Monthly Archives April 2015

The current Audi A8 has been around for more than 5 years, and the next generation of the Audi flagship sedan (D5 A8) is set to be announced at the end of 2017. Today some of the 4th-gen Audi A8 powertrain options information is leaked.

Here are what we have known at this moment:

– Turbo diesel 3.0L V6, max output: around 286hp with 457 lb-ft of torque
– S8 will be using the twin-turbo 4.0L V8 engine, output raised to 588hp and 590 lb-ft (upped from current S8’s 520hp and 481 lb-ft)
– A hybrid S8 is also possible, with twin-turbo V6 + electric motor
– A new 6.0L W12 will replace the current 6...

If you have done some research on the internet, you may have already seen there are plenty of articles mentioning that, during the design phase the Phaeton is required to “be capable of being driven all day at 300 km/h”.

In fact there is no way the Phaeton can reach 300 km/h, not to mention it is “being driven all day” at that speed.  Below we will provide a brief analysis to show you why.

The Phaeton’s drag coefficient is 0.32 (Cd = 0.32). According to the air drag force formula we can calculate the force that the Phaeton will be facing:

Air Drag Force = 1/2 x Cd x Rho x Speed^2 x Area

In the above, “Rho” is the air’s density, and “Area” is the cross sectional area of ...

Last year, we have reported that Volkswagen has been working on the electric turbocharger for a while. Now, it looks like VW is going to put this new technology in both gasoline and diesel engines.

Above Image: the 2016 Audi Q7

According to Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Audi’s CTO, the upcoming Audi SQ7 will use a brand new diesel V8 engine, with twin electric turbochargers. Audi names this to be “E-Boost”.

By using electric motors to spin up the turbo’s turbine without help from the exhaust gas, the electric turbocharger theoretically has zero turbo lag and it responses to your throttle input instantly...

Mercedes-Benz has announced the GLE Class (the current M-Class with a new name) last Thursday. Today we bring you live photos of the GLE and also the GLE Coupe from the 2015 NY auto show.

The 2016 GLE class comes in a total of 5 trims:

– The GLE300d is the current ML250 BlueTEC
– The GLE350 is the current ML350
– The GLE400 is the current ML400
– New model: GLE550e 4Matic, 329hp V6 + 114hp electric motor, combined output: 436hp, 479 lb-ft of torque
– The Mercedes-AMG GLE63 output upgraded to 550hp (from current ML63 AMG’s 518hp); GLE63 S output is 577hp

What we miss is the ML550, offered until the 2014 model year...

Yesterday Lexus unveiled the all-new 4th-generation RX CUV in the 2015 New York auto show.

The biggest news is the engine on the RX350 is upgraded to 300hp, and using fuel direct-injection. Below are the highlights:

– RX350: 3.5L direct-injection V6, 300hp
– RX450h: 3.5L Atkinson cycle V6 + electric motor, combined output: 300hp
– 8-speed automatic transmission
– Both FWD and AWD are available
– F Sport trim available
– Optional 3rd-row seat (not mentioned in the press release)

The 2016 RX rides on the same platform as the latest Toyota Highlander, for example they has the same wheelbase (109.8in), and the rear track width is also the same (64.2in).

Please enjoy the belo...