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2014 Audi SQ5 ditches diesel, still packs a punch

Over in Europe-land, the Audi SQ5 is a diesel-powered monster capable of sending a whopping 479 pound-feet of torque to its wheels. Naturally, this beast isn't coming to the States, but that doesn't mean we're missing out on the whole SQ5 experience altogether. At the Detroit Auto Show this week, Audi is debuting a new gasoline-powered version of the hot crossover, and while it's not quite the oil-burning dreamboat we've lusted after from afar, we certainly wouldn't kick it out of bed.
Instead of a diesel, we get a boosted version of Audi's supercharged 3.0-liter V6, good for 354 horsepower and 346 pound-feet of torque. Running through an eight-speed automatic transmission, the SQ5 will reportedly be able to fire off 0-60 times in the low-five-second range and will top out at an electronically limited 155 miles per hour. Suspension upgrades are on hand to improve road-going prowess, but also lower the Q5's stance a bit, too.
Because this is an S model, there are plenty of visual upgrades on hand, including a more aggressive front fascia, 20-inch wheels and some pretty new colors including Estoril Blue and Panther Black. Interior upgrades like Alcantara trim and aluminum brightwork add to some sportiness from the cockpit view, as well.

Audi execs mulling turbocharged, entry-level R8

The just-launched, second-generation Audi R8 is apparently a pretty fantastic example of Vorsprung durch Technik. While it's sublime to drive, Audi might already be missing some potential sales due to the lack of an true entry-level version in the supercar's lineup. Lending further credence to an earlier rumor about just such a model, company execs are saying to expect an entry-level, turbocharged R8 to launch in the coming years. "It is inevitable that we will go to a turbocharged motor for it at some point," Audi technical development board member Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg said to Motoring. "It would be in this model cycle, to give us a fuller range." The executive certainly isn't mincing words about forced induction, but the V10's position in the lineup is also secure. "It doesn't mean we are not going to do a turbo, but naturally aspirated is here to stay as well," he said. If Dr. Hackenberg's direct assertion isn't enough, Quattro GmbH chief Heinz Peter Hollerweger further clarified to Motoring that the turbocharged engine would slot into the bottom of the R8's range. An unnamed "senior sales and marketing source" within the Audi also said that the company's turbo five-cylinder was among the currently favored choices for the application. The first rumors about the R8 getting a forced induction version arose just a few months ago. At the time, Audi's electrically turbocharged, 2.5-liter inline five-cylinder was considered an option. The model would solve a problem in markets, like China, that severely tax big displacement engines. Customers might not even need to worry about giving up too much performance either. In the Audi TT Clubsport Turbo concept, the powerplant has a total output of 600 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque. While 10 fewer ponies than the latest R8 V10 Plus, it would bring 66 lb-ft more twist to the supercar.

Audi Prologue Concept [w/videos]

What you're looking at here is a preview of Audi's next-gen exterior and interior design. You can't tell, but in these photos, I'm wearing what can only be described as an ultra-white cloth spacesuit. Before opening the large driver's door of the Audi Prologue concept outside of the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills, Audi requested that I don a super-attractive onesie so as to not let my flannel-covered human flesh touch the untreated leather surfaces of the Prologue's interior. I tied the spacesuit around me just above the waist, let my Converse poke out the footholes, and promised to hold in any sneezes. After all, I was being granted a serious privilege. I was about to drive the multi-million dollar, only-one-in-the-world Prologue that had just stunned crowds at the Los Angeles Auto Show days earlier. This isn't the first time Audi has bravely let the media sample its conceptual wares. In 2010, the German automaker granted us access to its incredibly enticing Quattro concept, probably hoping that the media would rave about the thing enough to convince the higher powers to actually green-light and build it. (We're still waiting on that one, of course.) You could argue that this same logic was applied when allowing me to drive the Prologue – it's no secret that Audi has been dreaming of a range-topping A9, though company officials told me that there is currently no decision on whether or not to produce such a car. But that's not really what the Prologue is about. As its name suggests, what you're looking at here is a preview of Audi's next-generation exterior and interior design, in a fully baked, fully functional package. Suit up, and behold the future. While the Prologue won't necessarily spawn its own production model, its elements will be incorporated on the next A6, A7 and A8. "Timeless but progressive." That's the key takeaway of the Prologue's aesthetic, according to exterior designer Parys Cybulski. The focus here is on beautiful, yet modern, simplicity. A design that looks both contemporary and forward-thinking at the same time, and something that will still look up-to-date in several years' time. After all, while the Prologue won't necessarily spawn its own production model, its elements will be incorporated on the next A6, A7 and A8. Up front, the most prominent feature is, of course, Audi's single-frame grille, seen here with a larger breadth than anything else in the brand's lineup, though its closest resemblance is seen on the new TT.