2012 Audi A8 Quattro L Sedan 4-door 4.2l on 2040-cars

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Car companies may need to start curbing model proliferation

Looking at the current automotive landscape, especially from German makers, you quickly get the impression that less definitely isn't more. BMW alone offers its 3 Series platform in practically every segment possible, including the regular sedan and 4 Series Gran Coupe, which would seem to be direct competitors. Porsche might be the winner, though, with 20 different variants of the 911 listed for sale on its US website. However, some of this model madness might be reaching an end as companies begin cutting back spending or shifting money to other priorities.
According to Yahoo Finance, the offerings from the German automakers are up 25 percent over the past three years to over 200 models in Europe. The peak is expected to come around 2018 at 230 separate vehicles, according to consulting company PwC.
Amazingly, BMW, which is among the poster children for this model explosion, might be changing its tune. "I'm sure there will be points in the future where we look at certain cars and say, 'Maybe we need to think differently now,'" said head of sales Ian Robertson in an interview, according to Yahoo Finance. The statement certainly sounds shocking coming from a company rumored to have 23 front-wheel-drive vehicles all using a single platform on the way.

2017 Audi A4 evolves into a larger, lighter luxury sedan [w/video]

Audi took the evolutionary, rather than revolutionary, approach when it came time to redesign the brand's A4. While the latest generation's look might not set hearts racing, a plethora of tiny tweaks by the engineers manage to make the the four-door larger, up to 264 pounds lighter, and slice the drag coefficient down to 0.23. Audi has made its modern reputation on the style and quality of its interiors, and the new A4 seems to make good on that tradition. In-cabin appointments and tech see a serious upgrade, including offering Audi's fully digital, Virtual Cockpit, instrument panel. In the US, the new A4 arrives for the 2017 model year offering power from either diesel or gasoline. The 2.0-liter TDI is essentially a carryover from the Audi lineup, but the 2.0-liter TFSI sees some big upgrades, including a new cylinder head. It's now rated at 252 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. At launch here, all A4s get a seven-speed S-tronic dual-clutch gearbox. Front-wheel drive and Quattro all-wheel drive are available. For an added dose of forbidden fruit, you can check out the crimson A4 Avant in the gallery above the from Frankfurt Motor Show. Take a good look because this long-roof variant isn't coming to the US. Yes, we're listening to sad violin music, too. Although, the next Allroad is coming here eventually after that higher-riding wagon debuts.

Audi wiring cars with cameras to see how ferret-like creatures tear them apart

In this German-language video, we see a batch of Audi engineers wiring up an A3 Cabriolet with a network of small cameras. The goal? To help identify where and how stone martens - small, ferret-like animals - attack cars. The idea is to observe the animals' behavior around the vehicles, see where they go, what they chew on, and work to develop solutions.
So why go to all this trouble? Cars and trucks are easily the single-most complex consumer good, and they're subject to the widest variety of conditions, regulations and usage cases that one could possibly imagine. They also come with very high consumer expectations for reliability. Thus, it's up to automakers to vet their vehicles for just about every possible scenario and threat - including weasels. And if that means Audi has to go hire Walter Simbeck, animal trainer to the stars, and string up a bunch of GoPros on an A3, well, they're game.
In speaking with Autoblog, Mark Dahncke, senior product manager at Audi of America said it best: