audi

Chevy prices the Volt - gulp. How to just about steal a Volt or Nissan Leaf. A first drive in the new VW Jetta, Ford Explorer & Mitsubishi electric car. And the James Bond car museum is gonna' be where?

• Cooley takes you for a spin in the Mitsubishi i MiEV

• Chevy prices the Volt. Too expensive?

• First drive in the new 2011 Jetta

• New 2011 Ford Explorer is a different SUV for different times

• Nissan Leaf

• James Bond car museum to locate south of Chicago. Way south.… Read more

The way Audi has been assiduously filling gaps in its model lineup, you would think the company was playing poker. After the A4, A6, and A8, Audi came up with the A3 and A5. The A7 bridges that final gap, making a straight.

Instead of occupying a medium space between the A6 and A8 models, the new A7 is closely related to the A8 in luxury, size, and technology. But unlike the A8, the A7 uses a fastback design, allowing for a rear hatch covering a cargo area. The fastback gives the roofline a coupe-like shape.

Audi announced four engines for the new A7, all V-6es, with two diesel and two gasoline, although we don't know which engines will be offered in the U.S. Horsepower ranges from 204 to 300.

A low-end version will use front-wheel-drive and a standard automatic transmission, but the sporty choice gets Audi's Quattro all-wheel-drive system and dual clutch gearbox. … Read more

Tony Stark drove the 2011 R8 Spyder 5.2 Quattro supercar in "Iron Man 2," now you can too for a mere $161,000, Audi today announced. The first open-top Audi supercar, which has a top speed of 195 mph, will begin rolling into U.S. showrooms as soon as next month.

The R8 Spyder 5.2 Quattro differs from the classic Audi look--there are no signature sideblades on the Spyder. Another significant difference on the R8 Spyder is the use of dramatic Aluminum Optic vents on the new rear engine cover and aluminum a-pillars. Last year, CNET'… Read more

Audi will add a new model to its lineup of luxe sports cars. The R8 Spyder 4.2 FSI Quattro will feature a V8 engine that offers 130 hp less than its big brother, the 560 hp R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI. But with a top speed of 185 mph and only a fraction of a second slower off the line, it's still PDQ.

The upside of the smaller engine is the price: the R8 Spyder 4.2 FSI will start at 121,000 euros (about $152,169). It's a nice discount from the R8 Spyder 5.2 … Read more

Audi equipped a test vehicle with forward-looking, 3D-imaging sensors, a processing unit that identifies traffic situations, and affixed internal cameras that keep an eye on the driver in an effort to develop next-generation active pedestrian and cyclists safety and crash-avoidance technology.

As part of the German Adaptive and Cooperative Technologies for Intelligent Traffic (AKTIV) consortium, Audi is participating in a three-pronged program consisting of Safety for Pedestrians and Cyclists, Active Emergency Braking, and Driving Safety and Attentiveness, which aims to use advanced automotive technology and communication to reduce traffic accidents.

On the road, 3D sensors on the Audi's test … Read more

As if handwriting recognition and audio by Bang & Olufsen weren't enough to make us drool over the upcoming 2011 Audi A8, the company showed off Google Earth integration with the navigation system. Previewed at this year's CES, the completed system won the award for Best Embedded Telematics Navigation Product at the 2010 Telematics conference in Detroit.

Taking advantage of the NVidia graphics processor in the A8's navigation system, along with the car's 3G data connection, drivers can see their destinations and surroundings in rich topographical clarity. Detailed information on specific destinations includes photographs.

Audi has … Read more

Audi, an automaker best know for its image of "understated luxury," is busy creating one of the most over-the-top OEM car audio systems that we've ever seen. The Audi Sound Concept takes an Audi Q7 SUV and crams 62 speakers into the cabin. Nope, that's not a typo: sixty-two!

The system consists of five tweeters spread between the dashboard and the rear seating area, a woofer in each of the four doors, a single subwoofer out back, and a whopping 52 midrange speakers wrapping the perimeter of the cabin and enveloping the passengers in 360 degrees … Read more

Owners of the iPad are getting a racing exclusive. Audi of America and SkyGrid today launched the 24 Hours of Le Mans Experience. The application provides the latest news and high-definition multimedia as it unfolds in France this weekend.

Audi teams have won the storied competition eight of the past 10 years of the race that dates back 87 years.

"Audi has been at the forefront of finding innovative ways to share its performance story and brand momentum," said Scott Keogh, chief marketing officer of Audi of America. "Our partnership with SkyGrid will now deliver that experience … Read more

Audi may be the first car with its own app store, Mercury dies so Lincoln can live, Chevy Volt and other electric cars are tricky for first responders, Motorola launches safe-driving Android apps, and will the real James Bond Aston Martin please start up?

• Audi rumored to have apps coming to unlock features in its cars

• Ford pulls the plug on Mercury

• CNET drives the 2010 Infiniti EX35 Journey

• Pedal-powered Porsche looks great, goes slow!

• "Original" James Bond DB5 goes on sale for the first time--but it's not really the "original"… Read more