Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Audi A7 uncovered....well nearly




The Mercedes CLS fighter is hidden underneath this thick piece of cloth. The Audi A7 coupe was caught outside the firms factory and will launch in Europe by 2009, but is expected to be revealed at the Frankfurt motorshow sometime next year.

The Mercedes CLS isn't the only rival, BMW is apparently producing their own 4 door coupe, which we should see sometime in 2010.

The prototype is very similar to the sketch, with a sloping roofline that leads down to the bootlid and a slightly up-swept window line to give the car a coupe look and feel. The chassis of the car will be shared with the Audi A6 and the platform is shared with the next generation A6. Sources suggest that the vehicle could measure at 4.9 metres/4900mm.

Expect Audi's famous front daytime running LED lights and LED rear-lights. Audi hopes to sell 40,000 units once production is in full swing.

Powering the newcomer at launch will be a 2.8-litre direct-injection FSI V6, 3.0-litre supercharged V6 which will find its way under the S4's hood aswell and a 4.2 litre FSI V8 petrol engine. Only 2 diesel engines will be available; 2.7 litre TDI V6 and a 3.0 litre TDI V6. Diesel engines are expected to nab most sales. More powerful variants dubbed; S7 and RS7 will use a 5.2 litre V10 that will develop around 600bhp for the latter. Mated to the engines will be 3 transmissions; six-speed manual, seven-speed dual-clutch or automatic transmission and a seven-speed S-tronic which features in the S5.

Price tags will start from £35,000 rising to £50,000 but if you want the RS7, expect to pay in excess of £70,000.

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Audi A7 Coupe sketch leaked

Skoda Superb pricing announced (UK)



The Skoda Superb will start from £15,490, an increase of £1,400 more than the outgoing model. Engines include the VW Group’s 1.8 TSI petrol, the 2.0-litre TDI diesel and the 3.6-litre V6 petrol.

Prices will reach £26,675 for the flagship Elegance model, which features four-wheel-drive and a 3.6 litre V6 petrol engine.

Three trims are S, SE and Elegance. S trim has seven airbags, alarm, automatic headlights, split-folding rear seats, remote central locking, climate control, an iPod-compatible CD player, four electric windows, electrically operated/heated door mirrors, 16-inch alloy wheels, stability control and front foglights.

SE trim adds S trim and cornering foglights, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, Alcantara upholstery, rear parking sensors, cruise control, dual-zone air-con, 17-inch alloy wheels, electrically folding door mirrors and a 6-CD touch-screen stereo.

Elegance adds SE trim and bi-xenon headlights, adaptive front headlights, a tyre-pressure monitoring system, rain-sensing wipers, Bluetooth phone connectivity, heated front seats, full leather upholstery, electrically adjustable seats, satellite navigation system and 18-inch alloy wheels.

The Superb sedan/hatchback goes on sale this September.

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New Car: 2008 Skoda Superb

Upcoming Skoda rumors

Porsche to launch diesel-powered Cayenne in March 2009

Sick and tired of your Porsche Cayenne that runs on petrol and consumes 12.9 litres of fuel per km, or returns 21.9 mpg, then wait untill March 2009 when the diesel arrives.

The German automaker will launch it's diesel version of the large SUV in March next year. Sources claim that the new model added to the range will command of price in the region of €55,000 and Porsche will look to shift around 15,000 units annually off showroom boosting yearly Cayenne sales numbers to over 50,000 units.

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