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Volkswagen breaks 40-year-old sales record in 2012

The last time Volkswagen moved this many vehicles in America in one year, Richard Nixon was still a President in good standing, Let It Be was a radio hit and each car wearing the VW badge boasted an air-cooled engine. That's right, with a grand total of 580,286 vehicles sold in the US last year, the VW Group has broken its own four-decades-old sales record by 2,899 vehicles.
Of that 580k total sold, 438k were Volkswagens and 139k were Audi products - increases of 35.1 percent and 18.5 percent, respectively, in year-over-year sales. The ultra-premium members of the VW group also fared well; Bentley delivered 2,315 vehicles for a 23.3-precent increase, and Lamborghini delivered 520 units for a 52.9-percent jump. Bugatti, we're told is "right on track."
Jetta (pictured) sales paced the marque with 170k models sold, and Passat also finished very strong with sales of 117k total. Tiguan also racked up its best year on file, with 31,731 models shifted.

Audi spotted running R8 E-Tron at the 'Ring

An electric version of the original Audi R8 may never have come to fruition – at least not in a form you could actually buy. But with the introduction of the all-new, second-generation model, Audi is getting serious about the prospect of producing the R8 E-Tron. And if you don't believe it, just look at these latest spy shots. Spotted testing at no less punishing a location than the Nurburgring is the upcoming new 2016 Audi R8 E-Tron. It looks just like the one we saw in Geneva earlier this year, painted in that same shade of electric blue, which we think suits the car rather well. It even has that orange strip of lighting around the side intakes, which drives the point of its electrification home in a rather stylish way, too. This prototype is wearing different wheels, and looks like it has some testing equipment mounted inside. Otherwise, this is pretty much what we can expect to see when Audi begins selling its electric supercar. We're sure there are more than a few eagerly awaiting customers who want to get their hands on an EV different from the Teslas or Nissan Leafs every other tree-hugger in the neighborhood has plugged in to their garages. To that end, expect the order books to open sometime later this year or maybe early into the next. Then the dream of an electric coupe with 456 horsepower and 679 pound-feet of torque, good for a 0-60 time in the three-second range and capable of tackling the Nordschleife, will finally become a reality. In the meantime, you can check out a piece of the action in the image gallery above. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2016 Audi R8 E-Tron: Spy Shots View 9 Photos Image Credit: CarPix Green Spy Photos Audi Coupe Electric Performance

2016 Audi S6 and S7 First Drive

Audi paired the S6 and S7 for the purposes of this test in Southern California, but these are rather disparate cars. A three-box sedan, even a sporty one like this S6, is for a specific kind of customer. A sleek, four-door hatchback like the S7, on the other hand, is for a different kind of person. These two people might not be as different as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but at the very least the S7 is the S6's lothario neighbor – the one who's always got a glass of scotch in one hand and a chambermaid in the other. A day spent in the canyons around Los Angeles proves there's a big difference between these cars. First, though, let's discuss their similarities. The S6 and the S7 get the same design overhaul we detailed in our piece on the 2016 Audi A6, namely the edge work done on the grille, bumpers, headlights, and taillights. Additionally, they get Audi's new MMI system – the brand's next step in infotainment. A day spent in the canyons proves there's a big difference between these cars. Changes exclusive to these S models include flat-bottomed steering wheels with model badges at the base of the center spoke, and aluminum-finish shift paddles. The pedals and footrest get the aluminum look as well. There's also a new shift lever, and a revised design for the Quattro badge. New seat and surface treatments join the options list, such as Beaufort Walnut inlays and Valcona leather seats in Cedar Brown. The S7 has a new Arras Red interior option as part of its design selection palette, but the striking addition there is the carbon fiber inlay it comes with, which is interwoven with a red thread. You lean in really, really close and see that scarlet yarn, and the cockpit immediately feels more special. It's the kind of beautiful subtlety you expect from Audi, and the result is a scrumptious cabin. The twin-turbo, 4.0-liter V8 gets 30 more horses, topping out at 450 horsepower. Torque remains the same at 406-pound-feet, but fuel economy increases ever so slightly to 18 miles per gallon in the city, 27 mpg highway, and 21 mpg combined. The S6 makes a meal of curves, but it does give away a hint of the effort. It seems that a fair number of buyers wanted S vehicles without the whole suite of go-fast bits; they liked having the "S" on their chests, they didn't need all of the superpowers. Thus, Audi took the Quattro sport differential and dynamic steering off the standard menu, and bundled it with the sport exhaust to create the now-optional Sport Package.