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Audi RS4 Avant Nogaro Selection puts a fresh face on old memories

I've been fortunate enough to drive plenty of memorable cars over the years, and one of my all-time favorites is the Audi RS4 sedan. It was only sold in the United States for a short time, but during that quick run, it made a huge impression on me. I remember everything about that car - the smell, the sound, the exact feeling of the manual shifter as it clicked between the six gears, and the texture of the steering wheel that I so happily tossed about. In fact, whenever I'm feeling nostalgic, I go back and watch this video of the late David E. Davis, Jr., running the California Mille roads in a Sprint Blue RS4 - a video we shot for Winding Road many years ago during my tenure as an editor there.
So even though the Audi RS4 Avant Nogaro that debuts here in Geneva isn't super important, especially for our American-centric audience, I feel compelled to write about it. No, we don't get the lovely RS4 in the States anymore, but the package offered in Europe is just as sweet as ever - perhaps even more so, what with that stylish longroof shape. Under the hood is Audi's excellent, naturally aspirated 4.2-liter V8 engine, tuned to deliver 450 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque, allowing for a 0-62 sprint of 4.7 seconds.
The Nogaro name refers to the special blue paint - a throwback to the original Audi RS2 Avant that kicked off the company's super sweet luxury offerings. Other unique features for the Nogaro car include gloss black exhaust outlets, window frames and grille surround, as well as matte black roof rails. Special 20-inch wheels round off the exterior enhancements, and inside, Nogaro Blue Alcantara accents can be had on the door panels and seat inners.

Audi TT Offroad concept packs 408 hybrid horsepower, yet returns 123 mpg

Audi took the wraps of its TT Offroad Concept at the Beijing Motor Show, after teasing us with sketches earlier this month. "The Audi TT offroad concept provides a glimpse of how we might imagine a new model in the future TT family," says Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Member of the Board of Management for Technical Development. "It combines the sporty genes of the TT with the strengths of a compact Audi SUV."
The latest in Audi's eTron show cars reminds us an awful lot of the the Audi Allroad Shooting Brake concept that debuted a few months ago at the Detroit Auto Show. In addition to very similar physical appearances, the two share the same plug-in hybrid propulsion systems (the "plug-in" part is a bit misleading, as the concept simply needs to be parked over an inductive pad to take advantage of Audi Wireless Charging technology).
Proving that hybrid power never has to be a compromise, the TT Offroad Concept packs a 292 horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder under the hood. The combustion engine is assisted by two electric motors (rated at 40 kW at the front and 85 kW at the rear) to provide a total system output of 408 horsepower and nearly 480 pound-feet of torque. With all-wheel drive, the concept hits 60 mph in 5.2 seconds and tops out at 155 mph - while returning a provisional fuel efficiency of 123 miles per gallon equivalent.

Audi moves to patent electric Quattro and active-shutter wheels

Audi might have a few tricks up its sleeve for the coming years, with the Brits at Autocar uncovering a pair of patent filings made by the German luxury brand. The first is something we've seen before - wheel flaps - while the second is an evolution of one of Audi's trademark technologies.
We last saw wheel flaps on the Ford Atlas Concept in 2013, but the futuristic fuel-saving tech has so far failed to arrive on a production car. Audi may be seeking to change that, patenting the flaps that open and close automagically based on airflow. They can also open if the brakes get too hot.
The second patent is an evolution of Audi's Quattro all-wheel drive. The new AWD system uses an electrically driven rear axle and wheel sensors to figure out when and at which corner the car might lose traction, and is targeted largely at hybrid offerings, which is a field Audi has only recently dipped its toe into.