We’re big fans of the Audi A3 here at Overdrive, and the new one looks even better with the new Audi family headlights and front bumpers. We drove the new A5 Cabrio recently with the new Audi face and, in the metal, it looks fantastic.

The new A3 has been quite extensively reworked though, and will feature three reworked engines, for better fuel economy and more power. We reckon pretty soon all cars are going to run on fresh air and produce 1000 horsepower.

There’ll be more engines as the range grows old, but initially you’ll be able to pick from a 1.4 TFSI (122hp) and 1.8 TFSI (180hp) petrol and 2.0-litre TDI (143hp). I’m sure much later we can expect a wilder S3 and a properly bonkers RS3 version as well. The 1.6TDi looks like the winner though, Audi are claiming fuel efficiency of just over 3litres/100km!

The interior has been reworked as well and now features a Star-Trek inspired pop up screen for SatNav and all your media needs. To my eye the interior borrows much from the smaller A1, but that’s no bad thing. Audi is good at pop up screens, the way the screen folds out of the dash of the A8 was a highlight of my year last year. Yes, being a car nerd has its advantages.

Audi’s thrown in a bunch of safety system’s from more expensive models up the range, they range from radar-assisted adaptive cruise control to Audi side assist, Audi active lane assist, traffic sign detection, park assist and the Audi pre sense basic safety system.

We’ll get hold of Audi SA and let you know the South African launch date as soon as we have it.

Press Release

Swiss motor show debut for new compact hatchback which raises the bar with exemplary finish, exceptional technological input and all-new chassis

• All-new three-door A3 model opens for order in spring priced from approximately £19,000 OTR, first deliveries in September
• Features major advances in quality, infotainment and driver assistance technology, efficiency and driver appeal
• Three reworked engines at launch delivering efficiency gains averaging 12 per cent – 1.4 TFSI (122PS) and 1.8 TFSI (180PS) petrol and 2.0-litre TDI (143PS)

The trailblazing Audi hatchback credited with filtering the premium feel-good factor through to the compact class is about to raise the stakes yet again as the all-new A3 debuts in Geneva with an evolutionary new look and revolutionary leaps in quality, technological sophistication and driver appeal. The third generation of the three-door model is the first to break cover in Switzerland, and will open for UK order in spring priced from approximately £19,000 ahead of first deliveries in September.

CO₂ emissions of as little as 99g/km in the new A3 have been made possible with the help of ‘Audi ultra’ lightweight technology, which has enabled it to tip the scales an impressive 80 kg lighter than its predecessor. The aluminium front wings and bonnet help in this regard, and contribute to a class-beating kerb weight of just 1,175kg for the 1.4 TFSI model. In terms of dimensions, the new A3 is virtually identical to its predecessor in length and height at 4,237mm and 1,421mm respectively, but it features a longer 2,601mm wheelbase in the interest of dynamic composure and interior packaging. It is also slightly wider at 1,777mm.

The single-frame radiator grille that is typical of Audi dominates the look of the front end, and as before in higher specification models it is flanked by xenon headlamps with LED daytime running lamps, the latest versions featuring a new ‘clasp-like’ solid band which surrounds more of the lens. These will also be optional for other models, and wherever they are fitted the tail lights will also be equipped with LEDs. In the longer term, full LED headlights will also be available, and will be a first in the compact car segment.

In profile, the pronounced tornado line – a classic element of Audi design – gives structure to the area below the windows, and above the sills a dynamic line rises sharply upward. The gently sloping C-pillars and the roof that sweeps back into a modest spoiler lend the car a distinctly coupe-like air.

At the rear the spoiler edge above the diffuser emphasises the width of the new premium compact, and the inner architecture of the split tail lights is a variation on the headlights’ theme. The tailgate has a sculpted, three-dimensional look, and below it in the diffuser insert are either one or two tailpipes on the left side depending on the engine type.

Innovative interior

The completely redesigned interior of the Audi A3 breaks new ground in the class in terms of quality and design, with standards of materials, workmanship and ergonomics which genuinely push the boundaries at this level. The minimalist ‘floating’ dashboard with its round air vents, elegant climate control panel and redesigned instrument cluster is a highlight, as are the optional 3D colour display for the Driver’s Information System, the ultra-thin electrically retractable MMI monitor and the new electromechanical parking brake which liberates space in the centre console for the optional MMI operating system terminal. In its most sophisticated form – MMI navigation plus with MMI touch – the upper side of the rotary pushbutton in the terminal is designed as a touchpad – another ergonomic innovation. Drivers can input letters and numbers by finger motion as they can in larger Audi models.

Another technical area in which the new Audi A3 will excel is in its new high-performance driver assistance systems. They range from radar-assisted adaptive cruise control to Audi side assist, Audi active lane assist, traffic sign detection, park assist and the Audi pre sense basic safety system.

In the infotainment area too, the latest A3 raises its game significantly with features such as a new optional A3-specific Bang & Olufsen audio system, MMI navigation plus and mobile phone preparation with online services, which brings new ‘real time’ online traffic information and, through a WLAN hotspot, gives passengers access to the Internet while travelling.

Significant efficiency gains

The new Audi A3 will launch with three four-cylinder engines, all of which are essentially new developments. The 1.4-litre and 1.8-litre TFSI engines and the 2.0-litre TDI have outputs of 122PS, 180PS and 143PS respectively. Compared with the previous model, they offer fuel economy improvements averaging 12 per cent.

The 1.8-litre TFSI is linked as standard to a seven-speed S tronic twin-clutch transmission; the 1.4-litre TFSI and 2.0-litre TDI are paired with a six-speed manual gearbox. All engines in this first phase drive the front wheels; quattro permanent all-wheel drive – and further engines, including a 1.4-litre TFSI with innovative cylinder on demand technology – will follow later in 2012.

The completely new A3 chassis has been designed with an optimum balance between comfort, composure and driver appeal in mind. It works with a finely-tuned power steering system with a highly efficient electromechanical drive and an Electronic Stability Program integrating an electronic limited slip differential which makes handling even more fluid and safe at performance limits.

The optional Audi drive select system lets the driver vary the operating characteristics of key components, namely the steering weighting, the throttle response and the transmission shift points (where S tronic is fitted). It can also be upgraded to incorporate control of the optional Audi magnetic ride system with its magnetorheological fluid-filled dampers.

At a glance

The new Audi A3

Design and body

– Sporty-progressive styling with coupe-like lines and long wheelbase,

length 4.24 metres

– Intelligent mixed multi-material construction utilising steel and aluminum

– Weight reduced by 80 kg, kerb weight of Audi A3 1.4 TFSI is just

1,175 kg (2,590.43 lb)

– Optional xenon plus headlights with LED daytime running lights and LED tail lights

Interior

– Spacious interior, load capacity of 365 litres

– Elegant design and exemplary ergonomics, standard and optional graphics in

the DIS display and decorative inlays with various materials

Drivetrain

– At launch, one TDI and two TFSI engines with 122PS to 180PS, all engines have state-of-the-art efficiency technologies

– Power transmission by manual gearbox or S tronic, front-wheel drive at launch,
quattro permanent all-wheel drive later for more powerful engines

– 1.6 TDI delivers 74.3mpg, equivalent to 99 g CO₂/km

– Versions with alternative drive systems such as hybrid, natural gas and

Audi e-gas are currently in development

Chassis

– Alloy wheels, up to 18 inches in size

– Electronic Stability Program with electronic limited slip differential is standard

– Audi drive select vehicle dynamics system and adaptive shock absorbers are
optional 

Features

– Extensive standard features as well as numerous optional enhancements

– Advanced MMI system with MMI touch, ultra-slim, electrically retractable

on-board monitor

– Optional highly advanced driver assistance systems, including Audi adaptive cruise control, further developed park assist and Audi pre sense basic

– Wide range of infotainment components, sound system from Bang & Olufsen, Mobile phone preparation High with Audi connect online services

You want one, don’t you. A Cabriolet. A Droptop. A Convertible. You think it will improve your social life, help you get more out of summer and achieve more sex. You picture yourself whisking your better half away for a dirty weekend, pottering down tree-lined country lanes with the wind in your hair – not a care in the world.

Well, you’re mostly wrong. You do not want a convertible.

Because unless you are partial to wearing hats, and then chasing that hat down the road, you will arrive at your destination sunburnt, in a weird pattern, on your forehead. This will decrease your appeal to the opposite sex and ruin your social life. The very best aircon is ineffective against searing sunlight and warm winds, so you will look like you’ve just lost in five sets against Djokovic. The irony of owning a convertible in South Africa is that the sun is too strong, and in the day time you do have to drive around with the roof up. Which is very similar to the cheaper version of the car you’ve just bought.

I’ve just spent a week with two brand new cabriolets, the new Mercedes Benz SLK 350 AMG, and the Audi A5 Cabriolet. They are both stunning vehicles, and if you have R750 000 and R530 000 respectively, I would recommend them. The new SLK is aggressive and very quick, the new A5 is just about the prettiest modern car I’ve ever seen.

The very loud, very fast Merc SLK 350 with AMG kit.

Both will decapitate themselves very quickly, so you can get it over and done with at the traffic lights. The Mercedes has a wonderful soundtrack which is all the better without a roof. Like certain other beautiful creations, the Audi looks even better topless. But even with fancy new wind deflectors and improved aerodynamics, at anything approaching 100km/h the wind buffeting is quite severe. I know this sounds like a trivial first world problem, but this happens in all convertibles, and it’s something you have to live with, but it is genuinely tiring after a while. And if your hair, or that of your companion, is longer than a crew-cut, it will become knotted and resemble straw.

Luckily, I have devised a solution. The answer to all of this is something I enjoy immensely: a night drive. Convertibles were made for warm nights. There is something epic (and romantic) about driving around with nothing but the stars above you. To solve the hair problem, my better half suggested a good silk scarf, like they used “in the olden days.”

The whole experience is really quite magical.

Ciro De Siena

This article was originally published on www.GQ.co.za dated 23 February 2011.

It’s lighter, faster, more powerful due to blah blah blah technical stuff blah blah stiffer springs blah blah polycarbonate rear window etc. It also costs 193 000 Great British Pounds. Which is quite a bit for an Audi, if we’re honest.

But just look at it.

Dear God.

Gallery after the jump >

Audi R8 V10, Subaru WRX Sport, 2am, Hels Hoogte Pass, Stellenbosch.

These days, the people’s car company makes a car for every person on earth. Volkswagen is now a very big family, having gobbled up Audi, Lamborghini, Bentley, Seat, Skoda and even Bugatti.

"Rohrling" an Audi in a parking lot nowhere near Bedfordview.

Where I’m from “Röhrl” means fight. One might “rawl” in a parking lot or near a lake for instance, occasionally risking one’s life in the process.  Luckily Walter Rohrl wasn’t born in Benoni where he would have been expected to fight inside a cage at Carnival City to live up to his name. He did, however, risk his life in various other ways inside a roll cage for many years.

There’s a few reasons Walter Röhrl’s still alive.  His immense ability behind the wheel being one of the main ones. The fact that he started out as a driver for the Bishops Of Regelensburg  must have scored him a few championship points with God as well, enabling him to stay unusually alive during the Group B era where he drove the audacious Audi Quattro S1.  He famously said to a journo friend of ours that in the S1,” if you had to think, it was too late”.

He was also voted the best rally driver of all time in Italy which further confirms the Vatican’s involvement in his career.  They like their German World Champions fast, and they didn’t come much quicker than Walter Rohrl, who to this day can be found as an official test driver for Porsche around the Nordschliefe.

God. Yesterday.

Röhrl. Parking lot. Etc.

More G-force, vicar?  Witness the spectacle of Walter Röhrl:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyVHj3sHVHQ

www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOzuBOefL8I

Robert Downey  Jr reprises his role as Tony Stark, an eccentric billionaire with an incredible blah blah blah. Explosions, Scarlett Johanson, the jaw-dropping Audi R8 Spyder and a race car being cut in half by a bearded guy with lightning for fingers. We can’t wait.

The R8. To get it sideways, you have to park it like this.

It’s very easy to be cynical about the Audi R8. It has the very same engine as the RS4. It has the same sun-visors as the TT, as well as the same air-con switch gear. And when you’re handed the key there is nothing, not even a little R8 moniker, to distinguish it from, you guessed it, the TT’s keys.

This is all forgotten however when you simply stop for a moment and look at the car. It is quite extraordinary. Modern in every way yet with just the right amount of curves to make sure it retains that absolutely necessary supercar trait: sex appeal. And the R8 has that by the bucketload.

The truth is, you could look like the undercarriage of Al Pacino and still get laid in this car. The effect on people is that awesome and that consistent. No matter where I took this car I received marriage proposals, death threats (only half-jokingly), hearty congratulations, flashing lights and rhythmic hooter songs. In a car like this you become somebody. I don’t quite know who that somebody is, but you definitely cannot avoid being noticed. Not bad for a hunkered-down RS4.

In that sense it is completely unlike any other supercar. A Porsche is about as good as cars get, but how much do you really want to talk to the guy that climbs out of one? And don’t even get me started on Ferraris. They are magnificent to own, of course magnificent to drive, and undoubtedly magnificent to look at (except for the 599). But they are almost always driven by magnificent cocks.

In the R8 your reception is so markedly different that it catches you off guard. People want to talk to you. They want to know about the car; how it goes, how it feels, what the speedo reads at the top (350km/h) and how much it costs.

But that’s the R8’s extrovert side. What is much more interesting and much more satisfying for your R1.5million is its introvert side. The inside of an R8 is a very special place to spend some time.

Sitting in what might just be the world’s most perfectly comfortable car seat and running your fingers over the rim of the steering wheel is a very otherworldly experience. I don’t mean to sound over-awed here but there is an intangible special feeling about this car, something that I imagine was hard to create when you’re also trying to sell volume cars like the A3 and the A4. I’ve sat inside Ferraris and Porsches and almost always felt disappointed, where as in here, I felt like I was floating on my back in a river of 12 year old Glenmorangie.

The interior is just so right. The R22 000 Bang & Olufsen sound system is magical in its powers. I was convinced at one point that the spirit of John Bonham had possessed the dashboard and Robert Plant was sitting next to me in the passenger seat, belting out classics at the peak of his vocal powers.

And then you spot a gap in the traffic and put your foot down. The engine howls. The car squats and leaps forward. Quattro ensures there is no slip whatsoever as the redline approaches and you snatch another gear. 2nd gear brings up 110km/h and 3rd gear 140. This is fast, but it’s never scary.

The R8’s 309kW are blighted by its weight. This is a solid, heavy car, downplayed and blunted by infighting at VW HQ. Audi planned to use the V10 in here, Lamborghini reportedly said no. After all, what’s the point of buying the Gallardo at twice the price if the R8 can pull off all of its tricks? Good news though, the Gallardo has been scrapped and is going bigger, possibly to V12 level, and the R8 is getting the V10 it so desperately deserves and needs. As well as a 4.2 litre twin-turbo V8 diesel in 2010. Yip, the V12 has been scrapped.

The R8 remains, first and foremost, a supercar, and I’ll take no arguments there. There are many reasons for this, chief of which is the gearchange. Once you have sampled the manual gearbox in this car it’s difficult to argue for anything else. Manically precise, all of it created from solid blocks of steel and tweaked and tuned for what must have been 10 000 Germanic man hours, this is the most astonishing setup of any car I’ve ever driven. Slamming home another gear becomes an addiction, a symphony of metal-on-metal as the engine dips and breathes for a millisecond before singing and screaming all the way back up the rev range.

Driving this car is an event. In many ways, it’s like a comfy, elegant space trip to another world. A world where power is controllable and at your command, a world where mechanics and the sounds thereof become part of your inner space, part of your thought processes until you’re lost to this world; a distant being in a far away place.

All it takes is another car full of 23 year old men, with camera cellphones in hand and hooters hooting to bring you back, and remind you that you’re driving an event. It’s sort of understandable; there are only 30 of these things in the whole country. Still, driving the R8 in the crazed and hyped-up status that currently surrounds it is like resurrecting Pavarotti and staging a street concert.

For many reasons, I can’t be cynical about the R8, as much as I’d like to. Yes, it is a shameless halo car at the top of an ever-improving line up, from a car manufacturer that makes no bones about the fact that it is chasing BMW for first place in the exclusive-segment. Indeed, this should have been the car that BMW built.

And you know what, I just don’t care. Audi has given 7 year olds the world over a new poster car. They’ve taken the goal-posts that defined everyday supercars and strapped them to the space shuttle. Who knows how long it will take for Mercedes and BMW to work out where they land. That said, it seems Nissan may have worked it out already with their GT-R.

What remains at the core of all of this is that Audi have excelled. They have built a fantastically good car, in the old romantic sense of the word. A car where production will never keep up with demand. A car that will make Audi owners proud and everyone else rethink whichever brand they’ve just bought into. It’s the best billboard ever.

And I’m all for that. Car manufacturers need to stop the gimmicks, the advertising schlock and just build better cars. That way we all win: consumers get better cars and car manufacturers get chumps like me waxing lyrical about their creations. Super.

Ciro De Siena

Script: So are the days of our Uneventfulness
Season: 43
Cast: Mike Horn, Tina Hope, Cassidy Parker

CUE INTRO MUSIC and TITLE SEQUENCE

Like leaves blowing by on a gentle wind with absolutely nothing happening to them, so are The Days Of Our Uneventfulness.

EXTERIOR: NIGHT

Open on a well appointed study. A man, CALLAGHAN PIFARETTI enters. He is STILL MARRIED and has never HAD AN AFFAIR with anyone. Ever. In fact, he doesn’t know what AFFAIR MEANS. HE isn’t particularly DASHING or SMART. He fixes himself a scotch (which is actually apple juice in a decanter) and stares out of the bay window. In the courtyard below he sees absolutely NOTHING out of the ordinary.

His wife enters and tells him that the company is running smoothly, and there are NO HOSTILE TAKEOVERS from men with poorly executed pseudo-European accents and moustaches.

He asks how his brother Blaise, WHO HAS NEVER DISAPPEARED and will not TURN UP IN A LATER EPISODE AS A SHADOWY FIGURE PROTECTING HIS IDENTITY THROUGH A SERIES OF POORLY THOUGHT-OUT DISGUISES is doing. He is absolutely fine and has no DNA pregnancy cases against him she says.

A dark stranger who is NOT FROM either of their pasts enters the room to inform them that no-one has been possessed by demons and that their daughter’s yachting trip with the prince, who is actually a prince, has gone by very uneventfully.

– — –

This, in essence is the Audi R8: A soap opera with absolutely no drama. If you want drama, buy a Ferrari. I think I saw the ESP traction light flick on once and that was going through a bend on Hel’s Hoogte pass very, very rapidly. There was a bump in the middle of the apex that jumped the car a little to the left, and in the blink of an eye it had rectified itself and just continued macheteing through the corner.

It also is the opposite of a supercar in that when people see you in a Ferrari, or Porsche made after 1999 or an illegal stripper funded Koenigsegg, they are actually filled with joy as opposed to disdain. Entire neighbouroods will spill onto the street to look at the R8. It’s accessible from from every angle.

I just wish they had a better key. And a start button. And a plot that frightened you a little. Kept you fascinated, because the R8 won’t. Long after the sedated thrill of it wears off you’ll wish you had been a little more adventurous- a little more risky. But you weren’t. You have, at the end of the fiscal year bought an Audi. The best Audi on the planet. But an Audi, nonetheless.