Audi 2002 A4 3.0 Quattro on 2040-cars

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Audi Sport plots ambitious growth for RS lineup

Audi Sport is set to double its range of high-performance, RS-badged vehicles, reports Autocar. In an interview, Stephan Winkelmann, head of Audi Sport, revealed plans to add eight RS models to its lineup by early 2018. Winkelmann didn't reveal which vehicles would get the RS treatment, but said that "it is better to under-promise and over-deliver." Audi has several RS-badged cars, including the RS7, RS6 Avant, TT RS (both in its hard-top and soft-top variant), RS Q3, and RS3 (some of which are sold in the US). Autocar believes that the A1, A4, and Q5, along with the R8 are next in line to get the RS treatment in some markets. With Mercedes-AMG selling more vehicles, 80,000 units over the past few years, according to Autocar, it makes sense for Audi Sport to follow closely behind with a similar idea. While Mercedes is placing the AMG badge on its vehicles to bridge the gap between its high-performance and lower end models, Audi Sport says it's taking a different tactic. "We are not going to do what they do," Winkelmann said. Even without the extra vehicles, Audi RS sales could top 20,000 units this year, reports Autocar, with Winkelmann stating that the brand would experience "double-digit growth this year." Hopefully, Audi Sport's decision to add more RS models will result in some of those high-performance cars coming to the US. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Audi RS3 Sedan: Paris 2016 View 15 Photos News Source: AutocarImage Credit: Live photos copyright 2016 Drew Phillips / Autoblog Audi Convertible Coupe Wagon Performance Sedan

Audi Quattro concept production hopes still alive, could be more radical

Remember the gestation period of the Lexus LFA, the one that, in automotive time, took so long that its origins could have been carbon dated? We feel like it's deja vu all over again, as Yogi Berra would have said, this time featuring the Audi Quattro and Audi Sport Quattro. It was 2010 when our cameras first glimpsed the Audi Quattro Concept (pictured right) at the Paris Motor Show, and we tasted its turbocharged 2.5-liter, five-cylinder powerplant not long after. Last year we met the hybrid, 700-horsepower Audi Sport Quattro concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show, but we got no closer to finding out if there'd ever be a version we could buy. A report in Autocar keeps the flame of hope burning, quoting Audi design chief Marc Lichte at the LA Auto Show saying, "We are working on Quattro, it is still alive." Lichte went on to say, however, that the next imagining is "more extreme" than those we've seen, and, "There will be surprises." Those words alone are a surprise. The last we heard about the Quattro revival was Audi boss Ulrich Hackenberg saying he wanted a more accessible homage to the original, and we don't know how "more extreme" jives with that. Seeing that Audi is serious about the idea, at least, we shouldn't have to wait long to find out. Just don't get your hopes up about its affordability yet.

2nd annual Automobile Advertising of the Year Awards revealed

There was some absolutely fantastic auto advertising in 2014, ranging from funny to inspiring. Marking the best of it from the past year, the Second Annual One Show Automobile Advertising of the Year Awards were announced during the 2015 Detroit Auto Show (full disclosure: Autoblog was among the award's sponsors, and Editor-in-Chief Sharon Carty was a voter). Unlike previously, there were no brands with dominance over the list this time. Presented by The One Club, the awards have an international scope and hand out honors in a variety of categories. In the Broadcast TV group, there were three winners this year. First, there was The Scripted Life from Audi for the Q3 about breaking out of life's monotony. Also, Dad's Sixth Sense from Hyundai marketed the safety features in the Genesis. Finally, Unbreakable Drivers showed manly men being tested for the Toyota Hilux in Australia. The Online Video prize went to the fantastic The Epic Split spot from Volvo Trucks starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. The best Interactive ad was the Honda video titled The Other Side for the Civic Type R, and the Experiential Advertising nod was for the Volkswagen Eyes on the Road clip that showed the dangers of texting and driving to a theater full of moviegoers in Hong Kong. Finally, the Public Choice Award went to the BMW commercial called Hello Future using the words of sci-fi author Arthur C. Clarke for the i8. In the award not for videos, Jeep won the Print/Outdoor category for its Upside Down campaign. Check the ads out below, which show different animals when upside down. Also, look farther down for all of the winning videos and read their full announcements. View 3 Photos Automobile Advertising of the Year Winners Announced New York, NY (January 13, 2015) – The One Club (www.oneclub.org), producers of the prestigious One Show Awards and Creative Week, today announced the winners for the 2nd Annual One Show Automobile Advertising of the Year Awards. In partnership with the North American International Auto Show (www.naias.com) in Detroit, The One Club today unveiled the best automotive ads from around the world in five categories: broadcast TV, online video, interactive, experiential advertising, and print & outdoor. Winners will be presented on-stage at a special event during the NAIAS Press Preview on Tuesday, January 13, 2015, at the Cobo Center in Detroit at 4:55 p.m. The event is sponsored by AOL's Autoblog.