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Audi TT RS shows its meaner face in new spy shots

When it launched, the original Audi TT RS was considered quite a sharp combination, melding a 360-horsepower turbocharged engine and all-wheel drive into a rather lithe, little coupe. Audi is ready to revive that great idea and is preparing for a return on the automaker's latest platform. Thanks to these new spy shots from near the Nurburgring, we can at least get a good idea aesthetically of what's in store for this future member of the RS family. There's absolutely nothing subtle about the front end, and the camouflage does little to hide the larger intakes at each corner. In profile, you can also spot larger brake discs peeking out from behind the wheels, and the side sills appear slightly thicker than the current TTS. The rear is all business, as well, with a lower apron and two big oval exhausts. The new TT RS reportedly arrives in 2016, at least in Europe, and a debut is possible at the Geneva Motor Show in March. The coupe would then potentially come to the US later in the calendar for the 2017 model year. Unlike the last TT here, which got a manual transmission, rumors suggest that the latest one would only offer a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. There's not likely to be any disappointment about the power, though, because it supposedly grows to about 400 hp thanks to an upgraded 2.5-liter turbocharged five-cylinder. Related Video:

Audi R8 V10 gets tuned up by ABT

Bavarian tuners ABT have done another job on the Audi R8 V10, pumping up the 5.2-liter FSI V10 from 525 horsepower to 600 hp, and torque from 391 pound-feet to 406 lb-ft. With 50 more horsepower than the R8 V10 Plus - but not the extreme weight-loss scheme - ABT claims a 0-62 mile per hour run of 3.5 seconds, the same as the R8 V10 Plus, and a top speed for the mid-engined coupe of 198 miles per hour "is no problem at all."
Managing all that speed are the aero tweaks provided by a comprehensive body kit including a rear wing, a lowered and beefed-up suspension, a stainless steel exhaust and 19-inch wheels in two different designs.
The press release below has a few more bits of info on the matter. And while ABT hasn't put a price on the Audi upgrades, but it's safe to say that nearly 200 mph in an R8 won't come cheap.

Audi works on AI with this mini Q2 that can park itself

Audi created a special Q2 that possesses the ability to find parking spaces, drive to them, and park itself. However, you won't be able to ride in it yet, because it's rather small. The Q2 is actually a 1/8-scale electric-powered model of the compact crossover, but the technology inside should eventually scale up. The model features just two mono cameras, one facing forward and the other rearward and 10 ultrasonic sensors around the body. According to Audi, the on-board computer uses information from all of these sources to figure out where the parking space is, and what maneuvers are necessary to enter it. The Q2 uses trial and error to improve how it parks. Audi will explain this Q2 and its artificial intelligence technology at a conference in Barcelona, Spain, this week. According to Audi, the subsidiary that created this model, Audi Electronics Venture, will transfer the tech to a full-size car in the next step of the project. With cars that can parallel park autonomously, and drive semi-autonomously, it's not hard to imagine them piloting themselves through parking lots on their own in the near future. Related Video: