Audi was among the busier manufacturers at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show. Volkswagen's luxury brand showed a pair of near-production-ready cars, as well as a concept supercar that might very well end up at dealer showrooms one day.
2009 Audi TTS
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Hot on the heels of its redesign for the 2008 model year, Audi added a flagship model to its sporty TT coupe and convertible. The TTS doesn't look much different than a standard TT, save for some sporty body moldings and more aggressive tires. Under the hood is where the TTS distinguishes itself. It has a souped-up version of Audi's tried and true 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with high-pressure gasoline direct fuel injection. In either coupe or Roadster convertible guise, the TTS produces 272 horsepower, and Audi claims fuel economy of about 30 mpg with either the standard six-speed manual transmission or optional six-speed S tronic automatic. Audi pegs 0-60 mph acceleration at less than 5.5 seconds with either transmission.
In addition to the usual lineup of safety features, including side airbags, traction control, and an antiskid system, Audi's quattro all-wheel drive will be standard. Also included is a magnetic driver-adjustable suspension system. It has two settings: standard for everyday driving and a sport mode, which lowers the car by about 0.4 inches in order to increase handling capability. Heavy use of aluminum during construction helps keep the TTS's curb weight down.
The Audi TTS is scheduled to reach showrooms this summer. Pricing for the United States market was not announced, but it should be somewhere in the neighborhood of the European pricing scale: 44,900 Euros for the coupe and 47,750 Euros for the convertible.
R8 V12 TDI Concept
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A piece of Audi's recent racing success made its way into the R8 V12 TDI concept, which made its world premiere at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show. Audi's diesel race cars have won endurance races in the United States and around the world, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The V12 TDI concept puts a 6.0-liter diesel engine in Audi's R8 supercar. In this application, the engine produces 500 horsepower and a whopping 737 pound-feet of torque. Zero to 60 mph acceleration is estimated at 4.2 seconds, with a projected top speed of 205 mph. While certainly not as thrifty as other diesel-powered cars, Audi says the R8 V12 TDI will get up to 24 mpg. The icing on the cake? This concept is emissions legal in all 50 states. Though Audi was non-committal, it's entirely possible that the R8 V12 TDI might make it to production, especially since rival BMW has announced plans to bring diesel-powered vehicles to North America. What is known is that a V6 turbodiesel version of the Audi Q7 SUV is scheduled to go on sale during calendar 2008. It's a step in the right direction for getting diesel to gain mainstream acceptance in the United States, but it's going to take quite some time before this alternative propulsion system could see sales even remotely resemble what they are in Europe.
2009 Audi A4
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Though not officially revealed at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, Audi wanted to show off the redesigned version of its entry-level A4 premium compact car. The revamped A4 recently went on sale in Europe, and it's scheduled to reach U.S. showrooms this fall. Audi didn't want to mess too much with the success of the previous A4, so the new model doesn't look radically different than its predecessor. It is slightly larger in all dimensions, and it rides on a basic design that's shared with the 2008 Audi A5. Turbocharged four-cylinder and naturally aspirated V6 engines will again be available, with a diesel engine also a likely possibility. Prices will be available closer to the A4's street date, but count on an increase over current models.
