2008 Audi Q7 Premium Sport Utility 4-door 4.2l-- No Reserve-- on 2040-cars

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BMW expects China to pass US as its top market in 2013

When you combine two billion citizens, 100 cities with more than a million inhabitants and an economy that's as unrestrained as Jim Cramer on an Adderall binge, China's explosive auto industry growth shouldn't be a huge surprise. Audi already lists the communist country as its largest market, while Mercedes-Benz is expecting it to be there in the next few years. Now, according to a report from Automotive News, BMW is expecting the People's Republic to overtake the United States in sales by the end of 2013.
We already discovered the extent that BMW is going to in establishing a dedicated Chinese stronghold, when we explored BMW's Shanghai-based DesignWorks studio ahead of April's Shanghai Motor Show. And while we argued that DesignWorks Shanghai hasn't really borne fruit, it isn't due to a lack of sales.
BMW China has seen a 16-percent jump in year-over-year sales, lead by a 28-percent gain in 5 Series sales. Part of BMW's growth strategy comes from an ever-expanding dealership network. Remember those 100 cities we mentioned with over one million people? According to Karsten Engel, CEO of BMW's Chinese operations, those 100-million-plus city dwellers don't have access to a premium dealership.

MT's Jessi Lang recounts her harrowing Autobahn R8 crash

Automotive enthusiasts know the name, face, voice and stories of Jessi Lang well. And if they don't, they should. The longtime Motor Trend video presenter and host of The J-Turn is a regular fixture on the automotive scene, and one of our favorite to watch. But a year ago, Jessi vanished from the scene. And we're sad to say she hasn't been kicking back enjoying umbrella drinks on the beach all this while. A year ago Lang went on a pilgrimage to Germany, driving a Porsche 911 GT3 on the Nurburgring and an Audi R8 modified by Abt on the Autobahn when the unthinkable happened. A car swerved out of its lane and into Jessi's path. A catastrophic collision ensued, and Lang was seriously injured. Jessi's been recovering from the multiple fractures and life-threatening lacerations ever since, and in her first appearance back on the net, has returned to tell her harrowing but courageous story. We wish her all the best on her long road to recovery, hope to see her back to her old self again soon, and invite you to watch the heart-rending story here.

Next Audi Q7 to debut with electric turbocharger?

For years, the concept of an electric turbocharger was essentially a joke sold on eBay to boost power in your slammed Civic, but in the last five years it has moved from an idea on a piece of paper to a feasible reality. Audi has already toyed with a showcase of the cutting-edge tech in road cars with the RS5 TDI concept. Now, reports suggest an electric turbo may make it to the streets as soon as next year in the next-gen Q7 (spy shot pictured above).
"I can confirm we are working on the development of the e-boost definitely," said Ulrich Weiss, Audi's diesel engine boss, to Australia-based Drive. He didn't give an exact timeframe but hinted at sometime next year, possibly in the Q7. He also suggested the chance of an RS-branded diesel model in the vein of the RS5 TDI concept on the horizon, as well.
This tech isn't entirely new for the folks in Ingolstadt. Audi's R18 endurance racer already uses such a system to capture waste heat from the engine, converting it to electric power to further power the hybrid car. The RS5 TDI concept employs a similar idea with a 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V6 with an electric supercharger to make up for the turbo lag. It's able to pump out 385 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque and allegedly sprint to 62 miles per hour in four seconds.