Study Shows that New Porsche 911 Garnered the Most Web Buzz from the Frankfurt Motor Show

Now that the 2011 International Auto Show in Frankfurt has passed into history, analysts are crunching the numbers to see which carmakers and models sparked the crowd's interest the most.

UK-based Kantar Media Precis released the results of a study that looks into the number of online stories from websites, Tweets, blogs and other social media starting from two weeks before the first press day of the Frankfurt Motor Show on Aug. 30, 2011, until the end of the second press day on Sept. 14, 2011.

The study reveals that the most talked about model on the internet was the new Porsche 911 sports coupe, while next up was the Mercedes-Benz B Class small MPV, followed by the BMW i3 Concept hatch, the Audi Urban Concept studies and the Ford Evos Concept.

According to the findings of the study, Audi and Ford were the most popular brands among bloggers and YouTube users, with the Audi A2 Concept taking first place followed by the Ford Evos Concept.

The statistics show that from August 30 to September, a total of 19,549 online news stories and 5,666 social media posts talked about the 2011 IAA in one way or another, with 59 percent of those discussions taking place before the first press day on September 13.

For what it's worth, the most viewed 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show story on Carscoop in the same time period was the Ford Evos Concept followed closely by the new Porsche 911 and the Jaguar C-X16.

Story sources: Kantar Media Precis via Autonews

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Senner Tuning Beefs up the Audi S5 Sportback

The crew over at Senner Tuning have pointed their guns on the pre-facelift Audi S5 Sportback with the release of a new package that aims to improve both the performance and styling aspects of Ingolstadt's liftback model.

Underhood, the S5's 3.0-liter TSI V6 gains a software optimization, a new air filter and a custom exhaust system, all of which do their part to lift output from 333HP and 440Nm to 445-horses and 530Nm (390.9 lb-ft) of peak torque.

Senner Tuning's engineers then go on to revise the chassis with an adjustable suspension from Bilstein that drops the ride height by around 40mm at the front axle and 35mm at the rear.

The cosmetic surgery on the outside is restricted to the matte black trim on the grille and the window surrounds, the new tail pipes and 20-inch multispoke alloy wheels wrapped around high-performance Conti Sport Contact 5P tires size 255/30R20 up front and 295/25R20 at the back.

A carbon fiber treatment inside completed the tune, which will cost buyers in Europe a total of €15,000 or about US$20,600 at the current exchange rates.

 

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IAA 2011: Audi Presents New A5 Coupe DTM Racer in the Flesh

Audi certainly has a rich history in the Deutche Tourenwagen Masters, the German touring car championship, more commonly known as the DTM. From the 1990 V8 quattro until today’s A4, the four-ring brand has raced only four-door models.

This is about to change as Inglostandt's new contender in the DTM is based on the A5 Coupe. Making its debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show this week, Audi’s 2012 racer was developed around three principles: maximum safety, 40% reduction of costs and an impressive bodywork design.

The last goal has undoubtedly been achieved, but this wasn’t such a difficult task since the donor model was already one of the most elegant coupes on the market. The A5 DTM’s carbon fiber shell builds on that with a wide body kit, a ground-hugging stance and a huge rear carbon wing.

Audi Motorsport has created a hybrid chassis, combining a carbon fiber monocoque with a steel cage that, it claims, ups the ante of safety for touring cars. The chassis is just one of the more than 50 components the new rules stipulate that will be identical to all DTM racers. This may restrict both designers’ and engineers’ freedom in developing the car, but it is what made the 40% cost reduction feasible.

Under the hood is a 460 HP V8 engine mated to a new, pneumatically operated six-speed transmission with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters. This new type of gearbox is not only more precise but also sturdier compared to conventional units, quadrupling its life expectancy to 24,000 km (15,000 miles).

The R17’s task, as is the A5 DTM’s codenamed inside Audi Motorsport, has a tough act to follow: the A4, which it replaces, has won four titles in the past seven years.

 

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IAA 2011: Audi Launches A8 Hybrid, W12 LWB Limited Edition and New 4.0 TFSI Engine

Audi has chosen the 64th Frankfurt Motor Show to present two new versions of its A8 large luxury sedan as well as the brand-new 4.0 TFSI engine which will power the “S”-badged versions of its line-up.

The A8 Hybrid will go on sale on 2012 and unusually for such a big car, it features a relatively small-capacity four-cylinder gasoline engine coupled to a hybrid system. In reality, the A8 Hybrid is anything but underpowered: The 2.0-liter TFSI and the electric motor develop a combined output of 245 HP and 480 Nm (345.03 lb-ft) of torque for short periods of time.

Using its two motors that are mounted one behind the other the A8 Hybrid accelerates to 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 7.7 seconds and reaches a top speed of 235 km/h (146 mph).

Unlike other hybrids, the A8 can travel up to speeds of 100 km/h (62 mph) on electric power alone. It can also run for 3 km (1.8 miles) with zero emissions at a constant speed of 60 km/h (37 mph) and its average consumption is less than 6.4 lt/100 km (36.75 mpg) while its CO2 emissions fall below 148 g/km.

The second version of the A8 displayed at the IAA is a limited edition named “Audi exclusive concept”, of which only 50 cars will be produced. Based on the standard W12 LWB version of Audi’s flagship sedan, it features Poltrona Frau leather in the interior, wood olive ash inlays used liberally throughout the cabin and special “Audi exclusive concept” logos.

Finally, Audi presented the new 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine that will power, in slightly different configurations, the S6 sedan and Avant, the S7 Sportback and the S8. Depending on the configuration, its maximum output ranges between 420 and 520 HP and its maximum torque reaches up to 650 Nm (479.4 lb-ft).

The 4.0 TFSI is very light and compact and features direct injection and two twin-scroll turbochargers located on the inside, rather than on the outside as is the usual practice, of the cylinder banks’ 90-degrees V.

It also has a cylinder deactivation system as standard, which in low to medium loads shuts down two cylinders reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions and, when necessary, reactivates them without the driver noticing anything.

 

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