2013 Audi A6 2.0t Premium Plus Side Assist Navigation Cold Weather 1 Owner on 2040-cars

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Is Audi getting complacent and suffering from brain drain?

The argument is made in a Reuters article: Audi is falling behind other luxury brands, such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW, due to a lack of research-and-development spending and "brain drain," or the migration of top executives and R&D chiefs to other parts of the Volkswagen Group. Reuters notes that Audi's current R&D chief is the third in 16 months.
Audi, which contributed to 40 percent of VW Group's $11.6 billion in profit the first nine months of the year, is delivering cars at a record pace: 1.31 million were delivered from January to October 2013 versus BMW's 1.35 million. Yet Audi, Reuters reports, doesn't have a halo car akin to BMW's new electrified i3 and i8 or an answer to Mercedes' plug-in-hybrid S-Class, and the R&D spending at Audi is less than BMW and Mercedes by a fair margin. It's noted in the article, however, that Audi benefits from other R&D spending within VW Group.
Reuters mentions that BMW "trumpets its new 'i' series" and the new Mercedes CLA and GLA ranges are winning "rave reviews" as part of its argument that Audi's recent lack of technological innovation could hurt future sales. Those cars do pack tons of new technology, some of which are firsts for mainstream production cars. But last time we checked, the i3 could be causing BMW's stock to slide, the CLA isn't receiving the rave reviews that Reuters would have you believe and the GLA hasn't been reviewed yet.

Audi Prologue concept goes for A9, we give it a ten

If you've been waiting for Audi to roll out a new design language, you need wait no longer as Ingolstadt is displaying just that at the Los Angeles Auto Show this year with the Prologue concept you see here.
Penned by Audi's new design chief Marc Lichte, the Prologue is earmarked to introduce a shift (if not quite a complete change) in design direction for the German automaker. The trapezoidal grille sits wider and lower than on existing models, with the wedge-shaped laser headlights positioned higher above new air intakes with blade elements. The profile rests balanced across its wheelbase to visually emphasize the all-wheel drive that is part of Audi's DNA, with flared arches inspired by the legendary Ur-Quattro. The rear section is inspired by yachts, angled forward to suggest motion, with a narrow strip of LED taillights, full-width diffuser element and twin trapezoidal exhaust tips.
Inside it's all light and surgically clean, with a horizontal dashboard integrating four touchscreen displays running its full width. The system even allows the passenger to select the route for the navigation system and swipe it on over to the driver's display. The headrests on the rear seats and the "sound spoiler" on the rear shelf deploy only when needed, unobstructing the rear view when not.

2014 Audi R8 V10 Plus

Ignore the naysayers who say the Audi R8 is too refined to be a proper supercar, or that it has begun to show its age - after a few tweaks for the 2014 model year, the automaker's flagship remains one of my favorite exotics.
Audi has treated all of its R8 models to a host of enhancements for the 2014 model year that include new LED headlights and tail lamps, larger steering wheel-mounted shift paddles, new exhaust finishes, updated alloy wheel designs and fresh exterior colors. However, the most significant news is the arrival of a proper seven-speed S-Tronic dual-clutch automatic transmission (it replaces the six-speed R-Tronic). The rapid-fire gearbox shaves a coupe tenths off the 0-60 sprint and improves fuel economy for both the eight- and ten-cylinder models (thankfully, a traditional six-speed manual is still on the order form).
I recently spent time with the new-for-2014 V10 Plus model, which is only available in a coupe body style. Compared to the standard V10 models, the Plus sheds upwards of 130 pounds thanks to lightweight manual seats (not fitted to my test car), carbon-ceramic brakes, reduced sound bay insulation, a smaller fuel tank and an assortment of carbon-fiber pieces (including side blades, front splitter, rear diffuser and spoiler). But that's not all, as the V10 Plus also receives a bump in output that pushes its ten-cylinder to an even 550 horsepower.