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Audi plans RS3 for US

Rejoice, performance-car fans. The Audi RS3 (pictured above) is probably coming across the Atlantic. If that happens, the US-market RS3 will likely be a sedan, not the five-door body style offered in Europe. Hot hatch fans might shed a tear at this news, but we'll the RS3 any way we can get it. Audi of America CEO Scott Keogh feels the same way. "We really, really want the RS3," he said to Automotive News. "I'm very confident we'll see that car in the market. That's as far as I'm going to go. In Europe, the RS3 Sportback packs a 2.5-liter turbocharged five-cylinder with 362 horsepower and 343 pound-feet of torque mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. That grunt get to the ground via a torque-vectoring all-wheel drive system that can route up to 100 percent of the power to the rear wheels when necessary. The sprint to 62 miles per hour goes by in just 4.3 seconds. Of course, a tiny, hardcore sedan isn't on every buyer's shopping list. For those who want a little more room with their luxury, the Q8 is also on the way. "That is absolutely a car that we will see in the United States," Keogh said to Automotive News. The big crossover shares its platform with the next Q7, but will have sleeker bodywork similar to vehicles like the BMW X6 and Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe. The Q8 is slated to launch in 2017 with US sales following the European debut. Recent rumors suggest that a fully electric E-Tron version could be part of the lineup as well. Audi's American arm isn't as crossover crazy as some other automakers, however. According to Keogh, the tiny Q1 CUV might not come to the US because it's not the right fit for the market. Related Video:

Audi confirms Q8, electric CUV in the works

Word got out in late 2012 that the Audi Q8 was reportedly approved for production, but the company has kept the model's development under wraps since then. In a recent speech during Audi's annual meeting, chairman Rupert Stadler confirmed a little more about the vehicle and dropped some hints about other upcoming projects. With luxury crossovers remaining a lucrative market, it should be no shock that Stadler emphasized them in his speech. He reiterated that the Q1 was on track to launch in 2016, and the chairman also confirmed the Q8 as "a sporty Q derivative" that's on the way. The last member of Audi's upcoming CUV onslaught, an electric Q series, is set for 2018 with a range of over 311 miles. An earlier report suggests that the Q1 might not go on sale in the US because it's not right for the market. However, Audi of America is pushing hard to get the Q8. That crossover is based on the latest Q7 (pictured above) and is a way for the Four Rings to take on the BMW X6 and Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe. The electric Q model was only officially announced earlier this year, and it might use 90-kWh batteries to achieve its performance and range goals. The rest of Stadler's speech focused on the company's future. This year alone, the company is launching products like the second-gen Q7, the new R8, and latest A4. In the next five years, Audi plans to grow its product range from 52 vehicles "to about 60 models," according to the chairman. Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG Neckarsulm, 2015-05-22 Speech at the 126th Annual General Meeting of AUDI AG Outlook Thank you, Axel Strotbek, for your summary of financial year 2014. Ladies and gentlemen, that brings us to 2015 – the year of the next stage of our model initiative. We will present twelve new Audi models this year; the three most important of them are: the new Audi Q7, the new Audi R8 as the sporty spearhead of our brand and our top seller, the new Audi A4. You have already been able to admire the new Q7 and R8 at the entrance. Both of them make a strong statement. Both of them stand for sportiness and top premium quality. And both of them underscore our claim to leadership. We have produced more than 540,000 of the first-generation Q7. The new Audi Q7 is more than a worthy successor. It's the lightest vehicle in its segment. By means of intelligent lightweight construction, we have reduced its weight compared with the predecessor by up to 325 kilograms, depending on equipment levels.

Audi A3 named 2014 World Car of the Year

As usual, the second press day of the New York Auto Show was kicked off by the World Car of the Year Awards. Rather than fluff things up, we'll cut right to the chase: top honors go to the brand-new Audi A3, which bested the Mazda3 and BMW 4 Series for the all-important award.
Of course, the wonderful thing about the World Car awards is that there isn't just one big announcement - other honors are given out for specific categories. Here are the other winners from this year's ceremony:
World Green Car of the Year: BMW i3