2006 Audi A8 L 6.0l on 2040-cars

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Audi S1 nearly ready to rocket euros out of your pocket

Audi was out testing its upcoming S1 on the streets of Germany when our trusty spy photographers snapped the new, all-wheel-drive hot hatch that's set to succeed the limited-edition A1 Quattro.
Unlike the A1 Quattro, the S1 should sport a much less aggressive look overall. As shown in the spy shots, its wheel wells lack the meaty flairs of its predecessor while its rear wing is much more subdued. The wheels are more in line with what we expect from Audi's S models and its higher ride height is more conducive to common things like steep driveways and speed bumps that the 333-unit A1 Quattro might not encounter.
According to our spies, the S1 should hit the European market with anywhere from 220 to 250 horsepower, making it considerably more potent than competitors like the Ford Fiesta ST or Polo GTI from its parent company, Volkswagen (although it'll likely arrive at a considerably higher price than either of those pocket rockets). On the high end, that's roughly equal to the 252 ponies generated by the 2.0-liter, turbocharged four in the A1 Quattro

Best cars for snow and ice in 2023 and 2024

What's the best car for snow? The real answer is "the one with winter tires." What do we mean by that? You could have the finest, most advanced all-wheel-drive system or four-wheel drive in the world, but if you're running all-seasons (the spork of tires), your fancy four-wheeler won't matter much. The odds are, any vehicle on the road running good winter tires will probably perform adequately in slippery, slushy and/or snowy road conditions. (Here's a more complete explanation of why winter tires are totally worth it). In other words, you don't really need any of the cars on this list. With a set of winter tires, countless others will do the job, and even these will be at their best with proper rubber. You can find a variety of winter tires for your car here at Tire Rack. Keep in mind that you will need a full set of four snow tires for safety and performance, no matter what you're driving. The days of your dad putting just two snows on the family truckster to get it moving in a straight line are long gone. Don't get us wrong, getting a car that performs well in snow and ice is still a worthy criteria for car buyers. According to the U.S. Transportation Department, 70% of Americans live in places that get snow and ice. And much of the country has been blasted with arctic air for much of the new year. So let's look at the cars. First, we're highlighting choices for a variety of buyers and price points. Second, we're not just considering snow; we're considering general wintery conditions people will experience driving to work or school. As such, these are all choices with advanced all-wheel-drive systems, usually with "torque-vectoring" systems that not only automatically shunt power front and back, but side to side between the rear axles. Most have extra ground clearance for getting through deep snow, and we prefer those vehicles with more responsive steering, throttles and transmissions that provide a greater sense of vehicle control in slippery conditions.    Acura RDX Read our Acura RDX Review Acura's Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive system was one of the first to offer torque-vectoring, and besides often being touted for its ability to greatly enhanced dry-road handling, its benefits in the slick stuff can be profound. It's actually surprising that Acura hasn't leaned into this capability further by offering more rugged versions of its vehicles.

Audi Prologue Avant puts new styling focus on wagons

As much as we loved the Audi Prologue Concept that debuted late last year at the LA Auto Show – and, suffice it to say, we liked the first Prologue a lot – this new Prologue Avant from the German automaker may just rock our socks that much further off our feet. We have very little by way of actual, concrete details on what's under the angular wagon-shaped skin of the Prologue Avant, but we'd be perfectly content if it kept the previous two-door's 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 in place underhood, augmented as it was when it was again shown at CES last month with a hybrid-assist system that put total system horsepower at 677, along with a meaty 701 pound-feet of torque. With all that power routed to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission, the 0-60 time of just 3.5 seconds strikes us as plenty quick. The powertrain details hardly seem the point of this new concept from Audi, in any case. Clearly, the big deal is the new bodywork, which builds upon the beautiful foundation of the original Prologue coupe with an elongated wagon shell and three additional doors (two rear doors and a rear hatch). The attractive body sits low to the ground on exaggerated 22-inch wheels, according to Auto Express. We note high-tech lighting elements front and rear and a modified front fascia with a bit more brightwork than the previous version. Assuming there's a bit of future reality baked into the Prologue Avant – which we believe is likely, considering that the coupe we salivated over in LA was said to point the way forward for the brand – it's safe to say we're in eager anticipation of the next several years at Audi. Have a good look at the images that have so far been released, and feel free to let us know what you think. We're sure Audi is interested in hearing your opinions, too. Related Video: News Source: Audi via Auto Express Design/Style Geneva Motor Show Audi Wagon Concept Cars Future Vehicles Hybrid Luxury Performance 2015 Geneva Motor Show