2010 Audi S4

2010 Audi S4

At the Geneva Motor Show this coming March, Audi will pull the curtain back to reveal its new A1 compact model. While Europeans will have the option of purchasing the car afterwards, Americans will have no such luxury as Audi of America President Johan de Nysschen feels the American market is not yet ripe for such a vehicle; he feels that that such a move will damage efforts to build brand recognition and compete head-to-head with BMW and Mercedes-Benz. After spending a week with the 2010 Audi S4, we can say with confidence that Audi is fast on its way to becoming a substantial player in the game that is currently dominated by BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

2011 Audi TTS

 
2011 Audi TTS
EPA estimated fuel economy city/highway: Automatic – 21 mpg/29 mpg
MSRP with destination: $47,475
We already established the Volkswagen Golf is a good choice for fuel economy and we also pointed out the best method for increasing efficiency is through weight loss with the Mazda2. It makes sense to include the Golf’s lighter aluminum cousin, the Audi TTS. Not only is it an incredible performance car, but it happens to be one of the most efficient as well.
Take the floor pan from the Golf, slice off the front end, and replace it with aluminum components and you have the basis for the TTS. Now take the already potent turbocharged and direct-injected 2.0-liter I-4 out of the GTI and slap on a bigger turbo and intercooler for a grand total of 265 horsepower, then channel it through an S tronic twin-clutch transmission (with launch control!) driving all four wheels and you have a recipe for efficient performance. While 29 highway mpg is nowhere near diesel numbers, it’s pretty impressive for a car that does 0-60 mph in less than 5 seconds and has an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph.