Audi A8 review : The greatest giant product

There’s a new limo in town, and it’s one with four rings. Here to challenge the S-Class and 7-Series is the new Audi A8, which we first saw late in 2009, making it the youngest of the German limos. Euromobil has opted to import the long wheelbase A8 L version with a 3.0 TFSI engine, priced at RM658,800 OTR without insurance.This price is rather reasonable, when one considers that the BMW 740Li, which like the A8 has forced induction and six cylinders, is priced at RM818,800. The less powerful Mercedes-Benz S350L is priced at RM835,888. The A8′s supercharged 3.0 TFSI V6 engine makes 290 hp and 420 Nm of torque from 2,500 to 4,850 rpm, which gives it a surprising turn of speed.0-100 km/h is done in just 6.2 seconds while top speed is limited to 250 km/h. That young gun in his GTI will have to think twice…

The fact that the A8 L 3.0 TFSI manages to be just 0.2 sec slower to 100 km/h than the 740Li, which has more power and torque, is partly due to its lighter weight. Audi’s flagship uses the aluminium Audi Space Frame, which is about 40% lighter than a regular steel structure, says Ingolstadt. Claimed combined fuel consumption is 9.3 litres per 100 km.
Drive is channeled to the quattro AWD system (40:60 by default, up to 80% to the rear and 60% to the front depending on conditions) via a new 8-speed tiptronic automatic transmission. This gearbox improves fuel consumption by 6% over the old six speeder. Audi Drive Select is standard here.Size wise, this 5.27-metre L version of the A8 has a 13 cm longer wheelbase to make 3,122 mm, which is about 90 mm shorter than the LWB 7er. Privileged rear seat bosses get to enjoy two power adjustable seats and a large centre console, besides four-zone climate control and selectable ambient lighting. Ventilation and massage functions, rear screens, a folding table and a cool box are options.

Audi A6 review

Audi’s new A6 seems determined to put in a serious challenge to BMW’s big-selling 5 Series. To put that in perspective, it outsold the Toyota Yaris, the Skoda Octavia and even the Renault Clio and was only 177 sales short of matching the VW Passat. Clearly not everyone is living hand to mouth in recessionary Ireland.

And that’s where the A6 comes in. The bosses at Audi’s hometown of Ingolstadt are not going to let BMW run away with the premium market. And with this class of car now outselling many superminis, the A6 is arguably as important to the four-ringed brand as its supposed volume models, like the A3 and the A4.

The first notable feature about the new A6 is its styling. We never really rated its predecessor. It was something of a halfway house, neither as sporty as its Bavarian rival nor as prestigious as the E-Class, while the bulbous rear-end made it look slightly frumpy.

Jaguar XF review

There have been very few cars like the 2010 Jaguar XF Supercharged, and that's a shame. Yet it's difficult to explain why this car is so special, so let's just start by describing what it is. You can order Jaguar's S-Type replacement in four flavors (more if you live in a diesel-friendly part of the world). The first and least expensive comes with Jag's tried-and-true 4.2-liter V8 for $52,000, although we're told that the 4.2-liter is now out of production, so get 'em while they're hot. For $5,000 more, you can get the company's new direct-injected 5.0-liter V8 with 385 horsepower, which is most assuredly worth every penny.

Skipping ahead one, the fourth and final flavor is the top cat XFR, equipped with a 510-hp supercharged and monsterized version of the 5.0-liter V8 for $80,000. Put another way, that's $23,000 for an extra 125 horsepower. Worth the stretch? Honestly, when are we not going to tell you to buy a 510-hp vehicle? However, there is a third flavor and it's called the XF Supercharged. Starting at $68,000, the XF Supercharged comes with the same 5.0-liter supercharged V8 as the XFR, albeit "detuned" down to 470 hp and 424 lb-ft of torque.

ABT polish the Volkswagen Golf GTI

German tuner ABT Sportsline has announced its new performance upgrades for the Volkswagen Golf VI GTI, which includes new bodykit alongside with a series of engine and other mechanical upgrades. Under the hood, by using optimized engine management (ABT POWER) ABT has managed to squeeze 50 more hp from the engine, taking it from 210 hp (154 kW) up to 260 hp (191 kW). And that’s not all, because ABT also offers the ABT POWER S package, which includes a turbocharger and takes the Golf VI GTI up to 300 hp (221 kW). With the POWER S kit, the car accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in around six seconds. To ensure a more sporty and safe driving, the German tuner also fitted the GTI with ABT chassis springs (the car’s center of gravity is lowered by 30 mm) and a powerful ABT braking system.
Another highlight of the package is the body kit, which makes the car’s look a lot more aggressive and also improves its aerodynamics. It includes new front apron, front lip, front grille and ABT daytime running lamps, new rear spoiler and rear apron and diagonal 4-pipe exhaust system. The final touch is given by the carbon steel grey metallic paintwork, which looks very, very good. Of course, ABT also offers a range of interior upgrades which further improve the car’s sporty feeling.