2006 Audi S4 Base Sedan 4-door 4.2l on 2040-cars

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Audi TT RS shows its meaner face in new spy shots

When it launched, the original Audi TT RS was considered quite a sharp combination, melding a 360-horsepower turbocharged engine and all-wheel drive into a rather lithe, little coupe. Audi is ready to revive that great idea and is preparing for a return on the automaker's latest platform. Thanks to these new spy shots from near the Nurburgring, we can at least get a good idea aesthetically of what's in store for this future member of the RS family. There's absolutely nothing subtle about the front end, and the camouflage does little to hide the larger intakes at each corner. In profile, you can also spot larger brake discs peeking out from behind the wheels, and the side sills appear slightly thicker than the current TTS. The rear is all business, as well, with a lower apron and two big oval exhausts. The new TT RS reportedly arrives in 2016, at least in Europe, and a debut is possible at the Geneva Motor Show in March. The coupe would then potentially come to the US later in the calendar for the 2017 model year. Unlike the last TT here, which got a manual transmission, rumors suggest that the latest one would only offer a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. There's not likely to be any disappointment about the power, though, because it supposedly grows to about 400 hp thanks to an upgraded 2.5-liter turbocharged five-cylinder. Related Video:

New Audi A5 to debut in Ingolstadt on June 2

Audi will introduce the second-generation A5 during a late-night lightshow at its Ingolstadt, Germany, museum on June 2. In the announcement, the company only called out the standard model, but a new S5 coupe is probably not too far behind. Details on the next A5 have been scarce, and spy shots haven't revealed much. Our most recent images come from June of last year and show a vehicle that more or less follows the current A5's theme – a two-door A4 with a few small visual tweaks to distinguish it from the sedan, including a wider stance. Expect an interior treatment very similar to the A4's as well. The new coupe's mechanicals should mirror those of the four-door as well. The A5 will likely stick with a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder (the A4's currently makes 252 hp) and ditch the current car's eight-speed automatic transmission for a new seven-speed dual-clutch. Unlike the sedan, the coupe is likely to continue offering a six-speed manual, as it is positioned as a sportier option even if it shares the A4's platform. Front-wheel drive will be standard, while Quattro all-wheel drive will be the one to buy. The S5 should definitely offer a manual again, along with the S4's 354-hp turbo 3.0-liter V6 and standard all-wheel drive. A seven-speed dual-clutch will be an optional extra, again, just like on the S4. Timing of the new A5's arrival appears to have shifted. A leaked product roadmap originally called out April 2016 for the A5 and S5 hardtop and May 2016 for the Cabriolet versions. Based on the June 2 debut, it looks like Audi pushed those dates back, so we'd expect the new convertibles to make their debut sometime in July. The new A5 is pegged to arrive as a 2018 model. We'll have all the details on the new A5 Coupe when it debuts early next month. Related Video:

The next-generation wearable will be your car

This year's CES has had a heavy emphasis on the class of device known as the "wearable" – think about the Apple Watch, or Fitbit, if that's helpful. These devices usually piggyback off of a smartphone's hardware or some other data connection and utilize various onboard sensors and feedback devices to interact with the wearer. In the case of the Fitbit, it's health tracking through sensors that monitor your pulse and movement; for the Apple Watch and similar devices, it's all that and some more. Manufacturers seem to be developing a consensus that vehicles should be taking on some of a wearable's functionality. As evidenced by Volvo's newly announced tie-up with the Microsoft Band 2 fitness tracking wearable, car manufacturers are starting to explore how wearable devices will help drivers. The On Call app brings voice commands, spoken into the Band 2, into the mix. It'll allow you to pass an address from your smartphone's agenda right to your Volvo's nav system, or to preheat your car. Eventually, Volvo would like your car to learn things about your routines, and communicate back to you – or even, improvise to help you wake up earlier to avoid that traffic that might make you late. Do you need to buy a device, like the $249 Band 2, and always wear it to have these sorts of interactions with your car? Despite the emphasis on wearables, CES 2016 has also given us a glimmer of a vehicle future that cuts out the wearable middleman entirely. Take Audi's new Fit Driver project. The goal is to reduce driver stress levels, prevent driver fatigue, and provide a relaxing interior environment by adjusting cabin elements like seat massage, climate control, and even the interior lighting. While it focuses on a wearable device to monitor heart rate and skin temperature, the Audi itself will use on-board sensors to examine driving style and breathing rate as well as external conditions – the weather, traffic, that sort of thing. Could the seats measure skin temperature? Could the seatbelt measure heart rate? Seems like Audi might not need the wearable at all – the car's already doing most of the work. Whether there's a device on a driver's wrist or not, manufacturers seem to be developing a consensus that vehicles should be taking on some of a wearable's functionality.