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Which would you rather have, Audi's RS5 or Mercedes' C63 AMG 507?

If you're in the market for a German sports coupe with a naturally aspirated V8, run, don't walk, to your nearest dealer because they are going to be gone very soon. European fuel economy and emissions rules have conspired to force automakers into seeking forced-induction mills. Motor Trend personality Jonny Lieberman is hosting the retirement party in the latest Head 2 Head video, where he takes on the 2014 Audi RS5 and 2014 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Edition 507 to decide which is the ultimate Teutonic V8.
To make the decision harder, Lieberman challenges the duo on the first soaking wet roads that Southern California has seen in ages. It forces the coupes to confront some of the actual weather that the rest of the country encounters regularly and serves to even the playing field somewhat between the charismatic rear-drive Mercedes-Benz and the all-wheel drive Audi.
It really is the end of an era for these coupes. The next Audi RS4 is rumored to switch to a twin-turbo V6, and while Mercedes won't officially admit it, the next C-Class AMG will likely switch to a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8. And we already know the next BMW M3/M4 will rely on a 425-horsepower, 3.0-liter inline-six. Let's enjoy these eight-cylinder German giants while we can, and scroll down to watch the video.

KTM X-Bow to get Audi TT-RS five-cylinder turbo

The Audi TT-RS continues to occupy a warm spot in my personal top five list of cars thanks in no small part to the lusty turbocharged 2.5-liter five cylinder under the hood. With 360 horsepower and 343 pound-feet of torque in stock configuration, the engine is a shining star of internal combustion. And now it's headed to one of our favorite vehicles. EVO reports KTM is planning to plop the turbo 2.5 from the TT-RS into the upcoming X-Bow. That ruckus you hear? It's a choir of angels singing "Halleluiah." While speaking at the Geneva Motor Show, KTM CEO Stefan Pierer said the engine is good for up to 480 horsepower.
Pierer went on to say that the company is already testing prototypes and that we may very well see the engine show up in some races next year. What's more, the company's engineers are playing with dual-clutch transmissions, too. Since KTM is already testing the turbo 2.5 on the track, it's only a matter of time before customers will be able to get their grubby mitts on a street-legal version.

Volkswagen Group, BMW Z4 top Total Value Awards by Strategic Vision

It was just nine months ago that Strategic Vision announced its 2011 Total Value Awards, but you don't have to wait until next year for the 2012 awards. The Volkswagen Group keeps its lead as the number one brand, with seven products taking top category spots: Golf, Jetta Wagon, CC, Eos and Audi A3 Wagon, Q5 and Q7. Strategic Vision says "true innovation" - "rich and impactful, intuitive, motivational, in-depth and is able to trigger description by the user in great specificity" - is the open secret of the brands with the strongest showings. Results are culled from 77,153 owners covering more than 350 new cars bought between September of 2011 and 2012 ranked in the Total Value Index (TVI).
Other notable winners are Hyundai-Kia following VW in the brand category and having the Hyundai Elantra and Kia Sorento among category winners, the BMW Z4 taking the premium roadster category and the highest overall score of any vehicle, the Chevrolet Volt continuing to gather silverware in the Special Category, nabbing the second-highest score of all and representative of "nearly perfect innovation," and Chrysler and Dodge being most improved.
Check out the press release below for your day's dose of jargon and all the winners.