Leather Nav Awd R8 5.2 Quattro Spyder Convertible 2d Gray Auto 6-spd R Tronic on 2040-cars

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Audi, Porsche ensnared in new Volkswagen cheating allegations

The scope of the Volkswagen emissions cheating scandal that has enveloped the global automaker for the past six weeks widened Monday. Now, some of the automaker's premium brands are further ensnared in the mess. Officials with the Environmental Protection Agency issued a second notice of violations Monday, accusing Volkswagen of violating the Clean Air Act by using defeat devices that circumvent emissions testing on diesel versions of certain vehicles equipped with 3.0-liter engines. Roughly 10,000 vehicles in the United States contain the illegal software, the EPA alleges. That's a far smaller number than the 482,000 vehicles affected by the first instances of cheating, which Volkswagen confessed to in September. But this latest violation alleges the cheating occurred broadly through the Volkswagen empire and includes vehicles from the Porsche and Audi brands. Audi had one model, the A3, involved in the first round of announced violations. But the brand, which has enjoyed skyrocketing sales in the US in recent years, is more extensively involved in violations announced Monday. The 2016 Audi A6 Quattro, A7 Quattro, A8, A8L and Q5 are among the cars which contain the illegal software, which permits the cars to emit nitrogen oxide at up to nine times the allowable thresholds set in the Clean Air Act, according to the EPA. The 2015 Porsche Cayenne and '14 Volkswagen Toureg SUV are also affected. "There is clear evidence of additional violations and it's important to put Volkswagen on notice and to inform the public." - Janet McCabe. "Audi, which has been on a roll in terms of sales, reputation and image of late, now is being drawn deeper into the quagmire," said Michelle Krebs, senior analyst for Autotrader. "Previously, only the low-volume A3 was under scrutiny, but now Audi's core models are under fire." Audi officials did not respond to a request for comment Monday. In a written statement issued late Monday afternoon, a Porsche spokesperson said, "We are surprised to learn this information. Until this notice, all our information was that the Porsche Cayenne Diesel is fully compliant." Porsche said it would cooperate with authorities.

Audi chooses A3 as its Super Bowl darling

With Super Bowl XLVIII less than two months away, we're sure to hear plenty of news about automakers and their various plans for in-game commercials. Audi has announced that it will return for its seventh year of Super Bowl advertising, but few details were provided about the spot other than the fact that it will focus on the all-new 2015 A3.
The 60-second ad will air during the third quarter of the game, and while Audi did not say how much it is spending on the spot, Ad Age says that a 30-second commercial will average around $4 million for next year's Big Game. Last year, Audi's choose-your-own-adventure "Prom" commercial was the second favorite video in our unofficial poll of readers, but the competition should heat up even more this year with General Motors returning to Super Bowl advertising after taking a year off and Jaguar preparing its first-ever Super Bowl ad to introduce the F-Type Coupe.

Audi R8 Exclusive Edition gets laser beam headlights

We've long lamented the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's draconian Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, which contrary to their name, have actually prevented automakers from selling some substantial and important safety equipment, like advanced headlights, in the US market. Until now, apparently. To be fair, we've known Audi was prepping its advanced laser headlights for the US market, but that doesn't make their arrival any less exciting. Audi will begin offering DOT-approved high-beams that use advanced laser diodes on a limited run of V10-powered R8s. Exclusive to the, um, Exclusive Edition R8, the advanced lamps complement the standard LED low beams and dynamic front turn signals, offering "very bright and pure white light" for 25 lucky consumers. Here's some more techno babble about how the lights work – according to Audi's official release, there's a laser module in each headlight containing four high intensity laser diodes that fire out blue lasers. Then, a phosphor converter adjusts the 450-nanometer laser into visible light that fires up above 40 miles per hour. "When conditions permit," Audi's release reads, the laser high beams "greatly enhance visibility for the driver by projecting a low and wide beam of light on the road ahead." Naturally, we have questions, but Audi wasn't keen on releasing much info ahead of the R8 Exclusive Edition's Los Angeles Auto Show debut. The company confirmed that the new lights are DOT approved, which makes sense considering the LA introduction. We're also wondering how Audi's new Laser Lights differ from BMW's similarly named Laserlight system, offered on the i8. Both setups use lasers to replace conventional high beams, but BMW says it "adjusted to the maximum allowable light output for the US market." Audi was cagey about explaining if it modified the system to satisfy the feds. Ingolstadt also offered the typical "we don't comment on future product" when asked about future applications for its laser headlight technology. Beyond the advanced high-beam headlights, the R8 Exclusive Edition comes standard with Quantum Grey paint, 20-inch "Y Design" wheels, a carbon-fiber side blade with an orange stripe, and a whole bunch of interior trim upgrades, like full leather upholstery and Alcantara trim. Price start at $229,200, not counting $1,250 in destination charges. We'll have more on the R8 and its laser lamps when it debuts in a couple weeks. Related Video: