Luxury and Exotic Car Reviews

McLaren W1 First Drive: Ferocious Hypercar Transcends the Track

You know things are getting serious when McLaren rolls-out the ‘1’ suffix. The origin story is, of course, the very first road car McLaren ever built, the F1. Designed by visionary Formula 1 aerodynamicist and engineer Gordon Murray, it arrived in 1992 and rendered all other supercars obsolete. The tiny, lightweight F1 embraced carbon-fibre material technology, adopted a radical centre seat driving position with two passengers set back and either side and was powered by a 6.1-litre V12 engine from BMW that might as well have been passed down directly from the Gods. Game-changer? That doesn’t even come close to describing its impact, even if at the time sales didn’t come easy… The P1 was very different. Rather than a unique side project from the Formula 1 team, it was instead a statement piece for McLaren Automotive, a new road car division still in its infancy. It arrived in 2013 and was a wild-eyed showstopper. It traded the long-legged gait and supple suspension of the F1 for a weaponized hybrid system capable of delivering 903bhp and huge blue flames from its drainpipe exhaust. In Race mode, it lowered by 2-inches and its massive concave rear wing extended into the sky. The P1 was all about aerodynamic downforce, crazed acceleration and a snorting, angry soundtrack that mixed venomous twin-turbocharged V8 with the manic whirr of electric motors. Not so much a car as a force of nature. And now there’s this: The W1. It’s a true successor to the P1 with a similar brief and, on the face of it, it evolves rather than radically reinvents McLaren’s vision for the ultimate hypercar. This is not a criticism. How could it be when the result is this dramatic and has such staggering, other-worldly potential? The W1 has 1258bhp delivered to the rear wheels. It’s capable of 0-124 mph in 5.8-seconds, the quarter mile in 9.6-seconds at 167 mph and produces 2205lbs of downforce at 174 mph. The active aerodynamics – particularly a rear wing that extends way out beyond the rear of the car – are pure performance art and deliver massive aerodynamic efficiency. The result, aside from looking extremely cool, is that the W1 is McLaren’s fastest road car around a racetrack. Ever. Their benchmark circuit is the breath-taking Handling Track at the Nardo proving ground in southern Italy, where the W1 beats their previous benchmark, the flyweight McLaren Senna, by three seconds per lap. Or “a lifetime” as they call it in racing. Maybe two lifetimes! Core to the W1’s performance is the new ‘Aerocell’ carbon fibre tub. With integrated seats and a raised footwell to allow for inboard pushrod-operated front suspension – which in turn gives air a clean path to the huge underbody diffuser – it’s light, stiff, space efficient and has been instrumental in McLaren realising a full ground-effect concept. Just like last year’s F1 cars, which were the fastest ever made. There is also an active front wing and the aforementioned complex rear wing dubbed ‘Active Long Tail’. All of which is very admirable. But the ‘anhedral’ or gullwing doors and the fantastically shirnked-wrapped feel to the minimalist, highly-focussed interior are a pretty good side effect. The W1 feels special. Those fixed seats are perhaps a shade more upright than expected, and the driving position is less obviously racecar than, for example, the Aston Martin Valhalla or Ferrari F80. However, once you’ve adjusted the pedals (they move on a slider) and the delicate, slim-rimmed and alcantara-trimmed steering wheel, there’s an overwhelming sense of purpose. The cabin is so tightly tailored and imparts a sense of lightness and agility before you so much as start the all-new 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine, which makes 916bhp all on its own and revs to 9200rpm. Reach up to a roof-mounted control panel to find the starter button. Maybe this fighter plane trope is a little corny, but somehow you feel thrilled rather than manipulated. The W1 has a sense of humour as well as all that motorsport-derived sophistication. There’s a short delay, but when the engine does fire it’s instant – as the high-powered hybrid system negates the need for an old-school starter motor. A sharp flare of revs tells you that this engine is hyper-responsive and angry. On some deep level your brain and body have been sent all the signals required to prepare for something new and intense. Ahead of us, an empty Mugello racetrack, so press and hold the blue button next to the red starter to select Race mode. The centre display graphic shows the W1’s transformation in real time as it lowers by 37mm at the front and 17mm at the rear whilst simultaneously undocking all that active aero goodness. Race mode is not road legal and is geo-locked. You can show your friends and neighbours the aero dance, but it won’t allow you to select a gear to actually drive unless you’re at a circuit. Incidentally, the rocker switches either side of the display binnacle allow further options now: Toggle up the Handling control on the left for Race+ (for F1-spec super smooth tracks) or stick to Race for gnarlier ones. On the right toggle select ‘GP’ for sustained performance over a stint or ‘Sprint’ to unleash all 1258bhp for a time attack. There’s also a DRS and Boost function on the steering wheel. But I guarantee you won’t have the mental capacity to use them… Exit the pitlane, pin the throttle and W1 takes maybe a millisecond or two to gather its might (the gearing stretches to around 60mph in first, nearly 100mph in second, primarily to aid traction), but then lunges at the first turn with incredible ferocity. It instantly feels light, almost like inertia is no longer a thing. McLaren really does prize lightweight engineering, and at 3084lbs (dry) the W1 has a 278lbs advantage over the Ferrari F80. Plus, Ferrari uses figures for cars fitted with every single carbon fibre option. In reality, the gap is probably wider still. The impression of agility and stunning control continues as the track is unravelled at startling pace. The electric motor mounted to the side of the new 8-speed dual-clutch transmission is good for 342bhp and 324lb ft and it boosts any low rev lethargy the new flat-plane crank V8 might have (spoiler alert: It doesn’t appear to have any), so the W1 just feels massively, almost impossibly powerful at any revs. Even so, there’s real reward for wringing it out to 9200rpm and the power curve feels superheated but organic, too. In Race mode the steering – still hydraulically powered – has less assistance and it is noticeably heavier than other McLarens. However, that resistance is welcome as it gives you something to push against and imparts so much information about the front grip level. New Pirelli Trofeo RS tyres with a bigger front footprint than P1 or Senna really help. The front-end feels incredibly secure and the rear-axle follows with perfectly-aligned precision. The whole car feels super-stiff, completely locked into the surface and inspires confidence, but there’s an inherent agility and adjustability that means you’re quickly confident to push at its limits and really impose yourself on the chassis. It’s such a complex car but the driving experience is intuitive, and the driver feels a key contributor rather than just amazed (or terrified) observer, holding on for dear life. Every dynamic ingredient really is shockingly effective and yet has a subtlety and lightness of touch. From that delicious steering to the incredible brakes, the W1 just feels so mission-focussed, so hooked-up. Only the new 8-speed gearbox is a slightly disappointment. It’s fast and punchy, but after the scintillating energy of the Ferrari F80 ’box it feels competent rather than inspired. Other quibbles – it’s okay to quibble when the starting price is $2.1-million before tax and destination charge. Well, that new twin-turbocharged V8 sounds tightly wound and aggressive but if you have a P1 tucked in the garage you’ll miss the snorting, Darth Vader-style soundscape and all the drama that goes with it. Ferrari does this better, too. The F80 sounds deathly dull from the outside but is a riot of turbochargers, electric motors and all sorts of mechanical fury within the cockpit. Even so, the W1 is wildly entertaining on track, and the rear-drive configuration makes it more of a challenge and more satisfying than the F80 when chasing lap times or just sliding around for fun. In the Ferrari, you must second-guess what the front e-axle might do, whereas in the W1 it’s all on you. There are plenty of tools to help, including the ingenious Variable Drift Control, but somehow the W1 is more heroic. Or at least fools you into feeling more heroic – which is surely the point! On the road? Nimble, loaded with feel and sublime response. The ride is noticeably tougher than, say, a 750S but the control is ramped-up too, and with a bit more speed the whole car finds a delicious rhythm. Sport mode for the drivetrain brings some nice turbo whooshes and chirps, but the noise remains high-quality rather than extreme excitement. It is perhaps the one area the W1 feels just a little too tame. Of course, there’s nothing tame about the raw performance… which is genuinely shocking and literally hurts your neck muscles after a few hours. How McLaren has given the W1 such immense traction through just two driven wheels is beyond me. So, is it worthy of that ‘1’? I think so. Perhaps we won’t be talking about $25-million auction results for the W1 in 30 years from now, as we are for the F1. Perhaps it doesn’t quite have the amazing presence and jaw-dropping star quality of the simply gorgeous P1. But it is such an intense experience and the way it marries stunning track performance with delicate poise and entertainment on normal roads is something akin to magic. Maybe not ‘the one’ but definitely a searing, outrageous addition to McLaren’s fiercest family line. Just 399 W1’s will be built and they’re all sold. I’m not surprised at all. View All McLarens For Sale Images: McLaren Automotive

By Michael Van Runkle – October 31, 2026

First Drive: 2027 Audi SQ9

After landing at St. George Regional Airport in southwestern Utah, a short chauffeured drive to Black Desert Resort outside of town allowed me to form initial impressions of Audi’s first-ever three-row SUV, fittingly, from the backseat. Air conditioning on full blast in my own climate quadrant after a stuffy flight, I stretched out in the second-row captain’s chair, scooted all the way back, while behind the third row, class-leading cargo capacity meant that three journalists’ worth of luggage never needed stacking. Four grown adults, including our German driver, with plenty of space, gear in the back, no problem – that’s the vision for Audi while launching the new Q9 and SQ9 with hopes of perfectly catering to American buyers accustomed to wide-open roads in the middle of the country, or hauling families through urban traffic in comfort and serenity. In both of those environments, the new full-size SUV’s prodigious interior volume matters just as much as an easily negotiable footprint. So rather than building on the established Q7 and Q8 shared platform, this new chassis represents a new segment for Volkswagen AG. But as with the smaller vehicles in Audi’s lineup, the Q9 receives a twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter V6 while the higher-spec SQ9 gets a familiar twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8. Both provide class-leading power output and acceleration, while critically for any Audi, each debuts a next-gen Quattro all-wheel-drive system to provide the confident handling that belies the sheer footprint of a massive three-row. The planned media drive in and around Zion National Park the next day threw just about everything our way. An original drive route even needed to change due to a dusting of overnight snow at higher elevations, which sounded fun to me until Audi pointed out the summer tires on each SQ9. But taking a look at the new model under the bright morning sunlight revealed a handsome profile, with a healthy bit of Mercedes-Benz posture thrown in for a marked shift versus the last few years of design that trended more toward mimicking BMW cues. This is the widest, tallest, and longest Audi ever – even longer than the stately A8 L – and yet even the V6-powered Q9 felt spritely the first time I put the pedal to the metal while heading out into the desert. The V6 pumps out peaks of 429 horsepower and 442 lb-ft, good enough for a claimed 0-60 time of 4.9 seconds. As comfortable as the morning’s drive felt in the lower-spec car, stepping up to the SQ9 with 591 hp and 590 lb-ft definitely revealed another level to the entire engineering setup. Though not nearly as much of a “mini-Lambo” as the RS Q8, the SQ9 never reaches the point of feeling bloated or ungainly as so many other three-rows. Rear-axle steering likely helps, with up to five degrees of opposite or in-phase angle to tighten up the turning radius at lower speeds or improve high-speed stability. The air suspension offers 3.6 inches of adjustability in the SQ9, which rides slightly lower with a more aggressive stance accentuated by subtle fender flares – and especially the optional 23-inch wheels on my test car. In recent years, Audi prioritized improvements to steering feel and communicativeness versus the prior decade-plus of light and almost vague electronically assisted steering. The relatively thin rim of the SQ9, plus surprisingly fine-tuned shock damping, all further contributed to the ease of piloting through any road conditions – including rain over the course of the day that ranged from light mist to borderline biblical downpours when the skies truly opened up. Though not as great as snow for testing those new Quattro systems, the slippery asphalt and a short portion of dirt driving without a doubt showed mild yet noticeable differences between the two. The Q9 takes Audi’s classic Torsen center differential and adds four internal springs to the gear-based torque biasing, which keeps the front and rear axles connected when not under load. This helped to provide solid and planted traction while negotiating Zion’s tightest switchbacks up through the spectacular canyons and tunnels. The SQ9, meanwhile, emphasizes sportier driving by sending power directly from the eight-speed transmission to the rear axle, while an electronically controlled clutch can then harvest some additional torque to send up toward the fronts when needed. An automatically locking rear differential only ups the grip further, especially while punching the go pedal and unleashing all 591 ponies. Both systems worked impeccably at all times, even while driving at pace through a desert monsoon, so much so that my main complaint involved the automatic windshield wipers not adjusting to differences in the torrent quite quickly enough. All of which does bring up a peculiar turn signal, wiper control, and gear selector stalk design that Audi chose to adopt on this new SUV. Essentially, each solid stalk then features knobs, toggles, and switches on the end, rather than moving entirely from the steering column. The setup definitely took me more than a short adjustment period to understand, much less acclimate to, but by the end of the day I grew to appreciate the solid and predictable placement of each control. The rest of the touchscreen and infotainment relies largely on digital interfaces, which left me a little frustrated while trying to adjust the climate settings as we drove through thousands of feet of elevation and such varying weather conditions. Worth mentioning: The design for the MagSafe phone chargers stood out as the single best solution for wireless charging that I’ve ever used. Each circular pad kept a smartphone in place no matter the road surface, cornering load, or how hard I launched on throttle – and even cooled the charging surface, too. Tech takes a front seat in this three-row, for the driver but also for passengers – and not just because the passenger dash screen comes standard, even on the lowest-spec Q9 Premium. This launch marks Volkswagen AG’s first adoption of Level 2+ hands-free Adaptive Cruise Assist, which works only some of the time thus far (never quite as well as GM’s Super Cruise, for example). <- Gallery -> Kids in any row will likely enjoy playing with the mood lighting far more than I, and up top, the largest sunroof ever on any Audi spans 16 square feet – with no retractable screen, instead featuring electrochromatic tinting that never looked quite sufficient for my eyes. A slicktop would be better, but at least the true five-zone climate controls with dedicated screens for both the second and third row ensure any heat soak issues won’t upset sensitive passengers. More importantly, the day’s drive wrapped up with a nighttime spin to check out Audi’s newly available Digital Matrix Light. Well, more specifically, Matrix lighting arrives in the United States for the first time for model year 2027, after a protracted battle with American regulators about the safety of this shockingly effective nighttime illumination solution. I first experienced Matrix in early 2024. Though almost impossible to capture in photos, the brilliant (pun fully intended) field of view essentially integrates high-beam and low-beam into one setting, in this case with the ability to focus the beams from 25,600 microscopic LEDS through a glass projector lens out onto the road ahead and surrounding environment. Incoming drivers get blanked out to reduce glare, as do highly reflective road signs, while the visibility for the rest remains absolutely perfect. Turn signals even project onto the ground, for improved indication to other drivers in busy urban environments. A total game-changer, and a huge advantage for Audi and both the Q9 or SQ9 in the USA, to say the least. Really, I struggled to find many faults for either model. My female drive partner expressed some frustration about the lack of a place to store her purse. Personally, I hoped for a slightly more comfortable ride in the softest suspension setting. Unfortunately, a setup like Porsche’s hydraulically advanced Active Ride – also available on Audi’s own RS e-tron GT – requires at least a hybrid system to function, and only the turbodiesel Q9 available in Europe comes with a mild-hybrid assist. That hybrid TDI sure sounds great for long road trips across the USA, though, yet Audi kept the weight of the Q9 and SQ9 relatively low at 5,302 and 5,556 pounds, respectively. That helps with the handling, as well as the Quattro performance expected of any Audi. And truly, both of these full-size SUVs cater just about perfectly to the luxury American customer. The Q9 starts at $87,700 – or just slightly higher than a BMW X7 xDrive40i at $87,500 and significantly below a Mercedes GLS 450 4Matic for $93,950 as well, both of which offer less interior volume and markedly reduced performance. The SQ9, meanwhile, stickers for $118,000. That’s more than both the M7 M60i at $115,000 or the GLS580 4Matic for $116,150, but with acceleration and handling that bests even the Alpina and AMG variants of those competitors. The Q9 and SQ9 even come with automatic doors that reminded me of none other than Rolls-Royce. From my very first few moments climbing into the backseat, never needing to close my own door before switching on my massaging and ventilating seats helped to set the tone for a surprisingly calm and comfortable drive day, despite Mother Nature throwing everything she had at us as we raced across some of the most spectacular countryside the USA has to offer. Classic Audi, without a doubt, now just bigger and better than ever. View All Audis for Sale Images: Michael Van Runkle

By Kirk Bell – February 28, 2026

Review: 2026 Audi RS 6 Avant Performance

by Kirk Bell At first glance, you might be excused for thinking the 2026 Audi RS 6 Performance looks like a full-size Hot Wheels car. Bulging fenders, big wheels, a low stance, and a mean scowl make it look almost cartoonish. That’s offset somewhat by the traditionally frumpy wagon body style, but that’s also part of what makes it so cool and so useful. The RS 6 delivers on the performance attitude suggested by its nasty looks. Under its domed hood lurks a 621-horsepower twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8. It has the handling to make it a great canyon carver, if not a track car, and yet, it’s quite livable, too. It’s the everyday super wagon. It all starts under the hood. This generation RS 6 debuted for the 2021 model year, but it became the RS 6 Performance for 2024 when Audi upped the output from 591 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque to the current 621 ponies and 627 lb-ft of twist. Larger turbos that spin up 23.2 psi of boost (versus 21.8 psi previously) did the trick, reducing the 0-60 mph time by two tenths of a second to 3.3 seconds. But Audi did more than just enhance engine output for the RS 6 Performance. The company updated the software of the eight-speed automatic transmission for quicker shift times, reduced the amount of sound insulation between the engine compartment and interior for a more visceral feel, and switched out the center differential for a smaller, quicker-acting unit. The upshot is more performance and more engagement. The V8 makes its presence known the first time you hit the start button. It emits a low thrum, then lowers its tone and raises its voice in Dynamic mode to fill the cabin with menace. Easy acceleration is available whenever you want it, remaining in the background during city driving and hitting hard when you dig deep into the throttle. The eight-speed automatic keeps the power on tap with quick downshifts that only get quicker in Dynamic mode, which also holds gears longer. My loan came during February in Wisconsin, so my tester was outfitted with a set of Continental Winter Contact TS 860S tires rather than the standard Conti SportContact 7 summer treads. I was fortunate to enjoy unseasonably warm temperatures in the 50s, so the winter tires weren’t needed. Nonetheless, the RS 6’s power is so easy to tap into and hits the pavement so efficiently that I was able to put down back-to-back 3.4-second 0-60 mph times using the Launch Control function and the car’s on-board timer. The power arrived quickly, the Quattro all-wheel-drive system split the power front to rear, and the RS 6 just hooked up and scooted. Audi’s quoted 3.3-second time would certainly be easy to achieve in slightly warmer weather on the summer tires. Were I so inclined, I could’ve taken the RS 6 all the way up to 190 mph thanks to my tester’s optional carbon-ceramic brakes, which allow Audi to increase the top speed from 155 mph. All that power will cost you at the gas pump, though, as the RS 6 is EPA-rated at just 14 mpg city, 21 highway, 16 combined. I averaged just 14.1 mpg over 171 miles of mixed driving, according to the trip computer. Those acceleration numbers are supercar-worthy, and while the RS 6 doesn’t handle like a supercar, it does a great job of balancing agile handling with a commuter-worthy ride quality. That’s especially impressive given the big 22-inch wheels and low-profile tires my test car wore. The RS 6 comes standard with a set of 275/30R21 tires, but my tester had the optional 285/30R22s. Bigger wheels usually mean a harsher ride, but the 22s might actually be a better choice than the 21s because they are forged and milled alloys that cut 11 pounds of unsprung mass at each corner. Team that with the optional carbon-ceramic brakes that take another 17.6 pounds off of each corner, and ride quality becomes quite livable. Audi sets the RS 6 on a standard four-corner air suspension with adaptive dampers. That combination does a great job of fighting body lean but leaving just enough to provide a good feel when cornering hard. The dampers soak up most bumps quite well, even in their Dynamic setting. Bumpy pavement offers the only real challenge as it makes the ride somewhat jiggly but still not harsh. The steering is direct but feels a tad light through the flat-bottom steering wheel. Audi makes rear-axle steering standard. It can turn the rear wheels up to five degrees opposite of the fronts at speeds up to 37 mph, then with the fronts above that speed. This gives the RS 6 a shorter turning radius at parking lot speeds and more stability in high-speed corners. The standard electrohydraulic rear differential vectors torque along the rear axle to help the car rotate and optimize traction on corner exit. The RS 6’s biggest issue is mass. It weighs in at a rather portly 4,982 pounds. That means it doesn’t have the agility for track duty, which might also overheat the brakes, but it still makes a great canyon carver. My tester’s $9,000 optional carbon-ceramic brakes wouldn’t go down without a fight, though, as they feature 16.5-inch front rotors with 10-piston calipers and 14.6-inch rear rotors clamped by single-piston calipers. They have a natural pedal feel and strong stopping power. If the RS 6’s curb weight puts it in the league of a crossover SUV, so does its form factor. The wagon body style (Avant in Audi-speak) gives it great utility. It has 30 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats and 69.5 cubic feet with the rear seats folded flat. That makes it about as utilitarian as a Honda CR-V. Audi doesn’t skimp on the luxury feel and sporty vibe inside. Front-seat riders get a standard set of sport seats upholstered in Valcona leather with contrast stitching in a honeycomb pattern. The seats are heated and ventilated, and offer good room for larger adults while still providing the bolstering needed for performance driving. The optional RS Design Package Plus in my test car trimmed the steering wheel, shift lever, and center console sides in Alcantara. <- Gallery -> The 2026 Audi RS 6 starts at $133,295, including a $1,295 destination fee $1,295 and a $1,300 gas-guzzler tax. That money brings such features as a Bang & Olufsen audio system, carbon-twill interior trim, four-zone automatic climate control, HD matrix LED headlights, and a sunroof. In addition to the carbon-ceramic brakes, my tester came with a spate of options that brought the total to $162,865, though I’d recommend skipping most of them to keep the weight down. Optioned up or not, I want the RS 6 in my life, though the six-figure price makes that unrealistic for a lowly automotive journalist. Maybe I can shrink it down to 1/64 scale and play with it on a small orange racetrack instead. View All Audi RS6 Avants For Sale Images: Audi

By Kirk Bell – October 25, 2025

Review: 2025 Audi RS Q8 Performance

Possesses The Soul Of A Sports Car Slap an RS badge on an Audi, and it has to live up to a higher standard. During development, RS models have to endure 8,000 kilometers (almost 5,000 miles) of testing on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. That’s a lot of stress on tires, brakes, and cooling systems, especially for a heavy SUV, but that’s what you get with the 2025 Audi RS Q8 Performance. It’s a crossover SUV with the soul of a sports car. The RS Q8 Performance is a crossover coupe in the mold of the BMW X6 M, an with the change for 2025 to the Performance model, it boasts the most power and performance capability an Audi SUV has to offer. I recently drove it for a week, after driving the step-down SQ8 this past summer. The SQ8’s capability snuck up on me, but the RS Q8 couldn’t hide its performance intent. Like the SQ8, the RS Q8 rides on front and rear five-link independent suspensions cushioned by adaptive dampers and air springs. The air springs give it the same 8.2 inches of standard ground clearance that drops to 6.6 inches in Dynamic mode, and the standard rear-axle steering has the same ability to turn up to five degrees opposite of the front wheels at low speeds. The differences, however, are in tuning and additional performance equipment. While the SQ8 drove like a mainstream luxury crossover the vast majority of the time, the RS Q8 wears its sportiness on its sleeve. From the first turn to the first bump, I could tell it’s different. It felt stronger in the knees, fighting body lean noticeably even in neighborhood driving, and the suspension felt firmer over bumps. When I took it on what passes for a twisty road in southeastern Wisconsin, its sportiness became even more apparent. The standard active anti-roll bars doggedly fought body lean, making this 5,467-pound crossover feel like a raised sport sedan. It rotated predictably through a 180-degree switchback, much like a rear-drive vehicle, thanks to a standard 40/60 front/rear power split for the Quattro AWD system. I was able to balance understeer and oversteer simply with the throttle. The 295/35R23 Pirelli P Zero summer-performance tires gripped the road with tenacity, and the quick-ratio 13.3:1 electric-assist power steering provided a pleasingly weighty heft, right-now responses, and good road feel. The RS Q8 also comes with a set of some of the biggest brakes on the market. The carbon-ceramic rotors stretch 17.3 inches in diameter up front, and they’re pinched by huge 10-piston calipers. The 14.6-inch rear rotors have six-piston calipers. That’s a lot of braking power, enough to arrest this beast from racetrack speeds time and time again. The power is also stronger and even more immediate than in the SQ8. In that vehicle, a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 cranks out 500 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque. Here, however, the same engine spins up 631 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque thanks in part to 24.7 psi of turbo boost versus 18.9 psi in the SQ8. Reduced back pressure in the lighter exhaust system also helps the engine in the 2025 RS Q8 Performance make 14 more horsepower than the 2024 RS Q8. The wide and sticky Pirelli tires and standard quattro all-wheel-drive system put the power down efficiently, unlocking a stunningly quick 0-60 mph time of 3.4 seconds, according to Audi, 0.7 seconds quicker than the SQ8. It also keeps going all the way to an electronically limited top speed of 190 mph, which you should try on a track, the Autobahn, or on your way to prison. The way the power arrives is quite satisfying. The turbos give it robust low-end grunt, so the power feels like it’s almost immediate. From there, speed builds quickly as the eight-speed automatic fires off quick, crisp shifts to keep the Teutonic V8 in its power band. How rambunctious the power delivery is depends on the drive mode. Keep it in Auto or Comfort, and the powertrain is happy to remain in the background and toddle along in traffic. Go for Dynamic mode, however, and the transmission holds its gears longer, keeping the power on boil for quick response at any moment. The baffles in the exhaust system also open in Dynamic mode, letting the deep thrum of the silky V8 come for the fore. The little crackles between shifts are the cherry on top of the delicious sound quality. With more power comes worse fuel economy, but not by much. The RS Q8 is EPA-rated at 14 mpg city, 20 highway, and 16 combined, while the SQ8 checks in at 15/21/17 mpg. I did a lot of highway driving among my 372 miles behind the wheel of the RS Q8 and managed a decent 19.4 mpg. The modes also adjust the dampers and stability control. The ride starts out firm but not punishing, but Dynamic mode introduces more jiggly up-and-down motions over wavy pavement. Like BMW with its M1 and M2 buttons, Audi provides two programmable modes for the RS Q8. They’re called RS1 and RS2, and they let drivers customize two settings that they can use for different driving situations. A good setup would be choosing a comfortable tune for RS1 and programming RS2 with the most aggressive modes for the steering, engine sound, powertrain, stability control, and all-wheel-drive system/rear differential while keeping the dampers in their Comfort mode. Inside, there is little difference between the RS Q8 and the SQ8. It has good space, but the coupe body style saps some room a Q7 driver would enjoy. My tester was outfitted with the standard heated and ventilated Valcona leather sport seats with red stitching and a honeycomb pattern, as well as carbon twill matte trim. It also came with the same 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and stacked 10.1-inch and 8.6-inch touchscreens on the dash that handle infotainment and climate controls, respectively. It’s a last-generation system that requires long presses to trigger its haptic feedback, but it still feels modern. Notable amenities in my tester included navigation, a Bang & Olufsen audio system, Matrix OLED headlights, four-zone automatic climate control, and a panoramic sunroof. The 2025 Audi RS Q8 starts at $137,495, including a $1,295 destination fee. That money buys a crossover coupe packed with technology and luxury, sprinkled with utility, and backed by the soul of a sports car. View All Audi RSQ8s For Sale Images: Audi

By Kirk Bell – July 12, 2025

Review: 2025 Audi SQ8 Combines Style With Substance

Driving along in the 2025 Audi SQ8, I feel conspicuous thanks to the bright metallic paint, blacked out trim, and the sinister coupe-like profile. In traffic, the SQ8 hasn’t impressed me yet, at least not enough to justify its $127,490 sticker price. The cabin is muted in black and I have yet to tap into the power or stress the handling enough to make a judgment. Is this thing only about style? Is there a good reason to want one? But then I find a country road that’s not only twisty but also rough. It’s a true test of the suspension and a chance to unleash the power away from traffic. I switch to Dynamic mode and have at it. Dynamic mode immediately wakes up the 4.0 liters of German V8 under the hood, raising the revs by holding gears longer, hastening the throttle response, and opening a butterfly valve in the mufflers to bypass the baffles and let the engine sing its deep and soulful tune at a volume above library quiet. The twin-turbo V8 spins up 500 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque smoothly and confidently. The power arrives early, delivering a jolt from a stop when I step into it as all four wheels hook up thanks to the standard quattro all-wheel-drive system. The 0-60 mph sprint takes just 4.1 seconds, and the SQ8 builds speed easily. With so much power on tap, it’s hard to believe the RS Q8 sits above this model and turns up the wick to 617 horsepower. The smooth-shifting eight-speed automatic transmission proves responsive as I link corner to corner. It downshifts to tap into the power coming out of the turns without overdoing it with extremely high revs and hard, disruptive shifts. The sport differential that’s included along with active anti-roll bars in this tester’s optional S sport package also apportions the power side to side at the rear for best traction on corner exit. Opting for Auto or Comfort modes calms the powertrain, muting the sound, relaxing the throttle, and grabbing the next gear earlier. In these modes, the engine only makes itself known when my right foot gets too frisky. The downside of twin-turbo V8 is fuel economy. It’s EPA rated at 15 mpg city, 21 highway, and 17 combined. I’m only averaging 16.4 mpg per the trip computer. Dynamic mode also stiffens the chassis. The SQ8 has five-link independent suspensions front and rear, adaptive dampers, a four-corner air suspension, and rear axle-steering. While that’s all pretty advanced stuff, It’s the effect of the active anti-roll bars I feel most. When I toss 5,269 pounds of luxury SUV into a 180-degree lefthander, the anti-roll bars doggedly fight lean to keep the attitude flat, despite 8.2 inches of standard ground clearance and 6.6 inches in Dynamic mode. It feels like it’s defying physics. Not only that, but it rotates well, with just a touch of understeer that’s remedied easily by lifting off the throttle. The rear-axle steering likely doesn’t come into play here. It can turn the rear wheels up to five degrees opposite of the fronts, but that’s at parking lot speeds. The hefty steering feels stable and the SQ8 reacts directly to my inputs. I’m getting pretty good feedback through the steering wheel, too. I can feel the bumps and ruts of the patchwork pavement without disrupting the ride quality. This is some deft suspension tuning as only the deeper potholes send a shock into the cabin, despite low-profile 285/35R23 Continental SportContact 6 summer performance tires. That’s a lot of unsprung weight to harness, but the SQ8 does it well. Braking is strong, too. Audi outfits the SQ8 with 15.8-inch front rotors with six-piston calipers and 13.8-inch rear rotors with single-piston calipers. The pedal remains firm throughout my shenanigans, but this isn’t a long and winding road and I’d be leery of them holding up on a track. A closer look at the cockpit reveals well-chosen, high-quality materials and technology that while aging still looks cutting edge. The SQ8 comes with the screen layout introduced in 2019 with the redesign. It includes a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and stacked touchscreens on the dash and center stack. The top screen measures 10.1 inches and the bottom screen stretches 8.6 inches. Both provide haptic feedback to confirm touch inputs. The bottom screen is for climate control functions, and the top screen and handles the typical infotainment controls: phone, navigation, and audio. It allows access to apps through the Audi Connect Plus subscription and can be controlled with voice commands. However, those commands can’t control vehicle functions like climate controls or lighting, which means the system is slightly behind the times. The system in the new Audi A5, for instance, incorporates ChatGPT into the navigation system, has even bigger screens, and offers a passenger screen. While a color other than black (red is available) would create a more visually interesting interior atmosphere, the SQ8’s cabin materials are top notch. It comes standard with diamond-stitched Valcona leather upholstery, carbon-fiber trim, and aluminum and piano black surfaces. The $3,700 Luxury package included on my tester extends the leather to the dash, upper doors, center console, and armrests, and ands a synthetic suede headliner. Spending another $4,900 brings a bangin’ 19-speaker, 1,820-watt Bang & Olufsen Advanced 3D audio system, though the standard system is also from Bang & Olufsen and has 17 speakers base and 730 watts. The Q8 family shares its platform and 118-inch wheel base with the Audi Q7. The Q7 cuts a more traditional SUV profile, though, and offers three rows of seats as well as more cargo space. The SQ8’s coupe-like rear roofline cuts into cargo space and precludes the third row. Still, the SQ8 has good second-row room for up to three adults, though two will be far more comfortable, and cargo space is decent at 33.7 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 60.8 cubic feet with rear seats folded down. The 2025 Audi SQ8 starts at $98,895, including a $1,295 destination fee. That money gets you some of the equipment that makes this such an appealing luxury SUV, including the V8 goodness, the adaptive dampers, the air suspension, sporty suspension tuning, and the rear-axle steering. Inside it includes the screens, leather upholstery, four-zone automatic climate control, heated front sport seats, and wireless smartphone charging. Spending an extra $7,300 for the Prestige package, which is essentially a trim level, adds such niceties as dual-pane acoustic glass side windows, front seat ventilation and massage, Matrix LED headlights, a head-up display, heated rear seats, soft-close doors, and remote parking. A full suite of active safety features is standard on all SQ8s. It consists of automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitors, rear cross-traffic alerts, traffic sign recognition, front and rear parking sensors, automatic high beams, and a surround-view camera system. Many of my test vehicle’s options are what make it so good. The $6,000 S sport package improves the dynamics, as does the $2,500 for the 23-inch wheels and summer performance tires. The Prestige package also adds features most buyers will find indispensable. The 2025 Audi SQ8 may be aging, but it still has swagger to back up its style. It’s powerful, agile, and luxurious—especially if you pick the right set of options. It sacrifices some utility for its dashing good looks, but that’s part of the swagger, too. You don’t buy a luxury vehicle because you need one. You do it because you want to, and the Audi SQ8 makes me want one. View All Audi SQ8s For Sale

By Gabriel Vega – September 25, 2023

Farewell Audi TT, A Final Drive Up The Pacific Coast

I must've been about ten when I caught my first glimpse of an Audi TT as it blasted past us on one of Puerto Rico's many cratered highways. From the backseat of my dad's Mitsubishi Montero, I could only look down at the speeding silver coupe, unable to determine what it was. But even though I only saw it for an instant, its sporty shape, a rare sight on the island, had fully captured my attention. Minutes later, as we prepared to get off on our exit, my dad said, "That's it!" pointing to a massive billboard by Audi San Juan announcing the TT's arrival to PR. In a place where spotting a Chevy Corvette or a Porsche 911 was a big deal, seeing Audi's speeding two-door for the first time was like watching a supercar fly by at full throttle. It would be months before I spotted another, but I couldn't help but stare every time I did. Its appeal didn't just extend to car-obsessed kids. Globally, Audi sold 178,765 first-gen TT coupes and a further 90,733 roadsters by 2006. However, after three generations over 25 years, changing market demands have seen its sales figures shrink to just a few hundred units yearly in the U.S. In response, Audi has decided to shut down its production line at the end of this year, ending the TT's story, at least for now. A Frankfurt Debut Like many of the most impactful sports cars of the last decades, the TT began as a design study penned in Southern California. Freeman Thomas and J Mays, two designers based in Volkswagen of America's Simi Valley Design Center, created its initial sketches in early 1994, naming it the Bauhaus Coupe. A year later, the TT, whose name draws inspiration from the Tourist Trophy races held annually since 1907 on the Isle of Man, appeared in concept form at the 1995 Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Show attendees instantly fell for its simple but sleek design, and sensing sizable demand for it, Audi green-lit the coupe for production in December 1995. However, as the world caught its first glimpse of the two-seater, the carmaker was going through a significant transition, revamping its portfolio as it worked to cement itself as a truly premium brand. Thus, the TT didn't just have to sell. Its mission was to attract new customers to the brand, serving as Ingolstadt's halo car for the late 90s. Torsten Wenzel, an Audi exterior designer at the time, stepped in to transition the TT's move from a one-off concept to a series production car, later recounting: "To us, the greatest praise was when the trade press noted appreciatively that not much had changed from the study to series model, although we did, of course, have to adapt many details due to the technical specifications for the series version, including the proportions." Too often, cars lose some of their visual magic as they transition from the concept stage into production. As stringent regulations restrict designers and engineers alike, these concept-like production vehicles have become a rare sight, with only the Lexus LC 500, BMW i8, and Audi's own R8 coming to mind over the last two decades. This originality proved key to the TT's success, as except for a new rear window, it appeared virtually unchanged from its Frankfurt debut. Through The Years The TT formally went on sale in 1998, with its Roadster variant following shortly and, as stated earlier, sold in massive numbers. However, as it moved into its second generation in 2006, it didn't just grow physically larger and more potent with subsequent TTS and TT RS variants. It got a stablemate in the form of the R8. And while Audi's supercar wore unique styling, its design language can be directly traced to the tiny TT. By this point, the impact of its simple but stylish design was undeniable. Although sales remained strong after the second-gen TT's introduction, the 2010s and the global recession that accompanied them were troublesome. Sales in the U.S. shrunk considerably, and despite the TTS and TT RS holding their own as serious sports cars in period comparison tests, sales figures took nearly half a decade to recover. 2014 saw the arrival of the TT's third and final generation, simply known as the Mk3. Based on Volkswagen's MQB platform, the little sports car benefited from significant performance improvements, as did other VW products of the time, like the excellent Mk7 Golf GTI. The roadster, TTS, and TT RS followed shortly, benefitting from this new platform's significant advancements. The RS even became a proper mini supercar, combining a 394-horsepower turbo inline-five-cylinder engine, all-wheel drive, and more aggressive aero than ever. It would rip to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds and top out at 174, figures that far superseded those of the first-gen V8-powered R8. The TT in 2023 Over two decades after my first encounter with that elusive silver coupe, I was reunited with the Audi TT, this time a Navarra Blue roadster with a Palomino Brown interior. And instead of Puerto Rico's bumpy roads, I logged a few hundred miles on the famed Pacific Coast, crisscrossing twisty mountain roads and beachside highways. While this roadster is neither a TTS nor a TT RS, it's still charming and zippy. Its 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder puts out a modest 228 horsepower, while its seven-speed dual-clutch transmission rips shifts so quickly that it makes that output figure feel underrated. Couple its straight-line performance with a balanced chassis, a compact footprint, and a lightweight layout, and you get a recipe for a fun, sporty cruiser. As I made my way through the twisty canyons above Malibu, I couldn't help but feel bummed that the TT didn't sell as well as it should have. I mean, it has all the good on paper. It's small, relatively light, fun to drive, and gorgeous. So what gives? The answer, of course, is complex. We could just blame the meteoric rise in popularity of SUVs in the last decade, but small, fizzy cars are down across the board. Such specialized machines seem more challenging than ever to justify as consumers demand their vehicles to do more. The trend isn't to have multiple cars but one that can do everything. What's Next? So, where does this leave the elegant Audi TT? For one, we know it'll go out of production at the end of this year without a straightforward replacement. However, the ever-creative rumor mill has cited many possibilities for the coupe's return. Some have guessed it'll return as an EV, a crossover, or a blend of both. If it returns, we know it won't be in the same shape we've come to know and love. As I write this, it's not too late to get a TT, although the excellent TT RS went out of production last year. A quick search on duPont REGISTRY reveals a handful for sale nationwide in both coupe and roadster forms. As I wrapped up my week with the TT and learned more about its story, I couldn't help but be surprised at how influential Audi's little sports car has been, even unlocking a memory I'd forgotten entirely. While it didn't define itself by its handling or straight-line performance, the impact of its design philosophy is immeasurable, namely how it surfaced across Audi's portfolio in cars like the R8 or even in futuristic concept form on the big screen in Will Smith's I, Robot. While its future is uncertain at this point, one thing is for sure: we'll miss it once it's gone. View All Audi TTs For Sale

By Gabriel Vega – December 06, 2022

2022 Audi RS 6 Avant Review: Putting It All Together

When Audi announced its plans to bring the fourth-generation RS 6 Avant to the U.S. market, it took a significant risk. It's no secret that Americans don't buy station wagons unless there's a big engine under the hood producing an outrageous amount of power. At least, that's what the German carmaker was betting on. However, it's been over two years since this long-roofed performance car went on sale, and not only has it confirmed that the demand is there, folks have lined up to get one. Following a week behind the wheel of the 2022 Audi RS 6 Avant, it has become significantly harder to recommend a sporty SUV. With the space of a family hauler and the planted handling characteristics of a sedan, this RS 6 is one of few cars that strikes a true balance between sportiness and practicality. Up a canyon road, it'll comfortably keep up with a mid-engined supercar and is one of few Audis that doesn't dull the experience the quicker you go. What was once a long-roofed gamble may just be the best new Audi on sale. Design/ Styling The 2022 Audi RS 6 Avant is one of just three high-performance wagons currently on sale in the U.S. Following the departure of the brilliant Mercedes-AMG E63 S Wagon. It only has to worry about the Porsche Panamera Turbo S Sport Turismo and Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo, both of which cost significantly more than the Audi. Regardless of the small pool of competitors, the RS 6 is still easily the best-looking. Roof length aside, there is no mistaking an RS 6 with an A6 or S6. For starters, it's wider by 1.6 in on either side and features a massive front grille flanked by aggressive intakes. As you move down its sides, you'll encounter its optional 22-in wheels, which contrast nicely against its Tango Red metallic exterior paint. Bringing up the rear is a slightly sloping roofline, which ends in a sporty roof spoiler. Below sits a massive diffuser with two enormous exhaust tips to match. The RS 6 Avant walks a fine line between performance and elegance, leaning ever so slightly towards the former. However, it isn't over-the-top in a look-at-me kind of way. Option it in a darker shade like Mythos Black or Nardo Gray, and even this nearly 600-hp wagon easily blends in. However, it is worth noting that during my week with the RS 6, more strangers came up to me, wanting to know about the car than while driving any of the other supercars I've tested this year. It's a rare sight, and it seems to get people excited. Performance/Handling Powering the 2022 Audi RS 6 Avant is a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 and a 48-volt mild hybrid system. It develops 591 hp and 590 lb-ft, allowing it to hit 60 mph in a brisk 3.5 seconds before continuing onto a top speed of 190 mph. If this engine seems familiar, it's because it is the same Porsche-developed unit that also powers the Panamera Turbo S Sport Turismo. And like in the Porsche, it's mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Like all other RS 6's, this one also gets Audi's Quattro all-wheel-drive system as standard. Around town, the RS 6 Avant wears its luxury car hat quite well. It's quiet, comfortable, and easily blends into the background. Not even its sizable 22-in shoes ruin its ride. Thanks to its adaptive air suspension, the RS 6 easily soaks up bumps, dominating the daily commute it'll be subjected to on most days. Turn onto a canyon road, and that's when the RS 6 Avant becomes most impressive. It's not all about the raw speed, although there's tons of that. The RS 6 is a grippy, confidence-inspiring super wagon that forgives mistakes and has limits far higher than you'd expect. This is a car that weighs nearly 5,000 lb yet can keep up with a modern supercar on a back road. 2023 BMW M4 CSL First Drive Review: Focused, Raw, and Exciting Unsurprisingly, most of this comes down to its engine, which delivers boatloads of turbocharged torque, allowing the RS 6 to claw its way out of corners. Although it's not a high-revving V8 by any means, it responds quickly with little lag. In stock form, it's also not particularly resonant, although a nice low-end burble permeates through the cabin. If there is one drawback of this powertrain, it's the eight-speed automatic transmission. Although quick enough for most applications, it doesn't offer crisp upshifts or downshifts like a comparable dual-clutch. Through the corners, the RS 6 Avant hides its near 5,000-lb curb weight well, with very neutral handling characteristics. You have to push very hard before the RS 6 gets out of shape. It wants to grip and doesn't immediately default to understeer. This is partly thanks to its rear-wheel steering system, which helps shrink its wheelbase. Although its steering is light and easy for around-town commuting, it's far from the most communicative. My tester featured optional RS carbon ceramic brakes with massive 16.5-in rotors upfront. They strike a nice balance between outright performance and daily drivability. On a back road, they have more than enough bite to keep the RS 6 Avant in check, but remain easy to modulate around town. Interior/Tech Inside, the RS 6 Avant benefits from Audi's excellent interior design language. It combines a 10.1-in infotainment screen with an 8.6-in touchscreen display that controls vital features such as your climate controls. Although its dual-screen setup is quite unusual to use at first, all of the buttons are right where you'd expect them to be, making it easy to control all the settings you'd want to adjust daily. In front of the driver sits a 12.3-in digital instrument cluster, allowing you to pick from various menus, setups, and even a large digital map. As you progress through the RS 6's drive modes, it switches between multiple layouts, although the one with the large map and navigation instructions up ahead is easily the most useful. 2022 Mercedes-Benz S580 4MATIC Review: Punching Way Above Its Class My tester combined Cognac Brown leather with Granite Gray stitching to create a winning combination. It still counts on black leather for its door panels and dashboard, but the pop of brown playing off the bright red exterior makes for one of the best-looking RS 6's I've ever seen. It all comes as part of the $2,500 Executive Package, which also adds heated rear seats, a heads-up display, and soft-closing doors. Pricing The 2022 Audi RS 6 Avant starts at $116,500. However, my tester came in with an as-tested price of $145,440 thanks to notable options like its carbon-ceramic brakes ($9,000), Carbon Optic Package ($6,350), and Executive Package ($2,500), to name a few. Even amongst its few competitors, the RS 6 Avant is cheaper than both the $190,400 Panamera Turbo S Sport Turismo and the $188,950 Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo. Closing Thoughts In bringing the RS 6 Avant to the U.S. market, Audi proved that an SUV isn't always the answer. Although high-riding family haulers have come a long way in terms of performance, none compare to the balance and agility that the RS 6 Avant offers. With seating up to five and an enormous trunk out back, the RS 6 makes a strong case for itself as the only car you'd really ever need. It's not without its flaws, like its disconnected steering and dull eight-speed automatic. Still, there's enough grunt, grip, and handling to use any canyon road. The RS 6 isn't unique because of the various things it can do. It impresses by how seamlessly it combines them to deliver a truly enjoyable daily driving experience from a wagon that can still bully a full-fledged supercar. View All Audi RS 6 Avants For Sale

By Gabriel Vega – March 25, 2022

Audi RS5 Sportback Ascari Edition Review: Performance On ...

On paper, the new Audi RS5 falls right in line with its closest competitors. Whether it be price, performance, or available options, this fast four-door has the firepower to fight Germany's best. However, there's more to the RS5's story and just on-paper stats. Since it is so close to its rivals, it needs to deliver on the driving experience to make a proper case for itself. The exact car I've been testing is the 2021 Audi RS5 Sportback Ascari Edition, a limited model with just 100 produced that includes notable performance upgrades alongside a hefty price tag. After a week of city and canyon driving, it's clear that while the RS5 isn't the most exciting car in its segment, it is likely the easiest to drive quickly, seemingly delivering outrageous performance on a silver platter. Design/Styling The Audi RS5 Sportback received a few significant visual updates for the 2021 model year and two special edition models, the Ascari Edition being one of them. Upfront, the changes are more evolutionary than revolutionary. With an updated front grille and new headlights, the RS5 looks better than ever. Large air intake and gloss black trim pieces surround the updated grille to complete the front end. Despite being the highest performing version of the A5 platform, the RS5 still leans on being elegant rather than outright aggressive for the better. The rear gets a few subtle improvements, namely with the updated taillights that match the LED pattern found in the headlights up front. A mix of silver and gloss black trim pieces adorn the rear diffuser, which also houses the two enormous exhaust tips. With a subtle lip spoiler on the rear hatch matching the rest of the styling, the RS5 continues that theme of sporty elegance. Also Read - Lamborghini Huracan EVO RWD Spyder Review: Proper Supercar Theatrics Being an Asacari Edition, the exterior finish is the shiny shade of Ascari Blue, a sparkly finish that has replaced Sonoma Green Metallic as my favorite color offered on the RS5. A set of 20-inch five-spoke wheels also included in the special edition package tie in nicely with the silver trim accents while allowing the blue brake calipers to pop behind them. Overall, the spec of this car works to emphasize how excellent the base RS5's design is. In Sportback trim, this speedy sedan uses its sloping roofline and proportions to create an imposing stance that isn't over the top. Performance/Handling With a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 under its hood, the Audi RS5 Sportback delivers 444 horsepower and 442 pounds-feet of torque. The result is a 0-60 mph time of 3.8 seconds and a standard limited top speed of 155 mph. However, the Ascari Edition raises that top figure to 174 mph. Sending that power to all four wheels is a standard all-wheel-drive system via an eight-speed automatic transmission. After a week of driving the RS5 in multiple driving scenarios, those power figures feel underrated. This vehicle easily feels like it's pumping out 500 hp. While it may not have a proper dual-clutch transmission, the quick-shifting automatic makes excellent use of the available torque, giving you ample power down low in the rev range while holding strong to redline. Despite being heavily turbocharged, the engine is also quick to respond, suffering from little to no lag. As part of the Ascari Edition, you get Dynamic Ride Control, whereas the standard RS5 comes with a fixed suspension. The adjustable suspension softens up considerably thanks to various driving modes, easily handling Los Angeles' broken roads. However, there's a fair amount of bounce in its tightest setting. As a result, I opted to leave the suspension in comfort mode while having the engine and transmission in their most aggressive settings. While a variable steering system quickens up the RS5's turn-in, there's also great feel coming through the wheel. This is a departure from Audi's of old, including the RS5's cheaper sibling, the S5. Interior/Technology Inside, the Audi RS5 Sportback's elegance continues thanks to its excellent use of materials. Since my tester is an Ascari Edition, there's carbon fiber everywhere. However, Audi made the right choice by choosing a matte finish to dial back its flashiness. There's also a fair amount of Alcantara throughout, including the excellent flat-bottom steering wheel. While the seats may look like average black leather chairs from afar, they feature a honeycomb stitch pattern that makes them look like a quality product. Sitting in them, I found plenty of support and adjustability without being uncomfortable. While there is some side bolstering, it's clear that these seats are better optimized for daily on-street driving than all-out performance. Also Read - 2022 McLaren 720S Spider Review: Redefining Speed On the tech side, the Audi RS5 received an updated central infotainment screen for the 2021 model year, now measuring 10.1-in. Despite offering Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, I spent most of my time utilizing Audi's native infotainment system, mainly via the digital instrument cluster. While the onboard navigation system took me through some odd routes, it looked beautiful, with a sizeable readable map placed directly in front of me. If Audi added the smartphone connectivity to the instrument cluster, I'd be fine getting rid of the screen that protrudes from the dash. Thanks to excellent sound isolation, the cabin remains quiet at speed. However, the RS5's exhaust is still loud enough to permeate through the cabin, so you can easily hear its engine note. Pricing While the Audi RS5 Sportback Ascari Edition is great to look at and drive, it comes with a hefty price tag. In base form, the RS 5 Sportback starts at $75,400. However, with the optional $20,500 Ascari Edition pack, that price creeps up to $95,900, at which point we're talking about a six-figure vehicle with taxes and fees. While the RS 5 Sportback arguably delivers a six-figure experience, lower trim levels likely get close to this level of performance without the high cost. Final Thoughts The Audi RS 5 Sportback delivers on almost every front. This fast Audi is more than just a fast Audi, whether it be speed, looks, or versatility. Yes, its limited-edition package and pricing are shocking, but it helps the driving experience with the updated suspension, brakes, and tires. This likely won't be the car to take to a track day or if you're looking for the rawest driving experience. However, to live with the RS 5 is incredibly well-rounded and tough to beat. See All Audi RS 5s For Sale

By Andrew Nabors – December 14, 2018

Reviewed: 2018 Audi A4

What did the last Neanderthal think when the end was near? Am I truly the last one? That is how the 2018 Audi A4 feels. Because it is the last manual transmission Audi sold in the US. We had a week to spend with a 2.0 turbo backed by a six-speed stick and it was a great experience. Sales of the Audi A4 have slowed since the new B9 model was introduced in 2016. The A3 is the new small sedan and the VW Passat offers more standard content for half the price. Nevertheless, their target audience won't notice the Camaro to Firebird similarities between these corporate cousins. 2019 Audi R8 Gets More Power and Updated Style Volkswagen has moved upmarket in terms of technology, at the expense of Audi sharing many of the molded plastic interior parts. We had 188 horsepower of FWD fury. Once the turbo spools you have 236 lb-ft of torque. It allows you to reach 60 mph in 7.2 seconds. Fuel economy is rated at 27 mpg in the city, but we could only achieve 24. Even with premium fuel, the driver is forced to go wide open to keep up with traffic. Audi S4 vs Bugatti Chiron Front wheel drive cars with manual transmissions use cables to connect the shifter to the gearbox. This means the A4 does have a predictable throw, just no feedback from the synchros. What the A4 does have, is incredible sound insulation. The floors, doors, and the firewall do a great job at stopping road noise, which also works to accentuate the crisp audio system. It has 10 speakers with the Android Auto and Apple CarPlay abilities. Bluetooth, two SD card slots and two USB ports capable of fast charging. Now we come to the meaty details of what sets the A4 apart from the rest. You have airbags everywhere, ambient lighting, and a vented glove box. Four cup holders and four floor mats are all standard equipment. Rear fog lights are a nice touch, but we would rather have automatic collision braking and lane keep assist. They list the starting price for a bare-bones A4 at $38,395. Given their abundance of left over models, you might get a nice incentive on the last manual Audi. All-in-all, the quirks are outnumbered by the quality, so click the link below to find an Audi showroom near you. View All Audi A4 For Sale " width="680">

By Andrew Nabors – July 02, 2017

Reviewed: 2017 Audi A8 L 3.0T Quattro

Who would order a brand's largest sedan with the smallest engine? In the past, it was a recipe for boredom but engine technology has outpaced the weight of modern luxury sedans. Audi sells the A8 in two sizes for us, the short A8, and long-wheelbase A8 L. Your engine choices are a 3.0 liter V6 or a 4.0 liter V8. Both make use of forced induction to power their flagship. The biggest Audi makes a grand entrance, so we were glad to see it arrive. To see if it meets our standards, Audi of America sent us a fresh A8 L quattro Tiptronic loaded with the Executive Package.Badges can be deceiving and websites can also. The 3.0 liter V6 found across their lineup is badged as a 3.0T. Every automaker seems to have fallen in love with turbochargers, but look under the hood and you won't find any. The 3.0 uses a supercharger instead of turbos. As if they are ashamed of using a belt-driven intake manifold, you won't find any reference to it on their specifications page. All you need to know is that it delivers 333 horsepower and 325 lb-ft of torque. The difference in forced induction was also divisive among us, and we reached a few conclusions after a week of commuting.Since 1994 it has been built on VW's D platform, which is also shared with the VW Phaeton and all flavors of the Bentley Continental. It makes use of high strength aluminum and all-wheel drive for a safe ride. A few of us said the interior quality and insulation were not equivalent to the Bentley, but you really have to try hard to find fault with materials or construction. Electrical steering can be done with a pinky and the 8-speed automatic is barely perceptible. After reading up on the gear ratios we found that 6th gear is 1:1, so a fun test of torque was devised. Cruising at 80 mph it was easy to downshift to 6th and make use of instant power. This is where turbo lag would be most prevalent, but the blower is always ready.Back seat passengers always seem to have more fun, and the Executive Package doesn't disappoint. Diamond stitched seats have 22-way adjustment up front, and the rears are out of this world. All four are covered in Valcona leather with massaging, heat, and ventilation. A headliner of Alcantara surrounds the panoramic sunroof so the rear passenger won't have a worry in the world. All of the latest safety and convenience features are also along for the ride. Active lane assist, adaptive cruise control, and four-way climate control all add up to a hefty curb weight of 4,464 lbs. With the center differential locked in a 40:60 torque split front to rear, 325 lb-ft of torque is decent for most situations. Sure it could use more power, but that isn't the goal of this car. Fully loaded, the Audi A8 L carries an MSRP of $92,500 which is comparable to other big sedans. If you need the ultimate in luxury check out these listings from our dealers.

By Andrew Nabors – June 21, 2016

In The Driver's Seat: 2016 Audi A3 Quattro Review

If you need a compact sedan with AWD, the Audi A3 Quattro is a sensible choice. We have had several examples of Audi’s smaller sedans and they never fail to disappoint. A completely new A3 is coming next year, but something tells us they won’t change the formula by much. To remind us of what is offered in their entry level, Audi sent us a fully loaded A3 Prestige for a week of quattro excitement.You might be quick to point out the shocking similarities to the Jetta, but there are differences in the details. You won’t find 19” titanium finished wheels, panoramic sunroof, or Bang & Olufsen audio in the VW. On our urban test loop, the A3 performed as expected. The latest version of VW’s 2.0L turbo four offers 220 hp and a chunky 258 lb-ft of torque. Sent to all wheels via the legendary quattro system once the turbo spools, it makes for a competent daily driver. The transmission is a six-speed dual clutch S tronic which is light years beyond the old automatics and the terrible CVT. Shifts are soft but quick, and shift points are well mapped to keep the turbo spinning.Yes the A3 has a starting price of $34,300, which is a bargain compared to other luxury sedans. But all of the features that allow it to compete on the world stage are bundled into the prestige package for only an additional $8,850. It includes lane departure, adaptive cruise control, and color instrument display. The notion that Ingolstadt will build you an A3 without this content is humorous, but other luxury brands are guilty of the same treachery. The MSRP measures in at $45,575, but that price is probably negotiable since the new generation will be arriving soon.For that price you will receive State-of-the-art safety and stability systems along with a quiet ride. If you need your back seats on a daily basis, the A4 might be a more practical option, but A3 is a solid choice for the commuter or college student. Stay tuned for the 2017 model in a month or two.A3 For Sale

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