The Audi A3 TDI Clubsport Concept: Intense TDI Power

Audi is unveiling a spectacular study in the compact class, in the guise of the Audi A3 TDI clubsport quattro. Based on the Audi A3, it sets new standards in terms of compact performance and efficiency. Its potent presence is a visible expression of the pioneering technology that propels this showcar: thanks to its extremely high-torque two-litre TDI engine, this sports car sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in just 6.6 seconds. The top speed is 240 km/h.

Exterior: Self-assured power pack

Its appearance expresses beyond all doubt what lies beneath its skin: the Audi A3 TDI clubsport quattro is a trendsetting bundle of energy. The stunning looks of this three-door model underscore its performance. Its special paint finish, with Ibis White roof and hood combined with Brilliant Red sides, adds to its air of confidence. The large white “8″ on each door is a reference to the year 2008.

Pure power
The designers gave this study vehicle a stunning, dynamic look that encompasses every tiny detail. The large DTM-look rear wing adds a visual reference to the world of motor racing and dominates the entire exterior of the Audi A3 TDI clubsport quattro. The struts of the exterior mirror housings are as if shaped by the wind. The bolted-on wheel arch extensions create a lasting impression. The striking sports car look is further underscored by a wider single-frame grille than on the production Audi A3, with struts in high-gloss black. The front bumper is adorned by large, angular air inlets.

Interior: Motor racing design, and comfortable too

The interior of the Audi A3 TDI clubsport quattro systematically adheres to the sporty styling of its exterior. All elements inside the car strikingly emphasise the spirit and sporty potential of the study. With its visual references to motor racing and jet design, the cockpit has a number of striking highlights. Combined with the anatomically shaped seats and the redesigned door panels and floor mats, it creates a sporty, comfortable overall impression.

Echoes of the Audi R8
Illuminated sill strips with the logo “TDI Power” greet the driver. Just like in a real racing car, they are greeted by an ergonomically shaped bucket seat – as is the front passenger. Special foaming also transforms the rear seats into spacious, comfortable individual seats. The classically open selector gate in aluminium accentuates the dynamic aura of the sports car’s interior.

The elegant, flat-bottomed steering wheel gives the driver precise control over where the Audi A3 TDI clubsport quattro goes. The scales of the instruments stand out in gleaming white. The air vents with their multi-position outlets have been given a jet design. Their dynamic look is complemented by classically sporty rocker switches on the centre console. The struts beneath the console are trimmed in leather. The monitor for navigation and entertainment and its control panel have been adopted from the Audi R8 supercar. To save weight, the door handles are hollowed out.

Drive Concept: Maximum dynamism and efficiency

Maximum efficiency – the entire concept of the Audi A3 TDI clubsport quattro follows this principle. Its two-litre TDI delivers the pulling power of a sports car. This power unit yet again demonstrates the high potential of TDI technology at Audi. The showcar is powered by an ample 165 kW (224 bhp) and 450 Nm of torque. It zips from 0 to 100 km/h in just 6.6 seconds. The top speed of this four-valve model is 240 km/h. And the study’s ultra-efficient four-cylinder engine already meets the limit values of the Euro 5 standard that is to take effect in September 2010.

Power for driving with poise
The engine’s maximum torque of 450 Nm starts right down at 1,750 rpm, in other words at rock-bottom revs – and makes the TDI a genuine built-for-fun driving machine. The sports engine’s power is acoustically underpinned by the newly developed exhaust system. With its variable resonance chambers on both tailpipes, it delivers a full-bodied, voluminous sound. The engine’s power is translated into locomotion by a compact, transversely installed six-speed gearbox with short shift travel. Its open selector gate is in aluminium. In combination with quattro four-wheel drive, it relays the engine’s power ultra-efficiently to the 20-inch wheels.

The sports suspension of the Audi A3 TDI clubsport quattro is easily up to the task of handling such power. Six-piston brake calipers and ceramic brake discs at the front and Audi magnetic ride technology for the dampers enable the driver to respond with lightning speed to every driving situation. With the driving dynamics system Audi drive select, they can adjust the throttle response and exhaust sound characteristics, the steering’s power assistance, the ESP control and the damper characteristics as desired.

Source: Audi News

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2010 Cadillac CTS Sports Wagon: Cadillac’s Renaissance Takes a New Form

Dramatically Designed Alternative to Larger Vehicles Makes Debut at Pebble Beach

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. - Amidst the beauty and history of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Cadillac treats car enthusiasts to a world premiere of its latest production-car design. The 2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon makes its debut this weekend on the Monterey Peninsula, showcasing a dramatic design that elevates and updates the classic wagon body style.

Not unlike many historic Cadillac designs, the new CTS Sport Wagon is an unmistakable and dynamic presence. The car’s intricately cut rear profile injects fashion-forward design into the formerly utilitarian world of wagons. Cadillac’s upcoming wagon offers ample interior space and includes a range of six-cylinder engine choices, making it a compelling alternative to larger utility vehicles.

Based on the hot-selling CTS sport sedan, and a sister vehicle to the CTS Coupe Concept, the Sport Wagon extends the design-driven renaissance of Cadillac. Following this special premiere at Pebble Beach, the CTS Sport Wagon moves to the worldwide auto show circuit this fall - and into to Cadillac dealerships in spring 2009.

2010 Cadillac CTS Sports Wagon Image Gallery:


“The addition of this dramatically-designed Sport Wagon is well synchronized with today’s changing consumer tastes as a compelling alternative to SUVs or other larger vehicles,” says Jim Taylor, Cadillac general manager. “This is an important step in Cadillac’s ongoing global expansion, and of course in international markets like Europe, wagons have been and continue to be very significant.”

A striking profile is created with the CTS wagon, with a silhouette that suggests speed and aerodynamic efficiency. It rides on the same 113.4-inch (2,880-mm) wheelbase as the CTS sport sedan and is 0.3-inch (7 mm) shorter. However, it offers a generous cargo area of 25 cubic feet (720 liters) behind the rear seats. Design highlights include:

• Signature V-shaped deck and tailgate motif
• Large, vertical taillamps with light-pipe technology
• Power-opening liftgate (via key fob or in-vehicle button)
• CHMSL integrated in subtle roof spoiler
• Integrated roof load management system with cross bars for a seamless appearance
• Cargo management system with adjustable in-floor containment
• New 19-inch wheels
• Larger available panoramic rear sunroof

The CTS Sport Wagon, like its sedan predecessor, includes available features such as all-wheel drive, a 40-gigabyte internal hard drive, pop-up navigation screen and a hand-cut-and-sewn interior with Sapele wood accents.

“The CTS Sport Wagon is an important expansion to the Cadillac lineup worldwide,” said Taylor.
Design Details

Dramatic planes highlight the CTS wagon’s design, including a V-shaped motif carried throughout the vehicle and carefully integrated intersections of exterior surfaces. The elements coalesce in a dramatic fashion, creating tension that emphasizes the vehicle’s performance.

“It’s a taut design that not only suggests sleekness, but delivers it,” said Clay Dean, global design director for Cadillac. “Indeed, the drama of the sedan is amplified in the CTS Sport Wagon, as the centerline cue that is part of the exterior and interior is more prominent and plays a stronger role in defining the design at the rear of the vehicle.”

The emotion of the CTS Sport Wagon’s design is carried by a number of nuanced details. The liftgate area, for example, is a confluence of angles and planes that typifies the vehicle’s design tension. Cadillac’s “V” motif is most prominent here, culminating in a spine at the center of the liftgate that is accented with a subtle spoiler at the top of the backlight. The rear quarter panels extend slightly beyond the inward-angled planes of the V, creating a distinctive W shape at the rear of the vehicle. Large, prominent vertical taillamps - with Cadillac’s signature light pipe technology - are the final, dramatic touches to the rear-end styling.

“The more you study the rear of the CTS Sport Wagon, the more you see,” said Dean. “Functionality was certainly a guiding factor during development, but so was the idea to inject emotion into the normally sedate wagon category.”

One of the more interesting integrations of form and function is found in the seamless roof load management system. Rather than stylized stanchions, brackets and cross bars that protrude above the roof line, the CTS Sport Wagon’s system blends with the roofline, maintaining an uninterrupted appearance. The center section of the roof panel angles downward inside the roof edges, allowing an unobtrusive placement of the cross bars - and creating a subtle fin effect at the trailing edges of the rear panels.

“They’re not fins in the classic sense, but they work to help disguise the cargo load system and, yes, they acknowledge Cadillac’s design heritage,” said Dean.

The interior of the Sport Wagon is common with the much-acclaimed sport sedan, including streamlined instrumentation, LED lighting and hand-cut-and-sewn accents with French stitching.
Powertrains

Direct injection technology helps the CTS offer more power while maintaining fuel economy and lowering emissions. It delivers fuel more precisely to increase the efficiency of combustion. This means less fuel is consumed and lower emissions created.

With the CTS Sport Wagon’s 3.6L V-6, direct injection translates to 304 horsepower (227 kW)*, no loss of fuel efficiency and a 25-percent drop in cold-start hydrocarbon emissions. It also runs on less expensive regular unleaded gasoline. The Sport Wagon’s fuel economy is expected to be similar to the peak rating of the existing sport sedan’s 26 mpg highway rating. The standard 3.6L VVT engine that produces 263 horsepower (196 kW) and 253 lb.-ft. of torque (343 Nm) serves as the base engine in North America.

Just like the CTS sport sedan, the V-6 engines are matched with fuel-saving six-speed transmissions, including an Aisin six-speed manual or an electronically controlled Hydra-Matic 6L50 six-speed automatic. As is the case on the sport sedan, CTS Sport Wagon includes AWD as an option.

An efficient 2.9L turbo-diesel engine is being developed for CTS models primarily in European and Asian markets. It is a compact, dual overhead cam, four-valve V-6 engine from GM’s family of diesel engines that delivers optimal fuel economy as well as reduced emissions and noise. The engine is rated at 184 kW (250 hp).
Driving dynamics

The robust and dynamic CTS chassis infuses the new wagon with a great balance of performance and luxury. It uses an independent short/long arm (SLA) front suspension system and a multi-link rear suspension.

The multi-link rear suspension features a fully isolated subframe that helps deliver excellent suspension kinematics, contributing to a superior ride and excellent handling

Advanced chassis technology in the form of Cadillac’s StabiliTrak electronic chassis control system integrates the car’s standard four-channel ABS with the full-function traction control, hydraulic brake assist and engine drag control systems to deliver a safer, more confident driving experience. Additional chassis details include a structure-enhancing tower-to-tower brace under the hood; large, four-wheel disc brakes and premium steering.

THE 2010 CTS SPORT WAGON: PRELIMINARY SPECIFICATIONS

• Vehicle Type: Four-door, five-passenger rear-wheel-drive/available all-wheel-drive wagon
• Wheelbase (in/mm): 113.4/2880
• Length (in/mm): 191.3/4878
• Width (in/mm): 72.6/1842
• Height (in/mm): 59.1/1473
• Track (in/mm): 61.8/1576 front with 18? tires; 62/1586 rear with 18? tires
• Engines: Available 3.0L V6 VVT DI 3.6L V6 VVT DI (304 hp/227 kW)
• Transmissions: Six-speed automatic
• Suspension: Four-wheel independent: MacPherson strut front; multilink rear, progressive rate coil springs, monotube shock absorbers
• Steering: Power rack-and-pinion
• Brakes: Four-wheel anti-lock disc; dual-piston front calipers; single-piston rear calipers
• Wheels: 17-inch aluminum (3.0L V6 only), available 18-inch aluminum or available 19-inch aluminum (3.6L V6 only)
• EPA Luggage Capacity (cu ft/L): 25/720 (behind rear seats)
• EPA Passenger Volume (mm): 2732
• EPA Cargo Behind First Row (mm): 1644

Source: Cadillac Press Release

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