Cars Audi

With everyone looking at ways of reducing their ‘carbon footprint’, cars have been getting a rather bad press recently. Even so-called ‘greener’ models are said to be contributing too much to the already pretty much depleted air quality.

However, there is an answer. The electric car will keep the emissions to a minimum and probably save you a bit on fuel.

The Peugot iOn is one such car and won the prestigious Next Green Car: City Car award in 2011 – showing the versatility of Peugot in creating cars that will cause the least concern in this environmentally aware world. The iOn’s compact size and ultra stylish looks make it the perfect car for nipping around the congested city – the electric power steering makes for gymnast agility – whether it’s a night out with friends or the dreaded grocery shop. Four adults can fit comfortably in this car – despite what it looks like on the outside – and there’s athe option of folding down the backseats if you require a little extra room for whatever reason. And it doesn’t run up your electricity bill. In fact, the iOn’s running costs are significantly lower than a standard model with a traditional engine – especially if it’s charged overnight using off-peak energy.

When it comes to safety, the Peugot iOn does not fall short. The battery equipment is located under the floor pan which contributes to stability. This is reinforced by an Electronic Stability Program, an Electronic Brake Force Distribution and Emergency Braking Support – all as standard. This, along with front air bags, chest air bags, side air bags, isofix anchors and ‘fasten safety belt’ warnings, contributed to the iOn being awarded a four star Euro NCAP safety rating.

The iOn is equipped with a lithium-ion battery which stores more energy than the batteries of yesteryear. It will fully charge in around nine hours from a common household power point – and the five meter safety cable is supplied as standard.291

Of all the Audi motors ever built the TT is, in our eyes, the most beautiful, and of all the Audi TT models that have been released, the Audi TT RS is outstanding; awesome if you prefer. But to avoid the risk of hyperbole let’s look at some facts and figures so that you can make up your own mind.

First let’s look under the hood. What you will see might look a little strange, certainly for an Audi. The engine is a five cylinder turbocharged unit and this is the only Audi that uses a five cylinder engine. If is lust 2.5 litre (TFSI) yet is delivers a surprising 340 bhp and has no problem beating a Porsche Cayman S from the lights or the starting grid. The acceleration time from 0 to 62 mph is 4.6 seconds and the top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph.

The gearbox is a straight forward six speed manual, which might be a little disappointing if you were hoping to see a paddle shift tiptronic system, but it is quite slick and gear changes are fast. It has a light clutch pedal too.

The Audi Quattro four wheel drive system is standard and this works very well especially in wet and slippery conditions. The car has a good balance and is has very agile handling. The suspension is lower than on other TT models and considerable use is made of aluminium sections in the body which held weight distribution. As you would expect no body roll is noticeable even when taking tight corners quickly.

There is an optional extra called ‘magnetic ride’ which is essentially an adjustable suspension and includes a sports setting which firms things up a little for even better cornering performance.

All models also have a sports engine performance mode which adjust the ECU to give an improved throttle response which will on the downside reduce the economy but on the upside make the exhaust note sound even better. Keep your finger well away from the sports button and you can get a very respectable 29 mpg.

As with any prestige car brand Audi some famous clients. Audi is a brand associated with quality, understatement, engineering, performance and elegance. Their list of drivers reflects these characteristics. Serious actors and artists seem to choose the Audi over all others – maybe they feel it shows a grounded side to their characters by owning an unostentatious but glamorous vehicle: substance over style.

The Q7 is a popular edition. Antonio Banderas is a serious actor who makes serious films. He is a brooding sophisticated kind of chap not associated with glitz and glam but respected as an artist. The Q7 is an aesthetic pleasure to behold. It has a cat like poise and a look associated with supercars, but is perhaps less outlandish and more practical. It suits somebody who desires performance but doesn’t necessarily want a Ferrari or Lamborghini. Jake Gylenhaal, Prince William, Orlando Bloom and Alexander Skarsgard are all noted drivers of the Q7 and all share a sense of sophisticated reserve.

The Q7 is also Kate WInslet’s car of choice, possibly illustrating its appeal to the female driver. The high performance sports car is a quite a masculine piece of machinery according to buying figures. The Q7 clearly has a feminine appeal in its subtlety and graceful shape.

Jonny Depp is the owner of an Audi A8. Again there appears to be a theme of class and artistry mixed with good looks. Vanessa Mae, the classical violinist owns both an Audi TT and an Audi S4.

Cultured Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas owns an Audi A3, a subtle, elegant car that has style and quality without overstatement.

It seems natural that the core values of each manufacturer would be inherent in their clientele. When looking through the list of stars and cars all of Audi’s drivers have a certain likeability and understatement – a humility behind their obvious talent. This would be a goof description of the Audi brand.

The Audi Black Edition is a range of car models incorporating the A3, A4, A5 and TT black editions. Aside from the colouring, the cars within the range are linked by a number of features. Each model also features a number of editions.

The A3 Black Editions

The A3 models in the black edition range are the Audi A3 Black Edition, Audi A3 Sportback Black Edition, Audi S3 Black Edition and Audi S3 Sportback Edition. Both the A3 and S3 editions have a number of features in common, including privacy glass windows, BOSE premium sound systems, 18” alloy wheels rotor designed and a Bluetooth interface for mobile phones. However the A3 also has additional features such as a flat-bottomed sports steering wheel with multi-function capability and Xenon Plus headlights.

The A4 Black Editions

The A4 models in the black edition range are the Saloon Black Edition and the Avant Edition. These both include features such as 19” rotor design alloy wheels, DAB digital radio and a Bang and Olufsen sound system. The main difference in the features is that the Avant Edition has privacy glass windows, while the Saloon Edition does not have these but compensates with Parking System Plus.

The A5 Black Edition

The A5 Edition available is the Coupe Edition, whose features are the same as those of the A4 Avant Edition, albeit with a Coupe engine.

The TT Black Editions

The Black Edition range is available in four different TT models – the Coupe, Roadster, TTS Coupe and TTS Roadster. The TT Roadster and Coupe Editions have identical features except that the Roadster substitutes Acoustic rear parking fro the privacy glass.

The Audi Black Edition range retails at between £1,100 for the A3 range to £1,250 for models in the A5 and TT range and is available from retail outlets including car classifieds network www.motors.co.uk.

There are a number of places online where you can find parts for Audi vehicles, from companies selling car parts directly, to those who offer a service securing parts from car breakers. One of the best sites to visit for this is What Part? (www.whatpart.co.uk), which is a UK based company specialising in locating used and new car parts. This company is able to find new and used parts for Audi cars of all models and is able to find parts quickly due to the size of its network of car breakers. Furthermore they are able to secure these parts at a considerable discount compared to those offered by main dealers – ensuring savings of around 80% for consumers.

In terms of buying parts for Audi vehicles directly, there is the company 247 Spares, which describes itself as “UK’s most visited and trusted car parts and accessories website” and to offer the biggest independent network for Audi car parts in Britain, with the cheapest prices. A quote for Audi parts can be secured for free via the website, while actual orders can be searched for, ordered and delivered from the site – although the overall savings of roughly 80% are around the same as those offered by What Part?

Audi themselves have the site Audi Online Parts, where any mechanical, collision, accessories and Audi Collection parts required for their vehicles can be obtained directly from the company itself. The downside of this site for UK customers is that they are based in the U.S. – in New Jersey – which obviously means greater shipping and delivery times, as well as working out currency difference issues with regards to pricing. However, the site states that any parts ordered which are in stock will be shipped on the same or the next business day, meaning that delivery times to the UK should still be reasonably good.

When it comes to giving a car insurance quote, Audi would nearly always be one of the most sought after policies. They finished 2010 with 1,092,400 sales worldwide, an increase of 15 per cent. In the UK alone, Audi sold 99,828 vehicles and it stands as Europe’s best selling premium brand. Audi’s largest market is Germany, with China a close second, USA third and the UK a close forth. The Audi’s clean diesel TDI range are big sellers due to their market leading fuel economy.

The Audi A1, A3, A4, A5, and A6 are leaders in their individual markets and are regularly amongst the top five of Audi’s best selling vehicles. The sporty Audi A1 has won many awards as the current best super-mini.

The Audi A3 is a practical small family car with a good price and lean fuel economy. It competes with cars like the VW Golf as a premium level hatchback with prices starting at just under £15,000.
The Audi A4 is one of the most popular Audis on the market which has granted this saloon a near cult status. At just over £20,000 it is a leader in quality and specification.

Audi excels in its executive cars – the Audi A5 is the more affordable compact executive model. It is a large cruiser blessed with Audis typical elegant and understated style. Its prices start at around £23,000.

The Audi A6 is the flagship executive car. It is nearly unparalleled in its refinement and comfort. The ergonomically designed cabin is ideal for the long haul motorway journeys common to business executives. Car insurance quotes for the above vehicles are in high demand and all offer reasonable insurance groups.

Audi will always be a market leading brand due its obsession with quality and refinement. Whereas some cars might cut corners on engineering and build, this typically reliable German brand stickles on all the finer details to ensure quality.

For something a little different, why not try the Audi Silverstone Driving Experience. If you think that you might enjoy learning how to get the very best out of a number of beautiful Audi models whilst at the same time improving your general driving abilities, then this is a perfect opportunity for doing so. Don’t inderestimate the difficulties thoughm if you enjoy a challenge then you will find that this experience is very demanding indeed.

The Audi Silverstone Driving Experience is unique in that it is the only one supported directly by Audi. It is held on Silverstone’s Stowe Circuit where you will get to drive three of the top performing Audis and take them to the edge of their impressive capabilities. The cars you get to drive are the TTRS, the RS5 and the R8 V10. You will receive expert supervision but how much you are able to get our of the cars depends largely on you.

The specific aspects addressed by the training include car control, how to stay safe whilst driving very fast, spotting dangers and evaluating risks. In terms of technique you will learn how to corner fast, how to use understeer, how to change lane at speed, high speed braking including threshold braking, and how to manoeuvre the car to avoid dangers. You will also get to be a passenger in the car when it is driven to its limits by a professional.

The day begins early with a breakfast and after that you will be in the tick of it all day apart from a short lunch brake.

Both Audi TT models are top performers and have thunderous pace but if you enjoy real speed, then the highlight of the day will be driving the R8 V10. Apart from its stunning looks it really is a performer. The V10 engine is 5.2 litres and it develops a massive 525 bhp and has a 0 to 62 mph acceleration time of less than 4 seconds and, as you might anticipate, superb handing.

August Horch was the pioneering German engineer who founded Audi in 1910. In his early life Horch trained as a blacksmith and a shipbuilder, with a keen interest in Motors. He gained a degree in engineering and took a job working for Karl Benz (co-founder of Mercedes-Benz) for 3 years, before leaving to start his own company A. Horch & Co. in 1899. In 1901 the company manufactured its first car, but only 8 years later he left the company over a dispute. He founded a new business named Horch-AutomobilWerke; however, he lost the rights to the Horch name after a court case with his old rival company. It was then that Horch renamed his company Audi, the Latin for equivalent of Horch, as both mean ‘Hark’ or ‘listen’ in their respective languages. Audi found early success, with an initial range of four-cylinder models and a subsequent six-cylinder model in 1924. Horch left the company in 1920, going on to publish an autobiography and become an honorary professor.

Under Nazi control, Audi joined the Auto Union consisting of the original Horch Company, Dampf-Kraft-Wagen (DKW) and Wanderer. The four ringed emblem of Audi is a tribute to these four companies, linking together to form a stronger entity, headed by leaders of the industry, including August Horch. During the Second World War the Auto Union concentrated on producing armoured cars and transport vehicles for the Nazis, whilst producing a range of small cars, suitable for the economic climate of the time. When Germany fell to the allies, most of the Auto Union’s factories were destroyed. The Union itself broke as the country divided and DKW became the most influential brand, having bought most of the shares in Audi prior to the war. This run was short lived, as DKW couldn’t compete with Volkswagen which thrived in economic boom in the early 60s. Bought-out by its rival, the DKW name and their two-stroke engine was dumped in favour for Audi and the new four-stroke engines.
The modern era of Audi had arrived, as the brand grew to encompass the early saloon cars of America in the 70s, the rallying success of the Quattro in the 80s and the iconic sport cars of the 90s.

Audi are another major player in the world of automobiles today and have been creating top-spec cars for quite some time now. Not only are the German made vehicles said to be extremely safe, they are also highly desirable when it comes to luxury vehicles.

The Audi Q7 is just one of the brands sought after models and comes in the shape of a of a full size luxury crossover SUV. The first Audi Q7 was in fact released in 2005, yet it is still a popular choice for many today.

The Q7 uses an advanced version of the VW Group PL71 platform. The Q7 is also a great vehicle for those that plan to do a little off roading! It is however also a great car for soft roading, which is great news for those that need a model to get them to and from work during the week but want to a little more fun on the weekends!

The Quattro permanent four wheel drive inbuilt system is another asset of this vehicle and due to the central differential lock and adjustable-height suspension it is a great car in off road situations!

Other features offered by the Q7 include a feature marked as the AMI, which in turn translates to a high-end Audi Music Interface. This particular asset allows the driver to use either an iPod or MP3 player in conjunction with the main sound system. This is great news for those that tend to purchase all their music online as appose to purchasing CD’s.

The Audi Q7 is also the first model designed by Audi to offer Side Assist, which comes in the form of a blind spot detection and warning system, which is great news for those that often find themselves in tight situations!

As anyone who has tried to purchase car insurance at a young age will know, it can be an extremely expensive thing to do. Researching before jumping in and taking out the first policy you can find is always recommended. Talk to friends and family – Hastings Direct Online is a great place to start looking.

In general car insurance for young people, in particular teenagers, is much more expensive than for people in their late twenties and beyond. This is due to the fact that statistics show younger drivers to make far more expensive claims than their older counterparts, with young drivers much more likely to claim for a larger crash and older people suffering more low scale damage to their vehicles. This has been the case for a very long time but is there any way for young drivers to make sure that they are paying as little as possible despite these age based disparities?

One tip is that modifications on your car are a no-no. Although many people will want to modify their car, doing so can send your premiums through the roof so it would be advisable not to do it. Also be aware that if you make modifications on your car and don’t declare them to your insurer then your insurance is likely to become invalid so always declare any changes you make.

Installing security measures is also a good idea, especially through firms recognised by your insurer. They may cost money at first but in the long run you will be saving on your premiums so it is worth a go.
Building up your no claims discount is always important but for young drivers it could be the difference between being able to afford a car or not so make sure you at least try to do this. Taking on insurance in your own name is again expensive at first but it is a good long term investment.

Finally, adding experienced named drivers to your own policy, especially those with unblemished policies themselves is a good idea. Follow all of these steps and you should really see the financial benefit.