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Upcoming Audi Q1 rumored to get high-performance SQ1 variant

The Audi Q1 isn't due for another two or three years, yet Auto Bild reports already that it will come in RS and SQ1 trims. According to the report, the RS Q1 will be powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder putting out 300 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, putting it about 70 hp and 8 lb-ft beyond the next-most-powerful gasoline engine in the standard range.
Depending on how you like your gumption served, however, the first SQ1 - like its European SQ5 sibling - go the diesel route with a 2.0-liter TDI fitted with twin turbos for 231 hp and 368 pound-feet of torque. That's an improvement of 47 hp and 88 lb-ft over the most powerful diesel engine said to be offered on the regular Q1.
The report goes on to say that there should be g-tron (natural gas) and e-tron versions of the Q1, and buyers will get a deep toy chest of assistance packages to equip it with. Starting price in Europe is expected to be around 25,000 euros, which, if correct, would make it 4,000 euros less dear than the Q3 in Germany.

Leaked design sketch may preview Audi TT Sportback Concept for Paris

With the debut of the new TT and TTS hardtops in Geneva earlier this year, as well as the more recent debut of the convertible model, Audi has ticked the same body style boxes as the first two generations of TT. Unlike those earlier examples, though, the German luxury manufacturer has provided a slow and steady parade of concepts showing off possible directions for the TT.
First, we had the Allroad Shooting Brake Concept from the 2014 Detroit Auto Show. Then, in April, we saw the Offroad Concept, whose biggest differentiation from the Detroit concept was its extra pair of doors, making it appear, at least superficially, quite similar to one of Audi's Sportback models. This clear evolution from shooting brake to neo-Sportback might not have meant much, had the image you see above not leaked.
This is, allegedly, the third member of the larger TT-based concept family, and - surprise, surprise - it has massaged the profile of the Offroad Concept into something that, to our eyes, appears far more grounded in reality. It looks like a natural fit into Audi's line of four-door-coupe models, which are more fleshed out in Europe, thanks to the presence of the A5/S5 Sportback. Slotting in a TT-based model could represent a coup for Audi, as such a small four-door with such obvious sports car roots would be mostly unchallenged.

BMW reclaims US luxury sales crown from Mercedes

The numbers, they are in: BMW has reclaimed the luxury-sales crown from Mercedes by a margin of 9,347 cars. Mercedes donned the king's headgear in 2013 after a strong final quarter of 2013 when the new CLA and S-Class poured out of dealerships. This year, led by the 3 Series/4 Series and X5, BMW sold 339,738 units – a 9.8-percent increase year-on-year. Mercedes, led by the C-Class and M-Class, saw its sales go up by 5.7 percent to 330,391 units. We'll have to wait a bit to see if there's another registrations-vs-sales challenge as in 2012, when BMW was anointed US luxury ruler. Behind them, a dark horse named Lexus nudged closer to the leading Teutons, selling 311,389 cars. The Japanese luxury automaker also had the biggest gain among the top three, its sales rising by 13.7 percent compared to 2013. Audi had the biggest sales of anyone among the top five, though, with a 15.2-percent gain to 182,011, which moved it a spot ahead of Cadillac; the Wreath-and-Crest brand dropped 6.5 percent to 170,750. Acura (167,843), Infiniti (117,300), and Lincoln (94,474) took the final positions. Speaking of Lincoln, sales at the once-mighty luxury marque stand as the mightiest jump of any on this list, up 15.6 percent. That's the power of Matthew McConaughey... and better cars and a new crossover, sure. So now that we're back to Round One of 2015, in case no one else has said it yet: "Ok, fight!"