audi

After publishing sketches and blatantly live-testing the vehicle in a crowded German square, Audi released more renderings of the Audi Urban Concept that it will unveil at the upcoming International Motor Show in Frankfurt. The biggest finding from the graphics is that the electric micro car has a convertible twin.

The Audi Urban Concept is an electric two-seater that takes its styling cues and lightweight construction from sports cars. Designed for dense urban environments, the concept is powered by two electric motors.

Based on previously released information and sketches of the Coupe version of the Audi Urban Concept, the doors appear to slide back like a minivan's. On the Spyder, which looks a little more like a 1960s Formula 1 car, they open diagonally to the top. How functional that is and exactly how they work remains to be seen. Both EVs seat two in staggered formation to maintain its narrow body design. … Read more

Ford and Toyota team on car tech, Audi announces plug ins & hybrids, In-car internet radio explodes, and we take you - but just one of you - for a ride in the Scion iQ.

• Ford and Toyota team on hybrids for trucks, SUVs

• GM teams with LG to develop electric vehicles

• Audi plug-in hybrid rumored to be coming in 2014

• BMW to integrate MOG app

• Cadillac drops the cloth and top on new Ciel concept

The ultimate example of having your cake and eating it too is the A8 hybrid that Audi announced it will begin building in 2012. Audi's flagship luxury sedan boasts a Bang & Olufsen audio system and Google Earth integration into the navigation system. And with its hybrid system, it also earns 44 mpg under the European test cycle.

The hybrid version of the A8 will use Audi's direct-injection turbocharged 2-liter four-cylinder, which in this application produces 208 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Audi replaces the torque converter in the eight-speed automatic transmission with a 53-horsepower electric motor, … Read more

Audi may have been slow to embrace hybrid technology, but it's not wasting time playing catch-up. The automaker is rumored to be producing a plug-in hybrid Audi A4 for the 2014 model year.

According to an article in Autobild.de, Audi plans to produce a bigger, yet lighter, A4 in 2014 with a rear-axle electric motor. The plug-in hybrid will have an electric range of 30 to 60 km (19 to 37 miles) before it switches to the gasoline engine. No specs on the engine options were mentioned in the article. Earlier this year, Audi introduced the 2011 Q5 Hybrid Quattro, which uses the 2-liter TFSI engine and achieves 33 mpg. The 2011 Audi A4 uses the same 211-hp engine and achieves 22 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway using a CVT transmission.

(Source: Autobild.de via CarAdvice.com.au) … Read more

When we got the 2012 Audi A6 in for review, we had some idea what to expect from having previously seen the A7. But that did not lessen the wow factor of looking at Google Earth imagery on the navigation screen, nor pushing the voice command button and initiating a Google location search.

Those connected features aside, the A6 also shows off Audi's excellent performance tech. With a supercharger and direct injection, Audi gives the A6 loads of power while keeping fuel economy in a reasonable range. You don't see many cars that can boast over 300 horsepower … Read more

If you can't be out there whipping your souped-up Audi around the racetrack, perhaps the next best thing is a computer game that lets you compete virtually. Audi 3D Racing is a basic car-racing game in which you can compete in four different locales. It's definitely not the best racing game we've seen, but it's not bad for freeware.

The game is Flash-based, and from the opening menu you select where you want to race. There are four options, City, Desert, Alpine, and Forest, but only City is available at the start. Users must win the … Read more

ZURICH, Switzerland--There's something about a German sports car that makes even the hairiest road seem like something you want to keep driving.

A few days ago, that feeling was reinforced as I (carefully) wound my way up and over some of the most amazing passes in the Swiss Alps. With barely enough room for one car, let alone two abreast, with drops of thousands of feet just off the side of the cliffs, and guardrails pretty much an afterthought, I knew that I was being tested. But I was driving Audi's terrific RS 5, and I wasn't … Read more

After not-so-secretly releasing a prototype of its electric microcar into the urban wilds for testing, Audi let loose sketches of its Audi Urban Concept. The camouflaged vehicle was caught on video in Berlin, and drawings and descriptions confirm that the Audi Urban Car concept is an electric two-seater meant for dense urban environments.

The prototype seems to be Audi's more aggressive and daring answer to BMW's electric city car, the i3. With its open wheel design, narrow body, open nose cone, and retractable roof, it kind of looks like a 1960s Formula 1 car if you squint really … Read more

Audi's A4 has grown up to be a substantial competitor to the immovable 3 Series. The company is also in a head-to-head race with BMW to offer the most innovative in-dash navigation, interface, and media options. Brian Cooley takes you for a drive in the 2011 A4 2.0T to check the tech.

You can also read the full CNET Review of the 2011 Audi A4 here.