Automedia Car

APS, the UK importer of the Swiss tuning brand Sportec, has turned to North American-based VW specialist, STaSIS Engineering, for its newest project concerning the latest generation of the Audi S4. The STaSIS Signature S4 is available in two flavors, the Touring and the Challenge editions, with both featuring an engine kit that boosts the 3.0-liter supercharged V6's output from 333 bhp and 344 lb-ft of torque to a more dazzling 410 bhp and 370 lb-ft.

The base Touring Edition package also includes suspension, brake and exhaust system upgrades as well as 19- or 20-inch alloy wheels, while the Challenge Edition comes with more hardcore components such as larger brakes with 6-piston callipers and ultra-lightweight forged aluminum wheels.

The STaSIS Signature S4 packages are available now from APS of Brackley, with prices starting at £12,500 including VAT (20%) and installation.

STaSIS Signature S4 Components

Signature S4 Touring Edition

• Exhaust - Quad outlet with tunable low RPM resonators
• Engine - Engine Tuning Software – performance increases to 410 bhp / 370 lb.ft
• Suspension – 1 inch lower, Increased spring rate, anti-roll bar kit and matched bushings & bump stops
• Brakes - Optional high-performance street pads and braided stainless steel lines
• Wheels – 20 inch x 8.5 inch lightweight cast aluminum wheels, Optional 19 inch x 9 inch lightweight cast aluminum wheels
• Tyres – High performance

Signature S4 Challenge Edition

• Exhaust - Quad outlet with tunable high RPM resonators (recommended for manual transmission)
• Engine - Engine Tuning Software – performance increases to 410 bhp / 370 lb.ft
• Suspension - Ohlins SL dampers, increased spring rate and high performance anti-roll bar kit
• Brakes - 6-piston Alcon monobloc calipers, 370 mm 2-piece discs (390-mm optional), stainless steel brake lines & high-performance pads
• Differential - high-bias centre differential (manual transmission only)
• Wheels – 20 inch x 9.5 inch ultra-lightweight forged aluminum wheels
• Tyres – extreme performance

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Audi is pulling out its biggest gun yet for the Beijing Motor Show, and while the big news for the A8 L might be the 6.3-liter W12 and the sedan's longer wheelbase, it's the rear seat accommodations that have us frothing at the mouth.

Seriously, just look at it.

With an overall length of nearly 17 and a half feet, the A8 L is almost a half-foot longer than its standard sibling, with a wheelbase of 10.24 feet. Those extra inches are put to good effect, with an interior that's enough to make a Maybach look downright spartan.




Open the lengthened rear doors and occupants are greeted by acres of leather, a full-length center console and two power-adjustable, heated and ventilated seats that not only move fore and aft, but include adjustments for cushion depth, lumbar support and seat back angle. Ten remote-controlled air-bladders massage your cares away, and if the front passenger seat – with its power-adjustable folding ottoman – cramps your style, you can move it forward with the flick of a switch.

The standard four-zone automatic climate control is manipulated by no less than 25 adjustable motors, and the massive center tunnel contains everything from a folding table to a refrigerator. It's all first-class, from the ambient lighting to the Valonea leather, and when the time comes to put the laptop away, crank up the 1,400-watt, 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System and enjoy a movie on one of the two 10.2-inch LCD displays.

If you're ready to give your chauffeur a rest, take solace in the fact that the W12 puts out 500 horsepower and 461 pound-feet of torque through Audi's new eight-speed automatic transmission and Quattro all-wheel drive. The result is a remarkably quick 4.9-second run to 60 and a electrically-limited top speed of 155 mph.

The W12 will be the standard engine at launch, with a few diesel and petrol-powered engines available further down the line. We'd expect pricing for the A8 L to be revealed shortly after its official debut later this month.

It's been rumored for a while now that Audi was exploring the possibility of adding a four-door sedan body style to its A3 range, but today, the German firm officially confirmed the news with the release of the first official sketches of the A3 Concept ahead of its world premiere at the 81st International Geneva Motor Show in early March.

Its main purpose is to preview both the saloon variant and the styling direction of the next A3, which is scheduled for a rollout in 2012 and will also include the successors to today's three-door hatchback, five-door Sportback and the two-door convertible models.

"The four-seater notchback sedan offers a glimpse of the future expansion of the A3 family," Audi said in a statement.

The A3 concept measures 4.44 meters (14.57 feet) long, 1.84 meters (6.04 feet) wide and just 1.39 meters (4.56 feet) high, meaning it's slightly smaller than the new Volkswagen Jetta (4.64 m long).

The sedan study embodies Audi's latest design language as seen on the recent A8, A6 and A7 Sportback models featuring a single-frame grille with tapered upper corners, angular headlights with LED technology and taut body lines.

The show car is fitted with an upgraded version of the 2.5-liter five-cylinder turbocharged engine found under the bonnet of the current RS3 and TT RS models, producing a peak output of 408-horses. The five-pot distributes power to all four wheels through a seven-speed S tronic transmission and permanent all-wheel drive.

We'll have more details on the A3 Concept from the Geneva Motor Show in March.

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New Audi A4 is equipped with engine 2.0-liter 211-hp turbocharged four-cylinder engine, featuring FSI direct fuel injection, transmissions available include a six-speed manual, six-speed automatic with Tiptronic manual mode shift, and the Multitronic CVT. Every Audi A4 is equipped with the Premium package, including power sunroof, 17-inch alloy wheels, leather upholstery, automatic climate control, satellite radio and an additional input jack

As any self-respecting luxury car manufacturer, Audi is also offering its customers BRVs or Bullet Resistant Vehicles, with the latest such model being the W12-powered 2011 A8 L Security. Set to go on sale in late summer, this...panzer on wheels will also be available with another, as of yet unspecified powerplant, starting from 2012.

To the untrained eye, the 5.27 meters (208 inches) long sedan is almost identical to the standard A8, but looks are definitely deceiving as the Security is said to comply with the strictest standards in ballistic protection and can even withstand an explosion and still offer adequate protection for its passengers.

The armored sedan is built in roughly 450 hours in a special facility at the Neckarsulm plant in Germany, where the use of cell phones is prohibited in order to prevent any technology leaks.

At the heart of the A8 L Security is the Audi Space Frame (ASF) aluminum body, which holds a safety cell built using extremely tough materials, such as hot-formed armored steel, aramide fabric, ceramics, special alloyed aluminum and multilayer glass. Many of these overlap at the joints for added protection. The safety cell alone weighs 720 kg (1,587 pounds), but engineers didn’t stop there.

The side sills have also been reinforced, complemented by the armored floor, 300 kilograms (661 lbs) of special glass with polycarbonate coating and strengthened doors that weigh an additional 360 kg (794 lbs).

In case of an attack, the optional emergency exit system, built-in fire extinguisher system and smoke extractor can provide additional protection.

The A8 L Security is powered by a 6.3-liter W12 engine, which churns out 500HP and 625 Nm (461 lb-ft) of peak torque. Despite the added weight, the direct-injected naturally aspirated unit is capable of propelling the vehicle from standstill to 100 km/h (62 mph) in a very respectable 7.3 seconds and on to an electronically limited top speed of 210 km/h (131 mph). Power is sent to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission and the company’s trademark quattro permanent all-wheel drive system.

With its projected average consumption of 13.5 lt/100 km (17.4 US mpg), the armored luxo-barge needs 3 liters of gasoline less than then the previous 450HP model. Furthermore, the second engine is said to further reduce consumption to 10-11 lt/100 km (23.5-21.4 US mpg), which could point to a diesel powerplant.

To better cope with the extra weight, the chassis, brakes and electronic control systems have been revised, while the 19-inch forged wheels are shod in high load index tires that allow the vehicle to continue traveling at speeds of up to 80 km/h (50 mph) even if tire pressure is lost.

Inside, the A8 L Security offers the same levels of quality and comfort as any 2011 Audi A8 and can be equipped with a bevy of high-tech optional features, ranging from the state-of-the-art Bose sound system to the fast UMTS Internet connection module.

By Csaba Daradics

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As any self-respecting luxury car manufacturer, Audi is also offering its customers BRVs or Bullet Resistant Vehicles, with the latest such model being the W12-powered 2011 A8 L Security. Set to go on sale in late summer, this...panzer on wheels will also be available with another, as of yet unspecified powerplant, starting from 2012.

To the untrained eye, the 5.27 meters (208 inches) long sedan is almost identical to the standard A8, but looks are definitely deceiving as the Security is said to comply with the strictest standards in ballistic protection and can even withstand an explosion and still offer adequate protection for its passengers.

The armored sedan is built in roughly 450 hours in a special facility at the Neckarsulm plant in Germany, where the use of cell phones is prohibited in order to prevent any technology leaks.

At the heart of the A8 L Security is the Audi Space Frame (ASF) aluminum body, which holds a safety cell built using extremely tough materials, such as hot-formed armored steel, aramide fabric, ceramics, special alloyed aluminum and multilayer glass. Many of these overlap at the joints for added protection. The safety cell alone weighs 720 kg (1,587 pounds), but engineers didn’t stop there.

The side sills have also been reinforced, complemented by the armored floor, 300 kilograms (661 lbs) of special glass with polycarbonate coating and strengthened doors that weigh an additional 360 kg (794 lbs).

In case of an attack, the optional emergency exit system, built-in fire extinguisher system and smoke extractor can provide additional protection.

The A8 L Security is powered by a 6.3-liter W12 engine, which churns out 500HP and 625 Nm (461 lb-ft) of peak torque. Despite the added weight, the direct-injected naturally aspirated unit is capable of propelling the vehicle from standstill to 100 km/h (62 mph) in a very respectable 7.3 seconds and on to an electronically limited top speed of 210 km/h (131 mph). Power is sent to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission and the company’s trademark quattro permanent all-wheel drive system.

With its projected average consumption of 13.5 lt/100 km (17.4 US mpg), the armored luxo-barge needs 3 liters of gasoline less than then the previous 450HP model. Furthermore, the second engine is said to further reduce consumption to 10-11 lt/100 km (23.5-21.4 US mpg), which could point to a diesel powerplant.

To better cope with the extra weight, the chassis, brakes and electronic control systems have been revised, while the 19-inch forged wheels are shod in high load index tires that allow the vehicle to continue traveling at speeds of up to 80 km/h (50 mph) even if tire pressure is lost.

Inside, the A8 L Security offers the same levels of quality and comfort as any 2011 Audi A8 and can be equipped with a bevy of high-tech optional features, ranging from the state-of-the-art Bose sound system to the fast UMTS Internet connection module.

By Csaba Daradics

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