Audi TT to Debut at Geneva Show, May Spawn Crossover Version Inspired by Detroit Concept

Audi will reveal the new TT at the Geneva Motor Show in March and the model will go on sale later this year, Audi technical chief Ulrich Hackenberg said at the Detroit Auto Show.

Hackenberg confirmed that the production Audi TT Coupe will closely follow the design of the Allroad Shooting Brake concept unveiled in Detroit. Furthermore, the executive said there is potential in the future for a TT crossover model very similar to the concept.

“There is a trend for crossovers, shooting brakes and Allroad models, and we combined the TT with these concepts,” Hackenberg was quoted as saying by Autocar. “The TT has more potential now than in its history. It can be different concepts and segments. A more rugged TT definitely has potential, yes,” the executive added.

The Allroad Shooting Brake is 4,200mm (165 in) long, 1,850mm (73 in) wide and 1,410mm (55.5 in) tall, with a wheelbase of 2,510mm (99 in), which make it roughly the same size as a TT – minus the extra millimeters of height. Audi says the study combines visual elements of future sports car models (the TT) with the Allroad concept and shooting brake car body form.

The Audi Allroad Shooting Brake concept features a hybrid powertrain producing a total of 402 hp (408PS) and 650 Nm (479 lb-ft) of torque. The study can hit 100 km/h (62 mph) from a standstill in 4.6 seconds and has an electronically-limited top speed of 250 km/h. Fuel economy is rated at 1.9 l/100 km (123.8 mpg US) according to the ECE standard. Total driving range is up to 820 km (509 miles).

By Dan Mihalascu

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Do You Think a TT Shooting Brake Crossover is a Good or a Bad Idea?

As with many automotive press releases these days, there's a lot of mumbo jumbo coming out of Audi about its new Allroad Shooting Brake Concept that's on display at the Detroit auto show, but it all boils down to this: this is a study for a shooting brake-bodied version of the next TT with a crossover flair.

If you remove the "Allroad" elements and swap the top for a swoopy coupe roofline, what's left is pretty much the new generation TT that will be released later this year.

The VW Group in general, has been toying around with the idea of a coupe or coupe-ish sporty crossover for quite some time now – the Audi Nanuk Quattro and Italdesign Parkour concepts are the most recent, though, both were far more extreme than the Allroad Shooting Brake seen here.

So, what would you say to a production variant closely based on this concept; is there any point to a vehicle like this?

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Official: Audi’s Allroad Shooting Brake Concept Features 402HP Hybrid Powertrain

Audi has officially lifted the veils off its Detroit Auto Show concept car, the Allroad Shooting Brake. While the carmaker hasn’t released additional photos to those featured in our earlier story, it has revealed full technical details about the car.

The crossover features a hybrid powertrain mated to an all-wheel-drive system, called the e-Tron Quattro. The hybrid system consists of a 2.0-liter turbocharged petrol engine producing 288 hp and 380 Nm (280 lb-ft) of torque and two electric motors. A disc-shaped motor with 40kW (54 hp) and 270 Nm (199 lb-ft) is linked to the petrol engine via a decoupling clutch and is integrated in the six-speed e-S tronic gearbox.

The second electric motor is mounted on the rear axle and is separated from the drive unit. With a maximum power of 85kW (114hp) and 270 Nm (199 lb-ft) of torque, the motor supplies propulsive power at low and moderate vehicle speeds, as well as when the hybrid management system decides that all-wheel drive is necessary. Finally, an 8.8 kWh lithium-ion battery consisting of eight modules located just forward of the rear axle allows for 50 km (31 miles) of all-electric driving.

Thanks to a total system output of 402 hp (408PS) and 650 Nm (479 lb-ft) of torque, the Audi Allroad Shooting Brake can hit 100 km/h (62 mph) from a standstill in 4.6 seconds and has an electronically-limited top speed of 250 km/h. Fuel economy is rated at 1.9 l/100 km (123.8 mpg US) according to the ECE standard. Total driving range is up to 820 km (509 miles).

The Allroad Shooting Brake is 4,200mm (165 in) long, 1,850mm (73 in) wide and 1,410mm (55.5 in) tall, with a wheelbase of 2,510mm (99 in). Audi says the study combines visual elements of future sports car models (most likely the TT) with the Allroad concept and shooting brake car body form.

Another element that is relevant for future production Audis is the digital user interface, which will be featured in the 2015 Audi TT.

By Dan Mihalascu

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Audi's Compact Crossover Concept Breaks Cover, Looks Like a Shooting Brake-Style TT on Stilts

Only a few days before its grand premiere at the 2014 Detroit motor Show, photos of the new Audi Compact Crossover have surfaced online.

While Audi didn't say anything about a production model in its previous release on the car, after looking at these photos and seeing how its design and details in general are much closer to a production than a concept vehicle, one can't but wonder about what the future holds for this study.

Ingolstadt has said that the concept's styling "combines a host of visual elements from future models with the Audi-typical allroad concept and independent 'Shooting Brake' body style", to which we agree, adding that we also see a lot of elements from the TT line, both on the exterior and the dashboard that's almost identical to the cutout of the 2015 TT currently on display at CES.

Roughly around the same size as an A3 hatchback, the Compact Crossover comes with a e-tron labeled hybrid powertrain, full details of which should follow in the coming days.

Photos: Audi via Autowp

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Audi Puts Laser Lights on the Sport Quattro Concept for CES 2014

Audi will bring an updated version of its Sport Quattro Concept at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas (January 6-10).

To justify the display of an existing study at the show, the carmaker has fitted it with laser headlights and has painted it in a new Plasma Red color. The rest of the car looks just like the concept that was first shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show last year.

The study’s dual headlights showcase the future of lighting technology by combining matrix LED and laser light technologies. Two low-profile trapezoidal elements are visible within the headlights – the outer one generates the low beam light using matrix LEDs and an aperture mask, while the inner element produces laser light for high-beam functionality.

The laser diodes are significantly smaller than LED diodes, having a diameter of only a few microns. Furthermore, they illuminate the road for a distance of nearly 500 meters (1,640 feet), about twice the lighting range and three times the luminosity of LED high beam lights. For the moment, Audi says it will use the system on the race track in the 2014 R18 e-tron quattro.

On the inside, the show car sports the same dashboard and controls, while under the bonnet there’s the same hybrid powertrain pairing a 552hp (560PS) 4.0-liter turbocharged V8 engine with a 148hp (150PS) electric motor. Combined system output is 691 hp (700PS) and 800Nm (590 lb-ft) and is transmitted to all four wheels via an 8-speed tiptronic gearbox.

Audi says the Sport Quattro Laserlight concept averages 2.5 liters/100 km (94.09 US mpg), equivalent to CO2 emissions of 59 g/km. The Sport Quattro Concept accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62mph) in 3.7 seconds and reaches a top speed of 305 km/h (190 mph).

By Dan Mihalascu

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