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2017 Audi R8 First Drive

You might think the new Audi R8 is a Lamborghini in a business suit. You'd be wrong; the Huracan is an R8 in a Heinlein shock trooper suit. This is the most raucous, rowdy Audi yet, and it's most certainly a supercar – even when parked next to its bawdier Italian cousin. Although the Huracan has been on the street for nearly a year now, the new R8 and the Lambo were developed in parallel. Audi handled most of the engineering workload, with the Huracan receiving Lamborghini's styling and tuning finesse on top of its Audi-built V10 engine and seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The R8 gets Audi's motorsports-inspired best. Tally it all up and you have two very different cars built from very similar components. Of course, that could also be said of the R8 and its racing doppelganger, the R8 LMS, the racecar built for WEC endurance racing. That car, in fact, is more closely related to the R8 than is the road-going Huracan – the wheelbases are the same, 50 percent of the parts are shared, and the bodies-in-white are built on the same line. The racecars are pulled off line for occasional tweaks or additions, then slotted back in to run through most of the same workflow as the R8s that will eventually end up on the streets. Like a new pair of your favorite shoes, the new R8 is familiar and foreign at the same time. This development program pulls from the best of a legendary supercar brand's flair for presence and idiosyncrasy. It also takes lessons from the company's customer racing effort, as well as Audi's own impeccable taste in road manners and clean, elegant design. The end result is an inspired supercar with daily-driver comfort and a surprisingly aggressive side. Like a new pair of your favorite shoes, the new R8 is familiar and foreign at the same time. It's more comfortable and compliant on the street, thanks to a new chassis that's 40 percent stiffer, allowing for a more forgiving suspension tune. The completely reworked 5.2-liter V10 engine has a Great White bite to go with its Rottweiler bark, but only after you provoke it from polite mode with a press of either the Drive Select button or the exhaust sound switch. The seats are comfortable – that can be said for both the standard sport seats or optional carbon-shell, race-style buckets. Wrapped in a cabin that's much more futuristic and forward-looking than the last R8, the overall driving experience is refined, luxurious, and high-tech.

The 2018 Audi A5 and S5 Cabriolets are here just in time for winter

There are no big surprises with the 2018 A5 and S5 Cabriolet. As you'd expect, the convertibles share a design with their coupe counterparts, the A5 and S5 coupes, refreshed versions of which were unveiled earlier this year. Alongside the coupes and upcoming sportback models, the Cabriolets complete the A5 lineup. At least until another RS 5 comes along. In Europe, the A5 will have five available engine options, including three TDI engines maxing out at a 286-horsepower 3.0-liter, and two TFSI gas engines, with the most powerful putting out 252 hp. There will also be a choice of three transmissions including a six-speed manual, a seven-speed S-Tronic dual-clutch gearbox, and as an eight-speed automatic. For the US, though, the powertrains should be the same as the new coupe's, with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder generating 252 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque in the A5, replacing the 220-hp turbo four in the previous model. An eight-speed automatic is a definite, although the existence of a manual A4 sedan for our market leaves some hope that a six-speed could be available in the A5 Cabriolet or at least the coupe. Audi also hasn't made final decisions on whether a front-drive model will be available here as it has been in the past. View 13 Photos The S5 Cabriolet, just like the two-door model, uses a new 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 engine that produces 354 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, which is 21 more horsepower and 44 more pound-feet of torque than the old 3.0-liter supercharged V6 made. Despite the bump in power, the new S5 Cab hits 62 miles per hour in 5.1 seconds, just like the previous model. It is again electronically limited to 155 mph. And like the coupe, it will use an eight-speed automatic and get Quattro all-wheel drive standard. The A5 Cabriolet loses roughly 88 pounds compared to the previous model. The cars use an updated five-link front suspension and Audi claims the chassis is 40 percent stiffer than before. The soft tops have more insulation to cancel out road noise, take 15 seconds to open, and 18 seconds to close. You can do either at speeds up to 31 mph. The A5 Cabriolet will be available with Audi's latest array of driver assistance systems, including its navigation-linked adaptive cruise control and collision avoidance assist. A seven-inch display, seat belt microphones, Audi's Virtual Cockpit infotainment and gauge package, and a head-up display are available on the inside.

Electric turbos promise big performance and efficiency gains in the near future

An electric turbo system boosts efficiency between 15 and 20 percent, according to Audi.
Turbochargers, like acoustic guitars, use moving air to create magic. And electric turbochargers, like electric guitars, provide the ability to amp up that magic to amazing new levels.