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24 Hours of Le Mans an on-and-off love affair

There was little usual about this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans - intermittent rain in the weeks before the race meant cars didn't get on track as much as they wanted, and intermittent rain during the race meant cars went off track a lot more than they wanted. The race started with a wet track, and one of the records broken because of the random downpours was the number of times the safety car led the field - 11 times this year - although the record of two hours and 53 minutes of lapping behind the safety car, set in 2011, was not eclipsed.
None of that served to dampen the action. With little more than an hour left in the race there were cars still only a few seconds apart fighting for position, leads still changing because of pit stops and everyone drafting anyone they could.
Things didn't go the usual way up front, either - well, not exactly...

2015 Audi RS7 Dynamic Edition strutting to NY

The Audi RS7 is already one of the most stylish sports sedans (hatch, wagon, whatever...) on the road today with flowing roof and hunkered down appearance. Now the German automaker is taking that formula even further with the introduction of the RS7 Dynamic Edition at the 2014 New York Auto Show, and the addition of a long list of unique options.
When it goes on sale early this summer, the Dynamic Edition won't come cheap. Prices start at $146,045, which is $41,145 over a base RS7. The extra money allows opulent additions like Black Valcona honeycomb-stitched leather sport seats, Crimson Red seatbelts and interior stitching, Tornado Red brake calipers with the RS7 logo, Audi's Dynamic Ride Control suspension and a sport exhaust. It rides on 21-inch, five-spoke wheels with Gloss Black accents. Also carbon fiber pieces replace the front splitter, rear diffuser and engine cover.
The DRC suspension is a late addition to the RS7's options list and comes standard on the Dynamic Edition. It uses three-stage adjustable dampers that are cross-linked and integrated into the driving mode selection and rear differential.

Audi EV exec compliments Tesla Supercharger network

Stefan Niemand, Audi's Director of Battery Electric Vehicles, didn't mince words that the EV market must improve, and he even applauded the American competition during a meeting of Germany's auto industry organization, the VDA. "I hate to admit it, but Tesla did everything right", he said about the Supercharger network, according to EETimes Europe Automotive. Niemand also tried to convince the members that EVs needed to improve significantly. "These cars are slower than those with conventional drive and they have a much lower range – and in compensation they are more expensive," Niemand said, according to EETimes Europe Automotive In the exec's opinion, it's acceptable if an electric vehicle is a little more expensive than the competition, but the model needs to be every bit as enjoyable to drive as one with a combustion drivetrain. Niemand championed the need for a vast recharging infrastructure and used his speech to do some cheerleading for the forthcoming production version of the company's E-Tron Quattro crossover concept. The company claims the future model can do everything Niemand is admonishing the industry about. For example, the version at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show could produce up to 496 horsepower for short periods and cover 311 miles on the European testing cycle. The exec's arguments echo those of Audi of America president Scott Keogh who sees a similar EV future in the US. Keogh believes the brand's electric sales could as high as 25 percent of its volume by 2025. The company is getting the public ready for this electrified powertrain transition with the A3 e-Tron plug-in hybrid, but the production E-Tron Quattro takes the idea to the next level. To solve the recharging problem, the company is also working on 150-kW fast charging network with partners. Related Video: