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Mercedes chief invites Audi, BMW to compete in F1

Mercedes-Benz didn't just win the Formula One World Championship in 2014 – it positively dominated it. The team won all but three of the grands prix this season, scoring a one-two finish at more than half of them and landing at least one car on the podium at every race without exception. It goes without saying, then, that the German automaker thrives on competition, but now it's welcoming even more. Speaking with Germany's Sport Bild at its homecoming celebration in Stuttgart, Daimler chief Dieter Zetsche welcomed Mercedes' biggest rivals Audi and BMW to join it on the F1 grid. Noting that the three German brands share some 80 percent of the market for luxury automobiles, Zetsche said that F1 would make a natural arena of competition for Mercedes, Audi and BMW to fight for top bragging rights. The three currently compete against each other in front of home audiences in the DTM touring car series – effectively Germany's equivalent to NASCAR – but of the ten races held this year, the majority were in Germany itself, and all of them took place in Europe. BMW last competed in F1 when it bought the Sauber team in 2006, but withdrew from the series in 2009. Despite its progenitor Auto Union having fielded the famous Silver Arrows in pre-war grand prix racing, Audi has never been a player in modern F1 racing, though recent rumors have linked it to a potential foray – spurred by the arrival of sister-company Porsche on its home turf at Le Mans, the departure of several of its key endurance drivers and the hiring of former Scuderia Ferrari chief Stefano Domenicali. Porsche had similarly considered an F1 program before getting the go-ahead to compete with Audi at Le Mans. As for the prospect of Mercedes competing in other international racing series, Zetsche added that year-long preparations for 24 hours of racing at Le Mans didn't present a good cost-benefit ratio in his estimation, but that Formula E (where Audi currently supports a quasi-works entry) would be worth a closer look.

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:

Autoblog Podcast #410

Episode #410 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Chris Paukert, and Greg Migliore talk about the Mercedes-Benz GLE, the next generation Audi Q7, and Ford's promise of 12 new performance models by 2020. We start with what's in the garage and finish up with some of your questions, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Check out the rundown with times for topics, and you can follow along down below with our Q&A. Thanks for listening! Autoblog Podcast #410: The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience. Topics: Mercedes-Benz GLE 2016 Audi Q7 New Performance Ford/End of MyFordTouch In The Autoblog Garage: 2015 Toyota Camry XLS 2015 Ford F-150 2015 Volkswagen GTI Hosts: Dan Roth, Chris Paukert, Greg Migliore Runtime: 01:28:00 Rundown: Intro and Garage - 00:00 Tacoma - 24:17 Barn Find - 38:27 DB10 - 49:23 Q&A - 01:00:00 Get the podcast: [UStream] Listen live on Mondays at 10 PM Eastern at UStream [iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes [RSS] Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator [MP3] Download the MP3 directly Feedback: Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show in iTunes Podcasts Detroit Auto Show Audi Ford Mercedes-Benz ford performance