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Audi to introduce stop-start technology beginning this summer

tryme submitted on 5/14/2009 Official Bell & Ross Timestamp: 2:09:04 PM

18 user comments | Category: Misc News | Source: | SOURCE: www.4wheelsnews.com

It was made public by Audi that beginning this summer they will introduce a stop-start technology in several of its models.

The first model to get it is the Audi A3 1.4 TFSI, and the 2.0-liter variants of the A4 and A5, including gasoline and diesel versions, all equipped with manual gearboxes.

Audi says that other models will follow suit later in the year. Audi will beat premium competitor Mercedes to the stop-start system even though BMW has been offering it for a while, since Mercedes-Benz will be offering stop-start only by the middle of next year.

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Audi to introduce stop-start technology beginning this summer

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tryme

— tryme (View Profile)


User Comments

AlexTx

Why?????

— AlexTx (View Profile)

Posted on 5/14/2009 6:29:09 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

TurboSpyder

How about diesel models with regenerative braking and auto stop/start like BMW has in Europe and whose performance and mileage exceeds hybrids?

— TurboSpyder (View Profile)

Posted on 5/14/2009 6:55:03 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

david959

David, how about a proper handling Lexus?

— david959 (View Profile)

Posted on 5/14/2009 7:35:05 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

MrBratwurst

— TurboSpyder:

| How about diesel models with regenerative braking and
| auto stop/start like BMW has in Europe and whose performance
| and mileage exceeds hybrids?

BMW 116d: 4,4 l/100 km, 118 g CO2/km
Toyota Prius II: 4,3 l/100km, 104 g CO2/km

BMW X5 xDrive 35d: 8,3 l/100km, 220 g CO2/km
Lexus RX400h: 8,1 l/100km, 192 g CO2/km

Sources:
http://www.bmw.de/de/de/newvehicles/1series/5door/2007/allfacts/engine/engine_data.html
http://www.toyota.de/cars/new_cars/prius/specs.aspx
http://www.lexus.de/range/index.aspx
http://www.bmw.de/de/de/newvehicles/x5/x5/2006/allfacts/engine_data.html

— MrBratwurst (View Profile)

Posted on 5/14/2009 7:40:01 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

Badgewhore

IS-F out handles all BMW. If E90 M3 beats IS-F, it's due to personal preference not superior handling.

— Badgewhore (View Profile)

Posted on 5/15/2009 12:42:52 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

TurboSpyder

And in a real-world group test AutoExpress magazine found that the 1250 kg Mini Cooper Clubman D got 57.0 mpg and 133g CO2 / km while the 1300 kg Prius got only 41.5mpg and 157g CO2 / km.


"In our hands, the Clubman averaged 57mpg – the best on test. Yet its styling, driving enjoyment and performance are all first rate. As with the Cooper and Cooper S, it has precise steering, great body control and bags of character. The engine is refined and never has to be pushed hard, while the ride is superb. BMW has got the balance of efficiency and pace spot-on – the Cooper D proves it’s cool to be green."

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/front_website/facts_and_figures.php?id=221616

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/grouptests/221616/the_clean_machines.html#

— TurboSpyder (View Profile)

Posted on 5/15/2009 1:52:42 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

TurboSpyder

[Quote]Forbes magazine

2009's Most Fuel-Efficient Vehicles
Sam Warren 11.12.08, 4:08 PM ET

...Actually, it's the German manufacturers that are leading the most market segments in terms of fuel efficiency on 2009 models. Across the new model year, six from Daimler AG and Volkswagen AG rank among the most fuel-efficient, beating every new model in five classes and tying in one. Japanese models placed at the top of only one category (but tied in two); one South Korean model was the best in its category, and one category and one tie went to American cars.

Behind The Numbers
To find the most fuel-efficient cars of 2009, we looked at each model's combined city and highway gas mileage provided by Environmental Protection Agency site fueleconomy.gov (or Edmunds.com, if the EPA didn't yet have the information), and checked those findings against the manufacturers' gas-mileage claims. The figures were compared in 10 market segments, with the best in each making our list. In the case of a tie, both vehicles are included.

Of no surprise is the presence of the popular Toyota Prius, which gets an EPA combined fuel economy of 46 mpg. The only vehicle that approaches its gas mileage is the Honda Civic hybrid, which delivers a highly respectable 42 mpg.

Where the German automakers top vehicle segments, most interestingly, is with diesel models: The Volkswagen Jetta TDI tops the hatchback class, while the Mercedes-Benz E320 Bluetec is the most fuel-efficient luxury sedan.

"Diesel models feature simpler engine design, less energy lost to heat and a more efficient way to utilize fuel," says Brauer. "They're poised for more success today because of the price of fuel, because of clean diesel technology, and because diesel models are great to drive. There has been a huge stigma on diesel from the past, but the truth is that if you put anyone into a modern diesel vehicle, they'll have to redefine their perspective of what diesels are like."

http://www.forbes.com/2008/11/12/vehicles-fuel-efficient-ecologic08-forbeslife-cx_sw_1112cars.html

[/Quote]

— TurboSpyder (View Profile)

Posted on 5/15/2009 1:55:27 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

abcd

Yes, I remember this article from forbes:
http://www.autospies.com/news/Audi-And-Germans-Lead-The-Way-On-2009-s-Most-Fuel-Efficient-Vehicles-List-37398/

What a shame that forbes removed " Sponsored by MERCEDES-BENZ " sign, which was there back then, now TurboSpyder with his misleading character will be constantly posting this article and nobody can longer dubunk it.

— abcd (View Profile)

Posted on 5/16/2009 8:18:07 AM | | Votes: 1   

TurboSpyder

[Quote]Behind The Numbers
To find the most fuel-efficient cars of 2009, we looked at each model's combined city and highway gas mileage provided by Environmental Protection Agency site fueleconomy.gov (or Edmunds.com, if the EPA didn't yet have the information), and checked those findings against the manufacturers' gas-mileage claims. The figures were compared in 10 market segments, with the best in each making our list. In the case of a tie, both vehicles are included.[/Quote]


---


Corruption scandal racks Polish soccer

September 30, 2008

"Soccer in Poland is facing its latest crisis after the national federation was suspended by its court-appointed chief for allegedly failing to tackle corruption in the domestic league.

"The move raised further questions about Poland's ability to co-host the 2012 European Championship with Ukraine."

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080930/news_1s30digest.html

-

Poland's Corruption Record

16 October 2003

"Poland is losing its war on corruption. Such a conclusion can be drawn from the latest annual report by Transparency International, an international organization monitoring corruption in individual countries. For at least two years, Poland's corruption record has been deteriorating consistently. The latest TI report shows that Poland has become the most corrupt state of all 15 European Union member and nine candidate states covered by the survey. A similar conclusion may be included in the annual report of the European Commission on the candidate countries' progress in adapting to EU standards. The report is expected to criticize Poland for rising corruption, and the Polish government may take flak for insufficient efforts to contain such practices."

http://www.warsawvoice.pl/view/3746/

— TurboSpyder (View Profile)

Posted on 5/16/2009 10:57:30 AM | | Votes: 0   

TurboSpyder

From a differnet Forbes magazine article:

[Quote]Seven of the top 10 most fuel-efficient luxury cars sold in the U.S. come from European manufacturers. Most are versions of models developed for Europe, where high gas prices (due to high taxes on fuel) make efficiency a higher priority than it is in the U.S., Omotoso says. Japanese luxury-car companies Acura and Lexus make the remaining three models on our list.

The most fuel-efficient luxury car available in the U.S. at the time this article was published is heavier than most of its peers on this list, which seems counterintuitive. The diesel-powered Mercedes-Benz E320 Bluetec sedan weighs nearly two tons, yet returns 23 miles per gallon in city driving and 32 mpg on the highway, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates.

http://finance.yahoo.com/loans/article/104516/The-10-Most-Fuel-Efficient-Luxury-Cars

[/Quote]

— TurboSpyder (View Profile)

Posted on 5/15/2009 2:02:31 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

TurboSpyder

Who sponsored this article, abcd?

— TurboSpyder (View Profile)

Posted on 5/16/2009 10:58:58 AM | | Votes: 0   

audispy

I agree. Which makes me wonder why there is a wait period for the articles to be "reviewed". They practically post every article that is submitted, with the exception of a few rather suspicious cases.

— audispy (View Profile)

Posted on 5/15/2009 9:18:07 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

isaacu

Congratulations to Audi on its 100 years "celebs" coming up this July.
From "Horch" to "V16 Auto Unions" to "NSUs" to "Quattros" to the "quest for lower aerodynamic drag" to "best quality interiors" to "individualism across the range", it has been one beautiful journey of "vorsprung durch technik". Result? Audi sits up there alongside Mercedes-Benz and BMW. I cant wait for the new Audi "Ah-Acht" - A8. Should be a "thing of quality".

Happy Birthday Audi!!

isaacu

— isaacu (View Profile)

Posted on 5/16/2009 7:50:29 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

sector

I don't think German cars should dip into "star-stop" tech so much, once stopped, who knows if it'll come back online?

— sector (View Profile)

Posted on 5/16/2009 11:14:40 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

TurboSpyder

Name a 2004 model year German car that suffers from complete rust perforation.

-

[Quote]We at Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. have noticed a recent increase in dialog concerning 2001 – 2004 Tacoma with perforated frames. I’d like to let you know our plans and hopefully answer most of your questions.

Owners of 2001 – 2004 Tacomas have begun to receive letters informing them of a Customer Support Program for frame perforation caused by rust. This warranty extension will be offered for a period of 15 years, five times the original coverage, with no mileage limitation from the vehicle's in-service date, for this specific condition; some conditions apply and these are explained in the Owner Letters.

We have gone to great lengths to fortify the integrity of this extraordinary program. Here are some details of the program and what we have done to prepare for this event.

Based on our experience with the 1995 – 2000 Tacoma, we were able to determine that greater than 97% of the perforated frames came from twenty specific Mid-Western and North-Eastern states where road salt use is prevalent.

Owners in these twenty states will have until October 31, 2010 to visit their local dealer for an inspection and application of a corrosion-resistant treatment process in order for the extended warranty to be applied to their vehicle. Toyota is currently preparing the dealerships in these specific twenty states to apply the corrosion-resistant treatment. Customers will receive a letter from us when dealer preparations are complete. Further details and limitations will be provided in the owner letter. Owners in the other thirty states do not need to take action for the extended warranty to be applied .

We encourage owners to wait until they receive their letters to ensure the dealer has ample time to spend with their vehicle.

If the frame is confirmed by the dealer to be perforated, it will be repaired. Obviously, this new program is different compared to the earlier model Tacoma and here’s why.

When we announced the 1995 – 2000 Tacoma program, frame repair was not an option for us or our customers. At the time, we no longer manufactured frames for many variations of these vehicles. In the case of 2001 – 2004 Tacoma, replacement frames are still in production.

To develop this new program, engineers here in Los Angeles, working with Toyota engineers from Japan, created a more comprehensive and less intrusive disassembly and reassembly process with built-in quality. In doing so, they identified all of the major and ancillary parts needed to complete the repair.

Along with a frame, dealers will receive kits that include all the necessary nuts, bolts, washers, clips, mounts, etc. Additionally, they will replace specific major components like leaf springs and lower control arms as necessary. They won’t replace mufflers, brakes and other wear items as part of the program. However, if the owner wants these parts replaced, we provide the opportuni

— TurboSpyder (View Profile)

Posted on 5/17/2009 12:50:47 AM | | Votes: 1   

TurboSpyder

continued...


However, if the owner wants these parts replaced, we provide the opportunity for them to take advantage of labor savings.

We are confident with the unprecedented steps taken with both programs to minimize the inconvenience of our customers and to protect the value of their vehicles. It is our intention to deliver on the “total ownership experience” and to maintain loyal Toyota customers.

We sincerely appreciate the active interest in Toyota as a brand and specifically Tacoma apparent in the TacomaWorld.com site. It’s enthusiasts like you that remind us every day of our responsibilities and commitment to your satisfaction.

If you have any concerns with your Tacoma or other Toyota vehicle, please call our toll-free help number at 1-800-331-4331. Thank you.

Brian R. Lyons
Safety and Quality Communications
Toyota Motor Sales USA[/Quote]

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/showthread.php?p=2629509

— TurboSpyder (View Profile)

Posted on 5/17/2009 12:52:16 AM | | Votes: 1   

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