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Forza 5 documents bringing Audi R18 E-Tron and Le Mans to game

Forza Motorsport 5 is set to come out on November 22 alongside the all-new Xbox One. As part of the launch lineup for a big new system, it shouldn't be a shock that Turn 10 Studios, the maker of the Forza series is going all out in promoting its new game. That's meant making interesting partnerships, like the one it enjoys with Top Gear.
Perhaps a less talked about alliance is between Audi and Turn 10. It's put on full display here, though, as Turn 10 documents the process of building Forza Motorsport 5 alongside Audi's quest at Le Mans, with both sides talking about what it takes to make a game and racing team work (they aren't as different as you might think).
There's also quite a bit of Le Mans and Audi-specific content coming with FM5. As with previous iterations of Forza Motorsport, gamers will have access to both the old and new Circuit de la Sarthe (the most notable difference between the two being the presence of Chicanes on the Mulsanne Straight). Audi will also be volunteering several of its vehicles for the new title, ranging from racers like the R18 e-tron Quattro and Audi Sport R8 to production rockets like the 2013 R8 V10 plus, 2006 RS4 and the 1983 Sport Quattro.

Audi A3 E-Tron plug-in hybrid set to whiz into Geneva

The Audi A3 E-tron, which we drove in prototype form last year, is headed to the 2013 Geneva Motor Show next month. The plug-in hybrid will feature a total of 204 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque from the combination of a turbocharged 1.4-liter engine and a 75-kW electric motor. That motor itself is positioned between the internal combustion engine and the machine's six-speed dual-clutch transmission. The setup is good enough to scoot the A3 E-tron to 62 miles per hour in 7.6 seconds and crank out a top speed of 138 mph. Perhaps more impressively, the hatch can whir its way to 80 mph on all-electric power with an EV range of 31 miles.
Audi claims the A3 E-tron gives the world a "realistic glimpse into the future of mobility," so it's a bit unclear if the model will see production. We're encouraged by the specificity of Audi's press release (which is full of stats) and the fact that they don't label this vehicle a concept. You can check out the full press release below and judge for yourself.

Despite premium carmakers going downmarket, luxury auto sales stick at 10-11%

According to research conducted by global information company IHS Automotive, the leporine birthing of new models by luxury manufacturers over the past six years hasn't increased their market share in the US. Even as car sales reached 15.6 million units, IHS says what's happened instead is that luxury buyers are merely moving from one brand to another, moving from larger luxury vehicles into hot segments like compact luxury crossovers or leaving the market at the same rate as other buyers enter.
Whether broken out by makes or by segment, market share has rollercoastered inside a narrow band from 10.5 to 11.5 percent since "at least" 2008. Closer investigation reveals the shifting boundaries in the aspirational pond, with brands like Mercedes-Benz and Audi gaining territory as Lexus and Lincoln lost it, and Saab and Hummer were buried, dead, under it. One neat note is that Tesla has gone from a share of zip to .12 percent.
The subcompact and compact crossover segments show growth, with those little high-riders jumping from .3 percent to 1.16 percent of overall industry sales. Their rise, though, is concomitant with the decline of four other segments: compact and midsize cars and fullsize cars and SUVs. We think the next few years that will tell if the small-car expansion can overcome the large-car retraction, with a phalanx of smaller offerings like the CLA only recently hitting the market and others like the GLA, Macan and Q1 doing so in the near future.