1996 Audi A6 Quattro Avant Wagon 4-door 2.8l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Stay in the house from the Audi R8 Emmy ad

Audi is sponsoring the Emmys again, and launching an ad alongside the awards show that features a family living in the middle of the desert simply to have an excuse to drive their R8s as much, and as fast, as possible. Which is crazy. Even crazier, you can live in the exact house from the ad for a few days as part of an airbnb promotion. The stay includes chauffeured transportation from Las Vegas McCarran airport, all meals prepared by a personal chef, and an R8 V10 Plus in the driveway available for driving. Did we mention it's a real house and not just an advertising prop? It is. The 1,200 square foot Rondolino Residence sits on 80 acres near Scotty's Junction, Nevada, just over 2 hours northwest of Las Vegas. Beginning September 18, seven three-night stays in October will become available - one booking opens up each day at 9 PM Eastern. The rate is listed at $610 per night, with the bookings running October 10th through November 1st. You can book the experience, or try, on the airbnb page. As for the ad, titled "Desolation," at first it seems like a entertaining jaunt about the lengths people will go to for an amazing driving experience. A deeper (and totally unreasonable - it's just an ad) analysis suggests some truly troubling things going on. For starters, the lackadaisical parents let the children taunt a poisonous scorpion. Will the isolated upbringing and history of cruelty towards animals produce a future serial killer? In our deranged version of this fictional universe, yes. Second, the R8 - spoiler alert, both R8s - get super dirty on the run to the corner store. A corner store, which, seemingly unequipped for coffee roasting nevertheless has fresh artisanal beans sold in half-pound bags. Lacking a bulk purchase option, the plot of the ad surely repeats itself several times a week. That sounds insane, but hey, it's all about the drive. And we do love the "Leadfoot Coffee" easter egg. But we digress. Where is the car wash that left the R8 clean before the drive through the desert? And where is the second R8 parked? The male protagonist clearly drives out of the garage from a position that doesn't leave room for the second car. We can only surmise that there is a underground component to the house in the ad. To be clear, we're still in fictional universe of this ad - the real Rondolino Residence, like the Alamo, lacks a basement.

2014 Audi A3 Cabriolet cleans up the Messe [w/video]

If we're being honest, the outgoing Audi A3 Cabriolet never really flicked our Bic. That was just fine, of course, because Audi never brought it to North America. This new model, however, might have a different future.
And while Audi has yet to officially decide on this car's North American future, this Frankfurt Motor Show debut clearly has a better sense of proportion and aggression to it, and we're excited about its powertrain solutions, too. For the European market, Audi is promising TFSI gasoline engines in either 1.4- or 1.8-liters, along with a 2.0-liter TDI diesel, all being available in front- and all-wheel drive. Audi has also confirmed its first-ever S3 Quattro Cabriolet, which figures to combine a quick 18-second top drop and its hard-hatted sibling's even quicker 296-hp 2.0-liter turbo.
Even though Audi has been better about bringing its high-performance models to North America and has a new emphasis on growing its A3 business in our territories (including a US-minded sedan bodystyle), we would still be a bit surprised to see an S3 Cabriolet popping its entry-level top in dealers in a couple years' time. Having said that, we do think this A3 Cabriolet is almost a lock. Be sure to take a good, long look at our gallery, video and the official press release below.

Audi Q8 E-Tron could have 370-mile range

Audi technical boss Ulrich Hackenberg has a huge job ahead of him if he's going to add more electrified models his employer's portfolio. Currently, the German company's electrified offerings amount to just the Q5 Hybrid in the US and the A3 E-Tron in Europe, but British auto mag Autocar is claiming that Hackenberg wants to add a Tesla Model X-rivaling electric version of the company's long-rumored Q8 utility vehicle to the plans. That E-Tron model, said to be a high-riding crossover with coupe-like lines, is expected to be Ingolstadt's CUV flagship, positioned just above the Q7 (pictured above).
Autocar further maintains that Q8 E-Tron will borrow its front- and rear-mounted electric motors (good for around 375 horsepower) from the recently revived R8 E-Tron, and the model could be ready as soon as 2017. This sporty CUV is expected to have a much greater range than the two-door electric sports car, however. Figure on about 370 miles thanks to room for extra batteries.
The still-not-confirmed Q8 range is expected to be offered with gasoline, diesel and plug-in hybrid powertrains, and will ride on the same platform as the Q7, albeit fitted with sleeker styling. Like all of Audi's upper-end offerings, it will make extensive use of aluminum for the body and chassis to keep weight down.