (275km/h) as part of the... No matter how far the carmakers take the horsepower wars - or how much they back down from them - the aftermarket is always prepared to go farther. Too much is never enough for a determined tuner, and the latest example is mcchip's Audi TTS. Rolling off the factory floor with 272hp (203kW) from its 2.0L TFSI engine, the small and svelte TTS offers impressive performance from day one. But the Germans at mcchip wanted more, so they applied a quick ECU tune to get another 43hp (32kW) and 66lb-ft (90Nm) out of the four-banger, bringing totals to 315hp (235kW) and 325lb-ft (440Nm) of torque. Top speed rises to 171mph (275km/h) as part of the package as well. That's still well short of rival tuner MTM's TT-RS-beating 380hp car, but it's more than enough for most folks to call the mcchip TTS a screaming daily driver. In addition to the ECU tune, mcchip delivers a custom appearance package so people know you've got something special before you smoke them at the next stop light. Nineteen inch black OZ alloy wheels clad in Continental SportContact3 tires in a low-profile 235/35 size offer plenty of grip and a clean, mean look. Pricing is fairly reasonable as well, at €849 ($1,115) for the tune and another €2,990 ($3,930) for the wheel and tire setup.Audi TTS by mcchip Read More

Audi's TT platform has shown some seriously long legs, running in updated but still very familiar form from its debut in 1999 to the present. Now it's showing even more potential remains with the upgraded TTS and TT-RS models. But even that's not enough for the aftermarket, and MTM has answered the call with a 380hp (283kW) model based on the TTS.

The core of the MTM TTS is a heavily upgraded 2.0 TFSI four-banger with quattro AWD. With max boost pressure of 22.5psi (1.55bar) the engine is definitely working hard to crank out its 380hp (283kW) max power rating. Torque is typically turbo-tastic at 364lb-ft (494Nm). The 380hp variant gets its... Audi's TT platform has shown some seriously long legs, running in updated but still very familiar form from its debut in 1999 to the present. Now it's showing even more potential remains with the upgraded TTS and TT-RS models. But even that's not enough for the aftermarket, and MTM has answered the call with a 380hp (283kW) model based on the TTS. The core of the MTM TTS is a heavily upgraded 2.0 TFSI four-banger with quattro AWD. With max boost pressure of 22.5psi (1.55bar) the engine is definitely working hard to crank out its 380hp (283kW) max power rating. Torque is typically turbo-tastic at 364lb-ft (494Nm). The 380hp variant gets its extra power from an upgraded MTM exhaust manifold, new turbocharger and air inlet upgrades. Another version with a slightly less high-strung tune - though it still runs the same max boost pressure - wrings 330hp (246kW) out of the forced-induction four-pot. That's just 10hp (7kW) short of the TT-RS's turbo 2.5L five-cylinder. Both cars get quattro AWD and S tronic direct-shift gearboxes, upgraded 8-piston 380x34mm Brembo brakes, Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 tires in 245/30 size. Other extras include upgraded MTM 20x9in wheels, lowering springs, and a body-colored rear spoiler. If you want the extra go, you'll have to have money to blow, because the 330hp version starts at €63,103 ($83,472) including tax and installation fees, while the bigger brother runs €73,715 ($97,510).Audi TTS by MTM Read More