2011 audi

Luxist Drives the Audi R8 V10 Spyder, the World's First Unfair Droptop Supercar

Chas Murphy, until recently the U.S. product manager for Audi's TT, R8 and RS sports cars, said of the R8 V10 Spyder: "You have to drive the car. It can't be put into words." Well, we drove it over the hills and through the woods of the Cleveland (Cali, not Ohio) National Forest, and we can put it into words. Rather, we can put it into one word: unfair.

The ways in which the R8 V10 Spyder is unfair leave us thoroughly taken with this open-air supercar and yet a little melancholy. You see, as good as the R8 V10 Spyder is – and there's no doubt about that – when you look at it, what you behold is the dumbing down of driving civilization. On the upside, this particular kind of dumb is among the most rewarding, outstanding kinds of idiocy you could ever hope to achieve. Find out what we mean after the jump.

Gallery: Luxist Drives the R8 V10 Spyder

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2011 Audi Q7 gets Upgraded Engines and New 8-speed Transmission

by Sam Abuelsamid (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

2011 Audi Q7 (Germany) – click above for high-res image gallery

At the Leipzig Motor Show in Germany this week, Audi is launching a thoroughly revamped powertrain lineup for its big Q7 SUV that should improve performance and fuel efficiency. As usual both gas and diesel engines are available but for the first time since it launched no gasoline V8 engine will be available. Instead the lovely supercharged and direct injected 3.0-liter TFSI V6 that debuted in the S4 will be available in two power levels. A base version with 272 horsepower can be optioned up to the full 333 hp unit found in the S4.

Drivers that want a big SUV will probably prefer the upgraded 3.0-liter V6 TDI diesel. With its 240 hp and 406 pound-feet of torque, it can easily tow 6,600 pounds while getting real world fuel economy of 25 mpg or more. The U.S. version stays at 225 hp when it arrives this fall. European drivers that want performance and fuel efficiency can also opt for a 4.2-liter V8 TDI diesel. All Q7s get a new eight-speed automatic transmission for 2011. The new powertrains are expected reduce fuel consumption by up to 19 percent. The 2011 Q7 V6 TDI arrives in the U.S. in September while the gasoline TFSI V6 arrives in November.

Gallery: 2011 Audi Q7