Audi unveils a clean diesel-powered supercar concept.

At a press event enlivened by a solo acoustic performance by rock star Bryan Adams, Audi has unveiled a thought-provoking concept car powered by mold-breaking, race-proven diesel technology.

“We are challenging the final piece of conventional wisdom [about diesel engine cars],” said Audi AG Chairman Rupert Stadler. Certainly, he has the right car for the job. The R8 TDI concept’s 6.0-liter V12 twin-turbo engine develops 500 horsepower and 737 lb-ft of torque. It nails the 0-62 mph sprint in 4.2 seconds, with a top speed of more than 186 mph. And that mountainous torque is available at just 1750 rpm.

Derived from the V12 unit powering the R10 racecar that has twice run the prestigious and demanding Le Mans 24-hour race, the engine is just 6.5 inches longer than the V8 in the regular R8. Its narrow 60-degree angle, and advanced materials combining iron and graphite make it compact and light enough to fit the R8 shell.

Super Clean for a Supercar
How clean is it? Clean enough to meet the ultra-tough California emissions standards that still defeat many lesser diesels. The secret to this is advanced combustion control, involving as many as five fuel injection events per engine cycle, combined with a three-stage exhaust treatment. A standard catalyst and particulate filter are fitted to remove pollutants and soot. An additional catalyst uses small quantities of an additive called AdBlue to break up nitric oxides. This system will last the lifetime of the vehicle.

Fuel economy may not be top of the criteria list for supercar buyers, but the R8 V12 TDI concept scores even here, testing at 24 mpg.

The transmission is a short-throw six-speed manual with a small diameter clutch for quick, precise changes. Naturally for Audi, and necessarily with so much power, there is a Quattro four-wheel-drive system.

Similar Styling
The concept’s exterior is a lightly restyled version of the familiar R8. Up front, additional layered air vents sit below the distinctive LED rimmed headlights. The aluminum bodywork is finished in matte silver, contrasting with the “side-blade” that vertically transects the body behind the cabin. The glazed cabin roof and engine cover are two transparent sections separated by a race-derived air duct that accelerates air into the engine. The rear of the car has a variable spoiler that extends upwards.

With the standard R8 already on sale and very well-regarded, it’s entirely possible that this concept could be produced, albeit at low volume. But it’s equally important to Audi as a way of making a point about the potential of diesel engines to deliver economy, cleanliness, and performance.

With a diesel in the R8, “the sky is the limit,” said an Audi board member.

Audi TTS
Almost overshadowed by the R8 concept was the world debut of the TTS. The introduction of this even sportier version of the renewed TT sports coupe and roadster marks the original TT’s 10 year anniversary.

Its 2.0-liter turbo FSI engine is extensively revised from the standard unit. Delivering 272 horsepower, it can achieve 0-60 mph in 5.4 seconds with the manual transmission. Fitted with the S-tronic dual-clutch automatic, it is 0.2 seconds faster.

Fuel consumption is around 29 mpg in either case. Styling changes are subtle, but deeper skirts, new bi-xenon headlights and standard 18-inch wheels separate the “S” from other TTs.

Well, what do we have here?

What you see is the new Audi TTS (essentially, it’s the beefier version of the latest TT design).

And it packs some impressive stats:

A two-liter TFSI engine delivering 265 hp propels the TTS Coupe zero to 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds and, a governor-limited top speed of 250 km/h (155.34 mph).

Not bad, huh?

I know, there’s been a lot of criticism of Audi’s design direction for quite a while, and the TTS is further down that same path, so that won’t win it any friends. And I got to say, I’m not really on board with the way they’ve been going.

I applaud Audi for making the R8, and I think any car maker that wants my attention should be making an all out, top of the line, sports car like the R8 (at a minimum). But I gotta say, somehow, Audi has been designing cars that are simultaneously more bland and more ugly.

They really went down that whole fish-mouth grill route - something about trying to tie in with their Auto Union heritage (an impressive heritage, sure), and that sure set off the whole front end … and then the rest of the car … well, what, too much surface tension, not enough working of form versus void?

I dunno … but for all of the on road capabilities that newer Audis, and this new TTS, have, they sure seem to wrap them in a mediocre package.

Mercedes brings Hollywood glamour to Cobo with its ‘sexy’ Vision GLK compact SUV and upgraded SLK Roadster.

Mercedes brought Hollywood style to Cobo Hall when Sex in the City star Kim Cattrall and Daimler Benz Chairman Dieter Zetsche launched a new compact SUV, the Vision GLK.

The compact SUV has been labeled “sexy” after playing its own role in the forthcoming Sex in the City — The Movie. While not necessarily sexy, the SUV is refreshingly individual with its sharp lines, low hood line and bright interior styling. It has presence in a sector that doesn’t lend itself to eye-catching styling.

The GLK adds a fifth model to the Mercedes’ SUV range and offers customers a new entry point into the marque’s all-wheel-drive models. Two versions were introduced; the TOWNSIDE for “urban adventure” with a lowered chassis, more elegant streetwise design and sportier tires for on-road use and FREESIDE for more mixed on-/off-road driving.

Thomas Weber, board member for group research and development, said both Vision GLK models stand for new driving culture in their segment by offering “exciting design and compact format, distinctive driving enjoyment, both on and off-road; safety and comfort of the highest level as well as exemplary environmental compatibility.”

While the Vision GLK will be launched in January 2009 to the North American market with V6 engines and 4MATIC all-wheel-drive systems, it will eventually be offered with the BLUETEC diesel engines fitted to the show models.

The 2.2-liter engine delivers 204 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque at just 1600 rpm. Average fuel consumption achieved in testing is 35 mpg from the common-rail injection technology and two-stage turbocharging.

Mercedes also used the NAIAS for the worldwide debut of an updated SLK 350 Roadster. With an average market share of 30 percent, SLK has been the best-selling premium roadster of its class in the world since 2004.

It gets a more sporting look, enhanced interior and two new gas engines delivering more power than their predecessors, with a 10 percent improvement in fuel consumption. A new 3.5-liter V6 sports engine generates 305 horsepower (an increase of 33 horsepower) and gains an extra 2 miles to the gallon at 27 mpg.

The newly developed Direct Steer system with variable power assistance brings together agility and responsiveness on winding roads with greater ease during parking maneuvers and improved high-speed safety.

Volkswagen tried to compete with luxury automakers when it debuted the ill-received Phaeton a few years ago. This year, the company is at it again with the Passat CC. Volkswagen is calling the four-door a coupe, and it has a sloping roofline much like that of the Mercedes CLS. The CC is about 1.5 inches longer than a regular Passat and just slightly wider.

We’re not sure where VW is going with the Passat CC. The company says the driving dynamics will offer a more sporting ride, but there isn’t much talk in the voluminous press kit about much that’s been done to the car to make it perform better than a standard Passat. Engine choices are the same as the regular Sedan, with the six-cylinder gaining roughly 15 horsepower. The minimally wider stance won’t help handling that dramatically, nor will the more aerodynamic shape.

There are a lot more technological gadgets added to the CC, though, including an adjustable suspension system called Dynamic Drive Control, which will probably be an option in the U.S. We usually find systems like this neither dynamic nor interesting in real-world driving. There will also be a park assist system — as part of an option package — that will steer the car into a parking spot using cameras, sensors and software much like the new Lexus LS. Drivers will control the braking and acceleration during the maneuver, but the car will turn the steering wheel to fit into a tough spot. A Lane Assist program sounds similar to Infiniti’s setup, correcting the Passat CC if it strays into a lane it shouldn’t. All-wheel drive will also be available.

Pricing hasn’t been finalized for the CC, but we know it will start in the mid- to high-$20,000 range and could easily top $40,000 when well-equipped with features like park assist. That’s still roughly $20,000 less than the Lexus LS460 that parks itself.

Audi announced today it will indeed bring its new clean-diesel power plants to the U.S. in 2008. This is one of those rare times when U.S. consumers will not only get a shot at diesel engines, but they’ll get them at roughly the same time as European buyers. The first vehicle slated for the 3.0-liter V-6 TDI ultra-low emission system will be the Q7 SUV, which will arrive sometime in 2008. The redesigned A4 will have the same power plant when it arrives in the U.S. at an unspecified date, most likely late in 2008. We’re also hoping the next A4 Avant gets the TDI treatment.

The diesel engine puts out 240 hp and 406 pounds-feet of torque. That torque figure is the important one; a Mustang GT, for example, has 320 pounds-feet of torque. Like recent entries from Mercedes, the Audi TDI will pass the toughest emission requirements in the world, meaning California’s.

As the global automotive press flocks to Geneva this week, we’re getting some interesting tidbits that will impact car buyers here in the U.S. Reuters is reporting that BMW will sell diesel versions of its cars and SUVs in the U.S. next year. Roughly 40% of all BMWs sold in the world last year were diesels. Mercedes-Benz has already announced that its new diesel models, called Bluetec, will be sold in the U.S.

We don’t know which models will be offered with diesel engines, but the company’s CEO simply said “Next year we are also going to offer our diesel vehicles in the U.S. ,” which sounds to us like all of them. Currently, BMW offers diesel engines for almost every model, with some, like the 325d shown here, able to hit 62 mph in 7.4 seconds while getting 30.9/45.8 mpg city/highway.