2004 Audi A4 Quattro Cabriolet 2dr 3.0l Awd * Silver Metallic * No Reserve on 2040-cars

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VW makes $23K on every Porsche sold, more than Bentley or Lamborghini

It's a good time to be in the luxury car business. In Volkswagen Group's financial report for the 2013 fiscal year, it is revealed that that Porsche enjoyed an operating margin of 18 percent. That means the Stuttgart brand made on average about $23,200 per car sold, according to BusinessWeek. Bentley wasn't far behind, and Audi (which was combined with Lamborghini) posted a 10.1 percent margin. This compares to only around 2.9 percent for the Volkswagen brand.
"Luxury brands are on fire," said Dave Sullivan, an industry analyst at AutoPacific. He said that the average profit margin is between six and eight percent. Brands like Porsche and Bentley have the benefit of competing in rarefied markets. Buyers looking at one their vehicles have fewer models to shop against and don't care as much about price. They can also charge more for options, which further boosts income, according to BusinessWeek.
In a way, we should be more impressed by the continued success from Audi. Its models generally have direct competitors in every segment from the other premium automakers. Plus, their buyers aren't the captains of industry who are shopping for a Bentley. Still, the Four Rings is leading rivals in sales so far this year.

Audi spotted testing new S4 at the Nurburgring

Where there's smoke, there's fire. Only in this case, the smoke is the upcoming new Audi A4, and the fire is the S4 spotted undergoing testing in this latest batch of spy shots. Snapped in both sedan and Avant wagon forms while undergoing testing on and around the Nurburgring – where else? – the next-generation Audi S4 will of course be based on the new A4 that's anticipated to debut in Frankfurt this September. That means MLB Evo architecture and styling that takes a page out of the new TT's playbook. But in S4 trim, it'll be altogether more performance oriented. Expect an even more powerful version of the outgoing model's 3.0-liter supercharged V6, pumping out a good 340-350 horsepower to all four of its driven wheels. That power will help it keep pace with the new Mercedes C450 AMG Sport. It won't have to take on the new C63 AMG directly, though, as that'll be the job of the next RS4 that will slot above it. But since that model may never make it to US showrooms, this will stand as the flagship of the new A4 family as far as the American market is concerned. Related Video:

Audi S1 nearly ready to rocket euros out of your pocket

Audi was out testing its upcoming S1 on the streets of Germany when our trusty spy photographers snapped the new, all-wheel-drive hot hatch that's set to succeed the limited-edition A1 Quattro.
Unlike the A1 Quattro, the S1 should sport a much less aggressive look overall. As shown in the spy shots, its wheel wells lack the meaty flairs of its predecessor while its rear wing is much more subdued. The wheels are more in line with what we expect from Audi's S models and its higher ride height is more conducive to common things like steep driveways and speed bumps that the 333-unit A1 Quattro might not encounter.
According to our spies, the S1 should hit the European market with anywhere from 220 to 250 horsepower, making it considerably more potent than competitors like the Ford Fiesta ST or Polo GTI from its parent company, Volkswagen (although it'll likely arrive at a considerably higher price than either of those pocket rockets). On the high end, that's roughly equal to the 252 ponies generated by the 2.0-liter, turbocharged four in the A1 Quattro