2012 Audi A8 L Quattro 4dr Sedan on 2040-cars

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Audi reveals S3 Cabriolet ahead of Geneva debut

It used to be if you wanted an Audi S3, your choices in bodystyle came down to hatchback or... hatchback. That is, in markets where the model was offered at all. But Audi has been expanding the A3 global family upon which the S3 is based, and it intends to offer the performance-minded derivative as a three-door hatch, five-door hatch, four-door sedan and - with the introduction of the version you see here - a two-door convertible.
Set to be presented in public for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show early next month, the new Audi S3 Cabriolet packs the same 2.0-liter turbo four as its fixed-roof counterparts - all 290 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of it - but ditches the extra doors and the tin top in favor of the two-door cabriolet bodystyle of the A3 Cabriolet.
The added weight of the folding fabric roof mechanism and the extra body reinforcement required means that the S3 cabrio takes half a second more to reach 62 miles per hour from a standstill than it would take the sedan version, clocking the run at 5.4 seconds instead of 4.9. This, despite more generous use of magnesium, aluminum and high-strength steel in its construction. Top speed, as is the German custom, remains pinned at 155 mph.

Le Mans champion Allan McNish retires from LMP1 racing

Having won the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times, the American Le Mans Series title another three times and, most recently, the FIA World Endurance Championship, Allan McNish doesn't have much left to prove. Which is why he's retiring, ending this stage of his 33-year driving career on a high note.
In a statement just released by McNish himself and his team at Audi, the Scotsman said "I've had a fantastically successful time with Audi and feel it's the right time to step back from Le Mans sports-prototype racing and to look at other opportunities."
Just what those other opportunities might be is another matter. He's raced in DTM, Formula One and the International Formula 3000 series, where he won two races in 1990. McNish, 44, is also part of the BBC Radio's F1 commentary team, serves as president of the Scottish Motor Racing Club and is often called upon by the FIA to act as a grand prix race steward. Audi says he'll continue to be part of the team, just not in the driver's seat. Given his success in endurance racing, he's surely got a wide variety of opportunities to pursue, and we're looking forward to seeing where he lands.

2015 Audi A3 Sportback E-Tron

A little more than a year ago, I drove an Audi A3 E-Tron prototype - an early concept electric vehicle built on the outgoing second-generation A3 platform. While I was impressed with the technology, its 3,800-pound weight, 10-second 0-60 time and 90-mile range will likely put it only mid-pack, at best, among its future competitive set. But Audi promised bigger and better things would come.
I didn't have to wait long. Immediately following the Los Angeles Auto Show, Audi asked me come drive its all-new successor built on the company's third-generation A3 chassis. Compared to last year's model, the new plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) boasts a lighter curb weight, quicker acceleration and six times the range. Calling it improved is an understatement. Best of all, it's heading to production.
Technically speaking, the 2015 Audi A3 Sportback E-Tron is a parallel hybrid, meaning its electric motor is sandwiched between a combustion engine and an automatic transmission - either, or both, is capable of powering the front wheels. The gasoline-powered engine is a direct-injected and turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder, rated at 150 horsepower. The transmission is a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox. A 75-kW electric motor sits between the two. Water is used to cool the gasoline engine, the electric motor and the battery pack - there are three independent closed loops.