2012 Audi A4 Premium on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Chevy Corvette Z06, Ford F-150 Raptor join Lego Speed Champs

Get ready to park some performance machines on your desk: Lego's 2016 line of Speed Champions kits will add seven new vehicles for next year, according to an update to the database Brickset. These include some serious muscle like a Chevrolet Corvette Z06 and Ford Mustang GT. There's also a listing called "Chevrolet Camaro Drag Race" and a very cool combo titled "Ford F-150 Raptor Ford/Model A Hot Rod". Fans of European performance don't need to be jealous, though. The database shows a kit called "Porsche 919 Hybrid and 917K Pit-Lane." Plus for fans of the Four Rings, the Audi R18 E-Tron Quattro and R8 LMS Ultra are also getting their own Lego models. Fourtitude appears to have some leaked shots, if you want to see what these kits will look like. Lego has partnered with Porsche, McLaren, and Ferrari and offers Speed Champions kits for vehicles like the Porsche 918 Spyder, McLaren P1, Ferrari 458 Italia GT2, and LaFerrari. The models in the series aren't as heavily detailed as the massive Mini Cooper or Volkswagen Bus sets, but they make up for that in value. The individual cars retail for a fairly affordable $14.99. The Formula One playset tops the current range at $99.99, but it comes with a truck, racecar and team figures.

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.

Audi TT most likely to breed crossover derivative

Audi has been rolling out successive concepts based on the new TT. Aside from the production coupe and convertible, we've seen the Shooting Brake concept in Detroit, the Offroad concept in Beijing and, most recently, the Sportback concept in Paris. The clear message is that Audi plans on actually producing more derivatives of its stylish two-door, but the question is which one will come first?
Speaking with Britain's Car magazine in Paris this past week, Audi technical chief Ulrich Hackenberg indicated that, while the decision has still yet to be made, the crossover is the most likely candidate.
Producing the TT Offroad concept - or something like it - would give Ingolstadt another addition to its growing crossover lineup that already includes the Q3, Q5 and Q7. Whether this would come in addition to or instead of the rumored Q1 and Q4 models remains to be seen, but crossovers have become increasingly popular and profitable for German automakers like Audi.