Auto Sector

Audi planning to revive A2

Audi planning to revive A2Ingolstadt, Germany  - Audi is planning to revive its microcar the A2 as a sport model with a high roof to round off the compact A1 and A3 model segments, the German auto magazine Auto Bild reports.

A Sportback version with a longer rear is also being planned for 2014, the magazine said.

An Audi spokesman declined to comment on the Bild report, but Audi CEO Rupert Stadler said earlier: "We are looking at different scenarios including a new A2."

Car AC can clear damp windscreens on winter days

Hamburg  - Even though car air conditioners (AC) work overtime during the summer, they should also be switched on during winter to remove damp air from the cockpit and prevent the windscreen from fogging-up, manufacturers recommend.

The air in the vehicle is not only heated up, but also dried as the defrost function helps clear the windscreen. Many car heating systems automatically engage the air conditioner in the defrost position. But if the car has no automatic climate control, the

defrost position should be adjusted manually.

A car AC is basically designed to move heat from the car interior to the exterior similar to a refrigerator.

Bentley upgrades Azure T luxury convertible

Bentley upgrades Azure T luxury convertibleCrewe, England  - Bentley has upgraded its luxury Azure T convertible with a more powerful 500 hp engine and stylistic cues to enhance the sporty image.

The Azure T comes with 20-inch, five-spoke wheels, front wing vents, a dark tinted matrix grille and a sculpted, retractable "Flying B" bonnet mascot.

The twin-turbocharged V8 engine, produces 500 hp and 1,000 Nm of torque, has been given a boost of 11 per cent in power and torque was increased 14 per cent over its 450bhp/875 Nm Azure stable mate.

Ants offer clues to help improve flow of traffic, German experts say

Hamburg, Germany  - Ever wonder how hundreds of ants are able to go up and down a narrow twig without bumping into each other?

A team of German scientists want to find out how ants avoid collisions so that they can apply the same principles to cars on the motorways.

The scientists built an ingenious super "ant farm" complete with roads and bridges and a veritable city of ants. Then they observed the traffic patterns of the ants and fed their findings in to a computer.

The Dresden Institute of Technology collective intelligence expert Dirk Helbing and his team set up an ant highway with two routes of different widths from the nest to some sugar syrup, according to their findings, published in New Scientist.

Audi halts production, Daimler promises Hungarian investment

Budapest  - Audi said Monday it would suspend production at its Hungarian plant for a month from mid-December, citing a seasonal drop in demand for convertible cars.

The German company said it has no immediate plans to lay off staff.

Meanwhile, another German car maker, Daimler AG, sought to reassure Hungary that it has no intention of cancelling its planned 800 million-euro Mercedes-Benz production facility in Hungary.

Daimler spokeswoman Nicole Rubba told the Hungarian state news agency MTI on Monday that despite a management call for "absolute budgetary discipline" the investment will go ahead.

Fiat Linea sedan made its first public appearance

Linea sedan made its first public appearanceC plus segment sedan Linea was launched by Fiat India Automobiles (FIAL) from the Ranjangaon plant. The car will enter market in the middle of next month.

It is estimated that company would have 2000 units in all its dealers for immediate sale by then. This is a new Fiat model to be launched in India in seven years.

Rajeev Kapoor, managing director and CEO, FIAL, said the car will be distributed by Tata-Fiat dealers but declined to reveal its pricing details.

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