Re: A8 driving impressions

[MARK_ANDRE@HP-FtCollins-om4.om.hp.com]

Item Subject: cc:Mail Text
     > On Tue, 25 Jun 1996, Psycho Bob wrote:
     
     > > > US cars will not get the 4 speed tiptronic, but i think that a 5
     > > > speed tiptronic with an EPA cheating 5th gear would make it 
     > > > here.
     > > >
     > > > Whoa there! Does that mean there are two versions of 5-speed? 
     > > > That is, a real 5-speeder which is sold elsewhere in the world,
     > > > and a 4-speed+OD = 5 speed in the U.S.?
     
     > note that the above is speculation on my part, because i've not come
     > across any literature on a 5 speed tiptronic.  do the porkers have
     > them yet?
     
     Who are zeez "porkers" to whom you refer? Anyway, from the 1996 German 
     A8 literature, the A8 3.7 FWD gets a tiptronic 5-speed, while the A8 
     4.2 quattro gets a tiptronic 4-speed. 
     
     According to the Japanese 1996 Audi literature, the five-speed 
     automatic in the A4 has ratios of 1st-3.664, 2nd-1.998, 3rd--1.406, 
     4th-1.000, and 5th-0.742 (final drive is 4.095:1), so if Audi is 
     putting tiptronic gating and software on the same 5sp. ZF "slush" box, 
     it is essentially an overdrive 5th gear. Sure this clears up nothing.
     
     ****
     One correction to a prior posting about the four-circle Quattro 
     exhaust tip: It is meant to attach to a transverse-mount rear muffler 
     that sits fore of the rear bumper (not aft as written).
     ***
     
     Mark Andre
     Fort Collins CO
     
     91 MMTQWIA3
     87 VWQSW
     64 VWKGC