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A fix and buyback program for Audi V6 diesels may be on the way

While Volkswagen reached a settlement to buy back 2.0-liter diesel inline-fours with emissions defeat devices, the roughly 80,000 cars with 3.0-liter diesel V6s built by Audi have yet to be addressed. But a new report from Bloomberg indicates that a solution is near. The publication says that sources familiar with the situation say the company has a fix ready for the majority of the cars, and that the EPA and California Air Resources Board are ready to approve it. According to Bloomberg, this fix would involve a software update and would work for about 60,000 of the Audi A8, Q5, Q7, Porsche Cayenne, and VW Touareg models with the engine. The rest of the vehicles won't be fixable without major modification, so those would have to be purchased back from the owners. Bloomberg does point out that approval from the EPA and CARB are only one piece of the puzzle. The publication said that this deal has yet to be approved by owners of the cars and the Federal Trade Commission, both of which may demand that VW offer a buyback to all owners, even those whose cars can be fixed. The good news for owners of VW products with this engine, is that they should have some closure pretty soon. And owners that still like their diesel V6 can take solace that they might actually be able to get them fixed, as opposed to owners of the 2.0-liter diesels. VW offered buybacks to owners of all 475,000 cars with the turbo four-cylinders, or a fix when it's available. However, there have been no signs of an approved fix. Related Video: News Source: Bloomberg via Automotive NewsImage Credit: Sebastian Blanco Government/Legal Green Audi Porsche Volkswagen Diesel Vehicles vw diesel scandal audi diesel

Audi's diesel-electric supercar is codenamed 'Scorpion'

Speculation continues as to the final nature of the diesel-hybrid Audi supercar said to arrive in 2016 or 2017. A previous report in Automobile had the halo coupe, based closely on the R18 etron quattro endurance racer, codenamed R20 and pegged to look like a Le Mans winner for the street with around 700 horsepower and 737 pound-feet of torque from a twin-turbo V6. Now Car and Driver has updated the gossip with a report that the car is internally called "Scorpion," and it will be even closer to the R18 than supposed.
CD says the heart of the car will use the R18 etron quattro's carbon fiber tub and its engine will be "taken directly" from the race car. That means a 3.7-liter V6 with a single turbo that, in ACO-spec restricted form, outputs 500 hp and 625 lb-ft - CD suspects production output could get to 600 hp - and drives the rear wheels, aided by hybrid motors driving the front wheels. And remember, at Le Mans the R18's hybrid motors can't kick in until they're above a certain speed in order to prevent Audi from getting an advantage coming out of slow corners. A street car wouldn't face that restriction.
The Scorpion would be a fulsome and undiluted example of the technologies Audi has created during its return to sports car racing. Its exterior design hasn't been finalized, with CD citing either the convoluted concept of "a retro take on the future of racing" or packaging that would adhere to the R18's looks. To make sure it is properly appreciated and sells well, production could be limited to the same 333 units as the R8 GT and A1 Quattro.

Audi service tech joyrides customer car, allegedly takes drugs on the way [UPDATE]

UPDATE: We've received and added an official statement from Audi Palo Alto. Dealerships get a bad rap. Stories about sleazy salespeople and overpriced service procedures abound, even though the reality is that most dealers are run by and employ honest, fair folks. But just because the bulk of dealers and their employees are good people, it doesn't mean some bad eggs won't slip through the cracks. Audi Palo Alto, in the heart of Silicon Valley, is finding this out the hard way after dash cam video of a service tech abusing a customer's car started blowing up on YouTube. In the video, which you can watch above, the unnamed service tech took YouTube user Carrera Chris's Audi – it's not clear what model, but it sounds like one of the company's higher-performance 3.0-liter, supercharged V6 models – for a rather spirited test drive. There are plenty of wide-open-throttle runs mixed in with some speeding – the dash cam's lower display shows 90 miles per hour at one point on the freeway – and you can hear the driver laughing throughout. None of this is too remarkable on its own, and maybe not enough to get the tech fired. Until, that is, he pulls into a parking lot and begins snorting something. The dash cam doesn't show the technician, so it's impossible to determine what substance – if any – the driver is allegedly taking. It could be coke, could be crushed up pills, or, hey, it could be a prescription nasal spray (it is allergy season, even in perpetually lovely northern California). Carrera Chris does say he found white powder in the seams of the driver's seat, so take that for what it's worth. There are five videos that include 12 minutes of footage – the one up top is a summary, while the four below show the alleged drug use and some more mundane footage. We've reached out to Audi Palo Alto's general manager, Jason Mattia. He wouldn't answer our questions over the phone, but did forward an official statement from the dealer. An unfortunate incident was brought to our attention earlier this week. We immediately began our investigation and have already taken action. We are working with the customer involved and have thanked them for bringing this matter to our attention. At Audi Palo Alto, we are proud to be a part of the San Jose community. We value and respect our customers, and our team of 75 employees strives to deliver the highest level of customer service.