2011 Audi Cars

 2011 Audi A3

 The 2011 A3 is a 4-door, 5-passenger luxury wagon, available in 6 trims, ranging from the 2.0T Premium Manual... read more to the 2.0T Premium quattro S tronic.

Upon introduction, the 2.0T Premium Manual is equipped with a standard 2.0-liter, I4, 200-horsepower, turbo engine that achieves 21-mpg in the city and 30-mpg on the highway. A 6-speed manual transmission with overdrive is standard. The 2.0T Premium quattro S tronic is equipped with a standard 2.0-liter, I4, 200-horsepower, turbo engine that achieves 21-mpg in the city and 28-mpg on the highway. A 6-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard. 

2011 Audi A4  

The 2011 A4 is a 4-door, 5-passenger luxury sedan, or luxury wagon, available in 4 trims, ranging from the... read more 2.0T Premium Sedan FrontTrak Multitronic to the 2.0T Premium Avant quattro Tiptronic.

Upon introduction, the 2.0T Premium Sedan FrontTrak Multitronic is equipped with a standard 2.0-liter, I4, 211-horsepower, turbo engine that achieves 23-mpg in the city and 30-mpg on the highway. A variable speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard. The 2.0T Premium Avant quattro Tiptronic is equipped with a standard 2.0-liter, I4, 211-horsepower, turbo engine that achieves 21-mpg in the city and 27-mpg on the highway. A 8-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard. 

2011 Audi S5 

The 2011 S5 is a 2-door, 4-passenger sports coupe, or convertible, available in 3 trims, ranging from the... read more 4.2 Premium Plus Coupe quattro Manual to the 3.0T Premium Plus Cabriolet quattro.

Upon introduction, the 4.2 Premium Plus Coupe quattro Manual is equipped with a standard 4.2-liter, V8, 354-horsepower engine that achieves 14-mpg in the city and 22-mpg on the highway. A 6-speed manual transmission with overdrive is standard. The 3.0T Premium Plus Cabriolet quattro is equipped with a standard 3.0-liter, V6, 333-horsepower, supercharged engine that achieves 17-mpg in the city and 26-mpg on the highway. A 7-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard. 

 2011 Audi A6 

 The 2011 A6 is a 4-door, 5-passenger luxury sedan, luxury sports sedan, or luxury wagon, available in 4 trims,... read more ranging from the 3.2 Premium Sedan FrontTrak Multitronic to the 4.2 Prestige Sedan quattro Tiptronic.

Upon introduction, the 3.2 Premium Sedan FrontTrak Multitronic is equipped with a standard 3.2-liter, V6, 265-horsepower engine that achieves 21-mpg in the city and 30-mpg on the highway. A variable speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard. The 4.2 Prestige Sedan quattro Tiptronic is equipped with a standard 4.2-liter, V8, 350-horsepower engine that achieves 16-mpg in the city and 24-mpg on the highway. A 6-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard.

2011 Audi A7 Sportback

  

Audi will initially offer the Audi A7 Sportback with a choice of four powerful and cultivated V6 engines: two gasoline and two TDI units. Their power output ranges from 150 kW (204 hp) to 220 kW (300 hp), and their efficiency sets impressive new standards in the vehicle class. The new 3.0 TDI with 150 kW (204 hp) and multitronic consumes on average just 5.3 liters of fuel per 100 km (44.38 US mpg), corresponding to CO2 emissions of just 139 g per km (223.70 g/mile). All engines use Audi’s innovative thermal management system, a recuperation system and a start-stop system.

2011 Audi A8 

The 2011 A8 is a 4-door, up to 5-passenger luxury sedan, available in two trims, the 4.2 Sedan quattro and... read more the 4.2 Sedan L quattro.

Upon introduction, both trims are equipped with a standard 4.2-liter, V8, 372-horsepower engine that achieves 17-mpg in the city and 27-mpg on the highway. A 8-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard.
 

2011 BMW 335is Coupe – First Drive Review

To fill the gap in the 3-series lineup between the 300-hp 335i and the 414-hp M3, BMW is introducing the new 335is coupe and convertible. We were unaware that said gap needed to be filled, but we’re told that the 335i is seen in the U.S. as just an ordinary 3-series, and, as such, there’s room for something more exotic than a 335i but less outlandish than an M3. Now that we’ve been given the chance to drive the 335is coupe, we’re coming around to accepting this whole gap idea.

More Power and a Body Kit and …

Conceptually similar to the 330i Performance Package model that was available as part of the previous-generation 3-series lineup, the 335is doesn’t go so far as to threaten the M3’s supremacy, but it definitely ups the sportiness quotient. To that end, the 335is gets 320 hp and 332 lb-ft torque from the twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six engine, and an overboost function allows for seven-second blasts of 370 lb-ft of torque. Unlike the regular-grade 2011 335i, the 335is sticks with the older twin-turbo engine for the simple reason that BMW engineers had more experience tuning it. This same engine can also be found in the Z4 sDrive35is that was introduced at this month’s Detroit auto show. In the Z4, the engine makes 335 hp; a more restrictive intake on the 3-series accounts for the 15-hp difference.

To make the 335is a track-worthy vehicle, BMW upgrades the cooling system with an additional radiator and beefs up the engine mounts. Inside are standard sport seats, steel pedals, an M Sport steering wheel, and textured aluminum trim. Between the seats sits the familiar six-speed manual, but modified here to have shorter throws. For those who prefer to not shift for themselves, BMW is offering its seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The DCT system is identical to the one in the M3 and comes with steering-wheel-mounted paddle-type shifters.
Exterior styling builds on that of the 3-series’ 2011 freshening and adds an aggressive M Sport body kit. The kit has a more aggressive front fascia that ditches the coupe’s fog lamps in the interest of increased cooling capacity; the 335is convertible keeps its fog lamps. A new rear bumper incorporates a diffuser-style piece and the twin exhaust pipes are finished in matte black. New grey-painted, split-five-spoke wheels are the only change to the chassis despite the extra power—there are no tweaks or modifications to the suspension or brakes.

Same Poise, Even Better Soundtrack

Immediately upon starting the engine, you detect a more noticeable hum from the new exhaust system. Less-restrictive mufflers snarl menacingly and only get angrier once you mat the throttle and the revs rise. As we’ve seen with other applications of the twin-turbo six, power is delivered with the immediacy of a large-displacement, naturally aspirated engine. The extra horsepower bestowed upon the 335is isn’t exactly massive, but the car will still quickly shrink a straightaway, and it rockets into triple-digit speeds as if towed by a Boeing 747. Indeed, a few laps around Portugal’s Estoril racetrack revealed this car to be exactly what’s suggested by the spec sheet: A powerful 3-series with a fantastic soundtrack. As one might expect from the carry-over chassis, the balance, predictability, and unflappable poise that make the 3-series one of our favorite cars are all there in spades.

The 335is doesn’t exactly threaten the M3 performance-wise, and with a starting price of $50,525, the is coupe costs $8750 less than an M3 coupe. But compared to the M3 sedan, the 335is coupe saves only $5750; faced with that choice, we’d pony up for the four-door M3. Convertible versions of the 335is start at $59,075, or $8850 less than the M3 convertible. The 335is convertible will arrive in April, while coupe buyers will have to wait until June. But don’t go looking for the 335is at dealerships outside of North America; for once, BMW is building something just for us.

2011 Porsche Cayman R - First Drive Review

As much as the 911 is the brand’s unquestioned icon, Porsche executives freely admit that the mid-engine layout of the Boxster and Cayman is the dynamically superior concept. To protect the 911, Porsche has diligently kept a performance gap between the top-of-the-line Cayman and entry-level 911—a gap in straight-line performance, that is. But now, as the Cayman and the 997 911 are well in the autumn of their product cycles, the smaller car has been let off its leash.
History-Wrapped Lightness
You notice the new Cayman R’s aesthetic distinctions immediately. Porsche plays on the historic racing theme once again through the use of specific lettering and stripes on the R’s flanks, as well as a fixed rear wing that references the 1967 911R, of which only 19 were built. The competition often struggles to integrate history into its sporty offerings, but all Porsche needs to do is add another letter and a few stripes to send its loyalists into hysterics.

That, of course, is not all. The Cayman R has gained 10 hp over its Cayman S sibling—for a total of 330 available at a lofty 7400 rpm—thanks to a freer-flowing exhaust system. Even more important, Porsche claims the R sheds a cool 121 pounds, making it one of the lightest sports cars on the market. How was this accomplished? The aluminum doors shave off 33 pounds, 26 pounds come from the use of lighter seat structures, and 11 pounds from new wheels. The rest is in the details, such as the fabric straps that replace conventional door pulls and the nonactuated rear wing. If you can do without air conditioning and a radio, subtract another 26 and seven pounds. The carbon-ceramic brakes—an $8150 option—will shave off another seven pounds, and the available lithium-ion starter battery ($1700) is worth 26. These weight-saving measures are much the same as those employed on this car’s open-roofed foil, the Boxster Spyder.

Zen and the Art of Mid-Engine Porsches
Like any Cayman, the R imparts an instant sensation of man-machine harmony as soon as you get behind the wheel. Looking around, we note the interior is purposeful and clean, if a bit dated.
The precision with which any throttle, brake, and steering input is delivered dynamically is virtually unmatched. It’s a sharpness that sets the Cayman R apart from its lesser siblings.

That’s not least thanks to a lower center of gravity and a modified chassis with a reduced roll-angle gradient. The aerodynamics are improved as well: Rear-axle lift is reduced 40 percent, front-axle lift has been lowered by 15 percent. The steering is perfectly weighted, neither light nor artificially heavy. The naturally aspirated flat-six is supremely responsive and attentive to the slightest input, a behavior unmatched by any turbocharged engine. At the limits of adhesion, the Cayman R is remarkably communicative and a pleasure to handle. It allows the driver to probe those limits fully, as the stability-control system can be turned off completely.
In standard configuration, the power is transmitted to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual transmission with nicely spaced ratios. Those who prefer not to shift for themselves might appreciate the fact that the optional seven-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic (which comes with a 55-pound penalty) has a modified and sportier shifting strategy in its normal and sport modes. Sport plus, which Porsche says is strictly for the track but which we appreciate on open roads as well, remains unchanged. It is our favorite setting as it doesn’t try to interpret the pilot’s driving style and therefore is utterly predictable.

Straight-line performance is impeccable. At an ungoverned 175 mph and with a predicted 0-to-60-mph time of just over four seconds, the Cayman R should leave much more powerful cars in the dust. Acceleration runs are accompanied by an angry blare, although we’d prefer it to be even more assertive. But it still sounds great.
The Cayman R is not a compact equivalent of the radical GT3 RS—you could easily use this car on a long trip—but it is a better, slightly faster Cayman that remains faithful to the established formula. True, it and the Boxster Spyder inch uncomfortably close to the entry-level 911 models. But if any brand can handle a little internal competition, it’s Porsche.