New Audi A5, a walk around

Vorsprung durch Technik has been Audi's slogan for as long as I can remember. It means Progress through Technology and it's a very solid slogan, no fault in that. But as with any slogan it has to represent the product which carries the brand name.

What comes to the A5, however, the progress has been slow. The A5 has been with us since 2007 and almost a decade later Audi has finally unveiled its second generation model. Of course the first generation has gone through many changes over the years but I don't count adding two extra doors and calling it the sportback as progress. With this new generation Audi stays with the same recipe as with the first A5. Audi only made it sharper and more elegant. And whose to blame them. The A5 is a big success in the, what should we call it, executive coupé segment.

Second generation Audi A5 in (guessing) Manhattan gray.

This was a show car and had only 5 kilometers on the clock.

I can imagine when this car comes on sale later this year and you catch a glimpse of it in the wild you may not even notice it's the new gen. You may even need to look up again and state to yourself "Oh it's the new A5" and then continue doing your lawful business. Lets say the changes are not revolutionary. But it does follow through with the promise of making the A5 look sharper and more elegant. The lower one piece grille and angular headlights coupled with the longer bonnet it does look sportier than the out going version. The headlights are Matrix-LED lights which are highly advanced and adaptable, but they do not come as standard. The lower and wider stance is achieved with a longer wheelbase and flared wheel arches. I have constantly nagged about Audi never restyling their cars bravely enough and I don't think they've done it here either. Now, however, I accept the direction Audi is going with and it works for their cars especially this and the new A4.

The profile stays the same. Sorry for the truly awful picture.

Not a dramatic interior but simple and elegant, I like it.

 Inside Audi has updated it to their current range of cars. It has the new virtual cockpit dashboard but only as an option. The screen in the center console no longer sits in a dark crevice but almost on top of the dash which gives the interior a much more modern and sleeker look. As expected all the materials are top end and expecting nothing to fall off anytime soon.

The show car had the top trim specification with the virtual cockpit.

Since I'm no licensed car journalist I haven't been able to drive the new A5 which means I can only give you technical headlines. The engines available for now are two 2.0 litre TFSI-engines with the top one having 252 hp. The S5 has also been confirmed and it will have the now S-range established 3.0 litre turbo V6 putting out a brisk 354 hp. It seems that the smooth naturally aspirated petrol V6 has been dropped which is sad. And then there are some diesels, but who would want a diesel in a sporty coupé. Apparently many since Audi offers three different diesel-engines. The power goes through a six-speed manual or the optional 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox which is said to be excellent.

Audi has been quite conservative what comes to the new generation A5. The look and especially the profile of the thing is broadly the same. It is more modern for sure which is what we were wanting anyway so who should complain. What was it that Audi's slogan said again...?

Thoughts on the Audi S1

I have titled this post with the word "thoughts" because I have not actually driven the Audi S1, but that doesn't prevent me from reviewing it. Oh no.

Audi has been quite busy when it comes to releasing hot versions of it's cars. Namely the horsepower battle between the Audi RS3 and the Mercedes A45 AMG has been especially entertaining. With this evidence Audi definitely has a fixation on the HP figure. So it shouldn't come as any surprise that the A1's hot version, the S1, is the most powerful hatchback of this size. The engine bay has been crammed with a 2.0 litre 4-cylinder turbocharged power plant. It develops a mighty 231 horsepower which in true Audi S-car fashion is transferred to the road through Audi's Quattro four wheel drive system.

Audi S1 (2015) in Vegas yellow with Quattro exterior styling pack

 This sounds excellent, but it has caused some problems. Because no other A1 has Quattro 4-wheel drive the entire rear needed to be remodeled so that all the mechanical components required would fit. As a result the load space of the S1 is smaller than that of a normal A1. So if the key word you use when buying a car is "practical" then you're in the wrong market. Even though Audi has gone to great lengths to give the S1 a Quattro layout, I don't think it was altogether necessary. This is proven by the fact that in most drive modes the S1 is almost completely front wheel drive. At maximum, 50% of the power will be sent to the rear wheels and even this happens at rare occasions.

This is the 5-door Sportback version.

It even says S1 on the break calipers.

Then we come to my largest complaint about this car, you guessed it, the price. Here in my country the price is a breathtaking 45 000€ and thousand euros more for the 5-door Sportback model. If you want it to look different with Quattro styling cues and other small features the price will be around
50 000€. That is the same as a brand new VW Golf GTI, and it just isn't worth it. The S1's largest competitor the Mini Cooper John Cooper Works is 5000€ cheaper and is equally as powerful. And I can say this with certainty that the Mini is probably more fun and lively to drive than the Audi.

That's way too many exhaust pipes and just makes the car look like it's trying too hard.

The Audi S1 is certainly a hot piece of kit. But I feel it is too much. Not only the price but also the trick Quattro system. A hot hatchback should be all about fun and on the face of it the Audi S1 seems to take itself too seriously.

Test Drive: Audi S3 Sportback

Another hot hatchback? You're damn right it is. And I've been driving this one.

The Audi S3 has been with us now for 16 years and from that day on been at the top of the hot hatchback game. Remember, this was a time where the Golf GTI (the hot hatchback to beat) had a frankly miserable 150 HP and Audi came along with a 210 horsepower speed and agility machine.

Years pass and today the current Audi S3 has an amazing 300 HP from a 2.0 litre TFSI engine. I can report that that power flings the car forwards at quite a nice pace. Around five seconds is enough to achieve 100 km/h and if you keep your ankle fully extended it will keep on going to a limited top speed of 250 km/h. With these performance numbers the S3 is challenging some serious sports cars. As in the previous S3's it has the quattro four wheel drive system to keep everything under control. Add to that the optional Audi Magnetic Ride suspension and brakes that stop the car so fast that when it has stopped you immediately check if your eyeballs are still in your head. You are going to have a hard time crashing the thing.

Audi S3 Sportback in Monsoon Gray metallic with the traditional silver side mirrors.

And this feeling of safety is apparent all the time. Even when your going at full speed it feels very controlled, like a German health and safety person monitoring everything you do from the passenger seat. Even though the speed is impressive and the handling is very well balanced it lacks a sense of danger. But most depressingly it lacks a sense of real joy, which in my view is the essence of a hot hatch.

The three door version looks better. This looks a tad bloated.

To help you have the fun the S3 has Audi's drive select system. Here you can choose the driving mode and the characteristics of the car. You can choose between efficiency, comfort, auto and dynamic. Obviously I chose dynamic first which makes the car more racy in many different ways. Throttle response becomes quicker as does the gear changes but most importantly valves open in the exhaust to make it louder. The S-tronic gearbox also keeps on moderately high revs for that ready to race feel at all times. In this mode the car also lets out a sort of burp noise when changing gear.
The driving mode most people will choose is the comfort mode, which is rather nice. Some of the sportiness is evidently lost when engine quietens down. If you make the change from dynamic to comfort while driving the gears go up by one or two for efficiency. It becomes a normal hatchback.

Four exhaust pipes are not really necessary. But it does look good.

Finally the interior. It's one of the best interiors for a small car money can buy. It's stylish and of great quality. The buttons are laid out perfectly and the display is the correct size and easy to use. But for heavens sake don't use it while driving it's just as bad as texting while driving, just don't.
The seating is good too. Sporty seats but not too hard or cramped. And as it has five doors it's easier to jump in the back. I have to report that the leg room is poor, so I wouldn't recommend the backseat for adults.

It's a very nice place to be, no complaints here.

The new Audi S3 Sportback is a great car, which it should be since it costs with the S-tronic gearbox and some other optional extras over 60 000€.  Even though it packs an overwhelming amount of technology in a 1,500 kg package, in my opinion that's too much money for a small car. But then again it's a serious price for a serious car.

A hot hatchback for the ages

After the muscle car post I need to write about my favourite kind of of car. And as a normal citizen of Europe my favourite kind of car is small and understated but fast and fun. I'm obviously talking about the hot hatchback. I have covered this topic before (surprisingly) with the Fiesta ST and various GTI's.

Volkswagen Golf R32 in the correct deep blue pearl colour.

Imagine my excitement when I saw a magnificent VW Golf R32 mark IV roll up behind me. Basically the R32 is a harder and faster GTI that was released in 2003. Instead of a four cylinder turbo it has one of my all time favourite engines the 3.2 litre 24 valve VR6. In the mark IV Golf it produces 240 HP which drives all the four wheels. If the engine is all you want then I should inform you that it is also found in the Audi TT. As are the same suspension components and the DSG double-clutch gearbox. So basically the R32 is a more practical Audi sports car.

May I turn your attention to those magnificent wheels.

While we are comparing it to the first Audi TT it is more handsome as well. Even though it looks very much as the basic mark IV Golf there are some features that separates it from the common road dwelling Golf. A new front bumper, skirts and rear bumper have a classically discreet Volkswagen look. But perhaps the biggest giveaway are the two modest exhausts that release the magnificent VR6 growl. The R32 that I spotted didn't really represent the modesty of a Volkswagen. The blacked out lights, wide tires and low ride height gave it a really dominant presence. Completing the makeover is the black VW badge. Even though the transformation is quite substantial one can see it has been done with style and money. I cannot help but like it.

I'm glad that it still has the stock exhaust, classy tuning indeed.

As I've mentioned many times this is one of my favourite hot hatches. A sensible German hatchback that has ripped off its buttoned up white collar shirt and put on a pair of boxing gloves and said "Come on then, let's see what you've got".

A familiar shape but still more special than most realise.

PS: The more eagle eyed of you have probably noticed a small Oettinger badge on the grille. According to the Oettinger tuning company's website they don't tune the VR6 engine which means that the tuning must have been done to the underside of the car, maybe the suspension.

Surprising turn of events

I while back I wrote about Audis whole RS range. And it was a bit of a rant to be honest. But I've had a change of heart of one particular RS powerhouse.

The change of heart happened when I saw the Audi RS7. In short. It was impressive. The massive but sleek body had been lowered and given some extra muscle and flare. The car also sits on big 20' rims that will not go unnoticed. All of this of course is typical RS stuff. Let me explain why this is different. The A7 is the more sporty version of the A8, as the CLS is a more sporty version of the S-class. So it is obvious that the A7 would get the RS treatment. The fact that the RSQ5 could exist is just because the Audi engineers may some day have some spare time. The RS badge is meant to go on sporty cars to make them a bit more naughty.
To the specs. The RS7 has a twinturbo 4.0 litre V8 developing a neck strengthening 560 hp. And obviously it has the Quattro four-wheel drive system.

Look how the tables have turned. At first I thought that the A7 was only made to compete with the CLS. But what Audi has accidentally done is to make the sad faced A7 into an aggressive businessman's road attacker. And made the Audi S8 completely unnecessary.

I like the big quattro sign. 

Somehow Audi have managed to turn the tragic rear end into an aggressive one. 

All of them RS Audi's

I'm just getting this out there.
Audi has gone completely insane with the RS-line that they've got going on. Almost every car Audi makes has an RS model. When Audi decided to make the RS2 in the 90's it was the ultimate Audi to buy. But now Audi makes the RS1, RS3, RS4, RS5, RS6 and the TT RS. That's many powerful and expensive Audi's for rich people to buy. And now in just a short span of time Audi has threaten to make two more RS loonies. They are the RS7 and the RS Q3.
The RS1 was not really a shocker because a year or so earlier Audi made the RS3 but the two new ones are just... no. Why do we people need an RS Q3, why? I reckon it will cost so much that if someone is thinking of buying one why not buy the RS3 instead which i reckon will be superior to the mad Q3. And what about the RS7. Apparently it wasn't enough to have the S7 or the S8. I get it that the RS7 will be competing with the CLS 63 Merc but still, it's not necessary.
Don't get me wrong I'm a huge Audi fan but this just is too much. So, if you want a special Audi, forget the RS badge and go for an ABT badge instead.

Audi RS6

Audi RS4

Audi TT RS

Audi RS7

RS Q3

Audi A6 ABT

Audi RS2

German hot hatches

German hot hatches are the best kind of hot hatches and now there are going to be two more. Last year Mercedes-Benz launched the new A-class and already then there was a rumor going around that the people at AMG would be going to get their hands on it. And they have. So welcome everyone to the cheapest, and in my oppinion the oddest, AMG Merc yet. The Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG.
And directly to the numbers beacuse that's the thing AMG always impresses with. The A45 has a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine developing an astounding 360 horesepower. All that power is going to all four wheels with Merc's 4matic system. And that's why i think it's an odd AMG. No massive V8. No wheel spinning action beacuse of the four wheel drive. It almost seems grown up, until you notice all the traditional AMG aerodymaic lunacy.

The other new german pocket rocket is the new Audi S3. It shares the same body as the new generation Audi A3 but obviously with some flared wheel arches and alot of S3 badges. As for the engine it's also 2.0-litre and turbocharged. But with 300 HP it's obviously a bit less powerful than the hottest small Audi the RS3 but let us not call it slow as it gets from 0-100 kph in a bit over 5 seconds. It also has Audi's Quattro four wheel drive system which is a given. And what about the styling? It hasn't changed much in appearence to the outgoing A3 so it still looks boring and conservitive as a german mid-ranged car should look.

So these two cars are quite evenly matched. The S3 is less expensive than the mad Mercedes but it still packs alot of punch. So? Which one do you want? The accountant or the accountants dog?

Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG

Audi S3

Hello all! And welcome to TheSeatHeater! And yes, with all them capital letters.

This blog will be all about cars. Well, what we actually mean with "all" is everything we find interesting about cars. There shall be many wonderful pictures of cars and interesting car news.
And to proove that there is a rather beautiful picture of this rather white Audi R8.

Audi R8

-TheSeatHeater