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2014 Audi R8 officially on sale, starting at $114,900*

After skipping the 2013 model year, the Audi R8 is back for 2014 with a new look, added performance and a slightly higher starting price. In V8 coupe form, the 2014 R8 starts at $114,900 (*not including $1,250 for destination and a $3,000 gas-guzzler tax), but looking at that price, which has risen just $5,900 since the performance coupe first debuted in the US for 2008, inflation doesn't seem to have hit the R8 as hard as some other sports coupes - like, say, the Nissan GT-R.
Opting for the S tronic automatic gearbox will cost $9,100 for all models, while R8 V8 and R8 V10 models still offer the drop-top Spyder model for an extra $13,500. Not available in Spyder form, is the all-new 550-horsepower R8 V10 Plus, which starts at $170,545. Scroll down for the full pricing breakdown of the 2014 R8, which went on sale yesterday.

Researchers halfway to cutting carbon fiber costs by 90%

Carbon fiber has been utilized for decades to build racecars, as a means to cut weight while maintaining strength. But until recently, the space-age material has been largely absent from the street on anything but supercars because of the expense to use it. Recently, BMW signaled a major shift in that trend when it starting using carbon fiber reinforced plastic panels on the i3 and i8. This relatively small scale start might be just the beginning; the German company believes that a breakthrough to inexpensively manufacture the lightweight stuff is just on the horizon.
MAI Carbon Cluster Management GmbH counts BMW, Audi, Airbus, the German government and many other organizations as supporters, and it's researching how to make carbon fiber cheaper to produce, according to Automotive News Europe. The company thinks it can reduce costs by 90 percent in the near future. "We've certainly reached a halfway point on our cost-cutting target for suitable carbon-fiber parts," said project head Klaus Drechsler to Automotive News Europe.
Unfortunately, it isn't entirely clear just what MAI Carbon is doing to make such a huge leap possible. However, a recent post on the company's website talks about a new form a carbon fiber using a thermoplastic matrix that could be cured in less than three minutes. That's compared to about 90 minutes in the traditional process with an autoclave.

Introducing the 2017 Audi A4 Allroad, round 3 of our long-term test

It has been all Audi, all the time for the past few months here at Autoblog. The folks at Audi offered us a unique long-term test of the whole A4 line, a chance to see what it's like to live with the car in all its iterations. We first spent time with a Glacier White Premium Plus sedan. Then we stepped up to a Prestige sedan in Moonlight Blue. Now we're driving a Premium Plus A4 Allroad wagon in Gotland Green. We're saving what we presume will be the best for last when we take delivery of an S4. What we got The A4 Allroad shares the same powerplant as the sedans: a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four making 252 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque, with a seven-speed S-tronic dual clutch automatic. The setup briskly moves the wagon from 0-60 miles per hour in under six seconds. An Allroad starts at $44,000 MSRP for basic Premium trim. This Premium Plus tester starts at $47,000. Add $575 for the metallic Gotland Green paint - a dignified color that drew back-to-back compliments from a carwash guy and a passing postal carrier, and pairs nicely with the Nougat Brown leather interior. The car is equipped with the $3,000 Premium Plus option package, which includes a sweet Bang & Olufsen 3D sound system; heated, auto-dimming, power-folding side mirrors; an alarm system; heated eight-way power front seats with driver memory; LED headlights; and parking assist . The car also carries the Technology package, in which $3,250 gets you navigation, side and rear sensors, and Audi's elegant Virtual Cockpit instrument display. Those two equipment groups include trials of Audi Connect. The Care, Prime, and Plus packages of Connect offer services such as Google Earth mapping and Google voice search, SOS and roadside-assistance calling, dynamic route guidance, and a lot more. The blind-spot monitoring system packaged with this car is particularly nice, as it employs extra-large amber lights and an audible warning. They greatly augment the rather small, teardrop-shaped side mirrors. Finally, the wagon has the $500 Cold Weather package with heated rear seats and heated, multifunction steering wheel with shift paddles. Its high-gloss burl walnut wood inlays cost $350. Throw in the $950 destination charge and you're looking at MSRP of $52,625. What we skipped We didn't go for the $1,450 Warm Weather Package, which would have provided ventilated front sport seats with four-way lumbar support. The car also came without the rear side airbags, a $350 option.