David Cardoso Imagines the Audi Hydron Amphibious Study

Much like flying cars, the notion of amphibious automobiles has been embedded in the public's collective conscious for ages. Now, with the Audi Hydron, artist David Cardoso has re-imagined the 'automoboat' as a proper (if futuristic) car that can also be comfortable on the water.

Here's what David told us about his latest conceptual creation:

"The Audi Hydron is a 3 seat, electric amphibious vehicle with the looks of a road car that can be used as a "boat" when necessary. Today, most amphibious vehicles are transformed road vehicles. The Hydron, on the other hand, is especially designed to give an original mix between land and water capacities.

The cockpit is relatively narrow to have a reduced water resistance. The doors have a hollow structure to guide the water from the front to the rear wheelarches. In water, the Hydron is propelled by hollow axe wheels. Each wheel is driven by an electric engine that can turn 90°.

Other advantages of independent turning wheels are the several driving modes on land such as a the parking mode and the rotation mode. It is also possible to have front, rear or 4 wheel drive depending on the driving conditions."

The Hydron's boat-ness is clearly the attention-grabber here, but those rotating wheels would make for a spiffy solution to some people's parallel parking issues.

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Audi Gentleman's Hot Rod Racer by Mikael Lugnegård

Audi seems to be getting a lot of attention lately. We recently showed you one artist's take on a floating Audi, the Hydron study, and now someone else has chosen to interpret a hot rod Audi.

Similar in concept to Volvo's T6 Roadster, the Audi Gentleman's Racer is an old-school rodder with foreign ancestry. Created by industrial designer Mikael Lugnegård of Sweden, the "Gent's Racer" does its part to commemorate a piece of American automotive history with an (unofficial) Audi touch. The grille is actually Audi, but adapted for the unique look of this proposed model.

According to the people at Dieseno Art, the concept would feature an aluminum spaceframe, Ohlins suspension, and Brembo brakes all under a carbon fiber body. Power for the featherweight would theoretically come from Audi's version of the Gallardo's V10, but sending power to the rear wheels instead of all four. Crazy, or crazy awesome?

Inside would be the standard jewelry: carbon fiber, aluminum, and Alcantara.

Of the Gent's Racer, Lugnegård says: "The intended market is basically a pro racer who wants something classy for his personal trackday, as well as for driving to the new, exclusive restaurant down town with his lady. I could really imagine seeing someone like Samuel Hubinette in this car!"

By Phil Alex

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Audi A7 Sportback in S-Line Sport Trim: First Photos

The flow of information coming forth on the all-new Audi A7 Sportback, which made its world premiere on Monday, continues. This time we have the first details and photos on the two S-Line packages that will be available at launch.

Starting with the S line sport trim, this package adds a taut sport suspension that drops the A7's ride height by 10mm, and 19-inch wheels wrapped in 255/40 R19 rubber or optionally, 20-inch rims with 265/35 R20 tires.

It also upgrades the A7 Sportback's interior with sport seats draped in a combination of black leather and alcantara or in full leather with an embossed S line logo on the back, as well as a three-spoke multifunction steering wheel trimmed in perforated leather and brushed aluminum accents on the dashboard, center console and door panels.

There is also a complementary S line exterior package with updates to the exterior design including a reshaped front bumper with more pronounced air inlets and a lip spoiler, side skirts and a rear apron housing a diffuser and chromed tail pipes.

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ABT Rolls Out Performance and Design Packages for Audi A1

The largest tuner of vehicles from the VW group has set its eyes on Audi's smallest model, the all-new A1 supermini, with the release of performance and styling packages. ABT's design proposal for the A1 comes in three flavors "KLECKS" (translates to 'splash'), "ALOHA" and "HIGH-VOLTAGE".

All three designs get a full body kit that includes fender inserts, a rear apron housing a diffuser, roof spoiler, special mirror covers, a front lip spoiler and side skirts, complemented by a new set of 17- or 18-inch alloy wheels optionally wrapped in high-performance tires. Each version gets unique decals along with a specific finish for the aero-parts and alloy wheel rings.

In the performance department, the German tuner offers power kits for the Audi A1's entire range of engines. The 1.2-liter TFSI petrol gets a jump from 86HP to 115HP, while the larger 1.4-liter TFSI is bumped up from 122HP to 150HP. Audi's 90HP 1.6-liter TDI diesel develops 110HP while the 105HP 1.6-liter TDI is tuned to produce 125HP.

A sport suspension and exhaust system along with ABT-branded floor mats complete the list of modifications.

The new ABT A1 – data and facts

ABT ENGINE TECHNOLOGY
Engine: 1.6 TDI, 1598 ccm capacity
Performance tuning: ABT POWER
Performance: 110/81 kW (standard: 90 hp/66 kW)

Engine: 1.6 TDI, 1598 ccm capacity
Performance tuning: ABT POWER
Performance: 125/92 kW (standard: 105 hp/77 kW)

Engine: 1.2 TFSI, 1197 ccm capacity
Performance tuning: ABT POWER
Performance: 115/85 kW (standard: 86 hp/63 kW)

Engine: 1.4 TFSI, 1390 ccm capacity
Performance tuning: ABT POWER
Performance: 150/110 kW (standard: 122 hp/90 kW)

ABT AERODYNAMICS
ABT front lip aluminium brushed / grass-green / lavender
ABT side skirts aluminium brushed / grass-green / lavender
ABT rear wing insets aluminium brushed / grass-green / lavender
ABT rear skirt inset aluminium brushed / grass-green / lavender
ABT rear spoiler aluminium brushed / grass-green / lavender
ABT décor KLECKS, HIGH-VOLTAGE and ALOHA

ABT SPORTS WHEEL TECHNOLOGY
ABT Z Titan in 17 and 18 inch
Also available as complete set of wheels

ABT EXHAUST SYSTEM
ABT double pipe sports rear muffler

ABT SUSPENSION SYSTEM
ABT suspension springs

ABT INTERIOR
ABT floor mats

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Sport Wheels' Audi R8 goes Galactic

Sport Wheels has released its 600-horsepower Galactic Audi R8, something that it claims will make supercar fans "buckle at the knees". Dressed in all black and riding on a set of €4,400 20-inch OZ Ultraleggeras, it certainly looks the part of some kind of space invader...one that's ready to jack you, slap you, and run away laughing.

The press release claims that the firm has added a "crank angle screw thread" in order to improve the vehicle's handling; all this coilover work is to the tune of €7,349.

Following this, Sport Wheels offers to tune the ECU to for a 40-hp gain in its Stage 1 package. The cost of putting 565-hp and 560 Nm (413 lb-ft) of torque under the bonnet is €1,499. Fine and dandy, but why does it cost more to tell an Audi computer the same thing as a VW computer? Some VW chip tuning costs as little as $400 for essentially the same service.

Then there's the Stage 2, which throws in a muffler (or two). With the new exhaust, the R8 hits 600 ponies and 580 Nm (428 lb-ft) For the this, Sport Wheels charges €5,869...for an exhaust kit and ECU tuning. How about we just go to Rodney down the street and have him throw a couple glasspacks on it? Nothing says flow like glasspacks.

Not to sound like an ass (although that's natural), I can't help but ask...isn't this sort of spending on tuning a little crazy? Over $7,500 US for some computer tuning and a new muffler setup? And all that explained by a general, cheesy, no doubt mass-addressed email? I love tuning and the idea of tuning, but come on. If you're trying to rob me, at least do it directly.

By Phil Alex

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