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Audi E-Tron vs. Jaguar I-Pace and Tesla Model X: How they compare on paper

The all-electric crossover segment is suddenly heating up. Tesla was first to market with its Model X, and the California-based automaker has a several-year head start on the rest of the field. But now it has competition, with the Jaguar I-Pace already hitting dealerships across the globe and the just-announced Audi E-Tron hot on their heels. We decided to see how Audi's new entrant compares with its British and American rivals, so we downloaded their spec sheets (at least those that are available) and dumped them all into the spreadsheet you see below. As you'll soon find out, there are lots of similarities between these three electric crossovers, but each has a unique selling point or two with which to entice buyers. View 24 Photos Performance Note that we're using the Tesla Model X 75D for this comparison, since that's the model that is closest in price to the Jaguar and Audi entries. If you really want the fastest and most powerful electric CUV available, you're going to want to look at Tesla's ludicrous P100D model, but you'd better be willing to just about double the price you see in the chart above. With that out of the way, these particular electric crossovers are all pretty quick. The Jaguar boasts the quickest 0-60 time, but in the real world, that half-second advantage over the 75D won't amount to much. The Audi is a full second behind the Jaguar, and a little over a half second slower to 60 than the Tesla. A 5.5-second 0-60 time, though, still means the E-Tron will be able to squirt away from traffic lights quicker than the rest of the morning commuters. As far as battery capacity, Audi leads the way with 95 kWh, which is 5 more than the Jag and a whopping 20 more than the Tesla. Until we get estimated range figures, though, we won't know what the extra capacity means in the real world. In other words, stay tuned. View 74 Photos Exterior and interior dimensions The Jaguar is the smallest of these three 'utes, inside and out. The Tesla Model X is the largest. Does that make the Audi just right? Maybe, but only if you don't need a third row — the Model X is the only one of this trio that offers seating for six or seven passengers (depending on whether the buyer opts for a second-row bench or individual chairs). A smaller size may be a boon for drivers who often have to fit into tight spaces, but those slinky dimensions mean the Jaguar's cargo capacity is well behind that of the Audi and not even close to the cavernous Tesla. Tesla Motors Inc.

Volkswagen Group names Paefgen head of classics program

You may remember the name Franz-Josef Paefgen. Until recently, the German engineer and executive was head of both Bentley and Bugatti. Before that he was chief executive of Audi, after working for several years at Ford. He technically "retired" earlier this year, but like the cars he helped create, an executive like Paefgen could never really retire. So it should come as little surprise that the Volkswagen Group has named Dr. Paefgen head of its Classic program.
In his new capacity, Paefgen will oversee the historic automobile activities of the entire VW Group, including those of Volkswagen, Seat, Skoda, Audi, Lamborghini, and of course Bentley and Bugatti. It strikes us as a suitable semi-retirement for the man responsible in no small part for the Bugatti Veyron and Bentley Mulsanne, to name just two, and who was decorated in 2006 by the ACO as the "Spirit of Le Mans" for his contribution to endurance racing. Read the official announcement after the break.

Audi's fastest cars won't catch your drift

"I don't like them. I do not see the reason for them. We do not see the sense in sitting there burning the back tires. It's not fast." – Stephan Reil Drift modes are popping up in sports cars all over the world, but Audi Sport development boss Stephan Reil refuses to have anything to do with them, insisting they're a waste of time and tires. So if you want to show off with a wild-looking, tire-smoking, perfectly controlled drift in an Audi Sport model, you will have to brush up on your car control, not your button pushing. "No drift mode. Not in the R8, not in the RS3, not in the RS6, not in the RS4," Reil said. "I don't like them. I do not see the reason for them. We do not see the sense in sitting there burning the back tires. It's not fast." That seems a bit like Reil and his team are missing a trick that is proving popular with enthusiast buyers and isn't technically difficult to do. It's also a whole lot safer than holding down the skid-control button for long enough to switch off all the electronic safety nets, which Audi Sport will actually let you do. "You can do it yourself [drifting] with the ESP off, if you hold it [the button] for three seconds," Reil challenged. "Then it will not intervene for you even when it [the car] is fully out of control, because that's what you asked it not to do. "You wanted the full control by pushing that button. You got it." Almost every fast car, from Ford to Ferrari, now comes with (or soon will) a drift mode so drivers can just stomp on the gas and turn the wheel to instantly look like rally stars. The dangers of do-it-yourself drift control (which our forefathers used to call "driving") make up most of the moral defense for the companies that use the computer-controlled versions. While critics have called drift modes irresponsible, proponents argue that it is far safer than switching off all the safety nets, because there is still a level of skid-control safety behind it. "Drift control is a lot safer than just turning everything off," BMW M chief Franciscus van Meel said during the launch of the M550i xDrive. "The drivers can enjoy the car on a track but it still has another level of safety to catch them if they make a mistake." View 23 Photos But is that extra level of safety actually for the common good? Critics note there is no way to restrict drivers using drift modes on suburban streets.