Tag Archives: Audi

NEW CARS

The Audi Q2 e-Tron Could Be Your Next Choice

Remember the Audi A2? Not the RS models or the big-grille sedans that dominate Ingolstadt’s greatest-hits album, but the oddball aluminum jellybean from the early 2000s—the one that looked like it escaped from a wind tunnel and sipped fuel like it was rationed. Back then, the A2 was Audi doing the future a little too early. Lightweight aluminum spaceframe, obsessive aero thinking, and a 1.2-liter diesel that could stretch a gallon to nearly 80 mpg. Buyers didn’t quite know what to do with it. History, however, has been kinder.

Fast-forward nearly three decades, and Audi appears ready to dust off that same forward-thinking playbook—this time with electrons instead of diesel. Enter the upcoming Q2 e-Tron, a compact electric crossover (or tall hatch, depending on how honest you’re feeling) that effectively replaces the outgoing gasoline Q2 and becomes the new entry point to Audi’s EV lineup.

If that sounds familiar, it should. Like the A2 before it, the Q2 e-Tron looks positioned to be a clever, efficiency-minded alternative to the premium status quo—just wrapped in a more contemporary, SUV-adjacent silhouette.

A Tall Hatch With a Memory

Based on early spy shots and illustrations, the Q2 e-Tron wears its proportions proudly. The upright stance echoes the A2’s practical, space-first philosophy, but Audi has sharpened the edges. The windshield is more aggressively raked, the roofline tapers decisively into the C-pillar, and the overall shape leans closer to “hatchback on stilts” than the chunkier crossover look of the current Q2.

Up front, Audi’s latest lighting trickery takes center stage. Slim micro-LED daytime running lights sit high and wide, while the main headlamp units are pushed lower into the bumper—a familiar Audi EV move by now. The closed-off grille is framed by crisp creases and angular intakes, giving the smallest e-Tron a face that looks confident rather than apologetic.

Around back, the designers seem to be having a little fun. A high-mounted spoiler visually splits the rear glass—a clear nod to the old A2—and a full-width LED light bar modernizes the tailgate. It’s playful by Audi standards, which is to say: restrained, but intentional.

Familiar Audi, Just Smaller—and Smarter

Inside, expect fewer surprises. The Q2 e-Tron should closely follow the digital-first design language already seen in the Q3 and Q5. A curved digital instrument cluster pairs with a central MMI touchscreen, and Audi’s AI-based voice assistant is expected to be standard fare. Yes, that means downloadable apps, streaming services, and navigation that updates itself while you’re still arguing with your passengers about lunch.

Despite its compact footprint, the EV architecture should pay dividends in space efficiency. A flat floor opens up the cabin, and while cargo volume won’t threaten the class leaders, it’s expected to come in just shy of the Q4 e-Tron’s 520 liters—respectable numbers for something wearing a “smallest Audi EV” label.

Audi is also expected to lean into sustainability here, with recycled and eco-friendly trim options, ambient lighting, and a full suite of Level 2 driver-assist systems rounding out the spec sheet.

MEB+, More Muscle, More Miles

Under the skin, the Q2 e-Tron is set to ride on Volkswagen Group’s updated MEB+ platform. Think of it as MEB 2.0: stiffer, more efficient, and capable of faster charging than the hardware underpinning today’s ID.4s and Q4 e-Trons.

Early technical whispers suggest a front-wheel-drive base model making around 201 horsepower, fed by a 63-kWh battery good for roughly 250 miles of range. Step up the ladder and outputs could climb past 268 horsepower, with a larger battery pushing WLTP range figures toward a very respectable 348 miles.

Quattro variants with dual motors are also on the table, aimed at buyers who live where winter is a lifestyle rather than a season. And because this is Audi, you can safely assume someone in Neckarsulm is already sketching RS badges in the margins.

Small EV, Big Competition

Whether Audi ultimately revives the A2 name or sticks with Q2 e-Tron branding, this car will land in a crowded—and increasingly competitive—segment. Rivals include the Volvo EX30, BMW iX1, Smart #1, Mini Aceman, and Alfa Romeo Junior, all vying to prove that small, premium EVs don’t have to feel like compromises.

Early rumors pointed to a 2027 debut, but newer reports suggest Audi could pull the covers off as soon as the second half of next year, with production staying close to home in Germany.

If the original A2 was a car that arrived before the market was ready, the Q2 e-Tron might be landing at exactly the right moment. Smaller, smarter, and more efficient EVs are finally what buyers are asking for—and Audi seems keen to remind us that it’s been thinking this way all along.

Source: Audi

Tuning

Mansory Turns the Audi RS6 into a 1,100-HP End-of-Year Firework

If subtlety is your thing, Mansory has never been your tuning house. The German outfit built its reputation on carbon-fiber excess and visual volume set permanently to eleven. And yet, beneath the loud aesthetics, Mansory has quietly become very good at something else: making already ridiculous performance cars completely unhinged.

To close out 2025, Mansory decided the Audi RS6 still wasn’t enough.

On paper, the current RS6 Performance is already absurd—a 630-hp, twin-turbo V-8 wagon capable of embarrassing supercars while hauling groceries. Mansory’s own catalog pushes that even further, topping out with a Stage 3 package that inflates output to a frankly unnecessary 1,000 horsepower and 1,250 Nm of torque. For most tuners, that would be the mic drop.

Mansory, unsurprisingly, kept talking.

Spotted via the company’s social channels, this latest RS6 build quietly raises the stakes again. There’s no official package name, no neatly branded badge of honor—just a number stamped onto the fender vents: 1,100 hp. Torque remains unchanged from the Stage 3 setup, but the headline figure alone is enough to make Audi engineers wince.

While Mansory hasn’t published a full spec sheet, all signs point to the existing Stage 3 hardware with additional software refinement. That means a reworked ECU, upgraded turbochargers, freer-flowing intake plumbing, air-to-water intercoolers, and exhaust pipes that politely ignore the existence of catalytic converters. The speed limiter is gone, too, with Mansory claiming a top speed of 325 km/h—assuming you can find enough road, courage, and legal flexibility to confirm it.

Visually, this RS6 is pure Mansory, for better or worse. Forged carbon fiber dominates the exterior, covering everything from the hood and splitter to the side skirts, diffuser, wing, and those now-famous vented fenders. The shapes are sharp, angular, and unapologetic, right down to the aggressively pointed exhaust tips. Massive 22-inch forged wheels fill the arches, framing turquoise brake calipers that hint at what awaits inside.

And what awaits inside is… turquoise. Almost entirely. Mansory didn’t just add accent stitching or seat inserts—it went all in. Nearly every surface is wrapped in bright blue-green leather, broken only by carbon trim, glass, and the occasional strip of white hide. It’s the kind of interior that makes you wonder whether subtlety was ever considered, then immediately dismissed. Illuminated door logos and a “starry sky” headliner complete the experience, because of course they do.

Interestingly, despite the visual drama, this particular build still resembles a standard RS6 in its basic body structure. That’s notable, because Mansory has also begun teasing interest in the even rarer RS6 GT. Audi built just 660 examples of that model worldwide—fewer than 100 for the U.S.—and it introduced the 630-hp setup that later became standard. With its unique fenders and more aggressive front fascia, the RS6 GT already looks like a tuner special straight from Ingolstadt.

Mansory hasn’t announced concrete parts or packages for the GT yet, but the implication is clear: nothing with four rings and twin turbos is safe.

In the end, this 1,100-hp RS6 is peak Mansory. Loud, divisive, wildly powerful, and completely unnecessary—and that’s exactly the point. It’s a reminder that even in an era of electrification and efficiency targets, there’s still room for a carbon-clad super wagon that exists purely to shock, awe, and overwhelm.

Taste not included.

Source: Mansory

Entertainment

Audi’s Holiday Video Proves You Don’t Need AI to Make Something Magical

Audi’s holiday greeting this year doesn’t arrive wrapped in horsepower numbers or Nürburgring lap times. Instead, it comes delivered on a tiny soundstage, powered by patience, tweezers, and a welcome absence of artificial intelligence. The brand’s latest seasonal video—shared across social media and YouTube—leans hard into old-school charm, channeling the spirit of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer with a stop-motion production that feels both nostalgic and quietly confident.

The inspiration is obvious and intentional. Like the 1964 NBC holiday classic, Audi’s film embraces the slightly imperfect, handmade aesthetic that only stop-motion can provide. Miniature cars inch their way through meticulously crafted sets, frame by frame, creating movement that feels earned rather than generated. In a media landscape increasingly flooded with uncanny, AI-heavy spectacle, Audi’s choice to go analog reads less like a gimmick and more like a statement.

The cast is a greatest-hits album of Audi history. Vintage Auto Union racers, classic road cars, modern RS machines, and contemporary EVs all get their moment under the lights. They drift, jump, slide, and sprint through snow-dusted tracks and gingerbread villages, compressing more than a century of four-ring evolution into a tight 30-second runtime. It’s brand storytelling distilled to its essentials—motion, heritage, and a wink of humor.

What makes the video work isn’t just the novelty of seeing miniature Audis pull off full-scale antics, but the restraint behind it. The stop-motion format forces discipline. Every drift is implied, every jump suggested, and every landing carefully staged. The result feels tactile and believable, even when the cars are doing things physics would politely decline in the real world. There’s joy in that limitation, and Audi leans into it.

The payoff comes in the closing shot, where 30 miniature Audis assemble into a giant four-ring logo shaped like a Christmas wreath. It’s festive without being loud, brand-forward without being smug. You don’t need a voiceover telling you who made the video—you already know. That’s the kind of confidence most marketing departments dream about.

The contrast with other holiday automotive ads is impossible to ignore. While some brands have gone all-in on AI-generated spectacle—often resulting in visuals that feel more synthetic than magical—Audi has opted for something grounded, even quaint. There’s no attempt to convince you this could happen in the real world. Instead, the video invites you to enjoy the craftsmanship, the references, and the sheer effort behind every second of footage.

That effort matters. Stop-motion is slow, demanding work, especially at this level of detail. Miniature sets have to be built, cars positioned, lighting adjusted, and movements planned with surgical precision. You can feel that labor in the final product, and it gives the video a warmth that algorithms still struggle to replicate.

In the end, Audi’s holiday short isn’t trying to sell you a specific model, a lease deal, or a lifestyle fantasy. It’s a reminder of why people care about cars in the first place. Movement. Design. History. And yes, a bit of playful nonsense during a time of year that could always use more of it.

Sometimes, the most effective way to show progress is to take a step back. Audi did exactly that—one miniature frame at a time.

Source: Audi