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Audi rumored to buy Alfa Romeo, officials deny it

For more than two years, Volkswagen has been making public statements about its willingness to buy Alfa Romeo and quadruple the Italian brand's sales, and for just as long, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne has replied with some version of "Mr. Piëch, drop it." According to a report in Ward's Auto, all that jousting might be over: it claims that sources close to both Marchionne and Audi CEO Rupert Stadler admit that the two are in talks for Audi to buy not just Alfa Romeo, but a production plant in Italy. In fact, a final deal could possibly include partsmaker Magnetti Marelli.
Against that backdrop, a report by German news weekly Stern quotes a Fiat spokesmen as saying it doesn't comment on rumors and an Audi rep has said flatly that "There is no substance in the news." If a sale is being arranged, the timing would seem to point to how eager Fiat is to raise cash to complete its major initiatives. Even though Alfa Romeo continues to delay its return to the US, it just showed off the production version of the 4C at the Geneva Motor Show (shown above) and said that preferred Fiat dealerships here would get them. Then there's Alfa's recently concluded deal with Mazda to develop a roadster based on the next generation MX-5 Miata - a deal that would seem to help both the Italian and Japanese brands.
The monetary issues are troublesome, though. Fiat is taking a beating in the European market and its weak-kneed balance sheet is delaying gotta-have-it products like the Jeep Cherokee. Fiat has been talking to banks about getting money to buy the rest of Chrysler and those financial institutions have also raised issues about debt and cash reserves, and the nasty game of chess Fiat is playing with the United Auto Workers (and now the court system about the portion of Chrysler it doesn't own) could end up blowing another hole in Marchionne's plans. It is possible that this could finally have convinced Fiat to at least see how serious Audi's parent company, Volkswagen, is about buying Alfa Romeo. Or it could be just another rumor.

Lots of new cars were unveiled in Munich this week. Here's what you might've missed

The 2021 Munich Auto Show is happening this week and due to ongoing corporate travel restrictions, we remained firmly planted on this continent. So, although we can't tell you exactly what it's like inside the futuristic new Mercedes EQE electric sedan or fully appreciate the funky Volkswagen ID.Life concept, there's no shortage of details and analysis to provide.  Obviously, as Germany's premier auto show in 2021, the cars unveiled were primarily from the German brands. We also focused mostly on the cars that might actually make their way to the United States, or at least inspire those that will.   2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE is an electric alternative to the E-Class While the EQS paved the way for Mercedes' electrified future, much like the S-Class before it, the EQE stands to be the car that will move in far greater numbers -- much like the E-Class before it. Mercedes-Benz EQE 350 View 12 Photos   Mercedes-Maybach EQS Concept shows SUV future of the flagship brand Opulence will still have a place in an electrified future, as Maybach gets into the EQ game with a grand electric SUV. Mercedes-Maybach EQS Concept View 4 Photos   Volkswagen ID.Life concept previews the city car's high-riding EV future Well, isn't this adorable? Though perhaps a tad derivative of the Honda E, Volkswagen's blocky little crossover EV nevertheless represents a handsome new direction for VW design. We like this better than the rounded looks of the current ID.3 and ID.4.  2021 Volkswagen ID.Life concept View 20 Photos   BMW i Vision Circular is a 100% recycled and recyclable hatch Behold, the next BMW 3 Series! Just kidding. Besides this, BMW displayed cars in person for the first time that it had previously only unveiled on the interwebs, including the new 2 Series and revised iX3. It also unveiled some bikes. BMW i Vision Circular Concept View 63 Photos   Audi's GrandSphere concept was designed as a road-going private jet Does Audi know what a sphere is? Cause this isn't anything like one. Still, it's quite a handsome thing, and as one of three Sphere-branded concepts, previews the next direction of Audi design (which is pleasantly reminiscent of two-decade-old Mazda design). No complaints here. 2021 Audi GrandSphere concept View 26 Photos   Porsche Mission R is a 1,000-horsepower electric monster Just like the Mission E previewed the Taycan, this apparently previews another future car.

Audi A3 E-Tron Sportback already getting residual value love

It's a tricky game, but the folks at Auto Bild and market research institute Schwacke are looking into the future. Through the mists of future time, they say that they think that buying an Audi A3 Sportback e-tron plug-in hybrid today is going to look like a smart buy in a few years. The German automaker likes what it sees in terms of resale value for the plug-in hybrid A3, Audi's first mass-produced plug-in, and the car has already been named a "Wertmeister." That's the "value champ" designation that Auto Bild hands out every year. Audi says the A3 e-tron has the "most stable residual value in its class," and is expected to retain more than 57 percent of its original value four years after rolling off the dealership lot. That gives the plug-in hybrid bragging rights to the "Wertmeister" award for the Compact Car category. Audi also won second place in the Full Size category with its Audi A6 Avant 3.0 TDI The German automaker started sales of the A3 e-tron last summer in Germany, pricing the model at about $51,500. The cars has 204 horsepower, can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in less than eight seconds and has an all-electric range of up to 31 miles. Check out Audi's press release below, and take a look at our First Drive impressions of the model here. Audi A3 Sportback e-tron is "Wertmeister 2015" Auto Bild crowns Audi A3 Sportback e-tron "Wertmeister 2015" Audi A6, Audi A7 and Audi Q3 also awarded top-three places Ingolstadt/Berlin, February 5, 2015 – the Audi A3 Sportback e-tron* is the car with the most stable residual value in its class. That was the conclusion drawn by Auto Bild and market research institute Schwacke. The A3 e-tron stands out with the best residual value forecast among the compact cars, receiving the title "Wertmeister 2015". Every year, Auto Bild and Schwacke select the cars in each class that are expected to depreciate the least during the following four years. The winners take the "Wertmeister" title. The Audi A3 Sportback e-tron is the winner in the "Compact Car" category with a residual value of 57.3 percent. The Audi A3 e-tron is the first plug-in hybrid from Audi. It combines sporty power with impressive efficiency and abundant driving enjoyment with unrestricted everyday utility.