2005 Audi A8 Quattro Base Sedan 4-door 4.2l on 2040-cars

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Audi pushing DOT to allow its sequential LED turn signals [w/videos]

Still in the process of trying to get its trick LED Matrix Beam headlights legalized in the US, Audi is now trying to get its front and rear sequential LED turn signals approved by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Just like its auto-dimming headlights, the sequentially illuminating turn signals don't meet NHTSA's Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108.
The problem, according to Automotive News, is that the individual lighting elements are too small to meet current US safety regulations. The rule states that each lamp should be 22 square centimeters (8.6 square inches) and the whole lighted combined area must be 50 square centimeters (19.6 square inches). In the individual sequence, Audi's lights are much smaller than that. As for the Ford Mustang, which has had sequential turn signals since 2010, this system is legal since the first lens is large enough to meet the required size, so the other two lights really aren't even necessary.
It sounds like it could be some time before we see these turn signals on Audis in the US, which is a shame because in addition to their styling bebefuts, we think they're more effective at signaling the vehicle's intended direction of travel, and they do a better job of grabbing the eye. Scroll down to watch a pair of videos showing the headlights in action on the redesigned A8/S8 as well as the recently updated R8.

Top Gear names BMW i8 Car of the Year, Corvette, Ferrari, Mercedes also win big

The lads at Top Gear have released their listing of the finest cars of the past year, handing the ultimate honor to BMW's revolutionary i8 plug-in-hybrid supercar. "The i8 is a milestone in the annals of automotive history and a glorious statement for an exciting and positive future. The i8 delivers - and then some," the British mag wrote. The i8, though, was far from the only hybridized car to take victories. James May and Richard Hammond both highlighted hybrids as their personal cars of the year, with May saluting the Ferrari LaFerrari and the Hamster, unsurprisingly, heaping praise on the Porsche 918 Spyder. Jeremy Clarkson, meanwhile, opted to shock many by selecting not only an American car as his best of 2014, but giving the honor to of all things, a Corvette. Clarkson wasn't the only person to honor the USA's iconic sports car, with the new, 650-horsepower Z06 variant being named TG's Muscle Car of the Year. Other big winners include Mercedes-Benz, which TG honored for S-Class Coupe (Luxury Car of the Year), the new AMG GT (Sports Car of the Year) and the not-for-US C-Class Estate (Family Car of the Year). The 458 Italia Speciale A snagged a second win for Ferrari. The best of the rest include the Citroen C4 Cactus, Renault Twingo, Volkswagen Golf R, Lamborghini Huracan and Audi TT. Take a look below for the celebratory press blast from BMW. The BMW i8 wins Top Gear Car of the Year The BMW i8 has been named as Top Gear magazine's global Car of the Year 2014. The plug-in hybrid performance vehicle beat off some stiff competition from a host of other premium and luxury manufacturers to win the overall award. The editorial team of Top Gear commended the BMW i8 for its breadth of abilities. Its 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine combined with an electric motor gives searing acceleration and driver enjoyment but all wrapped in a package that takes BMW's EfficientDynamics philosophy to the extreme courtesy of CO2 emissions less than 49g/km and a 135mpg combined cycle figure. Charlie Turner, Editor in Chief at Top Gear magazine, said: "The BMW is a milestone in the annals of automotive history and a glorious statement for an exciting and positive future. The i8 delivers – and then some. It's the kind of car we should celebrate, a beautiful vision of the future, delivered now.

CO2-neutral* Audi A3 G-Tron goes on sale in Germany

The Audi A3 Sportback G-Tron has been on our natural gas-powered radar since it was unveiled at last year's Geneva Motor Show. Just before the big show starts up again this year, Audi put the new G-Tron vehicle on sale in Germany today, starting at 25,900 euros ($35,400 US). Anyone who opts for the Audi e-gas fuel card will be able to cruise the Autobahn knowing that their emissions will be CO2-neutral. That's because Audi has built an e-gas plant in Werlte in Lower Saxony, Germany that creates a synthetic methane that is compatible with natural gas from a process that uses "green electricity" to "[bind] as much CO2 as is released when the Audi A3 g-tron is driven in gas mode." Your own A3 G-Tron doesn't burn the carbon-neutral fuel directly, but the automaker will track how much is spent using the fuel card and make sure "that exactly this amount of Audi e-gas is fed into the German natural gas network." Audi charges 14.95 euros a month to use the card. Burning that e-gas in the A3's 1.4-liter TFSI engine can put out 110 horsepower (you can also burn regular natural gas or gasoline) and offers fuel economy of between 3.2 and 3.3 kilograms of gas per 100 kilometers on natural gas Audi A3 g-tron: Advance sales get the green light Ingolstadt, 2014-02-13 Audi A3 Sportback g-tron available to order from February 13 CO2-neutral mobility with the Audi e-gas fuel card Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg: "Audi e-gas is an important pillar of our sustainability strategy" The Audi A3 g-tron is all set to hit the roads. Advance sales at dealerships in Germany will kick off on February 13. The basic price will be 25,900 euros. Using the Audi e-gas fuel card, customers can opt for Audi e-gas to power their A3 g-tron without impacting the environment if they wish. The Audi A3 g-tron forms part of a new, integrated and sustainable mobility concept from the brand with the four rings. Its 1.4-liter TFSI engine developing 81 kW (110 hp) can be operated using either natural gas, e-gas generated by Audi or gasoline. In pure e-gas mode the g-tron is entirely CO2-neutral. Audi e-gas is a synthetic methane that is produced at the Audi e-gas facility located in Werlte in Lower Saxony, Germany – the world's first industrial power-to-gas plant. An A3 Sportback g-tron fueled by Audi e-gas is currently the most environmentally friendly form of long-distance mobility.