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The 2018 Audi RS3 sedan priced above the BMW M2 and Mercedes CLA45 AMG

Today, Audi finally released pricing for the 2018 RS3 sedan and it's not quite the performance bargain you may have been hoping for. The RS3 sedan, available for the first time in the US, will start at $55,875 when it hits dealer lots later this year. That's thousands more than the competition from BMW and Mercedes-Benz, though it's not quite a straight one-to-one comparison. View 23 Photos For reference, a BMW M2 starts at $53,495 while a Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG will set you back at least $50,875. With an all-new 400 horsepower inline-5 under the hood, the RS3 is packing more punch than its German rivals, and, unlike the M2, sends power to all four wheels. Standard features include LED lighting, Audi pre sense basic, and blind-spot monitoring. Other standard equipment hasn't been announced yet, so it's difficult to make a straight comparison to the M2 and CLA45 AMG. The RS3 sedan will make its North American debut next week in New York. While the car will hit full production for the 2018 model year, there will be a limited number of 2017 RS3s produced. At $55,450, the 2017 model is slightly less expensive than the 2018 RS3. That small batch will be preconfigured with carbon trim, Audi virtual cockpit with MMI Navigation plus, a Bang & Olufsen sound system, 19-inch, five-arm-blade design wheels, red brake calipers, and the RS sport exhaust system with black tips. Sounds like a good deal if you've already got your heart set on the latest from Audi Sport. Related Video:

Audi working on new Quattro-centric horizontal design language

If we were to opine that Audi needed a new design language, we certainly wouldn't be the first. Because while most of the vehicles wearing the Four Rings these days look slick enough, they all tend to look rather similar, and perhaps lack a certain amount of character. If the latest rumors are to be believed, Audi is working on just such a design overhaul.
The new design language being developed in the studios at Ingolstadt is said to differ from the current theme in two ways. For one, it's set to be dominated by a more horizontal approach, eschewing the tall vertical grille that dominates the noses of many of Audi's current models in favor of one that stretches more widely across the fascia.
For another, Edmunds projects that the new design language will emphasize the four-wheel-drive setup that has become Audi's hallmark. We understand that to mean more muscular wheel arches, with the rest of the design revolving around that element for an overall look that's more visually planted on the road. We'll have to wait to see how this theme develops, but the rumors at least indicate that Audi is aware of its design issues and is working to address it.

2017 Frankfurt Motor Show | Observations on the Ferrari Portofino, Honda Urban EV and more

Related: We obsessively covered the Frankfurt Motor Show — here's our complete coverage The 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show kicked off the fall reveal season with an impressive array of powerful cars blended with forward-looking concepts. It's a seminal period for automakers, who find themselves at the intersection of disruption and opportunity. With that in mind, here are four takeaways from Frankfurt. The transformation of the curvy yet overbaked Ferrari California T into the Portofino is complete, and its coming-out party in Frankfurt served notice that Ferrari's entry-level sports car is much more formidable. There was nothing wrong with the California (and later the California T), but the Portofino features a cleaner look with stronger lines and an elegant resemblance to the rest of the Ferrari family. The California name is a good one. Used on a number of memorable cars in the 1950s and '60s, it's steeped in tradition, and certainly Ferrari will dust it off again. But switching to Portofino, the name of a scenic town in Italy, is a nice way to change the conversation and generate fresh interest in this part of the Ferrari portfolio. Man, people are stoked over the Honda Urban EV concept. Why? I assume it's the retro look that harks back to early Civics, and the lack of information about the concept itself. What people don't know, they're imagining. Honda hasn't even confirmed the range, the car is very small, and it likely won't be sold in the United States. With this dearth of facts, enthusiasts are filling in their own blanks. I guess that's OK. Count me among the intrigued. When I saw pictures of this thing early Tuesday morning, I was pretty excited, too. We do know Honda is expanding its electric strategy, and two-thirds of its new vehicles sold around the world will have some form of electrification by 2030. The Urban EV launches in Europe in 2019, and a hybrid CR-V rolls out in Europe next year. Unconfirmed for the U.S. market, it seems like a no-brainer to bring that version of the CR-V here. The electrification and autonomous tech parade of concepts continues. You gotta be there. It's the cost of doing business in the modern automotive landscape. This technology takes years to develop and launch, so the next best thing to remind the world you're trying to be cutting-edge is to show off lots of fancy concepts. Frankfurt had plenty. A couple standouts: The BMW I Vision Dynamics and Audi's Elaine and Aicon.