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Thursday, December 11, 2008
2010 Audi S5
First Look: 2010 Audi A5/S5 Cabriolet
The Cabriolet is Dead, Long Live the Cabriolet
By Kirill Ougarov
The revised 2009 Audi A4 sedan and wagon have been around for several months now, but there has been no word on the convertible receiving the same treatment. There's a reason for that: After 2009, the A4 Cabriolet is dead. In its place will be the new 2010 Audi A5 Cabriolet, a logical move given that it's easier to convert a coupe into a drop-top than a sedan.
Unlike the folks down the autobahn in Munich, Ingolstadt's designers stuck with a tried-and-true softtop design, which opens in 15 sec and closes in 17 sec at speeds of up to 31 mph. The top takes up a mere 2.12 cu ft of cargo space when closed out of a total of 13.42 cu ft, which can be expanded to 26.49 cu ft by folding the 50/50 split rear seats. To help extend the top-down driving season for those not fortunate enough to live in climates without a real winter, Audi is throwing in a head-level heating system along with conventional cooled/heated front seats. Other luxury features include keyless entry and push-button start, 505-watt Bang & Olufsen sound system, rearview camera, Bluetooth, Xenon headlights, and Audi Side Assist lane change assistance.
Under the hood, A5 Cabriolet buyers will have the same choice as current A4 Cabriolet shoppers save for one difference: Both the 211-hp, 258 lb-ft 2.0L turbo I-4 (mated to a CVT for FWD models and a six-speed auto on quattro models) and 265-hp, 243 lb-ft 3.2L V-6 (mated to a six-speed automatic) receive direct injection technology, which accounts for the modest increase in power. According to Audi, the former hustles from 0 to 62 mph in 7.5 sec. and the latter in 6.9 sec. On the fuel economy front, although the engines are similar to those of the current model, Audi claims the A5 Cabriolet's fuel economy will be significantly improved. According to Audi, the European-spec front-drive 2.0T with a six-speed manual achieves an average of 34.6 mpg and the six-speed front-drive 3.2 model an average of 27.4 mpg.
As for the S5 Cabriolet (the blue car pictured), it receives the 2010 S4's 333-hp 325 lb-ft 3.0L supercharged V-6 and seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch gearbox a year before the S5 Coupe. In the S5 Cabriolet, this powertrain combination is good for a 0-62 time of 5.6 seconds and a claimed average fuel economy of 24.5 mpg. Available on the S5 will be a new quattroSport rear differential that, similar to BMW's Dynamic Performance Control, can vary torque between the two rear wheels. Also available will be the Audi Drive Select system, which varies engine, transmission, steering, and suspension settings based on the driver's preferences. Bad news for three-pedal fans, however: A traditional manual will not be offered on either the A5 or S5 Cabriolet for the U.S.
The A5 and S5 Cabriolet won't be seen stateside until the New York auto show at the earliest, with the world premiere scheduled for early March at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. The cars are scheduled to arrive in dealer showrooms in the fall 2009 with pricing to come later, though the A5 Cab at least should not be substantially higher than the $40,750 entry price for an A4 Cabriolet.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series
About The Team: Based in Atlanta, GA, Hyper Sport Engineering is an entity with roots in racing, automotive marketing, racing car build and service, customer service and engineering. Besides running their own race team, Hyper Sport also offers services to club racers, pro racers, and high end sports car owners. Services offering through Hyper Sport Engineering include; Rebuild and upgrade stock engines, build full-race engines, race preparation, trackside services, organize track events, coaching, wiring harnesses, shock dyno testing, roll cage installation and suspension upgrades. Hyper Sport Engineering partnered with Kirt Wightman, former Director of Operations, for Lotus Cars, USA. Wightman’s role with Lotus armed him with the automobile brand as well as the dealer network and owners. He brings a wealth of knowledge about the types of products needed in the Lotus market place as well as the elevated needs of street and race car preparation. As part owner of a Lotus Racing team, Rapier Racing, Wightman incorporates his knowledge of performance enhancements with the development of the original Lotus product line of parts for Hyper Sport Engineering. He is an integral part to the performance parts sales end of the business. While Lotus is a product line that Hyper Sport Engineering will provide, additional manufacturer parts will be available online or at the Atlanta facility for sale in the very near future
Sunday, November 23, 2008
First Look: 2009 Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 Spyder
Now Entering Into the Ring is the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 Spyder
By Kirill Ougarov
From the first day Lamborghini announced its new and improved Gallardo LP560-4, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure it was only a question of time until the Gallardo Spyder received the same treatment.
That time has come. Now entering into the (Raging Bull) ring is the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 Spyder, which is making its world debut at the 2008 Los Angeles auto show.
Like the coupe, the LP560-4 Spyder loses 44 lb and gets 200 cc added to its V-10 engine -- a new, 5.2L aluminum unit with 552 hp, 398 lb-ft on tap. Mated to the updated engine is Lambo's reprogrammed e.gear six-speed transmission that Lamborghini claims shifts 40% faster in the sportiest "corsa" mode. The improvements led to a claimed 0-to-62-mph time of 4.0 sec and a top speed of 201 mph for the LP560-4 Spyder according to the automaker. At the same time, Lamborghini points out that both fuel economy and CO2 emissions are substantially improved. The outgoing Gallardo Spyder achieved 10/15 mpg with the stick and 10/16 mpg with the e.gear, but the LP560-4 gets 12/20 with the stick and 13/20 with the e.gear. Impressive numbers for a supercar.
The LP560-4 Spyder's brakes have been upgraded as well. The standard brake system consists of 14.4-in. vented discs with eight-piston Brembo calipers up front and 14.0-in. vented discs with four-piston calipers at the rear. If that's not enough, Lamborghini offers a carbon-ceramic brake package consisting of monster 15.0-in. discs up front and 14.0-in. discs at rear.
One thing that hasn't changed is the Spyder's roof design. The Gallardo remains a softtop convertible. Its canvas top, available in four colors -- black, blue, gray, and beige -- opens or closes in just 20 sec, a remarkable contrast to the infamous afterthought top on the Murcielago Spyder. With the top down, the rear glass can be left up to serve as a wind deflector, or it can be folded independently with the top up. Rollover protection is provided via a pair of spring-loaded bars behind the seats that deploy within 250 msec if necessary. According to Lamborghini, the extra flexibility associated with the lack of a fixed roof is compensated for with structural elements within the frame designed to increase rigidity.
Standard features include dual side curtain airbags, dual-zone climate control, leather seats, HID headlights with LED driving lights, and a stereo with a USB input. Optional features include Bluetooth, a navigation system and a rearview camera. Also available are Alcantara-upholstered seats and various carbon trim options. Still no scissor doors though.
Lamborghini couldn't have picked a more suitable of a place to launch its new drop-top model than Southern California, specifically at the 2008 Los Angeles International Auto Show. With supercar-friendly weather virtually year 'round, it's little surprise that the area is a huge market for the Raging Bull. Earlier this year, the company announced it would be setting up its North American headquarters in Santa Monica and until recently, Southern California was home to the world's number-one Lamborghini dealer, the now-closed Lamborghini of Orange County, which accounted for about 10% of Lambo's global sales annually. Dealer drama aside, the 2009 Gallardo LP560-4 Spyder should start at around $220,000 when it goes on sale sometime next year.
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