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Audi updates the RS3 hatch to sedan specs, but we still aren't getting it

As great as the upcoming Audi RS3 sedan looks and sounds, we're still a bit jealous of the Europeans and others who get the five-door Sportback version. And now even more so, because for 2018 the RS3 Sportback is being updated to match the specs of the RS3 sedan that debuted last fall at the Paris Motor Show. We'll see the revised extra-hot hatch next month in Geneva. Even though we haven't had a chance to get behind the wheel of either model, the raw numbers alone get us excited. An updated Quattro all-wheel-drive system, a 400-horsepower turbocharged inline five-cylinder engine (up from 362), and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission will send the 2018 RS3 hatch from 0 to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. That puts it in Porsche 911 and Chevrolet Corvette territory. Other improvements include a wider track to fit wider rubber, a lowered and stiffened suspension, and a larger set of brakes. Carbon-ceramic front rotors will again be available, like they are on the sedan. Inside, the RS3 comes with a boost pressure indicator, an oil thermometer, and a lap timer. Audi's Virtual Cockpit fully digital instrument panel is available as an option, and one we highly recommend. Aside from all of the performance and tech upgrades, the RS3 has a number of changes to the interior and exterior design. Black Nappa leather sport seats are standard, with special contoured RS sport seats available as an option. Lighting elements have been updated to match those of the restyled A3 and S3, the front fascia has been sharpened, with larger intakes on the bottom corners of the bumpers, a slightly more aggressive front splitter, and the Quattro logo emblazoned on the bottom of the grill. Out back, the car gets two large exhaust tips compared to the S3's four outlets. The overall design is typical Audi: handsome, but conservative. The RS3 sedan goes on sale in Europe in April with the Sportback following soon after. We'll have to make do with the sedan version, which is expected to arrive here next year. The only Sportback model Audi offers here from the A3 family is the plug-in e-tron model, and we don't expect that to change any time soon. But we can dream. Related Video:

ABT Sportsline coming to US, premiering AS6 at SEMA

ABT Sportsline, known as ABT Tuning from its founding in 1967 until 1991, is a German aftermarket parts and tuning company that has focused on enhancing Volkswagens and Audis since the VW GTI bowed in 1978 (in Europe, at least) and races competitively in DTM (Germany's touring car racing series). The company has kept its roots in Europe for all of these years, but will debut the AS6, based on the Audi A6, at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) in a couple weeks before opening up shop in Los Angeles in early 2014.
ABT focused on making the AS6 a balanced package by increasing engine output, tuning the suspension, giving it understated style and improving the brakes. Details are light, but the AS6's 3.0-liter diesel V6 makes 286 horsepower, a 41-hp increase over stock. Not paying attention yet? Torque jumps from 369 pound-feet to 500 lb-ft, endowing the Audi with a lot of much-appreciated low-rpm grunt. The springs are swapped out for a set of ABT units, and the body kit adds front and rear spoilers, side and rear skirts and carbon-fiber mirror covers. ABT's ER-C 20-inch wheels fit over new brakes.
We'll have more details on the car at SEMA, so stay tuned. But in the meantime, head on below to read the press release.

Recharge Wrap-up: Tesla truck's close call, Tesla age discrimination suit

A semi with a trailer full of Teslas has a close call on the highway in this video. With a half-dozen electric vehicles in tow, the truck has to swerve onto the shoulder as a commuter bus nearly hits it after crossing multiple lanes. An example of human error, this near miss is the type of thing Tesla would like to prevent by advancing and widely deploying autonomous vehicle technology. Watch the heavy-duty mishap in the video above, and read more at Teslarati. A former Tesla engineer is suing the automaker for age discrimination. 69-year-old Thomas Flessner, who was fired from his Materials Engineer position in February, says he "was isolated due to his age and routinely chastised for completing projects slower than his coworkers." The suit claims younger engineers working at a similar pace were not subject to the same criticism. Flessner encountered further problems after taking time off for surgery, when a supervisor told him, "these guys are gunning for you." Read more from Fusion. Audi has placed orders with Ballard as part of Volkswagen Group's HyMotion fuel cell technology program. Audi has taken over responsibility for Volkswagen's program to develop its next-generation fuel cell stack. Ballard is providing engineering services to the automaker until at least March 2019. "Our HyMotion team of engineers and scientists are collaborating closely with Audi's experts and together we are on-track with respect to key technical and financial goals set for the current year," says Ballard VP of Technology and Product Development, Dr. Kevin Colbow. Read more at Yahoo Finance. Car2go has reached 2 million members worldwide. The world's largest car sharing service has 800,000 members in North America, 1.1 million in Europe, and 100,000 in Chongqing, China. Car2go claims 43 percent year-over-year growth, with a trip taken by a member every 1.5 seconds. "The rise of car sharing can be attributed to a changing paradigm of demographics, social preference shifts towards usage of vehicles instead of ownership, and technology that enables the seamless short term rental of vehicles," says Frost & Sullivan Principal Mobility Analyst Martyn Briggs. Read more from Car2go. Related Gallery Volkswagen Golf SportWagen and Passat HyMotion News Source: Teslarati, YouTube: Rumble Viral, Fusion, Yahoo Finance via Electrek Government/Legal Green Audi Tesla Volkswagen Alternative Fuels Transportation Alternatives Electric Hydrogen Cars Videos recharge wrapup