2009 Porsche Cayenne gets Hofele GT 500 / 600 body kit

The German Hofele tuning studio, which is specializing on making appearance kits for vehicles like Audi Q7, and different flavors of VWs, introduced its new GT 500 body kit for the facelifted Porsche Cayenne SUV.

The kit consists of new front bumper with mesh inserts and two additional fog lights, as well as LED daytime driving lights; and a removable diffuser on the rear bumper with twin tailpipes.

The unexpectedly nice-looking widebody Hofele GT 600 styling kit also adds a pair of front fenders with air vent openings and wheel arch extensions.

Audi expected to introduce A5/S5 cabrio next year

Audi is intent on leaving no niche unfilled and the word from Inside Line is that the automaker is planning to unveil a cabrio variant of its A5 and S5 coupes. The convertible versions of the A5 and S5 won't be fitted with the folding hardtops that have become de rigueur among its luxury competitors, so expect a similar soft-top system to that found on the A4/S4/RS4 cabrio and TT roadster. Power will be provided by either the 265-hp, 3.2-liter V6 or the 354-hp 4.2-liter V8 found in the A5 and S5, respectively. Expect the new cabrios to debut later this year or early next, with sales beginning in the spring of 2009.

Next generation Audi powertrain info comes to light

Audi looks set to go on a major engine downsizing kick in the next few years in an attempt to reduce fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. It doesn't look like Audi plans any significant power reductions, but many of its engine will move smaller displacements and fewer cylinders with boosting. The result is lighter weight, smaller engines with smaller thirst most of the time and power available on demand. Audi's upcoming mini, the A1, will have gas engines ranging from a 1.2L 86hp TFSI to a 170hp 1.4L TFSI along with the usual assortment of diesel engines. In the larger sporting models, like the S5 and S6 and the next generation S4, the current 354hp 4.2L V-8 will be discarded in favor of a new turbocharged 3.0L V6 generating around 330hp. It seems the only Audis that won't be following this path are the top of the line RS models and the R8 which sell in low enough volumes that they don't significantly impact fleet averages. All of this engine shrinking is part of Audi's plans to grow annual sales by more than 50 percent to over 1.5 million in the next decade.

More details on Audi's forthcoming 350 hp, supercharged S4

After a report yesterday that the next S4 would be benefiting from a supercharger, Volkswagen AG's powertrain head, Wolfgan Hatz, presented the automaker's new 3.0-liter TFSI engine at the Vienna Motor Symposium. According to Auto Motor und Sport, the new engine will be fitted with a blower and putting out around 350 hp when fitted to the next generation S4. The supercharged six is expected to return better fuel mileage than its V8 counterpart and will also be fitted to the refreshed A6, due out towards the end of this year, although output will be reduced to 290 hp and 310 lb.-ft. of torque. Additionally, both models will benefit from a Magna-sourced sports differential that will migrate to the Q5 and S5 down the line. No timeframe was provided about the release of the S4, but we'd expect to see the A6 replacement in Paris, with the S4 debuting at the LA Auto Show in November.

Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Hyundai, Toyota

click above for high-res gallery of the 2008 Audi RS4

My buddy Chris was beaming as his body pressed into the two-tone Recaro on the passenger side. "This thing is completely unbelievable," he said, his voice a blend of awe and disbelief. Around us, the scenery flicked by as the crisp Sunday morning air was sucked in through the open windows. The radio was on, but the volume was turned all the way down. At the moment, the only soundtrack in which we were interested was the guttural roar coming from the big oval pipes poking through the rear valance. "Chris," I replied, snicking the shifter into third, "This thing is ridiculous." The "thing" in question is the 2008 Audi RS4, and neither of us were exaggerating.

New York 2008: Audi Forum hosts debut of Hunt Slomen custom-painted A5

Click above to view more high-res shots

This past Wedneday evening, the Audi Forum in New York City hosted a gala party attended by celebrities and the weary automotive press in town to cover the New York Auto Show. The beautiful people on hand included Tom Brady (celebrity status: A), Tyson Beckford (celebrity status: B), Will Arnett (celebrity status: A-), Denise Rich (celebrity status: ?) and members of the Gossip Girl cast (according to my fiance, celebrity status: better than Tom Brady). Though Autoblog was not in attendance (thus reducing the list of A list celebrities), Audi was kind enough to send us pics of the special A5 it revealed that night (and Tom Brady sitting in the R8 TDI Le Mans concept from the Geneva Motor Show). Custom-painted by New York artist Hunt Slomen, the coupe features a swath of art that flows from the car's hood and down across the driver-side door. The artwork is abstract, but we can make out white birds, which our single semester of Art History 101 tells us represents doves, which in turn represents peace. Or it could represent the jobless rate of carrier pigeons in this age of digital e-mail. The custom-painted A5 will be donated to Denise Rich's G&P Foundation for Cancer Research and auctioned after it tours the country for a bit.

Audi TTS Official Safety Car for 2008 Tourist Trophy Motorcycle Races.

For the first time in more than 100 years, a car sharing the same name as the world’s oldest car races - the TT - will become the official car at the famous Tourist Trophy motorcycle races next month on the Isle of Man.
The latest and most powerful model in the iconic Audi TT range – the new 272PS TTS – will make a fittingly dynamic debut in Britain. The most powerful ever production Audi TT coupe to date has been chosen by the TT organisers as the prestigious “Official Car” at this year’s world-famous event which runs from 24 May-6 June.
Audi paid homage to the legendary Tourist Trophy motorsport event of the same name in naming its “TT” sportscar. It is an event in which machines from one of its founding companies competed with considerable success in the spectacular Tourist Trophy race which was first staged on the Isle of Man in 1905.
Peter Duffy, Audi UK’s Head of Marketing, commented: “Having been supporters of the British Super Bike championship in recent years, we’re now delighted to be associated with the Isle of Man TT races and to be able to play an active part in this world famous event.
“The Isle of Man held the very first Tourist Trophy event in Britain and became an integral part of Audi’s heritage in its days with NSU. We look forward to writing the next chapter in our company’s history with the public showing of the new Audi TTS on the island.”
For two weeks of every year the eyes of the world focus on the Isle of Man as the finest motorcycle road racers spectacularly pit their skills against the 37¾ miles of public roads. Audi UK is supplying eight cars from its impressive product range to manage the running of the event including vital course inspection and roads opening duties.
Adrian Earnshaw, Minister for Tourism and Leisure, Isle of Man Government, commented: “It is a great opportunity to have Audi as our Official Car Partner especially considering the Audi TT sportscar is named after the TT motorsport event dating back over 100 years”.
The Audi TT was first shown as a concept car at the 1995 Frankfurt Motor Show and was immediately lauded for its ultra-modern, yet seemingly timeless, interpretation of classic sports car design. It was created in homage to the legendary motorsport event of the same name, in which riders from NSU, one of the four companies which joined forces to form Audi, began campaigning in 1911.
Audi has a rich motorsport heritage and the brand continues to enjoy great success in the disciplines in which it competes to this day. Apart from its early activities involving NSU and the Auto Union Grand Prix cars, Audi has been involved more recently in world rallying – changing the face of the sport with its quattro four-wheel-drive – and in the Le Mans 24 Hour race, which it has already conquered twice with its history-making diesel-powered sports-prototypes.
The Tourist Trophy was first held on the Isle of Man in 1905 but its roots stretch back further. Gordon Bennett donated a trophy and organised a contest to compare the performance of products from the American and European motor industries. The first Gordon Bennett race was held in 1900, on a 352-mile course from Paris to Lyon. In 1902 the finish line was moved from Lyon to Innsbruck in Austria, and in 1903 the race moved to Ireland. England was the next venue planned for 1904, but the ban on road races had not yet been lifted here so the Automobile Club of Great Britain decided to switch the venue to the Isle of Man, in the Irish Sea. The Gordon Bennett race took place there for the first time on May 10th, 1904. A year later the first two Tourist Trophy races were held, one in May for motorcycles and the other in September for cars.