Steve Q

When looking at one with a CVT, see if the car has a towbar. The CVT doesn't take too kindly for a lot of towing.

No probs. Please keep us posted on how you get on 🙂

Also thinking of getting this one 😉 what do you think?

Just added to my collection...

Good point. I was thinking if the battery was failing then stop/start would fail too.

The expected Porsche and Audi Formula 1 entries could be key to the revival of the German Grand Prix, although Sebastian Vettel has doubts the race will return. Germany’s last major run of races ended in 2014, after which its F1 presence switched to a biennial race in Hockenheim as the Nurburgring was unable to continue an annual rotation. The country has been absent from the last two F1 calendars and its most recent race, the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix at the Nurburgring, was only possible because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Both Hockenheim and Nurburgring have stated their interest in hosting a race again but as F1’s calendar swells, higher-paying grands prix and ‘destination’ events have been a bigger priority for F1. One potential boost for Germany could be the fact Porsche and Audi are set to have F1 entries in 2026, Volkswagen Group CEO Herbert Diess claimed this week there are “plans” for F1 to return to Germany in the future. Diess also indicated a desire for the Porsche/Audi teams to have a German driver. F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali was careful not to name these anticipated entries but implied they could have a role to play in Germany’s future in an investor call on Friday. “Europe has to stay with a good bunch of races in our calendar,” he said. “They will stay. And the German landscape is for sure a very interesting landscape on which no matter who will be the promoter, we need to see what could be the action, if needed, that we can recover that [race] in the calendar. “I’m sure if you want to be specific on that, something that could happen soon could be very important [for Germany] to be back on the calendar.” The “something that could happen soon” is almost certainly a reference to two of Germany’s most famous brands entering the championship. However, this is unlikely to simply spur F1 into goodwill and offer Hockenheim or Nurburgring a cut-price deal. Porsche or Audi would need to either make a direct financial contribution to the race, as Mercedes did when it sponsored the grand prix in 2019, or have enough influence to attract a backer. And as this would likely tie in with their entries in 2026, that would almost certainly come too late for four-time world champion Vettel to experience a home grand prix again. “I don’t know if Germany will make it in time for me,” he said when asked by The Race. “Obviously I had the privilege to race in Germany for many years. “I think in the end if you look at the places where we’re going, I think Germany’s not prepared to pay that sort of money to have the grand prix. As simple as that. “Other regions, other countries in Europe are struggling. Spa is a very good example. It’s a shame what we saw last year with the rain cancelling the race and the people not getting a refund on their tickets. But to blame Spa would be wrong, because they are already struggling to make up the money they lose in the first place. “I don’t know, I’m not the developer of this sport and I’m not setting the business plan and the targets, but clearly you can see the places we’re going and the new venues we are going. “It’s great to explore, but it’s also money-driven – I guess for the sport to develop the way they want it to develop. “It is a shame missing out on Germany, it would be a shame losing Spa, it would be a shame losing Spain – which there was a lot of talk about. “If those countries are not ready to pay the high entry fees anymore they will fall off the list and that would be a shame. “Certainly some races you’d think have a guarantee, such as Silverstone, Monza. But I don’t know, we’ll see what happens in the next years. “It would be great, to answer your question, if Germany came back on the calendar. “But I doubt it.” While Vettel is pessimistic, his fellow German Mick Schumacher, the son of F1 legend Michael, spoke in more upbeat terms. Asked by The Race if a home race is something he believes is possible or seems unrealistic, Schumacher said: “Germany has been part of Formula 1 for so long. It will be a shame not to bring it back. “And with Volkswagen Group coming into the sport, it would be amazing to have a home race. “To be able to race in front of a home crowd would be something unforgettable.” Schumacher made his F1 debut last year so has not competed in a grand prix in Germany. He was meant to take part in FP1 at the Nurburgring for Alfa Romeo but poor weather meant no running took place. However, he has participated in an F1 weekend in Germany in one capacity – driving his father’s 2004 Ferrari at Hockenheim in 2019. “Just thinking about it brings goosebumps back, because it was just so special,” said Schumacher. “The whole moment, being in that car, having all those people there. “And just being somewhat of a part of that time was something very special. “I think it gave me a good idea of how it could be to be back.” https://the-race.com/formula-1/porsche-audi-f1-entries-may-help-revive-german-grand-prix/

TriplePundit recently had an opportunity to speak to the director of sustainability and government affairs at Audi of America. What particularly piqued our interest in speaking with him is, not only is it atypical to combine sustainability and government affairs into one role at a car company, but in this case, the role is occupied by a person who is also a climate scientist. We were interested to understand how placing a climate scientist in this role helps Audi navigate and perhaps drive an auto industry increasingly committed to electrification, and to learn what lies ahead for the company and for an industry in flux. Spencer Reeder, who started out as a chemical and materials scientist, is the person driving these efforts at Audi of America. Having previously worked for Boeing on environmental programs, and in particular, researching ways to reduce the toxicity of products used in the aerospace industry, Reeder later went back to graduate school to study earth sciences. This led him to focus on geophysics and climate science, and later to developing the environmental portfolio for Microsoft Co-founder Paul Allen’s philanthropic organization. Four years into his current role at Audi, we asked Reeder to talk a bit about Audi placing sustainability and government affairs in one role, and his approach to the job. “It’s only when you align government policy advocacy work with sustainability goals, that you truly mean what you say” he explains, adding that when he came on board he was “going to be a loud voice for this” both in terms of his engagement with the industry but importantly, internally within Audi. By this he meant, he saw his role as one which needed to inspire the organization to see sustainability as something that would become part of its DNA. This was particularly important because around that time, Audi’s parent company, Volkswagen, was recently emerging from its “dieselgate” scandal. Though Reeder recognizes he is just one voice in a large organization, aligning sustainability with government affairs manifests in things like opposing the previous administrations’ efforts to roll back national fuel economy standards. Audi, as part of VW, was one of only four car companies which joined with California to maintain more stringent mileage standards, for example. Audi also aggressively prices carbon emissions within its own organization. Setting a price of $200 per ton — a level higher than industry standard, by an order of magnitude — Reeder says, rather than operating this as “shadow pricing,” the company actually makes a transfer of funds which is then used to undertake further CO2 mitigation activities internally. “The only way to effect long term change is through pricing carbon into your business systemically,” Reeder asserts. Reeder was also a voice internally advocating for the company to lean-in to battery electric vehicle (BEV) technology for the future, even over competing technologies such as fuel cells. With that in mind, we asked him what he thinks the opportunities and impediments are for electric vehicles (EVs) in the short term. First of all, he says customer demand is “very strong” though concedes it remains quite regionalized at the moment. Unlike California, many states have yet to make strong commitments to EVs, but Audi is not having any difficulty selling the ones it’s producing. Unfortunately, though, for the time being at least, costs are heading in an adverse direction. “Things are going to get more expensive before they get cheaper,” Reeder says. This is a result of higher commodity prices, and supply chain shortages in general — the latter, or course, impacting many industries in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Another important challenge Reeder identifies is the need for better charging infrastructure. Federal funding, he says, is “completely insufficient,” especially at this moment when he believes EVs have passed the point of the early adopter phase and are quickly moving into the initial stages of the mass market. He warns, “the mass market won’t tolerate inconvenience.” As such, he says, broadly distributed fast charging infrastructure will be necessary to sustain the mass market, equipped with 150 kW fast chargers at a minimum. Given Reeder’s chemical and materials science background, we were keen to ask him about end-of-life battery considerations, since this is often cited by EV detractors as an environmental concern associated with the push towards electric vehicles. As well as identifying energy storage as an important second-life use for vehicle batteries, he is quite bullish on the opportunities for battery recycling, even to the point that recycling valuable battery components may even help wind down raw materials extraction at some point in the future. Indeed, Reeder says, most vehicle batteries probably won’t be repurposed for energy storage, so it is “critical for Audi to have a closed-loop life cycle for batteries.” The automaker's goals are to have reduced its carbon footprint by 30 percent by 2025 compared with 2019 levels and for 30 percent of its vehicle portfolio to be fully BEV or plug-in hybrid by 2025. Image credit: Audi media relations https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2022/climate-scientist-sustainability-audi/744361

Audi has announced a series of model year updates for the A1, the A4 Allroad quattro, the Q7, and the Q8. More specifically, the A1 Citycarver is now renamed the Allstreet, the A4 Allroad quatro gets an optional Black Optics Pro package, while the Q7 and Q8 get new color options. Starting with the A1, the crossover-style Citycarver derivative marches on in Europe despite being discontinued from the UK due to slow sales. The only difference from the previous model year is the name – A1 Allstreet – with the jacked-up supermini retaining the same equipment and engine options. Pricing also remains the same, starting from €23,200 ($24,240) in Germany. This is the first time Audi is using the Allstreet nameplate but likely not the last. As proven from our spy shots, there is a crossover variant of the Audi A3 on the way, which could also be called Allstreet, distinguishing it from the more off-road-capable A4 and A6 Allroad quatro models. Moving on to the A4 Allroad quattro, it gets the new optional Black Optics Pro Package available for €775 ($810), adding glossy black accents all around the bodywork. Those include the grille, air intakes, windshield frame, mirror-caps, roof rails, diffuser, tailgate trim, Audi emblems and A4 Allroad lettering. Additionally the bumpers are now available in Manhattan Gray Metallic instead of the standard Matte Structure Gray, while the Chronos Gray and Distinct Green exterior shades have been added to the color palette. Audi didn’t neglect its large SUVs, the Q7 and the Q8. Both models can be ordered in three new exterior colors – Satellite Silver (replacing Florett Silver), Waitomo Blue (replacing Galaxy Blue), and Tamarind Brown (replacing Barrique Brown). Inside, they now come standard with contrasting stitching on the instrument panel and feature updated interior elements. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.carscoops.com/2022/05/audi-a1-citycarver-renamed-a1-allstreet-alongside-minor-model-year-updates/amp/

Buyers of the 2023 Audi S6 and S7 in the United States can order the sporty models with the new Design Edition package that adds some style to match their speed. The equipment is a $2,500 option, and the automaker says it's only available for the 2023 model year. Customers can start placing orders for the Design Edition in June 2022. The Design Edition S6 and S7 come in the exclusive exterior color Arrow Gray with a Brilliant Black roof. If you don't like this special shade, the other choices are: Brilliant and Mythos Black Metallic, Daytona Gray Pearl Effect, Firmament Blue Metallic, Florett Silver Metallic, Glacier White Metallic, Tango Red Metallic, and Ultra Blue Metallic. Much of the exterior trim on the Design Edition is the shade Liquid Chrome Dark. There are also high-gloss black elements for the Four Rings emblems, model badges, window surrounds, and mirror caps. Audi tints the headlight lenses to give them a darker look. The Design Edition models ride on 21-inch wheels. The ones on the S6 have a textured finish, and the five spokes split into a V shape at the rim. The styling for the S7 features open, trapezoidal elements where each spoke splits off. Both have S-branded red brake calipers. Inside, these vehicles have sport seats with black Valcona leather upholstery. The gearshift, lower console, and knee pads are Dinamica, which is Audi's microfiber fabric. The flat-bottom steering wheel gets Alcantara covering and is heated. Red contrast stitching adds some color to the cabin. The 2023 Audi S6 and S7 in the US also get the brand's new electric-powered compressor system. The tech includes an electric motor with a small turbine that quickly builds boost pressure. The result is sharper throttle response and less noticeable turbo lag. Even with this update, the output from the twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter V6 remains at 444 horsepower (331 kilowatts). https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.motor1.com/news/585406/2023-audi-s6-and-s7-design-edition-debut/amp/

I hadn't realised the bulbs have come down in price.

Might just be a failing battery, maybe check that first to see if that is what is causing the "Start/Stop" not being available - and borderline power availability chopping off the ESC as it is not "essential" - just a thought, that is all. Or scan the car for error codes with VCDS etc. This will give you more information on the nature of the faults. Also there has been a case where the coolant sensor valve has been leaking onto a cable going to the ECU, the coolant has tracked along inside it into the ECU.

They definitely are. If the car has quattro see when the system was last serviced and make sure tyres are even wear as uneven tyre wear can damage the quattro system. It it has xenon headlights then make sure they work properly as bulbs are roughly £150 and the ballast boxes arent cheap either. Also make sure the LEDs work in the rear lights as these can be costly to replace.

It's definitely an optional extra. It'll depend on the level of mmi as to what features it has.

You're welcome 🙂

I do think the units and wiring are different. Depending what's wrong with it, it might be able to be repaired.

Here you go: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/325186247724?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=_a6wjbz-Q7a&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=IE07kO4STZy&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/275278758639?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=OyAYDJySSRy&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=IE07kO4STZy&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/224961146362?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=nadmyyx9QoO&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=IE07kO4STZy&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/325153814522?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=UlaB1rXcRPa&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=IE07kO4STZy&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/373948829545?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=d2zHt1cMQLi&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=IE07kO4STZy&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203664203207?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=c7t-lpf4riu&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=IE07kO4STZy&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/394068930847?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=43dygdqbqfs&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=IE07kO4STZy&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY Obviously it'll depend on the mileage, service history record and how many owners too. But these links will give you a rough guide.

No probs at all. It's also worth seeing what service history it has. If an auto it might be worth seeing if it's has a gearbox oil change and if quattro check to see all tyres match regarding wear as uneven wear can damage the quattro system. Also see when the system was serviced. If sat nav is a must make sure it has it otherwise it'll be expensive to have it fitted. Don't take the dealers word for it that it does have it. Also factor in that the Cambelt and water pump will need changing next year at the 5 year mark. Cheers Steve

I'd base prices from eBay or autotrader. And they're the best two places to try to sell it. Feel free to put a free as on here too under the for sale section.

Hi Laurence yep it can be retrofitted. Here's a link that should be useful to give you some idea of the work involved: https://www.audi-forums.com/threads/q7-retrofit-navigation.55723/ Youll need this: http://vagtec.co.uk/eshop/audi/q7/genuine-audi-oem-retrofit-part-3g-mmi-navigation-head-unit-q7-4l.html This link is to a retrofit company with prices for the sat nav retrofit. Should give you an idea: https://www.satnavsystems.com/product-category/audi/audi-q7/q7-4l/

I think you're right as that was the case with the 8v.

Not updated this thread in a while. Here's an A6 Croatian police car!

Hey Joe, Usually the servicing schedule will say which ever comes first. So it could be 2 years or X miles. I personally have always had an oil change done yearly for peace of mind.

If the rest of your journeys are short then petrol could be better. But I fully get where Joe is coming from.

I bet they've paid 15-16k at a guess. What work have they done to it to prep it for sale. That's what you've got to ask.

Too true! Maybe in time 🙂