2014 Audi Q7 Premium Plus Sport Utility 4-door 3.0l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

MTM Audi RS6 Clubsport might be overkill for grocery shopping

As automotive journalists, we're biologically wired to love station wagons. We really don't have a choice. And while we prefer brown, diesel-powered, manual-transmissioned long-roofs, we suppose a 750-horsepower Audi RS6 Avant would be just dandy. This is the MTM RS6 Clubsport, and as we mentioned, it's very powerful. That's thanks to a modified version of Audi's critically acclaimed 4.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V8. While 750 hp out of just 4.0 liters is impressive, 697 pound-feet of torque is an equally big accomplishment. And if that's not enough, MTM has managed to shave nearly 200 pounds of body fat from the big wagon. Needless to say, it's very, very fast. MTM has displayed a degree of aesthetic restraint, eschewing the gaudy body kit favored by some other tuners and simply opting for a questionable paint job. The 21-inch wheels look good, although with the smattering of rubber around them, we wouldn't bet on a comfortable ride. As for the cabin, well, MTM got a bit out of hand. It's very, very orange. The seats are essentially carbon-fiber shells lined with bits of orange, leather-wrapped padding here and there. Orange, quilted-leather in the door panels, center armrest and on cushions on the side of the center console – a nice touch we wish more automakers would add to their performance cars – contrasts nicely with the black plastics and carbon fiber found on the rest of the dash and center console. That said, we aren't crazy about space for passengers, thanks to the large cage that's there to boost structural stiffness. We have a full gallery of photos of the MTM RS6 Clubsport direct from Geneva. Trust us, you'll want to have a look at this one. Related Video:

Refreshed Audi A6 gets ready for Paris debut

The Audi A6 remains a solidly luxurious choice in the deeply competitive executive sedan segment, duking it out with the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, BMW 5 Series and Lexus GS, among others. Having been on sale since 2011, though, it's starting to become just a tiny bit stale. Cue the refresh.
Expected to make its debut in October at the 2014 Paris Motor Show, the long-roof Avant/Allroad variant shown here gives us our first glimpse at some of the tweaks Audi has in store for its A6 range as a whole.
In general, this is pretty standard refresh stuff - new headlights that retain the same general shape as the current car but add a new DRL pattern, while there are also some subtle tweaks to the front fascia. The rear taillights have also been freshened (although as only the A6 sedan is sold in the US, it's likely the taillights we see will be different), and some minor changes have been made to the rear bumper. According to our spies, the cabin and MMI infotainment system could see some tweaks, while the oily bits under the hood could be in for for some minor changes as well.

VW reaches out to diesel consumers with new website

Volkswagen is starting to get details out to the public about its diesel emissions evasions in the US, and the automaker now has a dedicated website for consumers. The first thing that visitors see is an apology video from Volkswagen Group of America CEO Michael Horn. The site also details all of the VW TDI's currently known to be affected here, including the 2009-2015 Jetta, 2009-2014 Jetta SportWagen, 2010-2015 Golf, 2015 Golf SportWagen, 2012-2015 Beetle and Beetle convertible, and 2012-2015 Passat. Although, the Audi A3 should be on there, too. The company repeatedly reassures owners that these vehicles are safe to drive and promises it's developing a fix as quickly as possible to make them emissions compliant. On the site's FAQ, VW also clarifies that there's still a stop-sale on all of these models with the 2.0-liter TDI, including certified pre-owned ones. That could change soon because the automaker believes that the 2016 model year examples are legal, but the Environmental Protection Agency needs to sign off before they could go to dealers. Until the diesels can be sold, there also won't be any TDI advertising by VW. "We are working at full speed on a technical solution that we will present to partners, to our customers and to the public as swiftly as possible," Herbert Diess, CEO of Volkswagen passenger car division, says in a statement. He also offers an improved accounting of the number of vehicles affected. VW had previously said that there were 11 million with the emissions evading software worldwide. According to Diess, around five million of these came from the VW brand. Audi has said there about 2.1 million of its models affected globally with between 13,000 and 14,000 in America. DR. HERBERT DIESS, CEO OF THE VOLKSWAGEN PASSENGER CARS BRAND, EXPLAINS: "WE ARE WORKING AT FULL SPEED ON A SOLUTION." Wolfsburg, September 25, 2015 – In the press release dated September 22, 2015, the Volkswagen Group announced that Volkswagen Group vehicles worldwide are affected by the current issues regarding emissions. The internal evaluation revealed that approximately five million Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand vehicles are affected worldwide. Certain models and model years of these vehicles (such as the sixth generation Volkswagen Golf, the seventh generation Volkswagen Passat and the first generation Volkswagen Tiguan) are equipped exclusively with type EA 189 diesel engines.