Audi fans tempted by fastest TT ever

HOW much horsepower should Audi's TT coupe be allowed to handle?

The answer, Audi, reckons, is a thumping 360bhp - more than a Lotus Evora or a Porsche 911 Carrera - which British buyers will be able to check out for themselves when the latest model, the TT RS Plus arrives later this summer.

A spokesman for the German company said: "The resulting 360bhp and 465 newton metres of torque can be channelled to the quattro all-wheel-drive system through either a six-speed manual gearbox or the seven-speed S tronic twin-clutch transmission.

"With the latter installed, the TT RS Plus Coupe catapults from rest to 62mph in just 4.1 seconds to the tune of an addictively full-bodied five-cylinder growl, closely followed by the Roadster, which needs 4.2 seconds. The top speed is limited to 174mph."

However, it's also the most expensive TT to date, and you'll need a cool £48,945 to get your hands - that's nearly £4,000 more than the standard, less powerful TT RS. The RS Plus version is available to order from Audi's showrooms now.

Fire up the... Audi A1

IF you've got a hankering for history then you'll know the A1 isn't Audi's first attempt to crack the small car nut.

More than thirty years ago the engineers in Ingolstadt created a well-crafted three door hatchback to take on the likes of Renault's 5 and Fiat's 127, but when sister company Volkswagen created its own version the first generation of supermini buyers flocked to the cheaper car instead. It's a top bit of pub trivia; the very first Volkswagen Polo was a rebadged Audi.

You might be more familiar with the similarly ill-fated A2, Audi's innovative and beautifully built answer to the Mercedes A-Class, but the company are hoping it'll be third time lucky with their latest effort. Thanks to the MINI and the Fiat 500 premium small cars are all the rage, and the A1 wants a slice of the action.

The first thing you'll note is that it strays away from the deliberately retro touches of its rivals and goes for a much more modern style, looking more like a smaller A3 embellished with some neat touches like the silver roof pillars and the headlights which curve around the front corners of the car. It's a smartly-styled thing, and it's the same story when you move onto the sophisticated and well-crafted interior.

It's just a shame that the trade-off for polished looks is poor packaging, with the the rear accommodation in particular feeling dark and claustrophobic, while the boot is smaller than many of its supermini rivals and hampered by a high sill. If you're taken though with the A1's looks, build quality and badge value, these are small gripes you'll easily overlook.

But I couldn't - at least with the 1.4 TFSI Sport version I tried - forgive its ride, which is unbelievably hard. Yes, the A1 handles corners sweetly enough, but everywhere else it crashes and bangs over bumps and potholes, while the seven-speed automatic makes for jerkier progress than you might expect. While I'd hope it's a problem confined to just the particular version I tried, I can't recommend something with a ride that hard.

Besides, you can take the same basic ingredients of the A1 and successfully make them sporty in another car I actually enjoyed.

Tune in next week to find out what it is...

I finally found a car at SEMA with see through acrylic rims... and with a chrome paint, and color changing lights in the rims, side scoops, and grills.. wow

to see how they painted the car http://velocity.discovery.com/videos/inside-west-coast-customs-how-to-chrome-an-audi-r8.html  

Do Audi's park with their ears pinned back? Or did this owner just try to save them from clods that break off innocent side mirrors (it's happened to me)

Video: Life On Cars visits the SMMT Test Day

Champion motoring correspondent David Simister gives his verdict on some of 2011's most important new cars at the Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire:

Full road tests of all the cars in this video will appear in the Fire Up The... section in the next few weeks.

Geneva Motorshow: The Life On Cars top 10

SWITZERLAND'S biggest motorshow isn't just about shiny new supercars, apparently, although looking at some of the reports from this year's Geneva Motorshow you'd be forgiven for thinking it was.

But between the brand new stunners from Lamborghini and Pagani were a few cars you might actually be able to buy, so the new models* strutting their stuff were a brilliant - but mixed - bag.

Here's what Life On Cars is saving up for:

1) Suzuki Swift Concept S

The closest yet to a replacement for the wonderful Swift Sport Life On Cars tested last month. Here's hoping!

2) Lamborghini Aventador


The long-awaited replacement for the Murciélago, complete with a new V12 churning out no less than 700bhp. Worth waiting a decade for.

3) Jaguar XKR-S


Jaguar celebrates the 50th anniversary of unveiling the E-Type at Geneva with a 550bhp modern equivalent. You know you want one.

4) Aston Martin Virage


Right on cue is Aston's ripposte to the XKR-S, boasting 490bhp from the familiar 6.0 litre V12 and a name not seen since the company's coupes of the early Nineties.

5) Ford B-MAX


The Blue Oval's response to the Vauxhall Meriva, with equally clever rear doors.


6) Hyundai i40


What do you mean Korea can't do smooth and stylish? This sleek Mondeo rival bets you a fiver it can.

7) Alfa Romeo 4C


Straight in the footsteps of the 8C supercar comes this mid-engined, two-seater, rear-wheel drive Alfa sports car. Think of it as an Italian Elise.

8) Audi A3 concept


Not too sure about the saloon styling for the next A3, but the 408bhp V8's got to stay.

9) Range Rover "Evoque"


Not too sure whether this is what Land Rover meant when it was launching the smallest, lightest and greenest Range Rover model ever, but I like it anyway.

10) MINI Rocketman


As a former Mini owner this was the real star of the show, because it takes BMW's reinvention of the classic small car back to basics. I'll probably get panned by my fellow Mini enthusiasts for saying it, but I like it. A lot.

*The new models don't include Bertone's stunning B99 concept, which Jaguar has now said won't make production. Shame.

Read more on the Geneva Motorshow in the new Life On Cars Magazine, out this week.

The Life On Cars Radio Show

WHILE I could have used the new MP3 dictaphone in The Champion office for something vaguely useful, I've used it to record a show about cars instead.

As part of a venture for ChampRadio, the paper's new online radio station, I offered to do a recorded version of the banter you're probably used to reading on here and in the back pages of a certain local newspaper. It's essentially a follow up to what I did with Dune FM - the last show was in June last year - but with a more of an emphasis on new cars on their way to a showroom near you.

You can check this week's episode out by clicking on the link below to see what guest Katie Massam and I think of a whole host of cars, and you can check out all the other broadcasts on the "Radio" link on the blog.

You can also get involved, if you've got an opinion about cars and don't mind having a microphone thrust in your face, by getting in touch.

Until then, enjoy...