Autoblog

Click above to view a hi-res gallery of the B&B Audi RS6

A 580hp station wagon (or sedan, for that matter) seems like sheer lunacy in its own right, but it appears that the twin-turbo V10 in the Audi RS6 is capable of a great deal more. Following the release of the 702hp MTM-tuned RS6 M, fellow German tuning house B&B Automobiltechnik has an even more potent tuning package, boosting power up to a whopping 715.

So what did the power-hungry gearheads at B&B do to get a 120 horsepower boost out of the Gallardo-derived FSI? They didn't replace the turbos or fit a new supercharger, nor did they bore out the cylinder block for bigger displacement. They simply fitted a new intake, catalyst, exhaust and cooling system, and tinkered with the ECU. B&B are also offering an adjustable suspension and new springs that drop the ride height by 25mm. The result? A claimed 0-60 run in a scant 3.6 seconds. That's well into supercar territory, as many a Porsche and Ferrari driver are bound to discover when baited into an impromptu red-light drag race. Nice work if you can get it.

[Source: B&B via World Car Fans]

Lovers of both fuel mileage and torque can finally rest easy; Volkswagen of America is now officially selling its 50-State-approved, clean diesel engine in either the Jetta sedan for $21,990 or Jetta SportWagen wrappers for $23,590. Equipped with the six-speed DSG transmission, both Jetta gets an EPA rating of 29 miles per gallon in the city and 40 on the highway. We expect to see better real-world numbers, though we're a bit wary of VW's advertising its alternate rating of 38/44 -- a number that is impossible to compare with anything else currently available. In any case, the $2,000 premium for the TDI engine will be lessened somewhat by the Fed's $1,300 tax credit which applies to either TDI model. Look for an early test of the oil-burner on these pages shortly.

[Source: Volkswagen]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon

Cadillac trotted out the 2010 CTS Sport Wagon here in Monterey and after seeing it in person, we're fans. It's edgy, smooth, finned (the roof rails) and sleek all in the right proportions. And for the States-siders, the 263 hp V6 will allow the wagon to hold its own off the line. While there's plenty of room in the back (note: it is a sport wagon) the car itself is quite compact. A 6'4" colleague couldn't fit in the front seat without bumping his head on the panoramic roof. And for folks at about the 6'0" mark, things get really cozy in the back seat. But you didn't buy a wagon because you wanted a full-sized sedan, did you? If you're in the wagon market, check it out when it comes to a dealer near you.

We've assembled two high-res galleries below and two videos after the jump of Cadillac design and product directors discussing the design of the CTS Sport Wagon.

Click above for high-res gallery of the Cadillac Sport Wagon

Please note the spelling, this a Cadillac and not a VW, therefore it's "Sport Wagon" rather than "SportWagen". What we have here is the result of a fission reaction on the Cadillac SRX. Seeing that the current "neither fish nor fowl" SRX crossover wasn't cutting it in the marketplace, General Motors' "Art and Science" brand has split its only CUV into two distinct vehicles. The old SRX was based on the CTS' Sigma platform but looked too car-like to be considered an SUV. At the same time it rode too high to be a car. Buyers who might have liked the wagon utility of the old SRX but are enamored with the style of the new CTS can now opt for the CTS Sport Wagon.

The Sport Wagon takes the largely acclaimed styling of the CTS and adds a rear hatch allowing much more stuff to be carried. The design team led by Clay Dean has done more than just graft a longer roof onto the sedan. They extended the roof-line back and the tail-lights up to the roof, as well as adding hidden rails in the roof line. The V shape of the grille is also replicated in the contours of the tailgate. The wagon ends up with 25 cu. ft. of cargo space behind the seats. Cadillac expects about 60 percent of CTS sales in Europe will be the wagon while only 20 percent of Americans will opt for the new body style when it goes on sale in the spring of 2009.


[Source: Cadillac]

Click above for high-res gallery of the Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer

The all-new Insignia is about to go on sale as a Vauxhall in Britain and an Opel throughout the rest of Europe, thereby replacing the Vectra sedan. It's a marked improvement over its predecessor in style, and we're eager for it to arrive in the States as the next-gen Saturn Aura. Vauxhall had the honor today of announcing the next version of the Insignia that will makes its debut at the Paris Motor Show in October: the Insignia Sports Tourer. That's a fancy way of calling it a wagon, or estate as they like to say in the old country. Being that the sedan and hatch are quite handsome, it's fair to say the Sports Tourer is as well, though its rear end looks like a lowered Audi Q7. GM Europe says that all the bodywork aft of the B-pillar is unique to the Sports Tourer, and that while the length of the wheelbase hasn't changed, a little over three inches was added to the overall length. Vauxhall also announced a more power turbodiesel engine and smaller turbocharged four-cylinder will be joining the Insignia's engine lineup, but are saving any details, including the wagon's capacities, until the Paris Motor Show.


[Source: Vauxhall]

Click to view the Alfa 159 in hi-res from Geneva '08

The Alfa Romeo 159 may be one of the most beautiful sedans on the market, but that hasn't been enough to make the model a sales success. As we learned after driving the new MiTo, Alfa isn't satisfied any longer to glide by on its name and looks alone, and so has started work on the replacement for the 159 even though the current model was only introduced in 2005.

The main reason attributed to the 159's poor market performance has been its dynamic performance, inhibited by an overweight chassis designed by Saab during Fiat's partnership with GM. Its successor is tipped to be based on the same platform as the upcoming 149, however, which still means front-wheel-drive. With the numeric designation running out of room to grow, the 159 replacement is widely reported to revive the classic Giulia nameplate, with styling cues borrowed from the curvaceous 8C instead of the angular Brera. Sources suggest that the new sedan, anticipated for debut in 2010, is being developed specifically with the American market in mind.

Photos Copyright ©2008 Noah Joseph / Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: Autocar]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2009 Audi RS6 sedan.

It looks like we won't have to wait for the Paris Motor Show to get our first glimpse of the 2009 Audi RS6 sedan and it's lesser A6 siblings. Audi has released all the details on its new four-door M5-eater, packing a direct-injected, twin-turbo'd V10 putting out 580 hp and 479 lb.-ft. of torque. The same mill that powers the Avant version allows the sedan to sprint to 60 in 4.5-seconds on its way to an electronically-limited top speed of 155 mph. The duo of turbos huffs 1.6 bars of boost into the dry sump-equipped 5.0-liter V10, with peak torque arriving at 1,500 RPM and maximum horsepower available at 6,250 RPM.

A six-speed tiptronic transmission allows drivers to choose between automatic or manual mode, reducing shift times by one-tenth of second, and sending power to Audi's Quattro all-wheel-drive system. Dynamic Ride Control reduces pitch and roll, providing three damper settings – sport, dynamic and comfort – all of which can be activated through the revised MMI system.

The RS6 is fitted with 19-inch wheels at all four corners, wrapped in 255/40R19 rubber, and framing 390mm front discs clamped by fixed, six-piston calipers in front and 365 mm rotors, gripped by single-piston calipers in the rear. Buyers can upgrade the wheels to 20x9.5-inch rollers, which allow the fitment of Audi's ceramic brake system (420mm discs in front and 356 mm discs out back).

The standard A6 sedan and Avant benefits from the new MMI system, along with a new single-frame grille, bumpers, air vents and fog lamps. An S-line package includes 18-inch wheels and a sports suspension that drops the ride height by 30mm. Six gasoline engines and four oilburners will be available, including the 170 hp, 2.0-liter gasoline TFSI four-pot, a 290 hp, 2.8-liter FSI V6, a 350 hp, 4.2-liter FSI V8 and the new, supercharged 3.0-liter V6. Audi's diesel offerings range from 2.0- to a 3.0-liter TDIs.

Sales of both models will begin in mid-October and all the details are available in the two press releases after the jump.

Saab's rumored decision to downsize its engines gets some confirmation today, as reports indicate that the Swedish brand's next 9-5 will get just 1.6-liters of displacement for its base engine. However, power should still be up to par, as the mill will get a high-pressure turbocharger to boost output. Despite the small-bore engine, the next 9-5 will be built atop the Epsilon II platform which underpins the latest Opel Insignia and which will cause the new 9-5 to grow in size compared to the current car. The 9-3 will move down to the Delta platform, shared with the Chevy Cruze and other mid-size derivatives.

In addition to the little 1.6, the up-level Saab will get at least one diesel engine along with the 2.8-liter V6 from the GM parts bin. Its Swedish heritage will remain intact thanks to the continued usage of Saab's BioPower engines, which combine high-pressure turbocharging with small, E85-fueled four-cylinder engines and an all-wheel drive system similar to the one just released on the latest 9-3.

[Source: Channel 4]

The Saab 9-3X will be a soft-roading version of the Swedish brand's bread-and-butter sedan and wagon, a.k.a. SportCombi, and word has it that the all-wheel-drive wonders will be making their debut at the Paris Motor Show in October. Unlike the performance-oriented Turbo X, the 9-3X will use its Haldex AWD system for tackling particularly deep potholes, traversing heavily packed snow and otherwise offering its owners the sure footedness that comes with all four wheels turning at once. Based on our previous spy photos, we expect the 9-3X to look the part with fender flares, a lifted suspension and faux skid plates. Seriously though, adding AWD to the 9-3 in a mini-SUV package is a smart move right now and one that's been paying Subaru dividends for some time.

Also on the docket for a Paris debut is a new 9-3 concept that should preview what the next iteration of the sedan and wagon will look like. Our flights are booked, hotel rooms reserved and appetite for pasta at a fever pitch, so we'll bring you live coverage of these two reveals as they happen from Italy in early October.

[Source: Channel4]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2009 Audi A4 Avant.

The 2009 Audi A4 sedan and Avant will be hitting lots later this year, and before dealers can begin taking orders in September, they've got to let people know what it'll cost to get behind the wheel of the thoroughly revised entry-level Audi.

Prices for the sedan start at $32,700, equipped with the all-new 2.0-liter TFSI four that sends 211 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque through the front wheels. Quattro will be available on the four-banger, along with Audi's six-seed Tiptronic transmission. Buyers that opt for the Avant will have to shell out $34,500 for the added hatch, extra cargo room and standard Quattro all-wheel-drive. If you choose the 3.2-liter FSI V6, the six-speed manumatic is standard, along with the Quattro system.

Dealers will have a limited supply of A4 sedans and wagons available for test-drives later this month and customer deliveries should begin later in September. Follow the jump for full details in Audi's press release.