Heffner Performance Audi R8 Twin Turbo

Heffner is going for a factory look and feel with their twin turbo system. They want customers to get more than what the standard car offers but without feeling like they had visited a backyard garage mechanic to achieve that.

At the moment the car is said to run 6PSI and an 11.8 to 1 air/fuel ratio. It kicks out 536 rear wheel hp but should attain about 600rwhp after drinking 100 octane fuel. Heffner reckons these changes will give it a quarter mile time in the high 10 second range.

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Senner Tuning Audi Q7 W12

Senner Tuning of Germany has unveiled its tuning package for the Audi Q7 4.2 FSI that helps the SUV to produce 374 hp.

At the exterior, the Senner Tuning Audi Q7 features bodykit taken from the Q7 V12 TDI such as the bumpers, side skirts, wheel arch extension and the grille. The SUV also features LED daytime running lights from the Audi S6.

The suspension system has been upgraded with a lowering module that lowers the SUV by 40 mm. The Audi Q7 stands on 22-inch “RS Silver” wheels wrapped with Goodyear high-performance tires.



The Senner Tuning Audi Q7 is powered by a 4.2-liter V8 FSI engine that produces 374 hp and 470 Nm of maximum torque, an increase of 24 hp and 30 Nm from the stock. It is reported that the Q7 sprints from 0 to 60 mph in less than 7 seconds.

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Audi e-Tron on Sale in 2012, Limited to 1000 Units

Audi has confirmed that that Audi R8 e-Tron electric supercar will be produced and that sales begin in 2012. Pricing is said to be higher than the R8.

According to Autocar, only 1,000 units will be built for the entire world market, making the car one of Audi's limited models. All e-Trons are to be made to order and if the 1,000-run does not sell out then production will cease.



"Electric cars are usually city cars," Achim Badstubner, Audi's head of exterior design told Autocar, "but this is difficult because batteries are so expensive, limiting their competitiveness."

The Audi e-Tron was first publically unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. It has a total of four electric motors on each wheel and offers a system output of 230kW (313hp) and maximum torque of 4,500Nm. The quoted 0 - 100km/h time is 4.8 seconds while top speed is 200km/h (124mph). A range of around 248km (154 mi) is expected from a full battery.

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Audi Pikes Peak TTS

The Audi Pikes Peak TTS is nicknamed "Shelley" by the Stanford DDL after Michele Mouton, arguably the most successful female rally driver to date who played a significant part in Audi's racing history.

Goal
To collaborate with Stanford to build an autonomous vehicle capable of completing the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in a reasonable time using rally driving techniques.

Team:
Volkswagen Electronics Research Lab
Convert a vehicle to drive by wire, develop a safety architecture to ensure a reliable autonomous drive with no safety driver, and implement Stanford's control algorithms on a system jointly developed with Sun Microsystems.



Stanford Dynamics Design Lab
Develop robust control algorithms that enable the vehicle to drive at the limits of handling on a variety of surfaces, and lets it complete the Pikes Peak course.

Sun Microsystems
Specify a hardware platform that can run Stanford's real time algorithms and develop a framework that enables Real Time Java to the vehicle CAN system.

Vehicle:
Make and model: 2009 Audi TTS
Engine: 2.0L Turbocharged I4 DOHC
Transmission: 6-Speed S tronic automatic transmission
Fuel Consumption: City: 21 mpg
Highway: 29 mpg
Combined: 24
Power: 265 hp & 6000 rpm1
Torque: 258 lb-ft. @ 2500 – 5000 rpm
Top speed: 155 (249km/h),
Acceleration: 0-60mph: 4.9sec
Weight incl. sensor: ~ 1470kg.

Drive-By-Wire:
Steering: Modified "APA-BS" (Axially Parallel Actuation-Braun-Schweig), a new production electric power steering system with direct by-wire control through custom ERL Electronics.
Throttle: Electronics from VW ERL reproduce signals to emulate a driver pressing on the throttle.
Brakes: Active brake booster from Continental with by-wire control through ERL Electronics.
Gear: Modification of signals exchanged between transmission and gear shifter using custom ERL electronics on production hardware.
Parking brake: Use of stock electric parking brake from VW Passat through a custom ERL electronic interface utilized on Junior.

Safety:
In addition to multiple redundant systems for vehicle control, and emergency shutdown the Pikes Peak TTS has a Solaris based system running a Java RTS system monitor that can perform a vehicle shutdown if it determines conditions have become unsafe.

As a backup solution, the vehicle includes a telemetry system that can transmit all vehicle parameters to a receiving station up to 20 miles away which can also shut down the vehicle remotely, or order the safety systems to engage and bring the car to a controlled stop.

Sensors:
The Pikes Peak TTS utilizes an Applanix POS LV420 GPS and Inertial Measurement Unit to measure its position.

Vehicle Control:
Hardware:
Two independent systems are being used in the Pikes Peak TTS, the initial controller development is being done on an XPC target using Matlab and Simulink which are the standard research tools from Stanford's DDL. The final vehicle controls are being run on ruggedized custom built solutions running a Core2Duo CPU and Solaris operating system that is being developed in collaboration with Sun Microsystems.

Software:
The Stanford University Dynamics Design Lab is developing cutting edge control algorithms that look to optimize the ability to control the vehicle under the most demanding circumstances. As these algorithms are finalized they will be merged into a new framework being developed at the ERL based that shares many components with other ERL Autonomous driving projects.

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AVUS released 460ho Audi TT-RS

Avus Performance has unveiled a new tuning package for the Audi TT-RS. Dubbed the "new Ur-Quattro," the car features a modified ECU, a revised turbocharger, and a high performance exhaust system with racing catalysts. While this doesn't sound like much, the changes enable the 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine to produce 460 bhp and more than 472 lb-ft (639 Nm) of torque. With all the performance parts added, the car now able to accelerate from 0 to 100km/h in 3.8 seconds and record a top speed at 312km/h.

For comparison, the standard TT-RS "only" has 340 hp and 332 lb-ft (450 Nm) of torque. It runs from 0-60 mph in 4.6 seconds, before topping out at an electronically limited 155 mph (250km/h). Avus also equipped the car with an adjustable coilover suspension (€1299), a matt black vinyl wrap (€1999), and gloss black 20-inch Sportec Mono wheels outfitted with 255/30/20 Hankook S1 Evo tires.

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