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2015 Audi RS7 Dynamic Edition strutting to NY

The Audi RS7 is already one of the most stylish sports sedans (hatch, wagon, whatever...) on the road today with flowing roof and hunkered down appearance. Now the German automaker is taking that formula even further with the introduction of the RS7 Dynamic Edition at the 2014 New York Auto Show, and the addition of a long list of unique options.
When it goes on sale early this summer, the Dynamic Edition won't come cheap. Prices start at $146,045, which is $41,145 over a base RS7. The extra money allows opulent additions like Black Valcona honeycomb-stitched leather sport seats, Crimson Red seatbelts and interior stitching, Tornado Red brake calipers with the RS7 logo, Audi's Dynamic Ride Control suspension and a sport exhaust. It rides on 21-inch, five-spoke wheels with Gloss Black accents. Also carbon fiber pieces replace the front splitter, rear diffuser and engine cover.
The DRC suspension is a late addition to the RS7's options list and comes standard on the Dynamic Edition. It uses three-stage adjustable dampers that are cross-linked and integrated into the driving mode selection and rear differential.

CARB found another emissions-defeating device, this time from Audi

The California Air Resources Board has discovered another emissions-cheating device on an Audi earlier this summer, reports German newspaper Bild am Sonntag. The device is different from the software found in the VW Group's diesel-powered engines, as it alters the way the cars' automatic transmission shifts. The latest device, according to Bild am Sonntag, measures how far the cars' steering wheel is being turned. If the wheel is turned less than 15 degrees, indicating that the vehicle is being tested in laboratory conditions, a program in cars with certain automatic transmissions changes the way the gearbox shifts. The change in the transmission allows the engine to produce less carbon dioxide than when driving in normal conditions. When the wheel is turned more than 15 degrees, the program automatically turns off, claims Bild am Sonntag. The paper reports that Audi took the software out of its vehicles, which was used in both diesel- and gasoline-powered vehicles in Europe and the US, earlier this May after CARB discovered the program on one of the automaker's older cars. Several engineers that were connected with the emissions-cheating device have already been suspended, reports Bild am Sonntag. As the German newspaper points out, the device, which is fitted to certain Audis with an automatic transmission, is different from the cheat devices found on the automaker's 3.0-liter TDI turbodiesel V6 engine and Volkswagen's 2.0-liter turbodiesel motor, even those were also designed to beat emissions tests. The 3.0-liter engine is found in the Audi Q7, Volkswagen Touareg, and Porsche Cayenne models. Audi didn't immediately respond to our request for a comment. Related Video: News Source: Bild am Sonntag via ReutersImage Credit: Reuters / Michaela Rehle Government/Legal Green Audi Volkswagen Emissions Diesel Vehicles vw diesel scandal

Chevy Corvette Z06, Ford F-150 Raptor join Lego Speed Champs

Get ready to park some performance machines on your desk: Lego's 2016 line of Speed Champions kits will add seven new vehicles for next year, according to an update to the database Brickset. These include some serious muscle like a Chevrolet Corvette Z06 and Ford Mustang GT. There's also a listing called "Chevrolet Camaro Drag Race" and a very cool combo titled "Ford F-150 Raptor Ford/Model A Hot Rod". Fans of European performance don't need to be jealous, though. The database shows a kit called "Porsche 919 Hybrid and 917K Pit-Lane." Plus for fans of the Four Rings, the Audi R18 E-Tron Quattro and R8 LMS Ultra are also getting their own Lego models. Fourtitude appears to have some leaked shots, if you want to see what these kits will look like. Lego has partnered with Porsche, McLaren, and Ferrari and offers Speed Champions kits for vehicles like the Porsche 918 Spyder, McLaren P1, Ferrari 458 Italia GT2, and LaFerrari. The models in the series aren't as heavily detailed as the massive Mini Cooper or Volkswagen Bus sets, but they make up for that in value. The individual cars retail for a fairly affordable $14.99. The Formula One playset tops the current range at $99.99, but it comes with a truck, racecar and team figures.