2005 Audi A4 3.0 Quattro Cabriolet Convertible on 2040-cars

Auto blog

After Le Mans exit, Audi adds World Rallycross to Formula E and DTM efforts

Back in October, Dieselgate claimed another victim: Audi's FIA World Endurance Championship program. Audi left at the height of its Le Mans racing prowess, having won 13 times overall in 18 years at the famous French race. We didn't expect Audi Sport to confine itself solely to the Formula E and Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) series, and so today Audi announced that the company would officially back an existing FIA World Rallycross Championship (World RX) team, EKS, in 2017. EKS was formed by Mattias Ekstrom, who is also a factory Audi DTM driver with a couple of championships under his belt in that series. He's been competing in various rally and touring car series for years, and even snagged a ride in a NASCAR Sprint Cup race back in 2010 at Infineon Raceway. The EKS team came together in 2014, with Ekstrom fielding an Audi S1 EKS RX Quattro. And the team hasn't done too badly for itself; in 2016, it took the driver's and team championships. There's only so much Ekstrom's team as privateers can do to protect its championship from factory-backed teams, so that explains why Audi Sport was happy to step in with full support – including vehicle development supported by the actual motorsport department at Audi. Ekstrom will also continue on as a factory Audi DTM driver. Related Video: Motorsports Audi Racing Vehicles fia audi s1

2016 Audi S8 Plus Quick Spin

Congratulations, that big promotion finally came through, and along with it, a new company car. So go big or go home. Never mind the modest A8 L, with the sensible six-cylinder. The Earth-moving A8 L with its powerful W12, perhaps? No way. You didn't get to the top by being timid or ostentatious, so you choose the new-for-2016 S8 Plus, with a 605-horsepower version of Audi's 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V8, available with an $11,000 Dynamic package that adds ceramic brakes, a sportier exhaust, a rear carbon fiber lip spoiler so tiny you are surprised it does anything, and a boost in governed top speed from 155 miles per hour to 190. Yeah, that's the ticket. The 85-horse boost in power over the outgoing S8 comes from different valve timing, new exhaust valves, and modified turbochargers. The S8 Plus is docile enough around town to carpool to the company luncheons, but point it towards some wide open spaces, and it's a blistering executive express. Driving Notes Much of our Florida test was done in conditions ranging from damp to deluge. Despite the fact that the Audi had summer tires on its 21-inch wheels, the S8 was startlingly sure-footed. Thanks, Quattro all-wheel drive, and a set of better-than-expected Dunlop tires. Power is linear and progressive, and the eight-speed Tiptronic transmission is prepared to downshift at a moment's notice, but is never busy or intrusive. We seldom used the manual shift paddles behind the steering wheel. The comparison between the Dodge Charger Hellcat and this S8 Plus is admittedly absurd, but they are big, heavy, four-door cars with monster motors. And while the Hellcat wants you to hear and feel every engine revolution and supercharger whine, the S8 Plus does all it can to shield you from the drama taking place under the hood. Which is why you look down and suddenly you're going 90. "Dynamic steering" allows for adjustments in steering feel, and we weren't fans in the stiffest setting – it felt notchy and artificial. Comfort mode felt more natural and still gives you all the feedback you need. "Adaptive sport air suspension," though, we had no problem with. It makes short work of potholes and irregular pavement, but firms up when you are cornering – admittedly, in Florida, we had to seek out the rare corners. This is a state with roads designed using a T-square. The aluminum body weighs just 510 pounds. The overall weight of 4,685 pounds, though, means there is still a lot of mass to slow down and steer through corners.

Best and worst car brands of 2022 according to Consumer Reports

It's that time again, Consumer Reports this morning lifting the curtain on its 2022 Annual Car Brand rankings and its 10 Top Picks in the car, crossover, and truck category. Drumroll, please: This year, Subaru climbs two spots to claim the winner's circle, having come third the last two years. Last year, Mazda climbed three spots from 2020 to take the crown. This year, Mazda slipped to second, BMW taking the last spot on the podium, also a one-spot drop from 2021. Six automakers in the top 10 hailed from Japan, which is one more than last year, and five luxury makers occupied the top 10, which is two more than last year. And South Korean representation didn't crack the top this year, after Hyundai managed tenth last year. The seven makes after BMW are: Honda, Lexus, Audi, Porsche, Mini, Toyota, and Infiniti.  The magazine and testing concern says its Brand Report Card "[reveals] which automakers are producing the most well-performing, safe, and reliable vehicles based on CR’s independent testing and member surveys," and that "Brands that rise to the top tend to have the most consistent performance across their model lineups." The domestics also took steps back among the 32 OEMs ranked on the 2022 card. Chrysler and Buick were the domestic carmakers who made last year's top 10 in eighth and ninth, respectively. This year, Buick dropped to eleventh, Chrysler to thirteenth. Dodge went from fourteenth to sixteenth. CR continues to ding Tesla's yoke steerer, the not-exactly-natural handhold responsible for the electric carmaker going from sixteenth last year to twenty-third this year.