Each week, our German correspondent slices and dices the latest rumblings, news, and quick-hit driving impressions from the other side of the pond. His byline may say Jens Meiners, but we simply call him . . . the Continental. There are great moments in the life of a motor journalist. For me, one of the best was driving a historic Sport Quattro that Audi brought along to the launch of the A1 Quattro in Sweden. Its short wheelbase and long overhangs look rather awkward, and in fact cutting the wheelbase by 12 inches was a half-baked attempt to counter the mid-engined, all-wheel-drive rally cars like the Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 and the Lancia Delta S4 that began to appear as a response to the original Audi Quattro. In roadgoing trim—Audi built a little over 200 street cars for homologation purposes—the Sport Quattro is powered by a 306-hp variation of its legendary 2.1-liter inline-five. The car feels ultra-fast in a straight line, and the second wind above 3500 rpm—when the turbo hits full boost—would be impressive even in a modern sports car. But in corners, this car's evil nature breaks through. The Sport Quattro has a tendency to understeer, but load changes will make the rear step out in an instant. It's not a friendly car to drive quickly, and rally drivers like Walter Röhrl and Stig Blomqvist unequivocally state that Audi would have been better off refining the Rallye Quattro with the regular wheelbase. Nevertheless, the Sport Quattro, with its kevlar and fiberglass body, is an icon. It was an extraordinary experience to push it to the limits. Audi claims the A1 Quattro is inspired by the Sport Quattro, and we agree it looks similarly wild, although graced with more digestible proportions. There is one detail I loathed: the plaque that says "1 of 333″ instead of disclosing the car's actual production number. Obviously Audi wants to spare its sales and distribution channels having to deal with touchy customers throwing a fit when they don't get their desired number. AMG started the annoying uniformity with its special editions years ago. I'd take any individual number over "one of the collective." A few kilometers south of Ingolstadt, BMW is launching its M Performance line with derivatives of the 5-series, the X5, and the X6. In the M550d xDrive and its SUV sister models, BMW's 3.0-liter straight-six diesel is boosted by a Borg Warner–supplied tri-turbo unit: the package includes two small VTG high-pressure turbos and one large low-pressure turbo. The result is 376 hp from 4000 to 4400 rpm and 546 lb-ft of torque from 2000 3000 rpm. Thus equipped, the portly 5-series reaches 62 mph in a claimed 4.7 seconds and tops out at a governed 155 mph. The M Performance line is targeting Audi's S models, and keeps a repectful distance to the true M cars. The diesels won't come to the U.S., but we will see gasoline-powered M Performance cars in the future. The Z4 sDrive 35is would probably be an M Performance model now, and a similar derivative of the 3-series is likely. Moreover, a derivative of the 7-series would finally provide BMW with a true S -lass AMG and Audi S8 fighter. While BMW is launching tri-turbos in the diesel-powered M Performance cars, I hear that Porsche is getting a tri-turbo ready for an upcoming gasoline engine. Meanwhile, an Ingolstadt engineer probably exaggerated only slightly when he joked that the complexity makes hybridization look like a low-cost proposition. Last week, I drove the Volkswagen Passat Alltrack near Kitzbühel, Austria. It's a crossover based on the front- and all-wheel-drive European Passat station wagon, but the changes to the car go slightly beyond the usual cosmetics. It sits higher, and there is an "Off Road" button that helps you keep any speed between 1.2 and 19 mph when going downhill—if traction permits. When stepping off uphill, simply mash the gas pedal; the computer will select ideal revs. The electronic limited-slip function and the dual-clutch transmission are manipulated for better off-road performance as well. Lacking a low-range transfer case, the Passat Alltrack won't get as far as a true off-roader, but it will hold its ground against most modern SUVs. I liked it. from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com | |||
| |||
| |||
|
Sunday, March 4, 2012
The Continental: Yes to an Audi Rally Icon, No Thanks to a Dumb Number, Maybe to Tri-Turbos at Porsche
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Archive
-
▼
2012
(7297)
-
▼
March
(728)
- BMW i8 Concept Spyder Debuts: Same Plug-In Hybrid,...
- Sound and Fury
- New or Used: Replacement for Rusty Rocker’d Ride?
- Opel Labor Leader Threatens Mother Of All Plant Cl...
- This Week's Most-Read Stories
- Interest For EVs Fading
- Hammer Time Rewind: Hit Em Where They Ain’t!
- Speed, And The Cop Might Get A Free Pizza
- Pocket Rocket Lovers Of The World, Rejoice! Uhmm, ...
- Automotive Lawsuit History Unearthed, Junkyard Sty...
- Junkyard Find: 1987 Toyota Corolla FX16 GT-S
- 2012 New York Auto Show Preview
- FS: One-of-a-kind Mercedes “Benzamino”
- Most-Watched Video Reviews of the Week
- Car Collector’s Corner: This1939 Rolls Royce Wrait...
- Bye, bye, Miss Emm Kay Five.
- Volkswagen Reveals Alltrack Wagon Concept, Don’t G...
- How To: Mess With Your Buddies’ Cars
- 2012 GMC Yukon and Sierra Heritage Editions Announ...
- Volkswagen Alltrack Concept; A Diesel Wagon, But A...
- 2013 Lincoln MKZ Shows Off a Big Retractable Glass...
- 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8 Super Bee Tested: 470 HP o...
- GMC Celebrates 100 Years With Heritage Edition
- You Thought That Car Was Expensive? Wait Until You...
- 2013 Subaru Legacy Quietly Drops 2.5GT Model
- 2012 New York Auto Show: What to Expect
- Dodge’s Facebook Campaign For SRT Viper Backfires
- Boo, Hiss: Daimler And BYD Launch Denza Brand
- Cars.com Buzz Index: March 2012
- Sergio Marchionne Confirms Third Fiat Model By 201...
- Fiat Brazil: Uno Kicks Gol Off Top Spot. Films At ...
- 2014 Fisker Nina Spied Nearly Completely Uncovered
- Cars.com News Briefs: March 30, 2012
- What Is The Model T Of Our Time?
- SRT Reveals one More Viper Pic
- Recall Alert: 2002-04 Honda CR-V, 2003 Honda Pilot
- LeMons Good/Bad Idea of the Week: Two-Stroke Miata!
- Junkyard Find: 1975 Mercury Comet Sedan
- Modern Marvels: IG Metall Hires Bob King As Opel B...
- Young People Drive Less, Surf More
- Cars.com Family Reviews the 2012 Volkswagen Passat...
- Cadillac XTS' Seat Buzzes for Danger
- Car Collector’s Corner:1948 Plymouth Convertible w...
- SRT Previews 2013 Viper’s Interior on Facebook [Ne...
- Mini Baker Street, Bayswater, and Highgate Special...
- 2013 Volkswagen CC First Drive: New Nose, Same Goo...
- Shake, Rattle, and Squeak: Long-Term 2011 Mini Coo...
- Chrysler Dealers Who Regained Their Franchises Bac...
- Mitt Romney Slammed for Joke Referencing Plant Clo...
- What Car Would You Buy if You Won Mega Millions?
- Edmunds Sees SAARing March Sales
- New Ram Truck Teased Before Debut, We Expect Refre...
- You Won’t Need A License To Drive This Renaut
- 2013 Subaru Legacy at the 2012 New York Internatio...
- Mercedes Will Cut Platforms In Half
- Capsule Review: 2012 Subaru Impreza Sport 5-Door
- Cars.com News Briefs: March 29, 2012
- 2013 Subaru Outback at the 2012 New York Auto Show
- Introducing The 2014 Mercedes C Class
- Toyota Bumping Up RAV4 Production By 50,000 Units ...
- Americans Paying Off Car Loans Before Mortgage, Cr...
- New C/D YouTube Channel to Launch May 1; Here’s Ou...
- Honda Fit. Officially Hecho En Mexico
- OnStar's Family Link Helps Parents Keep Tabs on Te...
- Junkyard Find: 1975 Ford Maverick
- PSA And Toyota Open Tie-Up Season
- Opel Supervisory Board Meets, Decides Nothing. Eis...
- Would You Buy It? 2013 Ford B-Max
- 2012 Audi Q5: Car Seat Check
- Vellum Venom: 2012 BMW 328i Sedan
- 2013 Chevrolet Traverse: Hard Candy Shell, Soft Go...
- 2013 Acura RDX First Drive: A More-Mature Compact ...
- 25 Cars Worth Waiting For: The Choicest Rides Arri...
- Italy Seizes Gaddafi’s Stake In Fiat
- EXCLUSIVE: Jost Capito, Head of SVT and Performanc...
- Lotus Vehicle Development on Temporary Hold, Long-...
- European Patent Filing Reveals Possible Chevrolet-...
- 2013 Lexus ES Confirmed for NYC, Previewed in Phot...
- Cadillac Previews Driver-Assistance Systems for XT...
- Name That Exhaust Note, Episode 129
- 2013 Chevrolet Traverse at 2012 New York Auto Show
- Ford Explorer Sport Gets 3.5L Ecoboost
- 2013 Ford Explorer Sport: First Look
- 2013 Ford Explorer Sport: The Closest Thing to an ...
- Fiat’s Future In America And Elsewhere: A Counterp...
- Ontario Cutting Electric Vehicle Subsidies, $43 Mi...
- GM Issues Media Black-Out For Ellesmere Port
- Renault Opens Import Company In Allegedly Closed M...
- Hammer Time: Buy! Buy Buy!
- Generation Why: Jeep’s Old Man Truck, Pinterest An...
- 2012 Jaguar XFR Video
- 2013 Maserati Quattroporte Spied: Maserati’s Next ...
- Cars.com News Briefs: March 28, 2012
- New Lexus ES at New York Auto Show
- Buick Encore May Get Chevrolet Variant
- New Mitsubishi Outlander Sport at New York Auto Show
- UAW’s Bob King Will Fire 7,000, Close Two GM Plants
- Azure Dynamics Files For Bankruptcy, Suspends Ford...
- Junkyard Find: 1970 Toyota Corona Sedan
- Car Collector’s Corner:1966 Coronet 426 Hemi 2 Doo...
-
▼
March
(728)
No comments:
Post a Comment