2014 Audi A4 2.0t Premium Plus Quattro on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2014 Audi SQ5 priced from $51,900* [w/video]

Despite the fact that the 2014 Audi SQ5 you see here is quite a bit different than the one offered in Europe, we're still plenty glad that the folks from Ingolstadt have decided to offer a hotted-up version of its compact Q5 crossover here in the States. Now, Audi has announced that its US-spec SQ5 will be priced from $51,900 when it hits dealerships later this summer (*not including $895 for destination). That strikes us as a pretty favorable price - while the base Q5 in 2.0-liter TFSI trim starts at $35,900, the 3.0-liter Prestige model commands a full $51,400, and somehow manages to feel worth it.
We already enjoy driving the Q5 in its standard tune, and this SQ5 looks to be quite an entertaining thing. Audi has tuned its 3.0-liter supercharged V6 to produce 354 horsepower and 347 pound-feet of torque - gains of 82 hp and 52 lb-ft over the standard 3.0L Q5. No, it's not the awesome 313 hp and 479 lb-ft of the twin-turbo-diesel engine used in Europe, but our American SQ5 will certainly be a quick little thing. Audi is estimating a 0-60 time of 5.1 seconds, on its way to a limited top speed of 155 miles per hour.
Like all S models, the SQ5 will be a bit different visually than its basic Q5 kin. Aluminum roof rails are standard, as are 20-inch wheels (21s are available). There are revised bumpers at the front and rear, with Audi's usual gray grille and diffuser, as well as aluminum mirror caps. Inside, leather- and Alcantara-clad sport seats are standard, though buyers can opt for a fine Nappa leather setup. Audi says that new aluminum/black wood inlays are also available, as is a 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system.

Audi overtakes BMW as adulterers' favorite car brand

As Audi hopes to surpass BMW as the top-selling luxury automaker, sometimes it has to look at the small victories, too. For instance, IllicitEncounters.com - a UK dating site for married folks (also known as adultery) - is reporting that a recent poll shows that more people willing to cheat on their spouses drive an Audi. Last year, this same poll showed that BMW was the car-of-choice for adulterers.
With Audi on top (pun intended) and BMW bumped to number two, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo and Volkswagen round out the top five car brands owned by unfaithful wives and husbands. Check out the poll over at IllicitEncounters.com, but be sure to clear your browser history afterward. You know, just to make sure your spouse doesn't get the wrong idea about the websites you visit.

Mattias Ekstr?m unleashes bonkers 600-hp Audi S1 Supercar on World RX

Mattias Ekström doesn't need to prove anything. He's won the DTM title twice and before that the Swedish Touring Car Championship. But being a racing driver as he is, Ekström has been looking for new challenges. He's contested the Swedish Rally six times, the German Rally twice, he's driven in V8 Supercars and in NASCAR. He's even won the Race of Champions. Twice. Heck, we're surprised his long-time sponsor Red Bull hasn't let him try out one of its F1 cars. But this season it's on to a new challenge: the inaugural FIA World Rallycross Championship.
Ekström drove a Volkswagen Polo fielded by Marklund Motorsport in the Swedish rallycross round last season and came in second, but this year he's diving in head-first with his own team and his own car. His outfit EKS is hard at work preparing the new Audi S1 for competition in the World RX Championship, and will field two of them this season: one for Ekström and another for JWRC champion Pontus Tidemand.
Built to compete in the top category of the championship, the EKS Audi S1 Supercar will pack a 2.0-liter turbo four with 600 horsepower, all-wheel drive and a 0-60 time of 1.9 seconds. It's expected to make its debut late in May at the World RX of Great Britain where it will have to tangle with specially prepared versions of the Citroën DS3, Ford Fiesta ST and Peugeot 208 driven by the likes of Tanner Foust, Ken Block, Jacques Villeneuve and Petter Solberg. The sole North American round will be held in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, in early August, on the same circuit that once hosted Indy Lights, ALMS, Grand-Am, Can-Am and Trans-Am races.