Filed under: Hatchback, Audi, Rumormill, Electric

The original, all-aluminum Audi A2 was a unique beast, which Heinrich Timm, Audi’s head of lightweight design, maintains was ahead of its time. However, the rumored 2012 A2 is likely to utilize a steel unibody platform, and the latest reports indicate that Audi’s mini-lux will have a new reason for being special.

Autocar quotes anonymous sources who say the next A2 could be Audi’s first electric-only vehicle. While the UK rag doesn’t go into detail, Audi has dropped hints that a variant of the A2 could utilize the extended-range EV hardware under the hood of the A1 e-tron concept shown at the Geneva Motor Show. The e-tron utilized a 60 horsepower electric motor paired to a 330-pound lithium ion battery pack. The “extended range” part of the A1 e-tron concept comes courtesy of a small, powerful rotary engine that would work as a generator whenever the battery pack was depleted. Audi quotes the EV range of the A1 e-tron concept at about 33 miles per charge.

Do we think the A2 will be electric-only? Our magic eight-ball says “ask again later,” so we’re thinking the earliest we’ll know anything is this September at the Paris Motor Show.

[Source: Autocar]

Rumormill: Audi A2 could be electric only, or not originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 24 May 2026 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Hatchback, Audi, Specialty

We just spent the last few days bouncing around Germany driving the 2011 Audi TT and the powertrain-enhanced Q7 (review next week), and between bouts on the autobahn and a few factory tours, we pestered our hosts about some of their Euro-only products and what we can expect in the future.

We dropped a few not-so-subtle hints in an attempt to score some seat time in the RS6 (denied) and the TT RS (achieved, and yes, it’s awesome), but the RS5 was something we were aching to drive. Unfortunately, we were short on time and didn’t get a crack at the 450-hp coupe, but on more than one occasion we mentioned that a shooting brake version would be the bee’s knees. As you’d expect, that’s probably not gonna happen, but the rendering wizard Theophilus Chin has answered our prayers in digital form.

Chin, who mocked up the three-door for a Photoshop contest, took some inspiration from past Audi coupes - including the GT - to create a two-door fastback version of the RS5 that’s loaded with win. The sloping roofline matches perfectly to the RS5′s widened haunches, and while the roof rails wouldn’t have been our first choice, we dig how they tie into the brushed aluminum front splitter, rear diffuser, side mirrors and five-spoke wheels. Too bad it probably won’t happen, but there’s a good chance those of us in the States will get a crack at the standard two-door RS5 in 2012.

[Source: TheophilusChin.com]

Rendered Speculation: Audi RS5 Shooting Brake originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 14 May 2026 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Audi, Reviews, Luxury

Taking a great looking performance car and chopping off its roof is risky business - compromises are inevitable. That’s especially true in this modern age of unibody structures. Removing a big chunk of a vehicle’s architecture without adequately reinforcing what’s left can yield a chassis incapable of managing the position of the wheels, let alone result in a vehicle that loses its level of driver engagement and enthusiasm. On the other hand, reinforcements add mass - often lots of it. It’s a treacherous path, as both flaccid body control and weight are the mortal enemy of performance.

You can understand our trepidation, then, upon learning that Audi was planning on introducing its S5 Cabriolet at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. By our reckoning, the German debutante’s rollout was cause for both consternation and celebration. When the A5 and S5 coupes arrived in 2007, they were hailed as being among the best looking cars ever to wear the brand’s Four Rings. The new Cabriolet models would bring with them the euphoria of open-air motoring, but we had to wonder - would Audi’s rakish new hardtop be turned into a floppy flier just by giving it a roofectomy? Equally as important, would the model’s newly downsized engine drop the performance? There was only one thing to do: Put the range-topping S5 Cabriolet through a week-long test.

Photos by Sam Abuelsamid / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Review: 2010 Audi S5 Cabriolet speaks too softly, but carries a big stick

Review: 2010 Audi S5 Cabriolet speaks too softly, but carries a big stick originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Apr 2026 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Audi, Rumormill

It’s been a little while since anything with an RS badge came our way from Ingolstadt, but it if you believe the whispers floating around the Web these days, there may be hope for a U.S.-spec Audi RS5 just yet. Automobile is reporting that the company is seriously mulling bringing the S5′s meaner brother to our neck of the woods.

The Kingdom of Quattro pulled the sheets off of the sinister coupe at this year’s Geneva Motor Show, and our jaws have been on the floor ever since. Under the hood sits a tweaked 4.2-liter V8 with 450 horsepower at the crank. The mill is bolted to none other than the Audi Quattro all-wheel drive system, complete with a new torque-vectoring rear diff.

Automobile hasn’t gone so far as to name a source for the rumors, which leads us to take this one with a Q7-sized grain of salt. Still, if it were true, we may have our sticky paws on an RS5 by summer 2012, right around the same time the refreshed A5 is scheduled to hit the U.S. Keep your fingers crossed and your hopes down.

[Source: Automobile]

Rumormill: Audi RS5 headed for the States? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Apr 2026 14:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: New York Auto Show, Coupe, Budget, Hybrid, Performance, Etc., Hatchback, Audi, Chevrolet, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Toyota, Volkswagen, Ferrari, Citroën, Design/Style

Awards season is finally winding down with the 2010 World Car of the Year and World Performance Car of the Year being handed out this morning at the 2010 New York Auto Show. After whittling the fields down to three finalists in each category, the panel of 59 international journalists voted one last time to crown the World Car of the Year.

While the Toyota Prius, Volkswagen Polo and Mercedes-Benz E-Class were nominated, it was the Polo that took home the gold for 2010 World Car of the Year.

On the performance vehicle front, the nominees were the Audi R8 V10, Porsche 911 GT3 and Ferrari California, with the Audi winning top honors.

They also handed out a Design award for a group of finalists including the Citroen C3 Picasso, Kia Soul and Chevrolet Camaro. That honor went to the Camaro. (U-S-A! U-S-A!)

The Green category saw Volkswagen‘s line of diesel-powered BlueMotion vehicles beat out the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight hybrids. (Die-sel! Die-sel!)

Click below for a gallery of all the winners.

New York 2010: Volkswagen Polo wins 2010 World Car of the Year award originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Apr 2026 09:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Aftermarket, Convertible, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Audi

Whenever Audi introduces a new model, chances are that the folks at Abt Sportsline are going to get their hands on one. The German company has been tuning Volkswagens and Audis since the 1970s and has enjoyed success racing the Audi A4 in DTM and more recently the new R8 LMS. Needless to say, Abt knows how to properly modify cars bearing the four rings.

Abt’s latest project is the droptop version of the Audi R8. Visually the car gets a new front grille, front fascia with carbon fiber spoiler, side sills, rear fascia, rear spoiler and lightweight five-spoke wheels. Even more importantly, the 5.2-liter V10 has been massaged to provide 600 horsepower, good for 0-100 km/h in 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 199 mph. Finally, Abt provides a sport suspension system for improved handling. Follow the jump for full details and browse through the high-res gallery below.

[Source: ABT Sportline]

Continue reading Abt Sportsline gets its hands on Audi R8 Spyder

Abt Sportsline gets its hands on Audi R8 Spyder originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Mar 2026 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Hybrid, SUV, Plants/Manufacturing, Technology, Crossover, Audi, Electric

Thanks to the Volkswagen Group’s strategy to be the leading player in the alternative-powertrain market within the next decade, Audi has announced a rapid expansion of hybrid and electric vehicles over the next few years. The German automaker wants to improve efficiency of its internal combustion engines (both gasoline and diesel) by 30 percent - and it wants five percent of the brand’s model line to be electric. “In the future, our customers will be able to choose from an increasingly broad range of driveline technologies,” said Audi CEO Rupert Stadler.

Report: More hybrids, EVs coming from Audi originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Mar 2026 19:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Performance, Europe, Audi, Luxury

Check out what a very cold spy photographer snapped some pictures of. This car could very well be the upcoming Audi S8. Of course, as the car in the photos is totally unmarked, this could just be another variant of the big Audi. We’ve suspected for some time that a new S8 is coming, and we hear that it’s most likely headed over to our shores. However, we’ve know next to nothing about what type of terror resides under the hood. Until today.

Unlike the last (frankly underpowered) S8, this new big-fast sedan is dropping the choked-off, Lamborghini-derived V10 in favor of a new twin-turbo V8. The good folks at Car and Driver are claiming the unit will displace 4.0-liters. Our source at Audi wouldn’t confirm that displacement explicitly, but did say that C/D is, “on the right path.” This same source noted that BMW’s been using a smallish displacement twin-turbo V8 (4.4-liters) in the 7 Series for the past year and that Audi intends to stay competitive.

Our Audi source also noted that the new V8 will be offered in many flavors, and will allow Audi to meet all the emissions and mileage standards coming down the pike in the next five years. We’re told to expect a wide range of configurations, similar to what Audi/Lamborghini did with their shared V10. That means different states of tune for different cars, as well as naturally aspirated and force inducted version. As for power, our source once again confirmed that Car and Driver knows what they’re printing. Meaning that the 450 horsepower/450 pound-feet of torque neighborhood isn’t a bad guess, though the final numbers could be higher.

Back to the car in the heavily cropped photograph (check out Autocar for the complete set of pics), we’re still not 100-percent sure it’s the S8. First of all, there are no visual cues to distinguish this black car from a regular A8, save for the requisite four tailpipes. However, as Autocar notes, the new S8 is said to have bold new bodywork to set it apart from the standard car. Also, examine the brakes. They appear to be larger diameter than the standard brakes, yet they aren’t drilled or slotted. One would think (and we would agree with him) that an S vehicle would have a more serious set of stoppers. After all, even the A8 Hybrid “Concept” has fancier discs. Of course, maybe these are just placeholders used during cold weather testing. Yeah, we’re pretty sure this is the new Audi S8.

[Sources: Autocar, Car and Driver]

Spy Shots: Are you the next Audi S8? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2026 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We already know that Audi plans to fit the standard R8′s 420-hp, 4.2-liter V8 into its all-new Spyder variant early next year, and now comes word that at least one more version of the R8 is in the pipeline and that the R tronic sequential automatic might not be long for this world.

According to company insiders speaking with Car and Driver, the herky-jerky gearbox will likely be dispatched in favor of Audi’s new seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. There’s no word on the amount of torque the DCT can handle, but considering how much better the R8 V10 performed with the standard sequential tranny, we’d suspect that the dual-clutch setup will make its way onto the V8 models only. And if you’re worried about the gated six-speed manual being nixed from the options list, don’t be - it will continue to be available on all models.

C&D also reports that a sportier version of the R8, inspired by the LMS model, could be in the cards, packing more power (think: Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera) and a not-so-insignificant weight reduction thanks to the liberal use of carbon fiber.

In what is currently raw footage but what will soon undoubtedly be slickly produced promotional material, the brutalicious 2011 Audi RS5 growls around a track and on various European roads. For a brief spell it even shares the screen with one of its spiritual brethren, the