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VW to pay $1B in settlement with US government over V6 diesels

Volkswagen and the US government have come to a settlement for the civil claims against the automaker's 3.0-liter, diesel V6s. Over 83,000 V6 TDI-powered models are currently prowling US roads in violation of emissions laws. The settlement allows VW to recall over 75 percent of its cheating V6 diesels – about 63,000 units – and bring them into compliance. These represent newer VW Touaregs, Audi A6, A7, A8, Q5, and Q7s, and Porsche Cayennes built between 2013 and 2016. According to the company, the recall will bring these so-called Generation Two engines up to emissions specs, provided the EPA and CARB okay the modifications. Should the regulators say no to VW's tweaks, the company will buy back or terminate leases with the affected owners. For older V6 TDIs built between 2009 and 2012, Volkswagen will do broadly the same thing, only in reverse. It will lead with buy backs of older Touaregs and Q7s – the only vehicles the company sold with the earlier engines – but could offer fixes if EPA/CARB give the okay. As part of its agreement over the emissions-cheating V6s, Volkswagen will contribute $225 million to the "environmental remediation trust" it established as part of its settlement over cheating 2.0-liter TDIs. VW is also on the hook for $25 million with CARB, bringing the total for the six-cylinder part of its emissions cheating scandal to around $1 billion, Automotive News reports. This initial agreement still needs approval from US District Court Judge Charles Breyer. Related Video:

Audi wants to tattoo your car with a new paint etching process

Those tribal stickers have sort of gone out of style, so Audi has developed a new technique that allows owners to have matte, tattoo-like images etched onto their cars. While initially available on the Audi R8 and R8 Spyder, the technique can be applied to any model, and it goes on after the component has been painted. The process is relatively simple. Audi places a template on the car with the desired design - like the Audi Sport logo in the image above - and then uses a special powder to basically sandblast the paint, roughening the surface of the clear coat. The result is a matt area with a depth of just a few thousandths of a millimeter, less than the width of a human hair, that's basically a permanent decal. Audi can currently handle images up to one meter square and will accept nearly any image that doesn't violate third-party copyrights, presumably excluding any obscene image as well. Just wait for someone to test the limits on that one. The cool thing about the process is that it can be applied at pretty much any point in the car's life. This means any vehicle is a candidate for customization and that an owner could purchase the car at a dealership and have the custom graphic applied afterward. Because the powder affects the paint surface, the image is more resilient than a wrap or sticker. The new option is limited to the side blades on the R8, but Audi will be extending it to other models in the future through its Exclusive program. And while it might affect the resale value of the car, it's a heck of a lot less painful than a tattoo. Related Video: News Source: AudiImage Credit: Audi Auto News Design/Style Audi Technology Convertible Coupe Performance paint customization

Audi confirms S8 Plus for US to debut in LA

Audi has confirmed that the new S8 Plus will indeed be coming to North America. The more potent version of the German automaker's flagship sedan was first revealed in August, and Audi will bring it to the upcoming Los Angeles auto show. The Plus model packs the same 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 as the existing S8 (and the Bentley Continental for that matter), but increases output from 520 horsepower to 605 hp and torque from 481 pound-feet to 516 lb-ft (or 553 on overboost). The result is a 0-62 time quoted at 3.8 seconds to give the likes of the Mercedes-AMG S63, Jaguar XJR, and Maserati Quattroporte a run for their money. Audi of America has not announced US pricing for the S8 Plus or final specifications for the American market. Look for an MSRP in the neighborhood of $140k. The Audi S8 Plus will debut in LA alongside the new RS7 Performance and the second-generation R8, which will be making its US auto show debut at the SoCal expo. TRIO OF AUDI SPORT® AND PERFORMANCE MODELS TO MAKE US DEBUT AT LA AUTO SHOW – AUDI R8, RS 7 PERFORMANCE AND S8 PLUS - The second generation of the R8 high-performance halo car makes its U.S. auto show debut - Auto show debut of new RS 7 performance enhances brand's dynamic profile - S8 plus strengthens Audi's position in premium sedan segment November 10, 2015 | HERNDON, Virginia -- Reinforcing the brand's success from road to track, Audi will showcase a trio of new performance vehicles – including the all-new R8, RS 7 performance and S8 plus – at the Los Angeles Auto Show. "The Audi Sport® and performance models have always been an essential part of our brand's character," said Filip Brabec, Director of Product Management for Audi of America. "The Audi R8, RS 7 performance and S8 plus represent the maximum of Audi performance, premium design and technology for our customers." 2017 Audi R8 The fastest and most powerful Audi of all time, the 2017 R8 represents the pinnacle of performance for any model with the four rings. Thanks to the close cooperation between Audi Sport® engineers, race drivers and developers, the Audi R8 and R8 LMS racecar were co-developed and share approximately 50 percent of the same parts, including the V10 engine. The R8 launches with two powertrain variants: the 5.2L V10 with 540 hp, an increase of 15 hp from the previous R8 model or the R8 V10 Plus, boasting a powerful 610 hp, an increase of 60 hp, making it faster, more powerful and more dynamic than its predecessor.