2010 Audi Q7 Premium Plus One Owner Awd on 2040-cars

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For Audi, Quattro name means something for hydrogen cars, too

Forget Dueling Banjos. Audi is proposing "Dueling Motors" for its Audi A7 Sportback H-Tron Quattro concept vehicle. All in the name of appropriate pickup, of course. The German automaker, which showed off the concept sedan at the Los Angeles Auto Show last month, is pairing a plug-in electric motor with a hydrogen fuel cell powertrain. Each motor powers two wheels, maintaining the Quattro's all-wheel-drive pedigree. The car's 8.8-kWh lithium-ion battery can drive the car as far as 31 miles on battery-power alone. After that, the water-vapor-spewing fuel-cell engine kicks in. Audi executive Ulrich Hackenberg told Automotive News Europe that the unusual set-up is necessary because the hydrogen fuel cell powertrain alone would only power two wheels while providing an insufficient 136 horsepower. Not exactly sport-sedan material, especially for a car that weighs about 4,300 pounds, even if it is a zero-emission ride. Combined, the two engines give the sedan 231 horsepower as well as a combined single-charge/full-tank range of almost 350 miles. What it all means is that the A7 can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in less than eight seconds and has a top speed of about 112 miles per hour, and can still dash through the snow.

2018 Audi Q8 tears up the Nurburgring

Audi took to the Nurburgring to test the upcoming Q8, showing off the attractive yet minimalist shape we've seen on the international auto-show circuit this year. One thing that's not understated: the massive grille that's blacked-out in these spy shots. We expect the 2018 Q8 to go on sale about a year from now. The coupe-like styling belies a roomy SUV, one that has space in back and is expected to seat five comfortably. Using Volkswagen Group's MLB platform, the Q8 would slot in as the sportier counterpart to the Q7, which seats seven and has a more traditional design. The Q8 will take aim at the Mercedes GLE Coupe, BMW X6, Maserati Levante, and others. So what will be under the hood? Some rumors suggest the Q8 RS version will get the same twin-turbo V8 engine as the Lamborghini Urus (a VW Group sibling). The concept at the Detroit Auto Show was a high-powered turbocharged plug-in hybrid, while the Geneva concept, called the Q8 Sport, used an electric supercharger to augment its hybrid powertrain. The vehicle on the 'Ring looks near-production-ready with the roofline a little less dramatically chopped than the concepts. The strong lines and creases continue, however, and the Q8 is poised to be a head-turner when it arrives in production trim. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Audi Q8 Spy Shots View 10 Photos Spy Photos Audi Crossover SUV

Audi R8 E-Tron back on production map thanks to new battery tech?

Contrary to our October 2012 report, it appears Audi's R8 E-Tron program is back on track, if a report from Australia is to be believed. Drive is reporting that the German brand has changed its mind and won't be sacking the program, despite previously stated concerns about the quality and price of batteries for the R8-based EV.
We last saw the R8 E-Tron prototype in the snows of northern Europe, although footage of the car has been non-existent since that wintry test. This new report claims that a small number of R8 E-Trons will see production, which gels with what we heard back in 2012 and supposed earlier this year. Apparently, some new sort of lithium-ion battery technology has allowed for a drastic increase in range, with rumors of the original 130 miles going up to around 250. According to Drive, this makes the project feasible again.
"Our engineers and technicians are further developing the car and its electric drive system. The range has grown significantly, allowing the potential for a small-scale production," an unnamed, but high-ranking Audi employee told the Aussies.