Audi Nationwide Wishes all our readers a Happy Christmas

Will be reopening on Monday the 29th

10am to 4pm 29 & 30th 31st close at 1pm 1st closed, 2nd open 10-4 Monday open normal hours

Images of the latest special edition of the Audi A3 the Audi A3 Black are available in our Audi downloads section.

Check back in Jan of  for contract hire rates for the stylish Audi A3 Black and yes there will be a Audi A3 Black Cabriolet version

The Mercedes CLS-rivalling Audi A7 Coupé, set to be one of the most eagerly anticipated models of 2009, has finally broken cover. And with its curving roof line and sleek silhouette, it promises to be one of the most dramatically styled models in its class.

Mimicking the basic proportions of its Mercedes rival, with the cockpit space stretching the length of the car and tailing off towards the rear, but with a much more imposing and aggressive look, the Audi A7 will be heavily influenced by the Audi A5 coupé, featuring flared arches and a low ride height.

Since it will be based on the same platform as the new Audi A8, it also gets a rigid aluminium spaceframe body.

Air-suspension will be fitted as standard, and is likely to be combined with Audi’s Drive Select adaptive dampers, offering drivers a variety of chassis settings.

A wide range of models is promised, with prices starting at around £45,000.

Under the bonnet, six engines will appear at launch, including a trio of V6 diesels. One of these is an all-new 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged unit, while the V8 and supercharged V6 petrol power plants will also be available.

An Audi RS7, featuring a 600bhp-plus version of the Audi RS6’s twin-turbo V10 engine, may also follow.

Audi have announced that the proposed Audi Q5 hybrid have been postponed as have other hybrid’s like the Audi Q7 hybrid.

Senior Audi sources said:

“Audi won’t produce a petrol-electric hybrid until we can make nickel metal hydride batteries safer in crash situations, and hybrid technology more efficient overall. Until then we will concentrate on producing more efficient diesel engines and aluminium chassis.”

The Audi engineers may well have decided with the new NiZn battery technologies just coming out and with a lot of new NiZN announcements due early next year – to wait and see if this next generation of battery technologies will be a better solution for hybrid vehicles both from a performance, cost and a recycling aspect.

The first NiZn batteries are claiming to be around 1/2 the cost of Lithium Ion batteries which if scalable up to the sizes required for a car would give substantial cost benefits as well as removing the explosion risk that Lithium Ion batteries have.

The Q5 will now be fitted with a stop-start system, and could get further fuel-saving technology as demonstrated in its Audi A4 E-concept Car which we wrote about back in september when Audi was showing this technology off at the Frankfurt car show

Audi’s believes that the improvements are a natural part of its technical progress and will not be giving this technology a specific name such as BMW’s “Efficient Dynamics initiative”.

The new technology could make its debut on the A1 supermini, due in 2010, but development is sufficiently advanced that it could be added to existing models next year.

In recognition of his Le Mans 24 hour race victory this year, Audi driver Allan McNish has collected two prestigious awards.

38 year old McNish was awarded both the Autosport “British Competition Driver of the Year” Award (previous winners have included John Watson, Nigel Mansell and Damon Hill) and the British Racing Drivers’ Club ACO Plate. The BRDC ACO Plate is presented annually to the highest-placed British driver in the French twice-around-the-clock sportscar endurance race. McNish and Kristensen, who has won Le Mans eight times, plus Italian Dindo Capello, scored Audi’s third consecutive Le Mans victory, which means that Audi has now won the Le Mans race eight times since making its debut in 1999.

McNish said:

“I’m extremely proud to have claimed these awards, especially after this year’s Le Mans which was one of the best races in recent history and definitely the hardest fought for a decade, while winning at Silverstone was very satisfying, but these Awards are as much for our guys at Audi Sport and Joest Racing as it is for me. Dindo, Tom and I were only one part of a great team”.

Alan McNish was recently voted the “Driver of the Decade” in the American Le Mans Series and Audi Driver magazine’s “Audi Personality of the Year” for a third consecutive year.

Despite the global economical crisis Audi AG has reported stable worldwide sales in November and in the first eleven months of 2008.

Audi delivered 75,950 vehicles (2007: 75,635; up 0.4 percent) to customers around the globe in November, and a total of 920,700 vehicles (2007: 893,628 up 3 per cent) in the first 11 months of 2008.

Audi’s new model range launched in November have led to sales growth in Europe export markets, on top of the list are the Audi A4 avant, Audi A3, Audi A6 and new Audi Q5. In November sales went up by 10.6 per cent with an increase of 32,000 vehicles sold.

Europe alone is responsible for 420,100 units sold so far this year - an increase of 2.9 per cent compared to the same period in 2007.

In China, Audi’s largest export market and the USA, unfavorable market forces affected sales for the Ingolstadt-based premium manufacturer. In November, sales figures in the USA fell by 25.4 percent compared with November 2007 (6,788 vehicles; 2007: 9,104). For the first eleven months of 2008, the brand sold 80,049 units here: a year-on-year decrease of 5.8 percent (2007: 85,002). In China (including Hong Kong), November sales figures were down by 5.9 percent; Audi sold 8,173 automobiles here. Nevertheless, sales for the first eleven months of this year amount to 108,737 units – 17.5 percent higher than the prior-year figure.

Member of the Board for Marketing and Sales at Audi AG Mr Peter Schwarzenbauer said:

“Audi is continuing to perform very well on the market thanks to its young and attractive model range. This is reflected in our growing market shares on major European markets. The unfavorable background conditions in all sales regions are however presenting a great challenge.”

Last year Audi AG sold a total of 964,151 vehicles with a revenue of €33,617 million and profit before tax of €2,915 million the 12th consecutive record year for the company.

With VAT savings to be had across the range why not start your new year with a new car?!

Inflation busting prices on all our Audi’s and some can even be with you before Christmas! Subject to finance approval and delivery distances.

Enquire now!

Top of the range Audi Q7 3.0 TDI in lava grey metallic paint with Technology pack, S Line Pack, Communications pack and even beautiful 20″ 20 Spoke alloy wheels! all for £631 a month + vat!

THE Brand New AUDI Q5 for January delivery right to your door £495 + Vat including GSM mobile phone prep, Audi Parking system plus and Metallic paint!!

Christmas is coming a few weeks early and great saving’s to be had!

ENQUIRE NOW ON 0800 822 3116 FREE!!!

AND MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM ALL HERE AT AUDI NATIONWIDE!

Audi UK has named Greg Levine the new Head of Operations. Levine is 37 years old and has extensive sales, marketing and product development experience gained from working with other top auto makers in Europe and South Africa.

Greg Levine rises to the challenge of maintaining Audi’s record sales in the UK new car market. To help Levin maintain this momentum, he will be able to count with a fast expanding Audi range which already had the additions of the Audi A3 Cabriolet, the Audi TTS, the Audi TT TDI and the award winning Audi Q5.

Audi’s range incorporates a total of 29 models and a further ten are expected to hit the roads in 2009, which will elevate Audi to another realm in the auto world.

In his first words as Head of Operations Mr Levin said:

“I’m focusing on maintaining the Audi brand’s momentum whilst ensuring we are consistently and effectively delivering outstanding customer service,”

And concluded:

“My philosophy is that the front line produces the bottom line, so you can be sure that my approach will be closely linked to supporting the Audi Centres in the challenging months that lie ahead.”