2008 Audi Q7 V6 on 2040-cars

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Audi is working on a suspension that gets power from bumpy roads

Regenerative brakes aren't new. They're on virtually every hybrid and EV, and they're even starting to pop up on traditional gas-powered cars, like with the i-ELOOP-equipped Mazda6. But even with these systems, cars can get more efficient, and Audi thinks it found yet another source of wasted energy. The source? The suspension. The idea is to turn the kinetic energy that goes into the dampers into usable energy instead of as waste heat. Audi isn't the first auto company to come up with regenerative suspension – nearly three years ago, ZF introduced its GenShock technology, which used a valve attached to traditional, oil-filled hydraulic shocks to recapture kinetic energy from movement caused by bumps in the road. Audi's prototype technology, which it calls eROT, replaces traditional dampers with horizontally oriented electromechanical rotary dampers. eROT is apparently short for electromechanical rotary damper. Neat. In testing, eROT recovered an average of 100 to 150 watts on a typical German road, three watts from a fresh piece of pavement, and 613 watts on a rough stretch of tarmac (wattage is calculated as power over time, so this is actually the rate at which the system harvests energy). The dampers channel that energy to a tiny, 0.5-kWh, 48-volt battery. The prototype is claimed to cut CO2 emissions by three grams per kilometer (4.8 grams per mile), while the company believes a future production version could save up to 0.7 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers of driving. Converting the savings to American miles per gallon isn't easy, so we'll use a practical example. In the US, the Q7's supercharged 3.0-liter V6 returns a combined rating of 21 miles per gallon, which works out to 11.2 liters per 100 kilometers. Apply eROT's 0.7L/100km savings, and the Q7's economy would improve to 10.5L/100km, or 22.4 mpg, a 1.4-mpg improvement. That's not huge, but because math, 0.7L/100km is more dramatic on a more fuel efficient vehicle – taking an A3's 27-mpg combined rating and adding eROT would drive efficiency up 2.4 mpg, for example. There are a few other big benefits beyond fuel and emissions savings – Audi claims eROT provides a more comfortable ride than traditional active suspensions, because engineers can tune the compression and rebound strokes independently of each other. Beyond that, the horizontally oriented rear suspension geometry means more cargo space, since the dampers don't poke up into the cabin like they normally do.

Audi RS Q3 Performance pours sugar on the forbidden fruit

Don't let anybody tell you that Europeans don't like powerful SUVs any less than Americans do. They just like theirs a bit smaller. Case in point: the new Audi RS Q3 Performance. The latest in the ne plus ultra from Quattro GmbH joins the RS6 Avant Performance and RS7 Sportback Performance in dialing up the power even further. So while the 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-five carries over from the existing RS Q3, its output swells to 367 horsepower (27 more than before) and 343 pound-feet of torque. As a result, this tall take on the hot hatch blasts to 62 in just 4.4 seconds before topping out on the open Autobahn at nearly 168 miles per hour. Along with the power boost, the RS Q3 Performance benefits from a retuned seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, which works in tandem with the hydraulically actuated, electronically controlled all-wheel-drive system to get the power down to the road. The suspension is lowered, with available adaptive dampers fitted to 20-inch alloys. There are subtle details inside and out to distinguish it from "lesser" RS Q3 models. Unfortunately while Audi does offer the Q3 in base form here in America, it doesn't offer the RS variant altogether, let alone this new enhanced version. In fact the RS7 is the only model in the line we get here, so we'll just add this one to our growing list of forbidden fruit that we'd like to taste. Our compatriots in Germany, however, can pick one up right away for 61,000 euros, before it even makes its debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month. Related Video: 02/04/16 | Ingolstadt Pure power: the Audi RS Q3 performance - New top model with more power and exclusive equipment - Award-winning five-cylinder with 270 kW (367 hp) - Now accepting orders for the Audi RS Q3 performance Audi ignites the next stage of performance in the compact, high-performance SUV segment: The Audi RS Q3 performance* impresses with an output of 270 kW (367 hp) and 465 Nm (343.0 lb ft) of torque. This incredible power catapults the new top-of-the-line model from 0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in just 4.4 seconds. Standard top speed is 270 km/h (167.8 mph). The premium brand is honing its sporty profile with new RS performance models. The "performance" in the name stands for both a significant power boost and exclusive equipment that clearly elevates the respective model above the rest of the portfolio. This also applies to the new RS Q3 performance, whose pulse is driven by the legendary Audi five-cylinder engine.

Audi A3-based people mover in the works

We have yet another announcement of yet another new Audi, including yet another obligatory quote from Audi research and development chief Wolfgang Dürheimer that there's room for it in the Audi range. On the sidelines of reports about the diesel-hybrid sports car, derived from the R18 endurance racer, there have been remarks about a possible MPV. Now Auto Express reports that said MPV "is on the way" and will be based on the A3 Sportback.
Previous speculation has posited either a six- or seven-seat people carrier; if the AE report is to be believed then five seats is the number that's been settled on. Planned to rest on a stretched version of the A3 platform, its wheelbase would be nearly eight inches longer than that of the A3 Sportback and it would compete against the Mercedes-Benz B-Class and the production version of the BMW Concept Active Tourer.
Audi is not going to dally about it, either, with a concept said to be ready for debut next year. Should it come, it would mean the A3 range comes pretty close to hitting for the cycle.