2005 Audi Allroad Quattro Base Wagon 4-door 2.7l on 2040-cars

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Car companies may need to start curbing model proliferation

Looking at the current automotive landscape, especially from German makers, you quickly get the impression that less definitely isn't more. BMW alone offers its 3 Series platform in practically every segment possible, including the regular sedan and 4 Series Gran Coupe, which would seem to be direct competitors. Porsche might be the winner, though, with 20 different variants of the 911 listed for sale on its US website. However, some of this model madness might be reaching an end as companies begin cutting back spending or shifting money to other priorities.
According to Yahoo Finance, the offerings from the German automakers are up 25 percent over the past three years to over 200 models in Europe. The peak is expected to come around 2018 at 230 separate vehicles, according to consulting company PwC.
Amazingly, BMW, which is among the poster children for this model explosion, might be changing its tune. "I'm sure there will be points in the future where we look at certain cars and say, 'Maybe we need to think differently now,'" said head of sales Ian Robertson in an interview, according to Yahoo Finance. The statement certainly sounds shocking coming from a company rumored to have 23 front-wheel-drive vehicles all using a single platform on the way.

Watch Audi R8 give Birth to RS3

In the cold light of reality, it's a fairly dubious proposition to suggest that the Audi RS3 Sportback shares much of a mechanical relationship with an R8. One of them is supercar with a snorting V10 and lithe body, while the other is a still-capable hot hatch with roots lower in the brand's range. However, marketing doesn't necessarily have to sell real life, and Audi's advertisers are nailing the emotional pull of these two models in a spot called Birth. With dramatic music and a sci-fi aesthetic, the R8's V10 roars as the supercar stretches and deforms, and eventually the hot hatch gets plucked from its metallic loins. Regardless of how closely these two models are related, this commercial looks and sounds fantastic. With the US rumored to get the RS3 in sedan form at some point, hopefully we get a tweaked version of this ad.

2015 Audi RS5 Coupe Sport is one of 75

Audi has released a new limited edition of its V8-powered RS5, with the 2015 Sport edition. Limited to just 75 units and designed by the German manufacturers Exclusive customization team, the stylish RS5 starts at $87,575. That's nearly $17,000 more than the standard RS5, although you might struggle to see why. The Sport adds beautiful 20-inch 5-V-spke wheels, along with plenty of nice leatherwork in the cabin. That includes the black-and-Crimson-Red Nappa leather seats, which feature an embossed RS logo in the seatback, as well as Crimson Red leather door inserts. Contrast stitching in the leather-wrapped wheel and shifter boot match the shade on the seats and door inserts. Audi will paint the limited-edition RS5 in either Daytona Gray or Nardo Gray for no charge or, if you're willing to pay a bit more, you can chose from one of the shades from the manufacturer's Exclusive catalog. There's no mention of how much these custom hues will cost, though. Beyond that, the RS5 Sport is the same thumper that's been on sale for several years, with a 4.2-liter, 450-horsepower V8 under the hood and a seven-speed, S-Tronic transmission dispatching power to a Quattro all-wheel-drive system. Featured Gallery 2015 Audi RS5 Sport View 9 Photos News Source: Audi Audi Coupe Luxury Performance