Audi S5 Sportback Grand Prix with 375HP

The Grand Prix is Senner Tuning's take on the new Audi S5 Sportback. Starting with the engine, the German company brings output from the standard 3.0-liter TSI's 333 horsepower and 440Nm /325 lb-ft of torque to 375HP and 495Nm / 365 lb-ft. The power boost comes from a reconfigured ECU, the addition of a performance air filter as well as a custom sport exhaust system with four tail pipes.

2011 Toyota Tacoma, Priced from $16,365

The Toyota Tacoma pickup truck is entering the new model year with additional features and a revised lineup. For the 2011MY, the Japanese automaker discontinued three manual transmission models and added five four-cylinder, four-speed automatic models including the Access Cab 4x2 PreRunner, Double Cab 4x2, Double Cab 4x2 PreRunner, Regular Cab 4x4, and Access Cab 4x4.

Added features for the 2011MY Tacoma include a newly designed grille on all Base, SR5, TRD Off-Road, TRD Sport and X-Runner models. Regular Cab models now come with standard air conditioning while the 4x2 versions also gain standard 15-inch steel wheels.

Audi 200 Turbo Quattro Trans-Am Racer up for Grabs

If you're a fan of Audi race cars then you may want to read on. This here retired Audi 200 Turbo Quattro Trans-Am racer is up for sale by an independent dealer in Las Vegas. It's not only the real deal but furthermore, the seller claims it's the actual vehicle that won the 1988 American Trans-Am series in the hands of Hurley Haywood who steamrolled the competition by taking eight out of 13 wins.

2011 BMW 6-Series Cabrio Rendered

2012 BMW 6-Series Cabrio Rendering

A new rendering of the 2011 BMW 6-Series Cabrio has surfaced on BMW-fan websites E90Post.com and BimmerPost.com. The sketch is based on a previously-seen spy photo, where the 6er convertible was covered up with a fair amount of black and white camouflage.

Though the artist does a good job with the picture provided, we have to question whether or not a car targeted at an older age group in the mainstream would have such deep styling.

The next 6-Series Cab will likely get the same engines as the 5er, including a 302-hp (225-kW 306-PS) 3.0-liter twin-scroll turbocharged engine, and a 4.4-liter V8 that kicks out 400 hp (300 kW, 408 PS). A more robust V8 is expected for the M6, with BMW's eight-speed automatic transmission.

Audi S5 Sportback performance tuning by Senner Tuning

Senner Tuning has unveiled a new performance package for the Audi S5 Sportback.

Designed to give the engine a healthy kick in the pants, the package consists of a revised ECU, a sport air filter, and a stainless steel exhaust system. Thanks to these modifications, the supercharged 3.0-liter V6 produces 375 hp (280 kW / 380 PS) and 495 Nm (365 lb-ft) of torque - increase of 42 hp (31 kW / 43 PS) and 55 Nm (41 lb-ft). While the company declined to release performance specifications, they stated the V-Max limiter is also removed as part of the conversion.

On the styling front, Senner decided to play it safe and not equipped the S5 with a body kit. Instead, they offer lowering springs (which reduce ride height 35-40mm) and 20-inch T1S Work VARA Diamond alloy wheels. Inside, the only change is the addition of carbon fiber trim around the instrument cluster.

Fashion Designers Makeover MINI Models for 'Life Ball' Event

Francisco Costa from Calvin Klein, Diane von Furstenberg and Kenneth Cole will create three special Minis to raffle off at this year's edition of "Life Ball", the biggest HIV/AIDS charity event in Europe that will take place in Vienna on 17th July 2010.

On behalf of Calvin Klein, US fashion house's creative director Francisco Costa will be designing the new Mini Countryman crossover. US fashion designer with Belgian roots Diane von Furstenberg, will artistically enhance the MINI Hatch, while New York's Kenneth Cole apply his style on a Mini Convertible.

Audi e-tron

In the next couple of years, globe-striding automakers such as Nissan-Renault, Mercedes-Benz, VW Group, GM and Ford will begin cranking out tens of thousands of electric cars. Not just small electric city cars and mid-size family sedans (like GM's Volt and Nissan's Leaf) but powerful, dead-sexy sports cars.

The Audi e-tron, whose only shared component with the look-alike Audi R8 are the halfshafts, will at some point have company in the luxury electric sports car segment in the form of Mercedes' electric-version SLS gullwing (and no, I never thought I'd be writing those words).

This armada of electron-burners will not be diffident, under-baked beta-testers. No asterisks they. These will be -- they have to be -- fully fledged Nissans, Mercedes and VWs, built to these companies' exacting standards and sold at a price that economizes their global scale.

"Do you hear something, Elon?"

"Don't be silly, Henrik. It's just the wind."

Let's stipulate that Tesla and Fisker are fine companies with great people and ideas, and a not-inconsiderable $1 billion in public money between them. Both companies' business plans call for using the glamour of a sporty halo car (the Tesla Roadster and Fisker Karma) to build brand cachet and help fund development of more attainable, real-world cars: Tesla's Model S and Fisker's Nina.

While the majors were sitting on the sidelines, these electric car wildcatters could reasonably expect success.

But now the majors are coming fast. And the Audi e-tron, which took Ingolstadt all of nine months to build, insists that we reconsider the viability of these low-volume upstarts in light of their highly resourced imperial competitors.

The burn-in-hell red e-tron that Audi made available for test drives near Point Magu last week was last seen in September on the turnstile at the Frankfurt Auto Show. Typically, show cars are pretty hollow on the inside. Not this time.

The e-tron's alloy space-frame is production-ready; the adaptive climate- and visibility-sensing LED headlamps and taillamps work; the electric door closures and windows work; the motion-sensing door handles operate; the instrument console is already near production; the unique heat-pump system (to provide cabin warmth) is installed. The car's MMI (Man-Machine Interface) is already roughed in, with the liquid crystal display levitating out of the instrument console when the car is started.

The last Audi that was this cool was upstaging Will Smith in the movie "I Robot."

Among its many party tricks, the e-tron has a kind of morph-able exterior skin that changes shape to optimize aerodynamics and battery cooling as needed. When the batteries need a breeze, the clear acrylic panel over the front grille recedes into the grille opening, allowing fresh air in. Likewise, the flexible aluminum comb over the rear deck rises up to form a ram-air intake duct. That is just wicked, man.