New Audi Q7 vs Volvo XC90

You asked for it, so here it is: a visual comparison between the two freshest arrivals in the large luxury SUV segment, the 2016 Audi Q7 and the 2015 Volvo XC90.

We'll give you a basic rundown of the two premium models before we let you go over the gallery and cast your vote on which one has your attention.

Audi presented the second-gen Q7 on Friday, ahead of a world premiere in Detroit in January, with highlights including a drastic reduction of 325 kg or 717 pounds in weight and new innovative tech features like the available full-TFT instrument panel.

Right now, the only confirmed engine for the U.S. is a new 248hp (252PS) 2.0-liter TFSI four-pot gasoline unit, while Europe will get a 3.0-liter TDI V6 diesel in 215hp (218PS) and 272PS (268hp) flavors, plus a 328hp (333PS) 3.0-liter TSI supercharged V6 gasoline and a plug-in hybrid combining a 3.0-liter diesel V6 and an electric motor delivering 368hp (373PS), when it goes on sale next year.

Volvo's long-overdue XC90 replacement had its first public outing at the 2014 Paris Motor Show in October, though it won't reach showrooms until spring of 2015. Like the Q7, it also sits on a new platform and has seating for seven in three-rows.

In the States, the new XC90 will be offered at launch exclusively with Volvo's new 316hp T6 2.0-liter turbo- and super-charged, inline-four gasoline engine linked to an 8-speed automatic and standard AWD with a starting MSRP of $48,900. Later on, Volvo will add a T8 plug-in hybrid variant that enhances the same four-cylinder unit with an electric motor for a combined output of around 400hp. Select markets around the world, including Europe, will get a pair of D5 turbo diesels with 190hp and 225hp.

In the coming months, both Audi and Volvo are expected to add more powertrain options to their respective lineups.

The two SUVs are very close in size, with the Q7 measuring 5,050mm long, 1,970mm wide and 1,740mm tall with a 2,990mm wheelbase, and the XC90, 4,950mm long 1,775mm tall 2,008 wide with a 2,984mm wheelbase.

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Yamaha R-Car

It even tried to build its own V12-powered supercar back in the early 1990s with the futuristic OX9911 (see videos below); however, the program was eventually cancelled due to Japan's financial crisis at the time, but not before the company manufactured three working prototypes.

Yamaha's connection to the auto industry started well before the OX9911, as it helped develop and produce Japan's first true sports car, the 1967 Toyota 2000GT, while in the years that followed, it designed, built, and supplied several engines to automakers, from four-cylinder to V8 units (i.e. the Taurus SHO's 3.0-liter V6 and later on, 3.4-liter V8 units).

The reason why we're telling you all this is to present a new concept study for a Yamaha supercar by an independent designer from Spain named Albert Roselló.

The concept is called the Yamaha R Car, and according to Roselló, it depicts a "supercar with a superbike soul".

Besides the Lamborghini-esque styling, the R Car was envisioned to have an engine delivering over 900-horses while tipping the scales at less than 1,100kg (2,425 pounds), which of course, means nothing since it's all pure fantasy talk.

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Audi Urban e-Tron Minicar Concept

The official sketches show a lower and sleeker design with more futuristic styling elements than what we saw in the video footage of the car, but that's usually the case with all designer renderings.
Audi says the Urban Concept is an ultra-light car for congested urban spaces that is not based on any previous model. It is built around a central carbonfibre monocoque and rolls on massive wheels with a 21-inch diameter.

Power comes courtesy of two e-tron electric motors that draw energy from a lithium-ion battery.
A sliding canopy that forms part of the body opens up to allow the driver and one passenger to enter the car. The cockpit consists of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer, which integrates the undercarriage of both seats.


The driver is seated in front and to the left while, the passenger behind and to the right. Audi says the driver can adjust the steering wheel and pedals to his own body measurements.
More details on the Urban Concept are to be released closer to the Frankfurt Motor Show.

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Best British Sports Car Off All Time by Silverstone

The three day event will feature some 7,000 classic automobiles from over 120 clubs across the United Kingdom. You can vote for your favourite online with the winner to be announced on the 7th of July. Feel free to state your favourite (or pick apart my listing) in the comments section below.


The fifteen finalists in the Silverstone Clasic's, “Best British Sports Car of All Time” 

1. Jaguar XK 120
2. Lotus Elan
3. MG MGB
4. Jaguar E-Type
5. Aston Martin DB5
6. Lotus 7
7. Austin-Healey 3000
8. Triumph Spitfire
9. AC Cobra
10. MG MGA
11. Morgan
12. Austin-Healey “Frog Eye” Sprite
13. Triumph TR3
14. Triumph TR6
15. TVR Griffith

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