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Audi drives Laurel Canyon in reverse

With all its many twists and turns and narrow lanes, driving down Laurel Canyon Boulevard in Los Angeles demands your attention under the best of conditions. The driver caught on this video, however, is clearly not giving it his best. The driver behind the wheel of this new Audi – an S5 or maybe even an RS5 coupe, if our eyes and the low resolution don't deceive us – opted to drive down the canyon road entirely in reverse, with a woman in the passenger seat. The incident was caught on video by one Kevin Zanazanian, another motorist following behind. (Or would that now be considered in front? We're all turned around here). Fortunately the driver appears to have taken things at a rather leisurely pace. Which is a good thing, or at least a mitigating factor. While cars are designed to be able to back up, unless you're a stunt driver on a closed set, they're not meant to do so at speed. But then they're not meant to be driven backwards for extended lengths of time or distance, either. That's why local authorities are reportedly trying to track down the driver, who could have been held accountable for any number of infractions had he been caught in the act - including driving right through a red light, backwards, from the turning lane, across Hollywood Boulevard. With the video footage now in hand, the LAPD's West Traffic Bureau is reportedly working to determine who it belongs to, and who can be held liable for this stunt. With no injuries or damage reported, KTLA reports that the charges (however many of them) would not amount to more than misdemeanors. Related Video News Source: KTLA Government/Legal Audi Videos audi s5

Audi Q1 captured wearing production metal for first time

Audi is getting closer and closer to introducing its smallest crossover ever in the form of the new Q1. Now, we have our very first shots of the mini cute ute wearing its production skin. Expected to make its debut in 2016, it would seem that the Q1 will follow the trend set by the Q3 and draw inspiration from the brand's Q5 mid-sizer. Proportionally, it doesn't look dramatically smaller than the Q3. The front overhang is similarly sized, although there's a smaller rear overhang and a more aggressive rake to the rear window. The front windshield looks more aggressive too, and overall, the Q1 looks to sit lower to the ground than its big brother. While it shares a number of parts with the current Audi A1, when the Q1 debuts, it won't be based on the same platform. Audi's smallest car rides on the Volkswagen Polo's platform, while our spies report that the Q1 will instead be based on the Volkswagen Group's MQB platform. Despite the different platforms, though, expect there to be some sharing of powerplants. That means a variety of gas engines, and likely a version of the A1's 1.6-liter, turbodiesel four-cylinder. There should also be an SQ1 coming shortly after the standard model debuts. You know, for all the folks demanding a high-performance, all-wheel-drive, luxury mini crossover. Check out the full gallery of spy photos at the top of the page.

Audi testing long-tail version of R18 e-tron quattro for Le Mans

Race teams are always looking for ways to shave hundredths of seconds of their lap times. Case in point: Audi is making some slight changes to its prototype racecar to make it ever so much more slippery as it cuts through the air.
Debuting at the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship at Spa on May 4, Audi will be testing a long-tail version of its R18 E-tron Quattro racecar. As its name suggests, the long-tail car gets a lengthened rear section with the goal of improving aerodynamics. The long-tail will be run alongside the standard version of the racecar as a testbed for possible changes that might be in store, heading into the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Audi did not say how many inches were added to the racecar, but as you can see in the image above, "long-tail" definitely doesn't take on the same meaning of classic long-tail cars of the past such as the Porsche 917. More information about the car, Audi's team and even some info about the track itself can be found below.