2010 Audi A4 2.0t Turbo Premium Sunroof Blk On Blk 37k Texas Direct Auto on 2040-cars

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Ford GT, Buick Avenir and Audi Q7 take 2015 EyesOn Design awards

The annual EyesOn Design Awards at the Detroit Auto Show allows some of the greatest designers in the world to weigh in on the best production and concept debuts at the big event each year. For 2015, the large panel of judges included luminaries like Frank Stephenson of McLaren, Ralph Gilles from FCA and Moray Callum of Ford. Apparently the editors at Autoblog had a good eye because the winner of 2015's Best Designed Production Vehicle award went to the Ford GT, which was also our favorite debut from the show. The new supercar beat the Acura NSX and Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class Coupe for the honor. The judges described the Blue Oval's shape as "capturing the original GT40 in a modern interpretation," according to EyesOn Design. The Buick Avenir was also a big winner in the awards this year and received the nods for both Best Designed Concept Vehicle and Innovative Use of Color, Graphics and Materials. In the concept category, it beat out the Chevrolet Bolt and Mercedes-Benz F 015, and in the latter group, the sedan triumphed over Audi Q7, Mercedes F 015 and Volkswagen Cross Coupe GTE. The Q7 received its own accolade for Best Designed Interior, and it beat the Avenir and Infiniti Q60 for the honor. This year's Lifetime Design Achievement Award went to former Renault designer Patrick le Quement, and Bob Lutz received the EyesOn Design Catalyst Award for the second time. The honor is for an executive "who has empowered great design," according to the organization, which describes Lutz perfectly. Scroll down to read the announcement with more comments about the winners. Related Video: Ford, Buick, Audi recipients of EyesOn Design Awards at North American International Auto Show EyesOn Design Awards for Design Excellence for 2015 were revealed today at the North American International Auto Show. The awards honor the most significant automotive designs revealed at NAIAS as determined by the North American and global leaders of design from automotive manufacturers, along with academic chairs of transportation design programs and design leaders from other fields.

Audi's Q8 Sport concept packs an electric supercharger

Audi's Q8 Sport concept doesn't wear S or RS badges, but it does have impressive performance that would qualify it for one of those monikers. Beneath the tangerine skin, Audi says there is a hybrid V6 displacing 3.0 liters, which isn't particularly interesting, but the forced induction system is. Rather than a conventional turbo or belt-driven supercharger, the V6 uses an electrically-powered supercharger. Audi doesn't provide any details on what kind of compressor it is, but it says the total output of the engine and motor combo is 476 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. This is apparently good for a 4.7-second sprint to 62 mph. This also isn't the first time Audi has implemented an electric supercharger, having used it before on the SQ7 TDI. That orange shell also has updates to show that this Q8 Sport is the fast one. Most of the brushed aluminum trim of the normal Q8 concept has been swapped for gloss black versions. The regular Q8's grille with its chrome vertical bars is also gone in favor of a black honeycomb piece. The fenders have all been stretched by half an inch, and the exhaust tips are now large ovals that protrude from the rear bumper. Audi still hasn't said anything about when a production Q8 will reach the market. However, there's clearly one coming soon, as we've spotted prototypes running around that look similar to the concepts. Related Video:

2017 Audi A4 Prestige is round 2 of our long-term test

The first of our long-term Audi sampler platter, a Glacier White metallic 2017 A4 Premium Plus, has already departed from the fleet. Replacing that mid-grade model is a range-topping 2017 Audi A4 Prestige wrapped in a beautiful shade of Moonlight Blue metallic paint. At first glance, aside from the color, not much appears to be different between the two models. Here's what's changed. What we got The Prestige trim starts at $46,850 and sits atop the A4 range. The only way to go up is to step into the new S4, but that dish comes later. The A4 Prestige comes with all of the expected trimmings - a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four making 252 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque, a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, and Quattro all-wheel drive - along with most of the features from the Premium Plus package such as LED headlights and a 3D Bang & Olufsen sound system. Prestige extras include parking sensors with a surround view camera, a full-color heads-up display, LED interior lighting, and bits from the technology package such as Audi virtual cockpit, MMI navigation, and extra parking sensors. The technology package was a $3,250 option on our first A4. The biggest difference between the two models is the availability of certain options. Only the Prestige can be equipped with the warm weather package, the adaptive dampening suspension, and the driver assistance package with adaptive cruise control and active lane assist. We passed on these in order to keep things similar to our long-term Jaguar XE. We added 19-inch wheels with 245/35ZR19 Hankook Ventus S1 evo2 summer tires because Michigan isn't cold and desolate all year round. That said, we did check the box for the cold weather package with heated seats at all four corners and a heated steering wheel. The final option was the sport package that adds a black headliner, sharper suspension, and four-way power lumbar support. All in, the new A4 rings up at $51,575, just less than $2,000 more than the $49,825 Premium Plus, as the latter was equipped with the now-unavailable $1,100 First Edition package. What we skipped We decided once again to skip the manual transmission. While it may inject a little more fun into an already enthusiastic car, few shoppers actually opt for a three-pedal setup. With that in mind, we chose the excellent seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, a no-cost option. We also decided to keep things simple and passed on the driver's assistance package.