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Don't hold your breath for an Audi RS8

There was a time not so long ago when Quattro GmbH produced essentially one model at a time. But that time is behind us. These days it's expanding into a full-fledged performance division to rival Mercedes-AMG and BMW's M department. Quattro GmbH is currently building the Audi RS4 Avant, RS5 coupe and cabrio, RS6 Avant, RS7, RS Q3 and the TT RS coupe and roadster - not to mention the R8. And while it's showing no signs of slowing down, but the latest intel from across the pond suggests we shouldn't count on an RS version of Audi's flagship sedan.
This according to Car and Driver, which spoke to Stephan Reil, the chief engineer at Quattro GmbH. Reil says Audi works on a teutonically rigid performance formula: an RS model has to have 20 to 25 percent more power than the existing S version. Considering that the existing S8 makes 512 horsepower and the RS7 a solid 553, we're not sure Audi really needs anything more powerful. But by Reil's calculations, the RS8 would need to pack between 630 and 655 hp, which would put it well ahead of rivals like the 550-hp Jaguar XJR, the 540-hp BMW Alpina B7, the 523-hp Maserati Quattroporte and even the new 577-hp Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG - and in league only with the even more powerful S65 AMG, which in its outgoing form produced 630 hp.
The question then comes down to whether there are enough customers lining up for the S65 that Audi would want to poach away from Mercedes. Or perhaps more pertinently, whether it might end up just taking customers from the new Bentley Flying Spur, which is already offering 616 horsepower in an even more prestigious, if less performance-focused package. Either way you look at it, Audi is apparently steering clear.

Audi takes cars that park themselves to a whole new level

Autonomous cars are impressive displays of in-car technology, but what exactly would the benefit of such systems be for the average driver? Audi has answered that question by showing off its Piloted Parking system for the Audi Connect at CES 2013.
Installed on this Audi A7, Piloted Parking allows a driver to drop themselves off and have the car autonomously drive away on its own and find its own parking spot. The car can then later be retrieved by "calling" it back with a specially designed smartphone app. We'd be lying if we said this didn't bring back memories of Michael Knight summoning KITT with his wristwatch. The most impressive part of this car might be the fact that the car is fully autonomous but doesn't have any obvious sensors or monitors on the exterior of the car like many other self-driving cars have.
Check out a video of the this innovative technology in action after the jump.

US-bound Audi A3 Sedan spied testing

As the Audi A3 sedan gets closer to its debut, Audi has camouflaged prototypes to take it on the streets for final testing. Last time we saw the A3, it was testing almost in the buff, but it was on a closed track so our spy shooters were kept at quite a distance.
Now that the newest Audi sedan is testing on public roads, our latest batch of spy shots gives us a more detailed look at the entry-level luxury player despite the swirly camo. Except for the oversized wheels and the fancy exhaust outlets and door mirrors, the production version of the car should look almost identical to the A3 sedan concept we saw in Geneva a couple years ago. Some of the details we can see include a good-sized panoramic roof that stretches almost halfway into the rear passenger space and signature Audi LED-accented headlights and taillights.