Audi to Exhibit Q3 Concepts and an e-Bike Prototype at the 2012 Wörthersee Tour

It is hard to believe, but somehow another year has rolled around since the last Wörthersee Tour.

The VW Group meeting of all meetings that brings together fans of the Audi, VW, Seat and Skoda brands will be held for the 31st time at lake Wörthersee in the southern Austrian state of Carinthia from May 16 to 19.

At this year's event, Audi plans to display three conceptual versions of the Q3 compact crossover along with its e-bike Wörthersee prototype.

Beginning with Audi's two-wheel proposal, the e-bike is a futuristic looking study sporting 26-inch wheels made from carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) that weigh only 600 grams (1.32 lbs) and an ultra-light carbon-fiber frame that tips the scales at an impressively low 1.600 grams (3.53 lbs).

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Audi to Exhibit Q3 Concepts and an e-Bike Prototype at the 2012 Wörthersee Tour

It is hard to believe, but somehow another year has rolled around since the last Wörthersee Tour.

The VW Group meeting of all meetings that brings together fans of the Audi, VW, Seat and Skoda brands will be held for the 31st time at lake Wörthersee in the southern Austrian state of Carinthia from May 16 to 19.

At this year's event, Audi plans to display three conceptual versions of the Q3 compact crossover along with its e-bike Wörthersee prototype.

Beginning with Audi's two-wheel proposal, the e-bike is a futuristic looking study sporting 26-inch wheels made from carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) that weigh only 600 grams (1.32 lbs) and an ultra-light carbon-fiber frame that tips the scales at an impressively low 1.600 grams (3.53 lbs).

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Audi's Q3 Vail Concept Arrives in Beijing as the Jinlong Yufeng Study

What we came to know as the Audi Q3 Vail Concept at this year's Detroit Motor Show was presented in a different shade and with a new name at this week's Auto China 2012 in Beijing.

The Chinese version of the Q3 Vail is named the Jinlong Yufeng, which is Chinese for “Golden Dragon in the Wind”. The only other difference over the Detroit concept is the luminous monochrome Liuli Yellow color for the exterior with matching interior trim accents.

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Audi's Q3 Vail Concept Arrives in Beijing as the Jinlong Yufeng Study

What we came to know as the Audi Q3 Vail Concept at this year's Detroit Motor Show was presented in a different shade and with a new name at this week's Auto China 2012 in Beijing.

The Chinese version of the Q3 Vail is named the Jinlong Yufeng, which is Chinese for “Golden Dragon in the Wind”. The only other difference over the Detroit concept is the luminous monochrome Liuli Yellow color for the exterior with matching interior trim accents.

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New Audi A6 L e-tron Concept Plugs-in to the 2012 Beijing Auto Show

The "A6 technological study" that Audi told us it will debut at the Auto China 2012 in Beijing turned out to be a plug-in hybrid version of the domestic market long-wheelbase A6 with the e-tron moniker.

The concept model borrows the driveline found on the production A8 Hybrid, which brings together a 2.0-liter TFSI petrol that produces 208hp (211PS) and an electric motor with a peak output of 70kW (94hp/95PS).

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New Audi A6 L e-tron Concept Plugs-in to the 2012 Beijing Auto Show

The "A6 technological study" that Audi told us it will debut at the Auto China 2012 in Beijing turned out to be a plug-in hybrid version of the domestic market long-wheelbase A6 with the e-tron moniker.

The concept model borrows the driveline found on the production A8 Hybrid, which brings together a 2.0-liter TFSI petrol that produces 208hp (211PS) and an electric motor with a peak output of 70kW (94hp/95PS).

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Audi will Present Three World Premieres at the Beijing Auto Show

Earlier this week, Audi dropped the curtains on its sporty RS Q3 Concept, but it won't be the only world premiere the brand with the four rings has in store for us at next week's Auto China 2012 in Beijing.

The German automaker today announced that it would also debut a technology study based on the locally manufactured A6 L (long-wheelbase version of the sedan) and a second show car based on the Q3 compact crossover.

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New Audi RS Q3 Concept Study with 355HP Breaks Cover Ahead of its Beijing Motor Show Premiere

Audi has been toying around with the idea of a high-performance version of its Q3 compact crossover powered by the RS3 Sportback's (and the TT RS') turbocharged inline-five for quite a while now.

Some of you may remember that the Ingolstadt-based automaker offered the media a surprise test drive of an unmarked prototype back in the summer of 2011 while the four-ring brand also presented the 314hp Q3 Vail Concept at this year's Detroit motor show.

At the Auto China 2012 in Beijing, Audi is going to quit swinging the bat and start hitting the ball with the world premiere of the RS Q3 Concept, which could lead to a production model in the very near future.

Like the previous prototypes, the new RS Q3 study utilizes Audi's 2.5-liter straight-five turbocharged gasoline engine, only this time, it has been tweaked to produce 355-horses (360PS) allowing the compact SUV to pass the 100km/h (62mph) yardstick in just 5.2 seconds after take-off, en route to a top speed of 265km/h (165mph).

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Audi Displays Winter Sports-Themed Q3 Vail Concept with the RS3's 2.5L Turbo in Detroit

As it turns out, the Audi Q3 Vail Concept wasn't a three-door crossover study as some sketches falsely suggested but a specially themed edition of the Q3 crossover, the regular versions of which are sold in other parts of the world including Europe but not in the States.

What makes this concept that is named after the famous winter sports venue in the U.S. a little more interesting is not so much the cosmetic enhancements as its mechanical hardware.

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2012 NAIAS: Is this the Audi Q3-Based Vail Concept?

In an interview with Bloomberg last week, Audi CEO Rupert Stadler told the news outlet about his company's plans to test the waters with a new concept based on the Q3 crossover named “Vail” at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. However, that's about all Stadler was willing to reveal.

It's only a matter of hours before we see the Q3 Vail Concept in person, but we just found a set of sketches purportedly showing the SUV study on the Dutch website Audiblog.

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Audi Boss Confirms Q3 Vail Concept for Detroit Show, Says More Models are Coming

The first and second place in the U.S. premium segment may belong to the Germans for 2011, but while BMW and Mercedes-Benz are at the top, Audi couldn’t manage anything better than seventh place, with less than half deliveries of its rivals.

Clearly, this is far from ideal for the Ingolstadt-based carmaker since the U.S. remains the number one market for premium brands. Furthermore, Audi, which is the segment leader both in Western Europe and China, wants to overtake BMW as the number one premium brand worldwide by 2015.

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The Year of the Sports Car at California's Mulholland Drive

As one of the most scenic roads in Los Angeles County, the Mulholland Highway is a popular destination for car drivers and motorcyclists alike.

Over the past year, a camera crew recorded many sports cars that made their way pass the twisty roadways and strung together a video with some of the most eye-catching models.

The cars seen in the film range from the new McLaren MP4-12C to a classic Bugatti 57 SC Atlantic (we believe this is a replica owned by Jay Leno), and from an Atom Ariel to the Audi e-tron Spyder Concept.

Buckle up and head over the jump to enjoy the video.

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Pure-Electric Audi A3 e-tron Hatchback Debuts at the 2011 LA Auto Show

Up until now, we’ve seen all kinds of Audi EV concepts with “e-tron” label ranging from the A1 supermini to a sub-R8 supercar. At the 2011 LA Auto Show, the Ingolstadt-based company presented yet another e-tron model, this time based on the current A3 Sportback five-door hatchback. Read more »

Audi Launches A1 e-tron Trial Program in Munich

The first examples of Audi's A1 e-tron gasoline-electric hybrid project car hit the streets of Munich today as the German company in cooperation with E.ON and the public utility Stadtwerke Munchen and Technise Universitat Muncher initiated the trial program.

Audi has provided a fleet of 20 extended-range A1 e-tron electric vehicles, while E.ON and SWM have installed charging infrastructure both within the city limits and in surrounding areas.

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IAA 2011: Audi Urban Concepts Revealed in the Flesh [Photos + Videos]

During a media presentation held ahead of the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, Audi unveiled its Urban Sportback and Spyder concept cars in the flesh. Up until now, the Ingolstadt-based automaker had only released sketches and computer generated images of its 1+1 seater studies.

Designed for use in urban and metropolitan areas, the tiny twins are powered by an electric drivetrain and feature a seating for two in a tandem layout.

The Urban Sportback is fitted with a canopy that forms part of the body and slides up and to the rear, while the roofless Spyder features a flat window strip wrapping around the cockpit and doors that open upward at an angle.

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Audi Drops First Photos of A2 Concept

Less than a week after publishing the preview renderings of its Frankfurt Motor Show-bound A2 Concept, Audi today issued the first (computer-enhanced) photos of its pure-electric hatchback that will inspire a production version scheduled to go on sale within the next two years.

The new study comes six years after Audi terminated the original A2, which was the first high-volume production, aluminum-bodied car. It’s conceptual successor does away with the costly aluminum build but adds an electric powertrain to the mix.

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Frankfurt Show Preview: New Audi A2 Concept

These past few years, Audi and the German premium automakers in general, have set out to fill every possible niche consumers may or may not think they need, from luxurious superminis to wild supercars. And they are far from done.

At the upcoming 2011 Frankfurt auto show, Audi will lift the covers off a new pure-electric concept study that revives the name of long gone A2.

The original model was a small MPV built from 1999 to 2005 that was way ahead of its time in several ways, but what made it truly unique was that it was manufactured entirely out of aluminum.

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Audi Publishes New Pictures of Urban Sportback and Spyder Concepts

After teasing us with a couple of videos and a few sketches, Audi has now unleashed a wave of computer generated images of its two-seat Urban Sportback and Spyder concept models, both of which will receive their world premiere at the upcoming 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany. Read more »

Audi Urban Sportback Concept to be Joined by a Spyder Version at Frankfurt Show

At next month's Frankfurt auto show, Audi will show not one, but two variants of its Urban pure-electric city car concept. Following the presentation of the Urban Sportback (that's how the Germans describe the closed-top variant in its latest release) fitted with a sliding canopy, Audi today released the first renderings of the Spyder model.

Rather than simply chopping off the rood and strengthening the front windshield frame, Audi's designers opted for a low, continuous window area while the Spyder also gains a pair of doors that open upwards diagonally.

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U-Spy: Audi Q7 Pickup Truck is the Real Deal

A little over a month ago, we showed you a photo of a two-door Audi Q7 Pickup Truck, wondering at the same time if the picture was real or the result of some handy digital manipulation.

Earlier this week, Carscoop reader "Majdo-dk" tipped us off through our comments that the Audi Q7 Pickup Truck does indeed exist in real life, and to prove it, he pointed us towards a Facebook page with four photos of the one-off model.

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