2008 Audi S5 Base Coupe 2-door 4.2l on 2040-cars

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Audi says gas-electric Q7 E-Tron PHEV coming to US, China

That 166 MPGe diesel-electric Audi Q7 E-Tron Quattro we wrote about last week from the Geneva Motor Show? The US might eventually get those, too. With one important change. Audi disclosed details about the upcoming Q7 E-Tron Quattro SUV plug-in hybrid at the Geneva show that were truly impressive. The model will be able to go as far as 35 miles on electric power alone and will have a fuel-efficiency rating of 166 miles per gallon equivalent. The 373-horsepower beast will also be able to go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in about six seconds. Like we said, impressive. Now, we're finding out from Automotive News Europe that not only will the model debut in Germany next year, but the US and China will get versions as well. The difference? Whereas the standard European version pairs a 3.0-liter six-cylinder diesel engine with an electric motor, our version will use a 2.0-liter turbocharged gas engine as its non-electric mill, said Automotive New Europe, citing comments from Audi development chief Ulrich Hackenberg in Geneva. No word on when the US will start seeing its version of the Q7 E-Tron, so we'll just have to take a look at Audi's press release below from earlier this month for full details on the diesel Q7 E-Tron. Related Videos: Great class, minimal emissions – the new Audi Q7 e-tron 3.0 TDI quattro First diesel plug-in hybrid with quattro drive in its segment Best value in the segment: up to 56 kilometers (34.8 mi) electric range Maximum efficiency with hybrid management Audi Q7 e-tron 3.0 TDI quattro It accelerates from a standstill to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in six seconds, and yet consumes not even two liters of diesel per 100 kilometers (117.6 US mpg). The Audi Q7 e-tron quattro is sporty, comfortable and at the same time highly efficient. The world's first TDI plug in hybrid with quattro drive, it is also the first plug-in hybrid with a diesel engine from Audi. The Q7 e-tron quattro is Audi's second model with a powerful plug-in hybrid drive system. The model combines the best of two worlds: Powered by the lithium-ion battery, the large SUV covers up to 56 kilometers (34.8 mi) on electric power alone – quietly, powerfully and with zero local emissions. Together with the diesel engine, the car can cover a total distance of 1,410 kilometers (876.1 mi). Sporty power and minimum consumption The Audi Q7 e-tron quattro is the world's first plug-in hybrid car with a six-cylinder diesel engine and permanent all-wheel drive.

Electric 1960 Auto Union 1000S has vintage looks, modern power

If you want to buy a classic car but somehow feel a twinge of guilt about the old engine polluting too much, then it's worth taking a look at this 1960 Auto Union 1000S on eBay Motors. The owner removed the original three-cylinder, two-stroke and installed a fully electric powertrain. In place of the internal combustion engine, there's an Azure Dynamics three-phase AC24 motor to spin the front wheels, and it even has regenerative braking. Lithium-ion batteries replace the rear seat and extend into the trunk to supply 21.5 kWh of energy storage. The seller claims the Auto Union weighs 2,400 pounds, so the powertrain might be rather lively in such a light car. From the outside, this Auto Union is immaculate. The owner's body-off restoration includes powder coating the chassis and suspension and repainting the exterior in Ascot Grey with the white roof. The color scheme looks perfect on cars of this era. The interior now has a digital instrument cluster in the center of the dash. We could see this change upsetting some purists because of the clash between original and modern. However, the reupholstered fabric seats look amazing. The owner has covered 15,000 miles since the restoration, so any powertrain bugs have been worked out in that time. As of this writing, the bidding is at $15,100 with 28 bids and the reserve is not yet met. The auction ends Sunday, April 10. While the seller provides great photos with the sale, you can see the EV in motion below in a video Audi created about it in 2014.

X1, 3 Series power BMW back into global luxury autos sales lead

BMW managed to eke ahead of Audi for the global luxury sales crown in February. According to Bloomberg, BMW saw deliveries swell by 7 percent in February, besting the 3.2 percent jump enjoyed by Audi and giving BMW a 407-unit delivery lead over its rival last month. Mercedes-Benz, meanwhile, continued to falter, with the brand selling some 37,229 fewer machines than BMW, whose factories are running at full capacity to keep up with demand. Models like the X1 (shown above) enjoyed a sales increase of 40 percent in February while the company's bread-and-butter 3 Series jumped by 26 percent.
Mercedes-Benz hopes to stem its continued market share loss with the addition of the entry-level CLA sedan to its portfolio in April. The company is set to roll out an updated version of its cash-cow E-Class at the same time, and a new-generation S-Class will follow along shortly thereafter. Meanwhile, the company is increasing production to meet demand for its A and B-Class models.