The mid-size 650i models hardtop coupes or soft top convertibles stock a 4.8-liter V8 reaching 360 horsepower with a Sport Automatic Transmission and paddle shifters. High-tech hardware aboard includes Active Roll Stabilization (ARS) to reduce body roll and optional Active Steering Control (ASC), which varies the steering ratio to match a driver’s style and the pavement conditions.
BMW’s mid-size cars are new with RWD (528i, 535i, 550i) and AWD (528xi, 535xi) models. For the 528i, the in-line-six delivers 230 horsepower, but for the 535i and 535xi, the output climbs to 300 horsepower. The deluxe 550i with BMW’s 4.8-liter V8 creates 360 horsepower. BMW’s Night Vision, Active Cruise Control and xenon high intensity discharge (HID) headlights are also available.
The 3 Series string of compact cars from BMW extends to four-door sedans (328,325) and five-door sport wagons (328) with RWD and AWD variations. All 328 models employ the 3.0-liter, six-in-line, while the 335 carries the twin-turbo version. BMW’s compacts also carry a load of sophisticated electronic vehicle controls such as BMW’s Head Protection System (HPS) air bags.
Compact-class coupes and convertibles from BMW present fresh designs riding on an expanded rear-wheel-drive (RWD) platform. The 328i and 328xi stock a 3.0-liter, in-line-six with 230 horsepower through a manual six-speed or six-speed electronic automatic with Steptronic manual shift control. BMW’s 335i and 335xi use the in-line-six with twin turbo-chargers and direct fuel injection. They zip with 300 horsepower through the six-speed manual or Steptronic automatic.
Audi’s large-scale CUV in five-door wagon format has a car-like uni-body structure, muscular engine options and a wagonload of high-tech vehicle controls and safety equipment. A big 4.2-liter FSI V8 delivers 350 horsepower with a six-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission and Audi’s Quattro full-time AWD traction system. The 3.6-liter FSI V6 achieves 280 horsepower.
Audi’s hand-built aluminum sports car, a stunning work of automotive art with perfectly balanced mid-engine architecture, lands in 2008 with Quattro AWD traction and a high-revving 420-horsepower FSI V8 tied to a six-speed manual stick with metal shift gate or the malleable R-Tronic sequential automatic gearbox.
Audi’s compact two-door machine appears as a slinky sports coupe or daring convertible roadster with curvy skin stretched tautly over exaggerated wheels. The FWD TT 2.0T totes Audi’s 2.0-liter turbo FSI plant with a six-speed S-Tronic sequential automatic transmission. The Quattro TT stokes the 3.2-liter V6 working 250 horsepower with either a six-speed manual or six-speed S-Tronic automatic gearbox.
Audi’s full-size A8 sedan spins off a high-performance variation known as the S8. Lurking beneath the hood is Audi’s quad-cam 5.2-liter FSI V10, which produces 450 horsepower and massive torque directed through a six-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission shuttled to Audi’s Quattro AWD system with asymmetric/dynamic torque split biased toward the rear wheels
Cast on a unitized aluminum structure and fitted with sophisticated mechanical systems and extravagant luxuries, Audi’s A8 Series comes in two lengths. The A8 and A8L employ the 4.2-liter FSI V8 with a ZF six-speed electronic automatic transmission and Tiptronic manual shift mode. The A8L W12 stocks a W-shaped, 12-cylinder engine displacing 6.0 liters through the six-speed Tiptronic.
The S6 is a high-performance, A6-like mid-size sedan. Its running gear is staggering enough to create a super-car. Core ingredients are a 5.2-liter FSI V10 that boils to 435 horsepower with a six-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission coupled to Audi’s Quattro AWD system. The S6 rolls on 19-inch wheels and flashes a single-frame grille with vertical struts up front and a spoiler on the tail.
