2007 Audi A4 on 2040-cars

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The 2013 Rolex 24-hour race at Daytona comes down to the last hour [spoilers, w/video]

It took 24 hours to run the race, but it was the last one was stuffed with the high action as four cars were still trying to figure out how to gain victory on the track and in the pits. Along with the obligatory crashes, spins, mechanical issues and retirements had come numerous penalties, a double-digit number of full-course yellows and two hours of fog that turned early Sunday morning into a stretch of parade laps.
The final hour would make up for the morning - drivers who might have been happy just to get on the podium had a shot at victory as the end of the race approached, and that turned into a few gambles that paid off, and at least one that didn't...

Audi RS6 Avant vs. Vauxhall VXR8 Supercharged in wagon battle

The performance station wagon is the mature person's muscle car. As we get older, it's natural to add things like spouses, kids and dogs to our lives and each one necessitates a little more space. That doesn't mean we want to give up spirited driving though, and a quick five-door offers a great balance between needs and wants. In the latest video from Evo, we take a look at two, muscular European estates to see which is faster around a track.
Richard Meaden pits the Audi RS6 Avant and Vauxhall VXR8 Supercharged against each other; seeing that the cars go about utilizing their massive performance in very different ways. The RS6's all-wheel drive and luxury interior make it more of a scalpel around the track compared to the Vauxhall's rear-wheel drive hammer. Both offer the driver the chance to create some very smoky powerslides, though. Sadly, neither of these muscle wagons are available in North America, but scroll down to get a taste of them in the video.

Audi execs mulling turbocharged, entry-level R8

The just-launched, second-generation Audi R8 is apparently a pretty fantastic example of Vorsprung durch Technik. While it's sublime to drive, Audi might already be missing some potential sales due to the lack of an true entry-level version in the supercar's lineup. Lending further credence to an earlier rumor about just such a model, company execs are saying to expect an entry-level, turbocharged R8 to launch in the coming years. "It is inevitable that we will go to a turbocharged motor for it at some point," Audi technical development board member Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg said to Motoring. "It would be in this model cycle, to give us a fuller range." The executive certainly isn't mincing words about forced induction, but the V10's position in the lineup is also secure. "It doesn't mean we are not going to do a turbo, but naturally aspirated is here to stay as well," he said. If Dr. Hackenberg's direct assertion isn't enough, Quattro GmbH chief Heinz Peter Hollerweger further clarified to Motoring that the turbocharged engine would slot into the bottom of the R8's range. An unnamed "senior sales and marketing source" within the Audi also said that the company's turbo five-cylinder was among the currently favored choices for the application. The first rumors about the R8 getting a forced induction version arose just a few months ago. At the time, Audi's electrically turbocharged, 2.5-liter inline five-cylinder was considered an option. The model would solve a problem in markets, like China, that severely tax big displacement engines. Customers might not even need to worry about giving up too much performance either. In the Audi TT Clubsport Turbo concept, the powerplant has a total output of 600 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque. While 10 fewer ponies than the latest R8 V10 Plus, it would bring 66 lb-ft more twist to the supercar.