Audi TT:bring on the TDI…

There was a time when:

-you wouldn’t put a diesel engine in a convertible to save your life;
-no „cool” car would be powered by a diesel engine;

But when you win endurance races with a diesel engine,you as a serious manufacturer must take in consideration this alternative. And Audi did this hoping that all their customers won’t be dissapointed. And from what I’ve heard they don’t have any reason to be.

We all know the TT as a sports car that can bring a big smile on everyone’s face but the German manufacturer thinks that by puting a TDI under the hood the receipe will be evn better.It has to be sayd that it will be a 2 litre, 170 HP and 350 Nm TDI(the same that poweres the Skoda Octavia RS).And because everything has to be perfect,the quattro ALW system won’t be missing.

I know that many of you are thinking:but is it still a true sports car?And the answer is simple: 0 to 100 km/h in 7,5 seconds with a top speed of 226 km/h.The real advantage pops up when we discuss the fuel consumtion: 5,3 l/100 km for the coupe and 5,5 l/100 km for the roadster.And don’t worry about any vibrations because this engine is very quiet.

Mitsubishi Lancer hatchback to be unveiled at Geneva

Actualy the Japanese manufacturer is unveiling the Prototype-S concept but they have already announced that this is a preview of the Lancer hatchback.That car will hit the streets later this year.

Mitsubishi says that this 5 door version will be the best selling Lancer,with more than 70% of all range sales. Prototype-S will borrow some characteristics from the Sportback concept(unveiled a few years ago),the Lancer Evolution and the Lancer Ralliart,that has 4wd and a 2 litre turbo engine that develops 240 HP and 343 Nm.

Geneva Preview : GranTurismo S confirmed

Here are some official details and images regarding Maserati’s new GranTurismo S, which is expected to be unveiled in Geneva next week. The S version features the same 4.7-liter 440hp V8 engine which Maserati developed especially for the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione.

This engine seems to be mated to an electro-actuated MC-Shift gearbox mounted on the rear transaxle for optimized weight distribution and faster shifting times. The Brembo braking system keeps the extra power which was first used on the Quattroporte Sport GT S, featuring front brakes with dual-cast iron/aluminum discs and six-pot aluminum calipers.

As you can notice from the official images, the GranTurismo S also sports a subtle visual tweaks including new wheels and a leather & Alcantara-trimmed interior with sport buckets.

Another beast for Geneva:the TechArt 911 Cabrio

For the Geneva Auto Show the German tunner TechArt prepared a very special 911 Cabrio.This highly modiffied ride might catch your eyes with its spoilers,side skirts and sport aileron but the beast under the hood is the real gem.As you all know the boxer engine USED to deliver a very respectable 480 HP but the guys over at TechArt thaought that it wasn’t enough so they found a more suiting figure:no less than 630HP.Even though there are no official information,we believe that small changes have been made to the overall dymanic of the car.