2012 Audi Q5 3.2l Quattro Suv $48k+msrp Awe Exhaust Kw Coilovers Fully Loaded $$ on 2040-cars

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The 2018 Audi A5 and S5 Cabriolets are here just in time for winter

There are no big surprises with the 2018 A5 and S5 Cabriolet. As you'd expect, the convertibles share a design with their coupe counterparts, the A5 and S5 coupes, refreshed versions of which were unveiled earlier this year. Alongside the coupes and upcoming sportback models, the Cabriolets complete the A5 lineup. At least until another RS 5 comes along. In Europe, the A5 will have five available engine options, including three TDI engines maxing out at a 286-horsepower 3.0-liter, and two TFSI gas engines, with the most powerful putting out 252 hp. There will also be a choice of three transmissions including a six-speed manual, a seven-speed S-Tronic dual-clutch gearbox, and as an eight-speed automatic. For the US, though, the powertrains should be the same as the new coupe's, with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder generating 252 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque in the A5, replacing the 220-hp turbo four in the previous model. An eight-speed automatic is a definite, although the existence of a manual A4 sedan for our market leaves some hope that a six-speed could be available in the A5 Cabriolet or at least the coupe. Audi also hasn't made final decisions on whether a front-drive model will be available here as it has been in the past. View 13 Photos The S5 Cabriolet, just like the two-door model, uses a new 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 engine that produces 354 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, which is 21 more horsepower and 44 more pound-feet of torque than the old 3.0-liter supercharged V6 made. Despite the bump in power, the new S5 Cab hits 62 miles per hour in 5.1 seconds, just like the previous model. It is again electronically limited to 155 mph. And like the coupe, it will use an eight-speed automatic and get Quattro all-wheel drive standard. The A5 Cabriolet loses roughly 88 pounds compared to the previous model. The cars use an updated five-link front suspension and Audi claims the chassis is 40 percent stiffer than before. The soft tops have more insulation to cancel out road noise, take 15 seconds to open, and 18 seconds to close. You can do either at speeds up to 31 mph. The A5 Cabriolet will be available with Audi's latest array of driver assistance systems, including its navigation-linked adaptive cruise control and collision avoidance assist. A seven-inch display, seat belt microphones, Audi's Virtual Cockpit infotainment and gauge package, and a head-up display are available on the inside.

24 Hours of Le Mans live update part three

We tasked surfing journalist Rory Parker to watch this year's live stream of the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans. What follows is an experiment to experience the world's greatest endurance race from the perspective of a motorsports novice. Parker lives in Hawaii and has an associates degree in dropping f-bombs. For Part One, click here. Part Two is here. Really hoped I'd be able to grab an hour or two of sleep before the sun rose over Le Mans. Dark dark dark, couldn't figure out what was going on. Commentators struggled at times as well. But I couldn't do it. Endurance racing is just too exciting. Grabs my attention with both fists. Screams, "watch these men DRIVE!" A neighbor invited me over for drinks. Told him, "Can't do it, gotta watch Le Mans!" Maybe not exactly. I'll admit, at times my attention wandered. I did a load of laundry. Ate some snacks. Half listened to the commentary. Threw a hump at my wife. I learned that Patrick Long, driving #88, is big brother to Kevin "Spanky" Long. Spanky's a bit of a legend in the skate world. Always weird how top notch talent can run in families like that. Kind of surprised I've never heard that before. Worked for a skate mag for a years, met Spanky a handful of times. Someone must've told me that he has an older brother who drives race cars. Dash cams at night are scary. High powered headlights in the P1s reach almost 300 meters. Cars outrun that distance easy. Seems like they're just steering into the black and hoping for the best. But that can't be the case. People'd be dropping dead let and right. Very amused by how the guys in GT are like, "Dude, stop flashing your fucking lights before you pass." But the LMP's are all, "Suck a dick! I do what I want." Top three stayed neck and neck nearly all night long. As the sun gets ready to creep back over the horizon the top three are separated by only eleven and a half seconds. Toyota 5 and 6, Porsche 2. Audi 8 is two laps behind Porsche, beleaguered 7 is dealing with constant trouble eleven laps from the front. GTE Pro sees Ferrari 82 in first, Ford 68 and 69 right behind. To win you've gotta drive perfect, build perfect. Fours cars retired so far. I'm beginning to appreciate the endurance aspect a little more fully. Only really considered the drivers at first. The mental and physical stress driving these cars at these speeds at length would inflict. But keeping the damn things running is the real deal. To win you've gotta drive perfect, build perfect.

Does faster charging make you want an Audi Q7 PHEV?

Don't let the image of a heavy diesel-powered plug-in hybrid SUV fool you. The Audi Q7 E-Tron will be a quick thing when it goes on sale in Europe this summer. And the SUV will be able to be recharged at a pretty good clip as well, says Automotive News Europe. A full charge of the Q7 E-Tron can provide a range of as much as 35 miles in all-electric mode, using lenient European specifications. One of the model's bells and whistles will be battery-recharging technology that allows the SUV to be recharged at up to 7.2 kilowatts. That means that the battery can be fully recharged in about two and a half hours. Not exactly Tesla Supercharger territory, but not bad. How much a faster recharging option impacts demand for a plug-in vehicle is open to interpretation. For instance, an Idaho National Laboratory study released late last year estimated that about 85 percent of the recharging activity for the Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in and Nissan Leaf EV happened at home, implying that how long it takes your plug-in to fill up may not be a huge factor. So, how much would this option of faster recharging sway your decision in buying a plug-in hybrid? The Q7 E-Tron's V6 diesel engine and electric motor, which operate in a parallel hybrid setup, combine to deliver 373 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. That combination can propel the SUV from 0 to 60 miles per hour in about six seconds. Of course, test that out a few times, and your all-electric range is likely to drop a bit. Audi is expanding its batch of E-Tron plug-in vehicles to better compete with German brethren BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Audi's first E-Tron, the A3, sold almost 12,000 units in Europe last year, about the same as BMW's all-electric and range-extender variants of the i3 in Europe combined, Automotive News says, citing JATO Dynamics. Audi will debut its Q5 E-Tron later this year and the A8 E-Tron in 2017. The Q7 E-Tron will be priced at about $88,000 in Europe. As for US sales of that model, questions remain about whether the SUV will have a diesel or gas-powered engine paired with the electric motor, but Americans should start getting access to it in either 2017 or 2018. Check out our Quick Spin here. Featured Gallery Audi Q7 E-Tron 3.0 TDI Quattro View 40 Photos News Source: Automotive News Europe-sub.req.Image Credit: Copyright 2016 Sebastian Blanco/AOL Green Audi Diesel Vehicles Hybrid PHEV e-tron