Audi Motor Sports

Audi is one of the best known supercars.
Over the years, Audi has been actively involved in motor sports. The participation of Audi into motor sports dates back to 1930’s with their former company the Auto Union. The Audis dominated the Touring and Super Touring categories of motor racing in the 1990’s.
The four wheel drive Quattro, launched by the company in 1980 was successful in winning rallies and races worldwide. The Quattro is one of the first cars to make use of the new rules of rally racing then, which allowed the use of four-wheel drives for racing. However, the critics saw the four-wheel races as too heavy and difficult. The Quattro gained significant success in the World Rally Championship winning the 1983 (Hannu Mikkola} and the 1984 {Stig Bolmquist) drivers titles. The Quattro also got home the manufactures title in 1982 and 1984.



In 1984, Audi launched the short-wheelbase Sport Quattro. This car dominated the races in Monte Carlo and Sweden, by taking all the podium places. Audi also received the rally honors in the Honk Kong to Beijing rally in the same year. Michele Mouton is the only race driver to win a round of World Rally Championship and a driver for Audi. In 1985, Michele raced the S1 in the Pike Peaks and set a record of 11.25.39. She is the first woman to set a Pike Peak record. Walter Rohrl claimed a title for the company setting a new Pikes Peak International Hill Climb record of 10:47:85 in the Audi S1. The Audi S1 employs a 5-cylinder turbo charged engine and generates over 600hp (447kW). The S1 serves as the bas for all the S models of the company. The company entered the Trans American Racing in the year 1988. In 1989, Audi moved to International Motor Sport Association (IMSA GTO).




Touring Races
The company was successful in marketing and selling its cars in the United States of America. In the 1990’s Audi returned to Europe. The company began racing into the super touring series. The company participated in the French Supertourisme and Italian Supertourisme. The company also participated in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC). The Federation International de Automobile (FIA) faced difficulties in regulating the Quattro four-wheel drive system and the impact it had on the competitors, which eventually led to the ban on use of four-wheel drives for competitions. The company then started focusing on the sports car racing. The company raced with their RS4 in the Audi is one of the best known supercars.



Over the years, Audi has been actively involved in motor sports. The participation of Audi into motor sports dates back to 1930’s with their former company the Auto Union. The Audis dominated the Touring and Super Touring categories of motor racing in the 1990’s.
The four wheel drive Quattro, launched by the company in 1980 was successful in winning rallies and races worldwide. The Quattro is one of the first cars to make use of the new rules of rally racing then, which allowed the use of four-wheel drives for racing. However, the critics saw the four-wheel races as too heavy and difficult. The Quattro gained significant success in the World Rally Championship winning the 1983 (Hannu Mikkola} and the 1984 {Stig Bolmquist) drivers titles. The Quattro also got home the manufactures title in 1982 and 1984.



In 1984, Audi launched the short-wheelbase Sport Quattro. This car dominated the races in Monte Carlo and Sweden, by taking all the podium places. Audi also received the rally honors in the Honk Kong to Beijing rally in the same year. Michele Mouton is the only race driver to win a round of World Rally Championship and a driver for Audi. In 1985, Michele raced the S1 in the Pike Peaks and set a record of 11.25.39. She is the first woman to set a Pike Peak record. Walter Rohrl claimed a title for the company setting a new Pikes Peak International Hill Climb record of 10:47:85 in the Audi S1. The Audi S1 employs a 5-cylinder turbo charged engine and generates over 600hp (447kW). The S1 serves as the bas for all the S models of the company. The company entered the Trans American Racing in the year 1988. In 1989, Audi moved to International Motor Sport Association (IMSA GTO).
Touring Races
The company was successful in marketing and selling its cars in the United States of America. In the 1990’s Audi returned to Europe. The company began racing into the super touring series. The company participated in the French Supertourisme and Italian Supertourisme. The company also participated in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC). The Federation International de Automobile (FIA) faced difficulties in regulating the Quattro four-wheel drive system and the impact it had on the competitors, which eventually led to the ban on use of four-wheel drives for competitions. The company then started focusing on the sports car racing. The company raced with their RS4 in the Speed World GT Challenge. Few of the races allowed the use of four-wheel drives and thus enabled the Quattro to dominate as the Champion.
Sports Car Racing
Audi entered the 24-hour Le-Mans races in the year 1999. In 2003 two Bentley Speed 8s, with Audi engines competed the GTP and finished in top two positions. These cars were loaned to the fellow Volkswagen Group then. In the 2005, Le-Mans two R8s entered along with an R8 from the Audi PlayStation Team Oreca. Audi continues its active participation in the 24i Hour Le- Mans.. Few of the races allowed the use of four-wheel drives and thus enabled the Quattro to dominate as the Champion.

The Future 2009 Honda Pilot - A True Performer

The next-generation Honda is ready to roll. The 2009 Honda Pilot is aggressive, clean, a true performer and has an interior that’s bursting with comfort and convenience. It emphasizes authentic SUV styling, clever and more accommodating interior packaging and advanced technologies for safety, fuel efficiency and convenience.

The 2009 Honda Pilot has a new styling gaining passenger and cargo space. This midsize crossover sports utility vehicle (SUV) provides seating for eight persons with 60/40 split folding benches in the second and third rows. It is one inch wider and gains three inches in overall length and wheelbase. Available in LX, EX, EX-L, and upscale Touring models, the Pilot comes with front-wheel driver or all-wheel drive.
Its has a 250-hp 3.5-liter V6 and a 5-speed automatic transmission. All Pilots get Honda's Variable Cylinder Management cylinder deactivation, which shuts down cylinders while cruising to save fuel. The AWD models have a switch that can lock in a 50/50 front/rear power split.
Some of the standard safety features include ABS, traction control, antiskid system, front side airbags, and curtain side airbags. A power tailgate, front/rear obstacle detection, Bluetooth cell-phone link, and optional navigation system with rear-view camera are exclusive to Touring models. The DVD entertainment is optional on EX-L and Touring.

Paris Motor Show 2008 - a Must Visit for Auto Lovers!

Stealing the limelight at the 2008 Paris Motor Expo are the 'Concept Cars' from different auto makers. These are most talked about cars that will attract the maximum visitors especially the common public for whom the expo will open from 04th October. One of the largest motor show of auto industry opened in Paris on 2nd of October, 2008. Covering 360 marquees from 25 countries, this auto expo unveils 90 new models of cars from Honda, General motors, Toyota, Nissan, Peugeot, Citroen and other major industry players.From hybrids, fuel savers, eco friendly to electro-cars, there is a lot to be displayed. 'Go small & green' is the latest trend that is showcased in the range of cars to be exhibited by the automobile manufacturers.Organized by COMEXPO Paris that is a subsidiary of the Comite des Expositions de Paris, this show is believed to pull in more than 1 million visitors. The stats reveal that it had attracted around 1.43 million people in the last motor show held in 2006. Those Who Would Visit The Show Or Might Be Interested In It Are -
Major Automobile Players
Automobile Professionals
High-net-worth families & individuals
Executives & Businessmen
Overseas Buyers
Corporate Buyers – CEOs
Automobile Engineers/ Technicians
Media & Press

Porsche Snubs Detroit Auto Show

Porsche AG said last Monday it will pull out of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the largest in the United States industry, in favor of marketing efforts that more directly reach potential buyers. The luxury sports car manufacturer intends to concentrate on shows where it has more customers. The automaker plans to focus on shows in regions where it has more customers, spokesman Tony Fouladpour said.
Fouladpour said that Porsche gets better results when it spends its marketing dollars getting prospective customers into vehicles - such as at performance-driving lessons held at local dealerships than at events such as auto shows. "People are much more apt to buy if they drive the cars," he added.

Instead of having displays at many auto shows, Porsche decided to put a greater emphasis on personal marketing activities, such as local events where customers can test drive vehicles, said Fouladpour. "What we find typically is that the more people drive our cars, the more likely they are to buy them," he noted.
In 2006, Porsche sold 290 cars in Michigan, compared with 8,827 in California, 4,177 in Florida and 2,172 in New York. The decision is not intended as a snub to Detroit and the region, said Fouladpour, noting that Porsche is supporting the revived Grand Prix race later this year.
The North American office of Porsche said that it is re-evaluating its presence at traditional auto shows and wants to focus resources on interacting directly with potential Porsche customers to offer efficient performance like the Flowtech. "As a media showcase for new products, the Detroit auto show is clearly the premier international auto show in North America," said David Pryor, the company's vice president of marketing, in a statement. "Still, as Porsche strives to seek new, more personal ways to directly reach out and communicate to its potential customer base we need to look beyond the traditional consumer auto show - even ones that are highly renowned in the industry. For us, this is a strategic business decision that allows us to allocate our limited marketing resources more effectively."
The German automaker said that over the past two years or so, it has cut back from exhibiting at 23 North American auto shows to participating in nine such events. The news did not produce any buzz at Monday's golf outing for members of the Detroit Automobile Dealers Association who are also sponsors of the North American International Auto Show.
"There were no comments at all," said Carl Galeana, a Chrysler dealer and senior co-chairman of the 2008 auto show. "Porsche has been very, very good to us over the years. It's strictly a strategic marketing decision and I certainly respect it." Galeana said taht, if anything, Porsche's withdrawal is a chance for other auto show exhibitors to spread out. "It's a great opportunity for us."
Galeana said that he regrets Porsche's decision to leave and would welcome it back for future shows. The show is run by the Detroit Auto Dealers Association. "It's a shame because they're an iconic brand, but we respect their decision," Galeana said. "Certainly, they leave as friends. We hope to get them back someday.” Accordingly, next year Porsche in North America will only appear at trade shows in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and Toronto.
The Detroit Auto Dealers Association has been pushing for a new or the expanded Cobo Center to host the show, but Porsche's departure is unrelated, he said. "I would love to say if we had more space Porsche wouldn't have left," Galeana said. "That really isn't the case. This is a marketing decision based on their sales."