Another night of wild success for the Audi brand was had at the Safari Lodge in Woburn Safari Park on Tuesday 2^nd August, at the prestigious Auto Express New Car Awards.

The two models that were a roaring success with judges were the new Audi A6 (Best Executive Saloon) and the Audi A1 (Best Supermini). This was the first award for the new Audi A6 Saloon since its launch earlier this year, while the A1 can add this to its ever growing list of accolades.  

Graham Hope, Acting Editor of Auto Express commented that: “The new A6 has wasted no time in demonstrating its abilities, having seen off a whole host of talented and desirable rivals to secure class honours in this competitive sector. The car’s stunning cabin, excellent engines and sharp dynamics set a benchmark for other to beat.”

There to represent the Audi A6 Saloon on the night was Amy Wand (Product Manager for the A6 Saloon) who said: We’re delighted that the A6 Saloon has picked up its first award so soon after its launch, reinforcing the fact that it really sets the benchmark in its class for luxury and refinement.”

Turning to the ‘Best Supermini’ award, Hope said: “It’s top marks for the Audi A1, which scoops this year’s premium supermini prize. With its winning blend of style, refinement and top-notch quality, the A1 is a cut above the competition.”

Brand representation came in the form of Neysan Vahdat (A1 Product Manager), who said: “The A1 is having a stunning first year, and has proved its wide-ranging appeal with this Best Supermini award from Auto Express. We wanted to bring a subcompact hatchback to market that was as uncompromisingly ‘Audi’ as our customers would expect in every way – from its performance to its styling and build quality – and it seems that customers and journalists are still as excited about it as we are.”

These cars at the opposite ends of the Audi model mix, which just illustrates the brands commitment to making progressive and technologically advanced cars that lead the market.

Ford has made the all new Ford Focus range even more accessible with the arrival of the all-new Focus Studio. The model will go on sale in time for the new 61-plate this September and will start from just £13,995.

This brand new model replaces the popular Ford Focus Sport, a final special edition of the previous model which has been on sale since October 2010 and reached sales of 15,000.

Nigel Sharp, Ford of Britain managing director, said: “With the high end of the new Focus range fully established, we are now making it easier for customers to get behind the wheel at the entry level – and this new Studio model is not only affordable but it is also well equipped, attractive and economical too.”

Standard equipment on the all-new Focus Studio includes 16in sports-style alloy wheels, body-coloured rear spoiler, radio/CD player, USB connectivity, air-conditioning, electrically-operated body-coloured door mirrors with integrated turn indicators, electrically-operated front windows, Ford Easy Fuel ‘capless’ refuelling, and Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) with torque vectoring control.

The Studio will be offered as a five-door hatchback with 85PS 1.6 Ti-VCT powertrain, delivering a fuel efficient 47.9mpg. There will be three colour choices – Panther Black, Moondust Silver and Frozen White.

In December 2010 Richard Parks started a unique, multi discipline endeavor with the aim of becoming the first person to stand on all the continental summits and all three poles in the same calendar year – The 737 Challenge. And on Tuesday 12th July 2011, the former Wales Rugby International completed his world record challenge of conquering 7 Summits, 3 Poles in 7 Months in 06 months, 11 days, 07 hours and 53 minutes.

Over the coming months our Audi centres in Bath, Bristol and Cardiff will be promoting Richard’s amazing achievement and our involvement. We hope this will encourage customers and staff to enter the competition and donate £3 to this amazing challenge.

Richard’ 737 Challenge aims to raise £1million for Marie Curie Cancer Care. Richard’s life, like so many people has been affected by cancer and his father Derek is a cancer survivor. Marie Curie Cancer Care provides hands-on nursing care, totally free, to give terminally ill people the choice of being cared for and dying at home, supported by the people they love. Marie Curie is also the largest provider of hospice beds outside the NHS, providing specialist care to the large number of terminally ill people who wish to be cared for in a hospice setting.

Our Audi centres in Bath, Bristol and Cardiff, have donated a brand new Audi A1 as a prize which is being used by the 737 Challenge team to fund raise through a “Text to Win” campaign. So please support Richard and his challenge by entering the competition to win a brand new Audi A1 1.2 TFSI by simply answering this question:

The Summit of which mountain is regarded as the world’s third pole?

A: Everest
B: Pen Y Fan
C: Snowdon

Donate £3 to the 737 Challenge by texting the word SUMMIT along with your name and answer (A, B or C) to 70007.

Text messages cost £3 plus your standard network message charge (based on your service provider rates).To view full terms and conditions visit www.737challenge.com

The charge will appear on your mobile phone contract bill or be taken from available funds on a non-contract mobile phone (PAYG). A minimum of 80% of the donation will go to the 737 Trust.

At this years What Car? Green Car of the Year Awards, the Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion has secured its second ‘Best Green Small Family Car’ accolade. The ceremony was held last night at Battersea Power Station on the banks of the Thames in London. The Power Station is currently hosting the EcoVelocity low-carbon motor show.   

It is the second year in succession that the Golf BlueMotion has been awarded the best Green Small Family Car by the panel of experts from What Car? Editor-in-chief for What Car?, Chas Hallet had this to say: ‘The Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion shows that it is still possible to be green by simply improving the technology that is already proven and available at the moment.  The Golf offers a seamless driving experience that is hard to differentiate from a regular diesel Golf.  It also has loads of luxury and safety features.’

The Golf BlueMotion is powered by an astonishingly economical 1.6-litre TDI engine that produces 105 PS and 250 Nm of torque from just 1,500 rpm. Start/Stop system, low-rolling-resistance tyres, battery regeneration, revised gearing, a multifunction computer that provides visual gear change recommendations, and aerodynamic changes have all helped achieve the remarkable economy and low emissions – 74.3 mpg on the combined cycle and 99 g/km of CO2.

Volkswagen’s Head of Group Environmental Management, Andrew Bannister was on hand to collect the award. He had this to say: ‘I’m delighted to accept this award on behalf of the Golf.  Amid a raft of environmental developments in the industry, the BlueMotion remains one of the most solid performers and sensible choices.  It retains all the safe, practical and reliable virtues of the standard Golf model while returning class-leading fuel economy and carbon dioxide figures.  A best-selling family favourite made even better.’

BlueMotion is Volkswagen’s umbrella term for a raft of innovations that help to cut the cost of motoring by making every drop of fuel take you further.  In addition to the Polo, Golf and Passat BlueMotion models is a comprehensive line-up of BlueMotion Technology products that use a range of economy measures to reduce fuel consumption and emissions.  Key to all BlueMotion and BlueMotion Technology vehicles, however, is that they all remain as practical, comfortable and desirable as the standard models on which they are based and are just as easy to service, repair and maintain.

The What Car? title comes on top of the Volkswagen BlueMotion range winning the Auto Express inaugural green award last month, and adds yet another honour to the brand’s long list of accolades.

At the Motor Insurance Repair Research Centre in Thatcham last week, Audi was recognised when they were awarded five category titles in the British Insurance Vehicle Security Awards.

Five models were awarded the best-in-class accolade in specific tests that used the New Vehicle Security Rating (NVSR) process which gives models a star rating based on ‘theft of’ and ‘theft from’ protection.

The Thatcham award in the City Car/Supermini category was won by the Audi A1, which was a first for the already, highly decorated model. The new Audi A8 L W12 quattro (500PS) continued the sterling work done in the previous four years of testing by the S8 (450PS), by securing the top award in the Performance Car category.

In other catagories the Audi A4 Saloon, Audi A5 Cabriolet and Q5 all managed to secure top marks over their respective model sector competitors for the fourth, third and second year in succession respectively. If it were needed then the 20 category wins that Audi has secured in the last few years, really does underline the commitment that Audi has to security.

Jeremy Hicks, Director of Audi UK commented that: “I’m obviously delighted that yet again so many of our model ranges have excelled in the eyes of the security experts, but this year I’m especially pleased with our A1 award. We are always at pains to emphasise that our approach to bringing a sub-compact hatchback to market was just as uncompromising on every level as it would be for any other Audi model, and this award stands as further irrefutable proof of that fact.”

Mike Briggs, Vehicle Security Manager at Thatcham, added: “With more outright category winners than any other manufacturer and pushing very close for the overall manufacturer award, Audi has once again proved that it is at the top of its game when it comes to vehicle security across the whole range of vehicles, from City Car right through to Luxury. An excellent achievement and Audi thoroughly deserve all its plaudits today.”

Audi is a brand synonymous with sporty, progressive and technology led cars. Wherever you want to drive or however you want to get there, Audi has a model for you. Although, one place even Audi would not expect to see one of their cars is on top of Everest. But, that is exactly where an Audi A1 was seen last week (albeit a miniature version), thanks to Richard Parks.

Richard took a model of the Audi A1 to the top of Everest to help promote one of the ways that you can support his 737 Challenge, which aims to raise £1million for Marie Curie Cancer Care. Mon Motors Audi centres in Bath, Bristol and Cardiff, have donated an Audi A1 as a prize to the 737 Challenge, which anyone can enter via a ‘Text to Win’ competition.

The former Wales Rugby International reached the summit of Everest on Wednesday 25^th May. The amazing feat marked the 5^th summit and 3^rd pole of his 737 Challenge, which had already seen him reach 4 of the world’s highest summits and conquer the arduous journeys to the North and South Pole.

Richard’s 737 Challenge was scheduled to continue on to Alaska, where he would climb Denali, also known as Mount McKinley, but Richard has been struck with frostbite on his right big toe and faces a race against time to recover for the next leg of his epic world first challenge.

To keep up to date with the Challenge and Richard’s progress and to enter the ‘Text to Win’ competition to win a brand new Audi A1, log on to www.737challenge.com

The Audi A1 its sixth top accolade of 2011 when it topped the Small Hatchback category at the inaugural Honest John Awards in London on 19^th May 2011.

When reviewing the A1, Honest John commented that: “The quality and style that Audi has been able to bring to the small car market, along with great handling, means the Audi A1 is a cut above its competitors and makes this highly desirable yet cheap-to-run hatchback a great choice.”

The A1’s Small Hatchback award from Honest John joins the prestigious Car of the Year and Supermini of the Year awards from What Car? magazine, the Fleet World’s Best Small Car award, Best Small Hatchback from Parkers New Car Awards and Best Luxury Small Car from the CarBuyer Awards.

A recent order of several hundred Ford Transit vans, by the AA has meant that Ford now provides over 50% of the company’s breakdown and recovery vehicles.

The AA is more than doubling the 247 Ford Transits ordered in 2010 with The AA roadside rescue fleet gaining 450 new Transit vans.  A further 50 will support the AutoWindshields division, which already operates a 100 per cent Ford Transit fleet.

Sarah Dopson, AA fleet manager, said: “The order of 500 vans is in recognition of the quality and performance of the Ford Transit. The Transit meets all our requirements for affordable running costs and is the best vehicle for the job.  The 500 Transits currently on order could rise by the end of the year.”

Ford of Britain direct sales manager, Paul Henderson, said: “Ford and the AA have enjoyed a long and mutually beneficial relationship which is further strengthened by this new, large order of Ford Transits. We look forward to working with the AA to help maintain its status as the UK’s largest roadside assistance organisation.”

This week’s Shanghai Motor Show will be Audi’s stage to launch the eagerly anticipated Q3. The compact SUV signals an exciting move forward for Audi and their range of models. The Q3 has a rugged style which has clearly taken inspiration from its larger Q5 and Q7 counterparts, as well as the Audi Allroad models. The Q3 has dimensions that will favour urban use, whilst retaining a higher positioned chassis and the reassurance that comes from quattro all-wheel drive.

The compact SUV segment has seen a tremendous amount of growth in recent times – due in no small parts to the demands of customers. Compact SUV drivers are looking for a car that is functional and has everyday usability, without compromising on design or technology. Audi believe the Q3 is an ideal car for this customer type because it is focused on the design, which is combined with advanced technology, excellent efficiency and quattro all-wheel drive.

The Q3 is expected to appeal to existing Audi drivers, as well as enticing customers who are currently driving compact SUV models like the BMW X1, Volkswagen Tiguan, Ford Kuga, Land Rover Freelander and the Range Rover Evoque. The Q3 is expected in our Audi centres before the end of 2011, so contact your nearest Audi centre today for more information.

On Thursday 14^th April, Bristol Audi became the scene of a media frenzy, more akin to London’s Leicester Square for a premiere of the latest Holywood blockbuster. The flash bulbs from a scrum of photographers lit the early evening sky at Cribbs Casueway as guests arrived for the official launch of the new Bristol Audi on Lysander Road.

For one night, Bristol Audi was transformed by an army of event staff into an exclusive club that welcomed VIP’s, guests and staff, who were all treated to a spectacular night of music, food and entertainment. Most notable was the attendance of Manchester United and England star Wayne Rooney who was accompanied by teammate Jonny Evans and club legend Dennis Irwin. The three arrived at the event in a chauffer driven Audi A8, which was one of many cars used to bring all of the guests to the event.

Entertainment was provided by none other than the jazz-pop superstar Jamie Cullum who gave an exclusive performance to the 400 guests in a specially adapted room, complete with a grand piano and his team of musicians. Champagne from Tattinger, charcuterie and desserts from Bristol’s only two Michelin-starred chefs (Jonray and Peter Sanchez-Iglesias of Casamia in Westbury-on-Trym) made the experience even more spectacular.