Frankfurt Show Preview: New Audi A2 Concept

These past few years, Audi and the German premium automakers in general, have set out to fill every possible niche consumers may or may not think they need, from luxurious superminis to wild supercars. And they are far from done.

At the upcoming 2011 Frankfurt auto show, Audi will lift the covers off a new pure-electric concept study that revives the name of long gone A2.

The original model was a small MPV built from 1999 to 2005 that was way ahead of its time in several ways, but what made it truly unique was that it was manufactured entirely out of aluminum.

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ABT's New Audi RS3 Sportback Packs up to 470 Horses

German tuning firm ABT Sportsline has decided that the latest Audi RS3 Sportback requires a bit more punch and has prepared a new power package for the hot hatch from Ingolstadt.

In factory outfit, the four-wheel-drive model is powered by a 2.5-liter turbocharged 5-cylinder engine generating 340-ponies and 450 Nm (331 lb-ft) of torque, good enough for a 0 to 100 km/h (62mph) acceleration time of 4.6 seconds.

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Official: New 2013 Audi S8 gets 4.0-liter Twin-Turbo V8 with 520-Horses

Audi's third and final "S" model heading to the Frankfurt Motor Show is the luxurious S8 that will be launched on the market along with the S6 and S7 Sportback in the spring of 2012.

As it holds the title of being the 'Big Daddy' of Audi's S range, it was only appropriate that the S8 receive a more powerful version of the newly revealed 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine than on the S6 and S7 models.

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Frankfurt Show Preview: New Audi S6 and S6 Avant

Joining the brand-new S7 Sportback in its world premiere at next month's Frankfurt motor show will be the latest iterations of Audi's S6 saloon and Avant models.

If you've already read the story on the S7, then you won't be surprised to learn that both the S6 and S6 Avant pack the same 4.0-liter TFSI twin-turbocharged V8 with 420-horses and a constant 550 Nm (405.66 lb-ft) of torque from 1,400 to 5,300 rpm, which replaces the naturally-aspirated 5.2-liter V10 of the previous model.

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Audi Reveals New S7 Sportback with 420HP Bi-Turbo V8

When the doors open to the 64th IAA International Motor Show on the September 13, Audi will hold the world premiere of the all-new S7 Sportback.

The most potent member of the A7 Sportback family to date debuts a new 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged TFSI V8 engine that will also find its way under the hood of a variety of VW Group models including Audi's own S6 and even Bentley's Continental series.

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Bentley CEO Confirms SUV and Smaller Four-Seat Sports Car

The above photo is not the actual Bentley SUV but a rendering from the Xenatec Group

At the recent Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance event in Monterey, California, Bentley boss Wolfgang Duerheimer told reporters that the British luxury carmaker is indeed looking to add an SUV model to its range, confirming earlier reports.

Duerheimer went into more details revealing that the crossover model would utilize the platform architecture as well as other hardware from the Porsche Cayenne and Audi Q7 models.

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Audi Publishes New Pictures of Urban Sportback and Spyder Concepts

After teasing us with a couple of videos and a few sketches, Audi has now unleashed a wave of computer generated images of its two-seat Urban Sportback and Spyder concept models, both of which will receive their world premiere at the upcoming 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany. Read more »

German Auto Industry's Progress Threatened by Lack of Engineers

Despite the global economic crisis, German automakers are reporting record profits and sales in the first half of 2011. Therefore, if they can prosper under such dire conditions, then the future looks more than bright, correct?

Well, while true, the German auto industry is actually facing one little tiny problem that seems to be slowing their expansion plans: a shortage of engineers to design the new cars they intend to produce. The reasons for this shortage are the aging, thus slowly but steadily retiring, workforce and the loss of interest in technical studies by the young.

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ABT Sportsline Customizes New Audi A6 Avant

The latest generation of Audi's A6 Avant has received some aftermarket love from VW Group tuning specialist, ABT Sportsline, with the release of the AS6 package that includes both performance and styling upgrades.

The power gains are similar to those of the sedan model. The base 3.0-liter V6 turbo diesel with 204HP gets a jump to 240HP, while the more potent version of the TDI with 245 factory ponies now makes 300-horsepower.

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Audi Reveals New A8 Hybrid with 2.0-liter Four-Pot, Sales Start in 2012

A little over a year after the presentation of its A8 Hybrid Concept at the 2010 edition of the Geneva Salon, Audi is introducing the final production version of its frugal four-cylinder limousine, which goes on sale in 2012.

Confirming our suspicions that the concept label was misleading, Audi made very few changes to the production model such as the smaller (18" instead of 21") but same design alloy wheels and the more conventional looking engine cover.

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SCOOP: 2013 Audi A6 Allroad Quattro Snagged on the Road

Audi's solution for those searching to combine the practicality and roominess of a station wagon model with the higher ground clearance, all-wheel drive and body protection of an SUV is the Allroad Quattro series.

The urban-offroad combo treatment has been offered for a while now on Audi's palette of station wagon models, and with the introduction of the latest A6 Avant earlier this year, we knew it was only a matter of time before we heard news about an Allroad Quattro model.

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Dutch Facepalm: Mutant Opel Astra Station Wagon

Of all the excessive custom creations that we've shown you through these pages over the years, this 1999 Opel Astra Station Wagon from Holland must be one of the most bizarre –and that's an understatement- ever.

While keeping the standard model's…82HP-strong 2.0-liter diesel engine, the owner modified the late 1990s Astra estate with anything he could find including an Audi front end, a wide body kit with excessive wheel arches and more vents than a cheese grater.

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10 Luxury Cars of the Past You Can Afford to Buy Today

No matter what car you buy, its price will start depreciating from the moment you turn the ignition key and roll out of the showroom. Of course, not all models lose value at the same rate. But there are some cars that stand out more than others and Popular Mechanics has compiled a list with some of the most heavily depreciated vehicles in the luxury car segment.

And while this may not be the kind of news a seller wants to hear, it's music to the ears of buyers in the market for snazzy set of wheels. Just remember that regardless if the car is new or used, running costs remain the same, and when it comes to luxury models, be prepared to dig deep into your pockets.

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Audi Urban Sportback Concept to be Joined by a Spyder Version at Frankfurt Show

At next month's Frankfurt auto show, Audi will show not one, but two variants of its Urban pure-electric city car concept. Following the presentation of the Urban Sportback (that's how the Germans describe the closed-top variant in its latest release) fitted with a sliding canopy, Audi today released the first renderings of the Spyder model.

Rather than simply chopping off the rood and strengthening the front windshield frame, Audi's designers opted for a low, continuous window area while the Spyder also gains a pair of doors that open upwards diagonally.

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SPIED: Audi Begins Testing its BMW X6-Rivaling Q6 Sports Crossover

It has begun. We're talking about the development phase of the Audi Q6 which will expand the firm's Q series of crossover models and offer the Ingolstadt-based automaker a direct challenger to BMW's successful X6, as well as to the equivalent model that's being planned by Mercedes-Benz.

The prototype seen here is an early engineering test mule sporting an elongated version of the Audi Q5 platform architecture (notice the wider B-pillar on the modified Q5 body), and has been developed to evaluate the Q6's underpinnings and mechanical hardware.

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U-Spy: Audi Q7 Pickup Truck is the Real Deal

A little over a month ago, we showed you a photo of a two-door Audi Q7 Pickup Truck, wondering at the same time if the picture was real or the result of some handy digital manipulation.

Earlier this week, Carscoop reader "Majdo-dk" tipped us off through our comments that the Audi Q7 Pickup Truck does indeed exist in real life, and to prove it, he pointed us towards a Facebook page with four photos of the one-off model.

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Germany's Luxury Brands Unaffected by Global Economy Slump

The auto industry hasn’t escaped the drama affecting the stock markets due to the US credit rating downgrade and the problems in the Eurozone. This month has been the worst ever since November 2008 for the Euro Stoxx Automobile and Parts Index as it lost €35 billion ($50 billion) or about 19%, of its value.

However, despite the slowing global economy, it is luxury carmakers like BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi rather than mass-market brands, like Fiat and Renault, that can withstand its effects better.

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Senner Tuning Lays its Hands on the Audi Q5 2.0 TDI

Continuing its assault on Audi's portfolio, German aftermarket specialist has introduced a new package for the Q5 SUV fitted with the 2.0-lited TDI turbo diesel engine.

Thanks to a new performance kit that includes an ECU upgrade, sport filters and a custom exhaust system, the four-cylinder diesel engine's output is lifted from 170-horses and 350Nm to 213HP and 445Nm (328.2 lb-ft).

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ABT Plays Around with the New Audi Q3 Crossover

ABT Sportsline, the German tuning company that has long specialized in modifying anything produced by the Volkswagen Group, has released details on its upcoming program for the new Audi Q3 small crossover.

Cosmetically, the tuning house has developed a bespoke front grille, a new front bumper with larger air inlets on both corners, rocker panels, a rear apron that makes space for the quad tail pipes, a roof spoiler and carbon fiber trim splats.

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SCOOP: New Audi A3 Three-Door Hatchback

Audi's sales have been pretty solid the past few years, however, the German firm is not resting on its success and is looking to add brand new models to its lineup such as the Q6 crossover as well as to replace its current portfolio with fresher products.

Following the recent introductions of the A1, A5, A6, A7, and A8, Audi is now turning its focus on its bread-and-butter A3 series which will include a three-door hatchback, the five-door Sportback, and for the first time, a four-door sedan model that was previewed though a concept study at this year's Geneva Salon.

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