Audi S4 Tuned by ABT Sportsline - 425 HP

First release we know about, it's the new Audi S4 (2010) with a supercharged V6 engine.
One of the first companies who managed to tune S4 is Abt Sportsline, Germany’s largest VW/Audi tuner and they did not disappoint...

Output has been increased from the stock 333HP to 425HP and torque also gets a significant bump from 325 ft-lbs to 384 ft-lbs. New Audi’s incredible seven-speed DSG gearbox, the sprint to 62 mph (100km/h) takes just 4.6 seconds instead of stock Audi S4 - 5.1 seconds

Official:

1. ABT Sportsline 2009 – press release CW29
2. ABT S4 – the sports machine

ABT POWER even makes the already quick Audi S4 faster. Although the V6 compressor with three litre cubic capacity is already very sporty with its 333 HP (245kW), anyone who wants even more dynamism and torque can obtain a super sports car with the ABT S4: the decent-elegant car then brings 435 HP or 320 kW onto the road. And the additional 102 horsepower, which are employed in the ABT S4, suit the car extremely well in terms of nutrition: it achieves 0-100km/h in 4.6 seconds, while in the series standard this takes 5.1 seconds. A half a second difference is an eternity for high-performance vehicles of this kind. The top speed is 282 km/h – and that is 32 km/h more than the Audi S4. This is because the engine, tuned by ABT Sportsline, is, of course, supplied without a V-max limit.

The torque of the engine optimised in Allgäu also appears to be as strong as an ox: instead of 440 Nm now 520 Nm are available – an increase of around 19 percent. As a result the 3.0 TFSI gets to work powerfully in any situation. The extra performance brings additional driving enjoyment and shows its superiority in practically all seven gears of the DSG gearbox. The consumption – and thereby the environmental pollution – is, however, no greater than with the series engine. On the other hand the driving-dynamic difference is revealed on main roads and motorways, as because the ABT S4 does everything even better, it is sportier. Capable of a powerful acceleration to top speed, the six cylinders now get to business. The Allgäu tuner recommends the 4-pipe sports exhaust unit and the ABT AR or BR wheels as fitting supplements to the power image of the car. The smart “round pieces” are available in sizes from 18 to 20 inches and can be supplied with fitting sports tires.

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2010 Jaguar XJ Official

The all-new Jaguar XJ made its official debut at the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea, London. The car is now available for order and prices for UK starts from £52,500 for the standard wheelbase 3.0-liter V6 diesel luxury.

The 2010 XJ is the first Jaguar model built on Jaguar’s aerospace-inspired aluminum body technology. It will be available with a choice of new ultra-efficient Gen III petrol and diesel engines: 3.0-liter V6 diesel, 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V8 and 5.0-liter supercharged V8.

Jaguar will offer both standard and long-wheelbase versions, the last one adding an extra 125mm of legroom. Also all the latest Jaguar technologies will make their way into the new model: air suspension, Adaptive Dynamics (continuously variable damping), Active Differential Control and quick-ratio power steering.

The XJ's rear graphic is completely unlike any Jaguar we can recall, with a simple, sheer dropoff in the trunklid (under which you'll find a vast 18.4 cubic-foot trunk), a pair of tapering vertical LED taillamps, a sizable metal leaper and nicely integrated exhaust outlets. In person, if anything, the rear end feels a bit Gallic or Italian, reminding alternatively of the Citroen C6 or perhaps the Lancia Thesis. Of minor note for American customers, the car's license cutout was clearly designed with Europe's longer, thinner number plates in mind, and we suspect that their U.S. counterparts will protrude unflatteringly below the bottom edge of the bumper (we suspect our plates are going to look a bit awkward up front, too). Perhaps more than any other view, the XJ's rear aspect is the one that translates least well to photographs, but it fits well in person, even if it will take a bit of time to get used to. Either way, with a .29 cD, officials reckon it's the most aerodynamic Jaguar ever built.

At the background event, we were given the chance to see the XJ in several different shades of paint, and the design has real presence. It looks particularly sensational in black, where it could pass for Bruce Wayne's limo in some Anglicized futurethink Gotham City. Lighter colors bring out the surface detailing more, but in that ebony shade, the darkened rear pillar ceases to become a controversial detail, the panoramic roof blends in, and the whole car looks at once fantastically menacing and impossibly upscale. Democratize this.

While we'll have to wait to get behind the wheel to assure that the driving experience and everyday usability of the technology is there, our first impressions left us mightily impressed. Far from representing "the democratization of luxury," not only does this XJ appear to be the measure of its German competitors, it may well play as a strong foil for higher-end offerings like the Maserati Quattroporte and perhaps even more overtly sporting propositions like the Porsche Panamera. And while we haven't entirely stopped worrying about our friends in Coventry, there's more reason than ever to think that the Leaping Cat's claws are sharp once again.

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