2001 Audi A6 on 2040-cars

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2013 Audi RS Q3

The year 1994 was a really good year for German performance fans, because it was that year when Audi released its very first official RS model (for "RennSport," or racing sport), the RS2 Avant. Recently, I was invited to participate in a three-day leg of the Audi Land of Quattro Alpen Tour, a blatant flaunting over hill and dale of the company's current lineup of RS models. We hit Austria, Switzerland and Italy - the roads were epic and the weather held for this exquisite boondoggle.
Our chief focus on this tour, which included the RS6 Avant and RS7, was the newcomer RS Q3 small crossover that will absolutely never be coming to North America, but which starts deliveries in November of this year. This no-North America policy is because we still don't have enough customers who see the thrill or sense in a $52,000 all-wheel-drive baby sport utility that gets to 60 miles per hour from a stop in under five seconds. Meanwhile, in crazy, drunken Europe, orders for this ridiculous, wondrous set of wheels have, to quote Quattro head of technical development Stephan Reil, "far outstripped the limited production numbers of the business case." Those silly Europeans, don't they know that an RS Q3 makes no sense at all? Sheesh.

Refreshed 2015 Audi A8 starts at $77,400*

Audi definitely made the US wait for the refreshed 2015 A8 and S8. The updated models were first unveiled last summer, but it has taken until June for the revised flagship sedan to reach dealers here.
The refreshed A8 line doesn't come cheap, though. Prices are up $2,000 or more over the 2014 model year. The basic 3.0T model goes for $77,400 or $81,400 for the long wheelbase version. The long wheelbase TDI is $85,100. The standard 4.0T model asks $86,400 or $90,400 for the longer one. An S8 sets back buyers $114,900, and the full bore A8L W12 is $137,900. All of these prices exclude destination (which was $895 last year and now stands at $925, according to Audi representative Mark Dahncke).
To make the wait worth it, Audi is packing the sedan with new technology and given it the slightest restyle. All models of the luxurious vehicle now come standard with full LED headlights. The 2015 model also benefits from electromechanical steering, available variable ratio steering and active lane assist. The night vision system is also updated to detect animals and alert the driver. Mechanically, there are some tiny tweaks as well. The 4.0T V8 is boosted to 435 horsepower, compared to 420 hp previously, and the 6.3-liter W12 now has cylinder deactivation.

Audi adding 11 new models, focus on CUVs and fullsize luxury

A press release celebrating Audi's delivery of 1.5 million vehicles this year contains almost a passing reference to the future of its lineup: Audi will add 11 models, expanding from 49 models to 60. The news was delivered at the Audi Forum Ingolstadt during the handover of an A3 Sportback to its German buyer, as execs noted that the brand has hit its target of 1.5 million in annual sales two years earlier than planned.
CEO Rupert Stadler said Audi will "expand our product range from the current 49 to 60 models. We see a great deal of potential, particularly in the SUV segment and in the especially prestigious fullsize category." We have little idea of what kinds of cars that could entail right now, other than the Q1, but we'd like to think it could include an RS8, a production version of the Sport Quattro concept and even the Nanuk.
The model aggrandizement will be part of Audi's push to reach two million annual sales by 2020. You can get a few more details on it in the press release below.