Audi Q5 S-Line 2.0 TDI

You've no idea how difficult life can be for a schizophrenic. Every morning we agonise about getting up. Should we get out on the left side of the bed, or the right? Right or left? Left or right? Then we have to think about what to wear. Suit or shorts? Shorts or suit?OK, I'm not a fully paid-up schizophrenic, just a Gemini, but that amounts to the same thing. So when Audi sent me the Q5, it suited both of us. One day I could be a macho SUV driver, and the next, the driver of a premium estate car.Audi states that the Q5 has the nature of an SUV, yet in the same breath refers to the car as having the '....character of a performance saloon', although it in no way resembles such a thing: the styling is mid-way between that of an Avant estate car...

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Audi announces plans for electric car

FRANKFURT -- German carmaker Audi AG unveiled plans for an electric car and a convertible version of its R8 Spyder sports car, among others, at the Frankfurt Auto Show on Tuesday.Audi, a unit of Volkswagen AG ( VLKAF.PK - news - people ), said it planned to build the e-tron, a fully electric high-performance sports car, which is currently in the development phase.The company said it will be a four-motor drive - one for each wheel - and deliver 313 horsepower. The e-tron's two-seat design looks somewhat similar to the style of the Audi R8."The first vehicles of this type took to the roads around 1900, yet in 2009, no volume car manufacturer has a car powered exclusively by batteries in its lineup," Audi said in a statement. Fewer than 1,500...

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Audi posts 62 percent growth in sales

Audi, the German luxury car manufacturer, has registered a 62 per cent growth by selling 1,128 cars in the first eight months of 2009, thereby surpassing last year’s annual sales of 1,050 cars, said Anil Reddy, head of sales, Audi India.He was interacting with the media during the launch of Audi Q7, the latest version of the largest selling performance luxury SUV, in Chennai on Sunday.Anil Reddy said that the new Audi Q7, priced at Rs 50 lakh and above, would be available in three engine options - 3.0 TDI quattro, 3.6 FSI quattro and 4.2 FSI quattro - at Audi dealerships across the country as the company enjoyed 18 to 20 per cent market share in the luxury car segment.Every two months, Audi had been launching new models to the discerning customers,...

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Frankfurt 2009: Audi A5 Sportback earns believers

2010 Audi A5 Sportback - Click above for high-res image gallery Although the U.S. market won't be getting the Audi A5 Sportback, based on the reaction here on the floor in Frankfurt, Audi won't have any problem moving them in Europe. It took us longer to get clear shots of the A5 than any other car at Audi (even the R8 Spyder), and when we returned at the end of the day there were still numerous fascinated Euro types examining the car like it was CSI evidence.The A5 is so beautiful on its own we weren't sure how the Sportback appellation might distort, but like the BMW 5 Series GT, it makes friends with the eyes in person -- and in fact, it's better. The S5 is the top of the heap model, and it will sport a supercharged, 3.0-liter V6 with 333...

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AUTOSHOW-Audi sees '09 unit sales at 900,000, solid profits

FRANKFURT, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Volkswagen's (VOWG.DE) premium unit Audi (NSUG.DE) expects this year's unit sales to reach 900,000, with profits at "very solid" levels, Audi Chief Executive Rupert Stadler said on Tuesday.Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Frankfurt Motor Show, Stadler also said the market would likely return to pre-crisis levels only in 2012-20...

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Audi Q7 : The Choice Of The Elite

With the growing SUV segment in India, the latest automobile giant to launch its SUV cars in the country is the German luxury car manufacturer, Audi, who with their latest beast are bound to give the other manufacturers a stiff competition.Audi Q7 has it all, the class, the style, the elegance and the power, a choice of the elite and was recently launched in Bangalore. Its sporty and its comfortable, while boasts of graceful design such as in the side view with the low window area, the arched roof line and the tautly curved body surface that brings-forth a coupé-like silhouette.The new Audi Q7 is unmatched in terms of style,performance, safety, comfort and driving dynamics providing customers, the complete driving experience which Audi is known...

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Yamaha Announces 2010 ATV Models

Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A., recently announced the full 2010 model year ATV product line including a new sport ATV designed specifically with the trail rider in mind, the YFZ450X. In total Yamaha will produce 17 ATV models for 2010 including class-leading, best-selling models from its Grizzly utility line and Raptor and YFZ sport lines. 2010 YAMAHA SPORT ATV LINEUP The YFZ450X is new to Yamaha’s line of top performing sport ATVs and replaces the original YFZ450 as the best new ATV for tight, technical woods and trail riding. This new trail machine is 46.1 inches wide (versus the MX track width YFZ450R introduced last fall) with optimized suspension, fuel injection, and Yamaha’s exclusive cast aluminum-steel hybrid frame. The light and nimble 450X is designed to carve through tight trails,...

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Harley-Davidson Enters Motorcycle Market In India

Photo Credit: Harley-DavidsonThe Washington Post reports on Harley-Davidson, Inc. announcing plans to enter the motorcycle market in India in 2010. The company has established a subsidiary to be located in Gurgaon, near Delhi, and has begun the process of seeking dealers."As India continues to extend its global reach, so does Harley-Davidson," said Harley-Davidson Motor Company President and Chief Operating Officer, Matthew Levatich. "We believe Harley-Davidson has outstanding opportunities for continued growth around the world."The company's current approach is to import its motorcycles, accessories and riding gear, and it will continue to evaluate how best to evolve its approach to the market as Harley-Davidson's business in India grows."India...

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Honda Announces More 2010 Models

Honda Motor Company recently announced its third release of 2010 models, including the new 2010 NT700V.Photo Credit: Honda"We are very excited about announcing these four street bikes for 2010," said Powersports Press Manager Bill Savino. "Within this mix we have a new cruiser, a new lightweight touring bike and two CBR sport bikes. The cruiser offers a whole new look for Honda, our new touring bike delivers light weight, nimble handling, a stylish fairing plus saddlebags for the long haul or daily commute. The CBRs continue to set the standards of performance for the full-on sporting genre. This sets the stage for a great year in 2010 and there will be additional street model announcements later this fall."Honda describes the NT700V as a light...

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2010 Suzuki GSX1250FA unveiled

The 2010 Suzuki GSX1250FA, for those who want a touring-spec Bandit Via MotoblogSuzuki have released pics of the 2010 GSX1250FA, a sports-tourer based on the GSF1250 Bandit, but with a full fairing and racier ergonomics. The bike is fitted with the same 1255cc inline-four, suspension components and steel tube chassis as the Bandit, but the GSX-R-style nose, fairing and exhaust system are different. ABS is optional and specially designed hard luggage is available from the factory.To be honest, we don’t like this bike very much. It looks like a dated, hodge-podge, parts-bin special. The new Bandit looks so much better. Anyway, the Suzuki GSX125FA is expected to cost a bit less than 10,000 euro (US$14,600) and will be launched early next year.We're...

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2Evil: The Scooter from Hell

2Evil, a 50bhp, two-stroke 'scooter' from France...Via MCNThe French have created their share of mad machines, ranging from gently eccentric cars to the devilish little scooter – named 2Evil – you see here. All right, it’s stretching the definition of what you’d call a ‘scooter,’ but MXS, the 2Evil’s creators, insist it’s a scooter and we’ll just go with that.Fitted with a custom-built Gilera-based two-stroke engine that consists of two 86cc cylinders, the MXS 2Evil spits out 50 horsepower, which is transferred to the rear wheel via a CVT. This ‘scooter’ does the standing eighth-mile (200 metres) in 6.5 seconds and hits a top speed of 149km/h. Impressive, for something that’s only fitted with a tiny, 172cc engine.For more information, visit...

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2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost Preview

2010 Rolls-Royce GhostRolls-Royce has developed a brand new model positioned below the Phantom for launch in the second quarter of next year. The new model is the 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost sedan, which is expected to double the number of vehicles built by the ultra-luxury automaker each year. The Ghost was revealed for the first time in full production trim and with official details ahead the currently running Frankfurt auto show. New live shots from the show today reveal the car in even more fantastic detail. Rolls-Royce first announced that work had begun on a new model series as far back as 2006. However, little was seen of the new car, codenamed RR4, until the spring of 2008, when the company released the first official sketches. The styling...

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Frankfurt 2009: BMW 7 Series Active Hybrid runs (almost) silent, runs deep

2010 BMW ActiveHybrid 7 - Click above for a high-res image gallery BMW isn't taking any chances with its reputation for dynamics with the 7 Series Active Hybrid. To its 449-hp and 479-lb-ft 4.4-liter twin turbo V8 heart it adds a 60-pound, 35-cell lithium-ion battery in the boot. The battery doesn't take too much away from the trunk since it replaces the rear-seat air-conditioning unit from the standard 7.The battery boosts maximum torque to 516 lb-ft when everything is really humming, and that gets the huge-ish hybrid to 60 in 4.9 seconds rowing through the eight-speed automatic. The battery, a judicious foot, and hybrid stalwarts like brake energy regeneration can get you 25 mpg. Until Brad and Angelina finish with their Hydrogen 7, this...

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2011 BMW X1 Makes Public Debut

2011 BMW X12011 BMW X1Way back at the beginning of July, BMW revealed full details and images of the BMW X1. People immediately began to ask, "Why?" It's not without good reason the question is raised; it's uncomfortably close in size to the X3, and though Europeans will get a range of small and efficient diesel engines, it's not clear how Americans--BMW's biggest market--will benefit from the just-barely-smallest SUV in the brand's lineup. Live photos from the Frankfurt auto show taken today reveal the car as it looks from eye-level, rather than in the often distorting light of the studio, and it has to be said it looks smaller than the X3 in person. Marketing for the X1 is also playing up the vehicle's split city-sporty personality, casting...

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Porsche Announces Research Into Electric Sports Car

Porsche 911 Sport ClassicThe goings-on at Porsche and Volkswagen of late have been mostly dark and dreary--corporate takeovers, government investigations, the death of the Panamera and Cayenne--but today brings news that Porsche has begun work on a new electric-powered sports car. Environmental consciousness is certainly the meme at the 2009 Frankfurt auto show, perhaps not least because it is located in Europe. But even so, the trend in the industry of late has been away from power and toward sustainability, so Porsche's announcement isn't really surprising. It may, however, be mostly fiction. Michael Macht, Porsche's new CEO, made the announcement, but the language used was carefully chosen to lock Porsche in to no definite timelines or plans....

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Frankfurt 2009: Porsche Turbo Coupe and Cab take all the cake

2010 Porsche 911 Turbo - Click above for a high-res image gallery The 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo differs from the Six Million Dollar Man in one crucial way; while it's better, faster, stronger, it can also be much, much yellower if you prefer. However, the last thing you want to be is yellow if you plan to explore the Turbo's capabilities. These 500 hp respond best to firm commands, the new Porsche Torque Vectoring responds to firm inputs, and the Coupe's $132,800 price tag ($143,800 for the Cab) respond to a bank account with the firmest of foundations. Perhaps our favorite thing about the car: no gas guzzler tax. That's hot for so many reasons. Not to diss yellow, but we'll stick with a manual black-on-black Coupe with the center-lugged wheels....

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