Audi R8 Giving Birth To RS3 Sportback

It's not that we don't love the RS3, we do; it's just that, watching an R8 "give birth" to it in such an explicit way is really weird. Hard to believe somebody actually came up with this during a board meeting.

What we have here is basically a facelifted first generation Audi R8, struggling to give birth (slowly) to what is, at first, a gooey red RS3.

Again, we like the RS3, we even showed you a great looking Nardo Grey one yesterday, but this was more about recreating a scene from Aliens, than it was about showcasing it's 0-100 km/h (62 mph) acceleration time or 367 HP power output.

Obviously we understand what Audi meant to do when they came up with this, we get the general idea, but maybe they should have tried to make it less creepy. How about going all Transformers-like and create the RS3 out of the R8's engine or something like that? Just anything that doesn't involve turning our stomachs.

The one thing we do appreciate is the visuals...technically speaking. Audi did a great job bringing all this to life - no pun intended.

Though next time, we hope they come up with something different. And for a fun couple of minutes, feel free to browse through the video's comment section.

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Audi's A7 Sportback in Dubai

Even though the Audi A7 seems to have come out on top after duking it out with the sand dunes in Dubai, we know there's a lot more to that type of driving than just a capable all-wheel drive system.

To be fair, the desert is no place for any type of premium four door coupe, unless you count the Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe and BMW X6 in that category. But those are SUVs, no matter what the marketing people would have you believe.

We weren't expecting to see an Audi A7 Sportback kicking up sand in the desert, but we're not surprised either. At first you'd think that you would need above average ground clearance in order to even attempt to go sand dune skiing, but that's not necessarily the case.

Believe it or not, except for the all-wheel drive system (and Audi's Quattro does a great job), the most important element in such an endeavor is the driver himself. Knowing how to drive on sand can make up for anything the car might not have going for it.

For example, you can start by lowering your tire pressure in order to increase the size of your "footprint". This improves traction not just on sand but also in snowy conditions. Remember when Jeremy Clarkson did it in one of his Top Gear winter specials?

After that, try to follow a set of already-made tire tracks - which seems to be the case in this video with most of the footage. No reason to assume that the A7 was responsible for all the tracks, right?

Last but not least, when stationary, don't accelerate hard but rather go for a smooth "take off". You can apply the same philosophy to accelerating or braking. Try to be as smooth as possible in order to avoid sand build-up in front of your tires.

Maintaining speed is more important than ground clearance, so never step on the gas like you just stole the car, even if you feel like you're starting to lose traction and coming to a halt. Trust in the all wheel drive system and trust your right foot when it comes to gradually building up speed and keeping it steady.

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Audi Crosslane Coupe Concept

The Crosslane Coupe is a plug-in, dual-mode hybrid that combines an internal combustion engines, two electric motors, a battery pack and a single-stage transmission.

The combustion engine is a three-cylinder turbocharged 1.5-liter TSFI with an output of 130PS (128HP) and 200 Nm (147.5 lb-ft) of torque. The TFSI engine is coupled to an electric motor, labeled EM1, with 68PS (67HP) and 210 Nm (154.9 lb-ft) of torque. The EM2 functions primarily as a starter and alternator and is coupled to the internal combustion engine via a claw clutch.

A second electric motor, the EM2, which has an output of 116PS (114HP) and 250 Nm (184.4 lb-ft) of torque, provides electrical traction.

The concept's hybrid system has two different operating modes (hence the dual-mode moniker). From standstill to 55 km/h (34mph), it is driven solely by the EM2, which is powered by the 17.4 kWh lithium-ion battery. In serial mode, the three-cylinder and the EM1 produce electrical energy that charges the battery.

At speeds above 55 km/h (34 mph), the system allows the internal combustion engine and the EM1 to engage in the drivetrain, while above 128 km/h (80 mph) the internal combustion engine is the primary source of power and, if needed, can be aided by the EM1.

Total combined output is 177PS (174HP), with the 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) sprint being completed in 6.8 seconds in dual-mode and 9.8 seconds in pure electric mode. Top speed is 181 km/h (113 mph), electric driving range is around 85 km (53 miles) and fuel consumption can be as low as 1.1 lt/100 km (256.8 mpg Imperial, 213.8 mpg US) and CO2 emissions just 26 g/km.

The driver can choose between two settings: in “cruise” mode the drivetrain operates as efficiently as possible, while in “race” it produces maximum performance.

The two-door Crosslane Coupe is 4.21 m (164.2 inches) long, 1.88 m (73.3 inches) wide and 1.51 m (58.9 inches) high, has a 2.56 m (99.8-inch) wheelbase and a 2+2 seat configuration.

Its bodywork sports a single-frame grille that is divided by struts, LED trapezoidal headlamps, large air intakes in the front bumper and two narrow openings in the bonnet that let outsiders take a peek at the upper members of the aluminum Multimaterial Space Frame.

The Crosslane Coupe has an ultralight CFRP roof that weighs less than 10 kg (22 pounds) and can be released electrically and stored over the boot’s load area.

The side doors extend down thanks to the very low sills and when they open they reveal aluminum members of the chassis. At the rear, the flat C-pillar and the low glasshouse emphasize the “coupe” moniker in Audi’s concept moniker and the taillights, which are divided in two sections by the boot lid, are similar in design to the headlamps.

An aluminum diffuser is incorporated in the CFRP rear bumper and the boot, which forms a separate shell within the space frame, can be extended about 40 cm forwards by the push of a button. In this position, when the roof is removed it protects the luggage while at the same time an extra storage space under the boot becomes accessible.

The interior is mostly made out of CFRP with aluminum elements and the floor is made of GFRP. The low dashboard is driver-oriented, the instrument panel includes virtual displays and the air conditioning controls incorporate very small displays.

Both driver and front passenger seats feature integrated head restraints, part leather upholstery and are electrically adjusted, while the center console incorporates a large touchpad that controls most functions and a large selector lever that sprouts out electrically when the car is started.

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2013 Audi A3 Sportback

While the car's exterior dimensions at 4,310mm (169.7 inches) long, 1,780mm (70.1 inches) and 1,425mm (56.1 inches) tall are only slightly greater than on the previous Sportback, the new model now rides on a 2,636 millimeters (103.8 inches), an increase of 58 millimeters (2.28 in).

The five-door model is also 35 millimeters (1.38 in) longer between the axles than the three-door version resulting in an increase in rear passenger legroom. The luggage compartment offers 380 liters (13.42 cu ft) of space in the basic configuration and can be expanded to 1,220 liters (43.08 cu ft) with the rear seats (60:40 split) folded down.

Just like the three-door A3, the Sportback benefits from a significant weight reduction by as much as 90 kilograms (199 pounds) compared with the previous version. According to Audi, when equipped with the 1.4 TFSI engine, the five-door model has a curb weight (without driver) of just 1,205 kilograms (2,657 lbs).

Speaking about engines (and as you will soon find out, lot's of numbers...), in Europe, the new A3 Sportback will launch with a choice of one TDI and two TFSI units, with more diesel and gasoline units to follow in late 2013.

Audi didn't reveal the output numbers of the base 1.6-liter TDI diesel, but it did say that with this engine and a six-speed manual gearbox, the Sportback accelerates from zero to 100 km/h (62mph) in 10.9 seconds and tops out at 194 km/h (121mph). We are also told that it consumers 3.8 lt/100km (61.9 US mpg or 74.3mpg UK) on average with CO2 emissions of 99 g/km (159.33 g/mile).

The diesel range includes two more 2.0-liter engines. The 148Hp (150PS) and 320Nm (236 lb-ft) version takes the A3 Sportback from zero to 100 km/h in 8.4 seconds en route to a top speed of 213 km/h (133 mph). Average fuel consumption is 4.6lt/100km (51.1 mpg US or 61.4mpg UK), corresponding to CO2 emissions of 120 g/km (193.12 g/mile).

The 181Hp (184PS) and 380Nm (280.27 lb-ft) variant of the 2.0TDI accelerates the car to 100km/h (62mph) in 7.4 seconds and on to a top speed of 232km/h (144mph), and has a combined fuel consumption of 4.3 lt/100km (54.7 mpg US or 65.7mpg UK) with CO2 emissions of 111h/km (178.64 g/mile).

The petrol range kicks off with a 1.2-liter TFSI, producing 104HP (105PS) and 175Nm (129 lb-ft) of torque. With the dual-clutch S tronic, it accelerates the A3 Sportback to 100km/h (62mph) in 10.7 seconds and reaches a top speed of 193km/h (120 mph). Average fuel consumption is 4.9lt/100km (48mpg US or 57.7 mpg UK), corresponding to CO2 emissions of 114 g/km (183.47 g/mile).

Next up is the new 1.4-liter TFSI that weighs 21kg (46.30 lb) less than its predecessor. The four-cylinder unit generates 121HP (122PS) and 200Nm (147.51 lb-ft) of torque for a 0-100km/h sprint time of 9.3 seconds and a max speed of 203km/h (126mph). It consumes 5.3 liters of fuel per 100 km (44.4mpg US or 53.3mpg UK), which corresponds to 123 g/km of CO2 (197.95 g/mile).

Later in 2013, Audi will enhance the range with a more powerful version of the 1.4-liter TFSIproducing 138Hp (140PS) 250Nm (184.4 lb-ft) of torque, which also features the VW Group's cylinder on demand (COD) system that deactivates the second and third cylinders to intermediate loads and while coasting.

With this engine, the Sportback will hit 100km/h from standstill in 8.4 seconds and top out at 213km/h (132mph). It will return an average fuel consumption of 4.7lt/100 km (50.05 mpg US or 60mpg UK) with CO2 emissions of 110 g/km (177.03 g/mile).

The gasoline engine lineup will also include a 1.8-liter TFSI rated at 177Hp (180PS) and 250Nm (184.4 lb-ft) of torque allowing for a 0 to 100 km/h (62mph) time of 7.3 seconds, top speed of 232 km/h (144mph) and average fuel consumption of 5.6lt/100 km (42mpg US or 60.1mpg UK) corresponding to 130g/km of CO2 (209.2 g/mile).

All engines in the new A3 Sportback are paired to a standard six-speed manual gearbox with an S tronic dual clutch transmission available as an option. Certain models will also be available with Audi's quattro all-wheel drive system.

The Ingolstadt-based carmaker said that in 2013, it will enhance the range with an S3 performance variant and a special model namedTCNG fitted with a 109Hp (109PS) engine that emits below 30 g/km (48.28 g/mile) and consumes "Audi e-gas", which the company says it "produces itself in sustainable manner".

In 2014, the range will be expanded with the A3 Sportback e-tron sporting what Audi describes as "a powerful plug-in hybrid drive".

The new A3 Sportback will go on sale in Europe early next year starting with Germany in February for base price of €22,500. No word if and when the Sportback will come to North America.

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