2008 Audi A4 S-line Base Sedan 4-door 2.0l 6-speed Manual on 2040-cars

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Audi A8 facelift on the way

The coming Audi A8 has already been spotted in camouflage on public roads at earthly elevations, and now our snappers have caught it at elevation in the Alps. The evolution will entail modified head- and taillights, different sculpting for the grille and a new bumper profile said to be more in line with the A6 S Line.
Inside, there might also be adjustments made to input controls like the gesture touchpad and the MMI infotainment system that include behind-the-scenes improvements like new Nvidia Tegra chips, but such revisions are expected to be minor. With the S8 and the TDI just having been launched, don't be surprised if engine outputs also remain the same. The prevailing sneaking suspicion is that we'll see the car unveiled at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show.

Upcoming Audi Q1 rumored to get high-performance SQ1 variant

The Audi Q1 isn't due for another two or three years, yet Auto Bild reports already that it will come in RS and SQ1 trims. According to the report, the RS Q1 will be powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder putting out 300 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, putting it about 70 hp and 8 lb-ft beyond the next-most-powerful gasoline engine in the standard range.
Depending on how you like your gumption served, however, the first SQ1 - like its European SQ5 sibling - go the diesel route with a 2.0-liter TDI fitted with twin turbos for 231 hp and 368 pound-feet of torque. That's an improvement of 47 hp and 88 lb-ft over the most powerful diesel engine said to be offered on the regular Q1.
The report goes on to say that there should be g-tron (natural gas) and e-tron versions of the Q1, and buyers will get a deep toy chest of assistance packages to equip it with. Starting price in Europe is expected to be around 25,000 euros, which, if correct, would make it 4,000 euros less dear than the Q3 in Germany.

Audi, Porsche ensnared in new Volkswagen cheating allegations

The scope of the Volkswagen emissions cheating scandal that has enveloped the global automaker for the past six weeks widened Monday. Now, some of the automaker's premium brands are further ensnared in the mess. Officials with the Environmental Protection Agency issued a second notice of violations Monday, accusing Volkswagen of violating the Clean Air Act by using defeat devices that circumvent emissions testing on diesel versions of certain vehicles equipped with 3.0-liter engines. Roughly 10,000 vehicles in the United States contain the illegal software, the EPA alleges. That's a far smaller number than the 482,000 vehicles affected by the first instances of cheating, which Volkswagen confessed to in September. But this latest violation alleges the cheating occurred broadly through the Volkswagen empire and includes vehicles from the Porsche and Audi brands. Audi had one model, the A3, involved in the first round of announced violations. But the brand, which has enjoyed skyrocketing sales in the US in recent years, is more extensively involved in violations announced Monday. The 2016 Audi A6 Quattro, A7 Quattro, A8, A8L and Q5 are among the cars which contain the illegal software, which permits the cars to emit nitrogen oxide at up to nine times the allowable thresholds set in the Clean Air Act, according to the EPA. The 2015 Porsche Cayenne and '14 Volkswagen Toureg SUV are also affected. "There is clear evidence of additional violations and it's important to put Volkswagen on notice and to inform the public." - Janet McCabe. "Audi, which has been on a roll in terms of sales, reputation and image of late, now is being drawn deeper into the quagmire," said Michelle Krebs, senior analyst for Autotrader. "Previously, only the low-volume A3 was under scrutiny, but now Audi's core models are under fire." Audi officials did not respond to a request for comment Monday. In a written statement issued late Monday afternoon, a Porsche spokesperson said, "We are surprised to learn this information. Until this notice, all our information was that the Porsche Cayenne Diesel is fully compliant." Porsche said it would cooperate with authorities.