By Chris Haak

Ah yes, the “good old days.” Remember when cars had names like Comet, Monterey, Nova, Tempest, Metropolitan, and Zephyr? Though there is more diversity in the auto market today than there has been in decades (though no longer thousands of boutique automakers in the US as there were in the early days of the industry), vehicle names that are actual words found in the dictionary are becoming more scarce. That is not news. Some automakers, though not all, have decided that rather than building better, more sophisticated cars, they might just trick the buying public into believing that a DTS is more upscale than a Deville, that an MKZ is more contemporary than a Zephyr, or that a G6 outshines a Grand Am. Again, this is all old news. Today I’m more concerned about model names that once described engine displacement. If you read on, I have some solutions too.

Continue Reading

By Kevin Gordon

I have a confession. I stereotype drivers. More specifically, I stereotype drivers of luxury cars. Sadly, my innate judgement doesn’t just stop at brand, it extends to model. Every time I see a BMW 328i coupe, I assume that the driver decided that they liked the image of the car, but little about the way it actually drives. I probably give Audi drivers the harshest judgement of all. There are some exceptions to this; if you drive an early Audi S4 Avant, I instantly want to be your friend despite any moral shortcomings you may have.

Continue Reading

By Carl Malek

Customers in the United States who wanted an SUV offering from Audi were limited to two choices when visiting their local Audi dealer. Either the bulbous and Leviathan Q7, or the slightly smaller but still portly Q5. Customers who wanted something smaller had little choice but to go to Audi’s rivals BMW or Mercedes to downsize their purchase. Not anymore. In an announcement earlier today on the show floor of the North American International Auto Show,  Audi announced that it plans to bring the pint-sized Q3 CUV to the North American market place. To further demonstrate its commitment regarding the Q3, the company even brought out the show car you see here the Q3 Vail Concept.

Continue Reading

By Chris Haak

Several weeks ago, I was planning a guy’s weekend in the woods near Jim Thorpe, PA with some college buddies.  I packed my sleeping bag, extra clothes, a cooler full of beer and ice, my hiking boots, and my iPad – the basics for a night in the woods.  Had things gone as planned, I would have hauled myself and my camping supplies the 100 miles from my house to Jim Thorpe in an Audi Q5 2.0T.  Things don’t always work out as planned, though.  When I arrived home from the office, there was a gorgeous red A7 waiting for me in my driveway instead.  I kept thinking to myself, “the bank made an error in my favor.”  Despite the fact that we published Kevin Miller’s review of a nearly-identical A7, a week with an A7 was a delightful turn of events.

Continue Reading

By Kevin Miller

Something readers may not know about me is that I have an identical twin- or, I am an identical twin. My brother and I share the same DNA, the same “frame,” and look very similar to one another. While my brother and I are literally made from the same genetic material, we’ve grown to be distinct from one another in our professions and hobbies. While we’re essentially the same weight and height, I am an electrical engineer and auto blogger, who spends way too much time at a computer keyboard. My brother, on the other hand, is an Olympic rower turned collegiate rowing coach who bikes to work most days, so he has a distinctly more athletic appearance than I do.

Continue Reading

By Kevin Miller

I’m a huge fan of big European five-door cars, which were once somewhat common in the US (think Merkur Scorpio, Saab 9000, and Sterling 827i). The segment, which offered luxury-sport-sedan performance and styling with the practicality of a wagon has been nonexistent in the US since the Saab 9000 was put out to pasture in the late 1990s, but the segment is making a big-dollar comeback with cars like the BMW 5-series Gran Turismo and even the Porsche Panamera. Audi’s A7 is the latest entry, though the A7 moniker demonstrates that Audi is pitching the car as a 4-door coupe rather than a 5-door sedan. Continue Reading

By Carl Malek

With the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show now upon us, the folks at Audi have officially revealed the refreshed 2012 Audi RS5 sport coupe ahead of its much anticipated global debut. Updated for the 2012 model year, the RS5 now features new front end styling that is more assertive and bolder than the current car’s, thanks to the use of restyled headlights, a tweaked lower fascia treatment, and new daylight running lamps. This theme continues to the rear of the coupe with the application of a revised rear fascia that features an automated spoiler, and special aerodynamic channels that help bestow the car with additional stability when driven at high speeds. Continue Reading

By Carl Malek

Audi has finally revealed the official U.S pricing for the 2012 Audi TT-RS. Customers intent on adding one to their garage should plan on paying the $56,850 USD admission fee (destination charges not included) for the privilege of owning one of these vehicles. While these numbers do represent a $10,000 USD price increase over the TT-S, this pricing strategy helps the new Audi achieve a considerable price advantage over the $62,100 Porsche Cayman S, as well as a slight edge over the Porsche Boxster S droptop and its own $58,600 price tag.

Continue Reading

By Carl Malek

Following the recent unveiling of the company’s R8 GT coupe, Audi has officially taken the wraps off the droptop version of the GT coupe. Known officially as the Audi R8 GT Spyder, this model utilizes many of the same features and enhancements that did their part to help the coupe version stand out from the rest of the supercar crowd. This means the same extensive use of carbon reinforced plastic and other lightweight materials to help shed the car of unnecessary weight, as well as tweaked mechanical components which not only help the car shed even more pounds, but also to improve its driving dynamics and performance on the road.

Continue Reading

By Carl Malek

For decades, Audi and all-wheel drive have gone together like an automotive peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Indeed, if one is to look at the current Audi lineup, all-wheel drive is available equipment on nearly all of the company’s current offerings with one big exception, the Audi A1. Originally launched as a front wheel drive only offering, the A1 was designed to be Audi’s response to competitors such as the Alfa Romeo Mito and the MINI Cooper. Its success against these competitors, however, has been mixed.  Despite the models so-so sales numbers, Audi has been working on making the engine power go to all four of the A1′s wheels and has chosen the 30^th annual Wortherseetour in Austria (which is one of the biggest annual gatherings of Volkswagen vehicle owners in the world) to give prospective buyers a sneak peek of what such a car would look like.

Continue Reading