2009 Mercedes-Benz

2009 Mercedes-Benz SL550, SL600, and SL63 AMG - Auto Shows

The Mercedes-Benz for the rich and famous gets a major overhaul.

Photos

BY JENS MEINERS
January 2008

The cult of youth pervades western civilization. People like to appear youthful, and that's exactly why such cars as the luxurious Mercedes SL keep getting sportier, even though their buyer demographics might suggest a bit more gravitas. Who doesn't want to be good-looking, sporty, and carefree?

The 2009 SL, the second face lift of the current-generation SL (code-named R230 and launched in 2001), will be shown at the Geneva auto show in early March. Just two years ago, the SL's chassis characteristics, steering, and engines were sharpened. But this overhaul is far more extensive, enough so that Mercedes refers to it as a new SL.

What's New?

The look is definitely more contemporary, with the peanut-shaped headlights gone in favor of a more aggressive look that invokes the contemporary CLS four-door. The nose is more pointed; the grille is wider; and new side air outlets, wheel designs (at least 18 inches on all models), and LED taillights up the visual presence on the street. We're not sure how they do it, but the AMG package makes the car look even more menacing.

There are retro touches, too, such as the "power domes" on the hood. The grille design has come full circle; the single-bar grille, last seen in 1989 on the R107 SL, is back. The SL600 gets extra dressing with numerous V-12 emblems inside and out, different interior door panels, special wheels, and specific exhaust tips.

Look for some of these cues from the SL on upcoming cars. "The SL has always pioneered the styling of other Mercedes models," says Hans-Dieter Futschik, head of passenger-car design in Stuttgart.

Carry-Over Engines in the SL550, SL600; Meet the New SL63 AMG

It may look youthful, but the SL moves—and has always moved—with great authority. The 382-hp V-8 in the SL550 and the 510-hp twin-turbo V-12 in the SL600 don't get a power increase. However, the 510-hp supercharged SL55 AMG is dumped in favor of the naturally aspirated 518-hp, 6.2-liter SL63 AMG. But the big news on the AMG is the seven-speed multiclutch system called MCT. Details are thin, but this is a further development of Mercedes' seven-speed automatic that will no doubt shift more quickly and, in this case, operates without a torque converter.

2009 Mercedes-Benz Review

2009 Mercedes-Benz SLK350 and SLK55 AMG - First Drive Review

The Benz roadster gets a minor facelift and a heart transplant.

2009 Mercedes-Benz SLK350

February 2008

In an automotive world obsessed with the newest of new vehicles, mid-cycle styling updates don’t generally garner much attention beyond the initial press announcement. But when the visual changes are accompanied with a boost in horsepower, well, consider our interest piqued. Such is the case with the 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLK350, which, thanks to a number of improvements to its V-6 engine, makes 32 more horsepower than before, up to an even 300, and 8 more pound-feet of torque, now listed at 266. As with the 2008 model, a seven-speed automatic transmission with a manual mode operated via the shift lever or steering wheel paddles is the only transmission on the SLK350. The SLK also has a new steering rack across the entire range, which consists of the 355-hp SLK55 AMG and the re-christened 228-hp SLK300, née SLK280.

It’s Still a 3.5-Liter, But Not as We Know It

Underneath the hood, the updated “sports” engine is discerned by the red stripes on the engine cover. The 3.5-liter displacement is unchanged; in fact it’s almost the same engine as before. The power increase comes from an increased compression ratio of 11.7:1 (up from 10.7:1) and 7200-rpm redline, an improvement of 1000 revs. The compression ratio is achieved simply with newly designed pistons, but the extra revs required even more changes. A new, single-stage intake manifold made out of plastic improves airflow at higher rpm. Lighter valves with sodium-filled valve stems and conical valve springs also help the high-rpm performance. Finally, the timing chain sprocket has a slightly triangular geometry to reduce vibrations above 6300 rpm. A new air filter design has changed the engine tone to sound more aggressive even though the exhaust is unchanged. The last SLK350 we tested—back when it was available with a manual—did 0 to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds. The 2009 SLK350 has a slightly taller final-drive ratio, but the horsepower increase should be good for a 0-to-60 sprint close to 5.1 seconds. That’s just a couple of ticks behind the Porsche Boxster S, which starts at $56,560 for a 2008 model, or $6285 more than a 2008 SLK350. Mercedes claims the pricing will be similar when the ’09 goes on sale in May.

Direct Steering With a Variable Ratio. Huh?

Besides similar acceleration times to the Porsche, the 2009 SLK now has a similar steering rack as well, and this is a good thing considering Porsche’s reputation for excellent steering. Mercedes calls it the direct-steer system, and it works by using a variable-ratio steering rack. At the center of the rack, which corresponds to small movements of the steering wheel, the ratio is lower, or more indirect. As the steering angle increases, so does the steering ratio, so less input is needed to turn the wheels at extreme angles. The result is good straight-line stability combined with easy maneuverability in sharp corners.

(from http://www.caranddriver.com)

Ford Escape Limited V-6 4WD Review

Tested: 2008 Ford Escape Limited V-6 4WD - Short Take Road Tests

BY JARED GALL,

April 2007

You can run, you can hide, but you won’t escape much of anything in the 2008 Ford Escape Limited.

Ford’s Escape launched in 2001 amid questions of whether a Ford sport-utility could survive with a name that only started with an “E” and not the full “Ex.” Perhaps its small size granted it special liberties—if it was about half the size of an Expedition, maybe it only had to plead allegiance to half the naming rule?

Even without that critical second letter, the Escape promptly tied with its Mazda Tribute twin for first place in a comparison test and went on to become the bestselling vehicle in its segment, a position it held for several years.

The small sport-ute segment is rapidly evolving, though, and for 2008, Ford is giving the Escape a face lift. It is still the same old Escape underneath, but with a new look—or a new face on the old look. The Escape’s new face will be instantly familiar to anyone who has seen a Ford SUV in the past decade.

For the Escape, that means cleaner sides and a new nose. A higher, more smoothly chamfered beltline over a barren rocker—less plastic cladding—adds visual height to the side view. A scaled-down, squared-off version of the trapezoidal grille and a power-bulge hood from the Explorer and Expedition mean that each of Ford’s SUVs is as unique as any wiener in a pack of Ball Park franks.

Room Enough for Lurch, Donk, Sasquatch, and Michael Clarke Duncan

Back in 2001, we praised the Escape for its spaciousness, commanding seating position, and class-leading performance. We were pleased with the retention of two of those three attributes. The interior of the Escape is as roomy as ever in both rows, with plenty of space for those in the 99th percentile in both height and circumference. Only when the Escape is packed with the circus tall in the cheap seats will an indulgent driver or front-seat passenger tempt blows from the rear. Behind the second row, there are 29 cubic feet of cargo space.

The Limited—only available with the V-6 and all-wheel drive—Escape we tested comes fitted with leather seats. The Limited Luxury package adds seat heaters and dual-zone climate control for $795. We found all seats—with the usual exception of the rear-middle one—to be comfortable, although none offers any substantial lateral support. Full-size adults in the second row might find that seat too upright for long stints.

The rest of the interior is finished in black plastics of various textures and glosses. Whereas the Escape mimes Ford’s larger utes on the outside, inside it has its own look. The dash and the door panels are molded from a material that falls somewhere between luxurious soft touch and el cheapo hollow hard stock, meaning your elbow won’t sink into the armrest, but at least bumps aren’t going to set off your funny bone or crack the center-console lid.

(from http://www.caranddriver.com)

Aston Martin DBS

Spied: 2008 Aston Martin DBS - Car News

BY STEVE SILER,

PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEFAN BALDAUF

October 2006

Casino Royale star promises 500+ horsepower.

With its completely exposed powder blue paint shimmering in the sun, the 2008 Aston Martin DBS has been caught while testing both on public roads and the track. While its official debut is set for the Geneva auto show in March, the concept’s lack of disguise previews not just the car we’ll get here late next year, but also the look of the new James Bond hero car seen in Casino Royale starting mid-November. Interestingly, the DBS is the first James Bond Aston to be seen in one of the James Bond movies before it has officially been launched.

0610_astdbrs9_245Not surprisingly, Aston Martin officials were relatively mum on specific modifications to the DB9-based supercoupe other than what we can all see by looking at it—specifically, a deeper air dam, larger side vents, larger wheels and aerodynamic modifications all around—but they did confirm a significant increase in the V-12’s power output and a commensurate increase in overall performance capability. Just to mess with us, it seems, Aston Martin slapped the prototypes caught by photographers with “DBRS9” badges, leading many editorial outlets to mislabel the vehicle as the DBRS9, the name of a DB9-based racer that is not, and never will be, street legal. This vehicle, however, is in fact going to be called DBS.

With the Vanquish discontinued after 2006, the DBS becomes the performance flagship of the Aston Martin line. A convertible DBS is “doubtful,” Aston Martin says.

(from http://www.caranddriver.com)

Cadillac STS V-6

First Drive: 2008 - Cadillac STS V-6

BY JARED GALL,

May 2007

Cadillac’s mid-cycle refresh of the STS doesn’t include a 16-cylinder engine, but it gets a much-improved V-6, anyway.

When we first reported on Cadillac’s refreshed 2008 STS from the New York auto show, we quoted the new base engine—a 3.6-liter DOHC direct-injection V-6—at 298 horsepower and 268 pound-feet of torque. Since then, four more of each have been found, bringing the totals to 302 and 272, respectively.

That’s just 18 fewer ponies than in the optional 4.6-liter Northstar V-8, and the V-6 model will likely cost some $9000 less. Nine grand for 18 horsepower!? That rivals some of the deals you’ll find on Shelby Mustangs.

More Power, More Refinement, More mpg, More Gears

We are strong advocates of increasing power in all engines, but this is not an issue we take lightly. Engines cannot be merely stronger; we also prefer them to be smooth and considerate. In this, the STS delights, being noticeably more powerful—up 47 horsepower and 20 pound-feet on the powerplant it replaces—as well as higher revving (7000 rpm versus 6700), better sounding, and marginally more fuel efficient. All that on regular fuel, too.

Attached to that new engine is the six-speed automatic from the STS V-8. Combined with the more powerful 3.6, the duo is good for 0-to-60-mph sprints in a claimed 6.5 seconds, a projection we consider fully doable after our first contact with the car.

As we mentioned in our New York coverage, the 2008 STS receives a new grille inspired by the Sixteen concept. Elsewhere, the exterior is all jeweled up with chrome door handles and trunklid trim plus fender “air extractors” that don’t function since air can’t pass through solid plastic. They look nice, anyway.

(from http://www.caranddriver.com)

BMW 5-series Review

First Drive: 2008 BMW 5-series

BY JARED GALL,

May 2007

BMW has made small improvements throughout the 5-series, but the real news is not the relocated window switches. It’s the revised six-cylinder engines. That’s why we were summoned to Las Vegas to take our turn behind the wheel of each new model (528i and 535i), as well as the mechanically unchanged 550i and M5. To read more about the mini-Gumball-like rally, click here. To read about the cars and engines, you’re already in the right place.

The 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six powering the 535i is the headliner of this mid-cycle makeover, a massive improvement of 45 horsepower and 80 pound-feet of torque over the engine it replaces. In the 335i, we found this engine to be a smooth and torquey dream.

Shouldered with a couple hundred extra pounds in the 5-series, the twin-turbo 3.0-liter’s delights are only slightly diminished. After driving all varieties of the 5-series, this is the car that was unanimously voted the best buy. The 200-pound weight saving over the more powerful 550i results in a car that feels more balanced, with a sportier feel and greater willingness to engage and conquer corners on the roads snaking down toward Death Valley’s floor, 282 feet below sea level. Even better, the 535i should be good for scampering to 60 mph in the mid-to-high-five-second range, nearly running with the far more expensive 550i.

As delightful as the engine and ride are, the car is not perfect. Although nicely weighted, the schizophrenic steering is curiously twitchy and numb just off-center. Once the car is bent into a turn, confidence builds, but when traveling in a straight line, the 535i nervously feints after every irregularity in the road. Placing the car near the outside stripe on the pavement takes more faith than it should. This, of course, is a problem present in all 5-series models, regardless of engine choice.

An additional steering problem you can now buy from BMW is an unexpected vibration in the steering wheel, like driving over a mild rumble strip. Consider it the preamble to a rumble strip, as that vibration is the tactile feedback from the lane-departure warning system, a solution that doesn’t alert your friends to your woozy driving but is far more unsettling. We’re about as happy to see this option in the 5-series as we were when that headache iDrive first came out.

(from http://www.caranddriver.com)

Ford Taurus Review

2008 Ford Taurus - Auto Shows

BY STEVE SILER AND MIKE DUSHANE,

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARY SEELHORST February 2007

If you follow such minutia (or read all 80 pages of our Detroit auto show coverage), you probably already know that the Ford Five Hundred is slated to get a Fusion-style, three-chrome-slat grille and a 260-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 for 2008.

It also shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone that the Five Hundred name has garnered precisely zero brand equity in its three years on the market. Blame it on the car’s inadequate power, its lack of competitive safety features, or its utterly forgettable styling.

You might also know that the Taurus, which was once America’s best-selling car, is now out of production after years of neglect and sales that dropped in direct proportion to the number of times Ford cost-cutters said “Put off those Taurus updates for another year.”

The obvious solution (even to people with a marketing degree, apparently) is to ditch the Five Hundred nameplate and revive the Taurus designation for Ford’s big sedan. Why didn’t we think of that? We’re not going to be too hard on ourselves, as Ford itself apparently got this bright idea after it had already introduced the vehicle as the 2008 Five Hundred at the Detroit auto show in January of 2007.

The only problem with this name shuffling is that long-time Taurus buyers may be confused by the re-badged Five Hundred, as it’s a much bigger and more expensive car. But what do we know, Ford has confirmed that it won't de-content the Taurus and chop its $24k price to be competitive with the smaller Toyota Camry and Honda Accord which start around $20,000 for four-cylinder models.

(from http://www.caranddriver.com)

Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR Review

2008 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR

BY JARED GALL,

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JARED HOLSTEIN March 2007

The “King of the Road” returns to rule over all of Mustangdom, or at least until the next special edition comes along.

With the successful launch of the Shelby GT behind it and retiree GT-H Hertz rental Mustangs selling as high as $90,000 at auction, the Shelby leviathan continues to chug forward and spew forth special-edition Mustangs. In New York, Shelby launches the 2008 Ford Shelby GT500KR, a special-edition GT500 commemorating the 40th anniversary of the original “King of the Road.” The GT500KR is the second product—after the GT500—to wear the almost-defunct SVT badge, reminding us that Ford still claims it has a performance division.

In 1967, the New York auto show played host to the launch of the original GT500KR, a version of the Shelby Mustang powered by a 428-cubic-inch Cobra Jet V-8 rated at 335 horsepower. With the ’08 model’s supercharged 5.4-liter V-8 underhood wearing a Ford Racing Power Upgrade Pack (revised ignition timing and throttle calibration, plus a cold-air intake), the 2008 KR outdoes its predecessor by 205 horsepower—a margin greater than the entire output of some V-8 Mustangs of the 1980s—with 540. That herd travels rearward through a six-speed manual with a short-throw shifter to a shorter 3.73:1 rear end (stock is 3.31:1) for quicker giddyap, while snorts and whinnies get an extra edge from a revised exhaust system.

The King knows that some of its subjects wind and dip, so the GT500KR gets a unique Ford Racing suspension tune. “The production Shelby GT500 was maximized to deliver the perfect balance between ride and handling,” says Jamal Hameedi, chief nameplate engineer, Ford SVT. “In that same ride-versus-handling continuum, the KR will lean heavier toward all-out handling while still making it drivable on the street.”

Beyond the yawning hood vents and racing stripes already in place on lesser GT500s, the GT500KR gets the signature hood, reminiscent of the original KR, in carbon fiber with two forward-looking mail slots at the leading edge of the hood feeding the blown 5.4’s appetite for air and twist-down hood pins for a more secure racer flair. The stick-through pins on the Shelby GT we tested recently actually vibrated out of their posts on rough roads. The Cobra badges in the grille and on the fenders add wings proclaiming them as the badges of not just any Shelby Mustang but the 40th-anniversary GT500KR. Rocker stripes on the Shelby mimic those on the original car, right down to the typeface used for the lettering.

The Triton engine uses four valves per cylinder (versus three in the iron-block truck version) and the cylinder heads from the Ford GT, which has an aluminum block.

Ford will begin selling the new Mustang in the spring of 2008 and will only build 1000 examples. We figure the S-word on the hood and the slight power bump below should be good for about a $12,000 premium, putting the King of the Road solidly into the mid-$50,000 arena. Prepare your checkbooks now, Shelby enthusiasts, or gird them for a bigger hit later, for all things Shelby appreciate.

Carroll Shelby and Ford officials smugly say, much as they did 40 years ago, that with the introduction of the GT500KR everybody else will be trying to catch up again.

Hermann Salenbauch, director of Advanced Product Creation and SVT, says the Shelby GT500 is the most successful vehicle SVT has ever done—by almost every parameter including profit and performance.

There still will be a 2008 GT500. The KR is in addition.

And for those who can’t snag one of the 1000 GT500KRs up for grabs by starting to make nice now with their local dealer, aspects of the King will be available to those with a Shelby GT500 through Ford Racing and Shelby Automobiles.

There will not be a convertible King, but the convertible version of the Shelby GT-H, customized for Hertz, is to be unveiled this weekend. Like the first GT-H, the car will be shipped to Shelby in Las Vegas to be modified.

And Ford officials still promise the return of the Bullitt.

(from http://www.caranddriver.com)

Dodge Grand Caravan Review

2008 Dodge Grand Caravan - Auto Shows

BY JARED GALL,

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFFREY G. RUSSELL January 2007

Twenty-four years and twelve million units after changing family travel forever, Dodge introduces its fifth generation minivan at the Detroit show. The van gets boxier new duds, with slab sides and a square-ish snout finished with a Dodge corporate face like that of the Nitro.

Perhaps the exterior fails to prompt any huzzahs from the peanut gallery, but people looking for an exciting family hauler ought to check out the Magnum. Those who need uncompromised room for seven or eight people and all the accoutrements of suburban life can do no better than a minivan, especially if that minivan has not one, but two DVD entertainment systems, allowing the middle and back seat occupants to watch different movies. Pimp that, Xzibit. Or, if all the kids are watching the same movie, when it’s over, the middle seats swivel 180 degrees, allowing everyone a nice face-to-face discussion of the subtleties of plot and theme.

Power will come from either a 3.3-liter flex-fuel V-6 chained to a four-speed automatic or a choice of 3.8- or 4.0-liter sixes coupled with a minivan-first six-speed auto. The top-of-the-line, 240-hp V-6 should be a good match for the Honda Odyssey’s six. However, the Odyssey can’t match the entertainment power of dual DVD screens and players. Expect pricing for base models to remain the same—around $20k—and stretch to about $40k, like other company’s premium minivans, when these vans go on sale in the fall of 2007 as ‘08 models.

(from http://www.caranddriver.com)

Chevrolet Equinox Review

2008 Chevrolet Equinox Sport - Auto Shows

BY HOWARD WALKER,

December 2006

Chevy’s new amped-up Equinox Sport—we’re not sure why it’s not an SS either—is due in showrooms next fall as a 2008 model. It gets GM’s 263-horsepower 3.6-liter V-6 coupled to a six-speed automatic, a stiffer suspension, forged 18-inch wheels, a new look inside and out, and will be offered with either front- or all-wheel drive.

Swapping in the new V-6 and six-speed—the same powertrain now used in everything from the Pontiac G6 to Saturn’s large Outlook SUV as well as Equinox platform-mate Suzuki XL7—gives the Equinox a 42-percent power bump over the 185-horsepower 3.4-liter in the base Equinox. According to Chevy, that should make for an under-seven-second 0-to-60-mph dash.

0612_cheequ_sp_08_245.jpgTo sharpen the handling, the Sport gets stiffer bushings, beefier anti-roll bars, and slightly stiffer springs, while the ride height is dropped an inch. It also comes with a set of polished, forged-aluminum 18-inch rims wrapped with grippy 235/50 rubber (right).

Thankfully, the designers kept the changes subtle. Front and rear fascias come painted in body color, while up front there are new silver-painted trapezoidal air intakes, reminiscent of the Trailblazer SS, with matching chrome dual exhausts at the rear. The sporty theme apparently also entailed ditching the roof rack.

Inside, the front seats get extra bolstering, and can be ordered with optional perforated leather, all-black trim is standard, and there’s a 140-mph speedo. The Sport also gets a new J-gate shifter—What, Chevy’s copying Jaguar these days? Pull down and across to get the manumatic feature. Too bad the steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters used in Saturn’s Aura weren’t incorporated, although we’d probably make fun of paddles in an SUV like we did in the case of Mitsubishi’s Outlander.

The new Equinox will go head-to-head with Mazda’s fine-handling CX-7 (244 hp, starts at $24,345), and the punchy Toyota RAV4 Sport V-6 (269 hp, starts at $26,385). Rivalry in the GM fold will come from Saturn’s next Vue Redline, which dumps the Honda V-6 for the identical 3.6-liter V-6.

There’s no word on pricing for the Chevy, but expect it to kick-off around the $25-grand mark. And while the Suzuki XL7 may no longer one-up the Equinox in power, the Chevy still doesn’t have a third-row.

(from http://www.caranddriver.com)

2008 Buick Lucerne Review

2008 Buick Lucerne Super - Auto Shows

(By Erik Johnson, Photography By Jared Holstein )

We must confess that, being of an age that falls between 20 and 30, we have a distinct lack of enthusiasm concerning the resurrected Super badge. Yes, it’s true the name has loads of historical significance for Buick, but anybody who could legally drive when the last Super rolled off the assembly line in 1958—i.e., anybody who might actually care—is, at a minimum, pushing 70. It’s a good thing, then, that the Buick Lucerne, which serves as the basis for the Lucerne Super (shocking, we know), is a fine-driving car, especially for a leisurely jaunt to the pharmacy, and it has a trunk big enough to hold a few months’ worth of luggage for the yearly migration to warmer climes. It’s comfortable, quiet, and reasonably luxurious. What the Lucerne isn’t, though, is a ride that quickens an enthusiast’s heartbeat.

The regular car’s available V-8, a 4.6-liter Northstar, is smooth but no barnstormer, delivering just 275 horsepower and 290 pound-feet of torque. The Lucerne Super delivers more power—and we do give Buick credit for making the Super more than just a trim package—but the truth is that the uprated version of the 4.6-liter (the Lucerne Super’s only engine) pumps just 17 more horsepower through the front wheels for a total of 292. That’s a disappointingly low increase for a car with the word “super” stuck to it. What if Superman could lift only 17 more pounds than the average man?

The Lucerne Super also receives restyled, sportier front and rear ends, including a larger, chromier grille, dual exhaust tips, and exclusive fifteen-spoke wheels. Other Super-specific details include a “premium” steering gear (as opposed to one sourced from Costco, we suppose), a specific calibration for the magnetic shocks, and an interior jazzed up with things like French-stitched seams, a walnut steering wheel and shift knob, and suede inserts for the seats and doors. All the extra stuff is kinda super, we guess, but why can’t the Lucerne Super be superer?

Audi A5 and S5 Review

2008 Audi A5 and S5 - Official Photos & Info - Auto Shows

Coupe scoop! Audi's new two-doors are based on the next-generation A4 and S4.

(By Steve Siler And Jon Yanca, Photography By Jared Holstein )

Look out, BMW 3-series coupe, Infiniti G37 coupe, and Mercedes-Benz CLK, the 2008 Audi A5 and Audi S5 are poised to make their debuts later this year. Derived from the next-generation A4 platform, dubbed B8, the A5 and S5 coupes have just two doors—go figure—bucking the silly four-door-coupe trend that marketers at other manufacturers have dreamed up recently. By year’s end, the A4 cabriolet is expected to defer to a convertible version of the A5, and there’s even talk of a five-door A5 “spaceback” model sometime thereafter.

The four-seat A5 will have a 3.2-liter FSI (direct injection) V-6. We expect a rating of at least 260 horsepower in U.S. trim. The engine also will be pushed farther behind the front wheels for a more favorable weight distribution. (Rejoice! The next A4 is sure to boost its skidpad numbers.) Although diesel and four-cylinder engines will be offered in Europe, the 3.2-liter is the sole U.S. powerplant. Initially, six-speed manual and continuously variable transmissions (with eight nominal ratios in manual mode) will be offered. U.S. specifications aren’t yet finalized, but we expect front-wheel drive will be standard and all-wheel drive will be optional. As in all recently redesigned and new Audis, power distribution in all-wheel-drive A5 and S5 models will be rear-biased with a nominal 40/60 split.

The S5 will get the same 4.2-liter V-8 found under the hood of the S4 and S4 Avant, updated with direct injection, as found in the current A8, and rated at 354 horsepower. The S5 will route power through a six-speed manual transmission to standard all-wheel drive. The current S4 offers a conventional automatic transmission as an option, and the lack of that option on the S5 lends credence to the rumor that a new sequential manual is in the works. The A5/S5 line would be the first from the brand to mate a dual-clutch sequential manual transmission to a longitudinally mounted engine. Such a transmission also would have to be far more robust than the current sequential manual, which hasn’t been mated to anything more powerful than a 250-hp V-6.

Although the A5's styling isn't terribly original, we can find little fault with it—the latest Audi is pretty stunning. As with every other Audi, the A5 wears the corporate single-frame grille. The detailing in the lighting, particularly the optional LED daytime running lamps, recalls the Audi R8 supercar. The upper-body coke-bottle sculpting also reminds us of the R8, although the lower-body rise is a TT-ism. Somewhat surprising, however, are the formal, notched roofline and the thick C-pillars. The rear end reminds some of us of the 3-series coupe, only executed with considerably more elegance. The S5 packs a bit more visual punch in the form of an egg-crate grille insert, a lower stance, a more pronounced integrated trunklid spoiler, and wide-set quad pipes in place of the lesser A5’s duals.

The interior, as expected, is swank. The photos clearly show lots of aluminum trim, Audi-typical gauges, and what appear to be comfortable and supportive sport front seats (but we’ll have to wait until we climb in back to see if we can say the same about the rears). An electronic parking brake and a push-button ignition system will also be standard. And, of course, the capable but complex MMI is there to serve and confuse.

We also wouldn’t be surprised if an RS 5 appeared sometime during the 2009 model year with the RS4’s direct-injected 4.2-liter V-8 with 420 horsepower.

The A5 will be priced between the A4 and A6, so you will be able to scoop one up for between $35,000 and $40,000. Pricing of the forthcoming S5 is less clear, but we expect it to be in the low-$50,000 range to slightly undercut the 400-hp 2008 BMW M3. Oddly enough, the S5 goes on sale first, this October, while the A5 doesn't make its way here until spring 2008. But one thing is certain: Audi’s new coupe will give empty nesters another alluring option.

(from : http://www.caranddriver.com)