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Audi Sport plots ambitious growth for RS lineup

Audi Sport is set to double its range of high-performance, RS-badged vehicles, reports Autocar. In an interview, Stephan Winkelmann, head of Audi Sport, revealed plans to add eight RS models to its lineup by early 2018. Winkelmann didn't reveal which vehicles would get the RS treatment, but said that "it is better to under-promise and over-deliver." Audi has several RS-badged cars, including the RS7, RS6 Avant, TT RS (both in its hard-top and soft-top variant), RS Q3, and RS3 (some of which are sold in the US). Autocar believes that the A1, A4, and Q5, along with the R8 are next in line to get the RS treatment in some markets. With Mercedes-AMG selling more vehicles, 80,000 units over the past few years, according to Autocar, it makes sense for Audi Sport to follow closely behind with a similar idea. While Mercedes is placing the AMG badge on its vehicles to bridge the gap between its high-performance and lower end models, Audi Sport says it's taking a different tactic. "We are not going to do what they do," Winkelmann said. Even without the extra vehicles, Audi RS sales could top 20,000 units this year, reports Autocar, with Winkelmann stating that the brand would experience "double-digit growth this year." Hopefully, Audi Sport's decision to add more RS models will result in some of those high-performance cars coming to the US. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Audi RS3 Sedan: Paris 2016 View 15 Photos News Source: AutocarImage Credit: Live photos copyright 2016 Drew Phillips / Autoblog Audi Convertible Coupe Wagon Performance Sedan

2014 Audi S1 Quattro leaks ahead of reveal

Rumors have been swirling that Audi will unveil the next-generation TT at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, but now it seems as if European hot hatch fans will be getting a car of their own from the German automaker. Images of the S1 Sportback Quattro have leaked out today, giving us our first taste of the real thing after seeing the camouflaged version a few months ago.
Audi may be planning to release official details about the S1 and refreshed A1 tomorrow and debut them publicly in Geneva. The S1 is expected to use the Volkswagen 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder with about 230hp, all-wheel drive and a choice of six-speed manual or dual-clutch transmission. It is basically supposed to be Golf GTI in a tiny package with all-wheel drive.
While it is highly unlikely we are getting any version of the A1 on these shores, it's always fun to see the cars lucky European enthusiasts enjoy.

Audi + Airbnb: What it's like to live in a car commercial

Miles from civilization, in a lonely stretch of Death Valley, lies an unlikely sight: a sleek contemporary home – all glass, concrete, and metal – and a pair of equally modern 2017 Audi R8 V10 Plus coupes. You might have seen the combo in a TV commercial that ran during the Emmys, a spot that had us asking an obvious question: What are these objects doing together, smack in the middle of nowhere? Audi partnered with Airbnb to offer the home and the cars to seven guests. Somehow, we became lucky number eight. The spot, entitled "Desolation," promotes the carmaker's flagship alongside what ended up being an extreme rental property. The idea to build the three-bedroom, 1,200-square-foot house came from Italian writer and author Fabrizio Rondolino, who was long smitten with American desert. The home was built in 2010 using prefabricated construction by San Francisco-based architecture firm nottoscale. It's a spare elevated structure, with floor-to-ceiling windows cinematically framing the sky. To set the four-wheeled mood, images of the R8 sit where family photos would go, and a laser-cut aluminum sign over the entrance announces it as the "Home of the R8." In acknowledgement of the remoteness, a satellite phone sits charged up with clearly printed dialing instructions. An Easter egg from the ad – two jars of Leadfoot Coffee – hides in plain sight on the kitchen counter. You can rent houses like this elsewhere on Airbnb, but here's where gearheads start paying attention: The two Audi supercars counter the architectural tranquility with a combined 1,220 horsepower and an opportunity to rip through the desert at obscene speeds (not to mention several other extras you don't get with a standard vacation rental; more on that later). Seven three-day/two-night stays were offered through an extremely limited Airbnb listing. The buzz surrounding the campaign was so strong that the place booked up in less than six seconds. For what you get, this was a steal. The per-night price of $610 – a reference to the V10's horsepower figure – wouldn't begin to cover the behind-the-scenes logistics needed to coordinate and execute this marketing exercise. I was the sole member of the media invited to experience the Audi Airbnb and got to spend a weekend in this desert playground to see what it was all about. My weekend began when an Audi rep met me and my family at Las Vegas International Airport following a quick flight from Burbank, California.