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X1, 3 Series power BMW back into global luxury autos sales lead

BMW managed to eke ahead of Audi for the global luxury sales crown in February. According to Bloomberg, BMW saw deliveries swell by 7 percent in February, besting the 3.2 percent jump enjoyed by Audi and giving BMW a 407-unit delivery lead over its rival last month. Mercedes-Benz, meanwhile, continued to falter, with the brand selling some 37,229 fewer machines than BMW, whose factories are running at full capacity to keep up with demand. Models like the X1 (shown above) enjoyed a sales increase of 40 percent in February while the company's bread-and-butter 3 Series jumped by 26 percent.
Mercedes-Benz hopes to stem its continued market share loss with the addition of the entry-level CLA sedan to its portfolio in April. The company is set to roll out an updated version of its cash-cow E-Class at the same time, and a new-generation S-Class will follow along shortly thereafter. Meanwhile, the company is increasing production to meet demand for its A and B-Class models.

VW Group exploring F1 options, would likely wait until Ecclestone is out

The real hurdle is that Volkswagen overlord Ferdinand Piech doesn't like Bernie Ecclestone on a personal or professional level. Superbugs. They are antiobiotic-resistant bacteria and viruses, fiends that defy eradication no matter how much counteracting agent you throw at them. Reports that Audi is going to join Formula One? They are the superbugs of rumors; for five years they've been coursing through the blood of motorsport, and no amount of denials or Audi's continued non-presence in F1 has been able to make them go away. Not even a month ago we contracted another bout of it, courtesy of Auto Express, citing sources who said Audi would leave endurance racing and DTM - handing Le Mans over to Porsche, instead of the other way around - and buy either Red Bull or Toro Rosso for an entry in 2016 with an in-house powerplant. Within 24 hours of that story, Audi Sport sent the tweet, "Audi in F1? There rumors keep appearing with regularity since years. It's pure speculation again this time and without any foundation." Now, few things are impossible in F1, but lining up on the grid in 2016 is not far away from needing to be ready tomorrow, in F1 terms, which is why these announcements come long in advance. Honda, you'll recall, gave us almost two years' notice of its F1 reunion and Porsche gave us three years notice about Le Mans. A brand-new report in the BBC says that Audi is using new hire and ex-Ferrari technical director Stefano Domenicali to lead a feasibility study into an F1 program. According to that story, the real hurdle to the foray, however, is that Volkswagen Group overlord Ferdinand Piech doesn't like F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone on a personal or professional level, so one of them would need to leave his position before Audi could say yes, feasibility be damned. Since we're talking about two men who define professional longevity, that day might not come soon. The BBC story goes on to say that Martin Winterkorn, head of the VW Group management board, would like to see the group in F1, and that if it happened it would be with a "car designed and made in Germany." Ladies and gentlemen, you know where to file this one...

Audi will show all-electric 'sporty SUV' in Frankfurt

Audi is launching a fully electric crossover in 2018, and the brand is finally giving the world a look at what to expect with the E-Tron Quattro concept at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show. Previewed ahead of the event in these five sketches, the vehicle packs a heap of cutting-edge tech, including beautiful matrix laser OLED headlights, to be as efficient as possible. Audi maintains that it offers a range of over 311 miles, too. For such a green model, the design is surprisingly aggressive with a upright grille in front and angular panels elsewhere. The rear sketch shows the design tapering at the back to improve aerodynamics, though. Active aero parts at the front, sides, and rear further let the E-Tron Quattro concept slice through the air. When combined with a flat underbody, the drag coefficient is claimed to be a segment-best 0.25 cd. Audi also asserts the length is between a Q5 and Q7, which lends credence to speculation that the production version might be called the Q6. Underneath the muscular design is Audi's MLB 2 platform from the latest Q7. Three electric motors provide the all-wheel drive propulsion: one at the front and two on the rear axle. Located underneath the passenger compartment is a lithium-ion battery that uses cells from LG Chem and Samsung SDI. The interior seats four, and the driver is nestled into a wrap-around cockpit with a high center console. The front displays use OLEDs with gesture controls, and the rear passengers also get their own infotainment systems. Related Video: Outlook on series production – the Audi e-tron quattro concept at the IAA 2015 • The latest battery technology and top aerodynamics ensure a range of more than 500 kilometers (310 miles) • Sporty SUV with all-electric drive in series production from 2018 Ingolstadt/Frankfurt am Main, August 19, 2015 – Electric driving at Audi is a pleasure, not a compromise. The brand is demonstrating this with the Audi e-tron quattro concept at the International Motor Show (IAA) 2015 in Frankfurt. The sporty SUV provides an outlook on the brand 's first large-series electric car. The Audi e-tron quattro concept is designed from the ground up as an electric car and proves to be pioneering in its segment at the very first glance. It follows the Audi "Aerosthetics" concept, combining technical measures for reducing aerodynamic drag with creative design solutions. Movable aerodynamic elements at the front, on the sides and at the rear improve the air flow around the car.