audi

Remember that Audi e-tron we showed you last year? Y'know, the electric R8? Audi's only gone and lopped the roof off to create a spyder version. Somebody pass us a Tena Lady.

Unlike the hard-top e-tron, which was purely electric, this model is a plug-in hybrid. It uses a lithium ion battery plus a pair of 88 bhp electric motors mounted to the front axle which, altogether, can drive the car for up to 31 miles at a speed of 37 mph.

When that energy's depleted, it can be replenished from a household electrical outlet or the … Read more

As one of the major auto shows in Europe, the Paris Motor Show plays host to many new car launches. But some of the makers do not export to the U.S., and those that do often show European-only new models. But new cars on their way to the U.S. come from the likes of BMW, Porsche, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz.

We found an impressive amount of luxury and tech in this set of six new cars. Most are updates to existing vehicles, such as the BMW X3, Mercedes-Benz CLS, and Volvo V60. Then there is the special-edition Porsche 911 … Read more

A decade ago, Bang & Olufsen started up its automotive division. Now it has hit the trifecta, partnering with Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz, the three major German automakers.

At the 2010 Paris Motor Show, we saw examples of Bang & Olufsen stereo installations in the Audi A8, the BMW Concept 6-series Coupe, and the Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid.

Bang & Olufsen is a high-end Danish manufacturer of audio components, and has shown a flair for the dramatic in its automotive installations. Speakers rise up out of dashboards while grilles are made of brushed aluminum and include ambient lighting around the edges. … Read more

Paris is noted as a fashion center, so we weren't surprised to find a number of very stylish concept cars at the 2010 Paris Motor Show.

As one example, French carmaker Citroen teamed up with Lacoste to design a very fun-looking car built for fun in the sun. Meanwhile Renault offered the very sexy DeZir concept in luscious red with pronounced curves.

But other regions of the world were not left out. Jaguar offers up the incredibly sleek C-X75 and Nissan came out with a funky utility car.

And BMW fans finally got treated to a taste of what … Read more

Subaru will treat owners of the 2011 Forester with a better-sounding radio through HD Digital Radio.

The service will be included with the "premium radio" package option on the Forester. HD Digital Radio offers more than 2,000 crystal-clear AM and FM stations without a subscription fee.

Other automakers that offer HD Digital Radio receivers include Audi, BMW, Ford, Hyundai, Land Rover, Lincoln and Mercedes-Benz. This option is a first for Subaru models.

The service will also offer iTunes Tagging. iTunes Tagging lets you capture information about a song on the radio and store it on your iPod … Read more

Audi today announced the all-new Audi A8 will have a starting price of $78,050. The Audi A8L will start at $84,000.

Audi A8 gets 17 miles per gallon in the city, 27 mpg highway, which puts it on par with the Mercedes-Benz S400 hybrid. It's also better than the fuel-economy numbers for the BMW 7-Series hybrid and six-cylinder models, Audi said in a news release.

Audi also announced the R8 4.2 quattro, which gains 10 more horsepower for 2011 and will have a base price of $114,200--unchanged from the 2010 model price. The Audi R8 … Read more

Last year Audi unveiled the RS version of its TT model at the Geneva auto show, but as with many European high-performance unveilings, the question of a U.S. import version was in doubt.

To settle the question, Audi posted a survey on its Facebook page, and got 11,500 yeas for the Audi TT RS in a month. With this result, Audi says it will bring the TT RS to the U.S. by the third quarter of 2011, enough time in Internet terms for people to have moved on from car fandom to the latest Lady Gaga video. … Read more

Audi started testing its fleet of A1 e-tron Mega City Vehicle (MCV) in Munich. The Audi A1 e-tron is a pint-size 102-hp extended range plug-in that has a 31-mile electric range and uses a small, single-rotor Wankel to recharge the lithium ion battery to provide additional range 125 miles of range. The estimated fuel economy according to the draft standard for extended range vehicles is 123 mpg, but they may have to recalculate that number like GM will for the Volt.

Although the carmaker is rolling out only 20 A1 e-tron fleet vehicles, it's installing 200 charging stations for … Read more

Audi has been busy this decade giving its cars new levels of luxury and performance, giving even BMW a run for its money. The new A8 can be seen as the culmination of this work, a big luxury sedan with all the latest electronics in the cabin combined with thrilling performance. But Audi takes it a step further, using a new transmission and its direct injection technology to eke 27 mpg of highway fuel economy from this beast. The new A8 is quite an achievement, earning our Editors' Choice.

Check out our 2011 Audi A8 review.