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2014 Audi S3 Cabriolet

Drivers are either droptop people or they're not. As most usually aren't - at least as far as the willingness to buy one is concerned - all convertibles tend to remain strictly niche cars. Thus, automakers must ask a noticeably higher price for them.
The Audi S3 Cabriolet is about as niche as you can get in the open daylight of mainstream automaking. Of course, the S3 cab doesn't really need to sell in big volumes; it exists because it's an easy and not too costly bit of flair for the company. In the US, this model would probably base out at around $44,000 if it were to join our fleet, which is problematic, as I'll soon explore.
In what may be a sign that Audi is essentially okay with all this, it had me up to central Sweden to twist around on the snow and ice in the open S3. The grounds ended up offering precious little ice and snow, so I drove the two-door ragtop on dusty, thawing Scandinavian roads. This was a blessing really, since ice driving in a cabrio - even a Quattro one - doesn't really reveal much of anything about such a car in its typical day-to-day life.

China probing German automakers over spare parts

The Chinese market has proven to be a boon to German luxury automakers. However, the way that the companies have allegedly been controlling their supply of spare parts has begun to draw the ire of the nation's government. According to insiders speaking to Bloomberg, officials from the country's economic planning organization have opened a probe into Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and some Japanese carmakers over claimed price inflation and limiting supply.
Specifically, the investigation centers around two aspects of how the companies do business, according to Bloomberg. Investigators want to know whether the original equipment component makers are able to sell spare parts only to automaker-authorized dealers or if they are also available to independent shops. There is also the issue of whether the price markup on replacement pieces is too high. The tight controls could be partially explained by China's reputation for producing counterfeit parts.
Evidently, the investigators haven't checked parts prices at car dealers elsewhere in the world. At least in the US, paying more at the dealer for factory components just goes along with owning a vehicle. If evidence of price fixing is found, the companies could face fines the equivalent of millions of dollars, according to Bloomberg.

Audi entices enthusiasts with manual option for the 2017 A4

When we first drove the 2016 Audi A4, newly redesigned although cosmetically very similar to its predecessor, much was improved but there was no hint of a manual transmission option. For the 2016 model year, you could have any gearbox you wanted as long as it was a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. For some reason, despite low take rates for manual gearboxes across the board, Audi is stepping up for enthusiasts and offering a six-speed manual. Equally auspicious is the fact that this manual won't be resigned to some non-enthusiast variant, like the front-wheel drive model. The six-speed will be exclusively offered in the Quattro all-wheel drive version with the 252-horsepower version of the 2.0-liter TFSI engine, rather than the 190-hp Ultra variant which utilizes the Miller cycle and is more fuel-economy oriented. There's also an available Sport Plus package that's exclusive to the manual model that adds some previously S4-exclusive bits to the mix, which is further catnip to Audi gearheads. Those S4-derived parts are dynamic steering and sport adaptive suspension, which drops the ride height a bit, too. The rest of the Sport Plus package includes a sporty flat-bottomed steering wheel, 18-inch split-spoke wheels, available Daytona Grey paint, sport seats, and some brushed aluminum interior trim. Best of all, the manual is a no-cost option, and so prices for each trim are the same across the line. In the entry-level Premium trim, the 2017 A4 manual will start at $40,350 and goes on sale this fall. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Audi A4: First Drive View 33 Photos Audi Performance Sedan quattro