Year Old Audi A4 on 2040-cars

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Audi races ahead with new R8 LMS [w/video]

The biggest news from Audi at the Geneva Motor Show may very well be the reveal of the all-new, second-generation R8 supercar. But the road-going version isn't the only one it's rolling out at the Swiss expo, where it's joined by the new competition-spec R8 LMS. Set to hit race tracks around the world next season, the new Audi R8 LMS picks up where the current one leaves off, having taken 26 GT3 Championship victories and seven 24-hour race wins between 2009 and 2014. That's a heck of a mantle to assume, but the new model looks like it'll be up to the task. Based on the new road-going R8, the new LMS is built to 2016 GT3 regulations and in many ways even exceeds them. In fact, Audi says it meets the more stringent crash requirements for the LMP1 class, and includes its state-of-the-art Audi Protection Seat PS 1 from the R18 E-Tron Quattro. It also incorporates the emergency hatch Audi built in to its DTM racers. Of course, there's more to the new R8 LMS than safety. Despite the addition of those features, the whole package is a good 55 pounds lighter than the outgoing model, thanks to the lightweight spaceframe chassis and the increased use of carbon-fiber components – all the while offering more torsional rigidity. Power still comes from Audi's celebrated 5.2-liter V10 engine producing 585 horsepower, but is now mated to a new six-speed sequential gearbox and benefits from an entirely new electrical system, improved airflow and optimized aerodynamics. All that and more ought to help the new R8 LMS and its customer racing teams achieve the success they're after once it makes its competitive debut at the Nurburgring 24-hour race in mid-May 2016. Related Video: AUDI R8 LMS ESTABLISHES NEW RACE CAR GENERATION: LIGHTER AND SAFER THAN EVER BEFORE Ingolstadt, March 3, 2015 – Audi is again running in front. As one of the first automobile manufacturers to do so at the beginning of the 2015 season, the brand with the four rings is presenting a race car that already meets the requirements of the new GT3 regulations to be introduced in 2016. The new Audi R8 LMS is lighter and safer than ever before. It features even more race car technology, clearly improved aerodynamics and, as a result, provides customers with an efficient concept. Back in spring of 2014, Audi began testing the new R8 LMS that is following in big footsteps.

300-HP 2013 Audi S3 Sportback unwrapped

Not content to let Volkswagen have all of the fun with its GTI and Golf R, Audi is rebooting its five-door S3 Sportback with rather monstrous power. Headed for an official unveil at this year's Geneva Motor Show, the new S3 rolls out with a 300-horsepower, 280-pound-feet of torque turbocharged 2.0-liter TFSI engine under the hood. The four-cylinder powerplant is strong enough to shove the Sportback to 62 miles per hour in just 5.0 seconds when connected to the optional S-Tronic gearbox, or 5.5 seconds with the traditional manual transmission. Top speed is said to be an electronically governed 155 mph. Almost as impressive as those performance figures are the fuel economy ratings: the S- S3 is said to average 34 miles per gallon.
All S3 Sportback models offer Quattro all-wheel drive, ride on a sport-tuned suspension tuned to a lower ride height (about one inch) versus the standard Audi A3. 18-inch wheels with 225-section tires are standard equipment, and 13.39-inch front brakes should offer serious stopping ability.
Audi has done a lot of work shedding pounds from this latest MQB-architecture S3, as well. The car has a curb weight of roughly 3,186 pounds, or some 154 pounds less than the outgoing model. 11 of those pounds were cut via weight-saving measures in the 2.0-liter engine.

2017 Audi A4 Allroad: Android Auto is great, just not with MMI

I love Android Auto, but I've given up using it in our long-term 2017 Audi A4 Allroad. In fact, I've given up using it in any car that doesn't have a touchscreen interface. A rotary knob like the one in the Allroad works fine when the system is designed around it, but using it as the input device for Android Auto is frustrating and distracting since it the system was designed for touchscreens. Audi had to adapt it (and Apple CarPlay) for MMI. Plus, the situation is made even worse here since it looks like the A4 Allroad has a touchscreen (the image above is from a Q7). Various fingerprints can attest to that. Unless I'm driving my personal car, I never listen to the radio (my '99 Mercedes may not have Bluetooth or an auxiliary input, but it does have a Motorola car phone). Spotify, Audible, and Pocket Casts are my go-to media services and they all stream straight from my phone. Each one has a Android Auto app. Android Auto's Google Maps and Waze integration is just as useful. All my contacts are in Google Maps, so if I have Android Auto I just use the voice command to find my destination. It's stupid simple. One of the best parts of Android Auto is that it looks and acts the same way in every car. It has the same apps in the same place, all streaming from the phone you use every day. When you're forced to interact with it in a new way, it takes that familiarization away. It's like using a computer with only a keyboard. Sure, it can work, but it's unintuitive and, in this case, dangerously distracting. I really like our Allroad, just not the infotainment system. Related Video: