2012 Audi S4 Premium Plus Sedan 4-door 3.0l Supercharged! on 2040-cars

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2017 Audi S4 First Drive

For all its power and easy performance, the best thing about the last Audi S4 was its uncanny ability to act like a normal (but very high-spec) A4 for most of its life. Then, when you needed or wanted a bit more speed or a bit more grip, you pushed a button or opened the tap and it became something else. It became a thing with more grip, more poise, more focus, and more gristle, but the changeover between the two S4 characters was seamless. That doesn't seem to be the case with the new one. The latest, B9 A4 has been well received and is probably the best mid-sized premium car out there, so that should have left the S4 a simple job to become the best warmed-up premium mid-sizer. It hasn't quite happened like that. The spec sheet suggests the S4 should come out on top in the fight with the BMW 340i and the Mercedes-AMG C43, but the numbers aren't everything. The engine seems impressive on paper; the all-new EA838 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 was jointly developed with Porsche (and it's closely related to Porsche's next V8, with which it will share non-internal bits like the camshaft chain). The 60-degree V6 weighs 31 pounds less than the old S4's supercharged V6, and it's replete with variable valve timing and lift, centrally mounted fuel injectors, and both direct and indirect fuel injection. That gives it 354 horsepower at 5400-6400 rpm (up 6.5 percent) and 369 pound-feet of torque from 1,370 to 4,500 rpm. That gives it a peak 44 lb-ft higher than the old one, spread across a band 600 revs broader. At 2,000 rpm, where drivers live every traffic light, it has another 74 pound-feet. That's enough motivation to move to 62 mph in 4.7 seconds. There's a new all-wheel-drive system that usually shoots 60 percent of the torque to the back but can ramp that up to 85 percent when it needs to, or it can swing it around to fire more than 70 percent to the front axle. The category benchmarks suggest turbocharged 3.0-liter gasoline sixes are the thing to have, with the Mercedes-AMG C43 using one, the 340i BMW having one (though it's straight), and Maserati's Ghibli also using one. The oddball is Jaguar's XE S, which uses a supercharger. You know, like Audi just ditched. The S4 trumps all but the C43 on power (the nine-speed Benz has 362 hp). While it ties the Ghibli for torque, it again trails the Benz (by 15 lb-ft) though its torque peak hits far earlier (the Benz waits until 2,000 rpm).

Automakers score 8 out of top 20 most-watched ads on YouTube [w/videos]

Who would have ever thought there'd be a day where people are able to skip television commercials only to go to websites to watch them later? Such is the joy of a DVR and YouTube. AdWeek tabulated the 20 most-watched ads on YouTube, and found that nine were car-related including eight coming from automakers.
Volkswagen continued its Star Wars theme with two ads in the top 20, including the highest-ranking car commercial The Bark Side spot at number three with almost 18 million views, which doesn't even have a single car in it. Some of our favorites are from Chrysler with Clint Eastwood in It's Halftime in America and House Arrest with Charlie Sheen for the Fiat 500 Abarth. Chevrolet, Honda, Audi and Toyota were the other automakers in the top 20, but we'd be remiss if we didn't at least mention one of the coolest ads on the list, the Hot Wheels corkscrew jump.
Of all the car videos, only the Fiat ad wasn't played during a Super Bowl. Check out all eight videos - in order - after the jump. Nike took the top spot with its My Time is Now ad that has been seen online more than 20 million times with Pepsi's Uncle Drew posted up in the runner-up; some of the other videos include four Old Spice commercials and an ad in which Snoop Dogg is pedaling Hot Pockets.

Audi E-Tron Sportback Concept previews 2019 production model

Audi has revealed the E-Tron Sportback concept it has been teasing ahead of Auto Shanghai. The all-electric model, the automaker says, previews a production model slated for 2019. Audi will launch an electric SUV with a driving range of 311 miles in 2018. "Following close on its heels, in 2019," says Audi Chairman Rupert Stadler, "comes the production version of the Audi E-Tron Sportback – an emotional coupe version that is thrillingly identifiable as an electric car at the very first glance." The E-Tron Sportback is powered by three electric motors – one on the front axle, and two on the rear ­– providing a total 320 kW (429 horsepower), with a boost mode that ups that output to 370 kW (496 hp). It's capable of a 0-62 mile per hour sprint of 4.5 seconds. A liquid-cooled 95-kWh lithium-ion battery provides 311 miles of driving range (on the European cycle). The concept features Audi's singleframe grille, with an illuminated four-ring logo. The front of the car is shaped for optimal airflow, and the dip in the hood also gives it a uniquely sporty look. Its front fascia integrates lighting that not only illuminates the road, but can project animations or provide communicative signals to other drivers or pedestrians. Its 23-inch wheels are imposing, giving the car a muscular stance. Side mirrors are replaced by slender cameras, which improve airflow and provide a better view of the car's surroundings, helping to eliminate blind spots. By revealing the E-Tron Sportback concept in China, Audi is acknowledging the significance of the country's electric vehicle market. "There are already about 150,000 charging stations in the country, with another 100,000 due to come on stream by the end of 2017," notes Audi Board Member for Marketing and Sales, Dr. Dietmar Voggenreiter. "We are well equipped for this rapid growth. In the next five years we will be offering five E-Tron models in China, including purely battery-powered vehicles with ranges well in excess of 500 kilometers (310.7 miles) such as the Audi E-Tron Sportback." Related Video: Featured Gallery Audi E-Tron Sportback Concept View 34 Photos News Source: Audi Green Auto Shanghai Audi Green Automakers Technology Electric e-tron audi e-tron Auto Shanghai 2017