The reason why the test car captured our spy photographer's attention is that, while based on the hardcore 2012 R8 GT of which only 333 units are to be made, it featured some visible upgrades, but not of the sort seen on the recently facelifted R8 series.
Read more » The reason why the test car captured our spy photographer's attention is that, while based on the hardcore 2012 R8 GT of which only 333 units are to be made, it featured some visible upgrades, but not of the sort seen on the recently facelifted R8 series.
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The artist shortened the front doors to create space for a second set of doors behind while also making the necessary changes to the roofline and the side windows, the styling of which is similar to the outgoing Sportback.
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Now, Audi is preparing a new generation of its RS6 Avant based on the station wagon body style of the latest A6 codenamed C7.
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The styling of the cloth-top flavored RS5 follows closely after the facelifted coupe model with a bespoke aero package comprising modified front grille and bumper designs, side skirts, swollen arches encircling 19-inch wheels and a new rear bumper incorporating a diffuser and the traditional RS oval-pipes.
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The Audi R8 is by all means a sharp looking and handling automobile that will likely be fast even in e-tron guise, which is Audi talk for its pure-electric powertrain that uses two electric motors on each axle.
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One reason could have been that the automaker had not yet readied a quattro system for the A1, which came the following year with the announcement on a new Quattro model powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four with 253hp (256PS).
Aside from the significant power and price gap between the A1 1.4 TFSI and the A1 Quattro, the latter will be produced in a limited number of 333 examples, which means the brand with the four rings will eventually be left without a high performance supermini in its range.
Our spies sent us two sets of photos today, both of the R8 V10 model, with and without the swirly camouflage.
On the styling front, Audi's designers made a few tweaks here and there such as the new LED headlamp and tail light fixtures, the reshaped, six-point front grille with horizontal chrome slats and the circular instead of oval-shaped twin tail pipes on the V10 model.
Some may also notice that instead of two plastic slats on the front and rear side vents, the updated V10 model gets three plastic slats on both ends and corners.
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Over the past few months, we have been following around prototypes of the next generation Audi RS6 while testing across Europe, and today, we can show you what the most powerful version of the latest A6 series will look like thanks to these images from the patent office.
Developed from the ground-up by Quattro GmbH, Audi's high-performance sub-division, the new RS6 Avant employs all the usual design cues you expect to find on an RS model.
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Our spies caught up with an undisguised prototype in production trim silently testing on the Nürburgring. The only thing missing from the test car are the chrome bars on the side vents under the barely noticeable modified LED headlamps, while the production car will also get a different set of wheels.
The prototype is fitted with a six-point grille that will also make its appearance on the soon-to-be-revealed facelifted 2013 R8. The e-Tron version can be identified by the special black cover that replaces the regular model's window, the deep scoop on the hood and the absence of exhaust pipes on the modified rear apron.
The prototype would have gone by unnoticed if weren't for the S3's trademark quad tail pipes at the back. The production model that will follow next year will also sport a different front bumper with larger air-inlets and a chrome-trimmed grille along with a rear diffuser and bespoke alloy rims shod in wider wheels.
The current Audi S3 is powered by a 2.0-liter TFSI delivering 262hp (265PS) and 350Nm. We hear that the next iteration of Ingolstadt's hot hatch features a new 2.0-liter force-fed four generating around 280-horses.
Naturally, the S3 is equipped with Audi's quattro all-wheel drive system while transmission options will include a six-speed manual and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.
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While you have no doubt seen the spy pictures of the RS6 Avant, the new video footage gives us the chance to see and more importantly, hear Audi's super-duper station wagon on the move.
It is widely believed, but not officially confirmed, that the new generation of the RS6 in both Avant and later on in sedan trims is powered by a boosted version of Audi's new twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine that takes the place of the previous model's 571bhp 5.0-liter bi-turbo V10.
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And why are we so confident that this is indeed an RS6 Avant test car, we hear some of you ask? Well, there are several telltale signs proving that this is an RS model, including the honeycomb-style front grille and brake air vents, the wider wheel arches and of course, the twin-tail pipes, all of which are signature traits of Audi's RS lineup.
If you take an even closer look at the pictures, you will also see the massive brake discs trying to hide behind the five-spoke alloy wheels.
Audi officials are keeping their cards close to their chest about the new RS6's drivetrain, but it is believed that the previous model's 571bhp 5.0-liter bi-turbo V10 could be replaced by an upgraded version of Audi's new 4.0-liter TSI that powers Audi's S6 and S7 (420HP) as well as the S8 (520HP) and the Bentley Continental models (500HP).
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For a vehicle with not a lot of styling changes over the current model other than the five-point grille, resculptured bumpers and possibly, new headlamp and taillight graphics, Audi's engineers are sure spending a lot of time testing the car.
This could be explained by the availability of new powertrains like the 3.0-liter supercharged V6 gasoline engine, which is offered in various states of tune with outputs ranging from 295bhp (300PS) in the A6 up to 328bhp (333PS) in the S4 and S5 models.
Sometimes, you need to pay close attention to prototypes to see that they are test mules but that's not the case here as the extended wheelbase together with the widened tracks are a clear giveaway, despite the Q5 body shell.
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For the time being, however, our scoop photographers nabbed an early test mule being driven around Europe for evaluation purposes.
Hiding underneath the modified body of the current model is the VW Group's brand new and widely advertised, MQB transverse platform architecture. The same chassis debuted on the new A2012 Audi A3 hatchback, while it will also form the base for a great number of future VW Group models.
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If you take closer look at the pictures that follow in the gallery below, you'll see that Audi has tapped off the corners of the Q5's grille to make it look like the current model.
What the Germans don't won't you to see is the redesigned, hexagonal front grille, which is present on all new Audi models including the 2013 A3 hatchback.
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Audi's first attempt in the full-size luxury SUV segment, the Q7, has been in the market since 2005 having received a rather subtle facelift in 2009. This means it's almost time for the Ingolstadt-based automaker to present the second generation model.
The brand with the four rings has already started work on the new Q7 with a test mule that uses a modified version of current model's body shell to hide its new and lighter platform architecture.
As you can see in these photos, the test mule's fenders are wider while it appears that the front overhang may be shorter.
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There's not much to say about this specific test car's appearance as it is a prototype for trying out the updated Q5's mechanical hardware (more on that in a bit).
However, we believe that the actual facelifted model will encompass the same styling changes seen on recent Audis such as the refreshed A4 and A5, and which include more stylish and narrower headlamps and the company's new hexagonal front grille.
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