2006 Audi A6 3.2l Quattro Awd on 2040-cars

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Watch the Chevy Corvette dismiss its Euro rivals at the hands of a Brit magazine

European auto writers, especially the British, have a bit of a reputation for favoring their own domestic cars over foreign rivals in comparison tests. Just think about how many times you've heard Jeremy Clarkson deify the latest product of UK loins while denigrating an American rival as a hopeless "Yank Tank." However, we have to tip our hats to the folks at Autocar because in its latest video comparing the 2014 Corvette Stingray to the Porsche 911, Jaguar F-Type V8 S and Audi R8, it's actually given the Vette a fair shake.
Autocar has put the Stingray through a battery of tests against what it considers to be the three best sports cars on sale in Europe today. And while the tests that it has chosen are somewhat random and subjective, it has concluded that the C7 can stand up against its rivals, even irrespective of its price. It's one thing to hear about how great the Stingray is from American writers, but it's great to know that not all Brits think we've gone crazy for calling the new Chevrolet "exquisite."
Scroll down to see how it all plays out on video.

2014 Audi Q5 TDI

I've struggled with diesel technology. It's not that I have a problem with it or dislike it, but rather that I don't particularly understand what stops its wider-spread adoption. Sure, memories of rust-prone, smoky, sluggish and uneconomical Oldsmobile diesels aren't exactly easy to erase from the collective memory of the North American motoring public, but I'd think that a few years into the latest crop of clean diesels, there'd be wider adoption - or at least consumer consideration - by now.
Part of the issue is the still limited number of segments that diesels are available in. The Volkswagen Golf/Jetta TDI is finally getting a challenger in the form of the Chevrolet Cruze Diesel, and the BMW 328d is bringing something new to the entry-level sports sedan, but there are still a huge group of segments where diesel-power has no representation.
The small, luxury crossover realm is not one of those. It has the Mercedes-Benz GLK250 Bluetec, a stylish crossover with a silky-smooth 2.1-liter, turbodiesel four-cylinder that can return the kind of fuel economy that makes people take notice. And while the GLK250 is quite good, economy will only spread the diesel's appeal so far. People need to experience the seat-flattening torque that these mills can produce, and for that, we most humbly recommend the new 2014 Audi Q5 TDI.

Stay in the house from the Audi R8 Emmy ad

Audi is sponsoring the Emmys again, and launching an ad alongside the awards show that features a family living in the middle of the desert simply to have an excuse to drive their R8s as much, and as fast, as possible. Which is crazy. Even crazier, you can live in the exact house from the ad for a few days as part of an airbnb promotion. The stay includes chauffeured transportation from Las Vegas McCarran airport, all meals prepared by a personal chef, and an R8 V10 Plus in the driveway available for driving. Did we mention it's a real house and not just an advertising prop? It is. The 1,200 square foot Rondolino Residence sits on 80 acres near Scotty's Junction, Nevada, just over 2 hours northwest of Las Vegas. Beginning September 18, seven three-night stays in October will become available - one booking opens up each day at 9 PM Eastern. The rate is listed at $610 per night, with the bookings running October 10th through November 1st. You can book the experience, or try, on the airbnb page. As for the ad, titled "Desolation," at first it seems like a entertaining jaunt about the lengths people will go to for an amazing driving experience. A deeper (and totally unreasonable - it's just an ad) analysis suggests some truly troubling things going on. For starters, the lackadaisical parents let the children taunt a poisonous scorpion. Will the isolated upbringing and history of cruelty towards animals produce a future serial killer? In our deranged version of this fictional universe, yes. Second, the R8 - spoiler alert, both R8s - get super dirty on the run to the corner store. A corner store, which, seemingly unequipped for coffee roasting nevertheless has fresh artisanal beans sold in half-pound bags. Lacking a bulk purchase option, the plot of the ad surely repeats itself several times a week. That sounds insane, but hey, it's all about the drive. And we do love the "Leadfoot Coffee" easter egg. But we digress. Where is the car wash that left the R8 clean before the drive through the desert? And where is the second R8 parked? The male protagonist clearly drives out of the garage from a position that doesn't leave room for the second car. We can only surmise that there is a underground component to the house in the ad. To be clear, we're still in fictional universe of this ad - the real Rondolino Residence, like the Alamo, lacks a basement.