Want To Buy The New Audi e-tron? It'll Cost You Around $100,000

Audi's first EV will have a base price of 80,000 Euros in Germany.

Earlier this month at the Geneva Motor Show Audi unveiled its e-tron concept, and aside from the slightly camouflaged exterior, it’s nearly production ready. Audi’s first all-electric model will be an SUV that’s directly aimed at the Tesla Model X and it’s set to launch in the European market at the end of this year. And like the Model X, it won’t exactly be cheap. According to InsideEVs, Audi announced pricing for the production-spec e-tron SUV in Germany, where buyers will be asked to fork over at least 80,000 euros, or around $98,445 USD.

Once it goes on sale in the US, expect the base price to be around $100,000. And you know what? That’s actually a fair price, if you take the Model X into account. The Model X 100D starts at around $97,000 while the top-of-the-line P100D costs about $140,000. Audi has yet to delve into specifics regarding the e-tron’s range and other relevant factors, but we can expect it (along with the new Jaguar I-Pace) to be the Tesla’s most serious rival to date. The e-tron will also be just first of a range (no pun intended) of new Audi EVs. Starting in 2019, Audi plans to have three all-electric vehicles in its lineup, including the just announced four-door Gran Turismo.

By 2025, Audi has plans to launch more than 20 electric cars and plug-in hybrids. At the moment, the e-tron is undergoing final testing by conducting test drives on four continents where every type of extreme weather and terrain can be found. The Audi e-tron, based on the hype and concept alone, is already gathering orders. For example, Audi has already received 3,700 reservations from Norway alone. Not surprisingly, Norway also happens to be one of Tesla’s best-selling markets.

Audi Recalls 1.27 Million Cars Around The World

But don't worry, you'll be able to smell if your car is broken.

It's never good when an automaker is forced to recall over 1 million cars. Audi's biggest problem recently has been the repercussions of Dieselgate, but the company has had to deal with a few other recalls. Of all the things that can go wrong with a car, catching fire is probably one of the worst issues. We've seen Mercedes and BMW both issue recalls over possible fire issues, but now it's Audi's turn. Autocar reports that Audi has recalled 1.26 million cars over an electrical issue that could cause a fire.

The 1.27 million cars that are effected by the recall include the A4, A5, A5 Cabriolet and Q5 models built between April 2011 and May 2015. Audi says that the recall is for a fire risk caused by "thermal overload occurring at the plug connectors of the electrical connections in the auxiliary heater due to friction corrosion." The coatings on the connectors also contribute to the fire risk. Friction between the components is created by stress and movement in the components, which create an electrical fire. The recall will fit a new heating element with improved electrical contacts.

Audi says that the recalled cars can still be driven, but owners should pull over immediately if they smell something burning. So far 875,000 cars are affected in Europe, 250,000 in North America and 47,000 in Asia. At least if something is wrong with your Audi, you'll be able to smell it.

2019 Audi Q8 Should Start Around $73,000

Ingolstadt's new crossover coupe launches in Germany from €76,300

Audi has opened the order books for the new Q8... in its home market, at least. While the new flagship crossover won't reach US showrooms for another few months, the German pricing information gives us an idea of what to expect when it does. On the surface, the €76,300 price of admission translates to nearly $90,000 at current exchange rates. That'd put it smack dag in the middle of the 43 and 63-series versions of the Mercedes-AMG GLE Coupe. But with higher taxes in Germany, the straight conversion doesn't paint an accurate picture of US pricing.

More to the point, the Q8's domestic sticker price comes out pretty close to that of the Audi S6 sedan, a model which starts at $71,900 in the US. So when the Q8 hits American showrooms sometime in the third quarter of this year, we'd expect it to carry a price tag starting around $73k – significantly more than the $50k MSRP on a base Q7, and just a bit more than the Mercedes-AMG GLE43 Coupe (or a little less than the BMW X6 xDrive50i) with which it'll do battle. The new Q8 launches in Europe in 50 TDI spec, packing a 3.0-liter turbodiesel with a mild hybrid system – an especially potent combination that delivers a (relatively) modest 286 horsepower but a prodigious 442 lb-ft of torque.

That gives it a 0-62 mph time quoted at 6.3 seconds and a top speed of 152 mph. But given the reputation that the VW group's diesel engines have garnered in the US especially of late, we wouldn't count on that option making its way across the pond. A turbocharged gasoline engine of similar capacity (if not necessarily output) is set to feature as well, and will likely provide the motivation for the US version. The 3.0 TFSI available as the top gasoline engine in the Q7, for what it's worth, offers 333 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque – 47 more horses than the Q8's hybrid diesel, but 117 fewer lb-ft – for a 5.7-second 0-60 mph time.

Audi Recalls 1.27 Million Cars Around The World

But don't worry, you'll be able to smell if your car is broken.

It's never good when an automaker is forced to recall over 1 million cars. Audi's biggest problem recently has been the repercussions of Dieselgate, but the company has had to deal with a few other recalls. Of all the things that can go wrong with a car, catching fire is probably one of the worst issues. We've seen Mercedes and BMW both issue recalls over possible fire issues, but now it's Audi's turn. Autocar reports that Audi has recalled 1.26 million cars over an electrical issue that could cause a fire.

The 1.27 million cars that are effected by the recall include the A4, A5, A5 Cabriolet and Q5 models built between April 2011 and May 2015. Audi says that the recall is for a fire risk caused by "thermal overload occurring at the plug connectors of the electrical connections in the auxiliary heater due to friction corrosion." The coatings on the connectors also contribute to the fire risk. Friction between the components is created by stress and movement in the components, which create an electrical fire. The recall will fit a new heating element with improved electrical contacts.

Audi says that the recalled cars can still be driven, but owners should pull over immediately if they smell something burning. So far 875,000 cars are affected in Europe, 250,000 in North America and 47,000 in Asia. At least if something is wrong with your Audi, you'll be able to smell it.

5 Affordable Car Dream Garage From Around The World

What would fill our garage if we only had $100,000 to buy a car in five different countries?

Last week, we set out to create a dream garage filled with seven cars from around the globe. The seven cars that we chose were absolutely spectacular, but the garage would have cost close to $1 million in total. We thought we'd take a crack at creating a second dream car list, although this time we limited ourselves to cars that cost less than $100,000 to keep it slightly grounded in reality. We also decided to keep Sweden and Korea off this list, because our choices of the Volvo XC90 and Kia Stinger probably wouldn't change.

Lexus LC500

First up is Japan, with the Lexus LC500. The LC is the most expensive car on our list with a starting price of $92,000 before destination. Lexus really knocked it out of the park with the styling, and we would be happy to pull up in this head-turning luxury coupe. The LC500 is powered by a 5.0-liter V8 with 471 horsepower going out to a 10-speed automatic transmission. This would be our first choice to go on a weekend retreat, but it lacks the cargo and passenger space to be driven all the time. That is why we have our next car.

Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio

The Lexus is a fantastic grand tourer, but sometimes we may need to take a few passengers along for the ride. The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio sedan is ideally suited for the task. This Italian beast is powered by a Ferrari-derived 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 with 505 hp. Not only does the Giulia have enough room to haul four people around, it is also the second most powerful car on the list. Unfortunately it is also the second most expensive car with a starting price of $73,700.

Range Rover Velar

The Giulia sedan is our practical choice for everyday driving, but we needed something larger to carry big items. We needed an SUV, which is why we turned to the UK. The Velar is Land Rover's latest addition to the Range Rover lineup. The Range Rover Velar is based on the Jaguar F-Pace, and sits between the smaller Evoque and larger Sport. The base Velar sits just under $50,000, but we'd opt for the diesel D180 HSE R-Dynamic trim for just under $70,000.

BMW M2

So far, we have our GT car from Japan, our family sedan from Italy, and our practical hauler from the UK. We wanted to make sure that we had a sports car with a manual transmission that would be perfect to carve up some canyon roads. That's why we have chosen the BMW M2 from Germany. The M4 is the more powerful car, but the lighter, more simplistic M2 would be our preference. The M2 starts at a more modest $54,500 and comes with a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six with 365 hp. There is a more powerful M2 Competition on the way, but for now we'll settle for the standard M2.

Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE

The BMW M2 is a great canyon carving road car, but we needed something that is a bit more hardcore for track use. That is why we turned to the US for the Chevy Camaro ZL1 1LE. This $70,000 track weapon is one of the best values in the auto industry. Less than $100,000 gets you 650 hp from a 6.2-liter supercharged V8. The 1LE also comes with hardcore aero enhancements that make it one of the quickest cars in the world around a track, especially at its low base price. The standard ZL1 is a comfortable cruiser, but the 1LE is built specifically for track use.

10 Amazing Police Cars From Around The World

To protect and serve you sometimes need a little speed.

We can all admit that the PO-lice – pigs, the fuzz, the 5-0, the boys in blue – can be the worst nightmare of speed. It is, after all, their duty to uphold the law, which means preventing motoring enthusiasts from exceeding the speed limit anywhere but the race track. With that said, cops need to keep up with speeders and transporters and fugitives. Which is why police forces from around the globe have seen fit to give their law enforcement some serious machinery.

While these police force vehicles might not be as hardcore as Barricade from the Transformers saga, they’re still pretty damn impressive. It would’ve been all too easy to fill this article with any number of vehicles from the Dubai police force, but we’ve scoured the police forces from all over the world to bring together ten of the best automobiles used for the sake of law enforcement.

Lotus Evora – UK & Italy

The Lotus Evora seems to be a rather popular police vehicle, used in both the United Kingdom and Italy. Both forces made use of an Evora S, powered by a mid-mounted 3.5-liter Toyota V6 that generates 345 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. With only two seats, they weren’t likely to be making any arrests, but with a 4.6-second 0-60 mph time and 172 mph top speed, they were certainly going to keep up with whoever tried to evade them in a chase. The Italian equivalent, for use by the Carabinieri, was purpose built with an organ fridge as the Evora was used primarily for rapid transit of donor organs.

Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X – UK

Who would’ve thought such a small country would need such rapid police vehicles? Well the counties of Essex and Yorkshire in the United Kingdom clearly do, as they saw fit to buy a batch of Mitsubishi Lancer Evo Xs for their top cops. While officers in Humberside get a Lexus IS-F, those in these two counties drive 295-horsepower, all-wheel-drive road-going rally machines. Zero to 60 mph in under 5.5 seconds, and the ability to chase rapidly on paved or gravel roads must sure be a plus for these British cops.

Kia Stinger GT – Australia

Australian cops are tough. So tough in fact that when the time came to replace their V8 Ford Falcon GTs with something newer, not even a Mustang would do – as testing Down Under sent the ‘Stangs straight into a state of overheating. So what was the suitable replacement? Well, the Aussie-Rozzers have decided upon the Kia Stinger GT as a suitable replacement. That’s right; the rear-wheel-drive sport/luxury sedan from South Korea has cracked the nod for use on police duty as of this year, with 50 set to be delivered before December.

Powered by a 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6, the 365-hp sports sedan completes the 0-60 mph sprint in 4.6 seconds before topping out at 167 mph. And with sublime handling dynamics and an ability to resist engine and brake overheating, it seems like a solid choice.

Lamborghini Huracan – Italy

You may remember the Lamborghini Gallardo of a few years ago decked out in light blue police livery for use in Italy. Well that car got written off in a high-speed chase, and naturally the Italians needed a replacement. Fortunately, Lamborghini had a replacement waiting in the wings, and so two Huracans have joined the Italian police force. They’ll be used for highway patrol and ‘regular’ police duties, but also for the high-speed transport of blood and organs. With all-wheel drive and a 601-hp V10, we’re pretty sure transport will be swift indeed!

Brabus Rocket CLS V12 730 hp – Germany

Germany produces some of the world’s best sports cars, so it’s no wonder they appear on this list. Teaming up with a range of tuning companies like ABT, Brabus, TechArt, AC Schnitzer, and the German automobile club, ADAC, the German police started an initiative called “Tune it! Safe!” to try and promote reputable tuning with high-quality components. The vehicles modified aren’t used in active duty, but rather used as show cars. Though the “Tune it! Safe!” fleet might feature R8s and 911s, those perhaps aren’t as manic as the Brabus Rocket CLS V12 that forms part of the force.

Brabus has taken the standard CLS65 AMG, complete with bi-turbo V12 engine, and turned it up to 11, with the 12-banger now producing 730 hp. The Brabus Rocket can achieve a 0-60 sprint of less than four seconds, before reaching a top speed of 225 mph. It’s almost a pity the German police don’t use these on a routine basis, as to only see them at car shows is a bit of a shame.

Dodge Charger Pursuit – USA

This list wouldn’t be complete without an American police cruiser on here; but be assured this is no Crown Vic. The 2018 Dodge Charger Pursuit is available with a Pentastar V6 engine, but how can your local sheriff the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 instead, generating 370 hp and sending it to the rear wheels or all wheels. Sure, it’s no Hellcat or Demon, but it sure as hell looks menacing enough to make you think twice about trying to run away. Bullet-resistant front door panels are standard, too, just to make this Charger a little more badass.

Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34) - Japan

The Japanese police have been known to drive a few nice cars, including an R35 Nissan GT-R and a Mazda RX-7. But the Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34) is the one that gets us drooling the most. After all, it’s a car famed in pop culture as much as car culture, powered by a 2.6-liter turbo straight-six that makes one of the most glorious noises ever, while propelling all 4 wheels with immense accuracy. Godzilla, famed for both road and track domination, would surely be enough to dissuade anyone from breaking the law, surely?

Caparo T1 RRV Police Pursuit Car – UK

What is with the Brits and these insane police cars? It looks like a cross between an LMP1 race car and an Indy racer, and it develops 575 hp from a 3.5-liter V8. UK police claim it’ll sprint to 100 mph in under five seconds before maxing out at over 200 mph. Of course, once you stop the bad guys, you’ll have to wait for back-up, as the Caparo T1 only has 2 seats. Sadly, it wasn’t actually a real police car, but rather a safety message initiative to dissuade speedsters from trying their luck.

Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio – Italy

The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio has been hailed as a proper M3 beater and the return to glory for the Italian brand. It makes sense then why the Italian Carabinieri – cops that are trained as military officers – might make use of it. It might not be as quick as their Huracan or Evora S, but the 500-hp, rear-wheel-drive Giulia QV, with its twin-turbo V6 and carbon-fiber driveshaft, can sure hustle, and even has space in the back for a couple of criminals, or gun-toting Italian paramilitary officers.

Dubai Police Fleet

This list wouldn’t be complete without mention of the Dubai police fleet. What started initially as an extravagant marketing exercise has developed into a huge fleet that patrols popular tourist areas and is used for special events. The Dubai police fleet includes cars like the Aston Martin One-77, LaFerrari, Porsche 918 Spyder, Bugatti Veyron, Audi R8, BMW i8, Nissan GT-R, Lamborghini Aventador, Chevrolet Camaro SS, Ferrari FF, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, and a range of other crazy machinery – they even bought a hoverbike recently. The fleet is so vast, it deserves a feature all of its own.