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Next Audi RS4 to get V6 turbo, US sales still unclear

Audi's high-performance S models have forged a reputation in the US for offering wonderful driving dynamics in a package that doesn't scream, "I bought a sport sedan." However, its even higher-performance RS models are still somewhat of a rarity here. While the RS5 and RS7 are in the current US lineup, many of the wild RS models that Europe gets, like the RS6 Avant (pictured above), never make it to these shores. Unfortunately, that might not be changing anytime soon with the next-gen RS4.
The RS4 will follow the lead of the next BMW M3/M4 and (rumored) next Mercedes-Benz C-Class AMG and make the switch to a smaller turbocharged powerplant. According to an Audi insider speaking to Car and Driver, the next RS4 will drop the last generation's 4.2-liter V8 in favor of a turbocharged V6. The engine block will likely be shared with the supercharged 3.0-liter V6 in the regular S4 but fitted with two turbochargers. Power would likely be around 400 horsepower to match the 425-hp M3 and rumored 450-hp C-Class AMG.
Unfortunately, the RS might not make it across the pond to our waiting hands because the source says no decision has been made to export them yet. Obviously, we hope that Audi makes the right decision and brings the next RS4 here.

Audi following Tesla with 280-mile EV family car

The press days are finished at the LA Auto Show, but things said there are still making news. While in California, Audi technical development chief Ulrich Hackenberg told reporters that his employer plans to release an electric car with a range of 280 miles "around 2017." Hackenberg wouldn't say what kind of car - or crossover, perhaps - it will be, but one report said it would be "a large car, fitting five large people with ample luggage space." Most observers expect it to be a sedan to take on the Tesla Model S. It's no secret that Audi respects Tesla, and there have been hints that The House of Quattro is ready to really flex its progress-through-technology muscles in Tesla's direction. Audi will be applying lessons learned in the development of the coming R8 E-tron to the future electric car, after it managed to double the range of the electric sports car thanks to new battery technology to 450 kilometers, or 281 miles. This puts another tentative all-electric Audi in the mix and another Tesla competitor, after rumors of a possible electric Q8 from February of this year. If an electric Q8 does happen, it's expected to be a challenger to the Tesla Model X. And that might not be all: Bloomberg reported in June that Audi had "devised blueprints for several high-performance electric saloons and sport-utility vehicles." News Source: AutoExpress Audi Technology Electric audi e-tron

Audi RS6 Avant vs. Vauxhall VXR8 Supercharged in wagon battle

The performance station wagon is the mature person's muscle car. As we get older, it's natural to add things like spouses, kids and dogs to our lives and each one necessitates a little more space. That doesn't mean we want to give up spirited driving though, and a quick five-door offers a great balance between needs and wants. In the latest video from Evo, we take a look at two, muscular European estates to see which is faster around a track.
Richard Meaden pits the Audi RS6 Avant and Vauxhall VXR8 Supercharged against each other; seeing that the cars go about utilizing their massive performance in very different ways. The RS6's all-wheel drive and luxury interior make it more of a scalpel around the track compared to the Vauxhall's rear-wheel drive hammer. Both offer the driver the chance to create some very smoky powerslides, though. Sadly, neither of these muscle wagons are available in North America, but scroll down to get a taste of them in the video.