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Audi entices enthusiasts with manual option for the 2017 A4

When we first drove the 2016 Audi A4, newly redesigned although cosmetically very similar to its predecessor, much was improved but there was no hint of a manual transmission option. For the 2016 model year, you could have any gearbox you wanted as long as it was a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. For some reason, despite low take rates for manual gearboxes across the board, Audi is stepping up for enthusiasts and offering a six-speed manual. Equally auspicious is the fact that this manual won't be resigned to some non-enthusiast variant, like the front-wheel drive model. The six-speed will be exclusively offered in the Quattro all-wheel drive version with the 252-horsepower version of the 2.0-liter TFSI engine, rather than the 190-hp Ultra variant which utilizes the Miller cycle and is more fuel-economy oriented. There's also an available Sport Plus package that's exclusive to the manual model that adds some previously S4-exclusive bits to the mix, which is further catnip to Audi gearheads. Those S4-derived parts are dynamic steering and sport adaptive suspension, which drops the ride height a bit, too. The rest of the Sport Plus package includes a sporty flat-bottomed steering wheel, 18-inch split-spoke wheels, available Daytona Grey paint, sport seats, and some brushed aluminum interior trim. Best of all, the manual is a no-cost option, and so prices for each trim are the same across the line. In the entry-level Premium trim, the 2017 A4 manual will start at $40,350 and goes on sale this fall. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Audi A4: First Drive View 33 Photos Audi Performance Sedan quattro

Audi A3 Cabriolet leaked ahead of Frankfurt

Leaked images of the new Audi A3 Cabriolet have emerged ahead of the compact droptop's debut at next week's Frankfurt Motor Show. Audi has sold a convertible A3 in Europe since 2008, although that car has never made it to the US market. Still, with Audi already bringing an A3 and S3 sedan across the pond, there's hope for this small convertible to arrive here.
The looks of the A3 Cabrio aren't a huge departure from the A3 sedan, besides the obvious deletion of rear doors. We can't tell from the images shown, but considering Audi still hasn't brought a folding hardtop to market, we don't imagine it'll start with an entry level model like the A3. Expect a fast-folding canvas roof, much like the A5 Cabriolet.
From the leaked images, we can see TFSI and Quattro badges on this A3. It seems natural that the Cabrio will sport the same range of four-cylinder engines as the sedan - a 2.0-liter TDI, a 1.4-liter turbo and a 2.0-liter turbo. Of course, we'll have much more on the new A3 Cabrio when it makes its debut in Frankfurt.

Audi rumored to ditch Le Mans, DTM for F1

If you've been scratching your head wondering how - between Audi and Porsche - the Volkswagen Group could possibly support two rival top-tier LMP1 programs at Le Mans and the FIA World Endurance Championship, but stay out of Formula One entirely, you're not alone. In fact, Porsche was said to have been eying an F1 entry if Audi had internally blocked aspirations to return to Le Mans. But according to the latest rumors, it's Audi that's now preparing to shift away from endurance racing and onto the grand prix circuit.
Word has it that, following internal pressures from within the VW Group, Audi is finally gearing up for a full assault on F1. It's said to be developing a new six-cylinder turbo hybrid power unit - potentially at its new racing headquarters in Neuburg - and, in an expanded partnership with Red Bull, either take Renault's and Infiniti's places with the Red Bull Racing team or take over the Toro Rosso team entirely.
Although Ingolstadt has not campaigned in grand prix racing since the pre-war days of the Silver Arrows, it was said to have been the impetus for the FIA's push a couple of years ago for new four-cylinder engine regulations until Audi bailed on the idea altogether and F1 went for six-cylinder engines instead.