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MT's Jessi Lang recounts her harrowing Autobahn R8 crash

Automotive enthusiasts know the name, face, voice and stories of Jessi Lang well. And if they don't, they should. The longtime Motor Trend video presenter and host of The J-Turn is a regular fixture on the automotive scene, and one of our favorite to watch. But a year ago, Jessi vanished from the scene. And we're sad to say she hasn't been kicking back enjoying umbrella drinks on the beach all this while. A year ago Lang went on a pilgrimage to Germany, driving a Porsche 911 GT3 on the Nurburgring and an Audi R8 modified by Abt on the Autobahn when the unthinkable happened. A car swerved out of its lane and into Jessi's path. A catastrophic collision ensued, and Lang was seriously injured. Jessi's been recovering from the multiple fractures and life-threatening lacerations ever since, and in her first appearance back on the net, has returned to tell her harrowing but courageous story. We wish her all the best on her long road to recovery, hope to see her back to her old self again soon, and invite you to watch the heart-rending story here.

2016 Audi R8 E-Tron packs 456 hp and goes on sale this year

For the longest time, the Audi R8 E-Tron seemed like such a fantasy, we never really though it'd come to fruition. But it's here, in second-generation R8 form. It's really, actually, finally here. It looks like a electrified R8, too, with oversized, EV-spec wheels, and a revised front fascia that lends itself well to the more chiseled design of Audi's mid-engine coupe. Thanks to that nice shape and those air-slicing wheels, Audi has achieved a drag coefficient of 0.28 for the R8 E-Tron. The 92-kWh, T-shaped battery is actually integrated into the center tunnel behind the passenger compartment, so it helps with the car's weight distribution and center of gravity. The two electric motors are mounted at the rear. As for the specs, things look awesome: 456 horsepower, 679 pound-feet of torque, 0-62 in 3.9 seconds, top speed of either 130 or 155 miles per hour, a range of 280 miles and a charging time of less than two hours. And it's going on sale. Like, for real. Audi's press blast clearly states, "Upon customer request, the R8 E-Tron will be available for order in 2015 as an electrically powered sports car in supreme hand-built quality." Consider us stoked. Electrified: Audi R8 e-tron The second generation of the Audi R8 forms the basis for two more models. Audi has made major engineering developments in its high-performance electric sports car, the R8 e-tron. The latest evolution of the vehicle takes up the multimaterial Audi Space Frame from the new series-production model. The supporting structure was enhanced by a CFRP rear-section module comprising the luggage compartment. The walls of the CFRP luggage compartment well are corrugated. This way, in the event of a rear-end collision, more energy can be absorbed despite the reduced material weight. Thanks to targeted modifications to the outer shell and on the wheels, the Audi R8 e-tron achieves an aerodynamic drag coefficient (cd) value of 0.28. In terms of performance and range, the car enters entirely new dimensions. The large T-shaped battery is structurally integrated into the center tunnel and behind the occupant cell – optimally positioned in the car. It supports the dynamics of the R8 e-tron with its low center of gravity. Audi produces the high-voltage battery itself, for the first time based on a newly developed lithium-ion technology which was specially conceived for a purely electric vehicle drive.

Audi A7 Sportback H-Tron Quattro packs plug-in hydrogen powertrain

If you think a plug-in diesel hybrid is an expensive proposition, just wait until you hear details about the just-revealed Audi A7 Sportback H-Tron Quattro. The "H" in H-Tron, as you might guess, stands for hydrogen, so say hello to a new concept that combines a plug-in battery system with a hydrogen fuel cell. Yeah, exactly. Let's start with the numbers. On the plug-in side, the new H-Tron has an 8.8-kWh lithium-ion battery that can power the car for up to 31 miles on battery power. With electric motors on both axles – it's a Quattro, after all, but a through-the-road hybrid with electronic torque distribution management – the A7 H-Tron uses a hydrogen fuel cell and four (!) H2 tanks to offer about 62 miles per gallon equivalent. Audi says the overall fuel cell stack efficiency is "as high as 60 percent" while the electric motors operate at 95 percent efficiency. Efficiently turning all of that electricity into movement means the A7 Sportback H-Tron Quattro has a total power output of 398.3 pound-feet of torque. The 4,299-pound concept can allegedly go from 0-62 miles per hour in 7.9 seconds and has a top speed of 112 mph. The car's total range is 311 miles. The A7 H-Tron is not the first plug-in hydrogen vehicle concept. That title goes to the Ford HySeries Edge. Mazda also considered putting a hydrogen range extender in the Mazda5 plug-in van. The Audi A7 Sportback h-tron quattro It sprints from 0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mi) in 7.9 seconds and on to a top speed of 180 km/h (111.8 mph). It covers over 500 kilometers (310.7 mi) on one tank of fuel – and its exhaust emits nothing more than a few drops of water: The A7 Sportback h-tron quattro, which Audi is unveiling at the Los Angeles Auto Show 2014, uses a powerful, sporty electric drive with a fuel cell as its energy source that operates in combination with a hybrid battery and an additional electric motor in the rear. The overall electrical system power of 170 kW is transferred to both the front and the rear wheels. This drive configuration makes the emission-free Audi A7 Sportback* a quattro through and through – a new departure in fuel cell cars. "The A7 Sportback h-tron quattro is a genuine Audi – at once sporty and efficient. Conceived as an e-quattro, its two electric motors drive all four wheels," explained Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Member of the Board of Management for Technical Development at Audi. "The h-tron concept car shows that we have mastered fuel cell technology.