Audi A5 2.0 Turbo Coup Mint Low Miles on 2040-cars

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Audi reveals all-new R8 ahead of Geneva debut

This year's Geneva Motor Show is shaping up to be an absolutely orgy of supercars, but though there will be many that will surely outperform it, few have been as hotly anticipated as the arrival of the all-new, second-generation Audi R8. And here it is. Based around an all-new Audi Space Frame chassis, the new R8 is constructed of a higher proportion of aluminum and carbon fiber than its predecessor. The result is a frame that weighs 15 percent less at just 441 pounds – yet is 40 percent more torsionally rigid - tipping the scales at 3,205 lbs in top spec. Into the middle of that frame Audi has installed a revised version of its 5.2-liter V10, eschewing turbochargers but incorporating new technologies. While other powertrain options are expected to follow, Ingolstadt has gone straight for the top of the range at launch: the 'base' V10 model kicks out 540 horsepower and 398 pound-feet of torque to reach 62 miles per hour in 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 201 mph. The upgraded V10 Plus, however, turns those figures up to 610 hp and 413 lb-ft to reach 62 in just 3.2 seconds, 124 in under ten and a 205-mph top speed. All the while, Audi has also equipped the new ten-cylinder engine with both direct and indirect injection, stop/start and cylinder deactivation systems to cut fuel consumption by 10 percent. It also boasts dry-sump lubrication and a variable exhaust system. Power is transmitted to the road through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, a mechanical diff and a revised Quattro all-wheel drive system that can send 100 percent of available torque to either the front or rear axle. Aluminum wishbones suspend it all on 19-inch wheels (or optional 20s), with available variable steering and carbon ceramic brakes (optional on the V10 and standard on the V10 Plus). Underbody aerodynamics generate more downforce and a more slippery form, aided by a deployable rear spoiler (or a fixed carbon wing on the Plus model). All those tantalizing greasy bits are cloaked in fresh aluminum sheet-metal, riding on a track that's 1.6 inches wider: the whole shebang stretches 14.5 feet long, 6.4 feet wide and 4.1 feet high, riding on an 8.7-foot wheelbase. Among the myriad new technologies developed for the new R8 are the full LED headlights with optional laser high beams (where they're legal, at least, which currently doesn't include these United States).

Rough seas delay salvage operation for burning ship carrying luxury cars

LISBON — Rough waters forced authorities on Wednesday to postpone a salvage operation for a ship packed with luxury cars that have been on fire for a week in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, a port official said. With teams unable to board the Felicity Ace, heavy tug boats sprayed water to cool the vessel, which is carrying around 4,000 vehicles, including Porsches, Audis, Lamborghinis and Bentleys. Lamborghini of America CEO Andrea Baldi told Automotive News that there were dozens of pre-sold Lamborghinis aboard, mostly the Urus SUV. But also some Huracans and Aventadors, the latter of which have ceased production. The ship's 22 crew members were evacuated last Wednesday, the day the fire began. Some of the vehicles are electric, and their lithium-ion batteries have made the fire very difficult to extinguish, port officials have said. Joao Mendes Cabecas, the captain of the nearest port on the Azorean island of Faial, said the blaze had lost its intensity — probably because there was little left to burn. Salvage teams hoped to board the ship, which is is adrift around 170 km southwest of the Azores near Portugal, to assess its condition and start preparing it for towing, the Portuguese navy said in a statement on Tuesday. The navy took photos of the ship that showed a gaping hole at least four decks high, with burn marks running the length of the ship. It is unclear if the vessel will be towed to the Bahamas or Europe. Cabecas told Reuters bad weather prevented the team from boarding the ship. Waves as high as 2.5 meters battered the coast of Faial on Wednesday, Portugal's weather agency IPMA said. The salvage team was expected to be flown to the ship on a helicopter belonging to the Portuguese air force, which will decide on Thursday if the operation can proceed, Cabecas said. Ship manager Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd (MOL) said in a statement on Tuesday the vessel was still on fire but stable, and that no oil leak had been reported so far. It did not respond to a Reuters request for comment on the cause of the fire. Insurance experts said the incident could result in losses of $155 million.   Weird Car News Audi Bentley Lamborghini Porsche

Audi investing $30.3 billion through 2018 for product expansion

How does Audi plan to reach two million units in annual sales and pay for the 11 new models it's adding to its lineup - an expansion that may include models named SQ2, Q9 and F-Tron? By increasing its investment to 22 billion euros ($30.3 billion US) between now and 2018. That figure represents an increase of about 500 million euros over the previously planned outlay, according to a report by Automotive News, and that could be due to Audi wishing to goad the momentum that pushed it to 1.5 million annual sales two years ahead of schedule.
It's also about staving off the challenges from BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Now that BMW has been able to turn some of its attention away from its "i" series of Megacity cars, it will reportedly spend more than planned in 2014 as it continues the rollout of ten all-new vehicles and 15 new-generation vehicles through the end of next year. Mercedes, having been dropped to third in the sales race, is preparing to add 13 new cars over the next six years.
Audi's money is going into technology, into product like the next-generation TT and the Q1 and production expansions and upgrades all over the world. The expenditure represents just under a fourth of Volkswagen's 84.2 billion-euro ($115.7 US) outlay devoted to taking the number-one global automaker title away from General Motors and Toyota by 2018.