2013 Audi Q7 Navi, S Line, Frt & Rear Htd, 21 Wheels, Pano Roof, 3rd Row on 2040-cars

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Audi promises next A8 on sale by year's end, LED Matrix lamps to be available [w/video]

Audi has just released details about its new Matrix LED headlamps, but just as illuminating as the new lighting technology is confirmation that the next A8 will appear "on the market at the end of 2013." While Audi is calling the model new, expectations - and the spy shots above - suggest more of a traditional mid-cycle refresh.
Audi says that its new A8 Matrix lights are comprised of 25 high-beam LEDs, clustered in groups of five paired with reflectors. Unlike traditional automatic high-beam setups, the Matrix array is so precise that it "blanks out light that would shine directly onto oncoming and preceding vehicles" while continuing to use full high-beam power on other sections of the road and shoulder not occupied by other vehicles. Further, the camera- and electronic brain-governed system can dim or extinguish LEDs as necessary to deal with traffic. The active system also differs from today's adaptive headlamps by not requiring servo motors to direct light, yet they can still function as cornering headlamps - ones that can predict a road's trajectory because they are linked with the car's GPS system. Interestingly, the system also works with Audi's optional night vision system. When the latter detects a pedestrian in the dark, it automatically flashes a batch of LEDs to put both the driver and pedestrian on notice about each others' presence.
Only one problem in all of this trick lighting business: they aren't legal here in the US, at least not yet. Audi and other automakers are currently petitioning the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, trying to sell the government agency on the technology's safety benefits. For the moment, Matrix headlamps are likely to remain forbidden fruit, but you can check them out and see what you might be missing in the video below. As for the 2015 A8, we're guessing it'll surface at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

2023 Cadillac Lyriq vs Tesla Model Y, Audi E-Tron, Jaguar I-Pace | Specs compared

The 2023 Cadillac Lyriq is the latest electric luxury crossover to enter a quickly growing segment. It brings with it the company's trademark creased design language along with high-tech features and an impressive amount of range. The Cadillac also happens to have a price and specifications that put it square in the middle of a competitive group, so we had to line up the numbers to see how it compares. We've gathered up a selection of premium electric crossovers including the Tesla Model Y, Audi E-Tron and Jaguar I-Pace, all of which seem like the closest rivals for the Cadillac. We've assembled all the raw numbers in the chart below. We've also got some additional analysis below that. And now, onto the data. Power, range, efficiency Interestingly, the Cadillac is the least powerful of the bunch. This is a bit surprising considering that GM will have a 1,000-horsepower electric Hummer pickup coming out soon. But in the Lyriq, Cadillac only uses a single electric motor powering the rear wheels. While its 340 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque should be more than adequate, it falls short of all the dual-motor, all-wheel-drive competition. Because Tesla does not provide horsepower or torque numbers, we're not sure how much the base model makes. We assume it's close. The true power fiends will likely want the optionally available Model Y Performance, though. It also doesn't have publicized power numbers, but its 0-60 mph time of 3.5 seconds suggests its substantially more powerful than the other crossovers, here. Power is all well and good, but range is arguably more important for an electric car. The Tesla is on top, here. The base Long Range trim has an estimated range of 326 miles. The company doesn't specifically say how large the battery is for it or the Performance, which goes 303 miles. The Cadillac is close behind with a current estimate of more than 300 miles on its 100-kWh battery. Cadillac doesn't say whether that number is the gross amount or the usable amount. The Audi and Jaguar lag behind with less than 250 miles from their 95- and 90-kWh batteries, respectively. Audi is the only company that notes that the usable capacity is less than the total, which is a common strategy employed to extend the life of the battery and to maintain consistent ranges over time. 2020 Audi E-Tron View 13 Photos While not as broadly discussed as range, we also wanted to touch on efficiency.

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.