2003 Audi A6 Base Sedan 4-door 3.0l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Subaru WRX STI vs. Audi S3 in compact AWD dustup

It's not every day that a Subaru and an Audi can be reasonably compared head-to-head; the two brands tend not to compete directly in their respective segments. However, the latest WRX STI and the S3 Sedan offer the perfect chance to find out if the working-class Scooby can beat its upper-crust competitor.
The UK's Auto Express gets behind the wheel of these two all-wheel drive performance sedans, or saloons as the Brits call them. Across the pond, both of them are rated at an identical 296 horsepower, but the Subaru edges out the Four Rings on torque. Like in the US, British buyers have to pay a little more to get the Audi, but it comes with a nicer interior and more brand cachet, if that means anything to you.
The video starts out with a fairly standard road test comparing the two of them back-to-back - all fairly subjective. But then Auto Express takes the trip to the drag strip, and the results there are much more conclusive. There's a definite winner when they cross the line, but you have to scroll down to see which of these turbocharged models with rallying heritage wins out.

Alpha 10 Audi R8 by AMS Beauty-Roll

For those of you paying attention, we've really ramped up the old Autoblog video game these days. Our new series Car Club USA joins Translogic and The List, and there are more Daily Drivers and Short Cuts than ever. But sometimes, all you care about is the car. The Autoblog Beauty-Roll video series has one goal: bring you glossy video images of cars, and nothing but. We're collecting moving pictures of all the cars we test, inside and out. Each episode comes with a hit of engine sound – start-up and with a few revs – to round out the package. Set your resolution to max, kick it into full-screen, turn up the sound, and enjoy today's subject, the Alpha 10 Audi R8 by AMS. Oh, and if you'd like more Beauty-Roll, click here to see the back catalog.

Next Audi RS4 to get an electric turbo?

We don't yet know if the next Audi RS4 will come to the US, but whoever gets it could find an electric turbocharger under the hood according to a report in Auto Express. The 4.2-liter V8 that has served for two RS4 generations is retiring from the line, replaced by a twin-turbocharged version of the supercharged 3.0-liter V6 used in the S4. But instead of using two sequential turbochargers - a smaller one to eliminate lag while a larger, more powerful turbo spools up - batteries charged by brake regeneration could power a first-stage electric turbo. The idea hasn't been publicly appointed for a particular model, as Audi's technical chief Ulrich Hackerberg has said that due to expense, that kind of setup "would only be used be used on the very top end models." Since the technology cuts down on the use of exhaust gases, it would also also help in markets like Europe where CO2 emissions are a factor. No matter whether it benefits from all conventional or some electric boost, the horsepower number for the twin-turbo V6 will be more than 420 hp but less than 503 hp, the rating of the V8-powered Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG. Auto Express believes Audi will want to maintain the power gap between the 333-hp S4 and previous, 444-hp RS4. With Hackenberg saying the new S4 will make more than 350 hp, that gets the coming RS4 up to at least 461, but AE figures it "could deliver as much as 480 hp." We'll find out sometime after the S4 launches next year.