2007 Audi Q7 Premium Sport Utility 4-door 4.2l on 2040-cars

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Audi changes the guard at Quattro GmbH

Although it may not have the brand recognition that Mercedes-AMG does or BMW's M division, Audi's Quattro GmbH department is responsible for its most exciting products - including the RS line of performance models and the R8 supercar. For the past year and a half, Quattro GmbH has been led by Franciscus van Meel, but soon it will get a new leader.
According to reports, van Meel (46, pictured right) is being reassigned to head up the Audi R&D center in Beijing. In his place, Audi is promoting Heinz Peter Hollwerweger (60, pictured above) to the post. The move is expected to be confirmed in advance of the Geneva Motor Show, at which point we can expect Audi to claim that it was part of a planned rotation. However sources suggest that van Meel's departure came at the behest of R&D boss Ulrich Hackenberg, who was apparently unhappy with how van Meel has been handling development of the next R8 and of the R8 E-Tron project.
Why Hackenberg would have van Meel reassigned to run one of his own R&D centers is beyond us, but Hollerweger is apparently expected to be able to get the job done faster and better. Whether he'll have any major changes in store for the Quattro division and its products is another matter, but we're looking forward to finding out.

Audi building 50 camouflaged Jon Olsson Edition A4 Avant wagons [w/video]

Swedish Autoblog readers, have you been driving your Audi A4 Avant wagons and thought, 'You know, I really wish my car looked more like a camouflaged World War II battleship?' Well, great news for you, as skier and Audi enthusiast Jon Olsson has teamed up with the German brand's Swedish outfit to offer this new limited-edition A4 Avant.
Finished in a camo patterned after Olsson's own RS6 Avant (which you can view in the video below) and slope-ready Lamborghini Gallardo, the Jon Olsson Camo Edition will cost fans of Smörgåsbord 399,900 Swedish Krona ($62,071 at today's rates). For that sum, you'll get the aforementioned A4 Avant wrapped in the Olsson-designed camo, as well as sport seats, a roof box, Xenon headlights, black 19-inch wheels shod in winter rubber, a sport suspension and Audi's S-Line exterior treatment. The Camo Edition will only be available with the 2.0-liter TDI engine and Quattro all-wheel drive.
There will only be 50 examples made, so we'd strongly recommend interested parties get down to their local Swedish Audi dealer. And if you want to see what the Camo Edition looks like in motion, scroll down for the video of Olsson's Audi RS6 Avant, finished in a similar pattern, running around Switzerland. We've also included the translated press release from Audi of Sweden. Have a look.

Recharge Wrap-up: BMW i3 carshare, Audi e-gas plant

Elix Wireless has announced its E10K Wireless Charging System. The system is designed for harsh conditions, delivers up to 10 kilowatts and features automatic detection and removal of foreign objects. Its low frequency makes it safe to operate near oil and gas, and in other hazardous environments. The system can charge personal vehicles, as well as electric buses, trucks, mining equipment and heavy duty machinery. Elix has "created an entirely new technology that meets customer demand for fast, safe and reliable charging," says, CEO David Smith. The E10K system uses Elix's Magneto-Dynamic Coupling technology, with rotating permanent magnets in the transmitter and receiver. Read more at Green Car Congress, or in the press release from Elix Wireless. FreeWire Technologies and Siemens are working together on a pilot program for the Mobi Charger. The mobile charging station, which uses second-life EV batteries to charge electric vehicles, will be deployed for a trial at LinkedIn's campus in Mountain View, CA. The Mobi is more flexible than stationary chargers in that it brings the charging to the car, regardless of where it is parked, rather than having to park the EV in a specific spot. It can charge up to five cars per day without putting stress on the grid during peak hours. Read more from Siemens. Audi's e-gas plant in Werlte, Germany helps stabilize the power grid. The plant, which produces synthetic methane using CO2, water and electricity, is able to draw six megawatts of power within five minutes, allowing it to become certified in the electricity balancing market. This helps the grid adapt to the larger load fluctuations that go hand-in-hand with generating renewable energy. It also allows the plant to achieve higher operating times and produce more e-gas each year. Read more in the press release from Audi. The BMW i3 is now available through the DriveNow carsharing service in Germany. DriveNow, which is a joint venture between BMW and car rental company Sixt, has put 100 i3s into service in Berlin, Hamburg and Munich. BMW also says that it supports a shift away from private car ownership in order to improve urban living and mobility, and sees electric carsharing as an important part of that. "We are witnessing the changes our customers and society as a whole are making and we are taking them on board," says BMW's Dr. Bernhard Blattel.