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2018 Audi RS5 First Drive | Boosted for your enjoyment

Spoiler alert: if you dig snorty, long-winded, naturally breathing V8s, you'll have to add the 2018 Audi RS5 to the long list of cars abandoning the setup. Silver lining: if you like heady acceleration, unraveling twisty roads, and gobbling endless stretches of lonely tarmac, the new RS5 offers considerable gains over its big-engined predecessor. Bigger, Lighter, Gruntier Audi's (slightly) nastier looking new coupe has gained 0.6 inches of width and wheelbase and 2.9 inches of length but lost 132 pounds of mass along the way. Even better, the smaller 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6—the same one found in the Porsche Panamera—produces the same 450 horsepower as before, but gains a thumping 125 lb-ft of torque over the old V8, bringing the grand total of twist to 442 lb-ft. As with the previous RS5 you can't get a manual, but this time Audi swaps their signature dual-clutch transmission with an 8-speed torque converter unit from ZF. The reasoning is sound: the DSG 'box couldn't handle the engine's output, which produces more torque than the R8's mighty V10 – #bigtwistproblems. The RS5's weight loss stems from strategic use of aluminum and the loss of the stonking V8 (ditching it for the twin-turbo V6 saved 68 pounds alone). Weight distribution is, of course, also aided by the lighter front end, and the rear trapezoidal suspension setup has been supplanted with a five-link arrangement for smoother ride and sharper handling. Interior space also benefits from the larger footprint, with rear seat legroom benefiting most from the roomier dimensions. Behind the Wheel The roads from Toulouse, France to the tiny principality of Andorra offer contrasting extremes, from arrow-straight superslab to ultra-technical twisties – an excellent test of the RS5's performance repertoire. The updated cabin presents Audi's typically understated style, with available honeycomb top-stitched leather seats that are supportive but not so tight as to be constricting. HVAC slats form a continuous extension across the dashboard (a la Q7), and the steering wheel and shifter can be trimmed in either perforated leather or Alcantara. The first thing you'll notice in the RS5 are the low frequency sounds, which round out the otherwise muted engine noises.

Audi updates A3 with Virtual Cockpit, more goodies

Audi has announced a series of updates to the A3 family. And though we're still waiting for confirmation on its arrival here in North America following its introduction back in Europe next month, the revisions bode well for Ingolstadt's baby. Chief among the enhancements for the latest A3 is the inclusion, as promised, of the company's Virtual Cockpit infotainment system. One of our finalists for 2016 Tech of the Year, the Virtual Cockpit moves many of the controls and menus you'd expect to find in the center console display into the instrument cluster to make them easier for the driver to navigate (albeit at the expense of a co-pilot's assistance). Audi also used the occasion to install some of its latest driver assistance systems, including active lane assist, pedestrian protection, and available traffic jam assist that helps the vehicle crawl along in bumper-to-bumper conditions. The revised A3 also features new front and rear fascias, incorporating a sharper grille and new head- and taillights, with available Matrix LED units up front. Globally speaking, Audi is offering the updated model with six different engines – three gasoline and three diesel – including a 1.0-liter inline-three for the first time. There's the hybrid E-Tron model as well, and the flex-fuel G-Tron model that can run on natural gas. More enticing though is the new S3, which benefits from a ten-horsepower boost to produce a more substantial 310 hp and as much as 295 pound-feet of torque. With sedan, convertible, and three- and five-door hatchback bodystyles, that makes for a lot of combinations, though not all engines will be offered in all forms. Watch this space for word on US availability. In the meantime, you can scope out all the details on the various variants in the press release below and the high-resolution images in the exhaustive gallery above. Related Video: Technology Update for the Compact Bestseller – the new Audi A3 - New engines: 1.0 TFSI and newly developed 2.0 TFSI - Infotainment and assistance systems from the full-size class - First deliveries in summer The successful model from Audi is now even more attractive: The Audi A3* approaches the starting line with new driver assistance systems and engines as well as newly designed headlights and taillights. Also new on board is the innovative operating and display concept, Audi virtual cockpit. The new A3 is available in a three-door version and as a Sportback, a sedan and a Cabriolet.

Audi stealthily tests RS4 Avant

With S3s, R8s and RS7s aplenty, Audi offers no shortage of performance models in North America. But one of our favorites is always kept just out of arm's reach. That of course is the RS4 Avant, and here we see Audi Quattro GmbH testing the latest version. Though it may look like a plain old S4 – and even wear S4 badges – the wider fenders and bigger wheels suggest that this is in fact a prototype for the upcoming RS4 Avant. For those unfamiliar, that nameplate connotes the best of all worlds within the A4 range: maximum power, maximum traction, and maximum luggage space. All the ingredients, in short, to make us wonder why anyone would rather drive a crossover. After the first-gen RS4 employed a twin-turbo V6, the subsequent two generations went with a 4.2-liter V8. This model, however, could adopt an electric turbocharger setup to give it all the power it needs (and then some) with a new form of hybrid setup that will soon be spreading across the industry. The bigger question on our mind, of course, is whether the new performance wagon will make the transatlantic voyage to North American showrooms. We're holding out hope that Ingolstadt may make a real run down American roads at the likes of the Mercedes-AMG C63 and BMW M3. Whether it brings the wagon body-style along with it is another matter entirely, but we can always dream. Related Video: