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Audi plans RS3 for US

Rejoice, performance-car fans. The Audi RS3 (pictured above) is probably coming across the Atlantic. If that happens, the US-market RS3 will likely be a sedan, not the five-door body style offered in Europe. Hot hatch fans might shed a tear at this news, but we'll the RS3 any way we can get it. Audi of America CEO Scott Keogh feels the same way. "We really, really want the RS3," he said to Automotive News. "I'm very confident we'll see that car in the market. That's as far as I'm going to go. In Europe, the RS3 Sportback packs a 2.5-liter turbocharged five-cylinder with 362 horsepower and 343 pound-feet of torque mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. That grunt get to the ground via a torque-vectoring all-wheel drive system that can route up to 100 percent of the power to the rear wheels when necessary. The sprint to 62 miles per hour goes by in just 4.3 seconds. Of course, a tiny, hardcore sedan isn't on every buyer's shopping list. For those who want a little more room with their luxury, the Q8 is also on the way. "That is absolutely a car that we will see in the United States," Keogh said to Automotive News. The big crossover shares its platform with the next Q7, but will have sleeker bodywork similar to vehicles like the BMW X6 and Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe. The Q8 is slated to launch in 2017 with US sales following the European debut. Recent rumors suggest that a fully electric E-Tron version could be part of the lineup as well. Audi's American arm isn't as crossover crazy as some other automakers, however. According to Keogh, the tiny Q1 CUV might not come to the US because it's not the right fit for the market. Related Video:

Audi teases E-Tron Sportback concept for Shanghai

Auto Shanghai is just around the corner, and Audi will be there with a new electrified vehicle concept. Audi isn't saying much about the car, called the E-Tron Sportback, but it has released a couple teaser shots as well as a handful of design sketches to give us a glimpse of what to expect later this week. In one image, Audi design boss Marc Lichte lifts up a corner of the sheet to show part of the E-Tron Sportback's front fascia. We see an illuminated Audi logo glowing through the fabric, and detail shots show that feature duplicated on the rear of the vehicle. The car's large wheels are pushed far to the corners, adding a squat, muscular look to its coupe-like silhouette. The slender side mirrors in the sketch mimic the slim look of the headlights. Rear lighting stretches across the back of the vehicle below the liftgate. While the "E-Tron" moniker clues us in to the car's green sensibilities, it doesn't necessarily mean that it will be purely powered by electricity – recall the A3 E-Tron PHEV. The lack of a visible tailpipe in photos or sketches, though, suggests that a proper battery electric vehicle is a likelihood for this concept. That would fit with Audi's plans to release more EVs in the future, following the launch of an E-Tron SUV. Hopefully we'll get more details about the luxury brand's electric future when the E-Tron Sportback concept gets its debut later this week. Related Video: Featured Gallery Audi E-Tron Sportback Concept Teaser News Source: Audi via Electrek Green Audi Green Automakers Concept Cars Electric e-tron

Audi's next-gen "matrix beam lighting system" under threat from Washington

Automotive News reports Audi may have a hard road ahead of it when it comes to convincing federal regulators to allow the company's new matrix beam lighting. The system uses small cameras to detect other vehicles on the road and darkens specific elements of the high-beam pattern to provide maximum nighttime visibility without blinding other drivers. Audi has been displaying this technology on its concept cars for a couple of years now (including the Crosslane Coupe Concept shown above at its 2012 Paris Motor Show reveal). Audi hopes the technology will effectively do away with the industry's current high and low beam settings, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration doesn't allow such a system under its current laws. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108 specifically says headlamps are not to shine in this dynamic of a way.
Audi has asked has asked NHTSA for more clarification to determine what, if any elements of the matrix beam lighting technology can legally be used on US-specification vehicles. But American buyers may have to settle for systems that automatically dim their high beams until the rules get a bit more clarification.