2009 Audi Q7 3.0 Quattro Tdi on 2040-cars

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Audi A8 sort-of debuts at 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' premiere

Audi's A8 strip-tease continues its glacial pace with the appearance of a camouflaged example at the Spider-Man: Homecoming premiere in Hollywood, ahead of the car's official debut on July 11. For those of you wondering what Audi has to do with anything Spider-Man, it's because Audi has significant product placement in the film, and the A8 has a cameo role. And if you were wondering why Audi is putting all of this effort into getting its cars in the film, just check out box-office numbers for almost any movie from Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe. You would be crazy if you didn't want your cars to be seen by that many eyeballs. Anyway, back to the car at hand. Since the car won't officially, completely be revealed for another couple of weeks, it is still disguised, this time with some custom camouflage. Rather than thick covers and typical swirly vinyl, this car has a wrap that looks like a bunch of spider webs. There are some Spider-Man logos scattered about, too, along with a big black spider on the hood. Still, we get a pretty good look at the car ahead of time. It has a nose that is clearly based on Audi's Prologue and Prologue Avant concepts. However, the A8's fenders are much less muscular and pumped up. The lower grille is also quite restrained. According to Audi, there will be a couple of moments in which you'll be able to spot an undisguised A8 in Spider-Man: Homecoming. You'll, of course, also see a mix of other Audi products. The full reveal of the flagship sedan happens in Spain on July 11, and we expect to get full details on its specifications. We may also learn about some additional fancy technology beyond the already announced high-tech start and stop system and active suspension. Related Video:

Audi RS6 Avant and Mercedes-AMG E63 S drag race for Top Gear

Sometimes the kids are late for school, and you need a wagon to get them there in a hurry. In its latest drag race, Top Gear finds out which is the quicker high-performance family hauler: the Audi RS6 Avant or the Mercedes-AMG E63 S. The specs suggest this race should be quite close at the finish line. The RS6 has a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 with 552 horsepower, but the E63 S is a little more powerful with 577 hp from a 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8. However, the Audi has a traction advantage from the all-wheel drive system, whereas the Mercedes only spins its rear wheels. Pick your favorite, and then watch the video to see if the similar numbers translate to a photo finish in the real world. Related Video:

US diesel model count to double for 2014?

While diesel cars are popular on most other continents, these less-complex alternative to hybrid-electric vehicles have yet to gain major traction in the US. As an increasing number of light cars and trucks start to offer these fuel-efficient engines, though, sales are expected to climb as well. While BMW, Mercedes-Benz and the Volkswagen Group (Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche) continue to lead the way, more non-German automakers like Mazda, Nissan, Chrysler and General Motors are starting to get serious about diesel in America.
TheDetroitBureau.com reports that the 2014 model year will see the number of diesel vehicles offered in the US double to about 40 nameplates, but the news gets even better for fans of these torquey and efficient powerplants. LMC Automotive has released data about future expectations of diesel cars in the US, and it predicts that sales should be very close to one million units in 2015 (up from an expected 600,000 units this year). By 2018, LMC's calculations suggest that sales will more than double from this year's expected totals accounting for almost 8 percent of new light-vehicle sales.