2001 Audi A4 Avant Wagon Quattro 1.8l Manual 5 Speed B4 on 2040-cars

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Audi A9 Concept teased in video, new design chief tells us what to expect in LA

Audi has just dropped another teaser for the A9 Concept it'll be displaying at this month's LA Auto Show. This time around, instead of one static image, we get a tantalizing video of the showcar narrated by new Audi design chief Marc Lichte.
In terms of the A9, we get a better look at the body form than we've yet seen, and we also sneak a peek at its massive, blocky, turbine-style wheels that the conceptual flagship will wear in Los Angeles.
Lichte also takes this video opportunity as a chance to say how-do-you-do to the enthusiast community, commenting not only on his vision for the A9, but also offering up his bona fides in terms of family racing and art heritage. Get to know the man behind the car behind the sheet, here.

Audi rules out R8 PHEV, will build E-Tron to order

The question of whether Audi will morph the next-gen R8 (pictured above, in testing) into a plug-in-hybrid challenger for the BMW i8 may have been answered. CarAdvice, in Australia, is claiming that any plans for a PHV 2016 R8 have been shelved, and that Audi will go ahead with gas-powered or all-electric models, only.
Even then, the electric R8 E-tron (if it ends up being called that) would be built-to-order, and in much smaller quantities than the gas-powered model.
"In the next generation we will have an electric car on behalf of customers' needs, which is only available [upon special order]," Audi product manager Marie Suzanne Ernst told CA. "So it's not a make of series production, but if a customer wants to have it, he can order it."

Car companies may need to start curbing model proliferation

Looking at the current automotive landscape, especially from German makers, you quickly get the impression that less definitely isn't more. BMW alone offers its 3 Series platform in practically every segment possible, including the regular sedan and 4 Series Gran Coupe, which would seem to be direct competitors. Porsche might be the winner, though, with 20 different variants of the 911 listed for sale on its US website. However, some of this model madness might be reaching an end as companies begin cutting back spending or shifting money to other priorities.
According to Yahoo Finance, the offerings from the German automakers are up 25 percent over the past three years to over 200 models in Europe. The peak is expected to come around 2018 at 230 separate vehicles, according to consulting company PwC.
Amazingly, BMW, which is among the poster children for this model explosion, might be changing its tune. "I'm sure there will be points in the future where we look at certain cars and say, 'Maybe we need to think differently now,'" said head of sales Ian Robertson in an interview, according to Yahoo Finance. The statement certainly sounds shocking coming from a company rumored to have 23 front-wheel-drive vehicles all using a single platform on the way.