Motorists hate black ice like the devil hates holy water. No wonder, because when the going is icy, directional stability is all too often an unpredictable lottery. With its Hakkapeliitta 8 studded tyre, Finnish tyre manufacturer Nokian, traditionally committed to this cold problem area, has provided impressive proof that it is possible to drive at blistering speed, under control and in a straight line even on an icy surface. The Finn Janne Laitinen clocked 331.61 km/h on the thick ice sheet of the Gulf of Bothnia on 6 March 2011. More…
German Audi tuner MTM is a regular at Geneva – whether showing off their own tuned four-ringers or getting involved with previous boutique brand launches that are so common at the Swiss motor show – Gumpert and Hispano Suiza come to mind. This year MTM returns to their usual spot prominently in the center of [...] More…
Good news for all those who find that the 420 hp in the Audi S6-C7 4.0 TFSI quattro sometimes just doesn’t have enough grip. In the high-tech studio of Wettstetten manufacturer MTM, a power pack has been created that, when needed, releases a tremendous thrust power: 555 instead of 420 hp and a torque of [...] More…
MTM’s upgrade programme for the R8 aims to maximise the full potential inherent in Audi’s aluminium bodied, mid-engined supercar in both Coupe and Spyder forms. The 5.2-litre V10 motor shared with the Lamborghini Gallardo is significantly throttled in the R8. MTM release the latent horsepower and more with an ECU remap and sports exhaust. Apart [...] More…
When Audi built the A1 clubsport quattro for the Austrian enthusiast gathering at Worthersee, it set about construction of the ultimate tuned A1. That car, with full bodywork by the Audi Design Team, 2.5 TFSI swapped engine and quattro before there ever was a production A1 quattro, set afire the hearts of Audi enthusiast around [...] More…
In the run up to the Tuscany races the Superstars Series Committee had overhauled the spec sheets for the three RS5 entries, as after dominating the previous four rounds all Audis had to move their minimum weight up 100 kilos and morevoer an air restrictor had to be fitted to their V8 engines. None the [...] More…
Hot off its Top Gear premiere, the Audi 2.0 TFSI-powered and Dallara-derived KTM X-bow should be well on your radar. We’ve dedicated plenty of ink to the thing since the first rumors that Audi was involved in its development. Whatever the case, KTM’s track-ready windowless roadster is on our list of cars we’d love to add [...] More…
After eventful Saturday, Sweden’s Johan Kristofferson clinches rookies’ standings in round 1 and Audi Sport Italia’s star Gianni Morbidelli picks up fifth place in Race 2 after vying for podium When Audi Sport Italia’s hauler unloaded two brand-new RS5s at noon on Friday at the famed Italian venue, cars were kind of smelling fresh paint [...] More…
In 2012 the touring car racing series organized by the Italian FG Group are going into their eighth (Superstars) or second (GTSprint) season respectively. The fans can expect an exciting season on classic circuits such as Monza, Imola or Spa. One special highlight of the season will be the final race, which will be held in Sentul/Indonesia for the first time in the history of the racing series. With their high-class teams and fascinating super sports cars, both racing series capture the imagination. In the Superstars International Series vehicles made by Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Jaguar, Lexus, Maserati, Mercedes and Porsche will be lining up at the start. The GTSprint International series also promises top-quality motor racing with fast cars made by Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Porsche and Corvette in the running. More…
Diesel engines, formerly the preferred engines for large and small vehicles, have long since been at home under the bonnet of luxury limousines and trendy SUVs. Powered by voluminous self-ignition engines, these cars glide smoothly along the spacious boulevards and park in front of opera houses, art galleries and boutiques. Often, the owner is sitting [...] More…
Diesel engines prefer to show their strong sides in the part-load operational range: here they have a good traction and consume a little. This is also true for the A7 TDI Quattro which offers 245 hp and a tight torque of 500 Nm. For the typical MTM customer it can even be more in this [...] More…
