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Evo drives the Audi R18 E-Tron Quattro on track

Audi invited Evo scribe Richard Meaden to the Misano circuit in Italy to drive the Audi R18 E-Tron Quattro - and not just any R18 Quattro, were such a thing possible, but the No. 2 car that took first place at Le Mans this year driven by Marcel Fassler, Andre Lotterer and Benoit Treluyer. Meaden got just four laps in the diesel hybrid racecar - a warm-up, two hot laps and a cool down lap - so this wasn't about testing the R18 E-Tron's limits. In fact, Meaden makes it clear that such a thing isn't even possible for less than a professional driver; when driving at his limits (admittedly in Audi's very expensive car being watched by dozens of Audi engineer eyeballs), the data showed he was using 60 percent of the pedal effort of the professionals. Nevertheless, Meaden does have a lot to say about how the car delivers its massive ability, and with the wide-view shot of the cockpit we also get to see how busy and how intimate an endurance driver's office is. Check it out in the video above. News Source: Evo via YouTube Green Audi Racing Vehicles Videos evo

2017 Audi A4 First Drive [w/video]

Internally, Audi refers to the A4 lineage with a B designation. Why the discrepancy? The model legacy traces back to the 1972 Audi 80, and the A4 name wasn't adopted until 1996 for the North American market. So the fifth-generation A4 is code-named B9. There is no confusion about what this car means to Audi. In 19 years, the brand has sold more than 12 million A4s around the world, which puts this new generation on the A-list when it comes to brand importance. If you squint, the new car looks like a facelifted version of the last-generation facelift unveiled in 2013. We get the same impression of the new A4 as we do with the third-generation Audi TT: it hasn't been comprehensively reconceived, it's been comprehensively re-detailed. But with a move to the updated VW group platform known as MLB Evo, 90 percent of the components on this car are new. On the outside, those changes are reflected through deeper sculpting on a body that's about the same height as before but 0.5-inches wider, one-inch longer, and with a wheelbase stretched 0.7 inches. The tweaked grille separates reworked Bi-Xenon headlights, which are standard across the lineup now – halogens go bye-bye. LED headlights are optional, as are the matrix units in other markets. Audi claims US-market cars will lose anywhere from 70 to 100 pounds depending on specification. Above those lights is a version of a clamshell hood – its shutline forms the front third of the pronounced shoulder line along the sedan's flanks. Audi designed a new hinge that keeps the hood lined up properly over the life of a car because small misalignments show more easily on the vertical seams. In back there are updated taillights, a standard rearview camera, and a trunk opening that's an even one meter across. In the press presentations, any conversation quickly turns to weight loss and aerodynamic efficiency. The only curb weight we have from Audi so far is for the base sedan, empty and without a driver, with the 1.4 TFSI engine that we don't get, coming in at 2,910 pounds. The current US-spec A4 is listed at 3,583 pounds, and Audi claims US-market cars will lose anywhere from 70 to 100 pounds depending on specification. About 35 pounds of that comes from the chassis, with new forged aluminum links on the suspension, fixed-caliper, four-piston brakes up front, and wheels that are never heavier than 26 pounds. The rest of the weight loss comes from the body, mostly through greater use of aluminum.

Volkswagen may 'carve out' Lamborghini to list on the stock exchange

FRANKFURT — Volkswagen is drawing up plans to set up Lamborghini as a more independent unit, and is discussing long-term supply deals that could make it easier to list it on the stock exchange, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. "Volkswagen is in the process of carving out Lamborghini, and to organize future supply and technology transfer deals," one of the sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The Italian sportscar brand, which is currently a division of Audi, could be partially listed, with Volkswagen retaining a controlling stake, the first person familiar with the talks said. There is no formal decision to divest Lamborghini, a second source said, adding that the timetable of any deal remained unclear. "This is a first step which gives VW the option to list the unit further down the line," the second source told Reuters. A third source familiar with the discussions said the future of Bugatti, Lamborghini and Ducati was discussed during a supervisory board meeting last Friday. The possibilities for how to electrify the Lamborghini and Bugatti brands through partnerships and investors was discussed, the third source said. Bankers and potential cornerstone investors in an IPO have been approached by the carmaker, the sources said. Volkswagen declined to comment. Volkswagen Group's Chief Executive Herbert Diess on Wednesday said the carmaker will announce "important steps" about the company's future before the close of the year. Volkswagen is reviewing what role its high-performance brands Lamborghini, Bugatti and Ducati will play within the multi-brand carmaker as part of broader quest for more economies of scale, senior executives told Reuters. A global clampdown on combustion-engined vehicles has forced carmakers to accelerate development of low-emission technology for mainstream models, leaving Volkswagen managers struggling to find resources to electrify low volume sportscar models. Related Video: