2005 Audi A4 Quattro Sedan 4-door 3.0l V6 Loaded on 2040-cars

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Audi tops BMW and Mercedes in luxury sales

April was a good month for Audi, as the four-ring automaker beat out both Mercedes-Benz and BMW in sales. Bloomberg reports that it was America's appetite for CUVs like the Q5 and ancient Q7 that helped Audi move nearly 153,000 units around the globe. It's not all good news, though. Audi's worldwide sales only jumped by 2.5 percent, compared to BMW and Mercedes, whose sales increased 5.6 and 11 percent, respectively. On top of that, BMW is still the best-selling brand (of the three, anyway) so far in 2015, outselling Audi by roughly 9,000 units and Mercedes by about 23,000 vehicles. Considering the faster growth of its rivals, it's unclear if Audi will be able to hang onto the monthly sales crown beyond April, or if BMW will continue its reign as the world's biggest luxury automaker.

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.

European RS6 Avant ad features diesel-hybrid R18 racecar

We'd be just as happy to casually walk back to an RS6 Avant as anybody, but Audi's commercial for its fastest ass-hauling wagon takes casual to another level. The RS6 isn't even seen until more than two-thirds of the way through the 46-second German commercial, but Audi seduces us long before that with the R18 E-tron Quattro diesel-hybrid endurance racer juxtaposed into scenes of everyday life. Since when can you be picked up at the airport or drive peacefully to a riverbed in a racecar?
The German automaker cashed in on childhood dreams its nearly flawless endurance-racing pedigree big time for the advertisement - and it works, even though we realize the RS6 drinks gasoline and isn't a hybrid. It does have Quattro four-wheel drive, however. But the commercial makes us want the beautifully pragmatic long-roof with 550 horsepower all the more, especially since Audi currently has no plans to bring it to the US. Please say it ain't so!
Even if the US doesn't get an RS6 Avant, we're happy to indulge in commercials like this. Be sure to watch it below.