ABT Powers Up and Stylizes New Audi A5 Sportback

ABT Sporstline has built its reputation on modifying just about anything on four wheels that comes out of the VW Group's plants. Their newest proposal concerns the Audi A5 Sportback which has been modified with a variety of aesthetic and performance goodies.

The tuner jazzes up the five door coupe's appearance with numerous aero add-ons, including a new front bumper, ABT's trademark grille, front fender air-vents and a rear apron with a diffuser shrouding chrome exhaust tips.

Customers can choose between 18-inch and 20-inch alloy rims which are available in two different designs.

For the time being, ABT offers power kits only for the A5 Sportback with the 2.0 TSI petrol and the 3.0 TDI diesel engines.

After the tuner gets its way with the powerplants, the entry-level 2.0 TSI's output is boosted from 180HP to a hardy 275HP while the 3.0-liter V6 diesel can be lifted from 240HP to either 282HP or 310HP. The most powerful version of the V6 diesel hits the 100km/h (62mph) mark in 5.8 seconds.

The tuner finishes off the package with a sport suspension and a high-performance braking system with either 345 mm or 380 mm disks and eight piston calipers.

Hofele Design's R8-Inspired Aero Kits for Audi A5 Coupe, Cabrio and Sportback

Ever since the R8 broke cover, Audi tuners have been churning out numerous aero kits that try to imitate the styling of the mid-engined sports car for the German firm's more mainstream models. The latest package of the sort to capture our attention comes from Germany's Hofele Design and it's available for the A5 Coupe, Convertible and even for the new Sportback.

The common denominator for all three A5 models is the R8-look front bumper with the characteristic air vents underneath the headlamps.

Fortunately or unfortunately - we'll let you decide, that's about all the R8-love that Hofele Design has to offer the A5 Sportback.

However, for the full R8 effect, A5 Coupe and Convertible owners can match the new front bumper with a pair of R8-style side blades and a new rear bumper with faux air-outlets and an integrated diffuser that inspired from the V10-powered version of Audi's supercar.

Hofele Design rounds off the package with a boot lid spoiler (A5 Coupe only), air-intakes for the front fenders, side skirts and a wide choice of alloy wheel designs.

Benero: Would You Believe that this $600,000 Coachbuilt Special is Based on the Audi S5 Coupe?

Every so often we stumbled upon a creation like the Benero sports coupe pictured here that's a completely unknown quantity. In spite of our 'googling' efforts, we didn't find anything official on the car. However, according to the folks that sent these photos over to our friends at Autogespot, it is claimed that the Benero is a special coachbuilt model powered by a 4.2-liter supercharged V8 engine tweaked by German tuning firm MTM to produce an output of 525HP.

Despite the lack of official information and even though it is not obvious from the vehicle's exterior appearance, the Benero's interior and the engine specs can't hide the fact that it is based on the Audi S5 coupe.

It is said that the Benero will be produced in limited number of 50 units priced at a staggering €400,000 or close to $600,000 US a piece. If any of you have more information on the coachbuilt special don't hesitate to leave us a comment below.

Via: Autogespot

Audi Showcases A5 Coupe Prototype with Aluminium Body, Weighs 110kg / 240 lbs Less than the Regular Model

Making further use of its aluminium Audi Space Frame (ASF) concept, Audi has presented a special A5 Coupe prototype that has sheds 110kg or 240 pounds over the standard steel-bodied production car with a 2.0-liter TFSI. This was achieved by swapping steel for advanced aluminium and carbon fibre construction. Audi says that the aluminium A5 prototype has a kerb weight of 1,310kg (2,888 lbs), versus a total of 1,420kg (3,130 lbs) for the equivalent steel-bodied series production model.

This means that with the 211HP 2.0-litre turbocharged FSI engine, the A5 Prototype achieves a power-to-weight ratio of 161HP per tonne. For comparison, the 'standard' A5 Coupe 3.2 FSI V6 quattro with 265HP that weighs in at 1,540kg, is only slightly better at 172PS per tonne.

"The lightweight design of the test car not only enables a smaller engine to supplement a larger one with no impact on performance and gains in economy and emissions, but also has a knock-on effect on ancillaries such as the brakes and transmission, which can also be reduced in size and weight," said Audi.

"It also enables the car to change direction noticeably more keenly and nimbly and, thanks to the reduction in unsprung weight, to ride with even more refinement," the company added.

Even though the aluminium A5 Coupe Prototype isn't intended to make production, we suspect that the next generation model will most likely benefit from this lightweight concept.

DUI: ABT Creates One-Off Audi A5 Convertible Special for Radeberger Pilsner...

DUI as in 'designing under the influence'... You see, some things in this life, such as asking a German tuner to create a one-off special for a German brewery, are just not meant to be. We understand that this is a promotional vehicle with Radeberger Pilsner's traditional black and gold color scheme but, well, let's just say that the photos speak for themselves. Anyway, aside from the ABT two-tone bodykit, chunky alloy wheels and logos, the special A5 Cabrio gets a red leather interior with Radeberger's name embroidered on the headrests and the floor mats.

ABT also equipped the A5 Convertible with a pair of LCD screens that are mounted on the back of the front headrests while another highlight is the drink cooler located under the center armrest.

Pop up the bonnet and you'll find a tweaked version of Audi's 2.0-liter TFSI that has received a series of upgrades boosting output to 275HP, up from 180HP. ABT says that the drop top A5 can accelerate from zero to 100 km/h (62mph) in 6.7 seconds and achieve a maximum speed of 271 km/h or 169 mph. The ride and handling are improved as well with brake and suspension upgrades.

The one-off ABT Radeberger Audi A5 Cabrio special will be raffled off in Germany sometime before the end of the year.

Audi Confirms U.S. Pricing on S4 Sedan, A5 and S5 Cabriolet Models

Audi has announced official pricing for the U.S. market 2010 S4 sedan and A5 and S5 Cabriolet models. The two S models that are powered by a 333HP 3.0-liter supercharged V6 will arrive at Audi showrooms in late August while the A5 Convertible will enhance the firm's range in the Fall. Set to compete against the BMW 335i, the 2010 S4 sedan is priced at $45,900 for the six-speed manual gearbox model and at $47,300 for those that prefer the S-Tronic twin-clutch transmission.

When equipped with a manual transmission, the S4 delivers a 0-60mph (96km/h) sprint time of 4.9 seconds, compared to a 0-60 time of 5.3 seconds for the previous S4 V8 manual while the its also more fuel efficient than its predecessor returning 18 mpg city/27 highway, compared to the previous-generation 2008 S4 V8 manual ratings of 13 mpg city/20 mpg highway.

The A5 Cabriolet that features a fully automated soft top will be offered with a base 2.0-liter TSI engine and a range topping 333HP 3.0 TSI for the S5 model. The front-wheel drive A5 Cabriolet 2.0T Mutlitronic is priced at $42,000 while the Tiptronic Quattro model at $44,100. As for the S5 Cabriolet, it starts from $58,250.

Buyers should be aware that Audi will add a $825 destination charge, taxes, title, options and dealer charges to all MSRPs.

Supercharged Audi S5 Cabriolet Available for Order in the UK

Audi has opened the UK order books for the range-topping model of its new A5 Cabriolet, the S5. Prices start from £42,245 OTR with first deliveries expected to arrive in October. The rag-top S5 Cabriolet is powered by the same supercharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine that's found under the hood of the latest S4 Sedan and Avant models. It produces an output of 333 HP and 440 Nm of torque from 2,500-4,850 rpm.

Equipped with Audi's quattro four-wheel-drive system, the S5 is offered exclusively with a seven-speed S tronic twin-clutch sports transmission. According to the German automaker, the 3.0 TSI powers the S5 Cabriolet to 62mph (100km/h) in 5.6 seconds and on to an electronically governed top speed of 155mph or 250 km/h.

Audi A5 Sportback Officially Revealed: Mega Gallery with 60 High-Res Photos

The wait is finally over for the all-new A5 Sportback as Audi unleashed a full photo gallery of its high-anticipated five-door coupe which will be formally introduced this fall at the Frankfurt Auto Show. The German firm claims that new member of the A5 family "combines the best of various vehicle genres such as the emotion and elegance of a coupe, the comfort of a sedan and the practicality of a station wagon." Of course most will see a five-door, liftback version of the A5 Coupe with a sleek roofline, but still, we must admit that our first reaction on the Sportback's styling is positive.

Aside from the low-slung roofline and the rear hatch, the Sportback also boasts a unique C-Pillar design with a dramatic kink as well as frameless doors.

Without doubt, the A5 Sportback looks even better with the optional S-Line sport package that combines a tauter suspension setup and lowered body with larger alloy wheels, specific bumpers, distinctive features on the side air intakes, on the diffuser and on the tailpipes along with color keyed side sill trims.

Moving on to the interior, Audi's styling experiments pretty much come to an end with the new door trims and the four-seat layout as the dashboard is no different than the one found in the rest of the A4 and A5 family.

Even though the Sportback is 36mm (1.42 in) lower than the A4 Sedan, the German automaker supports that the four-seater model offers comparable headroom and legroom space with the more conventionally styled A4.

Furthermore, Audi says that the Sportback's compartment volume of 480 liters (16.95 cu ft) is nearly as much as the A4 Avant, and it can increase to 980 liters (34.61 cu ft) with the rear seats folded down.

There are no surprises under the hood as the Sportback will roll into European showrooms in September with a similar engine lineup to the A4 and A5 models. The initial range will consist of three gasoline units, a 2.0 TSI with 180HP and 211HP and a 265HP 3.0 FSI V6, and three diesels, a 2.0 TDI with 170HP, a 2.7-liter TDI delivering 190HP and a 3.0- V6 TDI that makes 240HP.

All models are equipped with a recuperation system that recovers energy during braking and deceleration and stores it temporarily in the battery while the three gasoline and the top diesel variants are offered with Audi's quattro permanent all-wheel drive system.

Audi said that the A5 Sportback's range will be enhanced with three more engines by mid-2010, one of which will surely be the new 3.0-liter supercharged V6 TFSI that develops 290HP in the A6 and 333HP in the S4 Sedan and Avant models.

In Germany, prices for the A5 Sportback range from €33,650 for the 180HP 2.0 TSI to €47,950 for the 3.0 TDI.

For the time being, Audi claims that the A5 Sportback won't be heading to the United States, but something tells us that the automaker may change its plans in the very near future.

Audi A5 Sportback Prices at Launch (Germany)

2.0 TDI with 6-speed manual transmission - €36,050

2.7 TDI with 6-speed manual transmission -€39,300

3.0 TDI quattro with 7-speed S tronic - €47,950

2.0 TFSI (132 kW / 180 hp) with 6-speed manual transmission - €33,650

2.0 TFSI (155 kW / 211 hp) quattro with 7-speed S tronic - €42,150

3.2 FSI quattro with S tronic - €47,000