If you are an owner of a new VW Group vehicle and want to do some modifications, Volkswagen’s new SFD digital protection can make that a challenge. The good news is that OBDeleven can help, as it is the first tool that unlocks SFD in real-time.

As automakers come to rely more and more on embedded computers for everything from fuel injection to air conditioning, their security measures are becoming ever more robust. Case in point: starting in 2020, Volkswagen began implementing a new digital security layer in new vehicles called SFD – Schutz Fahrzeug Diagnose. Also commonly called “Vehicle Diagnostic Protection,” this extra layer of protection is meant to keep VW Group vehicles safe from unauthorized tampering. It does this by requiring remote authorization from Volkswagen any time a device attempts to access SFD-secured vehicle functions. In other words, try to modify any code relating to your VW’s gateway, instrument cluster, multimedia unit, or a handful of other systems, and you’ll be foiled.

This is designed to help keep owners safe from dishonest or fraudulent activity, which is a good thing. But it’s troubling news for the scores of self-reliant Volkswagen Group vehicle owners who had hoped to modify their cars’ software to unlock new features or add custom functionality. The good news? There is at least one third-party OBD II programming tool out there that still works even with Volkswagen’s new SFD protection: OBDeleven.

OBDeleven is already the premier OBD II tool for VAG group vehicles (Volkswagen, Audi, Seat, Skoda) thanks to its outstanding versatility, ready-made vehicle mods, and vast user base. Now, it’s even better, officially becoming the first OBD II tool in the world authorized by Volkswagen to perform real-time SFD unlocking. Getting that approval from Volkswagen was no small feat. It meant that OBDeleven had to demonstrate that it meets Volkswagen’s strict security requirements, as the tool effectively has to “shake hands” with VW’s own servers each time it needs access approval. But the makers of OBDeleven pulled it off, and as a result, VW Group vehicle owners everywhere don’t have to sweat the automaker’s SFD protection getting in the way of their vehicle customizing endeavors.

Here’s what it looks like for the user: Let’s say you want to customize your Golf’s instrument cluster activating the info display logo every time you start the car. The Golf VIII is one of numerous new vehicles from the manufacturer that now features SFD protection, and the instrument cluster is among the affected modules. With OBDeleven running, the moment you go to apply the modification, the tool sees that the target module is protected, and prompts you to authorize the access procedure. If it’s your first time using SFD unlocking, you’ll need to provide some basic info – things like a name, phone number, and verified email address. On subsequent uses, that data will be recalled automatically so you don’t need to fill it out again.

After authorizing OBDeleven to access the module, the tool sends a request to Volkswagen’s servers to lift the protection temporarily so that the new code can be applied. OBDeleven unlocks the block in less than a second and the block remains unlocked for 90 minutes. So if you have to reverse the modification or make other changes, you have time to do that.

You can also set the OBDeleven software to request access without prompting you each time, so the whole interaction takes place automatically in the background.

For right now, SFD protection is mostly a concern for the owners of vehicles manufactured in 2020 or later that are based on Volkswagen’s MEB and MQB Evo platforms. This includes vehicles like the VW Golf VIII, VW ID.4, and Audi A3 8Y. But it’s more likely than not that SFD protection will expand to additional Volkswagen Group products in the months and years ahead. If you ever plan on owning another VW product in the future and you live to make your vehicle your own, SFD unlocking is an invaluable feature to have.

The possibilities for what you can do with OBDeleven are nearly endless. OBDeleven ships with access to hundreds of unique vehicle applications called “One-Click Apps” that allow you to customize your vehicle’s behavior without any additional knowledge. Apps can be purchased individually with either a Basic or PRO OBDeleven subscription, or you can gain access to all of them at once with an ULTIMATE subscription.

But even beyond these One-Click Apps, PRO and ULTIMATE users can wield OBDeleven for true professional-grade programming functions, with adaptations, long-coding, and byte-by-byte editing for completely custom vehicle modifications. Built-in guardrails and a handy control unit backup feature keep users from inadvertently bricking anything in the car, and there is a massive online community of fellow users ready to help if you get completely lost.

Want access to all that for your SFD-protected Volkswagen Group vehicle? Check out OBDeleven’s full range of devices and software packages and get coding!

Visit OBDeleven.com for more information.

Sponsored by OBDeleven

The post New Solutions for Modifying the Newest Volkswagen Group Vehicles appeared first on QuattroWorld.

We hardly need to tell you that Black Friday and Amazon has some of the best Black Friday Sales going. Be sure to check them out before they’re gone and get everything you need for your car before the winds of winter carry the fun away for another season.

This blog earns a commission from referring readers to Amazon. 

Battery Tenders $29-$42 

There’s no time like now to get a battery tender. Not only because they’ve never been more affordable but it’s still early enough to keep your car battery alive. Nothing’s worse than finally having nice weather, deciding to go for a drive in your special car, and realizing the battery’s dead.

15% off Akro Mills Storage

Look, no one wants to hear it, but organization really does pay dividends. No one wants to get to the garage, full of energy and then waste it all trying to find the right parts or easterners, or heads, or whatever. Keep that from happening and convince your friends that you’re actually much more professional and organized than you really are with these storage solutions.

20% Off Valvoline Motor Oil

Oil changes don’t just happen in the spring. Getting the right viscosity is important for the winter, too, so why not get a good deal of up to 20% off on Valvoline’s range of motor oils. 

43% Off Meguiar’s Complete Car Care Kit

Keep creeping age clear of your car with Meguiar’s Complete Car Care Kit. Comes with everything you need to get your car squeaky clean and free of the environmental agents that hurt your paint and make you look less fly.

Up to 40% Off Watch Brands

Your car is clean, the battery is full, the oil is fresh, but are you? Stay fresh and stylish with the right watch for every outfit. Watches are going for up 40% off for Black Friday.

31% Off Electric Car Jack

Hydraulic jacks are a wonderful invention that have saved many a forearm. Now save time with an electric jack from Pilot Automotive. Never suffer the slings and arrows of lifting a lifting, letting down a little too far, lifting again, but not quite far enough, and having to search all over for the stupid little knob that’s somehow never where you left it.

39% Off ThisWorx Car Vacuums

No one wants a messy car and no one wants to step into their friend’s messy car. Get tidy with these car vacuums from ThisWorx. 

Up to 20% Off Michelin Stealth Ultra Windshield Wipers

With the winter coming fast, you have to keep your windshield clear of the ice and grime that are conspiring to put you in harm’s way. Like winter tires, windshield wipers are another important part of getting ready for the cold. Save a little money as you keep things safe.

The post The Big Blog Post of the Best Black Friday Deals! appeared first on QuattroWorld.

The sale is happening all day Thursday, November 26 and Friday, November 27. You can find the deals by following the link and using code BF25. Discounts seem to apply to pretty much everything on Advance Auto Parts’ website, though there is a little addendum suggesting that your savings will max out at $50.

So while your family Zoom call is dragging on this Thanks Giving, remember to keep the Advance Auto Parts tab open so that you can do a little light shopping while uncle Vernon tells you that story about his root canal again.

Go to shop.advanceautoparts.com and don’t forget to use code BF25.

The post Advance Auto Parts Offering 25% Off on Auto Parts for Black Friday appeared first on QuattroWorld.

Coming this fall: the Automotive Aftermarket Expo, AutoGuide.com’s first virtual trade show.

This year, COVID-19, unfortunately, led to the cancellation of many long-standing auto shows and annual conventions, leaving those of us in the industry looking for new ways to connect with friends, colleagues, and the thousands of enthusiasts who turn out at yearly events like the New York Auto Show, the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, and the recently-canceled SEMA Show.

But just because those shows may not be happening this year doesn’t mean we can’t still (safely) meet up to talk shop and geek out over the latest and greatest vehicles and products. That’s why we’re excited to announce AutoGuide.com’s very own Automotive Aftermarket Expo, a virtual automotive trade show coming to a screen near you later this fall.

What Is It?

Since we can’t bring our readers and partners to the trade show floors this year, we’re bringing the trade show floor to them (you!) through a special, fully digital, one-day event. The AAE will be an entirely virtual show, consisting of a day-long video stream highlighting exciting new and upcoming automotive products, custom builds, and more, through interviews directly with the brands themselves.

Over the full-day event, we’ll cover everything from car care to tires, the latest off-road accessories to the most coveted performance parts, and much, much more. Plus, since it’s virtual, you get to watch it all from the comfort of your own home. That means no waiting in lines, no navigating a maze of booths and no paying convention center prices for snacks.

When Is It?

This all-day livestream will be happening on October 21st, 2020, so mark your calendars now and get ready for a full day of automotive coverage featuring an exciting lineup of your favorite manufacturers and aftermarket brands.

Where Can You Watch?

The AAE will be streaming on AutoGuide.com as well as our YouTube channel and across the entire VerticalScope platform. Join us for the entire event to make sure you don’t miss a thing, or jump in and out to catch the latest announcements from your favorite brands, all while hanging out with the Internet’s largest automotive community.

How Can You Get Involved?

The AAE will be entirely virtual, so there are no flights to book or hotel deals to search for. All you have to do is watch this space for more announcements – including the full schedule of the day’s events, plus an interactive directory of participating brands – as we get closer to October.

(Want to ensure you don’t miss a single update? Subscribe to our newsletter and become an AutoGuide insider today!)

For brands interested in participating, contact us to learn more or email us here.

Why AutoGuide.com?

We’ve got the experience, audience, and reach. Our unique combination of content hubs and community sites gives the AutoGuide.com Auto Group the world’s largest in-market automotive social media network, allowing brands to target their products to over 56 million influencers, enthusiasts and in-market consumers. We’re talking over 29 million registered members across 680+ community sites – and those numbers are increasing every day.

The AAE provides your brand with the opportunity to connect face-to-face with our valuable online audience: 62% of enthusiasts use community sites like ours to research new products before purchasing, while 81% visit community sites at least once per week and 75% ultimately purchase automotive products online, allowing you to reach a market traditional trade shows can’t match.

Plus, this isn’t our first rodeo when it comes to running events.

VerticalScope Inc., our parent company, owns not only the AutoGuide.com Group, but Bimmerfest Events, a long-standing automotive event series that celebrated 20 years within the industry. Bimmerfest (West & East) are premier BMW events, making up the largest gatherings of BMWs and their owners. The events draw in over 25,000 BMW enthusiasts at first-rate tracks like Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, and English Town Raceway in New Jersey. 

Our event planning experience, our digital marketing expertise, and our massive reach and scale definitely put us ahead of the rest. The Automotive Aftermarket Expo is poised to become the premier virtual trade show of 2020.

The post Announcing the AutoGuide.com Automotive Aftermarket Expo appeared first on QuattroWorld.

As you’d expect, the new S3 will be powered by the VW Group’s reliable 2.0-liter TFSI engine. But this time out, it will be making about 15 more HP than the current model.

Making roughly 305.7 (310 PS) and 295 lb-ft of torque, Audi estimates that the new S3 will be able to hit 62 mph in just 4.8 seconds. That speed will mount to a limited top speed of 155 mph.

With drive-select, drivers will be able to pick how loud their engine sounds and a 7-speed S tronic transmission will take on shifting duties. Naturally, quattro AWD is a given.

The S3 should be pretty handy around the bends, too, with a suspension that’s 15 mm (0.6-inches) lower than on the standard A3. Damper control will be available with the S sport suspension option.

Audi has fitted the car with an electric brake booster, which has advantages, but which Audi describes as “strong and spontaneous.” We want half of those things…

The car sits on standard 18s but you can get 19-inch wheels if you feel like ticking some options boxes. As was originally reported by Periodiso del Motor in late July, the S3 has “digital daytime running lights.” That means that a pixel array made up of 15 LED segments have been arranged to be a fun little design.

Like the standard A3, the S3 grows in size all over. It’s 1.2 inches wider and the sedan is about an inch and a half longer than the outgoing S3. It also benefits from fancy new infotainment powered by MIB 3, which means you get Google earth, information about traffic flow, and car-to-X services.

The sound of your podcasts, meanwhile, will come from Bang & Olufsen speakers.

The post Audi Launches the 305 HP S3 Sedan and Hatch appeared first on QuattroWorld.

It seems that Audi will no longer be offering the lower-power R8 V10 quattro in 2021, and will instead only offer the higher power R8 V10 Plus—which for some reason it’s calling the R8 V10 performance quattro.

To say goodbye to the 562 hp version of its flagship supercar, Audi will produce a limited run of 30 units that feature unique trim, 20-inch milled wheels, carbon trim, and aluminum-style mirror caps.

Buyers will be able to pick from one of three colors: Mugello Blue, Avus Silver, and Sonoma Green.

Perhaps most special, though, will be tech that had previously only been available on the V10 Plus like a carbon fiber front sway bar, which is 4.4 lbs lighter than the normal part.

Also on offer will be magnetic ride, which adjusts the firmness of the dampers, and dynamic steering, which alters the steering weight at different driving speeds. A sport exhaust option will also ensure that the V10 can also sing its loudest and proudest.

Of the run, 15 will be sold in Mugello Blue (with a pastel silver interior), five will be sold in Avus Silver (with a black interior and red stitching), and five will be sold in Sonoma Green with a black interior and grey stitching. The five remaining cars will actually by R8 Spyder, sold in Mugello Blue with a silver interior.

The car is scheduled to go on sale this summer with starting at $186,000 or $195,900 if you opt for the Spyder.

The post Audi US Killing Base R8, Says Goodbye with Limited Edition appeared first on QuattroWorld.

The report cites sources at Audi HQ as saying that the new model could take the A9 e-tron name, showing that it sits above the A8 in the company’s vertical. Autocar says the new model is described as “a highly efficient electric car that is scheduled to be on the road as early as 2024.”

Competing with the likes of the EQS and the upcoming all-EV Jag XJ, it will have the group’s latest electric driveline and battery tech as well as autonomous driving tech (what’s a car set for four years out without that?) and new connectivity features including car-to-X communication, augmented reality, and over-the-air upgrades.

Autocar’s insider sources say the model is codenamed E6 and is in early development, expected to come as some sort of Sportback-like shape. A7 dimensions with A8 interior space. The report says it will be the technical showcase for the up to 75 electric cars and 60 PHEV models planned inside the VW Group’s brands including Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini, and Porsche.

Audi has already revealed plans for 20 EVs and 10 PHEV models through 2024, setting aside €12bn for the plan.

a version of this article first appeared on fourtitude.com

The post Audi Readying Luxury Electric Flagship, Report appeared first on QuattroWorld.

Audi’s giving the Q5 a refresh for 2021 that includes small changes on the outside, but changes on the inside, some sweet new paint shades and more power for the lesser models. And the SQ5 gets quicker, but we’re not sure exactly why or how.

The exterior changes for the model that launched in 2018 include new 18, 19, 20, and even 21-inch wheel designs. The grille has been made thinner and wider than before and the bumper intakes are taller with trapezoidal inserts. Audi says the Q5’s refreshed side sills give it a “lighter” look and the rear trim’s revised as well.

All 2021 Q5s get LED headlights with a new DRL signature and LED tails with those cool dynamic turn signals. Top trims get matrix-design headlights with dynamic front signals and special hello and goodbye light animations. SQ5 gets OLED lights again with a specific signature.

Inside are the big changes, like the latest version of MMI on a 10.1-inch screen. And yes, it gets wireless CarPlay with OTA updates. New walnut inlays and leather seating surfaces with contrast stitching work to make the cabin a more pleasant place to be, as does the optional gen-2 Audi virtual cockpit. A 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system is the top choice for pumping tunes.

The 2.0 TFSI gets a 13 hp boost to 261 with 273 lb-ft, and a 12v mild (really mild) hybrid system. A PHEV version pairs a 2.0L TFSI with an electric motor for 362 hp total and 369 lb-ft of torque. Both of those get a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Under the hood of the SQ5 is the same 3.0L turbo V6 as last year, and the same eight-speed auto, but now the same 349 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque get to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds instead of 5.1. How? We’re not sure, but we’ll guess that it’s because the PHEV can do it in five flat, and it can’t be allowed to be quicker than the S model. Especially since the PHEV doesn’t get adaptive dampers and other S-specific trim.

Driver aids include side assist, lane departure warning, pre sense rear, parking system plus, rear cross-traffic assist, adaptive cruise and top view cameras. The 2021 Audi Q5 is set to hit dealers soon, starting from $43,300 for the Q5 54, $51,900 for the Q5 55 PHEV, and $52,900 for the SQ5.

a version of this article first appeared on fourtitude

The post Audi Gives Q5 a Refresh appeared first on QuattroWorld.

Do you know when the first Audi crash test was performed? How about what audi means in latin? Or how many hours a the average American spends in traffic every year? If you answered any of these questions, you’ll likely do pretty well on a recent quiz that Audi put out.

The quiz is 16 questions long with a few about the automotive industry in general and the majority about Audi specifically. It’s a nice diversion for your Thursday afternoon and you might learn a thing or two.

Check it out and let Audi know how you did on by @ing them on Twitter. Or don’t. We aren’t particularly invested.

The post Audi Wants to Test your Trivia Skills with new Quiz appeared first on QuattroWorld.

The process is, as you might expect, time-intensive but the editors in Hennessey’s video room make it take just three minutes. And what a lovely way to spend three minutes this afternoon.

The big highlight here is the horsepower: more than 750 of it on Hennessey’s dyno. The engine also makes 545 lb-ft of torque at the rear wheels at 6 psi of boost. Best of all, it still runs on pump gas and, according to Hennessey, pretty much drives like stock until the boost kicks in.

The tuners offer the same service for Huracan.

The post Watch: How Hennessey Gets 750 HP Out of the R8 appeared first on QuattroWorld.