Fiat’s 0.9-Liter TwinAir Scoops the “International Engine of the Year 2011” Award

And the big winner of the 2011 edition of the coveted International Engine of the Year is…Fiat’s 0.9-liter twin-cylinder gasoline engine also known simply as the TwinAir. A jury comprised of 76 journalists and industry experts from 36 different countries were convinced by the 875 cc unit's low emissions, high fuel economy and impressive output for its size, awarding it four awards: “Best New Engine 2011”, “Best Green Engine 2011”, “Best Sub 1-Liter Engine” and the “International Engine of the Year 2011” overall award. Read more »

Project Kahn's Lil' R8 is a dressed up Audi TT

Given the huge price difference between Audi’s two core sports coupe models, the mainstream TT and the niche R8, it doesn’t come to much of a surprise that many tuners have tried to offer the first a taste of the latter, both in terms of performance and styling. In the case of Project Kahn’s newest tuning take on the Audi TT, the goal was to flavor the small coupe with some R8 seasoning. Read more »

It Came from Kyrgyzstan: Steel Drake’s Volkswagen Concept Sports Car

Imagine for a second that, in the very near future, Audi is facelifting the TT to look more like its big brother R8. Then, halfway through the project, Audi cans it and hands over all its sketches and prototyping model to Volkswagen which then decides to put the two-door coupe into production.

Kyrgyzstanian graphic designer “Steel Drake” has created something very much fitting with this scenario in the form of his Volkswagen Concept Sports Car. Looking like a scaled-down, front engined Audi R8, Steel Drake’s Concept Sports is a simple-yet-sleek design let down only by some questionable design choices.

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O.CT Brings 420 Ponies to the Audi TT RS Roadster

Need to add a some extra oomph to your Audi TT RS Roadster (or coupe, for that matter)? No worries, there's an army of tuners out there that will most gladly up the performance ante of your car. One of the latest tunes for Ingolstadt's TT RS model comes from O.CT which has developed a sport package that includes an engine kit, suspension upgrades and a set of alloy wheels.

Thanks to a new custom exhaust system, an ECU mod and some fiddling around with the turbo system, O.CT pushes output from 340HP to 450Nm to 420HP and 570Nm. The conversion also includes a KW coilover suspension and a set of lightweight 20-inch alloy wheels.

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MTM Geneva Show Display Includes Fastest Audi R8 with 777HP and TT RS with 472HP

Among the many tuning firms making their way to the Geneva Motor Show is VW Group specialist MTM. The German company will display two heavily modified Audi models, based on the R8 V10 and the TT RS. The most impressive proposal is the one-off MTM R8 Biturbo that comes with a polished chrome body that took over 700 working hours to complete. A large fixed spoiler at the back along with 20-inch forged rims and carbon fiber parts round off the exterior changes.

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New Audi TT GT4 Concept with 340HP comes to Life at DTM Race in Shanghai

When we saw the Ginetta G55 GT4 class racecar, we were impressed. Packing a potent 370HP engine at an affordable price, it's good looking, too, even though for obvious reasons that matters a lot less in the world of motorsports. Now, Audi also wants a piece of the GT4 action. On the occasion of the DTM race in Shanghai, the German automaker presented the concept of a GT4 car based on the TT sports coupe.

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Senner Tuning Presents the Audi TT RS Roadster 'POWER' with 430HP

Based on the Audi TT RS roadster, Senner Tuning's POWER TT certainly lives up to its name boasting a 2.5-liter turbocharged engine with 430 ponies. The German tuning firm's package also include interior and exterior appointments, alongside new alloy wheels and suspensions tweaks.

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Audi to Participate at the SEMA Show for the First Time, Displays include 710HP R8 Spyder

There's a first time for everything. For Audi, it's SEMA as this year's edition of the show will mark the brand's first ever factory-backed appearance at the annual tuning extravaganza in Las Vegas.

In addition to its lineup of after sales and electronics products, Audi will put on display six-vehicles including the driver-less Autonomous Audi TTS Pikes Peak and a customized R8 Spyder tuned by STaSIS Engineering. The latter is equipped with a 5.2-liter supercharged V10 engine delivering 710-horsepower and 523 lb-ft of torque, and can complete the 0 to 60mph [96 km/h] sprint in 3.1 seconds.

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The People have Spoken: Audi TT RS Coming to America, Sales Start Next Year

To the surprise of few, after more than 11,500 fans in the USA expressed their interest for the spicy hot TT RS in a survey on Facebook in just over a month, Audi announced today that it is bringing the five-cylinder coupe to the U.S. market by the third quarter of 2011. Only the coupe version of the TT RS will make its way on this side of the pond with pricing and standard features to be announced closer to the launch date.

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Mystery Audi Sports Coupe / Spyder (R4?) Filmed at Ski Resort in the Alps

Audi gone viral or someone at the right place, with... almost the right equipment at the right time? Well, we can't answer that, but we do know that a Youtube user filmed a series of videos showing a mysterious Audi sports coupe (or Spyder) in covers being transferred via helicopter to the Olympia Ski Resort in the Tyrolean Alps, close to Innsbruck, in Austria - or at least that's what we understood, so any corrections welcome. The person who filmed the car said Audi was making some sort of a promotional video.

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Audi Launches TT RS Petition Site to Bring the 340HP Coupe to the US

Are you bummed out about not being able to buy Audi's five-cylinder TT RS here in the States? Well, you may be in luck because the Ingolstadt-based automaker is "seriously rethinking" its original plan not to import the flagship version of its TT series in North America.

And mind you, this isn't one of those unsubstantiated rumors that are floated on the net one day, and denied the next. The German firm's U.S. division has just rolled out a special website asking buyers to express their personal interest in the car by signing a petition. The move comes only days after Audi announced plans to sell the hot RS5 Coupe in the USA starting from early 2012.

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New Nissan 370Z and GT-R Ads Poke Some Fun at German Sports Car Rivals

A new and rather aggressive advertising campaign regarding the Nissan 370Z and GT-R sports cars has kicked off in Britain. The company launched a series of poster and print adverts highlighting the fact that both sports cars are better in terms of performance yet cost less than their equivalent German rivals.

And mind you, Nissan isn't being polite as the automaker is using tongue-in-cheek phrases in the ads such as "The Winner Hans Down," "The Germans Came Off Wurst," "Kaisers Chiefed" and "Deutschland Deutschland Über-Rated".

To further frustrate its German adversaries, the Japanese company took an Audi TTS bearing the slogan "More expensive, slower and less powerful than a Nissan 370Z" around the streets of London. It was joined by a Porsche Cayman adorned with the words "I dream of being as fast as a Nissan 370Z". Ouch...

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Audi TTS Coupe Wears Porsche 911 GT3 RS Colors

There's no doubt about what car the future owner of this Audi TTS Coupe would like to own when his bank account allows it. Finished in a washed out green shade with glossy black detailing and alloy wheels, this color combo screams Porsche 911 GT3 RS from a mile away. The 272-horsepower-strong TTS has 22,719km on the odometer and it's up for sale by an Audi dealer in Nuremberg, Germany. More photos below.

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Audi TTS Pikes Peak Driverless Model Wears its War Colors [with Video]

These are the first pictures of Audi's driverless TTS Pikes Peak experimental model in Ingolstadt's traditional motorsports colors. Audi is currently gearing up the so-called "Autonomous TTS" for high-speed test runs up Pikes Peak in Colorado this fall.

"With the changed appearance, the Autonomous Audi TTS Pikes Peak is now squarely aligned with Audi cars that made motorsports history a generation ago in the Pikes Peak Hill Climb and other rally racing events," said the German manufacturer in a statement.

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2011 Audi TTS Coupe: New Photos of Facelift Model

Audi has published a new picture gallery of the subtly facelifted 2011 TTS Coupe that will go on sale in the U.S. this fall. Cosmetic changes are limited to the revised single-frame grille with its aluminum-look horizontal double bars and the bumper, along with the addition of a new Panther Black exterior finish and a new two-tone (silver/black) option for the interior.

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2011 Audi TT Coupe and Roadster with 170HP 2.0-liter Diesel to go on Sale this Summer

The refreshed Audi TT Coupe and Roadster (click here for details and photos on the rest of the range) with the 2.0 TDI diesel will go on sale in Europe this summer with prices in Germany starting from €34,850 and €35,900 respectively. The company said that since its market launch, the diesel engine's share in the TT has grown steadily and is now above 11 percent.

Aside from the styling upgrades, there are no mechanical changes to the 2.0-liter turbo diesel unit which continues to produce 170HP and a peak torque of 350 Nm (258.15 lb-ft) available between 1,750 and 2,500 rpm. Permanent all-wheel drive and a six-speed manual transmission are standard on both models.

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AMI Motor Show Live: 2011 Facelifted Audi TT

Audi released its facelifted Audi TT in Leipzig recently. For those who need it spelled out, the 2011 model year TT gets a 211-horse 2.0 TFSI 4-banger as en entry-level engine, and the following styling updates: LED daytime running lights, fresh front- and rear-end treatments, new shades of blue/gray/red, and an extra 2 cm in length on the outside.

Inside, customers can opt for "aluminum-look" trim and a few new colors of leather. The TTS and TTRS power trains remain the same. For the full shebang, check out our previous post here. Otherwise, go a little lower...little lower...little lower...and check out the live pics from the show.

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2011 Audi TT Coupe and Roadster Range Facelifted, New 211HP 2.0 TFSI

The Audi TT Coupe and Roadster models enter the 2011 model year with some modest exterior styling changes, a revised interior and the introduction of the firm's new 2.0-liter TFSI gasoline engine with 211 ponies on the entry-level versions.

The new 2.0 TFSI delivers 211HP and 258 lb-ft, or 11-horsepower and 51 lb-ft of torque more than its 2.0-liter predecessor. With the six-speed manual, the two-liter engine accelerates the Coupe from zero to 100 km/h (62mph) in 6.1 seconds on its way to a top speed of 245 km/h or 152mph.

Optionally, Audi also offers the 2.0 TFSI with a six-speed S tronic dual clutch gearbox and quattro permanent all-wheel drive. The spring from zero to 100 km/h takes only 5.6 s in this configuration.

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Audi Confirms 2011 TT Coupe and Roadster Facelift for Leipzig

As anticipated, Audi came out with an official press release on its AMI motor show offerings that include the world premiere of the redesigned 2011 TT Coupe and Roadster. The German automaker did not reveal any specific details about the facelift models.

Other highlights at the show, which runs from from April 9-18, include the German premieres of the new A1 premium supermini, the A8 limo and the RS5 Coupé, the e-tron concept and the car that won the 2009 DTM (German Touring Car Masters).

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Facelifted Audi TT and New VW Touran Heading to Leipzig Auto Show

If we are to believe the organizers of the AMI auto show in Leipzig, then along with the new BMW 5-Series Touring (pictures of which have already been released), the German salon will also host the world premiere of the facelifted Audi TT and either a new or updated version of Volkswagen's Golf-based Touran compact MPV.

No other details were released about the two cars but we reckon that since the show runs from April 10 to 18, it won't be long before the VW Group makes an official announcement.

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