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'Rich Kid of Instagram' victim of supercar arsonists

A 19-year-old in the UK is smarting after the possibility that his prolific social media use may be at the heart of four family-owned supercars going up in flames in barely a week. Aleem Iqbal has thousands of followers on Twitter and Instagram paying attention to his frequent posts about the high-priced cars he's driving. He's even been featured on the Tumblr page Rich Kids of Instagram. It appears that some people might not be so smitten with him, though.
According to his Twitter profile, Iqbal owns Platinum Executive Travel, a luxury car rental company in the England, and UK newspaper The Telegraph claims the company is also owned by Iqbal's father. On June 6, cameras caught three hooded men setting fire to a Lamborghini Aventador Roadster leased by the company for a wedding. A few days later, two Audi R8 Spyders and a Bentley Continental Flying Spur from Platinum also got the torch, and two men were caught on camera setting the blaze. Nobody was hurt in either of the attacks, and the Aventador appeared to be repairable with the fire causing most damage to the passenger seat and dashboard. Police are still investigating both of the crimes.
According to The Telegraph, Iqbal believes that the arsons could have stemmed from jealousy towards him and his family's business. Regardless, setting fire to a bunch of cars that are likely insured isn't a great way to show displeasure.

2017 Audi S4 switches to turbo power, loses manual

If you dig the understated look of the 2017 Audi A4 but crave more power, then check out the latest S4. The new sport sedan sticks with a V6 but ditches the supercharger in favor of turbocharging to now produce estimated US figures of 354 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. If there's one downside to the upgrade, it's that Audi only plans to offer the mill with an eight-speed Tiptronic automatic gearbox. The 2017 S4 is now quicker than before. The run to 62 miles per hour takes just 4.7 seconds, versus 4.9 seconds for the current sedan to reach 60 mph. The top speed remains at an electronically limited 155 mph, but fuel economy is claimed to be improved with a rating of 31.8 miles per gallon on the European testing cycle. All S4s come with Audi's venerable Quattro all-wheel drive, and it generally operates with a 40:60 front-rear power split. As conditions change, a maximum of 70 percent of the grunt can go to the front or 85 percent to the rear. Handling is also aided by a tweaked suspension that sits 0.9-inches lower than the A4. Beyond the different badges, the latest S4 doesn't visually advertise its prowess. LED lighting is standard, and quad exhausts rest in a new rear bumper with a subtle diffuser. The side mirror housings also get some aluminum-look trim. The interior layout echoes the A4 but with sport seats and a mix of Nappa leather and Alcantara upholstery. Audi's digital instrument cluster is optional and includes an exclusive sport screen among the three views. The new S4 goes on sale in 2016 as a 2017 model. In addition to the lack of a manual, there's no intention of offering the S4 Avant in the US. Sporty and high-tech: the new Audi S4 and S4 Avant September 15, 2015 | FRANKFURT/INGOLSTADT, Germany Audi launches the new S4 and S4 Avant at the IAA in Frankfurt am Main. The top models from the A4 series are ahead of the competition – with intelligent lightweight design, powerful engines, an extensive package of the latest technologies, and 260 kW (354 hp), 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) in 4.7 seconds. (The all-new A4 and S4 are expected to go on sale in the U.S. market in 2016. The Avant is not planned for the U.S. market.) "At Audi, we have more than 20 years of expertise in developing our sporty S models," says Professor Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Member of the Audi Board of Management for Technical Development.

Next Audi TT glimpsed, same as it ever was?

Audi has teased the new TT coupe ahead of its Geneva Motor Show reveal with renderings and video, but now, what appears to be a photo of the new two-door has leaked onto the web, courtesy of Autofans.be. And if you're thinking, "Well, jeez, that looks familiar," you definitely aren't alone. Aside from the new lighting character in the taillamps, everything you see here looks pretty much unchanged from the old car. Of course, the front should get a nice freshening, and that interior should be super-high-tech. We'll reserve final judgments until we see the new TT live in Geneva next week.