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Audi R18 E-tron gets new livery, mixes it up in city traffic [w/video]

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is still months away, but Audi Sport apparently can't wait to get started. It has just debuted the new livery for its 2014 R18 E-tron Quattro with a public drive through the streets of the town of Le Mans, while simultaneously announcing that it has a new, larger engine.
Factory driver Tom Kristensen piloted the prototype about six miles from the cathedral in the city center to the famous race track and completed a lap of a shortened version of the course. The car wears a new color scheme, which is similar to what it has raced with in the past, employing a combination of white, silver and red, plus a touch of black. Portions of the car are also reflective to show up better at night. The last time we saw the R18, it was displayed in a black and red livery. The team has also revealed that the 2014 will be powered by a new 4.0-liter diesel V6, an increase of about 300 cubic-centimeters from last season.
Audi Sport said that the stunt was inspired by the classic days of the race when drivers used to arrive to the city in the same cars they were going to race. Even back then, it's doubtful they arrived several months early, though. The 2014 R18 will make its competition debut on April 20 at the Six Hours of Silverstone. Scroll down to watch a video of it making the drive through town and read the full press release.

Audi targeting hipsters with A3 launch parties

Audi is planning quite a shindig for the launch of the A3 sedan, and it only wants young folks to show up. The Four Rings' new entry-level model will begin hitting showrooms later this month, and it is planning a launch party on April 3 at all of its roughly 280 dealers aimed at youthful, influential buyers - hipsters, for lack of a better word.
According to Automotive News, the company has sent a 64-page party-planning guide to its dealers on how to appeal these tastemakers in their late-20s to early-40s. The guide says the audience "should reflect an uncompromising spirit in a generation that refuses to settle or sell out." Audi never specifically uses the h-word in its marketing, which is good because it carries some negative connotations. However, recommendations like serving craft beer and bacon doughnuts and playing indie bands like Chvrches, Empire of the Sun and M83 certainly show that the automaker would love to gain some hipster-cred.
It may seem odd for a free spirits to desire a new Audi, but the carmaker might be playing the long con with these parties. Maybe they can't afford an A3 yet, but the $30,000 compact is likely close enough within their financial reach to at least be realistic. If the brand can appeal to them early, then they could be more likely to come back later when it's affordable.

German prosecutors investigating Audi for emissions scandal

After weeks of investigation into Volkswagen by prosecutors in Braunschweig, Germany, attorneys in Ingolstadt will also begin an examination into Audi's potential role in the emissions scandal. They reportedly received multiple criminal complaints that requested an inquiry, including one from Audi, according to Bloomberg. The prosecutors in Ingolstadt want to focus on people within the automaker that are responsible for emissions. However, the investigation is still too early in the process to identify any specific suspects. The German lawyers might also eventually combine their cases, but they remain separate for now. "Braunschweig took those parts that are clearly located at Volkswagen and asked us to keep the elements limited to Audi," a spokesperson for the Ingolstadt attorneys told Bloomberg. Audi has 2.1 million vehicles worldwide with Volkswagen Group's emissions-cheating four-cylinder diesel, including an estimated 13,000-14,000 of them in the US. The Environmental Protection Agency also recently filed a second violation notice against the 3.0-liter TDI V6 that was used in several of the company's models here, and the automaker responded with a stop sale for them. VW Group's carbon-dioxide emissions cheating in Europe also reportedly involves some Audi models. In that case, engineers admitted to artificially improving test results to achieve the cuts that the automaker requested.