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Audi planning S3 Plus with 375 hp?

There's a war being waged in Europe for the highest output from the smallest displacement. Alfa Romeo has managed to squeeze 240 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque out of a 1.7-liter turbo four for the 4C. Mercedes-Benz has coaxed 355 hp and 332 lb-ft out of a 2.0-liter turbo four to drive the new A45 AMG, CLA45 AMG and GLA45 AMG. But not to be outdone, the Volkswagen Group is said to be working on one of its own that will put both to shame.
The engine is reportedly being based on VW's existing 2.0-liter turbo four, only enhanced to produce a massive 375 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. The key to getting there was poaching Friedrich Eichler, the engineer who designed AMG's aforementioned high-output engine, and mandating him to do still better.
That's all well and fine - and perfectly impressive - but just what does VW plan on doing with the new engine? A whole lot, according to reports. It's expected to power the new Scirocco and a new Golf R Evo expected to debut at the Beijing Motor Show in April, and you can bet it'll be slotted into another few applications as well. But the first vehicle expected to get it will be the Audi S3 Plus.

2014 Audi S1 Quattro leaks ahead of reveal

Rumors have been swirling that Audi will unveil the next-generation TT at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, but now it seems as if European hot hatch fans will be getting a car of their own from the German automaker. Images of the S1 Sportback Quattro have leaked out today, giving us our first taste of the real thing after seeing the camouflaged version a few months ago.
Audi may be planning to release official details about the S1 and refreshed A1 tomorrow and debut them publicly in Geneva. The S1 is expected to use the Volkswagen 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder with about 230hp, all-wheel drive and a choice of six-speed manual or dual-clutch transmission. It is basically supposed to be Golf GTI in a tiny package with all-wheel drive.
While it is highly unlikely we are getting any version of the A1 on these shores, it's always fun to see the cars lucky European enthusiasts enjoy.

Audi A8's active suspension will even protect you in a crash

Audi has revealed yet another system of the upcoming Audi A8 that uses the car's 48-volt electrical system. In addition to a fancy stop-start function, the A8 will have a suspension that can be actuated by electric motors. At each corner of the car is a separate motor connected to an arm that can press down or pull up on the suspension. These motors are controlled by a computer that monitors the road with a camera to determine how the motors should react to improve ride quality and handling. In the instance of some kind of bump or other road imperfection, the car can actively raise the wheel that would go over that bump, to prevent it from upsetting the ride. When going through a corner, the car can direct the motors on the outside to push up to reduce lean, and the motors on the inside to push down to keep the tires pressed to the road. The system can also help keep the car level when stopping and starting. There's yet one more feature of the suspension that is rather interesting. In the event the car detects an impending side-impact crash, it can raise up the side that will be hit, to protect the occupants. By raising up that side, the car increases the chance that more of the energy from the impact will be absorbed by the side rails and floor, which are stronger than the doors and pillars. This nifty new suspension, and the aforementioned start-stop system, will be found on the next-generation Audi A8, which will be officially revealed on July 11. If you can't wait for that, apparently the car has a cameo in Spider-Man: Homecoming, which hits theaters on June 28. Related Video: Image Credit: Audi Audi Technology Emerging Technologies Luxury Videos Sedan 48-volt system