Audi S2 Reviews

Audi is changing the way it names its cars. Kicking off with the new Audi Q6 e-tron electric car, Audi will ditch the numerical references  to power outputs (such as 30 TFSI or 40 TDI) that defined which variant was which, as well as altering the assignment of model numbers like ‘A4’ or ‘Q5’ depending on drivetrain.

This is the future... of Audi, at least. It's not so much the Q6 e-tron itself, but what's under it. The 'Premium Platform Electric' which it rides on will underpin future Audi models as well as others from Porsche, which co-developed it.

If you're even slightly interested in electric cars, chances are you've heard that solid state batteries are the future, coming to save us from range anxiety and the slow decline in power retention that current lithium-ion batteries face.But that might no

If you think electric vehicles might be just a fad, like a Rubik’s Cube or a Livestrong bracelet, or even those Oakley stickers everyone had on their windscreens that said “Thermonuclear Protection”, we have news for you: EVs aren’t going anywhere. They’re going everywhere.

A traditional sports car is a lot like the barfly at your local pub - it consumes a hell of a lot more, and is a lot louder than pretty much anything within a one kilometre radius. 

If you’re one of the many Australians that’s ready to take the plunge and turn your motoring from fossil fuelled to electric, you’ll probably have noticed there’s not the same choice in vehicle layout as there is with ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) cars. We’re behind the rest of the developed world in all types of EVs, and when you look at electric sedans Australia is a real back-marker.

Audi has revealed an updated version of its RS Q8 flagship SUV.The new RS Q8 Performance model is the most powerful combustion-engined Audi ever, producing 471kW from its twin-turbo V8 petrol in Performance trim.More grunt and chassis focus sees the RS Q8 displace the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT as the fastest SUV around the Nürburgring Nordschleife, completing a 7:36.698 minute time with Frank Stippler at the helm, though Audi is yet to share video footage.Launching imminently in Europe, the new model's Australian release and price is yet to be confirmed.The facelifted large SUV debuts a new grille with 3D honeycomb mesh, twin oval tailpipes and a rear diffuser split by reflector.Under the bonnet the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 develops 441kW and 800Nm in standard trim. This jumps to 471kW and 850Nm for the Performance, getting the big SUV to 100km/h in 3.6 seconds.It also makes the RS Q8 more powerful than the dearly departed Audi R8 V10 Plus (456kW), though less punchy than the 680kW e-tron GT RS electric car.Active air suspension active and adaptive dampers feature with the ability to change the height by 90mm. Active roll stabilisation using the 48V mild-hybrid system is optional.A centre diff can apportion up to 85 per cent of the AWD RS Q8's torque to the rear axle and the it rolls on 22-inch alloy wheels, but you can go one inch bigger and score a gold finish, should you please.Familiar Matrix LED headlights get upgraded to optional HD items with laser technology and selectable daytime running signatures.Inside, buyers can choose red grey or blue interior accents; the Performance pack is available with blue accents only.The layout with a 12.3-inch digital driver's display, centre multimedia touchscreen and touch HVAC controls located below remains.Australian details for the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT and Lamborghini Urus rival will be revealed closer to the car's release.Expect a lift from the outgoing car's ($228,300 before on-road costs) price.

The cost of electric cars is coming down at last and it’s happening fast, too, with big brands slashing prices.

Audi’s updated electric performance car has some staggering figures.Recent work on the bold-looking e-tron GT sedan has boosted power across the board, and the RS Performance variant is now the brand’s most powerful car to date.The technical tweaks mean the e-tron GT RS Performance now makes 680kW or 912 horses. Audi hasn’t quoted torque figures but expect them to be mammoth.The e-tron GT RS Performance’s dual electric motors produce more oomph than the brand’s legendary twin-turbo V8 and V10 motors found in cars past and present.All that performance means the top-tier EV can sprint from 0-100km/h in a supercar slaying 2.5 seconds.On top of this Audi has upped the charging rate for the e-tron GT. It can now peak at 320kW, up from 270kW in the first edition. Audi said the car can now maintain a charging speed of more than 280kW up to about 70 per cent of charge, which will quicken the time it takes to top up further.The German brand has also managed to make the car slightly lighter and increase its energy density.The regenerative braking has been beefed up too, and can now feed more energy back into the battery.New air suspension should improve the car’s ride by ironing out bumps and road imperfections better and reducing any lean through corners.Audi has capped off the update with a raft of cosmetic changes.This includes a new front grille, headlight design and fresh alloy wheels.Inside the changes are highlighted by redesigned sports seats, new wooden inlays and steering wheel.The carpeting and floor mats are made of 100 per cent recycled nylon fibres and there is extensive use of synthetic suede and leather throughout.Audi has also added new readout and graphics to the digital driver display. The panoramic sunroof can go from opaque to clear at the touch of a button thanks to  a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal technology.

Close your eyes and think of a luxury car (just make sure you open them again to read the rest of this story).What did you picture? A BMW X5? Mercedes-Benz S-Class? A Range Rover? Chances are it was something big. But a few years ago luxury car makers had a revelation that they didn’t have to build just big cars and could, in fact, build smaller ones.This allowed them to expand their line-up to new levels of affordability, attracting new customers and growing sales. In 2023 Australian snapped up more than 22,500 small cars costing more than $40,000, which is the figure used to determine the difference between mainstream small cars and luxury small cars.We’ll go into detail below about the best luxury small cars and the biggest sellers, but before we do it’s important to explain the defining characteristics of the small luxury cars Australia currently offers.That’s because inflation, price rises and other business decisions have pushed some mainstream nameplates into the same ‘small car under $40K’ official segment as the genuine luxury compact cars from the likes of Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.For example, the Honda Civic, Peugeot 308 and Volkswagen Golf all fall into the same sector of the market as the Audi A3, BMW 1 Series and Mercedes-Benz A-Class, despite not being direct competitors.While often there isn’t much to split these different types of cars on features, there is a clear demarcation between them in terms of brand prestige and often the ownership experience.The likes of the A3, 1 Series and A-Class can all be considered small luxury vehicles rather than just fancy hatchbacks, and they play a key role in attracting new owners who can then potentially graduate through the ranks of whatever premium brand they choose.It’s the same reason small luxury SUV models are so popular. They act as gateways into the brand at a price more comparable with a high-grade mainstream model.*Based on 2023 VFacts registration dataArriving into the world in 1996, the A3 is a prime example of why luxury car makers, and their larger parent companies, love small cars.That first A3, and every model that followed, uses largely the same underpinnings (‘platform’ in car-speak) as the Volkswagen Golf, which allows for the expensive engineering work to be shared and then charging more for the finished product.In 2023 Audi sold 3319 examples of the A3, while Volkswagen Australia sold 3592 Golfs, which means nearly 7000 sales of a largely similar car for different prices. The A3 range begins at $50,600 and stretches all the way to $99,300 for the RS3 Sedan.In fact, the sedan is another way luxury car makers have continued to grow the small car market. Audi now offers a hatch and sedan, expanding the appeal of the A3 and extending its reach across the smaller segment.The three-pointed star brand was one of the first to enter the true compact luxury car market, announcing the A-Class way back in 1994. After a difficult beginning, mainly because of the now-infamous ‘Elk Test’ that saw the car roll over during a Swedish magazine test, the A-Class has gone on to become a Mercedes staple.In 2023 Mercedes Australia sold 2392 A-Class, which not only made it second on this list but also the brand’s fourth best-selling model here, behind only the GLC and GLE SUVs and the stalwart C-Class sedan and wagon. While Audi and Mercedes jumped into the small car space in the ‘90s, BMW waited until the mid-2000s, launching the first generation 1 Series in 2004. Not only did the brand arrive late to the party, but showed up with a different take on the concept - a rear-wheel drive hatchback.The first 1 Series used a modified version of the 3 Series platform, allowing for the unconventional but very sporty and dynamic layout.It meant sacrificing space, though, and for the third (and current) generation, BMW has swapped to a more conventional front-wheel drive layout.It hasn’t hurt sales, with the latest model notching 1755 sales in 2023 to claim third on this list - which is only the beginning for BMW’s small luxury cars…The Bavarian brand may have been a slow starter, but it’s not only caught up but become a major small car brand with a second entry in the top five sellers. The 2 Series was spun-off from the 1 Series Coupe and Convertible models, although the current line-up features the four-door Gran Coupe instead of the drop-top.Between the 1 and 2 Series line-ups, BMW Australia sold 2887 small cars in 2023, making the duo the second best-sellers after the Audi. Despite being small, the 2 Series also showcases how this end of the market has evolved to a more premium level over time, with the latest high-performance M2 Coupe starting at $121,700.One of the key reasons for BMW’s switch to a front-wheel drive 1 Series was because it allowed the German giant to take advantage of the platform it had already developed for the Mini Hatch.While the original Mini was an affordable and very mainstream small car, when BMW took control of the brand it decided to reinvent it as a premium compact model, starting in 2001.Since then it has continued to evolve and grow to the point that there are currently six variants of the Mini on offer in Australia. This includes the standard Cooper three-door hatch, a largely five-door model, the even larger Clubman, an electric version and a convertible, plus the Countryman SUV (which is stretching the meaning of the word mini).Still, last year Mini managed to sell more than 4200 cars in Australia, of which 2011 were the hatch and thus putting it on our list.