Ward's Auto Announces the 10 Best Car Interiors of 2011

Like every year, Ward's AutoWorld magazine picks the best interiors the automotive industry has to offer. For 2011, the publication chose 10 the ten best interiors the offer after editors analyzed 51 vehicles that were all-new or featured significantly upgraded interior. Ward's Auto picked the 10 winners from all segments, with the finalists including three luxury brands, three economy cars, a sport sedan, a minivan, an SUV and a family sedan.

If you’re still with us, the top 10 winners for 2011, in alphabetical order, are:

Audi A8
BMW X3 xDrive35i
Chevrolet Cruze 2LT RS
Dodge Charger Rallye Plus
Ford Focus Titanium
Honda Odyssey Elite
Hyundai Elantra Limited
Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Summit
Kia Optima EX
Volvo S60

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VIDEO: 2011 Audi A8 Commercial Mocks the Mercedes S-Class

With its new commercial for the 2011 A8, Audi of America is opening a fresh chapter in the advertisement wars. Taking inspiration from the 1947 children’s book Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, the ad portrays S-Class owners as gluttonous people with an excessive lifestyle, representing the age of “old luxury”. The 60 second clip is said to be a prelude to the upcoming Super Bowl TV spot, set to air in the first break on Super Bowl Sunday, February 6, 2011. Hit the jump to watch the video.

By Csaba Daradics

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Unholy Tuning: Audi R8 Sedan Based on A8 Limo

If you were ever wondering what an actuall Audi R8 sports sedan would look like, sorry to say, you're out of luck. However, if by any twisted chance you're interested in finding out what would happen if a first-generation A8 and R8 got naughty in bed, scroll down and check out the rest of the photos. According to the forum members of the Audizine site, the R8-wannabe sports sedan was snagged outside Hooters (now, why aren't we surprised...) in Montreal, Canada.

Source: Audizine

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Unholy Tuning: Audi R8 Sedan Based on A8 Limo

If you were ever wondering what an actuall Audi R8 sports sedan would look like, sorry to say, you're out of luck. However, if by any twisted chance you're interested in finding out what would happen if a first-generation A8 and R8 got naughty in bed, scroll down and check out the rest of the photos. According to the forum members of the Audizine site, the R8-wannabe sports sedan was snagged outside Hooters (now, why aren't we surprised...) in Montreal, Canada.

Source: Audizine

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ABT Treats New Audi A8 with 385-Diesel-Ponies and Styling Kit

Not quite the Audi S8-alternative we were expecting from ABT, but the diesel-powered AS8 appears to be a promising start. Using the 2011 A8 with the 4.2-liter V8 TDI as a base, ABT Sportsline tweaked the turbo diesel engine boosting output from 350HP and 800Nm to 385HP and 880Nm / 649 lb-ft of peak torque.

As no ABT conversion would be complete without the usual styling upgrades, the German tuner bundled a body kit comprising of a front spoiler, side skirt, a somewhat discreet boot lid spoiler and a new rear apron housing a diffuser and the new quad tail pipes.

A choice of 20- or 21-inch ABT CR alloy wheels wrapped in sport tires and an available matte black foil complete the upgrades to the AS8.

The new ABT AS8 – data and facts

ABT ENGINE TECHNOLOGY
Engine: 4.2 TDI, 4134 ccm capacity
Performance tuning: ABT Power
Performance: 385 HP/283 kW (standard: 350 HP/257 kW)

ABT AERODYNAMICS
ABT front wing
ABT side skirts
ABT rear wing (three-part)
ABT rear skirt with exhaust covers

ABT WHEEL TECHNOLOGY
ABT CR wheel in 20 and 21 inches
Available also as complete set of wheels with sports tires

Geneva Show: New Audi A8 Hybrid with 2.0-Liter 4-Cylinder Engine

Making its debut at the Swiss international auto show is the Audi A8 Hybrid. Even though its officially billed as a study, the gasoline-electric hybrid version of the 2011 A8, which itself just broke cover a few months ago, is scheduled to enter production next year.

The A8 Hybrid is a good example of Audi's downsizing philosophy mating a 2.0-liter TFSI four-cylinder gasoline engine with 211HP and 350 Nm (258.15 lb-ft) to an electric motor delivering 45HP and 211 Nm (155.63 lb-ft) of torque.

Audi says that the system's combined output is 245HP and 480 Nm (354.03 lb-ft) of torque. Since the numbers don't add up, we're assume that the electric motor's output is limited when combined with the TSI.

The 2.0 TSI engine is linked to an eight-speed automatic transmission while the electric motor draws energy from a lithium-ion battery pack mounted at the rear which steals some 110 liters from the 2011 A8's luggage space that now measures 400 liters (14.13 cubic feet).

The Audi A8 hybrid is said to be able to accelerate from zero to 100 km/h (62mph) in 7.6 seconds and to achieve a top speed of 235 km/h (146mph). Its average fuel consumption is pegged at only 6.2 lt/100km or the U.S. equivalent of 37.9 mpg) with CO2 emissions of 144 g/km (231.75 g/mile).

Being a full hybrid, the German limo can be propelled by the electric motor alone for speeds up to 65 km/h (40 mph) and for a distance in excess of two kilometers (equal to about 1.3 miles).

Hybrid drivetrain aside, the near-production study also features unique 21-inch, two-color alloy wheels, a special paint job and the so-called "Powermeter" ithat shows the energy flow in the instrument cluster.