2011 Audi S5 Coupe on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2015 Audi Q3 headed for Detroit before hitting US showrooms this fall

The market for small premium crossover vehicles continues to grow in popularity here in the US, and Audi is finally ready to get in on the action. Going up against competitors like the BMW X1, Land Rover Range Rover Evoque and soon-to-arrive Mercedes GLA-Class, Audi will unveil a US-spec version of the 2015 Q3 at the Detroit Auto Show next week. And in what we can only assume is an amusing coincidence, the Q3 will go on sale during Q3 of this year.
As we reported back in October, it appears that our Q3 will boast a slightly taller ride height than its European counterpart, but Audi isn't releasing too much information about the crossover just yet. What we know for sure is that it will be powered by Audi's well-liked 2.0-liter turbocharged TFSI inline-four producing 200 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive will come standard, while Audi's Quattro all-wheel-drive system will be optional.
Visually, the 2015 Q3 shown here has a different front fascia design than its European counterpart, but it's not immediately clear if this is exclusive to the US model or if it will be a new element for Q3 in all markets. We don't expect pricing to be announced until closer to its on-sale date, but the Q3 will definitely be stuffed with content, even in base form. Audi has already confirmed such niceties as a panoramic moonroof, Xenon headlights and heated leather seats. Delivering a good amount of practicality for its size, the Q3 will provide a maximum cargo capacity of up to 48.2 cubic feet and 16.2 cu-ft with the rear seats in place.

Audi S3 with manual transmission still on table for US

The fine folks at Fourtitude recently sat down with Audi of America President Scott Keogh, and among other things, learned that the potent little S3 sedan could be offered with a manual transmission in the United States someday. That sort of sounds like the usual company line to us, but Keogh reportedly said the company is "looking very closely" at adding the manual to the S3, which currently is only available with a dual-clutch automatic.
Fourtitude also brought up the possibility of a hotter RS3 - a vehicle we've seen testing before, as a hatchback. We don't doubt that this more potent compact is already a done deal, but Keogh reportedly mentioned that the sedan will get this treatment. An RS3 for the US? Sign us up, for sure.
Head over to the Audi enthusiast site to read more from their talk with the company's US boss.

1,682 miles in a 2014 Audi A8 L TDI - Part 2

Interruptions like the Canadian Grand Prix, Le Mans, Pikes Peak, that ridiculous Porsche 911 GT3 and the really good, really outrageous Jeep Cherokee, are among the distractions that delayed the conclusion of this tale. If you'll remember, in Part 1 we started off in a parking lot in Sebring with an Audi A8, headed anywhere that would empty our tank, and after five days in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale and Pompano Beach we bolted in the middle of the night for a breakfast date at an IHOP a couple hundred miles away.
We last left proceedings at a Chevron pump beside the West Florida Turnpike, somewhere around midnight in the humid wilds, having done 660 miles and spent $89.40 to put 20.992 gallons in the great white whale. We had done average speed of 31 miles per hour at an average rate of 27.5 miles per gallon. Those kinds of numbers, as we demonstrated, are good enough to put you in the fuel economy orbit of the Toyota Corolla - to be precise, it only cost $6.40 more to cover that 660 miles in the A8 TDI than it would in the Japanese compact. That led us to conclude that there were just a couple of Starbucks Venti lattes between the A8 and the Corolla, assuming we conveniently ignore the two cars' purchase prices. Turns out we were wrong: it didn't take long for a commenter named "mike" to set us straight when he wrote, "It's clear you weren't lying about not frequenting Starbucks...no way could you get two venti lattes for $6.40." Mike, we salute you - our ignorance of terrible coffee has served the higher purpose of emphasizing the strong case made by the diesel Audi.
But that A8... well, the wheels were still on the damn thing and we had to drive them off. That meant five more days of pilot duty to get us from wherever the hell we were to Wildwood and Daytona Beach, FL, then Brunswick, Macon and Atlanta, GA, then Birmingham, AL, and back to Atlanta.