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Audi sketches out new TT ahead of Geneva debut

In less than two weeks, the doors will open at the Geneva Motor Show, and we'll be there to capture all the action. Among the dozens of new debuts we're looking forward to will be the arrival of the new third-generation Audi TT, and to give us a better idea of what we're looking forward to, Ingolstadt has released this series of teaser sketches.
Looking every bit like a TT should and drawing heavily on the Allroad Shooting Brake concept that debuted at the Detroit Auto Show last month, the images foretell of a new Audi sports coupe with a single-frame grille, matrix LED lighting and a deeply creased hood with the four-ring emblem placed atop the nose, as on the R8.
Horizontal lines at the back preview Audi's next design language, with twin exhaust tips flanking the diffuser on base models and quad tips on the next TTS. A cleaner interior design also harkens back to the first-gen TT that started it all and from which the new one draws its inspiration. Scope out the images in the gallery above for a closer look at what's to come, then scroll down for the details in the press release below.

Top Gear names BMW i8 Car of the Year, Corvette, Ferrari, Mercedes also win big

The lads at Top Gear have released their listing of the finest cars of the past year, handing the ultimate honor to BMW's revolutionary i8 plug-in-hybrid supercar. "The i8 is a milestone in the annals of automotive history and a glorious statement for an exciting and positive future. The i8 delivers - and then some," the British mag wrote. The i8, though, was far from the only hybridized car to take victories. James May and Richard Hammond both highlighted hybrids as their personal cars of the year, with May saluting the Ferrari LaFerrari and the Hamster, unsurprisingly, heaping praise on the Porsche 918 Spyder. Jeremy Clarkson, meanwhile, opted to shock many by selecting not only an American car as his best of 2014, but giving the honor to of all things, a Corvette. Clarkson wasn't the only person to honor the USA's iconic sports car, with the new, 650-horsepower Z06 variant being named TG's Muscle Car of the Year. Other big winners include Mercedes-Benz, which TG honored for S-Class Coupe (Luxury Car of the Year), the new AMG GT (Sports Car of the Year) and the not-for-US C-Class Estate (Family Car of the Year). The 458 Italia Speciale A snagged a second win for Ferrari. The best of the rest include the Citroen C4 Cactus, Renault Twingo, Volkswagen Golf R, Lamborghini Huracan and Audi TT. Take a look below for the celebratory press blast from BMW. The BMW i8 wins Top Gear Car of the Year The BMW i8 has been named as Top Gear magazine's global Car of the Year 2014. The plug-in hybrid performance vehicle beat off some stiff competition from a host of other premium and luxury manufacturers to win the overall award. The editorial team of Top Gear commended the BMW i8 for its breadth of abilities. Its 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine combined with an electric motor gives searing acceleration and driver enjoyment but all wrapped in a package that takes BMW's EfficientDynamics philosophy to the extreme courtesy of CO2 emissions less than 49g/km and a 135mpg combined cycle figure. Charlie Turner, Editor in Chief at Top Gear magazine, said: "The BMW is a milestone in the annals of automotive history and a glorious statement for an exciting and positive future. The i8 delivers – and then some. It's the kind of car we should celebrate, a beautiful vision of the future, delivered now.

Audi Sport Quattro Concept makes video debut

Audi has stayed quiet about its Sport Quattro Concept since the 700-horsepower, tangerine rocket debuted at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show - a followup to Quattro Concept shown at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. Now, Audi has broken the plug-in hybrid out to give thanks to its Facebook fans, which now number over 100,000 strong (103,123 as of this writing).
As impressive as that number is, it does seem a bit strange that Audi USA's Facebook page has netted 7.3 million likes, 73 times what Audi's global page has received. Of course, we're not complaining about seeing the Sport Quattro Concept in action, and neither should you. Take a look below for the entire video.