2011 Audi Tt Quattro S Coupe 2-door 2.0l on 2040-cars

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Audi and Hyundai team up to boost hydrogen fuel cell cars

Hyundai agreed a deal with Audi on Wednesday to collaborate on hydrogen car technology, hoping to boost an energy segment that has lagged behind battery electric vehicles. The South Korean firm wants to increase the sales and acceptance of hydrogen cars, which are propelled by electricity generated by fuel cells but have been held back by a lack of infrastructure and the push for battery electric vehicles by the likes of Tesla. The pair will be able to access each other's intellectual property and share components, including any new parts developed by Audi, which is responsible for hydrogen fuel cell technology in the Volkswagen Group, the world's biggest car seller. Hyundai hopes that the move will create greater demand for vehicles such as its ix35 model and bring down costs to make the technology profitable. "We want to provide to our component suppliers more chance and we want to have competition between component suppliers," Sae Hoon Kim, the head of Hyundai's R&D fuel cell group, told Reuters in an interview in London. "We also want to make them to have competition with other suppliers, and that competition will bring down the cost." Carmakers such as Toyota have touted the benefits of hydrogen vehicles, which take less time to refuel than the recharge times of battery electric cars, but are expensive and suffer from a lack of refuelling stations. Many carmakers are focusing on battery electric vehicles, which can take between half an hour and half a day to recharge, but are increasingly able to use a growing network of charging points. Auto firms are teaming up to share the cost of developing greener technologies to replace combustion engines as regulators around the world crack down on emissions. GM and Honda have a partnership to jointly develop electric vehicles with hydrogen fuel cells that are expected to go on sale in 2020, while BMW is working with Toyota. Kim said that a toughening of European Union carbon emission limits in 2025 would create a need for more hydrogen cars. Hyundai sold 200 such models last year and expects to sell thousands this year, but Kim said profitability was still far off. "100,000 or 300,000 vehicles per year per company, when that comes, I think we can make money," he said. Reporting by Costas PitasRelated Video: Image Credit: Getty Auto News Green Plants/Manufacturing Audi Hyundai Alternative Fuels Future Vehicles Hydrogen Cars

2016 Audi S6 and S7 First Drive

Audi paired the S6 and S7 for the purposes of this test in Southern California, but these are rather disparate cars. A three-box sedan, even a sporty one like this S6, is for a specific kind of customer. A sleek, four-door hatchback like the S7, on the other hand, is for a different kind of person. These two people might not be as different as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but at the very least the S7 is the S6's lothario neighbor – the one who's always got a glass of scotch in one hand and a chambermaid in the other. A day spent in the canyons around Los Angeles proves there's a big difference between these cars. First, though, let's discuss their similarities. The S6 and the S7 get the same design overhaul we detailed in our piece on the 2016 Audi A6, namely the edge work done on the grille, bumpers, headlights, and taillights. Additionally, they get Audi's new MMI system – the brand's next step in infotainment. A day spent in the canyons proves there's a big difference between these cars. Changes exclusive to these S models include flat-bottomed steering wheels with model badges at the base of the center spoke, and aluminum-finish shift paddles. The pedals and footrest get the aluminum look as well. There's also a new shift lever, and a revised design for the Quattro badge. New seat and surface treatments join the options list, such as Beaufort Walnut inlays and Valcona leather seats in Cedar Brown. The S7 has a new Arras Red interior option as part of its design selection palette, but the striking addition there is the carbon fiber inlay it comes with, which is interwoven with a red thread. You lean in really, really close and see that scarlet yarn, and the cockpit immediately feels more special. It's the kind of beautiful subtlety you expect from Audi, and the result is a scrumptious cabin. The twin-turbo, 4.0-liter V8 gets 30 more horses, topping out at 450 horsepower. Torque remains the same at 406-pound-feet, but fuel economy increases ever so slightly to 18 miles per gallon in the city, 27 mpg highway, and 21 mpg combined. The S6 makes a meal of curves, but it does give away a hint of the effort. It seems that a fair number of buyers wanted S vehicles without the whole suite of go-fast bits; they liked having the "S" on their chests, they didn't need all of the superpowers. Thus, Audi took the Quattro sport differential and dynamic steering off the standard menu, and bundled it with the sport exhaust to create the now-optional Sport Package.

2016 Audi R8 looks like a promising second chapter [w/video]

Audi shook up the supercar market when it released the original R8 road car. Now, it's hoping to do the same with the second-generation of the handsome mid-engine star. But where the original R8 was something of an analog supercar, boasting a naturally aspirated V8 and a delightful gated shifter, this new model is something much different. Gone is the popular, high-revving 4.2-liter V8 and the snickety-snack transmission, although the 5.2-liter V10 that joined the original R8 later in its life remains. In base form, it turns out 540 horsepower in the second-gen R8, while the V10 Plus model can be had with an impressive 610 ponies. That's good for a sprint to 60 of just 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 201 miles per hour in the former and 3.2 seconds and 205-mph in the latter. A seven-speed dual-clutch transmission is the sole gearbox, sending power to a revised Quattro all-wheel-drive system that's capable of shunting 100 percent of the engine's torque to the rear axle. Meanwhile, Audi has managed to shave 441 pounds by using a new Audi space frame, with more aluminum and carbon fiber than before. Weighing in at just 3,205 pounds, the R8 is slightly lighter than the new, V8-powered Ferrari 488 GTB, although it's not quite as light as its cousin, the 3,135-lb Lamborghini Huracan. And of course, we can't forget to mention the R8's new look. It's very clearly an evolution of the first-gen's handsome styling. A strong grille and canted headlights, inspired by the TT and the concepts that came before it, highlight the front end, while Audi has opted to bisect the last-gen car's side blades with a body-color section of sheet metal. In back, slim taillights, exhausts that have been integrated into the rear bumper and a central diffuser are the main styling features. Opt for the V10 Plus, and you'll get a sizable rear wing, for added downforce. Take a look at our full gallery of live images from Geneva for a closer look at the new Audi R8.