Essen 2007: ABT Sportsline lineup

German tuner ABT Sportsline has always had an interesting group of packages for German cars. For this years Essen Motor Show they pulled out not one, but five new products for Audi and Volkswagen. Each vehicle received upgrades in each department. New body kits, interior upgrades and of course performance upgrades. Below is a summary of what they had.

ABT AS4

Based on the new Audi A4
Abt body kit, suspension, brakes, wheels, muffler 1.8 TFSI w/ Abt Power: 200 hp / 228 lb-ft
1.8 TFSI w/ Abt Power S: 240 hp
2.0 TDI w/ Abt Power: 170 hp
2.0 TDI w/ Abt Power S: 200 hp
2.7 TDI w/ Abt Power: 230 hp
3.0 TDI w/ Abt Power: 270 hp / 405 lb-ft
3.0 TDI w/ Abt Power S: 300 hp / 442 lb-ft

ABT AS5

Based on the Audi A5
Abt body kit, suspension, brakes, wheels, muffler
Abt interior accessories
3.0 TDI w/ Abt Power S: 300 hp / 442 lb ft
0-62 mph in 5.3 seconds

ABT R8

Weight reduction
Abt body kit, carbon fiber side blades and skirts
Abt suspension, brakes, wheels, exhaust
Optional 2-tone finish

ABT Touareg 2

Based on the VW Touareg 2
Abt body kit, level control for air suspension, brakes, wheels, exhaust
2.5 TDI w/ Abt Power: 195 hp
3.0 TDI w/ Abt Power S: 300 hp / 442 lb-ft
V10 TDI in Abt VS10: 360 hp
4.2 TDI w/ Abt Power R replacement turbo: 500 hp

ABT Tiguan

Abt body kit, suspension, brakes, wheels, muffler
1.4 TSI w/ Abt Power: 200 hp
2.0 TDI w/ Abt Power: 170 hp
2.0 TDI w/ Abt Power S: 200 hp

Source: ABT Sportsline

Stanford Univerity/VWs "Junior" finishes the DARPA Challenge in 2nd place

Fresh news about VW and Standford University's placing in this year's DARPA Challenge. While Pittsburgh's Carnegie Mellon University finished with their Chevy Tahoe "Boss" in first place to claim the $2 million dollar prize. Stanford still receives $1 million dollars for their respectable 2nd place finish. VW will also get some mileage out of the victory through advertisements and auto show tours with "Junior". Congrats to Standford and Volkswagen.

Official Press Release.

VICTORVILLE, Calif. – Volkswagen of America, Inc. has announced that the Stanford Racing Team’s clean diesel Passat wagon TDI, “Junior”, has scored a second place victory at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Urban Challenge. “Junior” was one of only six vehicles to complete this challenging urban course.

“The DARPA Challenge is a tough competition and the team has pulled together a vehicle and autonomous driving system that handled the best that the course could offer,” said Dr. Burkhard Huhnke, executive director, Electronics Research Laboratory, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “Junior” was able to skillfully and safely negotiate the three missions in this extremely challenging urban environment, and we are very pleased with our results.”

“Stanley,” a Touareg TDI, was the ideal vehicle to contest and win the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge, the ultimate off-road autonomous driving challenge. This years clean diesel Passat Wagon TDI, “Junior”, was the perfect urban vehicle and Urban Challenge contender; with plenty of room for a family or for the brains and brawn of an autonomously driven vehicle.

Team “Junior” was lead by Stanford with assistance from team partners Volkswagen of America, Red Bull, Intel, Google, MDV (Mohr Davidow Ventures), NXP and ApplAnix. University

The DARPA Urban Challenge is an autonomous driving challenge where vehicles traverse an urban environment for 60 miles – merging with moving traffic, navigating traffic circles and busy intersections, avoiding obstacles and finding parking spots. 167 teams entered DARPA’s initial "Site Visit" in early 2007, 35 were chosen to advance to the National Qualifying Event. Only six vehicles of the final 11 vehicles that advanced to the final round of the DARPA Urban Challenge completed this year’s competition.

Source: VW

VW & Standford University successful in 2007 DARPA Challenge

The future is upon us. Eventually in time it will not be uncommon to see a car that can fully drive by itself. VW has shown this several times with the GTI53 project, named after Herbie the Love Bug, but by also teaming up with Stanford University for the government's DARPA Challenge, preparing robotic cars and competing with various other universities and companies. VW and Stanford teamed up to build Stanley the Touareg for the 2005 desert challenge. For 2007 the DARPA Challenge was set up as an urban challenge to take place on city streets. Stanford chose a brand new VW Passat wagon as their basis for the robotic car for 2007. The wagon was named Junior, I assumed because of the Passat's smaller size to the Touareg. Out of 167 teams to enter, "Junior" was selected as one of 35 entries to advance to the national qualifying event held October 26th-31st. We look forward to hearing more exciting news on the 2007 DARPA Challenge as it becomes available.

Full Press Release:

VICTORVILLE, Calif. – Volkswagen of America, Inc. has announced that Stanford Racing Team’s autonomous Passat wagon, “Junior”, has successfully finished the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Urban Challenge.

“We could not be more pleased with our finish in this tough competition,” said Dr. Burkhard Huhnke, executive director, Electronics Research Laboratory, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “Junior performed exceptionally and has helped provide Volkswagen with valuable information as we continue to work on advancing passenger safety technologies and help to bring these technologies to future drivers.

“This research is an important step for Volkswagen Research towards the next generation of vehicle electronics, and vehicle safety features that will ultimately benefit our customers,” Huhnke continued.

“Junior” is one of only 11 vehicles that advanced to the final round of the DARPA Urban Challenge, an autonomous driving challenge where vehicles traverse an urban environment for 60 miles – merging with moving traffic, navigating traffic circles and busy intersections, avoiding obstacles and finding parking spots. Out of 167 teams who participated in the DARPA "Site Visit" in June and July 2007, 35 were chosen to advance to the National Qualifying Event, held October 26-31.

“The last decade has seen the acceptance of numerous electronic systems that improve the driver’s ability to handle dynamic driving situations, increase comfort during longer drives or assist parking maneuvers,” said Huhnke. “All of these systems are designed primarily to make the task of driving safer, easier and more enjoyable and also safer.”

“Pushing the concept of driver assistance to its limit, a car will someday be able to drive autonomously, either temporarily or for the full extent of the drive,” said Dr. Sebastian Thrun, associate professor of computer science and electrical engineering, Stanford University. “Junior has been an excellent means to test the many aspects of autonomous driving technology; these can be used for immediate applications in more “conventional” driver assistance and safety systems.”

“Junior” – a Passat wagon modified by the Volkswagen Electronics Research Laboratory (ERL) in Palo Alto, Calif. in cooperation with Stanford University has been made possible through the team sponsors, Red Bull, Intel, Google, MDV (Mohr Davidow Ventures), NXP and ApplAnix. Volkswagen and Stanford successfully partnered to win the DARPA Grand Challenge in October 2005 with "Stanley", a Volkswagen Touareg TDI.

Source: Volkswagen

Volkswagen introduces Touareg R50 In Sydney.

WOLFSBURG, Germany - In a world premiere, Volkswagen will be presenting the Touareg R50 on October 11 at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney. Its power of 258 kW / 350 PS (at 3,500 rpm) positions the new Touareg version among the most powerful SUVs in the world. The Touareg R50 can be ordered in Germany at prices starting at 88,260 Euro; it will be introduced to the market this November.

The engine characteristic of the Touareg R50 is marked by a torque level nearly unattainable by the competition: The V10 TDI of the Touareg R50 develops its enormous power of 850 Newton-meter at a low 2,000 rpm. The turbo diesel was derived from the well-known ten cylinder with 230 kW / 313 PS. Adjustments to its turbo charging and modified engine management enabled a 28 kW / 37 PS increase in power and a considerable 100 Newton-meter increase in maximum torque. Under these new parameters, the SUV accelerates to 100 km/h in just 6.7 seconds (production car: 7.4 seconds); its top speed is 235 km/h. In relation to engine power and vehicle size, the fuel consumption of the production ten-cylinder diesel equipped with a particulate filter is a moderate 9.6 liters per 100 km (highway) and 12.6 liters per 100 km (overall). Despite big gains in power and torque, its DIN fuel consumption values have remained constant compared to the Touareg V10 TDI.

In keeping with the performance potential of the R50, Volkswagen Individual designed new exterior and interior features according to the R philosophy. From the outside, the new Touareg R50 is easy to recognize with its 21-inch Omanyt type alloy wheels and size 295 tires, blue painted brake calipers, discrete wheel well flares, side skirts and distinctive bumpers (Sport Design Package), as well as a modified radiator grille (in a matte finish chrome).
Offered exclusively on the Touareg R50 is the car color "Biscay blue". Blue hues of this type have been typical of the high-powered R models since the first Golf R32 was introduced in the year 2002. Offered as optional car colors on the Touareg R50 are "Campanella white", "Reflex silver", "Black Magic" and "Atacam gray".

The car’s extensive features also include an air suspension sport chassis: The so-called "Driving dynamics package with adaptive roll compensation" and chassis lowered by twenty millimeter supplements the "Sport" mode of the manually or automatically controlled air suspension by achieving a stiffer spring rate.

On the inside, the SUV’s features include a sport seating system in anthracite-colored nappa leather with R50 logo integrated in the headrests. The logo was also integrated in the stainless steel tread plates. Also in keeping with the sporty character of the Touareg is the light-colored "engine spin" decor of the interior – a metallic structure similar to that previously used on race cars – as well as metal worked caps for the accelerator and brake pedals. A R50 logo also decorates the gearshift lever of the six-speed automatic transmission (Tiptronic). Standard features the Touareg R50 also include a winter package (including seat heating for the rear seats), the Premium Memory Package (including electrically adjustable seats, steering column and seatbelt height), net partition behind the rear seats and a ski sack.

Source: Volkswagen.