2005 Audi S4 Cabriolet Convertible 2-door 4.2l on 2040-cars

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2014 Audi S3 Cabriolet

Drivers are either droptop people or they're not. As most usually aren't - at least as far as the willingness to buy one is concerned - all convertibles tend to remain strictly niche cars. Thus, automakers must ask a noticeably higher price for them.
The Audi S3 Cabriolet is about as niche as you can get in the open daylight of mainstream automaking. Of course, the S3 cab doesn't really need to sell in big volumes; it exists because it's an easy and not too costly bit of flair for the company. In the US, this model would probably base out at around $44,000 if it were to join our fleet, which is problematic, as I'll soon explore.
In what may be a sign that Audi is essentially okay with all this, it had me up to central Sweden to twist around on the snow and ice in the open S3. The grounds ended up offering precious little ice and snow, so I drove the two-door ragtop on dusty, thawing Scandinavian roads. This was a blessing really, since ice driving in a cabrio - even a Quattro one - doesn't really reveal much of anything about such a car in its typical day-to-day life.

Audi readying 650-hp Sport Quattro Concept for Frankfurt

Remember Audi's perfectly lovely Quattro Concept from the 2010 Paris Motor Show? Of course you do. The latter-day Ur-Quattro is laser-etched in our brains as well - and not just because Audi was kind enough to offer our man Michael Harley a mountain drive of its seven-figure showcar. At the time, Audi hinted that the coupe might have a showroom future, but the gossip pipeline has long since gone dry, leading us to believe that the car's production hopes had soured.
That 2010 concept was powered by a 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine yielding 380 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque, a relatively modest but appropriate engine configuration in light of the Ur-Quattro's five-banger. Given the Quattro Concept's size and specs, it wasn't clear exactly where such a vehicle might fit into the company's lineup, though, as it already already offers the successful A5/S5/RS5 lineup.
Apparently, Audi might have a solution to that conundrum. A new report from Germany's AutoZeitung suggest that the automaker is posed to reveal a production version of the concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September - on the Ur-Quattro's 30th anniversary, no less. Word is that Audi is taking the Quattro Concept upmarket in a big way, with a tuned version of the twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 from the RS7 churning up in the neighborhood of 650 horsepower. Naturally, all-wheel drive will get all that power to the ground, and new bodywork is expected as well. In addition to the powertrain switch-up, there is talk of extensive use of lightweight materials, including magnesium, carbon fiber and aluminum, with a target weight of under 2,900 pounds. Magnetic ride control suspension and carbon-ceramic brakes are also expected to find their way onto the model. Unsurprisingly, all of that extra equipment is likely to impact the car's bottom line - reports suggest its sticker price could crowd that of the mighty R8 at around $150,000.

Audi Sport Quattro Concept to race into Frankfurt

Audi has pulled the official wraps off its new Sport Quattro Concept, which will be debuted at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show. The automaker is understandably keen to draw inspiration from its classic Quattro line of automobiles, specifically the original Ur-Quattro from 1980 and the short-wheelbase Sport Quattro that took part in rally racing and set a record at the Pikes Peak Hill Climb in 1987. A massive dose of modernity comes courtesy of its 700-horsepower plug-in hybrid powertrain.
There is a clear link in the styling of the Sport Quattro Concept to Quattro coupes of the past, from the large flat surfaces that make up its C pillars to the blisters over the fenders and the basic headlamp shape (equipped as they are with Audi's Matrix LED technology). Pay special attention to the car's grille, which introduces a slightly new design language that is expected to be seen in the next generation of Audi's mainstream production models.
The interior of the Sport Quattro Concept is a refreshing departure from Audi's admittedly attractive and useable design, with sharp lines and lots of visible carbon fiber. There are seats for four occupants inside, along with a comparatively generous cargo area measuring 10.59 cubic feet.