As we learned today during the Audi USA press conference today, Johan de Nysschen confirmed that the S/RS programs will continue into the foreseeable future. The latest version to break cover is the 2013 S6. Similar to the B8 S4 which closely resembled the A4 S-Line it seems Audi is continuing this trend with the S6.
From Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro on down to Audi’s Quattro, German speakers for centuries have abandoned their own language for Italian to express articles of passion. Quattro means “four” in the language of love, undoubtedly a better name for the driveline hardware that has come to define Audi’s high-tech and sporting image than the German vier, which is pronounced “fear.” Can you see the ads? “Come drive the new 5000S Fear at your Audi dealer today!”
With apologies to Bismarck, Quattro just sounds more prestissimo, especially when it’s plastered to the sawed-off rump of a new concept two-seater intended to stoke scintillating memories of Audi’s rally glory days. Audi unwrapped the Quattro Concept at the 2010 Paris auto show in September, and just a few months later delivered it to us tanked up and ready to run over asphalt at realistic road speeds (provided that we first swept its path clean of loose stones and dust and immediately put the $4.6 million hand-built Fabergé egg back in its truck at the first sign of rain or temperatures below 45 degrees).
While we pondered the weather reports, as well as what long-term significance, if any, Audi’s nostalgic glance back would ultimately have on its future products, a particularly noteworthy time traveler from those old days also materialized. In 1983, to homologate a short-wheelbase version of the Quattro Coupe for Group B rallying, Audi started building 224 Sport Quattros for testing, racing, and selling to wealthy civilians as road cars
[Source: Car and Driver]
In case you were hiding under a rock last week and missed our post about the RS5 brochure being leaked, we have some more information for you to drool over. The speculation was that the RS5 would be powered by a normally aspirated FSI V8 but the details were still a bit sketchy. This picture of the engine bay should put all remaining questions to rest. I know many were hoping for a forced induction engine but this is a well proven power plant with tons of power and fits in very competitively against the likes of the 414HP 2010 M3 coupe.
Source: Jalopnik
We have some more exciting news coming from NAIAS. Rumors are spreading that Audi has tipped their hat at plans to bring in an A3 sedan version starting in 2012. Read the story below for more information. We will update as we get more information. – Josh
Audi has had to finally acknowledge that the pool of American buyers willing to pay more than $30,000 for a hatchback is shallow. According to Oliver Stein, Audi of America’s CFO, the company has finally convinced the parent company that the U.S. needs a sedan version of Audi’s smallest U.S. vehicle, the A3.
Continue reading ‘Audi A3 sedan planned for North America in 2012?’
