Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Review: 2011 Audi A8]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/23/2011-audi-a8-review-road-test/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/23/2011-audi-a8-review-road-test/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/23/2011-audi-a8-review-road-test/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

A Plus-Sized S4 With World-Beating Tech

2011 Audi A8
2011 Audi A8 - Click above for high-res image gallery

"Holy #&%*@^% $#^@!"

I have to admit losing track of how many times my hapless copilot uttered this - and countless other unpublishable phrases - from the passenger seat during our drive. But if I'm being honest, it doesn't hold a candle to the endless string of explicatives running through my own mind.

The reason? I'm piloting a 2011 Audi A8 through a particularly tortuous stretch of California tarmac running between the Monterey Valley and the Pacific Coast, and for the better part of 20 miles, the driver of the tuned BMW 335i in the lead hasn't seen anything other than the A8's massive slatted grille in his rearview mirror. Just as impressive - if not more so - is the pair of worked-over E36 M3s that are having a hard time keeping up. And these guys are locals. They've been running this road for over a decade, only to have me show and spoil their ragtag rally in Audi's latest luxo-bruiser.

I'd like to think that my hairpin heroics and high-speed capers are a testament to my own skills, but I'm not that deluded. I've been equipped with the standard auto journo-issued hamfists, and to think otherwise is to fall prey to motoring delusion and insult the work of Ingolstadt's magicians. Audi's new A8 is just that good, and the steer is just the half of it.

Continue reading Review: 2011 Audi A8...


Gallery: 2011 Audi A8: Review

2011 Audi A82011 Audi A82011 Audi A8 front 3/4 view2011 Audi A8 rear 3/4 view2011 Audi A8 side view

Photos copyright (C)2011 Damon Lavrinc / AOL

Continue reading Review: 2011 Audi A8

Review: 2011 Audi A8 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 11:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2011 audi a8a8audiaudi+a3+review+2011audia3review2011bang and olufsenfeaturedreviewreviewsWed, 23 Feb 2011 11:51:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19855650/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2011/02/23/2011-audi-a8-review-road-test/19855650/article-detail.xml 19855650 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/02/2011-audi-a8-review---03-opt_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/02/2011-audi-a8-review---03-opt.jpg <![CDATA[BMW the latest automaker to showcase Bang & Olufsen sound system]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/22/bmw-the-latest-automaker-to-showcase-bang-and-olufsen-sound-system/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/22/bmw-the-latest-automaker-to-showcase-bang-and-olufsen-sound-system/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/22/bmw-the-latest-automaker-to-showcase-bang-and-olufsen-sound-system/#commentsFiled under:

Bang & Olufsen speakers on board the BMW 6 Series Coupe Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

Any of a number of automakers would kill to claim the moniker of "rising star" in the automotive industry, but the latest doesn't even make cars. They make sound systems. Some of the best in the business, as some audiophiles suggest. But their fitment in a growing array of new cars has put them on the fast track to dominating the interiors of an expanding range of luxury automobiles.

We're talking, of course, about Bang & Olufsen. In addition to their sumptuous home and personal sound systems, B&O has been fitting its wares to the likes of Aston Martin, Audi and Mercedes-Benz. And now they've teamed up with BMW.

The system, as some particularly astute car fanatics may have noticed, is fitted to the Munich's latest show car, the BMW 6 Series Coupe Concept, slated to debut next week at the Paris Motor Show. The concept packs no fewer than sixteen BeoLab 5 speakers, including a pair of sub-woofers (one under each seat), seven mid-range speakers and seven tweeters, as well as Bang's proprietary Acoustic Lens Technology. And though they're being rolled out on a show car first, we don't expect it'll be too long before they'll find their way onto road-going automobiles available from your local Bimmer dealer.


Gallery: BMW 6 Series Concept


[Source: egmCarTech]

BMW the latest automaker to showcase Bang & Olufsen sound system originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bang and olufsenbang olfusenBangAndOlufsenBangOlfusenbmwbmw 6 seriesbmw 6 series coupe conceptbmw concept 6 series coupeBmw6SeriesBmw6SeriesCoupeConceptBmwConcept6SeriesCoupeWed, 22 Sep 2010 08:27:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19642855/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/09/22/bmw-the-latest-automaker-to-showcase-bang-and-olufsen-sound-system/19642855/article-detail.xml 19642855 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/20-bmw-6-series-bo_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/20-bmw-6-series-bo.jpg <![CDATA[Coming to a City Near You: Aston Martin DBS Carbon Black Edition]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/16/coming-to-a-city-near-you-aston-martin-dbs-carbon-black-edition/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/16/coming-to-a-city-near-you-aston-martin-dbs-carbon-black-edition/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/16/coming-to-a-city-near-you-aston-martin-dbs-carbon-black-edition/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Aston Martin DBS Carbon Black Edition - Click above for high-res image gallery

If you've been waiting patiently - even not so patiently - to get your hands on the new Carbon Black edition of the Aston Martin DBS, you'll still have to wait until the summer to take delivery. Oh, and a trunk full of hundred-dollar bills. But if all you want is to catch a glimpse, we've got good news for you. Because no matter where you are in the continental United States, chances are there's a DBS Carbon coming to a city near you.

In a special demonstration organized by Aston's exclusive audio partner Bang & Olufsen - which furnishes the 13-speaker, 1000-watt sound system in the DBS - a pair of the special Carbon Black editions will be touring America. Along their route, they'll be hitting New York, Washington, Miami, Dallas, Chicago, San Francisco and LA. So unless you live in Oregon, you're covered.

If you do swing by a local Aston dealer when the Carbon Black editions are in town, you'll see a pair of DBS coupes with a special-process black flick paint and an interior with carbon-Kevlar seats covered in black leather with silver stitching, along with special wheels and badging.


Gallery: Aston Martin Carbon Black DBS and V12 Vantage


[Source: Inside Line]

Coming to a City Near You: Aston Martin DBS Carbon Black Edition originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The era of the luxury exotic with a so-so sound system is nearly over. Bang & Olufsen worked with product developers at Aston Martin to create the BeoSound DBS audio system that is specifically tuned to 007's cabin. Thirteen speakers -- five tweeters, five midrange, and three woofers -- are located in ten places around the cabin. Of course a sound system for the DBS is not just about sound -- it is just as much about looks. Two of the tweeters are mounted on the dash and ascend when the car is started. Loudspeaker grilles are finished in contoured aluminum. And all that hardware is controlled by B&O's Digital Signal Processing system that is matched the DBS interior and adjusts to changing acoustic conditions. All of this means you'll be able to hear the next Bond theme song, "Another Way to Die," like never before...

[Source: Aston Martin]

Aston Martin gets the Bang & Olufsen treatment originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Sep 2008 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Typically when "music" is mentioned in the same sentence as AMG, it's in relation to the deep burble emanating from the exhaust pipes. But with all that Teutonic, sound-deadened cabin comfort, customers of the Mercedes tuning division have come to expect an equally impressive performance from inside the cabin. To that end, AMG has signed a new deal with the Danish audio gurus at Bang & Olufsen to provide their high-end automotive sound systems for these high-powered Mercedes models.

The deal is the third such agreement brokered by B&O, whose systems already appear in Audis and Aston Martins, spearheading a market proliferation that surely influenced the decision-makers in Affalterbach. Both AMG and Bang & Olufsen were clearly elated by the deal, and you can feel the sheer unbridled joy in the statement from AMG chairman Volker Mornhinweg: "Mercedes-AMG represents high performance and exclusivity. The same is true of Bang & Olufsen's in-car sound systems. Jointly, we are therefore able to meet Mercedes-AMG customers' expectations to sound systems." Contain yourself, Volk. Follow the jump to read the rest of the press release.

[Source: Bang & Olufsen]

Continue reading B&O put the Bang in Mercedes AMG

B&O put the Bang in Mercedes AMG originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Aug 2008 19:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi is getting set to hike its prices up as it makes an attempt to move the brand more upscale and on par with other German luxury marques. In additon to an increase in status, the move should also make some more money for Audi, which has had profitability issues in the past, not the least of which can be attributed by a weak currency exchange.

Some of the ways Audi expects to change its brand perception is to utilize feature film product placement (a la I, Robot), make improvements in its dealer network and massage the Audi brand image overall. As it's well know that these changes don't take place overnight, Audi plans to make the transistion over the course of the next five years. The automaker has also hosted "lifestyle" events alongside niche luxury brands like Bang & Olufsen, Ducati and Abercrombie & Kent. The company is also planning on constructing several high-end showrooms, much like the Audi Forum that debuted in New York yesterday.

All these efforts will help Audi reach its goal of breaking the 100,000 unit mark in 2008.

Audi plans to raise prices, brand perception originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Oct 2006 09:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>audibang and olufsenBangAndOlufsenbmwducatimercedesThu, 12 Oct 2006 09:18:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/683473/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2006/10/12/audi-plans-to-raise-prices-brand-perception/683473/article-detail.xml 683473 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2006/10/audi_stage_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2006/10/audi_stage.jpg <![CDATA[Audi Roadjet features concept sound system from B&O]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/01/14/audi-roadjet-features-concept-sound-system-from-bando/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/01/14/audi-roadjet-features-concept-sound-system-from-bando/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/01/14/audi-roadjet-features-concept-sound-system-from-bando/#commentsFiled under: , ,


The renowned audiophiles at Bang & Olufson developed a 14-speaker, 1,000-watt sound system for Audi called the Advanced Sound System, or A.S.S. (too funny), which can be ordered with an A8 or S8.

A newer version of A.S.S. debuted on Audi's Roadjet Concept at the Detroit auto show that features Acoustic Lens Technology. Developed to better disperse high frequencies in the car, these ACT speakers automatically rise out of the dashboard of the car to deliver the same high fidelity audio experience to any occupant of the car.

An A.S.S. system will set you back about $7,000. That's a drop in the bucket compared to the $118,910 you might spend on an A8 L W12 quattro, so what the hell? You only live once.

[Source: Audi and Fourtitude]

Audi Roadjet features concept sound system from B&O originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 14 Jan 2006 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>audibang and olufsenbang and olufsonBangAndOlufsonconceptroadjetSat, 14 Jan 2006 10:00:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/581345/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2006/01/14/audi-roadjet-features-concept-sound-system-from-bando/581345/article-detail.xml 581345 http://www.autoblog.com/media/2006/01/087__scaled_600_thumbnail.jpg http://www.autoblog.com/media/2006/01/087__scaled_600.jpg -1 2