Nick's Car Blog

LED License Plate Bulb Options for a B7 Audi A4 & S4 (2005.5-2008)

Nick — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:06:04 +0000

Based on the popularity of my LED Interior Lighting post, and by popular request in the comments section, I decided to write another guide for LED License plate bulbs on a B7 Audi A4, S4 and RS4. They definitely look awesome, and are a relatively cheap mod at ~$30 total. Best of all, installation takes merely a few minutes and all that is required is a small screwdriver in most cases.

The trouble with this mod is that the with some B7 models (any A4, S4 or RS4 from 2005.5-2008), the installation of these bulbs sometimes causes a Light Out error. Personally, I installed mine and never had any problems with a bulb out error message or flickering issues, and I’ve talked to countless others who have never had problems either, but there are more than a handful of examples of those who have posted on Audizine who did encounter problems.

There are many theories as to which models or trim packages throw the Bulb Out error and which don’t, but from everything I’ve read, it’s mostly just luck of the draw/random. Many believe that if you have the multi-color information display in your gauge cluster (the LCD screen between your speedometer and RPMs) you are more likely to have an bulb out warning message, although Bulb Out errors do occur for the non-color version (those with only red colored pixels only).

Regardless, here are my recommendations – IMO it’s worth trying your luck as you can always revert back to the OEM halogen bulbs if you get a bulb out message, learn to ignore the bulb out message in your gauge cluster, or install an extra resistor to avoid this (more on this below). A few others have reported flickering issues with LED license plate bulbs, which can also be fixed using resistors.

For bulbs, look for a 39mm Festoon bulb that has a BUILT IN RESISTOR. The built-in resistor is critical, as it will greatly reduce the chances of a bulb out message. The two options I’ve seen with the best reviews and success rates are:

42 Draft Designs – this is what I’ve been using for ~2 years without problems. They say on their site not to use these bulbs for a B7 A4, but that’s just so they’re not liable to accept returns in the case you get a bulb out error – essentially, you must assume all risk they might not work or work but product codes.
TunerDomes – their bulbs also include built-in resistors to help prevent error codes. I haven’t tried these personally but know a few people who run them. Like the 42 Draft Designs bulbs, a lot of people are running these successfully without any codes or errors, but a few here and there have reported error codes or flickering – again, it’s really kind of luck of the draw….(read a review here on Audizine from user Quattro)

Installation is a breeze – lift up your trunk lid, remove your license plate for a little extra wiggle room, then remove the two screws holding the light cover in. Then pull out the old bulbs and snap in the new bulbs. Be sure to test it before re-installing the light covers, just to make sure the bulbs are making contact (you may need to bend the contact points of the base) as well as to see if you get any bulb out errors first.

That’s it – if you’re one of the lucky ones who doesn’t have a bulb out error message.

If you DO get a bulb out warning message on your dash, here are your options:

Replace the OEM halogen bulbs, and either try to get a refund on your LED bulbs or try to resell them to another enthusiast
Live with the error out message, as it won’t otherwise impair the drivability of the car, except for being annoying to the driver
Attempt to install a load balancing resistor

If you attempt to install a load-balancing resistor, you’ll need a 15-25 ohm load equalizer as well as some wire taps. The instructions on how to install this in your trunk lid can be found on Audizine here: http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php/235841-Fixed-the-Flickering-LED-Plate-light!!

Disclaimer: I’m not responsible if you buy any bulbs and they don’t work, nor any damage you may cause to your car while working on it. Any modifications you perform on your vehicle are done at your own risk. That being said, there isn’t too much of a risk of causing any damage here, except you may be out the cost of LED bulbs in the event they flicker or cause a bulb out message.

New Wheels, New Shots – 19″ BBS CH + Michelin Pilot Sport PS2

Nick — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 17:11:55 +0000

I recently decided it was time to switch up the look of my car a little and sold my 19″ Rays Engineering Sporttechnic wheels and purchased a new set of wheels I’ve wanted for a very long time – the classic BBS CHs. What I love about these wheels the most is the race inspired looks, and the fact they come as an OEM option for b7 S4s in 18″s – this gives it a very OEM-plus look, which is exactly what I was going for. From my Audi S6 LEDs, to my OEM S4 door blades and S4 Seats, many of my modifications are parts from other Audi cars. The BBS CH wheels are also made in Germany, so they work quite well on an Audi The specs on these wheels are 19×8.5″ with an offset of ET35 which fits perfectly flush and looks great. They have the optional BBS Carbon Fiber center caps and are wrapped in 235-35-19 Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 wheels – I’ll have a separate review on those tires later once I’ve had more experience with them, but so far I’m very happy with them.

These awesome pictures were taken by my good friend Josh Lambeth in Tempe, AZ.

034 Motorsports Silicone Turbo Inlet Pipe Install & Review

Nick — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 23:00:58 +0000

034 Motorsports Turbo Inlet Hose versus OEM Hose

With hot summer temperatures here in Arizona, I noticed my boost to be much lower and the car felt more sluggish overall – I read reviews on the 034 Motorsports Turbo Inlet Pipe from a few other B7 Audi A4 owners and thought I’d give it a whirl – it’s definitely worth the $75! While the differences are subtle at first – a slightly more noticeable spooling sound and possibly spooling a few hundred RPM sooner – the real difference is when the car has been running a while and the engine bay gets super hot – I’ve noticed less of a loss in power after long drives or track days, which is AWESOME and worth the $75 itself. The 2.0 FSI tends to have really bad heatsoak in our cars – you can run the car for just 5 minutes and its already hot enough in there to roast a chicken. Anything to help the engine breathe easier when it gets so hot is worth it in my eyes.

You can see in the picture above that the new product doesn’t have all of the bends and accordian style tubing the OEM inlet pipe does – it’s also silicone which is less prone to collapse and flex in high temperatures than the cheap rubber/plastic compound used by Audi and is a more efficient design. It also looks a lot nicer!

Install was a snap – you only need a screwdriver and some pliers, and it shouldn’t take you more than 30 minutes even for novices. Make sure your engine has cooled down first before attempting to do this, there are a lot of very HOT parts in this area! In the pictures you’ll see my Carbonio Intake but the instructions are the same for an OEM air box as well. As always, attempt this at your own risk and I’m not responsible for any damages or problems, I’m just providing this install guide as a reference only!

First remove the plastic air intake from the grille to the airbox so you can access everything.

Then remove the OEM clamps on either end of the OEM plastic inlet pipe. Be careful not to drop ANYTHING in the piping as that will go directly into your turbo then get shredded up and spewed into your engine!

No pipe at all - don't drop anything in the hole!

Next grab the new silicone pipe, install one end to the turbo and the other end to the air box and secure the hose clamps – I opted for the hose clamp upgrade and its definitely worth it – the OEM hose clamps are a pain to deal with. You’ll thank yourself when you go to change your air filter out…

This pipe works with the Carbonio airbox just fine, you just have to install the pipe first with the Carbonio loose and out of place – then adjust the Carbonio to tuck under the fender and hood only after you’ve got the silicone inlet pipe fully fastened and tightend on both ends. Once you’ve got the Carbonio fit back into place, just insert your air intake pipe back on and you’re done!

And last but not least, a picture of me really testing this thing out at Inde Motorsports Ranch in Willcox, AZ in about 85 degree heat. It’s an amazing 2.5 mile course with off camber turns, elevation changes, etc. I think the improved inlet pipe helped sustain performance as the engine temperatures grew hotter and hotter and most importantly I had a lot of fun!

The Audi B8 Tiptronic. To be feared or celebrated?

Matt — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 18:11:48 +0000

Almost every die-hard car enthusiast prefers a manual transmission. One needs to have the utmost control of their vehicle when driving spiritedly and rowing one’s own gears is high on the list of priorities in that vain. Personally, I always prefer a car with a good ol’ fashioned clutch pedal to its one-foot cousins but sometimes it just isn’t an option. In the case of Audi’s A4, low availability of manual transmission cars in dealer lots across America can either force you to order your vehicle from Deutschland and wait the 3 month lead-time or compromise your sporting instincts by instant gratification from current inventory. It can be decidedly worse for those that prefer a little more cargo space in their A4 with the Avant model.

While our friends on the other side of the pond can readily order up an A4 Avant with an honest-to-goodness manual transmission, those of us in America are stuck with a six-speed Tiptronic as the only available means of changing gears. Fret not fellow driving enthusiast, I’m here to tell you that the current iteration of the Tiptronic that debuted in 2009 with the introduction of the B8 platform is not your Daddy’s slushbox.

While it was not my intention to buy a Tiptronic, circumstances made it a reasonable compromise and in the past two months that I’ve spent with my 2010 A4 Avant, I have to say I’m pleasantly surprised. I expected to hate my slow-shifting wagon but it’s proven to me that in the automotive world, just as in the computing world, positions and opinions should be re-evaluated from time to time because products and technologies evolve.

Such is the case with the transmission that Audi utilizes and calls Tiptronic. I should note that Audi does not make nor develop traditional manual and automatic transmissions for their cars and are instead usually outsourced to fellow Germans, ZF Friedrichshafen (DSG gearboxes are a different story). The B6/B7 platform Audi A4 Tiptronic transmission was a ZF 6HP19 model that also was utilized on the BMW X3 and 3-series models as well as in the Hyundai Genesis Coupe. This model of 6-speed automatic transmission was widely used across the Audi line-up. Having done some shopping a little while ago for an inexpensive, used A6, I can tell you that it was a bit fail-prone in its later years of use. Besides this issue of reliability, shifts were typically lackluster, sometimes taking as long as 800 milliseconds to accomplish.

The current transmission from ZF that Audi is mating to their lower-end Tiptronic models is the 6HP28. A variant of the same transmission is also used in the current model RS6. Besides slightly better fuel economy and the ability to handle more torque, it also offers quicker shifts down to 200 milliseconds which is argued as the threshold for a driver’s level of perception. Of course, nothing about the 6HP28 is as glitzy or as glamorous as an S-tronic (Audi marketing speak for DSG or direct shift gearbox). It still has a torque converter which will rob your vehicle of a few extra ponies at the wheels. It also can’t compete with the sub-20ms shift times but, on its own merits, how does it stand up in real-life use?

As I said, I braced myself for the worst but got a very different experience. When plodding along normally at enough throttle to maintain speed, shifts are smooth and you may even actually not notice them if your thoughts are otherwise preoccupied. Under heavy throttle, this smart transmission tightens up. Shifts significantly firm up and present themselves with an often welcome jolt. In manual mode, commanding shifts with your paddle shifters, you could be forgiven for thinking that the vehicle you’re operating actually contains an S-tronic. Shifts are incredibly quick for what one has come to expect out of the slowest transmission option. I’ve owned a TT with an S-tronic in the past and I have to say, the Tiptronic is undoubtedly smoother in comparison and more adaptable to variable throttle control. It’s almost the best of both worlds.

Another thing I’ve noticed on my new Avant is that when downshifting with the paddles, the engine rev matches very quickly yielding, once again, a very smooth transition. I’d guess that Audi has programmed some throttle control in to make downshifting less of a time consuming process. This feature has also been implemented in various other manufacturer’s cars, most notably the new Nissan 370z. The effect of both this great downshift ability plus extremely-quick-for-a-slushbox upshifts, is that it creates an experience that makes me now somewhat proud to note my Avant is a Tiptronic.

Audi isn’t resting on their laurels, as they rarely do. The 2011 model sees the introduction of an 8-speed ZF sourced automatic to replace the nicely performing transmission I’ve just gone on about. Orders have just begun being delivered. Time will soon tell if they have improved on the 6HP28 by adding two cogs or if 8 gears is just too many, regardless of how smooth the shifts are. For the years to come though, I’m confident that I won’t come to regret purchasing my B8 Tiptronic and you shouldn’t be afraid to embrace the Tiptronic either.

Matt is a Systems Administrator and automotive enthusiast with a decent car history prominently featuring 7 Audis and 5 Mustangs. He is excited to be an occasional guest poster here at Nick’s Car Blog and his Twitter account is mattlqx.

How I was almost scammed on a set of Authentic BBS LM Wheels on VWVortex…

Nick — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:11:40 +0000

Buying used car parts through automotive forums can be a great way to buy parts you couldn’t afford otherwise. Case in point – the elusive BBS LM wheels, my favorite wheels of all time. The BBS LMs cost $1179.00 a piece on VividRacing, which is one of the best prices I can find anywhere. That adds up to a mind boggling $4,716.00 for the set, and then you still need tires. I’ve wanted these wheels since I was a kid, and always have an eye out for a used set at a price I can afford.

Low and behold, my dream wheels get posted on VWVortex 5×112 Classifieds the other day for $2,000. Over half off new! I’ve seen them fetch between $2,500-3000, so I thought this was going to be a great deal. And sure enough – it was too good to be true. This guy was a pure con-artist who actually came very close to nabbing my money.

Here’s how it worked:

He registers as S4U on VWvortex and posts these wheels in the classifieds section here: http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?4946047-BBS-LM-Wheels-19X8.5-(32mm)

He claims to prefer “local buyers” – this turns out to be a complete lie, but it makes him look like he wouldn’t be afraid to meet face to face and provides a good cover story/alibi. Several local NYCers indeed contact him that are very interested – he ignores all of their messages

I happen to see his post – I’m in Arizona but I want these wheels bad enough I contact him anyway and offer to pay shipping. He responds immediately and calls me several times throughout the day. Things start moving quickly. We settle on a price of $1850 after chatting on the phone.

He wants the money sent via WesternUnion or MoneyGram – RED ALERT! He claims he no longer has a PayPal Account & was planning on selling these local for cash, so he wasn’t sure on how to accept money otherwise. A somewhat believable story, as he did say he preferred local buyers and is going out of his way to ship to me. I read up on WesternUnion & Moneygram and it is very clear sending money through these services is a very bad idea. Hell, even WesternUnion says not to send money through WesternUnion for online purchases when you don’t know the seller…

I offer to pay half up front, and half when I get them. I ask him to send a picture proving he owns them, with him holding a card with his name and the date. I don’t want to let go of this great deal, even though I have a bad feeling about it – maybe we can still make it work?? But then the picture he sends looks off – there are BMW center caps, the wheels have a much deeper dish, and something seems fishy. I start to really get freaked out.

versus the original pic he sent of the wheels:

Looking at the “evidence” pic he sent now, it’s clear they are replicas and not real BBS LMs anyway – the valve stem is black plastic versus metal, BBS is not stamped on the face and around the lug nuts, the finish doesn’t look right and obviously the center caps missing are all signs of replicas. The lips are also way bigger in the picture he sent to me, indicating they’re probably staggered fitment for a BMW.

I then google every bit of information I have about him. His name, Rishi Bachew, turns up nothing (could have been a fake name). I google his phone number, 347-387-9658 but nothing really comes up. His email address, tntheat15@aol.com – turns up several results of other items he’s tried to sell. It also turned up this post: http://www.pandahi.com/US/1000116833.html which reads:

urgentt job wanted by 20 year old male

WHATS UP GUYS I’M LOOKING FOR A JOB I’M 20 YEARS OF AGE AND IS LOOKING FOR A JOB EITHER IN QUEENS OR AROUND THE BOROUGH I CAN TRAVEL MY WAY AROUND SO THAT WONT BE ANY PROBLEM GETTING TO WHERE EVER I’M LOOKING FOR A JOB EITHER HELPING SOMEONE I CAN WORK CONSTRUCTION, MOVING ECT!!! I’M VERY FRIENDLY/PRODUCTIVE IF YOU HAVE A JOB AVAILABLE OR KNOWS SOMEONE HELP ME OUT WILLING TO START ASAP!!!! email me @ tntheat15@aol.com if you have something or may know someone! thanks

I google the post title, “urgentt job wanted by 20 year old male” and find many duplicate postings. Many of the posts on other automotive boards are under the alias SOFLY00. I google “SOFLY00″ and bingo – tons of threads about him scamming. I even find the same wheels posted elsewhere in other threads dating back 7 months ago! As far as I can tell, SOFLY00 has been accused of fraud on at least a half dozen automotive boards for trying to sell wheels. In each case, he pretends he’s only interested in local buyers, and then when the person from afar contacts him, he pretends like he was planning on accepting cash and that’s why he doesn’t have paypal and can only accept WesternUnion or Moneygram. He seems to be using new aliases now, but the threads will always be from New York City/Queens, a newly registered poster, horrible english & grammar (soldddddd), and claim to prefer local buyers.

Here is all of the evidence on SOFLY00 I could find:

Here he is listing the same wheels on S4forum in December, 2009: http://s4forum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1893
and then again here (November, 2009, again, same wheels) http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum…php?p=17988708
User was banned/terminated on Audizine around this same time… http://www.audizine.com/forum/member.php/51136-SOFLY00
This thread says SOFLY00 never does local pickup,he just say he does as part of the scam to make buyers feel more comfortable (Dec 2009) http://forums.nicoclub.com/09-maxima…p-t466746.html
And another one for G37 wheels (Nov 2009) - http://forums.nicoclub.com/infiniti-…s-t464464.html
And this thread is pretty crazy – 24 pages of him getting flamed for scaming (Nov 2009): http://www.the370z.com/parts-sale-pr…-tires-22.html
Here is a thread where he’s asking others to photoshop his name into pictures to assist him with scamming! http://www.b20vtec.com/forums/b20vtec-com-general-forum/368399-photo-shop-helppp-asap.html
And the rest of the SOFLY00 Chronicles per Google: http://www.google.com/search?sourcei…TF-8&q=SOFLY00

I also enlisted a friend to determine if the picture he sent me with his name and today’s date was altered or photoshopped at all – and if definitely was. Check out these pictures, as well as this analysis that also indicates some form of tampering: http://www.errorlevelanalysis.com/permalink/bad7a85/

But the best part of all – I found his audition profile for MTV’s NextOrNot – AHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA

WHAT I’VE LEARNED ABOUT BUYING USED PARTS THROUGH ONLINE CLASSIFIEDS & AUTOMOTIVE FORUMS

Never, ever, EVER! pay with WesternUnion, MoneyGram, or Money Order if you do not know the person. Always insist on PayPal – they have purchase protection, and scammers will not use it.
Always google the crap out of every bit of information the seller gives you – their email address, phone number, name, home address, anything they can give you.
No matter how much evidence they give you, such as pictures claiming they own the wheels, willingness to meet locals, etc., always be skeptical. All of this “evidence” can be faked.
If it’s a smoking deal, that’s another reason to doubt the legitimacy of it.
Only buy from sellers that can provide references. Many forums like Audizine have a classifieds systems with a feedback mechanism built in, so I can see that the seller has sold other parts to other buyers and the transaction went well. For instance, here is my Audizine classifieds feedback: http://www.audizine.com/classifieds/member.php?uid=8598&ppaction=readfeed

That being said, I wont’ stop buying parts from automotive forums & online classifieds altogether, I’ll just be sure to use even more caution, only buy from trusted sellers via PayPal or in person, and always be on guard for the next scammer. In hindsight, SOFLY00 had some pretty clever moves and could have fooled anyone, I just got lucky and did my homework to uncover some nasty results on Google.

Postscript: Since writing this post, at least four others have chimed in the comments below with similiar dealings with this person, Rishi Bachew in Jamaica/Queens, New York (NYC). He is a thief and scum-bag who posts highly sought after wheels for cheap yet semi-believable prices. Thank you to everyone who has chimed in the comments, and I am so incredibly happy to have helped out a few enthusiasts along the way who may have otherwise been scammed by Rishi Bachew.

Become a Fan of Nick’s Car Blog on Facebook & Twitter

Nick — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 19:59:19 +0000

Using my sick PowerPoint skills (yes, Powerpoint, lol), I spent days a half hour creating the awesome graphic you see above to be the welcoming screen of the all new Nick’s Car Blog page on Facebook. Any of you Facebookers out there that have found a post helpful on this blog, I’d really, really appreciate it if you took a moment to “Like” my page – I promise not to overwhelm you with updates (this blog only gets updated about once a week, you can handle it), plus I’ll post some sneak peeks at upcoming mods and other cool stuff along the way. If you become a fan, feel free to write on my wall, make any special requests, go nuts – this could get fun. I don’t get a lot of blog comments but I’m hoping maybe I’ll get a little more interaction via Facebook.

Likewise, if any of y’all are tweeting it up on the Twitter – I’d love for y’all to follow me: @NicksCarBlog – be sure to @ reply me and let me know you read this post and I’ll be sure to follow you back!

Thanks for connecting with me, whether it’s through the blog, Facebook, Twitter or all three, and please feel free to reach out to me and let me know how I could blog (or tweet or Facebook) better – I’d love to hear any constructive criticism or feedback you have for me – thanks! -Nick

B7 Audi A4/S4 Carbon Fiber Rear Valence – Pics & Install Tips

Nick — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 15:05:54 +0000

I recently ordered and installed a carbon fiber Audi S4 rear valence and installed it – and I think it turned out great. The finish is awesome and it definitely brings out the quad tip exhaust a little better. The price was great too ($180 shipped) but when I got the product, the fiberglass work was a little sloppy – essentially it didn’t fit very well. I emailed the seller and he told me to take it to a body shop – which I scoffed at because the valence can normally be installed in about 60 seconds by a total moron. You simply remove two screws, one at each end, then it pulls right out. To install the new one, *normally* all you’d have to do is reverse that process – snap it in, then replace the two screws. However, the tabs that snap in were a bit too thick, so I couldn’t get it to snap in and fit flush.

To fix it, I used a dremel tool and smoothed down all of the tabs a little bit. Essentially, too much fiberglass was used, so the tabs are to thick, wide, etc…just all around a few mm too big. Dremel it down on each side (be sure not to dremel anywhere visibile, and then try again – it took me a few test fits before I was happy with the install. Here is what it looked like after I dremeled it down (the white area is where the dremel was used):

As you can see in the pic above, the weave is pretty nice and this is definitely authentic carbon fiber. Here is another shot of the corner, probably where I had to do the most dremeling:

In the above pic (sorry its kind of blurry) I actually dremeled too much and it was kind of visible, so I covered the visible area with black electric tape, which hides it perfectly – so if you screw up and go too far, black nail polish or electric tape are good ways to cover it up.

Overall, I’m super happy. The finish looks great and really stands out. I’ve gotten a few compliments on it already and I also think it helps accent my quad tip Billy Boat exhaust better, so it really works well with the whole rear end of the car.

A few more pics of the finished product:

Video: How Each New Audi Model is Tested

Nick — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 23:35:32 +0000

What does it take for a car to become an Audi?

A lot more than you’d think! It undergoes an aging process that adds 12 years to a vehicle in just 9 weeks (kind of sounds like when I loan my car to my girlfriend, lol). According the movie, all Audi models also undergo these tests, which also include:

2.5 million test kilometers (~1,553,428 miles)
Tested in heat, rain, 300 km/h wind, salt, snow, 100% humidity
The whole car is frozen(!) and subjected to any other kind of harsh weather you can imagine
Must withstand well dressed men that stop to admire the front fender fitment in the middle of the desert?
Must not laugh when tickled with Ewe feathers

These guys REALLY like Audi

On a more serious note, the clip is a well done production that was pretty educational and kind of insipiring – even if it may take itself a little too seriously. And it has a lot of shots of the new Audi A8 which looks very sexy in movie and will probably look even better in person!

I saw this clip from an update posted on Audi’s facebook page – if you are on Facebook be sure to “Like” them as they provide some pretty cool stuff including a monthly contest which I won a few months back. While you’re at it, go ahead and “Like” Nick’s Car Blog on Facebook too – all the cool kids are doing it.

Longer Audi A8 with all-new engine available to order from July 2010

Nick — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 15:19:33 +0000

The latest incarnation of the Audi A8 luxury saloon will be available to order late July 2010 (ships December 2010). With a reworked engine (3 litre, 4.2 litre and 6.3 litre options), an extra 13 cm added to the wheelbase and the body length (all at the rear), and features like heated seats, climate control and electric rear and side window blinds, the emphasis is on passenger comfort and engine power and efficiency.

To keep the weight down, Audi have reserved steel for the safety bars and pillars only. Elsewhere, aluminium has been used, meaning weight-savings of near to 60% compared to an all-steel body.

The largest 6.3 litre engine – extensively modified and exclusive to this new model – is not only compact and light, but offers increased power and torque (500PS and 625 Nm), 0-60 mph in under 5 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph. However it will also do 23mpg – an improvement of 12% on the previous version.

Further efficiency savings have been generated in a number of ways: reducing friction in the chain between engine and wheels; recovering energy via the braking system; a new eight-speed automatic transmission; and a differential that allows substantial torque to be sent to the front (up to 60%) or rear (up to 80%) as required. An option is also available where this can be split further between the rear left and right wheels. Differential, throttle, steering and transmission shift response can all be fine-tuned from the driver’s seat at the touch of a button.

None of this comes at the expense of a smooth ride, thanks to the adaptive shock absorbers and suspension. Furthermore, the extra length means even more comfort for passengers in the back. Wider doors, heated seats and separate climate control for each seat are standard. The 6.3 litre version adds power assisted door closure and fully adjustable individual rear seats.

The cabin combines pure luxury and technical innovation, as you’d expect from a flagship saloon. The navigation system features character-recognition software and a spoken feedback system that allows the driver to use their finger to write a destination (or even phone number) on a touch panel and have it read back to them for confirmation. It also scans the road ahead and feeds data back to the transmission, cruise control and headlights, identifies pedestrians using thermal imaging and gives audio-visual warnings if it considers a situation dangerous. Advanced options will even brake the car automatically if a collision is anticipated.

Guest Post by Victoria Stubbs, Vindis Group. Vindis have four Audi dealerships and also sell quality approved used Audi cars.

Spotted: The Actual Audi R8 Used in Iron Man 2

Nick — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:59:39 +0000

This month’s featured ride is quite the special Audi – it’s the actual movie car used in the production of Iron Man 2! This Tsuzuka Grey Audi R8 Spyder was driven by Robert Downey Jr. aka Tony Stark and when I heard it was going to be in Scottsdale I had to go see it.

The car was on a press tour across the US visiting select dealerships before being sent back to Germany to be destroyed (that tragic life of a press car!), and it wound up at Audi North Scottsdale for a few days. Audi North Scottsdale is my dealership of choice in the Phoenix area, and if you go be sure to talk to Brian McCauley – he’s a fellow Audi enthusiasts himself and drives a wicked Garrett GT28RS big turbo Audi A3 and really knows his stuff – he’s also president of the local Audi Club of North America chapter.

In real life, the Audi R8 Spyder rocks out a 0-60 time of 4.1 seconds with its 525 hp 5.2 liter V10 engine, along with the acclaimed Audi Quattro system and stunning good looks – a suitable machine for a movie’s superhero, no doubt.

And now, more pics!

And the original commercial which you may recognize: