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Audi R18 E-tron gets new livery, mixes it up in city traffic [w/video]

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is still months away, but Audi Sport apparently can't wait to get started. It has just debuted the new livery for its 2014 R18 E-tron Quattro with a public drive through the streets of the town of Le Mans, while simultaneously announcing that it has a new, larger engine.
Factory driver Tom Kristensen piloted the prototype about six miles from the cathedral in the city center to the famous race track and completed a lap of a shortened version of the course. The car wears a new color scheme, which is similar to what it has raced with in the past, employing a combination of white, silver and red, plus a touch of black. Portions of the car are also reflective to show up better at night. The last time we saw the R18, it was displayed in a black and red livery. The team has also revealed that the 2014 will be powered by a new 4.0-liter diesel V6, an increase of about 300 cubic-centimeters from last season.
Audi Sport said that the stunt was inspired by the classic days of the race when drivers used to arrive to the city in the same cars they were going to race. Even back then, it's doubtful they arrived several months early, though. The 2014 R18 will make its competition debut on April 20 at the Six Hours of Silverstone. Scroll down to watch a video of it making the drive through town and read the full press release.

Audi hints at A9 flagship ahead of LA Auto Show

If you've been thinking that Audi is in need of a new design direction, you're not alone. Clean though its designs may be, they tend to be more evolutionary rather than revolutionary. But it seems Ingolstadt is on the verge of launching a new design language with a new A9 concept.
The teaser image above was obtained by Germany's Auto & Design magazine, giving us our first glimpse at the concept Audi is expected to unveil at the upcoming LA Auto Show. The concept is tipped to be based on the same MLB platform that will underpin the next-generation A8.
The concept itself could lead to a new production flagship model as well, slotting in above the A8 sedan and A7 five-door. Details remain scarce at the moment, but we'll be watching to see how this development progresses.

How does a 600-HP Audi RS6 Avant Plus sound to you?

The 2013 Audi RS6 Avant was announced back in December with a twin-turbo V8 cranking out 560 horsepower, but Car is reporting that this badass grocery getter could get even more power with a new Plus model. In a conversation with Car, Stephan Reil, Audi's top guy at its Quattro GmbH division, told the magazine that the RS6 Avant Plus would produce around 600 horsepower, and it sounds like there is a growing family of RS Plus models being planned as well.
Aside from the more powerful engine, the specifics of the RS6 Avant Plus are unknown, but we'd suspect some weight-savings measures and updated features for improved handling. Like recent RS Plus models such as the TT RS Plus and R8 Plus, the RS6 Avant Plus will not be a limited-production unit when it goes on sale (most likely for the 2014 model year).