Audi Paris Motor Show Cars

Audi is one of the most successful manufacturers in the highly-popular GT3 arena which attracted most of the world’s top manufacturers since the class debuted in 2006. The German manufacturer rolled out an update for its second-generation R8 LMS which promises to build on an already strong base.

The first-gen Audi A1 was launched in 2010. Since then, the car has earned a reputation for getting better with tiny tweaks and additions added every now and then. Eight years later, the Audi A1 is back with an all-new iteration. It has improved in every aspect over the 2010 A1. The next-gen Audi A1 was revealed at the Paris Motor Show.

Audi unveiled at the Paris Motor Show the Evo version of its ultra-successful R8 LMS GT3 race car ahead of a 2019 debut in competition. The R8 LMS Evo also shares some design cues with the upcoming 2020 Audi R8 road car.

The most popular sports car racing category of the past decade, FIA GT3, designed for production-based sports cars and supercars with revised aerodynamics and performance just got a new stablemate. It comes from Ingolstadt, and it is the Audi R8 LMS Evo which is an updated version of the second generation R8 LMS which debuted three years ago.

The car will debut in competition worldwide next year with the R8 LMS Evo expected to run in championships in Asia, Europe, North-America, and Australia. Customers will be offered the choice of either acquiring a brand-new race-ready R8 LMS Evo or just the aerodynamic kit and mechanical upgrades that can be applied to 2015-spec R8 LMS cars.

Audi Sport has released a mysterious teaser of a car that looks like the R8 supercar. Audi didn’t confirm that it’s the facelifted version of the supercar so if it’s not that, this model sitting underneath the sheets could be a race car based on the R8. The facelifted R8 is expected to arrive later this year so it’s possible that this model could serve as a preview of what we can look forward to when the new R8 debuts. There are no specific details about the car other than Audi’s plan to show the model at the 2018 Paris Motor Show. We’ll know more then.

To be honest, I did not see this coming. With theParis Show just around the corner, the SQ2’s unveiling today was a bit surprising. A happy surprise, I mean. The smallest crossover from the Audi stable just got pumped up with more power. The explosive engine is borrowed from the S3 and comes with a basket of performance-increasing additives.

Launched in 2013, the A3 Sedan is the latest iteration of the compact hatchback that Audi introduced way back in 1996. Essentially identical to the five-door save for the extra bodywork at the rear, the sedan features the same interior and drivetrains. The four-door gained a performance-oriented S3 version in 2015, while the range-topping, RS3 was unveiled at the 2016 Paris Motor Show.

While the RS3 Sedan was rumored for quite a few years and was somewhat expected to debut in 2016, its official launch brought a huge surprise from Audi, in the form of the RS3 LMS. Named after the race-spec, already iconic R8 LMS, the RS3 LMS is the first factory-built race car based on the A3 sedan and was developed specifically for the TCR series.

If you’re not familiar with the competition, it’s a new touring car championship that debuted in 2015. Promoted as a cost-effective spin-off of the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC), the TCR series is sanctioned by the FIA and based on a three-pillar concept that includes national and continental championships, along with the global TCR International Series. All three tiers function under the same technical regulations.

The Audi RS3 LMS will compete in the top-tier TCR International Series, which has been disputed by several brands in 2016, including Alfa Romeo, Ford, Honda, Opel, Peugeot, Seat, Subaru, and Volkswagen. The beefed-up sedan will debut in the 2017 season as a customer race car backed by Audi Sport, the company’s motorsport division.

"With the Audi R8 LMS, Audi Sport customer racing, in a very short time, managed to build a successful customer sport program alongside the factory commitments in the WEC and the DTM. The Audi R8 LMS has since become the market leader in its segment. We have the same plans for the Audi RS 3 LMS, which offers customers an attractive opportunity to get started in fascinating Audi racing," said Stephan Winkelmann, managing director at Audi Sport.

Continue reading to learn more about the Audi RS 3 LMS.

Audi is offering a fresh racing car for apex-oriented customers with the new track-ready RS3 LMS, transforming the updated four-door sedan into a bona fide competition vehicle. The RS3 LMS joins the Audi R8 LMS in the automaker’s lineup of out-of-the-box grid stars.

The Audi R8 LMS was first introduced in 2009, offering privateers a chance to rocket around in genuine GT3 style at events like the 24 Hours of Nurburgring. However GT3 racing is expensive, and as an alternative, the RS3 LMS arrives primed and ready for the TCR International Series, which is considered a more cost-effective entry to the world of touring car racing.

Drawing on experience gained in such high-profile series as the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and Germany’s Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM), the RS3 is outfitted with all the usual go-faster goodies. The suspension was massively upgraded, while large wheels and enormous brakes were fitted in the corners. The fenders were hugely flared, and new aero keeps it planted.

Inside, it’s all business, all the time, with a back-to-basics layout, carbon-fiber steering wheel, and digital instrumentation.

Behind the polished rings on the grille, you’ll find a 2.0-liter four-cylinder TFSI engine that’s turbocharged to 330 horsepower. Acceleration looks like 4.5 seconds to hit 62 mph from a standstill, while top speed is rated at roughly 150 mph. Interestingly, that’s quite a bit slower than the road-going RS3, which uses a 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine to make 400 horsepower and hit 62 mph in 4.1 seconds, with a top speed of 174 mph.

But don’t worry – this thing will still melt your face in the corners, and as such, it needs to be safe. That means it’s got an FIA-spec fuel tank, safety cell, PS3 safety seat, FIA-approved window nets, and a rescue hatch in the roof.

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Quick! Which Audi model just got a reduced curb weight, bump in engine output, and a few updates to its legendary, motorsport-derived AWD system? Surprisingly, I just described some of the new stuff on the German brand’s compact SUV, a.k.a. the Q5.

First up, thanks to the utilization of materials like high-tensile strength steel and aluminum in the body, the Q5 cuts upwards of 200 pounds from the curb weight, depending on the trim level. And that’s on top of an increase to the Q5’s exterior dimensions, by the way.

Next up is the drivetrain, where we see the inclusion of something called “ultra technology” to the quattro AWD system. Equipped as standard on models sporting a 2.0-liter TDI oil burner (and offered as an available option on the 150-horsepower diesel trim), ultra tech essentially ups fuel mileage by disengaging the rear axle while cruising, transforming the Q5 into a front-wheel driver. The rear axle will then automatically reengage when more traction is called for, making for a nice mix between FWD efficiency and AWD grip. No word yet on whether or not U.S.-spec models will get ultra technology, but it’s doubtful considering the only engines offered here will be the gas units.

Further AWD upgrades include torque vectoring tech, new driving modes for a little soft-roader action, and a sportier rear differential for models equipped with a diesel V-6 engine.

Speaking of engines, Audi says it’s making the various powerplant options both more powerful and more efficient. There will be four TDI specs and one TFSI engine on the table, but again, don’t expect the diesels to make it to these shores (thanks, Dieselgate). All in all, we can expect up to 27 extra ponies, plus a substantial increase to mpg. The 2.0-liter turbocharged gas burner, for example, will produce 252 horsepower (up from 220 horsepower) and return nearly 35 mpg (up from 27 mpg on the highway).

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Introduced in 2011, the Audi RS3 became the company’s most affordable high-performance car. However, it was only made available in the five-door body styles, with the sedan, which was launched in 2013, still waiting for its RS badge. The wait ended at the 2016 Paris Motor Show, where Audi unveiled its smallest performance sedan to date. But despite being small, the RS3 Sedan has a five-cylinder heart that pumps out a massive 400 horsepower.

Developed to grab some market share from the Mercedes-AMG CLA45, the new RS3 Sedan was built on the same recipe that gave birth to the RS4. Audi slapped a menacing body kit onto the A3 Sedan, and replaced the mild and efficient four-pot engines with a beefed-up version of its already iconic 2.5-liter five-cylinder unit. The end result is remarkable, with the sedan having 400 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque at its disposal, 25 horses more than its

badged competitor. It’s also quick too, needing only 4.1 seconds to hit 62 mph from a standing start. Its top speed is also impressive at 174 mph, but this is only available when the 155-mph limited is removed optionally.

Highlights continue beyond the engine, which is 57 pounds lighter than its predecessor, with an updated dual-clutch transmission and Quattro AWD system, wheel-selective torque control, progressive steering, and carbon-ceramic front brakes.

Styling-wise, the RS3 has a rather subdued appearance beyond the blacked-out chrome, the honeycomb grille mesh, and the larger intakes. Inside, there’s a seven-inch MMI screen, sporty instrument dials, a boost pressure indicator, and as expected on a performance-oriented car, a lap time. This setup can be replaced by a fully digital instrument cluster if you’re not planning to set any Nurburgring records.

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Meeting customer demands means taking aim at a constantly moving target, which can often lead to some interesting crossbreeding between the established automobile segments. The Audi S5 Sportback is one good example. Offering a nice mix of attractive exterior design, practicality, luxury, and performance, the S5 Sportback appeals to a sort of “jack-of-all-trades” mentality, circumventing a singular focus in favor of a broader charm. While European audiences have enjoyed this balancing act since 2010, those of us residing in the U.S. have been left out in the cold. Now, there’s a second generation arriving, and it might actually come stateside. Maybe.

Essentially a sportier take on the A5 lineup, the S5 is offered in three body styles, with a two-door coupe and two-door convertible joining the aforementioned five-door liftback. We last saw the new S5 Sportback in camo as it braved the cold in Sweden and hit the apexes at the Nurburgring, but now, Audi has released full specs ahead of the second-gen’s public debut at the Paris Motor Show in October.

According to Autoblog, it’s still undecided whether or not Audi will be bringing this thing to U.S. shores, but either way, we’ve given it the full rundown in this review.

Continue reading to learn more about the 2017 Audi S5 Sportback.

Slated for a debut at the 2016 Paris Auto Show, the new Audi A5 Sportback has made an early debut, boasting a much needed update to exterior styling, a very slight increase in size (overall length up by 0.4 feet over the current model) increased room inside for passengers, and there’re even some updates to the powertrain department that bring more power output and better fuel economy. Of course, the best part is that the A5 Sportback finally features Audi’s newest design language, which means that ridiculously tall and boring grille up front is finally a thing of the past.

We saw the new Sportback out testing in camo as early as March of 2016, but we could only make out so much of what was going on. Of course, we knew it would take on styling cues from other models in the lineup, but that wasn’t really enough to get the blood flowing. Compared to the previous model, the new, second-gen model does have a sportier rear end, but the overall styling and characteristics of the car really go on unchanged. Not that it’s necessarily a bad thing, just don’t expect to see too many wild changes, and you won’t be disappointed.

Well, with that said, let’s take a good look at the second-generation Audi A5 Sportback and talk a little more about it.

Continue reading to learn more about the 2017 Audi A5 Sportback.

The Audi TT hit the market initially as a coupe in 1998, but a convertible model followed the next year. The original TT featured a 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that laid down 180 horsepower. In 2001, a 225-horsepower TT quattro debuted, and a 250-horsepower version with a 3.2-liter V-6 arrived in 2004.

The model hit its second generation in 2006, and it featured a more aggressive body language and a weight loss of up to 200 pounds. With the second generation coming to a close, we are now starting to see the 2016 Audi TT make a slow debut around the globe. The European market will see the third-generation TT in time for the 2014 model year, but the U.S. may not see it until the 2016 model year. And the convertible version rolled out even later. On September 24, 2014, Audi finally unveiled the TT Roadster in time for its long-awaited debut at the 2014 Paris Motor Show.

Updated 05/06/2015: Audi announces U.S. prices for the new generation TT which will be put on sale later this summer. As expected, the Roadster version will be a little bit more expensive than the coupe, with prices starting from $46,400.

Click past the jump to read more about the 2016 Audi TT Roadster

Model year note: The TT Roadster is a 2015 model year in Germany, but for the U.S. it will be a 2016 model year.