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Audi Sport is showing its colors at the 2017 New York auto show with a special edition R8. The car is finished in a combination of silver, red and black, which is described as being the official colors of the performance division. (The silver can be swapped out for black or white, however.) The Audi Sport name—and its official colors—may be a new thing but the division has been around for decades, previously under the name Quattro. Few knew about it, however, as Quattro is also used by Audi as the name for all-wheel drive. Furthermore, cars developed by the division have either been badged with an “R” or “RS.” Audi Sport's special edition R8 is called the R8 V10 Audi Sport Edition, and it will be offered in both the 540-horsepower R8 V10 and 610-hp R8 V10 Plus guises. Among the special touches are the sideblades and side mirror housing in red. Black, meanwhile, is used for the front spoiler, grille, tailpipes, and rear diffuser insert. The 20-inch forged aluminum wheels...

Like all animals, humans are subject to various temptations. A salad is healthier than a burger and fries, but the whiff you get within a block of an old-fashioned burger joint is irresistible. Similarly, you shouldn’t buy another project car, but when will you find another like it? Temptation momentarily struck on a back road in Andorra as I debated passing a truck. In a garden-variety family car, I’d have waited patiently. I’d have taken advantage of the semi’s leisurely pace to adjust the A/C, or change the radio station. In the 2018 Audi RS 5, I flicked the left shift paddle twice, signaled, and gunned it. I don’t think the truck driver even noticed I went by. Your passport, please New for 2018, the second-generation RS 5 was born to answer two callings. One: It must be a capable corner carver with a quick turn-in and the agility of a cat. Two: It needs to be irreproachably docile and calm on the highway as it purrs through miles This isn’t just a hopped-up S5, a lot ...

A new generation of the Audi Q5 has just gone on sale and available in standard formand sporty SQ5 trim, the latter with a 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6 good for 354 horsepower. Eventually, a high-performance RS Q5 will be added to the fold. It’s part of Audi Sport’s plan to add more SUVs to its lineup. We’ve known that Audi has been considering an RS Q5 since at least 2011. And according to  AutoExpress , the vehicle will be coming soon. Its development has been concurrent with new versions of the RS 4 and RS 5, with all three set to share an engine, transmission and performance-oriented all-wheel-drive system.As the new RS 5 has already bowed, we know what to expect on the RS Q5. Power will come from a 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V-6 tuned to deliver 450 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque. The engine will be mated to an 8-speed automatic and power all four wheels via a rear-biased all-wheel-drive system. Look for Audi to either offer as sta...

The Audi RS 3 is no slouch of a sport sedan, but Schaeffler Group has given the car an electrified shot in the arm. The firm yanked out the original 2.5-liter turbocharged 5-cylinder engine and fitted four Formula E-sourced electric motors. The end result? 1,180 horsepower. Schaeffler Group created what it calls the Schaeffler 4ePerformance concept vehicle based on a regular Audi RS 3. The concept's goal is to show how quickly Formula E technology can translate to road-going vehicles. In this case, it's only been a few years. The firm is also a major sponsor of the Audi Sport ABT Formula E team. The four Formula E electric motors each produce roughly 295 hp each to bring the grand power total to 1,180 hp. The motors actually come directly from the Abt Schaeffler FE01 Formula E racing car, which the company ran during the motorsport series' second season.  Specifically, Schaeffler created the concept to exercise what i...

The all-new Audi A7 Sportback has been officially revealed ahead of its 2018 arrival, taking styling cues from the latest A8 Audi has finally taken the covers off the new Audi A7 Sportback. Set to go on sale early next year, the Porsche Panamera rival features a sharp new exterior look, a raft of new technology inside, and a mild hybrid system on every engine in the range.  The 2018 A7 Sportback follows on from the new Audi A8 by adopting Audi’s latest ‘MLB Evo’ platform. At 4,969mm it’s actually slightly shorter than the outgoing model, but is a nearly identical width and height. The wheelbase is 10mm longer, but Audi has squeezed 21mm more length out of the cabin to improve passenger space. • Best executive cars on sale right now The design is a familiar evolution of the previous A7 Sportback, but there are a number of detail changes evident. The front-end borrows heavily from the new A8, but the grille is wider and lower,...

Leading Audi tuner Abt launches 523bhp version of rapid RS 4 Avant estate at geneva 2018 As well as the big manufacturers launching their latest models, a number of tuning firms also use the Geneva Motor Show to reveal the latest projects they have been working on. For 2018, Audituning specialist Abt has revealed a faster version of the RS 4 Avant, which it has called the Abt RS 4-R. The new high-speed estate features the same 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 as the standard RS 4, but the modified version has an extra 79bhp, courtesy of an Abt-specific ECU and a sports exhaust with a set of four carbon fibre tailpipes at the rear. As well as packing 523bhp, the Abt RS 4-R has 690Nm of torque - a 90Nm increase - and three-tenths of a second is shaved off the 0-62mph time, with the RS 4-R managing it in 3.8 seconds. There's a 174mph top speed, too. As well as these power upgrades, Abt has given the suspension a complete overhaul. There are lowered springs with damp...

New Audi flagship SUV to take on the Range Rover and inject coupe style at the top end of the firm's line-up The official reveal of the  Audi Q8  is just one week away - and the new flagship SUV has been teased again before we see it in the metal for the first time at the Audi Brand Summit in Shenzhen, China. The new images come in the form of both official design sketches and a teaser of the car’s details in a Q8-themed mini-series. It’s clear from the renderings that the new model will have a much more aggressive look to the  Q7  on which it’s based. The front grille, though familiar in shape, is shallower but wider than the Q7’s, and the headlamp units are slimmer and sharper for a more aggressive look. The LED lighting startup animation, similar in style to the  A8 saloon’s, can be seen in the teaser video. •  Best SUVs on sale 2018 The Q8 sacrifices some practicality for a more rakish roofline. While this means that, unlike the Q7, it won’...

Facelifted R8 likely to keep naturally-aspirated V10 engine, before turning electric in 2021 The  Audi R8  supercar is readying itself for a mid-life facelift – and our spy photographers have caught it testing for the very first time. While many of the cosmetic changes are disguised by the camouflage wrap, it looks like  Audi  will update the front grille and vents – removing the existing car’s vertical slats from the outer gills. While the lights look unchanged, it’s likely these will see a light refresh on the facelifted car. •  These are the best supercars of 2018 The test car appears to be based on the existing  R8 V10 Plus , with the same two-tone side blades and carbon rear spoiler. At the back, the most notable change is the exhaust pipes, which have switched from a rhombus shape to the familiar RS-style oval. On the previous-generation car this set-up was reserved for V10 cars, suggesting the revised car will keep its high-revving 5.2-lit...

Feast your eyes on the Audi Q8's rear end via a teaser sketch the German luxury brand provided Monday. Along with the fresh teaser image, Audi also announced a Q8 miniseries that will feature on a special microsite. The mini-series will feature five episodes beginning on May 21 through June 5. In the process, the Q8 will make its first appearances. The vehicle is scheduled to make its full appearance at an event in Shanghai in June. Audi said viewers who tune in will be "rewarded with a first glance at the most thrilling Audi SUV of all times." The series plotline sounds like a typical action flick. The episodes will take place in California and feature a couple by the name of Sandra and Quentin. Per the series description, "Sandra and Quentin, an extravagant power couple from the Golden State, had it all. Successful careers, a design loft, an influential circle of friends and the perfect car to match it all." But, in a split second, everything chang...

Starting with the e-tron electric SUV debuting on August 30, Audi cars will offer a new level of digitization enabling them to be upgraded with new services and features without costly hardware changes. It's part of Audi's plan to reap in almost $1.2 billion in operating profit from digital products and other new business models by the year 2025, Audi CFO Alexander Seitz revealed Wednesday. “We want to have premium electric cars and digital services that are also attractive in economic terms,” he said. “That is our clear ambition for the mobility of the future.” For example, in the e-tron, owners will be able to add new electronic driver aids to improve the safety of the vehicle or new infotainment features to enhance its functionality. And Audi plans to continually release new digital products over time, meaning you'll be able to keep your vehicle up to date much like your smartphone or laptop. Audi is establishing a new division reporting directly to CEO Rupert ...

The Audi Sport division is working on an electric super sedan for launch in 2020, tentatively named the e-tron GT. However, this model isn't a replacement for the R8 supercar which sits at the top of the Audi Sport lineup. At this point in time a replacement for the R8 is yet to be decided but one possible solution is an electric supercar with solid-state batteries to outclass the Tesla Roadsterand Rimac C_Two. The information was revealed by Audi Head of Product Communication Peter Oberndorfer in an interview with  Motoring  published Wednesday. “We consider everything at the moment but I personally believe we need a little bit more battery development,” Oberndorfer replied when quizzed about an electric supercar. Better batteries is a problem Audi knows all too well. The automaker came out with an R8 e-tron electric supercar based on the second-generation R8 in 2015, but the car didn't perform any better than a Tesla Model S costing ...

Following similar announcements from Mercedes-Benz and BMW, Audi announced on Thursday that it will join the rival makes and no longer attend the Detroit auto show. It's the most recent in a series of blows to what many believe is North America's premier auto show. In a statement to  Automotive News Europe  (subscription required), an Audi official said, "We will continue to evaluate Auto Shows on a case by case basis relative to the timing of our product introductions and the value the show brings from a media and consumer perspective." Audi acknowledged the brand's long history with the Detroit show as well. In 2017, the German luxury brand chose Detroit for the debut of its Q8 crossover concept.  ANE  reached out to Volkswagen for comment on the brand's future relationship with Detroit and VW said it still plans to attend the show in 2019. Audi also plans to attend the New York and Los Angeles auto shows. As brands continue to pu...

Next year's new A8 limo -- Audi's first self-driving car -- will take the blame for all accidents Audi has joined Volvo in taking full responsibility for any collisions or even fatalities caused by the Level 3 autonomous driving technology that will debut in next year’s all-new A8 limousine. The Swedish car-maker confirmed in July that it will assume legal liability for its self-driving vehicles when they begin rolling out in 2020. Underlining its confidence in driverless vehicles, which it says will reduce collisions, Audi has now confirmed it will also be responsible for the safety and operation of its autonomous vehicles. Speaking at yesterday’s Paris motor show opening, Audi board member for sales and marketing Dr Dietmar Voggenreiter said the company’s first “hands-off, eyes-off” Level 3 autonomous production car – the 2017 A8 – will be almost infallible. “Next year we will open up the world of autonomous driving in a real way, with the new A8,” he said. ...

The Senate economics committee is meeting in Sydney today and will hear Audi's opposition to the Luxury Car Tax changes presaged in the May budget Joerg Hofmann, Managing Director for Audi Australia delivered Audi’s presentation to the Senate Standing Committee on Economics today. The committee is currently assessing the validity of changes to the Luxury Car Tax (LCT), as outlined in the federal budget handed down in May by Treasurer Wayne Swan. Hoffmann’s presentation outlines the company’s direct opposition to not only the LCT changes (raising the applicable tax rate from 25 per cent to 33 per cent), but the very existence of the tax itself. Audi is one of four German prestige brands protesting that the changes to the LCT will have far-reaching effects, including potential job losses in Australia, stalling the growth of ‘green’ and safe car sales, potentially adding fuel to the fire of inflation and placing the Australian government in conflict with the Europea...