2010 Audi Q5 Premium Sport Utility 4-door 3.2l on 2040-cars

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Audi introduces frugal, 43-mpg Q7 Ultra in Europe

As Audi's largest model, you wouldn't expect the Q7 (standard 2017 model pictured above) to get very good fuel economy. But the new flagship crossover is a lot lighter than its predecessor. And now the German automaker is rolling out an even more efficient version. In Europe, at any rate. Bearing the designation that distinguishes the most fuel-efficient models that Audi offers, the new Audi Q7 Ultra 3.0 TDI Quattro packs a more frugal version of the 3.0-liter V6 turbo diesel. In Ultra spec, it produces 218 horsepower instead of 272, and 369 pound-feet of torque instead of 443. In exchange, it returns better fuel economy – now quoted at the equivalent of 42.8 miles per gallon (compared to 41.3 for the more potent version). That's not half bad for a crossover this large, even if it is on the European efficiency test, which returns higher numbers than what we're used to in the US. Of course, burning less fuel comes at a bit of a performance penalty: instead of 6.3 seconds, it now takes 7.1 seconds to reach 62 miles per hour from a standstill. Top speed is quoted at just over 134 miles per hour, down from 145. Of course, the E-Tron hybrid will be the most efficient model in the Q7 range, returning the equivalent of over 117 miles per gallon while reaching 62 in six seconds flat. That is, when it starts reaching dealers next spring. The kicker here is that while the hybrid is likely to emerge as the most expensive model in the range, the Ultra is the least. Its base price in Germany comes in at 58,000 euros, compared to 61,890 for the more potent TDI. Combine that with the fuel savings, and the Q7 Ultra is looking like the frugal choice indeed. New Audi Q7 as a highly efficient diesel - The Audi Q7 ultra 3.0 TDI quattro now available for order - Combined fuel consumption is 5.5 liters of fuel per 100 km - Base price is 58,000 euros in Germany An exceptionally efficient diesel version of the new Audi Q7 is launching on the market, which customers can now order: the Audi Q7 ultra 3.0 TDI quattro*. This engine not only reduces fuel consumption to 5.5 liters diesel per 100 km (42.8 US mpg); it also reduces the entry-level price for the Q7 model series to 58,000 euros. Audi will be delivering cars to dealers in Europe starting in September. The efficiency is ground-breaking: The combined fuel consumption of the 3.0 TDI with 160 kW (218 hp) is just 5.5 liters of fuel per 100 km (42.8 US mpg).

40+ cars that barely avoid the gas guzzler tax

The Gas Guzzler schedule, with mpg ratings and charges that haven't changed since 1991, lays out which fuel-swillers owe what to Uncle Sam.
I started thinking about the "Gas Guzzler Tax" - considerably less well known as The Energy Tax Act of 1978 - when I was driving Dodge's new Challenger SRT Hellcat last week. Unsurprisingly for a car that can burn 1.5 gallons of gas per minute at max tilt, theoretically able to empty a full tank of premium in about 13 minutes, the Hellcat will be subject to the Gas Guzzler Tax schedule when it goes on sale.

How does a 600-HP Audi RS6 Avant Plus sound to you?

The 2013 Audi RS6 Avant was announced back in December with a twin-turbo V8 cranking out 560 horsepower, but Car is reporting that this badass grocery getter could get even more power with a new Plus model. In a conversation with Car, Stephan Reil, Audi's top guy at its Quattro GmbH division, told the magazine that the RS6 Avant Plus would produce around 600 horsepower, and it sounds like there is a growing family of RS Plus models being planned as well.
Aside from the more powerful engine, the specifics of the RS6 Avant Plus are unknown, but we'd suspect some weight-savings measures and updated features for improved handling. Like recent RS Plus models such as the TT RS Plus and R8 Plus, the RS6 Avant Plus will not be a limited-production unit when it goes on sale (most likely for the 2014 model year).