it’s Father’s...
it’s Father’s Day at Haynes. Not content with helping you swap engines, the publisher has released The Dad Manual. It has easy-to-follow instructions on how to build a go-kart, a wendy house and all sorts of interesting toys to help parents get their children involved in creative projects. Each has clear illustrations, along with estimated time and appropriate skill or age level.
Take a look at the smallest...
Take a look at the smallest, most beautifully formed Audi ever. Auto Express has learned that the German firm is planning a new city car and it will be based on VWs ultra-economical micro-machine, the up!
The new baby blends fuel economy and style never seen before from Audi. It will share nearly all its underpinnings with the VW, while maintaining the badge appeal and executive air that buyers have come to expect from the four-ringed brand.
Bosses had previously hinted at the possibility of a small car, and speculation suggested it would be based on the same platform as the A1 concept, first revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in March.
But now it has come to light that the platform will be shared with the up! which will also spawn a raft of other models from fellow VW Group brands Skoda and SEAT.
Audis new car will rival top-end versions of the Ford Ka and Fiat 500. As you can see from our pictures, the model adds a distinctive body to the chassis of the up!, with a gaping grille, neat headlamps, beefy wheelarches and a sculpted rear end. But the most innovative move and potentially the models biggest selling point is the choice of ultra-economical powerplants. Engineers at the VW Group are working on a pair of 600cc two-cylinder turbocharged units one diesel and one petrol.
Fuel economy is predicted around 95mpg, with super-clean CO2 emissions of less than 100g/km meaning the Audi wont cost a penny in road tax under current rules. The company is also toying with the idea of introducing a 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine.
Yet near-100mpg fuel returns are clearly not enough as an electric powertrain is also under development. Details are sketchy at the moment, but ultra-low running costs and emissions are guaranteed.
In addition, Audi has hinted that an eco-minded replacement for the A2 could be on the way. Rupert Stadler, chairman of the manufacturers board of management, told us: We have intentionally left a gap between the A3 and forthcoming A1. Although its too premature to talk about the car that will fill it as it needs time the A2 had a certain type of DNA with its aluminium body, and this should be respected. But electric drive is a must.
This newcomer could be based on the larger, MPV-style space up! displayed at 2007s Los Angeles Motor Show.
However, the up! project is not without its problems. Originally, VW had planned for a rear-engined, rear-wheel-drive layout, devised to provide more interior space. But top brass have since revealed that this threw up issues in testing, with the car proving unstable in cross winds and suffering difficulties with engine cooling.
So, a more modern and straightforward front-engined, front-wheel-drive layout is likely to be adopted. The up! is due on sale in 2010, with its Audi sister model following in 2012.