Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Audi expands A4 lineup with new FrontTrak model, six-speed manual on quattro]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/19/audi-expands-a4-lineup-with-new-fronttrak-model-six-speed-manua/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/19/audi-expands-a4-lineup-with-new-fronttrak-model-six-speed-manua/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/19/audi-expands-a4-lineup-with-new-fronttrak-model-six-speed-manua/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2009 Audi A4

Audi is expanding its A4 line-up to include two new option levels on its entry-level sedan; one equipped with FrontTrak (read: front-wheel-drive) and another that finally offers a six-speed manual on the base quattro-equipped A4.

The 2009 Audi A4 2.0T FrontTrak mates a CVT to the 2.0T inline four, returning an EPA rating of 23 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway. The six-speed manual quattro A4 achieves the same highway rating, but loses one mpg around town. Pricing for the FrontTrak model starts at $31,000, while the six-speed, AWD-equipped variant comes in at $31,850. Both models benefit from a host of standard equipment, including leather seating, sunroof and SIRIUS satellite radio. Make the jump for all the details.

Gallery: New Audi A4

Continue reading Audi expands A4 lineup with new FrontTrak model, six-speed manual on quattro

Audi expands A4 lineup with new FrontTrak model, six-speed manual on quattro originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Dec 2008 14:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>20092009 audi a4 fronttrak2009AudiA4Fronttraka4audifronttrakmanualquattrosix speedsix-speedSixSpeedFri, 19 Dec 2008 14:33:00 EST<![CDATA[Chicago Auto Show: GM RWD fans can rejoice, for the Pontiac G8 has arrived (w/ VIDEO!)]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/02/07/chicago-auto-show-gm-rwd-fans-can-rejoice-for-the-pontiac-g8-h/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/02/07/chicago-auto-show-gm-rwd-fans-can-rejoice-for-the-pontiac-g8-h/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/02/07/chicago-auto-show-gm-rwd-fans-can-rejoice-for-the-pontiac-g8-h/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


click on the above image for a bunch of high-res shots showing the new Pontiac G8

The last decade has been difficult for General Motors enthusiasts who desired an affordable V8 RWD sedan (we love the V-series Cadillacs, but alas, they're not exactly budget rides). With the introduction of the Pontiac G8, however, all is forgiven, for this muscular four-door appears poised to offer a blend of attitude and sophistication appropriate for the brand that claims to build excitement.

This Poncho is based upon GM's new Zeta platform, and the base model offers up a 261-hp, DOHC 3.6L V6. GT models get the 362-hp, L98 OHV 6.0L V8 with Displacement on Demand. No bonus points will be awarded for correctly guessing which we'd pick. The V6 will come with a five-speed slushbox, while the V8 will initially be backed with GM's new 6L80 six-speed auto, and a row-your-own manual with a half-dozen ratios will follow at a yet-undetermined later date. Naturally, the GT gets a bigger wheel/tire package and larger brakes, and a sport package will be offered for either engine type. Under the skin lies a McPherson strut suspension arrangement in the front and multi-link in the rear, with the full array of adjustments available at each corner.

Elements of the show car that won't make it to production include the big brakes, lowered ride height, 20" wheels, and custom interior trim. Note the new badge design; what we're seeing here is a concept version of a new Pontiac logo that eschews the traditional red coloration for a metallic sheen.

Click on the photo above for a gallery of Pontiac G8 live photos and studio shots! Also, check out the exclusive VIDEO of the G8 and Bob Lutz introducing the new rear-wheel drive sedan after the jump.

Gallery: 2008 Pontiac G8

Continue reading Chicago Auto Show: GM RWD fans can rejoice, for the Pontiac G8 has arrived (w/ VIDEO!)

Chicago Auto Show: GM RWD fans can rejoice, for the Pontiac G8 has arrived (w/ VIDEO!) originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Feb 2007 17:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto showchicagocommodoreg6g8GenIVgrand prixholdenl98ls2pontiacsix speedSixSpeedWed, 07 Feb 2007 17:42:00 EST<![CDATA[M5's traction control 'off' switch nixed for a reason]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/27/m5s-traction-control-off-switch-nixed-for-a-reason/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/27/m5s-traction-control-off-switch-nixed-for-a-reason/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/27/m5s-traction-control-off-switch-nixed-for-a-reason/#commentsFiled under: , ,



When Automobile got their paws on a six-speed manual version of the M5, they were none too pleased that BMW's engineers wouldn't allow drivers to fully disable the traction control. At the time, we assumed that BMW's legal boffins pictured overly enthusiastic Americans, stomping the go pedal and promptly winding up in a ditch.

Not so, according to Car. The magazine learned that the M division had no way of controlling clutch plate actuation, which would normally quell the axle tramp caused by the V10's prodigious power delivery. Acceleration times would rise and drivetrain components' lifetimes would fall. Hence, the only conceivable solution was to make the DSC a permanent fixture within the Bimmer's brain.

Still, you can partly disable the system in M Dynamic mode within iDrive (if you dare), but that may not be enough for those who want to test the limits of adhesion of the 285s in the rear.

[Source: Car]

M5's traction control 'off' switch nixed for a reason originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 27 Jan 2007 10:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>6-speedbmwidrivem dynamic modem5manualMDynamicModesix speedSixSpeedSat, 27 Jan 2007 10:17:00 EST<![CDATA[Six-speed automatics gearing up for mass production]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/08/28/six-speed-automatics-gearing-up-for-mass-production/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/08/28/six-speed-automatics-gearing-up-for-mass-production/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/08/28/six-speed-automatics-gearing-up-for-mass-production/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



According to new information complied by the research firm CSM Worldwide; six-speed automatics will be the norm for domestic manufactures by 2015. Currently, the standard four-speed automatic has dominated the marketplace for the past several years, but as fuel efficiency becomes more of a factor in consumer purchases, the addition of two more gears will become a necessity to remain competitive.

The research is centered around Ford and General Motor's plans for auto-offerings over the next decade, with three-quarters of GM's lineup to be equipped by 2012 and half of Ford's fleet rolling with six-speeds by 2015. Fuel consumption is said to decrease between four and eight percent on vehicles equipped with the new gearbox.

Many other brands, including Toyota and Chrysler have six-speed automatics already in the works or currently on the road, with Toyota's luxury brand, Lexus, stuffing eight speeds into its new LS460 luxo-barge.

Interestingly, CSM expects a very small (one to five percent) increase in the use of continuously variable transmissions (CVTs) over the same time period.

[Source: Edmund's Inside Line]

Six-speed automatics gearing up for mass production originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Aug 2006 11:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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