Audi TT Coupe bigger, faster, lighter

The Audi TT Coupe has taken on a more aggressive posture in its latest incarnation, while maintaining its sophisticated style.

The car, which has the Quattro all-wheel-drive system, is almost 5 1/2 inches longer and about 3 inches wider. That extra size means more shoulder room, which is welcome for larger drivers.

The coupe also has a larger trunk.

A turbo-charged, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine is standard on the TT, and it kicks out 200 horsepower.

It has a dual-clutch automatic gearbox that can be shifted manually.

Optional is the 3.2-liter six cylinder, which does 250 horsepower. It's available as a six-speed manual or automatic. Audi says it takes only 5.5 seconds to get from 0 to 60 mph with the manual and 5.3 seconds with the automatic.

When it comes to handling, the TT takes corners like a dream and has a rigidity of ride that is spine-tingling.

Audi says this TT version is faster than the previous one, thanks to an all-aluminum body that makes the car lighter, despite its increased length and width.

The TT has some neat extras, too, such as an iPod interface located in the glove box, a Bluetooth phone capability and 10-way power sport seats.

There are two cupholders placed awkwardly toward the rear of the center console, and the two rear seats would be cramped even for children. But the interior trim is undeniably modern and cool.

The test-drive model for this package was $48,020.

ajc.com

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New Audi R8 takes buyers to six figures in a hurry

Fast, spectacular-looking cars with racing genes don't come cheap.

The new Audi R8 is no exception. Audi Canada has announced that the starting price for the R8 sports car will be $139,000 for the mid-engined, quattro all-wheel drive equipped aluminum machine.

Audi says it has incorporated the name and genes of the five-time 24 Hours of LeMans winner into the mid-engined sports car.

The 4.2-litre V8 engine delivers 420 horsepower at 7,800 r.p.m. and 317 lb.-ft. of torque between 4,500 r.p.m. and 6,000 r.p.m.

The R8 accelerates from a standstill to 10 km/h in 4.6 seconds and reaches a top speed of 301 km/h.

Among the design features of the R8 is the side blade which is available in three different styles and allows for greater personalization.

Canadian customers will be able to choose a wide array of Audi R8 branded merchandise and luxury goods, including a specially fitted R8 luggage set, a unique R8 watch and more. The first Canadian R8 owners should be driving their cars in September.

autos.canada.com

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Audi Q7: Long on looks, short on space

Somebody's going to have to explain the appeal of the European pseudo-SUV to me.

European automakers have built appealing station wagons such as the Audi A6 Avant and Volvo V70 for decades. More recently, they've created a number of excellent SUVs, such as the BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz GL450.

Now Audi becomes the latest European automaker to try navigating the tricky mid-ground between traditional SUV and station wagon, with the 2007 Q7, a five- or seven-seat SUV with car-like proportions. The German luxury brand is following Volvo's tracks, after the Swedish automaker scored a hit with its XC90 SUV in 2002.

If you like Volvo's XC90 SUV, you'll probably love the 2007 Audi Q7. That's probably a good thing for Audi, but it leaves me cold.

The XC90 has been one of Volvo's best-selling vehicles since it went on sale, and the Q7 accounts for nearly a quarter of Audi's total U.S. sales this year, so it's hard to argue with the vehicles' success.

But both vehicles strike me as an uneasy compromise between the station wagons Audi and Volvo build brilliantly and the big SUVs they don't build at all. The Q7 and XC90 are less elegant and economical than the wagons, but less useful than an unabashed SUV.

The Q7 is brand new for the 2007 model year. It shares its basic engineering with the Volkswagen Touareg and Porsche Cayenne SUVs, but distinctive Audi styling and wagon-esque proportions set it apart from its corporate cousins. (VW owns Audi, and Porsche has long done engineering work for both brands and is now the largest stockholder in VW, putting the sports car specialist in the driver's seat at Germany's biggest automaker.)

The verdict on the brands' joint foray into SUV-making is decidedly mixed. The Cayenne quickly became a mainstay for Porsche, winning droves of buyers who love the brand's image but need more room than its little sports cars provide. The Touareg has been a disappointment from the word go: overpriced and underpowered.

The new Audi also comes up short, done in by a big price and a teeny back seat. Prices for the new Q7 start at $39,900 for a base model powered by a 280-horsepower, 3.6-liter V6. Quattro all-wheel-drive comes standard on all Q7s.

Models with Audi's 350-horsepower, 4.2-liter V8 start at $49,900. I tested a V6 seven-seat model with the Premium trim package and options that raised the price to $54,530. All prices exclude destination charges.

The Q7 competes with upscale seven-seaters such as the Acura MDX, BMW X5, Buick Enclave, Mercedes GL 450 and Volvo XC90. The Audi compares well with those models on style points, but suffers on practical criteria.

The Q7's high beltline, curved roof, creased hood and swept-back headlights give it a crisp, modern look. Its lines get a bit bland from the waste down, suggesting Audi's designers weren't quite sure what to do with the volume of sheet metal inherent in a big SUV.

And it is big. At 200.2 inches long, the Q7 is 1.3 inches shorter than the Enclave, 0.1 inch shorter than the GL 450 and a whopping 9.1 inches longer than the X5, 9.5 inches longer than the MDX and 10.9 inches longer than the XC90.

Oddly, however, that generous length doesn't translate into a usable third-row seat. While the Enclave and GL 450 both offer legitimate third rows, rear legroom in the Q7 is nearly nonexistent. It's also difficult to step in and out of the third row, despite sliding mid-row seats.

Cargo space behind the third row is very limited -- 10.9 cubic feet, compared with a generous 18.9 in the Enclave, 15.0 in the MDX and 14.3 in the GL 450. The Q7 does offer more luggage room than the X5, but I've had dinner with women whose purses held more than the BMW's 7.1 cubic feet.

As a seven-seater, the Q7 makes a great five-seater. But Audi already builds terrific five-seat wagons, such as the A6 Avant wagon that lists for $48,000 and scored 17 city/25 highway on the '08 EPA test.

So would somebody please explain the appeal of paying more -- at the dealership and the pump -- for the pseudo-SUV?

montgomeryadvertiser.com

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