Car FYI

Photo Credit: Audi AG 2024 Product Lineup: A3, A4, A5, A5 Sportback, A6, A6, allroad, A7, A8, e-Tron GT, Q3, Q4, Q4 Sportback, Q4 e-tron, Q4 Sportback e-tron, Q5, Q6, Q7, Q8, R8, RS 3, RS 5, RS 6 Avant, RS 7, RS e-tron GT, S3, S4, S5, S5, Sportback, S6, S7, SQ5, SQ7, SQ8  Overall Brand Impression: Steering into the realm of bold German luxury for more than two decades, Audi boasts a sizable assortment of premium automobiles catering to a wide range of motoring personalities. Entry-level luxury for 2024 can be obtained with the A3, the expansive Q line of crossover vehicles presents premium practicality, RS models reveal Audi’s racing heritage and the growing count of e-Tron models show off an electric future for the brand including the Q8 e-tron crossover vehicle line. Despite possessing an expressive 2024 model year lineup, Audi had bid verabschiedung to both the TT and R8 that had both had meritorious roles in shaping the modern perception of the brand. What’s New for 2024: ...

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy/Car FYI Canada Theme of the Show: Discover Connect Experience The 2011 Canadian International AutoShow left me with the thought of how much could change between a 12-month span (perhaps that is more apparent in 2021). After a somewhat subdued 2010 car show in Toronto, the last year brought a deep sense of excitement in many forms. Design, performance and innovation were all part of an auto show that started with an aerobatic display part of Ford’s media presentation unveiling the C-Max and the Focus Electric.  Along with the welcoming presence of new vehicles from major automakers, the 2011 Canadian International AutoShow was the first to feature a dedicated display of some of the most opulent vehicles to be found in the country.  Notable Vehicles: Ford Focus Electric Photo Credit: Chris Nagy/Car FYI Canada The auto company that played a huge role in directing the automobile to gasoline propulsion, Ford Motor Company sought a manner to begin the ...

Photo Credit: Audi of America In less than a month, the potential of a new year in the automotive sector will be in full bloom in Detroit. For a longtime a showcase largely reserved for new cars and ideas of the American automakers, growing interests of other brands has elevated the North American International Auto Show into a pinnacle global event. German luxury car maker Audi will be among the world motoring contingent choosing the 2017 edition of the auto show in Detroit to debut their latest vehicle imagery in the form of the Q8 concept. Previewed in pair of sketches ahead of the 2017 North American International Auto Show, the Audi Q8 concept front and side exterior views reveal a sizable crossover infused with a healthy performance appetite. Featuring a long hood and long flat roof and a wide front version of Audi's Singleframe grille, the Q8 concept vehicle's outer appearance does convey an intentional sport design. Although premiering as a concept in Detroit, th...

Photo Credit: Audi AG It's been more than two years when the beam of some vehicle headlights gained intensity in Europe. In 2014, the first use of laser lighting technology debuted on a pair of niche vehicles (the European BMW i8 and a limited 99-car run of the special edition Audi R8 LMX. Generating a powerful white illumination using an indirect shine of a laser (a laser is projected through a mirror into a phosphorous lens), laser automotive lights may represent the next progression beyond LEDs as a high-beam source. As this lighting concept is slowly becoming a potentially bright opportunity for greater driver visibility during the nighttime, North America has not been involved in the efforts to highlight the use of laser lights. The prohibition on laser lights served as a reminder towards decades where the North American standards for vehicle lighting tends to lag behind European rules. Uncertainty with the technology has prevented its availability at the initial release...

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy While automotive technology has been opening the door to a both amazing and concerning motoring future where cars will be self-driving through sophisticated algorithms as well as electronic sensors, a more immediate driving reality seems to depend solidly on hands on a steering wheel and a foot on a pedal. However, the common practice of human drivers operating automobiles is by no means a "business as usual" experience. In the last decades, many cars have introduced electronically-based driving aids meant to provide a driver with more information in making smarter driving decisions. Blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning as well as enhanced hands-free operations for audio and navigation controls can be found in many modern vehicles. On certain 2017 model year Audi models, a new source of information will be relayed to motorists related to the changes in traffic lights. With the advanced notification of traffic light changes, attentiv...

Photo Credit: Audi AG When Audi introduced the design of their all-new Q7 last year, the luxury car producer prepared the marketplace for some radical technologies. The premium sport utility vehicle loses 325 kilograms (716.5 pounds) compared to the previous model, drivers are presented with Audi’s digital virtual cockpit and an e-tron plug-in hybrid version of the Q7 have already been established. As the spring approaches, the Audi Q7 line gains a high-performance spirt thanks to the automaker’s S model tailoring. For the European market, an Audi SQ7 TDI provides stellar acceleration through many innovative means. Despite the recent emission-cheating turmoil surrounding the presence of Volkswagen Group-supported TDI diesel products in the North America, the power source line remains a strong driver for the automaker’s brands in Europe. Not just a large portion of the sales volume of luxury brand Audi for fuel efficiency and torque production for everyday driving, diesel power...

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy On Monday night, Volkswagen was in New York City wanting focus to be on the premiere of their new 2016 model year Passat sedan. Instead, the German-based auto company was seen largely as the perpetrators of one of the most sinister new-car emission law breaches in current automotive history. Announced on Friday, September 18th, the United States EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) issued a notice of violation to Volkswagen in regards to members of their diesel engine family sold in North America. Diesel versions of the Volkswagen Beetle, Golf, Jetta, Passat as well as the Audi A3 (a premium vehicle based on the same platform as the Golf) produced in model years between 2009 and 2015 are all embroiled in a wild controversy. Altogether, the total vehicles affected amounts to around 500,000 cars in the United States and Canada. Championed by Volkswagen by a "TDI Clean Diesel", these vehicles powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged diesel engine hav...

Photo Credit: Porsche For the 83 rd time in history, sophisticated sports cars arrived in France for the ultimate daylong test of endurance and stamina. The 24 hours of Le Mans on the Circuit de la Sarthe delivered a fair share of surprises, disappointment and the eventual celebration for winners of the four classes of racing. As is often the case, the LMP1 class earned a great deal of attention as high-tech cars generating what is estimated to be around 1,000 horsepower. Faster than the other racing classes at Le Mans, the LMP1 category winner would also be almost guaranteed to be the overall race winner. Becoming a fight reserved for two German brands Audi and Porsche, the race saw new norms displaced by old norms. Returning to the top class at Le Mans last year with the 919 Hybrid , Porsche’s effort in 2014 came with a best run of 11 th place for the team. Having taken overall race victories in 16 24 Hours of Le Mans races in history (first in 1970 and the last in 1998)...

It is almost the 15th year anniversary for when Audi's first name in performance made a lasting impact on the world. March 2000, the Audi R8 prototype race car stormed to a momentous victory at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. Following the maiden victory, the Audi R8 race car would become a dynasty defined by a dominate string of wins including multiple victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Seven years after the break-through Sebring win, a street-going version of the R8 inspired by the legend and technology of the race car was first sold to the public. The Audi R8 supercar quickly gained a reputation placing it on-par with the best exotic high-performance cars in the world. Standard quattro all-wheel drive paired with reliable power from the original 4.2-liter V-8 and later a 5.2-liter V-10 engine was more than enough to become a halo car for the German luxury bra...

Last year, Audi shined a light on a new future of automotive illumination. Laser headlights has been promoted by the German automaker as a powerful, efficient way to light driving paths at night or low light conditions. Championing the technology for a long time , Audi was one of the first manufacturers to offer laser lighting on a production automobile (BMW pulled off a tricky move to become the very first to market with laser headlights by offering eight customers for free on the i8 sports car). A component of the limited edition Audi R8 LMX, laser lights began beaming on European roads for summer of 2014. Only 300 micrometers in diameter, the laser spot employed on the 99 existing R8 LMX provides a strengthened source to supplement the LED high beams. With laser lighting, the R8 LMX edition boasted twice the range of illumination as with full-LED headlights (the equivalent distance of five football fields. F...

Photo Credit: FCA US In a matter of hours, a host of new, elaborate commercials will air during one of the most-watched annual events on the globe. For Super Bowl XLIX (the 2015 edition of the football classic), 30-second spots selling for 4.5-million dollars will be competing for our attention with snappy visuals and celebrities. The following are some past automotive advertisements illustrating to how companies attempted to lure motorists in the past: 1969: Chrysler Scuba Diver In 1969, the Super Bowl was being held for only its third time. The big game was beginning to attract the attention needed to elevate American professional football to a thriving enterprise. However, it would wouldn't be until the mid-1980s when a 30-second spot in the Super Bowl would start selling for over a million dollars. Understandably, most ads televised during the game were not massive productions. 15 years before Apple reinvented the...

Yesterday, a monumental display in 21st century automobile technology proceeded under the presence of a large motorsports crowd. As the content of a previous article on Car FYI announced , a special Audi RS7 concept car lapped Germany's famed Hockenheimring lacking one detail typically associated with lapping vehicles; a driver. Taking part ahead of the main race for the 2014 DTM series finale at the world famous race track, An exhibit of computer-controlled autonomous driving provided by Audi was placed behind the starting line of the Hockenheimring. Driven into the P1 starting spot by a human, the doors of the vehicle opened to a small reception of press and other Audi-related personnel. Preparations for the live display Piloted Driving has arrived to an ambitious live display. While Audi previously tested the RS7 Piloted Driving concept car leading up to the one-lap performance on Sunday, the perceived freshness of the technology could have left the window open to any va...