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Audi doesn't even need December to set new global sales record

In 2011, Audi broke its previous-year global sales total at the end of November. It did it again in 2012. It did the same in 2013, and it's done the same again this year. The brand sold roughly 1.575 million cars last year. As of November 30 this year - its 47th record-breaking month in a row in the US - it had found new owners for 1.591 million cars around the world. Where is the action happening? Everywhere, with double digit growth year-on-year in China (16.4 percent, led by the Q3), the US (15.4 percent, led by the Q5) and Mexico (10.6 percent), and triple-digit growth in Brazil (105.2 percent). Even Europe, still struggling to break free of its retail lassitude, returned a 4.3-percent gain, with the UK and Swedish markets up by more than 20 percent. In November alone, Audi's deliveries increased 10.8 percent compared to last year, and it broke the company record for monthly sales, getting 146,250 units out the door. You can find more numbers and details in the press release below. AUDI AG: new sales record after 11 months - Full year 2013 volume already exceeded in November - Sales chief Luca de Meo: "Strong year-end sprint for Audi" - New-generation Audi A6* launched in the first European markets Ingolstadt, 2014-12-09 - Audi continues to post double digit growth in November too: Deliveries climbed 10.8 percent to a new record breaking figure for a single month of around 146,250 cars. The company once again grew significantly in all regions around the globe. Demand for the four rings rose in the Asia Pacific region in particular with sales up 17.7 percent. Since January, the premium manufacturer has delivered around 1,591,100 cars (+10.1%) to customers, thus topping last year's sales total after just 11 months. In the whole of 2013, the Ingolstadt based company sold around 1.575 million units. "Our performance in November shows that we are keeping up the pace as we sprint towards the year-end," says Luca de Meo, Member of the Board of Management for Sales at AUDI AG. "Our large export markets in particular are driving the growth of the four rings at this time." In China Audi handed over 52,544 vehicles (+18.5%) to their new owners. The Audi Q3* provided a strong boost, with demand for the compact SUV growing by 49.8 percent. Since January, the Ingolstadt-based company has sold a total of 516,356 cars in the Middle Kingdom – and thus more than half a million units for the first time.

Audi to lap Hockenheim in driverless RS7

An automaker like Audi will always have a number of different research and development projects going at the same time, and some of them might take on very different approaches. At one end, you'll have its racing programs, and at what you'd assume would be the other, self-driving prototypes. But Ingolstadt is preparing to bridge that gap by running an autonomous prototype at racing speed around the famed Hockenheimring.
Set to take place on Sunday, October 19, during the DTM season finale at Hockenheim, the driverless RS7 will motor at speeds up to 150 miles per hour, right up "to its physical limits with millimeter precision."
Audi anticipates that "the world's sportiest piloted driving car" will run a lap time of just over two minutes, at which the RS7 would stand not only to be the fastest driverless car ever to lap the circuit, but also potentially the fastest four-door - if it can beat the 2:02.71 lap time set by a BMW M3 sedan in 2007.

Next-gen Audi S7 looking hot in Southern Europe

Development on the next-gen Audi S7 is in full swing. The handsome hatchback is still popular, even if it is starting to show its age, so we have high hopes for the new model. We have some new spy photos of the car performing hot-weather testing in Southern Europe. We don't have many details or a firm release date, but there are a few things we can pull from these pics. The new model looks like it will retain the same general shape as the current one. That's a good thing, as the A7 is one of the best looking vehicles on the market. The long and flowing roof, frameless doors, and long wheelbase all look to be present. There are hints of the Audi R8 from the A-pillar forward while the large grille looks exactly like the on new Audi A8. Many of these design elements are straight off of the Audi Prologue concept from a few years back. Like other Audi S models, the S7 has a wide bumper with large intakes at the bottom corners. A chin spoiler appears to channel air down under the car. Around the side, we can see big wheels and brakes. There are side skirts along the bottom. Out back, it has the requisite quad exhaust tip, a dead giveaway that this is an S model. Lighting both front and rear appears to be LED. What rests under the hood is arguably the car's biggest mystery. We can count on Quattro all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic, but we don't know if it will have a turbocharged V6 or V8 under the hood. At this point, both seem equally likely. Horsepower and torque should both be in the mid-400 range while 0-60 mph times should be around 4.5 seconds. Look for more news this fall. Related Video: Featured Gallery Audi S7 Spy Shots View 12 Photos Image Credit: CarPix Spy Photos Audi Luxury audi s7