2011 Audi A8 Quattro Base Sedan 4-door 4.2l on 2040-cars

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2018 Audi SQ5 will use 48-volt electric supercharger

It seems like 48-volt electric systems and electric compressors are becoming relatively mainstream, and Audi will be adding another vehicle powered by this emerging technology in 2017, according to comments Audi powertrain chief Oliver Hoffman made to Autocar. Hoffman said the upcoming SQ5, probably a 2018-model-year vehicle, will use a version of the electric compressor technology that debuted on the SQ7. While the SQ7 uses two gas-driven turbochargers and one electric compressor, the SQ5 will likely only use one conventional turbo and one e-compressor. That should allow it to make 365 hp, but 390 hp is possible from the system and may hint at room for a more powerful SQ5 Plus down the road. Remember, the European SQ5 uses a 3.0-liter TDI engine, and that's the same basic engine that will power the new SQ5 with the addition of the new forced induction system and 48-volt electrics. And also remember that the US-market SQ5 uses a supercharged 3.0-liter gasoline engine, not the TDI unit, which is one of the reasons it's still on sale in the wake of the TDI scandal. Torque is the real differentiator: the current US-market SQ5 makes 354 hp and 347 lb-ft of torque, while the current Euro-market SQ5 Plus makes a massive 516 lb-ft. No word yet on how the dual-compressor system on the upcoming SQ5 will affect torque numbers, but expect the new engine to again have considerably more twist than its gas-powered US-market counterpart. Related Video: News Source: Autocar Green Audi Technology Emerging Technologies Crossover SUV Diesel Vehicles Performance audi sq5 48-volt system

These are the cars with the best and worst depreciation after 5 years

The average new vehicle sold in America loses nearly half of its initial value after five years of ownership. No surprise there; we all expect that shiny new car to start depreciating as soon as we drive it off the lot. But some vehicles lose value a lot faster than others. According to data provided by iSeeCars.com, trucks and truck-based sport utility vehicles generally hold their value better than other vehicle types, with the Jeep Wrangler — in both four-door Unlimited and standard two-door styles — and Toyota Tacoma sitting at the head of the pack. The Jeep Wrangler Unlimited's average five-year depreciation of 30.9% equals a loss in value of $12,168. That makes Jeep's four-door off-roader the best overall pick for buyers looking to minimize depreciation. The Toyota Tacoma's 32.4% loss in initial value means it loses just $10,496. The smaller dollar amount — the least amount of money lost after five years — indicates that Tacoma buyers pay less than Wrangler Unlimited buyers, on average, when they initially buy the vehicle. The standard two-door Jeep Wrangler is third on the list, depreciating 32.8% after five years and losing $10,824. Click here for a full list of the top 10 vehicles with the least depreciation over five years. On the other side of the depreciation coin, luxury sedans tend to plummet in value at a much faster rate than other vehicle types. The BMW 7 Series leads the losers with a 72.6% drop in value after five years, which equals an alarming $73,686. BMW's slightly smaller 5 Series is next, depreciating 70.1%, or $47,038, over the same period. Number three on the biggest losers list is the Nissan Leaf, the only electric vehicle to appear in the bottom 10. The electric hatchback matches the 5 Series with a 70.1% drop in value, but since it's a much cheaper vehicle, that percentage equals a much smaller $23,470 loss. Click here for a full list of the top 10 vehicles with the most depreciation over five years.

Audi Allroad Shooting Brake is a TT peep show

What you're looking at here is the almost-here third-generation Audi TT. Just compress the suspension a bit to take away its Allroad pretensions and rake its backlight to align better with the previous generation's aesthetic, and you're pretty well there. What you're looking at officially, of course, is the Audi Allroad Shooting Brake, a four-seat E-Tron hybrid showcar powered by Audi's venerable 2.0-liter TFSI four-cylinder (good for 292 horsepower) backed by a 40-kW electric motor and a secondary 85-kW motor acting upon the rear axle to provide low- and moderate-speed drive. The latter also provides through-the-road Quattro all-wheel drive when extra traction and power is called for.
All-in, Audi says the Allroad Shooting Brake's ETron powertrain is good for 408 horsepower and total system torque of 479 pound-feet, enough to haul the 3,500-pound German to 62 miles per hour in 4.6 seconds and up to a governed 155 mph. Despite that tidy performance, Audi says the Allroad Shooting Brake offers robust fuel consumption of 1.9 liters per 100k, equivalent to 124 miles per gallon, with a bladder-busting range of 510 miles.