Audi Drivers Join SAMAX For Daytona 24

By Anthony Fontanelle

SAMAX Motorsport signed Audi factory drivers Allan McNish, Lucas Luhr and Mike Rockenfeller to join Henri Zogaib in one of its Pontiac Riley Daytona Prototypes. The team, which returns to the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona with powerful drivers, has one mission – and that is to win the race.

Last year, the team’s entry consisted of Milka Duno, Patrick Carpentier, Darren Manning and Ryan Dalziel and they finished less than two minutes behind the Chip Gansssi Racing machine, the victor. The SAMAX entry was in the midst of a three-car battle for the win during the closing hours but ended up settling for second place, according to Motorsport.com.

Baron intimated his goal to achieve ultimate Daytona glory this year. "I am sill amazed we have this lineup of drivers for the 24," said Baron. "We led a sizeable amount of last year's race and were happy to finish 2nd without any mechanical issues. This year we are doing everything possible to finish one position higher and get these drivers the Overall Victory Rolex Daytona watches they all deserve!"

Baron’s goal for 2008 is expected to be accomplished with the help of three iconic race drivers. McNish returns to the seat of a DP for the second time. Since then, McNish, driving the Audi R10 TDI with Rinaldo Capello, achieved Driver's Championships in the American Le Mans Series.

"I am pleased to join SAMAX Motorsport for the Daytona 24 Hours," said McNish. "The team has proved their worth in Grand-Am and especially at the 24 with a great 2nd overall last year. This year we have a strong driver lineup with my Audi team mates Lucas, Mike and myself joining Henri. [With] the Pontiac Riley combination and strong technical staff, we all hope to be challenging for victory."

McNish is nothing new to winning at Daytona. He achieved a class victory in 1998 and supported it with another second place overall finish in 1999. He also bagged overall victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1998.

"Personally, I have always enjoyed this race," McNish added. "I have had some great runs there and finished 2nd overall on two occasions. It is a great warm-up to the season, and most teams have a strong car and driver lineups. But most importantly, it has a Rolex Daytona watch at the end for the winner."

Two of Audi drivers - Luhr and Rockenfeller - also sport a remarkable racing experience credentials. Luhr is a longtime Porsche driver. He grabbed the GT class win at the Rolex 24 in 2001. He entered Audi team last year after winning the LMP2 Driver's Championship with Sascha Maassen in 2006. He spent much of 2007 season competing in the German DTM Series, but also made two starts in Audi's R10 TDI prototype.

Rockenfeller, meanwhile, also spent last season racing mainly in the DTM. Before joining Audi team, the German was a regular rival in the Rolex Series. He will return for another season of DTM this year but will also be part of Audi's sports car program.

Race aficionados will certainly expect a heart-throbbing action this season. And drivers will hit the Audi clutch with much gusto.

Ekstrom Wants Audi To Improve Performance

By Anthony Fontanelle

Mattias Ekstrom, the reigning DTM title holder, believes that Audi has room to improve with the race performances in the upcoming season. Even though Ekstrom won his second title this year, he feels that his team was stronger in qualifying than they were in the races.

"We had a great year, and it was nice to get the title back from Mercedes," Ekstrom told autosport.com. "But it wasn't an easier year than any others. We were definitely very strong with our qualifying pace in the second half of the season, but we didn't always match that pace in the races. That's not a big problem, though, because you always have room to improve, and it means that we won't relax over the winter."

The DTM champion etched his name into the Race of Champions record books at Wembley Stadium as he became only the third driver in the two decade history of the event to successfully defend his reign.

Having knocked his Nations Cup team-mate Kristensen out in the first round, Ekstrom then defeated American Travis Pastrana in the quarter-final to secure his place in the semi-final against WTCC champion Priaulx, according to Yahoo Eurosport.

It left him against F1 legend Michael Schumacher in the best-of-three final, with Ekstrom taking victory in the opening heat at the wheel of the Solution F touring car. Schumi drew level in the ROC Buggy before a return to the Astra-based silhouette machine - with Ekstrom again victorious to lift the title for the second year in succession, the report continued.

"It is always difficult to win the Race of Champions because you have to beat 16 top drivers to take the title," he told Crash.net Radio. "I'm really proud because it is difficult to do it two times in a row. But I felt like I had a good evening with a good flow and I'm really happy.”

"It isn't easy to defend the title but I'll try to become the first person to do it three times in a row. That is in twelve months time though and a lot of water will flow under the bridge before then!" he added.

The team sponsored by the maker of Audi Fox radiators took five pole positions from the final five races this season, but an Audi driver only went on to win in two of those races. To stress, at Mugello and Zandvoort, they locked out the top five places on the grid, while they took the top three places at the Nurburgring and Hockenheim.

New FSI Engine for Audi A5

By Phil Walkley

Audi is ready to bring more FSI effectiveness to the A5 coupe. The brand new four cylindered FSI engine for the A5 coupe merges the petrol injection along with turbo charging thereby increasing the overall performance

The A3, A4, A6 and TT models had used the 1.8-litre turbo petrol unit but it will not be implemented in the A5 1.8TFSI since the latest Audi A5 will be using the high-tech and direct-injected component. It has been declared that the four-cylinder engine that will power the Audi A5 coupe is estimated to be presented by November end. Even care has been taken to incorporate the new design to harmonize the new changes introduced.

The new unit has the fuel-rationing FSI direct petrol injection combined along the output improving turbo charging and is ready to provide 170PS at 4,800rpm along with 250Nm of torque peak which usually is on hand between 1,500rpm to 4,800rpm.The front wheel driven Audi A5 1.8TFSI has six-speed manual transmission and due to performance optimization changes, it surpasses 62mph in just 8.4seconds and can attain a top speed of 140mph.You can even order for the latest high-tech and directly injected model of the Audi A5 coupe for an OTR cost of ₤26,190 although the first UK are likely to hit the market by late November.

The well-known 1.8-litre Turbo petrol engine that had been used in the A3, A4, A6 and TT versions in the past and will be discontinued in the A5 1.8TFSI because the latest model of A5 will implement the superior and direct injected element. The brand new Audi A5 coupe has been modified accordingly to accommodate the four-cylinder engine and this model will hit the market by end of November.

If we compare the older V6-powered A5 model with the latest four-cylinder edition we can easily note that the huge equipment list has hardly changed. The latest version of Audi A5 coupe has some luxurious fittings like Milano leather-upholstery, three-zone climate control, rear acoustic parking sensors and features that you won’t find elsewhere. The Audi now offers many more features like the Xenon lamps along with LED daytime running lights now that are found only in bigger cars.

The Audi is ready to unveil its new model to replace its successful older predecessor thereby bringing more FSI efficiency to their A5 coupe model.

Phil Walkley is an Audi enthusiast who is always looking for news on Audi cars.

Audi Out For Glory

By Anthony Fontanelle

The introduction of a diesel car last year at the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race was a sign of better things to come from Audi in motorsport. This year, they returned to the said endurance race, Audi once again proved the supremacy of their diesel powered race car. Their dominance is also showing at the American Le Mans Series as they have swept all eight races in their class. But they have been beaten by lighter LM P2 cars in the past six races and the team will be looking to break that unlucky streak.

The next race of the season will be held at the Road Atlanta where Audi is known to excel in the past. But going into the said race, Audi is facing a major challenge from LM P2 cars. Although Audi has called for changes in the rules to make the sport fair for the heavier LM P1 cars, the ruling body of the sport has not done anything to change the rules. As a result, Audi's motorsport chief Wolfgang Ulrich said that they will be having a tough challenge going into the next race.

"The race at Road Atlanta is, along with Sebring and Le Mans, one of the most important sportscar races of the year," said Ulrich. The Road Atlanta race will have drivers competing in a grueling 1o-hour endurance race. "For this reason, we are particularly proud to have been unbeaten at Petit Le Mans to date. The LM P2 cars will make life difficult for us once again and the regulations are unchanged since the previous race. Even so, we aim to continue our impressive winning streak at Petit Le Mans."

The race is scheduled for October 6 and Audi and the other teams are now busy preparing for the 1000-mile race. Rinaldo Capello who will be driving the Number 1 Audi Sport North America R10 agreed with Ulrich that the next race is one of the most important events in the American Le Mans calendar. "Petit Le Mans is the most important race in the American Le Mans Series alongside the 12-hour race at Sebring, and is, at the same time, the penultimate race of the season." With two races to go, Capello and co-driver Allan McNish can clinch the championship at the Road Atlanta race on their Audi performance chip-equipped R10 TDI.

"This means that, at the same time as keeping one eye on the championship, it is important to score a good result so that we have a good points cushion heading into the finale at Laguna Seca. It would be even better for me if we could wrap up the drivers title in the penultimate round at Road Atlanta. I'm quite certain that our Audi R10 TDI will show its full potential in this race. It's clear that we are aiming for overall honors," added Capello.

But 24 Hours of Le Mans three-time winner Marco Werner is also looking to win at the said race to get closer to the championship. "We should be quick at Road Atlanta – and we know that the R10 TDI is reliable. I hope that ‘lady luck', which you need it in such a race, is also on our side," said the German driver.

Audi Pulls Out Of Race

By Anthony Fontanelle

Most of us would certainly think that Audi is one company that can dominate a motorsport. For two years in a row, the automaker has competed at the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans with a diesel race car and won. The automaker's winning streak now stands at four straight victories at the said endurance race. And one will count the win by Team Bentley in 2003 when Audi supplied the team with its engine - the automaker's streak will extend to eight straight wins. At the American 24 Hours of Le Mans this year, the result is pretty much the same. Audi Sport North America fields the diesel Audi R10 and has won all events in the LM P1 class.

But in the most recent event of the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, the Audi team was forced to withdraw all of its cars from the track after the team management decided that the race was getting rough between Audi and Mercedes drivers.

The race was marred by incidents early on as Mika Hakkinen of Mercedes and Martin Tomczyk collided in the first corner. The former Formula One champion was out on the spot and Tomczyk retired later on in the race. The toughness of the battle between Audi and Mercedes drivers can be attributed to the fact that the latest race is the penultimate event of the season.

As can be expected, Audi's decision to withdraw all of its drivers with ten laps remaining was met with disgust from spectators. But Audi was quick to defend the decision saying that it is necessary for things to change. Audi is calling for fair racing especially that the last race will decide who will win the championship. Audi's Martin Tomczyk and Mattias Ekstrom are expected to battle it out with Mercedes' Bruno Spengler at the last event of the season with the help racing parts as reliable as Audi OEM parts.

Audi's chairman Rupert Stadler said: "What happened on the race track today was simply unacceptable. We're proceeding from the assumption that emotions will cool down again before the Hockenheim race and that spectators will see a finale with fair sport. It's also clear that we continue to be committed to the DTM. But a few things will probably have to change."

Dr. Wolfgang Ulrich, the head of Audi Motorsport, was also infuriated by the actions of Mercedes drivers La Rosa, Hakkinen, Matthias Lauda, and Bruno Spengler. He said that the decision of withdrawing the remaining Audi drivers from the race is necessary. "We wanted to see a tough, but fair touring car race today," said Ulrich. "But we had to get the impression that the Mercedes drivers used every opportunity to eliminate our cars. This is not the style in which we want to conduct motorsport. We want to see tough and fair duels but nothing of the kind we had today."

"That's why we took the decision to withdraw all of our vehicles. That was not an easy decision, and it cost us points, and maybe even the title. But we wanted to send a clear message for fair motorsport," added Ulrich.

Audi Sets Forth Its Most Powerful Production Ever

By Anthony Fontanelle

Audi AG will be pulling the wraps off its RS6 – its most powerful production ever built. The car features a twin-turbo 5.2-litre V10 that produces 572bhp – 145bhp more power than the previous model. The new RS6 will break cover at the Frankfurt auto show next week.

The launching of the high-performance car will bring Audi back on top of supercar manufacturers. Powerful German cars include Merc's E63 AMG produces 503bhp whilst the BMW M5 generates a mere 500bhp. The RS6's 572bhp peak power arrives at 6250rpm whilst torque is up to an internal-organ-squashing 480lb ft available from just 1500 rpm. The RS6 also outpowers the M5 Touring, which is priced at £67,075.

The RS6 features Quattro four-wheel drive with a 60 percent rear bias, and a six-speed Tiptronic automatic gearbox. The standard wheels are 19-inch alloys, and ceramic brakes are an optional extra. With the rear seats folded the boot capacity is a whopping 1,660 liters. Traditionally, the RS Audi's have been available in wagon, sedan or sedan bodies, and the smaller RS4 can already be ordered in each of these configurations.

Supplementing the power bolstered by the engine, the Dynamic Ride Control can be fixed to the car’s sport suspension to deliver ideal balance between long-trip comfort and stunning lateral performance which the driver can choose at the push of a button. According to some aficionados, the new car is likely the only machine with so much power to also offer 1,660 liters of luggage space. The automaker claims a 0-60 feat in 4.6 seconds from the 4,400 lb rocket wagon.

The powerful production from the automaker also boasts off the traditional luxury and style associated with Audis. From the captivating Audi grille, striking lines and curves, to the pampering amenities, the car is unmistakably awesome.

The interior promises to pamper occupants in sporty luxury and is trimmed in leather, aluminum, suede and carbonfiber. Audi’s MMI system is also installed. Additionally, the rest of the cabin flaunts sport pedals and embossed seats which can be wrapped in either Silk Nappa or Valcona leather.

Visual enhancements entertained by the new model include fat wheels, air diffuser, oval exhausts pipes, flared wheel arches, bonnet and front wings made from aluminium. Inside, Audi’s engineers give the car a flat-bottomed steering wheel and carbonfiber panels.

But makes it more remarkable is the new-found performance. According to Reuters, the key performance figures of the new RS6 go like this: 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds, 0-124mph in 14.9 seconds, with top speed of course limited to 155mph. The German automaker said that the Quattro system has a 40:60 rear-drive bias, which should help to improve the handling and allow for some super-saloon drift action.

No price for the new RS6 is revealed yet. But experts in the industry said that the car is expected to cost from £70 000 when it becomes available next year. The car will be available for orders in Europe from November.

The sedan version of the RS6, on the other hand, will arrive in South Africa in the third quarter of next year.

Audi Goes Playful With Its 2008 R8 Supercar

By Anthony Fontanelle

Audi AG earlier announced pricing for its R8 supercar. At $139,900, the German automaker expects more aficionados will be attracted to its pricing. Aside from the price, one thing that could pull shoppers closer is the fact that the automaker has entertained playful modifications to closely compete with the Porsche 911.

The R8, unveiled last fall and set to arrive in showrooms next month as a 2008 model, has tickled the excitement of aficionados with nifty new surprises. The supercar is going to be quite something.

No fewer than four Audi employees escorted the 2008 Audi R8 to the Los Angeles Times' garage a few weeks ago, a veritable task force of handlers to introduce me to the company's new six-figure, mid-engine supercar, TransWorldNews reported.

TransWorldNews continued: “Once they arrived, there wasn't much for them to do but stand around and Armor-All their suit lapels. Despite the R8's evident exoticism, the car is low, wide and mirthless, its gimlet eyes fixing you with white-hot LEDs like it was brooding on ways to wreck your marriage, the car required no special instructions. The Cavalli-suited entourage underscores the fact that the R8 - certainly one of the finest mid-engine sports cars ever built - is not about posting quick lap times or eating into the Porsche 911's market share, though it will do both to a bloody fare-thee-well.”

“Truth be told, most surprises about the R8 were blown long ago. Audi revealed the car's specs to coincide with that Paris unveiling. Only the luckier automotive journalists have had a chance to drive the R8, so there's still the mystery of whether it will be a worthy competitor for other low-six-figure luxo sportsters such as the Porsche 911 Turbo and Aston Martin V8 Vantage,” said Chris Chase of CanWest News Service.

Critics say that the R8 is comprehensively engineered, seductively styled, and flawlessly executed. There were no gear-shifting paddles attached to the flat-bottomed steering wheel, no hydraulics to elevate the front end as there are in the Lamborghini Murcielago. Also, there were no wing-setting launch sequence as in the Bugatti Veyron, but the magnet is there. And that pull lingers.

The 2008 Audi R8 is equipped with a 4.2-litre V8 that generates 420bhp, a choice of six-speed manual transmission or a sequential manual Audi calls R-tronic, and fabulous Audi accessories. The German automaker claims 4.6 seconds to reach 100 km/h and a top speed of 301 km/h. In Canada, the supercar will come standard with 19-inch wheels and tires, while 18-inchers will be standard in the United States and overseas markets.

For 2009, a more powerful engine variant that uses a 570-hp 5.2 L V10, an enlarged version of the Lamborghini Gallardo's engine and already featured in the Audi S8, is expected to be incorporated to the R8. But this was not confirmed by the automaker.

Currently, the automaker is in the process of developing a new turbocharged 5.2 L V10 engine for the future Audi RS6. And there is a strong possibility that this powerful engine will make its way into the R8.

Audi Failed To Beat LM P2 Cars

By Anthony Fontanelle

At the 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans, Audi once again proved that diesel engines have what it takes to beat gasoline-engined racecars. At the American Le Mans Series, Audi proved that their car’s performance at the prestigious endurance race is not a one-off showing. The team’s LM P1 car is still yet to be beaten in its class but the last six races has seen them being beaten by LM P2 cars. The current aim now for the team is to break the winning streak of LM P2 cars.

Although no additional points are given to an overall winner, Audi is still keen on taking the overall victory in the series’ next event. The reason for this is that the team is looking to pave the way for their diesel initiative in the United States. European automakers are in the forefront in developing a new generation of diesel engines and Audi is one of the apparent leaders in the development of clean diesel engines.

The latest race of the season was held at the “Road America” in Elkhart Lake in Wisconsin. The track is considered as the best suited track for high speed cars. With the Audi R10 designed for high speed racing, the team is confident that they will break the winning streak of LM P2 cars at Road America. The team looked for a good performance from defending champions Dindo Capello and Allan McNish on board their R10 units with racing parts as reliable as Audi A6 parts.
The pair though failed to break the winning streak of LM P2 cars as they finished in the second place overall although they have won the battle in their class. McNish and Capello finished just a couple of seconds behind the overall winner - a Porsche. This is the first time in five years that Audi has not won on this high-speed track.

McNish is apparently disappointed with the result of the event. “It's disappointing to have started from pole-position and ultimately finish second by less than two seconds having led much of the race despite two tire issues when I was leading,” he claims.

“I should be satisfied for winning the LM P1 class for the sixth time this season but as a racing driver, I’m never content to finish a race in second place overall,” he said. “There was a very good possibility of us winning this race but it slipped away from us.”

Meanwhile, Audi’s motorsports chief, Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich, is bemoaning the weight difference between LM P2 and LM P1 cars. The LM P2 cars are lighter than LM P1 cars thus the former has a distinct advantage over the latter.

“Once again the Audi R10 TDI was the dominating LM P1 car and remains undefeated in its class,” said Dr. Ullrich. “That we were not able to get the overall victory even on the fastest track of the American Le Mans Series shows once more that the weight difference between the LM P1 and the LM P2 cars is simply too big. On top of that comes the smaller fuel tank we must use compared to our opposition.”