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Audi UrQuattro gets the Petrolicious narrative

Audi started a revolution in the world of rallying when it paired an all-wheel-drive system with a turbocharged, five-cylinder engine and a rakish, three-door body. That car, the Quattro, didn't just upset the entire balance of the World Rally Championship, it (eventually) led to a transformative effect on the consumer car market.
But we're not just interested in this car simply because history has proven the UrQuattro to be important - we love its sharply creased looks, its offbeat soundtrack and its gravel-spitting abilities. Evidently, so does the crew from Petrolicious, as they've lavished their lenses upon the car. This particular model hails from 1983, and has covered a healthy 175,000 miles, says owner Manuel Leon Minassian. His first experience with the Ur (meaning "original") came in Beirut, where the car received plenty of praise from students at his school.
That first encounter led to a long passion for the Quattro, culminating in his purchase of this car four years ago. Take a look at Minassian and his Audi in the latest video from Petrolicious.

Volkswagen Group previews its wares on eve of Geneva show

The Volkswagen Group is comprised of 11 brands producing 240 vehicles across 49 factories throughout the world. So the best way to show off the range of the VW family is to cram a few thousand journalists and VIPs into a massive makeshift stand to outline the Group's goals, what's in the pipeline and what you'll be able to buy later this year.
To that end, VW pulled out all the stops on the eve of the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, bringing along 10 vehicles from across the range. We'll be delving into the details of each over the next two days of show coverage, but before that happens, you can read all about what we saw tonight from the cheap seats after the break.

Next-gen Audi S7 looking hot in Southern Europe

Development on the next-gen Audi S7 is in full swing. The handsome hatchback is still popular, even if it is starting to show its age, so we have high hopes for the new model. We have some new spy photos of the car performing hot-weather testing in Southern Europe. We don't have many details or a firm release date, but there are a few things we can pull from these pics. The new model looks like it will retain the same general shape as the current one. That's a good thing, as the A7 is one of the best looking vehicles on the market. The long and flowing roof, frameless doors, and long wheelbase all look to be present. There are hints of the Audi R8 from the A-pillar forward while the large grille looks exactly like the on new Audi A8. Many of these design elements are straight off of the Audi Prologue concept from a few years back. Like other Audi S models, the S7 has a wide bumper with large intakes at the bottom corners. A chin spoiler appears to channel air down under the car. Around the side, we can see big wheels and brakes. There are side skirts along the bottom. Out back, it has the requisite quad exhaust tip, a dead giveaway that this is an S model. Lighting both front and rear appears to be LED. What rests under the hood is arguably the car's biggest mystery. We can count on Quattro all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic, but we don't know if it will have a turbocharged V6 or V8 under the hood. At this point, both seem equally likely. Horsepower and torque should both be in the mid-400 range while 0-60 mph times should be around 4.5 seconds. Look for more news this fall. Related Video: Featured Gallery Audi S7 Spy Shots View 12 Photos Image Credit: CarPix Spy Photos Audi Luxury audi s7