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Honda China struggling with high-end Accord because Chinese covet German cars, too

It's not particularly unusual to see cheap cars in China, or those with designs stolen from foreign competitors, but increasingly the best-selling vehicles there would be very recognizable to just about any auto enthusiast. There appears to be one fact of life whether looking at car buyers in Sacramento, Stuttgart or Shanghai: People who can afford to buy premium cars often look first at the Germans.
Honda recently thought that it could challenge this perceived wisdom by including a premium Accord in the ninth-generation sedan's Chinese launch last year. The market-exclusive version was priced against the Audi A4. The venture failed, miserably.
According to Automotive News China, sales for the new Accord in China are down 37 percent through May of this year. Honda's overall sales are actually up by about 11 percent there on the strength of smaller, less profitable models. However, the company is still off its forecast 19-percent rise.

Audi looks at the future of transportation for Ender's Game film

The forthcoming science-fiction movie Ender's Game, starring Harrison Ford and Ben Kingsley, takes place in a high-tech world. So if movie-watchers are to be fully immersed in the story, every detail counts. That's why the computer-generated special-effects company assigned to the movie, Digital Domain, enlisted the help of Audi to design a future car that would fit seamlessly in the film's world - part of its $17.2-million investment in the movie.
Audi went all out, with Head of Audi Exterior Studio 1 Frank Rimili and designer Björn Wehrli assigned to the Audi Fleet Shuttle Quattro's design, which is so thorough and cohesive that we wouldn't be surprised to see cars like it on the road three-quarters of a century down the line. Rimili doubts that, but is "absolutely sure" Audi will still be around in 2088.
Watch the making-of video below to see all of the work that went into designing a car that will never see the light of day - in the real world, that is. If you're a fan of science fiction or the novel on which the movie is based, head on over to a theater to watch Ender's Game, which opens on Friday.

2015 Audi A6 spiffs up for Paris Motor Show duty

While the big names at the Audi booth might be dominated by the TT line, it's not the only product getting some attention from the German company. The A6, on sale in its present form since 2012, is getting its official mid-cycle refresh.
Featuring light exterior freshening, the new fascia wears a tweaked grille and slimmer, more expressive headlights. The rear end sees more substantial changes, with a freshened rear bumper that features rectangular exhaust outlets and more dramatically redone taillights.
Under hood, the 3.0-liter, supercharged V6 engine now produces 329 horsepower, while the 3.0-liter, turbodiesel V6s are available in 215- or 268-hp varieties, or in twin-turbocharged form, with 315 hp or 322 hp. The other big powertrain news surrounds the transmission. Audi has finally dropped the continuously variable transmission from the base, front-drive A6, slotting in a dual-clutch transmission in its place.