2001 Audi Allroad on 2040-cars

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Audi Prologue Avant puts new styling focus on wagons

As much as we loved the Audi Prologue Concept that debuted late last year at the LA Auto Show – and, suffice it to say, we liked the first Prologue a lot – this new Prologue Avant from the German automaker may just rock our socks that much further off our feet. We have very little by way of actual, concrete details on what's under the angular wagon-shaped skin of the Prologue Avant, but we'd be perfectly content if it kept the previous two-door's 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 in place underhood, augmented as it was when it was again shown at CES last month with a hybrid-assist system that put total system horsepower at 677, along with a meaty 701 pound-feet of torque. With all that power routed to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission, the 0-60 time of just 3.5 seconds strikes us as plenty quick. The powertrain details hardly seem the point of this new concept from Audi, in any case. Clearly, the big deal is the new bodywork, which builds upon the beautiful foundation of the original Prologue coupe with an elongated wagon shell and three additional doors (two rear doors and a rear hatch). The attractive body sits low to the ground on exaggerated 22-inch wheels, according to Auto Express. We note high-tech lighting elements front and rear and a modified front fascia with a bit more brightwork than the previous version. Assuming there's a bit of future reality baked into the Prologue Avant – which we believe is likely, considering that the coupe we salivated over in LA was said to point the way forward for the brand – it's safe to say we're in eager anticipation of the next several years at Audi. Have a good look at the images that have so far been released, and feel free to let us know what you think. We're sure Audi is interested in hearing your opinions, too. Related Video: News Source: Audi via Auto Express Design/Style Geneva Motor Show Audi Wagon Concept Cars Future Vehicles Hybrid Luxury Performance 2015 Geneva Motor Show

The 2014 Rolex 24 at Daytona: What we learned, what we saw

Two days after the flag dropped on the 2014 Rolex 24 at Daytona, people are still trying to figure out what it might portend for the rest of the season. In 24 hours, two minutes and 24 seconds, 695 laps were completed by the car that crossed the line first. During that time, 67 cars began the race, 18 of them retired. There was that accident, and a red flag. There were supposedly slower classes beating supposedly faster classes. There were 16 caution periods, including that yellow flag. And then there was The Decision. And Then The Uproar. And then The Reversal.
There was also some pretty good racing, so let's have one last look at the weekend. Oh, and there was that 1964 Ferrari 250 GTO Series II...
If you want to skip the reading bits and go to the photos, there's a high-res gallery of 158 images above and a couple more below. Enjoy.

Next Audi TT RS comes in 2016, manual transmission doesn't

This line comes from our review of the 2012 Audi TT RS: "Did we mention that the 2012 TT RS is only available with a manual transmission?" When we review the next-generation TT RS, expected to launch next year, we'll have to rewrite that line as: "Did we mention that the TT RS is not available with a manual transmission?" That's the word from Car and Driver, which has heard that the superheated little coupe will only come with the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox found in the Euro-market RS3 Sportback. The first generation came with a dual-clutch and a manual transmission in Europe, but the unit for our market required the laying on of hands to get from one cog to another. If we don't get another, the blow will be all the more painful because Audi's manual transmissions are so good. Our assessment summed up the last one thus, "With a short, precise throw and excellent action, the transmission is a mechanical work of art." Good news? Volkswagen says the installed DQ500 dual-clutch is faster, more refined, and more reliable. As well, power from the reworked 2.5-liter, turbocharged five-cylinder should rise from 360 horsepower to "around 400." You'll just be asked to keep your hands off of it. The first-gen car only came here after a successful Facebook petition gathered more than 11,000 signatures in a month, we wish Audi had given us a chance to weigh in on this, too. Although we will probably get it later next year as a 2017 model, we could see it at the Frankfurt Motor Show in two months. Related Video: