2012 AUDI A7 Selected by Motor Press Guild to Receive the First-Ever ‘Vehicle of the Year’ Award

Posted on 10 November 2011 by

Audi today announced that the 2012 A7 has been selected by the Motor Press Guild (MPG), the largest automotive media association in North America, to receive the first-ever Motor Press Guild Vehicle of the Year (VOTY) Award. Laura Burstein, MPG President, will present the trophy at Audi’s press conference on the first day of the Los Angeles Auto Show press days on Nov. 16.

“The A7 is the epitome of high style and artistry, with a five-door coupe design that is both sporty and elegant. Response to the launch of the A7 this year has been outstanding. We’re proud to be selected by Motor Press Guild as the recipient of their first-ever Vehicle of the Year award,” said Johan de Nysschen, President, Audi of America.

“It was a close contest, but the 2012 Audi A7 managed to edge out the competition with its compelling combination of handsome styling, dynamic handling and advanced in-car technology,” said Laura Burstein, MPG President. “In this highly competitive market, it’s hard to be a standout, but Audi did it with the A7. Likewise, we congratulate all of our finalists on bringing solid, efficient and good-looking vehicles to the market that are fun to drive.”

The seamless fusion of style, luxury and technology, every detail of the A7 delivers a striking visual statement. The A7 was the first car in the world to feature factory-installed Wi-Fi with Audi connect™ and navigation with 3-D Google Earth. From the groundbreaking MMI® touchpad and its gracefully integrated display screen, to the state-of-the-art head up display, the Audi A7 is the perfect marriage of progressive design and sophisticated engineering. The A7 also sets a high standard for performance, handling and efficiency with an all-aluminum Audi 3.0 liter TFSI® V6 engine, 310hp and 325 lb-ft. of torque. Visit http://models.audiusa.com/a7 to learn more about the 2012 Audi A7.

The 2012 Audi A7 was one of five finalists chosen by a carefully selected panel of MPG journalist members who test and review cars on a regular basis. The entire journalist membership present at MPG’s recent Track Day event evaluated the finalist vehicles in the categories of safety, quality, value, performance/handling, design/style, environmental/green impact and technology/innovation standards and cast their votes accordingly. Vehicles were required to be all-new or substantially changed from the previous year’s model and available at dealerships on or before Jan. 1, 2012.

ABOUT AUDI
Audi of America, Inc. and its U.S. dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury vehicles. AUDI AG is among the most successful luxury automotive brands globally. During 2010 Audi was the top performing luxury brand in Europe, and broke all-time company sales records in the U.S. Over the next few years, AUDI AG will invest nearly $16 billion on new products and technologies. Visit www.audiusa.com or www.audiusanews.com for more information regarding Audi vehicle and business issues.

ABOUT MPG
The Los Angeles-based Motor Press Guild (MPG) is the largest automotive media association in North America with more than 800 members. This non-profit trade guild is dedicated to promoting professionalism in automotive journalism through education and information exchange. Members include journalists from print, broadcast, and online outlets as well as public relations representatives, consumer groups and governmental bodies tied to the automotive industry. The organization hosts regular meetings featuring key figureheads in the auto industry and is widely recognized for its annual Dean Batchelor Award program and annual industry MPG Track Day.

For more information on the Motor Press Guild, please visit our website (www.motorpressguild.org), Facebook page or Twitter feed (@MotorPressGuild). For media inquiries please contact MPG Publicity Chair Mike Caudill at 951-719-1040 or mike@drivenpublicrelations.com.

Audi A7, Audi Q7 win 2012 Active Lifestyle Vehicle of the Year Awards

Posted on 26 October 2011 by

  • The Audi A7 claims top honors in Luxury On-Road category
  • The Audi Q7 tops all competitors in Family Vehicle category
  • Winners judged by elite and recreational U.S. athletes

The Audi A7 and the Audi Q7 won their respective categories in the 2012 Active Lifestyle of the Year Awards, which stands as the only competition of its kind in the U.S. to combine the opinions of automotive journalists and elite athletes.

Both Audi models were among the 32 finalists for recognition in the eighth-annual ALV program. The Audi A7 won as the best Luxury On-Road vehicle, while the Audi Q7 won in the best Family vehicle category.

The competition, held this year in Chandler, Ariz., involved seven categories overall with each grouping of finalists assessed by a jury panel made up of at least 10 elite and local athletes and journalists. The juries assessed the cars in each category on overall design, engine power, fuel efficiency and cargo capability. The goal of the jurors is to reward cars best suited for the needs of a sports lifestyle, such as stowing bicycles, kayaks or golf clubs.

“While ALV is technically a car-of-the-year competition, it’s also an impromptu focus group,” explained program co-founder, Nina Russin. “Our objective is to widen the pipeline between the people who plan, design and engineer new cars and the consumers who ultimately buy and drive them. At previous programs athletes including professional football players, elite runners, swimmers and triathletes have interacted with vehicle designers and product specialists.”

ABOUT THE AUDI A7
Audi has broken new ground with the A7, combining the emotional appeal of a coupe with the prestige of a sedan and the functionality of a wagon. The innovative, five-door design of the newest Audi entry sits atop a sporty, lightweight chassis and is partnered with a highly efficient supercharged V6, latest generation quattro® all-wheel drive and the latest advanced driver assistance and multimedia systems to define a new benchmark for the premium segment. The all-new A7 features the acclaimed Audi 3.0 TFSI® V6, complete with belt-driven supercharger and direct fuel injection. The supercharged 90-degree V6 produces 310 horsepower and 325 lb-ft. of torque to blend seamless power delivery with enhanced fuel economy of 18 mpg city / 28 mpg hwy / 22 mpg combined.

ABOUT THE AUDI Q7 TDI
The seven-passenger 2012 Audi Q7 highlights the brand attention to details through a host of features that exceed driver and passenger expectations for functionality and comfort. The premier luxury SUV in the Audi lineup provides impressive carlike handling and functional utility for every day driving. The 3.0-liter common-rail injection V6 clean diesel engine in the Audi Q7 TDI generates 225 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque with an eight-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission. It achieves an EPA estimated fuel economy of 17 mpg city / 25 mpg hwy / 20 mpg combined.

ABOUT AUDI
Audi of America, Inc. and its U.S. dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury vehicles. AUDI AG is among the most successful luxury automotive brands globally. During 2010 Audi was the top performing luxury brand in Europe, and broke all-time company sales records in the U.S. Over the next few years, AUDI AG will invest nearly $16 billion on new products and technologies. Visit www.audiusa.com or www.audiusanews.com for more information regarding Audi vehicle and business issues.

Audi A7 Papercraft Model

Posted on 24 April 2011 by

The Audi A7 design began with a clean sheet of paper. Graphic design artist Taras Lesko started this project with 285 clean sheets of paper. Using photos and drawings of the A7, he designed 750 model pieces out of card stock, which he then printed, folded and glued together. His equipment was a laser printer, two desktop cutting plotters, glue and an X-ACTO knife. More than 245 hours later, he had created his own bold vision.