2019 Audi E-tron Prestige Quattro on 2040-cars

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Believing in evolution | 2018 Audi S4 and S5 Second Drive

Sales figures for cars in America have plummeted. In a robust overall market, where vehicle purchases have reached record-setting levels, car sales fell by an incredible 9 percent last year alone. SUVs and crossovers are drinking their milkshake, now accounting for nearly two in every three purchases, a profound shift from cars' majority dominance as recently as 2012. Audi's all-new A4 sedan was a bright spot in the brand's car portfolio in 2016, increasing by 16 percent, but A6 and A8 sales fell 18 and 17 percent respectively, and the A5 coupe's sales tanked by a shocking 35 percent. Mitsubishi sold more than three times as many Outlanders last year as Audi did A5s. Were you even aware that Mitsubishi still sold vehicles in America? This trend is expected to continue, perhaps even escalate. But Audi refuses to give up on sedans and coupes. Credit the Teutonic monomania that requires a tit-for-tat escalation and diversification into every existing and invented market segment in which its rivals from BMW and Mercedes compete or don't. (An eminently sales-resistant five-door hatchback, the A5 Sportback, joins Audi's US car lineup in a couple months.) Whatever the instigation, we appreciate it. Cars are an intrinsically more efficient, and more fun, way to move people and goods around compared to SUVs. And Audi's new S4 sedan and S5 coupe prove that we live in a golden age of cars, especially enthusiast cars. At first glance, you might not notice much of a difference between the outgoing cars and these all-new models. Part of this is because the design is extremely evolutionary – though when you start with a pair of models that so elegantly nailed their respective categories, it makes sense not to smash the mold. Closer examination will reveal additional facets, creases, and muscularity in the revised designs. It will also reveal greater differentiation between the related pair, especially around the headlamps, grille, and hood, all of which are meant to be more sporting and exclusive on the two-door, a play to fit with its more sporting and exclusive nature. You might place your faith in other more magical ideas, but we're believers in evolution. The interiors of the cars are similarly evolutionary, and also far more similar. This is not a bad thing. Audi continues to excel in cockpit innovation. We credit it with reinventing the dashboard with the amorphously shaped LCD-screened Virtual Cockpit.

Audi wants to tattoo your car with a new paint etching process

Those tribal stickers have sort of gone out of style, so Audi has developed a new technique that allows owners to have matte, tattoo-like images etched onto their cars. While initially available on the Audi R8 and R8 Spyder, the technique can be applied to any model, and it goes on after the component has been painted. The process is relatively simple. Audi places a template on the car with the desired design - like the Audi Sport logo in the image above - and then uses a special powder to basically sandblast the paint, roughening the surface of the clear coat. The result is a matt area with a depth of just a few thousandths of a millimeter, less than the width of a human hair, that's basically a permanent decal. Audi can currently handle images up to one meter square and will accept nearly any image that doesn't violate third-party copyrights, presumably excluding any obscene image as well. Just wait for someone to test the limits on that one. The cool thing about the process is that it can be applied at pretty much any point in the car's life. This means any vehicle is a candidate for customization and that an owner could purchase the car at a dealership and have the custom graphic applied afterward. Because the powder affects the paint surface, the image is more resilient than a wrap or sticker. The new option is limited to the side blades on the R8, but Audi will be extending it to other models in the future through its Exclusive program. And while it might affect the resale value of the car, it's a heck of a lot less painful than a tattoo. Related Video: News Source: AudiImage Credit: Audi Auto News Design/Style Audi Technology Convertible Coupe Performance paint customization

Recharge Wrap-up: Audi to build Q6 e-tron in Brussels, Boris Johnson test drives Toyota Mirai

Audi will build the Q6 e-tron at its factory in Brussels, Belgium. Production for the electric vehicle - which will be based on the concept car from the Frankfurt Motor Show in September - is slated for 2018. Its expected driving range of about 311 miles should help make it competitive against the Tesla Model X. Audi's Brussels plant is also where the A1 is made. It employs about 2,500 workers and produced about 115,000 vehicles in 2014. Read more from Automotive News Europe. During a visit to Toyota Headquarters, London Mayor Boris Johnson confirmed that Transport for London will be the UK's first Toyota Mirai customer. Mayor Johnson traveled to Japan on a three-day trade mission, and took a test drive of the fuel cell vehicle. "By embracing this technology of the future, we aim to consolidate hydrogen's role as a practical alternative fuel for the 21st century and beyond," says Johnson. "I am sure that Transport for London will provide the ideal environment for us to see everything Mirai can do and, in doing so, take another great step towards improving air quality in our city and protecting the health of Londoners." Read more from Toyota, or at Green Car Congress. The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) has delivered 12 electric commercial lawn mowers to government and nonprofit organizations in San Bernardino County. The donation of the electric mowers is part of a demonstration program to promote zero-emissions equipment. At prices ranging from $3,000 to $20,000, the electric mowers cost about 25 percent more than their gas-powered counterparts, but their lower operating costs can make up for the price difference in about two years. In addition, they produce about half the noise, and save about 600 pounds of harmful emissions per year. SCAQMD plans to deliver five more of the mowers as part of the same program. Read more in the press release below. SCAQMD Launches Nation's Largest Zero-Emission Commercial Lawn Mower Demonstration Program in San Bernardino SAN BERNARDINO, Calif., Oct. 13, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The South Coast Air Quality Management District today delivered a dozen new, battery-electric commercial lawn mowers to agencies in San Bernardino County as part of a long-term demonstration program to promote the zero-emission equipment.