2019 Audi A6 55 Premium on 2040-cars

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Audi R8 V10 gets tuned up by ABT

Bavarian tuners ABT have done another job on the Audi R8 V10, pumping up the 5.2-liter FSI V10 from 525 horsepower to 600 hp, and torque from 391 pound-feet to 406 lb-ft. With 50 more horsepower than the R8 V10 Plus - but not the extreme weight-loss scheme - ABT claims a 0-62 mile per hour run of 3.5 seconds, the same as the R8 V10 Plus, and a top speed for the mid-engined coupe of 198 miles per hour "is no problem at all."
Managing all that speed are the aero tweaks provided by a comprehensive body kit including a rear wing, a lowered and beefed-up suspension, a stainless steel exhaust and 19-inch wheels in two different designs.
The press release below has a few more bits of info on the matter. And while ABT hasn't put a price on the Audi upgrades, but it's safe to say that nearly 200 mph in an R8 won't come cheap.

Finalists for 2014 Green Car of the Year announced

The list of finalists for the 2014 Green Car of the Year has been announced, and in a genuinely bizarre twist, there's only one hybrid and no electric vehicles among the five contestants, despite the arrival of cars like the BMW i3 and Tesla Model S. Taking the place of the EVs are a pair of diesels, repping a technology that last won a Green Car of the Year award in 2009, when the Audi A3 TDI took the title. No diesel was in the running for last year's award.
Naturally, both of the diesel finalists are fielded by the Germans - with BMW's 328d and Audi's A6 TDI getting the nod. In the case of the 3 Series, BMW installed a 2.0-liter, turbodiesel, capable of delivering 180 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, while returning 45 miles per gallon on the highway. Audi and its larger, 3.0-liter, V6 turbodiesel produce quite a bit more grunt, with 240 hp and 428 lb-ft of grunt, but net a very impressive 38 mpg on the highway in the A6.
Finalists for this year's awards include two diesels, three gas-powered cars and a plug-in hybrid.

Audi SQ5 comes to America with 354-hp gasoline engine

When we first saw the Audi SQ5 TDI unveiled back in June, we could feel that pit in our stomach. Here sat a powerful, sporty, mean-looking crossover, and we just knew that Audi wasn't going to be bringing it to the US. And we were right. While we won't be getting the diesel version of this crossover with its 479 pound-feet of torque, we will instead be getting a gas-powered, supercharged V6 - the same powertrain as the S5 - and that's a mighty fine consolation prize if you ask us. The US version of the 2014 Audi SQ5 will debut next week at the Detroit Auto Show, and it will go on sale this fall.
Ditching the diesel engine, the US-bound SQ5 loses some torque but gains plenty of horsepower with Audi quoting power ratings of 354 horsepower and 346 lb-ft from the supercharged 3.0-liter V6. Power is fed through an eight-speed automatic to all four wheels giving the small CUV impressive performance numbers. The 0-60 mile per hour time is expected to be in the low five second range to go with an electronically limited top speed of 155 miles per hour. The suspension has been upgraded as well to improve handling, but it also gives the SQ5 a sportier appearance with a ride height that has been lowered by more than an inch compared to a standard Q5.
Speaking of styling, the 2014 SQ5 gets all of the expected "S" model upgrades, especially when it comes to the new front fascia and grille, the standard 20-inch, triple-spoke wheels and the quadruple exhaust tips. Only two colors will be available on the SQ5: Panther Black and Estoril Blue. Inside, the SQ5 will get a sportier cabin with bright, "aluminum-look" pedals and shift paddles, and the materials will also get an upgrade to include Nappa leather and Alcantara as well as accent options that include carbon fiber, piano black, aluminum or wood finish.