02 Audi Allroad Quattro Wagon 2.7 Stage 3 - 400hp, 450 Lbs Torque on 2040-cars

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Volkswagen decides to keep Lamborghini and Ducati, transfers Bentley to Audi

Investors in the market for a high-end Italian manufacturer that peddles performance will need to keep looking. Volkswagen announced it will hang on to Lamborghini and Ducati in the foreseeable future. Executives in Wolfsburg, Germany, are making far-reaching changes to the Volkswagen Group to reboot it with a big focus on technology. Credible rumors claimed that the people in charge of the carmaker wanted to carve out Lamborghini — which owns Ducati — and ultimately list it, or at least a chunk of it, on the stock market in order to fast-track the group's electrification strategy. Going electric is expensive, so selling Lamborghini would have helped fund the expansion, and high-octane supercars don't easily go hand-in-hand with zero-emissions cars. "Volkswagen needs to change from a collection of valuable brands and fascinating combustion-engine products that thrill customers with superb engineering to a digital company that reliably operates millions of mobility devices worldwide," summed up Herbert Diess, the group's boss, during a September 2020 meeting. His team ultimately decided not to fully divest both brands. It's too early to tell whether part of Lamborghini will be listed on the stock market, as some insiders have suggested, or if those plans are off the table, too. Changes are coming to Bentley as well. While it's not being spun off either, it will fall under the Audi umbrella starting on March 1, 2021. Volkswagen explained linking the two companies will "allow for synergies to be achieved as part of the electrification strategy of the two premium brands," a statement which suggests they will share a growing number of components during the 2020s. Unverified rumors claim that Bentley will notably get its own version of an ultra-luxurious electric SUV code-named Landjet that Audi is currently developing. We've reached out to Bentley for more details, and we'll update this story if we learn more. Bugatti's future wasn't mentioned in the release; unconfirmed reports suggest it will be traded for a stake in Croatian start-up Rimac. Volkswagen's supervisory board also reaffirmed its support for Diess, who was appointed CEO in 2018 and who has played a significant role in the company's transformation. Finally, the board approved the development of what a statement refers to a future leading electric vehicle sold by the Volkswagen brand that will be developed and manufactured in Wolfsburg.

Audi Sport Quattro Concept speaks softly, carries a 700-hp stick

As promised, Audi has unveiled its Sport Quattro Concept here at the Frankfurt Motor Show, which takes inspiration from the 2010 Paris Motor Show debut known simply as the Quattro Concept. Both cars clearly seek to draw upon the company's legendary 1980 Ur-Quattro and its closely related Sport Quattro short-wheelbase rally special, yet this concept car looks more production-minded than the 2010 starlet.
Despite its more conservative duds, this handsome and muscular coupe actually packs significantly more power than the 2010 Paris showcar. In fact, it musters 700 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque from its plug-in hybrid powertrain, versus the Quattro Concept's more historically appropriate 2.5-liter five-cylinder turbo with 408 hp and 354 lb-ft. We're not going to complain about a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 plus an electric motor, nor will we grouse about its 3.7-second 0-62 mph dash, 190-mph top speed or 2.5 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers on the Euro cycle (roughly 94 miles per gallon US).
Stubborn rumors abound that Audi will offer a limited-edition version of this four-place coupe for sale, but for now, the company isn't talking. If such a model is offered, it's expected to cost significantly more than the R8 supercar, which might be a tough sell considering that vehicle's similar performance and more voluptuous - if less practical - shape.

2017 Audi S4 Avant is what forbidden fruit looks like

Take a good look at this lemon yellow Audi S4 Avant at the Geneva Motor Show, because you're not going to see one on the road in the US. That's really a shame, too, because for a family that wants to combine performance and utility, this seems like a great package. The S4 Avant takes the wonderful aspects from the latest S4 Sedan and adds just a little more to sweeten the deal. Drivers still get a turbocharged V6 and eight-speed transmission. Plus, Audi's famous all-wheel drive system and torque vectoring provide tons of traction whether motoring through a snow storm or taking a corner. In addition, customers get up to a massive 53.3 cubic feet of cargo space in the wagon, versus 17 cubic feet in the sedan. The only downside of the extra room is that the 0-62 sprint takes 4.9 seconds in the long roof versus the 4.7 seconds of the sedan. We'd take that trade-off. The Avant even looks better. Neither version is ugly, but the longer roof flows beautifully to the raked rear hatch. The result looks more elegant than the four-door. Unfortunately, these advantages simply add to the S4 Avant's status as very sweet forbidden fruit. American tastes might turn from crossovers to wagons someday, but until that unlikely prospect happens, enjoy these great shots of an enviable vehicle. Related Video: From 0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 4.7 seconds with fuel consumption of less than 7.4 liters of fuel per 100 km (31.8 US mpg) – the new Audi S4* and the new Audi S4 Avant* are advancing to the peak of the competitive field with strong performance and exemplary efficiency. Its newly developed turbo V6 engine outputs 260 kW (354 hp). New solutions in networking and assistance systems round out its features. Audi is transferring many technologies from the full-size class into the mid-size class. Lightweight and strong: the 3.0 TFSI The strong heart of the two new S models from Audi is a newly conceptualized 3.0 TFSI engine. The direct gasoline injection engine with turbocharging has an output of 260 kW (354 hp) and produces a hefty torque of 500 Nm (368.8 lb-ft) from 1,370 to 4,500 rpm. In terms of power and torque, it surpasses the previous model while achieving considerably lower figures in weight and fuel consumption. The turbo V6 engine accelerates the Audi S4 from 0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 4.7 seconds, and on up to an electronically governed top speed of 250 km/h (155.3 mph). The standard sprint takes two tenths of a second longer in the S4 Avant.