2006 Audi A8 Quattro, Fully Loaded, 4.2 W/ 71,200 Miles (a4, A6, Passat,phaeton) on 2040-cars

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1956 DKW Audi electric van beautifully restored

These days, electric vehicles that make commercial deliveries aren't entirely rare. UPS has a small fleet in California, and at least 5,000 Renault Kangoo Z.E. models are in use by France's national postal service. But the history of this concept is much older. In fact, one of the companies represented by Audi's four rings had an example about 60 years ago. Audi Tradition just completed a full restoration of this blue 1956 DKW Elektro-Wagen to add to the company's collection of historic vehicles. It's quite a rare find because only two are still known to exist. Audi estimates that DKW built about 100 of these electric vans between 1955 and 1962, and they were primarily sold to energy companies, public utilities and battery makers. To create the EV model, DKW took its normal Schnellaster delivery van and replaced the model's two-stroke engine with an electric drivetrain. The vans weren't exactly speedy, though. The motor produced about 6.7 horsepower and lead-acid batteries offered 200 amp hours of power running at 80 volts. It gave the Elektro-Wagen a claimed range of about 50 miles and a 25 mile-per-hour top speed. Following the restoration, Audi took van to the island of Wangerooge in the North Sea to show it off. The location is perfect, too, because vehicles with internal combustion engines are banned on the island. If you can read German, feel free to find out more in the press release below. „DKW Elektro-Wagen" zu Audi heimgekehrt Einen von zwei verbliebenen DKW Elektro Schnellaster restauriert Klein-Bus einst auf der Nordseeinsel Wangerooge im Einsatz Audi Tradition prasentiert einen aussergewohnlichen Neuzugang in seiner historischen Sammlung: einen „DKW Elektro-Wagen" von 1956. Zwischen 1955 und 1962 produzierte die Auto Union GmbH in Ingolstadt DKW Schnellaster – etwa 100 davon als Elektro-Automobile, die das Unternehmen vor allem an Energieunternehmen, Stadtwerke oder Batteriehersteller verkaufte. Bei dem nun nach aufwandiger Restauration „heimgekehrten" Elektro-Schnellaster handelt es sich um ein besonderes Exponat: Der DKW fuhr auf der Nordseeinsel Wangerooge, wo Automobile mit Verbrennungsmotoren verboten sind. Normalerweise war der DKW Schnellaster mit einem Zweitaktmotor ausgestattet - der „Elektro-Wagen" hingegen mit einem funf Kilowatt (kw) leistenden Reihenschluss-Motor. Die seitlich in zwei Kasten gelagerten Bleibatterien hatten eine Nennspannung von 80 Volt und eine Kapazitat von 200 Amperestunden (AH).

The 2013 Rolex 24-hour race at Daytona comes down to the last hour [spoilers, w/video]

It took 24 hours to run the race, but it was the last one was stuffed with the high action as four cars were still trying to figure out how to gain victory on the track and in the pits. Along with the obligatory crashes, spins, mechanical issues and retirements had come numerous penalties, a double-digit number of full-course yellows and two hours of fog that turned early Sunday morning into a stretch of parade laps.
The final hour would make up for the morning - drivers who might have been happy just to get on the podium had a shot at victory as the end of the race approached, and that turned into a few gambles that paid off, and at least one that didn't...

Audi S3 pitted against BMW M135i in track battle

Audi and BMW have long been enemies on both the road and the track, with their respective M and S/RS lines duking it out to the delight of auto enthusiasts everywhere. In this video from Evo, two of the rivalry's newest combatants take to the track - the Audi S3 and the BMW M135i.
The new Audi S3, which is finally coming to America, throws down with a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder. 290 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque are deployed to a Quattro all-wheel-drive system via a six-speed, S-Tronic dual-clutch transmission, allowing the five-door Audi to scamper to 60 in under five seconds.
The BMW, which Americans will know as a long-roof version of the new M235i Coupe, comes to the track with 320 ponies and 331 lb-ft of torque. That's a good bit more than the Audi, but the M135i has only two wheels to send its power to, an eight-speed single-clutch automatic (a six-speed manual is available) and a slightly higher curb weight.