Audi A4 3.0l Quattro on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Audi says gas-electric Q7 E-Tron PHEV coming to US, China

That 166 MPGe diesel-electric Audi Q7 E-Tron Quattro we wrote about last week from the Geneva Motor Show? The US might eventually get those, too. With one important change. Audi disclosed details about the upcoming Q7 E-Tron Quattro SUV plug-in hybrid at the Geneva show that were truly impressive. The model will be able to go as far as 35 miles on electric power alone and will have a fuel-efficiency rating of 166 miles per gallon equivalent. The 373-horsepower beast will also be able to go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in about six seconds. Like we said, impressive. Now, we're finding out from Automotive News Europe that not only will the model debut in Germany next year, but the US and China will get versions as well. The difference? Whereas the standard European version pairs a 3.0-liter six-cylinder diesel engine with an electric motor, our version will use a 2.0-liter turbocharged gas engine as its non-electric mill, said Automotive New Europe, citing comments from Audi development chief Ulrich Hackenberg in Geneva. No word on when the US will start seeing its version of the Q7 E-Tron, so we'll just have to take a look at Audi's press release below from earlier this month for full details on the diesel Q7 E-Tron. Related Videos: Great class, minimal emissions – the new Audi Q7 e-tron 3.0 TDI quattro First diesel plug-in hybrid with quattro drive in its segment Best value in the segment: up to 56 kilometers (34.8 mi) electric range Maximum efficiency with hybrid management Audi Q7 e-tron 3.0 TDI quattro It accelerates from a standstill to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in six seconds, and yet consumes not even two liters of diesel per 100 kilometers (117.6 US mpg). The Audi Q7 e-tron quattro is sporty, comfortable and at the same time highly efficient. The world's first TDI plug in hybrid with quattro drive, it is also the first plug-in hybrid with a diesel engine from Audi. The Q7 e-tron quattro is Audi's second model with a powerful plug-in hybrid drive system. The model combines the best of two worlds: Powered by the lithium-ion battery, the large SUV covers up to 56 kilometers (34.8 mi) on electric power alone – quietly, powerfully and with zero local emissions. Together with the diesel engine, the car can cover a total distance of 1,410 kilometers (876.1 mi). Sporty power and minimum consumption The Audi Q7 e-tron quattro is the world's first plug-in hybrid car with a six-cylinder diesel engine and permanent all-wheel drive.

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.

Junkyard Gem: 1987 Audi 5000

The third-generation Audi 100 introduced for the 1983 model year was sold as the Audi 5000 in the United States. Sales of this high-end German sedan went pretty well ... until 60 Minutes ran a piece called "Out of Control" in late 1986, convincing many viewers that the 5000 was murderously defective. Yes, it was the original Unintended Acceleration debacle, decades before the one that cost Toyota big yen, and it slaughtered American Audi sales. Today's Junkyard Gem had the misfortune to be sitting in an Audi showroom while the echoes of the argle-bargle over the 5000 controversy still reverberated, its price dropping while potential buyers headed into the arms of nearby Mercedes-Benz and BMW dealers. Still, someone bought this car, which would have been a great Colorado winter machine with its 5-speed and Quattro all-wheel-drive system, and it ended up racking up more miles than 98 percent of cars sold in 1987. The presence of an ignition key in a junkyard car usually indicates that it was a trade-in or insurance total. A high-mile, 29-year-old Audi isn't worth much at auction, so this one ended up here. All the automatic-equipped 5000s got scary warning stickers on the shifters, among other recall-mandated changes, and Audi ended up using the European-market 100 name on these cars starting in the 1989 model year . Related Video: Featured Gallery Junked 1987 Audi 5000 Quattro View 18 Photos Auto News Audi unintended acceleration