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Xcar weighs in on the five best-sounding modern cars

Getting behind the wheel of a well-balanced vehicle can be a wonderfully visceral experience, thanks to the combined feeling of things like the weight of the steering, the bite of the brakes, and, of course, the roar of the engine. Unfortunately, many of the sensations of driving require actually being in the driver's seat to understand them, but thankfully the intoxicating noise of a beautifully tuned internal combustion engine can be shared with everyone. In a new video, Xcar shares their opinion on the five best-sounding modern performance cars. The list is a symphony of horsepower. As opposed to keeping all of the vehicles brand new, Xcar actually picks a few that are recently off the market. They're all definitely champs, though. While the list itself is well stocked, you might be able to argue with the specific order, and it would be nice to hear a few participants from outside of Europe for a collection like this one, too. No matter. Every listener is sure to find something they like in the bunch, though. Turn up the volume and enjoy.

Stay caffeinated at the speed of Audi

A large portion of the world would be in trouble without a daily dose of caffeine, and some of these coffee addicts are serious about the details, especially when it comes to specialties like espresso. For them, filling up a mug of regular java before hitting the road just isn't good enough, and Audi is happy to appeal to these folks' persnickety needs with one of its accessories available in Europe. The Germany luxury brand calls it the Espresso Mobil, and the fancy device plugs into a 12-volt outlet to brew up some espresso in a claimed two minutes. The user just needs to fill the contraption with water and press a button. The gadget runs on proprietary pods from Illy, however, which means coffee snobs can't pack it with their specific choice of bean. According to the Audi accessories catalog, Espresso Mobil starts at 199 euros ($217). In addition to the device, buyers gets a carrying case, two cups, a cleaning towel and 18 espresso pads. It's everything you need to make a fresh espresso while driving. Audi actually isn't the first to jump into the mobile-espresso-maker-for-cars category. It was the Italians at Fiat who launched a similar device with Lavazza a few years ago. That gadget was even more expensive at ˆ250 (about $300 at the time). Related Video:

Audi TT offroad concept wirelessly charges E-Tron quattro powertrain

Audi has been diving deep into the concept ideas pool for a while now, with out-there auto-show-only vehicles like the off-road Nanuk Quattro Concept (last year's Frankfurt Show) and the TT-previewing Allroad Shooting Brake (Detroit earlier this year). The automaker has also been hinting at wireless charging through its work with WiTricitiry and the Urban Concept Sportback from Frankfurt 2011. The latest evolution of these ideas is the brand-new Audi TT offroad concept show car, which makes an appearance at the Beijing Motor Show this weekend after being teased earlier this month. Putting wireless charging into an off-road body makes little sense at first glance - after all, if you're heading out into the wild, you'll be lucky enough to find a standard outlet - finding an in-ground induction pad will be near-impossible. Thankfully, we don't need to worry ourselves with this sort of logical conflict, since this is once again an auto show study. The powertrain is capable of 408 hp and 479.2 lb-ft of torque as well 123 MPGe. And that means interesting powertrain details, like a plug-in hybrid E-Tron quattro powertrain that uses two electric motors (one rated at 40 kW for the front axle, the other at 85 kW for the rear) and can even dispense with the plug part thanks to Audi Wireless Charging technology. The powertrain is capable of a total system output of 408 horsepower and 479.2 pound-feet of torque as well as a provisional fuel efficiency of over 123 miles per gallon equivalent. All with the ability to hit 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) in 5.2 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph. All-electric range is pegged at 31 miles thanks to a 12-kWH lithium-ion battery. More details than you can shake a stick at are available below. Audi says the TT offroad concept, which blends both coupe and compact SUV, could be a preview of "a new model in a future TT family," so if you've been hoping for another entry in the growing crossover coupe segment, tell Audi you'd like to see this in the real world some day. The Audi TT offroad concept show car Study combines the sportiness of a coupe with the utility of a compact SUV Powerful and efficient e-tron quattro drive with Audi Wireless Charging technology Prof. Dr.