Scoop: Audi Working on a Mild Facelift for the Q5 Crossover, gets 3.0L Supercharged V6

Our spies have captured a prototype of the upcoming Audi Q5 facelift during some cold weather testing in northern Europe.

There's not much to say about this specific test car's appearance as it is a prototype for trying out the updated Q5's mechanical hardware (more on that in a bit).

However, we believe that the actual facelifted model will encompass the same styling changes seen on recent Audis such as the refreshed A4 and A5, and which include more stylish and narrower headlamps and the company's new hexagonal front grille.

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SPIED: 2013 Audi RS4 Avant Snagged, will Debut at the Geneva Salon

These will likely be the last spy shots we bring you of the next generation Audi RS4 Avant, as according to our sources, the high-performance station wagon will make its world premiere at next month's Geneva Motor Show.

There had been a debate on whether or not the 2013 RS4 Avant would use Audi's new 4.0-liter turbocharged unit launched in the S6 and S7 with 420HP, and the S8 with 520HP, but our insiders tell us that Ingolstadt finally chose the RS5's 4.2-liter naturally-aspirated V8 delivering 450PS (444bhp) and 430Nm (317.15 lb-ft).

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SPIED: New Audi RS6 Avant Prototype Shows up in Sweden

Like its BMW M5 compatriot, the RS6 Avant was one of those cars that allowed you to have a mid-life crisis without upsetting the family as it offered supercar-crushing levels of performance in a surprisingly practical estate package.

In its previous iteration, it sported a 5.0-litre bi-turbocharged V10 capable of delivering a maximum output of 580HP and peak torque of 650 Nm (479.42 lb-ft).

The introduction of the new generation A6 Avant last year meant that there was a good chance we'd see the rebirth of the RS6. And true enough, our spy shooters captured a prototype model conducting winter tests in Sweden.

But what makes us believe that this is indeed an RS6 Avant prototype? For starters, Audi has already presented all versions of the A6 Avant including the V8-powered S6. Then there's the flared wheel arches that are a signature trait of the RS series. In addition, the test car also featured a modified front bumper and massive brake discs.

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SPY SHOTS: 2013 Audi A3 Heads to Sweden for Winter Tests

Last time we caught up with the next generation of the Audi A3, Ingolstadt's engineers were testing the three-door hatchback in Argentina. Now, we've spied Audi's premium compact model half way across the world while testing in northern Sweden.

The third iteration of the A3 series will mark a switch to the Volkswagen Group’s brand-new flexible MQB architecture that will be shared with a myriad of models including the next generations of the VW Golf and even the Passat.

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SPIED: Audi Testing Facelifted 2013 A4 Allroad Quattro

It's been four years since Audi presented the fourth generation of its A4 series, which means it's time for the Ingolstadt-based automaker to present a mid-life nip-and-tuck for the premium model that is available in sedan, Avant (estate) and Allroad Quatro body styles.

On this occasion, we’ve snagged photos of a prototype of the facelifted A4 Allroad Quattro during testing in Europe. Even though Audi's engineers have covered up the test model in swirly patterns, we can see that the changes will be concentrated up front and at the back.

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SPIED: New Audi RS1 Pocket-Rocket Shows up on the 'Ring

Audi's Quattro GmbH sports car division has its work cut out lately. Apart from the RS5 Convertible, the RS4 Avant and rumored RS7, the company's engineers are also developing the RS1 based on the A1 premium supermini.

Captured here by our crafty spy photographers while testing in and around the Nürburgring race circuit, the prototype sports typical RS-styling traits such as the prominent front bumper air vents, a large rear wing and a rear diffuser with space for two bulbous tail pipes.

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SPY SHOTS: New Audi RS5 Convertible Spotted Testing

In September, following the opening of the Frankfurt Motor Show, we broke the story on the official design patents of the new Audi RS5 Convertible. Now, only a few weeks after, we have the first spy pictures of a test mule caught near the Nürburgring track in Germany.

This prototype is based on the S5 Convertible but features the front end complete with wider tracks and a modified bumper from the RS5. If you're wondering what the production model will look like, you can check out the patent images in our previous post.

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Official: Audi Applies Trademarks for New RS5 Cabriolet

While Audi never officially talked about the possibility of presenting a convertible version of its RS5 sports car, the idea has been circulating around the internet ever since the debut of the coupe.

But now we have concrete evidence that Audi will most likely go ahead and very soon introduce an RS5 Cabriolet to its lineup thanks to these official trademark fillings obtained by Carscoop.

The images provide us with a 360-degree view of the roofless RS5 (in facelift form, as you may have noticed) that will feature seating for four and the same electrically operated fabric top as the A5 and S5 convertibles, the refreshed versions of which made their world premiere in Frankfurt last week.

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SPY SHOTS: Hotted Up Audi Q3 S/RS with 2.5-liter Turbo Takes to the 'Ring

A new flagship version of the Audi Q3 series is starting to take shape as the German company has begun testing prototype models of what may end up carrying the 'S', 'RS' or even perhaps a different moniker altogether on the famous Nürburgring racetrack.

We first received concrete proof that Audi is contemplating the development of a high-performance version of its Q3 compact crossover during a press event in Switzerland when the Ingolstadt-based automaker gave journalists the opportunity to drive a test model equipped with the force-fed five-pot found in the TT RS and RS3 models.

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SPY SHOTS: 2013 Audi A6 Allroad Quattro is on its Way

While we have already brought you a single grainy picture of a completely undisguised 2013 Audi A6 Allroad Quattro prototype that was caught completely off guard on the road, our spy photographers just dropped these latest pictures of a test car in our mailbox.

The mild off-road version of the new A6 Avant, which will once again carry the Allroad Quattro moniker, was covered up in the usual swirly camouflage seen on other Audi prototypes.

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SCOOP: New Audi RS4 Avant Flexes its Muscles on the Nürburgring

While Audi's executive officers were showcasing the Ingolstadt-based firm's latest conceptual and production models such as the S6, S7, S8 and the Urban studies, the company's engineers were hard at work trying out a prototype of the upcoming RS4 series in Avant form.

The wider front and rear tracks hiding under blistered wheel arches along with the massive brakes, large alloy wheels and the typical RS-style twin oval tail pipes leave no doubt that this is the upcoming RS4 Avant model.

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SCOOP: 2013 Audi A6 Allroad Quattro Snagged on the Road

Audi's solution for those searching to combine the practicality and roominess of a station wagon model with the higher ground clearance, all-wheel drive and body protection of an SUV is the Allroad Quattro series.

The urban-offroad combo treatment has been offered for a while now on Audi's palette of station wagon models, and with the introduction of the latest A6 Avant earlier this year, we knew it was only a matter of time before we heard news about an Allroad Quattro model.

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SPIED: Audi Begins Testing its BMW X6-Rivaling Q6 Sports Crossover

It has begun. We're talking about the development phase of the Audi Q6 which will expand the firm's Q series of crossover models and offer the Ingolstadt-based automaker a direct challenger to BMW's successful X6, as well as to the equivalent model that's being planned by Mercedes-Benz.

The prototype seen here is an early engineering test mule sporting an elongated version of the Audi Q5 platform architecture (notice the wider B-pillar on the modified Q5 body), and has been developed to evaluate the Q6's underpinnings and mechanical hardware.

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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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SCOOP: New Audi A3 Three-Door Hatchback

Audi's sales have been pretty solid the past few years, however, the German firm is not resting on its success and is looking to add brand new models to its lineup such as the Q6 crossover as well as to replace its current portfolio with fresher products.

Following the recent introductions of the A1, A5, A6, A7, and A8, Audi is now turning its focus on its bread-and-butter A3 series which will include a three-door hatchback, the five-door Sportback, and for the first time, a four-door sedan model that was previewed though a concept study at this year's Geneva Salon.

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New Audi City Car Concept Scooped on Film

Carscoop reader Marina tipped us off about an odd-looking micro car wearing Audi badges and a zebra stripe disguise that was caught filming at the Potsdamer Platz, which is a large public square located in the center of the city of Berlin in Germany.

The poster of the Youtube videos said that Audi was shooting a commercial for the car. While we've yet to hear something official from the German company, chances are the tiny model is a new Audi concept vehicle that will be revealed at the rapidly approaching 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show in the second week of September.

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SCOOP: 2012 Audi S8 Brings New V8 Turbo Power

We knew that Audi was working on a more spirited version of its "new luxury" A8 flagship sedan and now we have some fresh spy photos as the Germans put the final touches on the S8 before its official premiere later this year, possibly as early as the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

The big news is that VW Group is hushing in a new generation of engines for its performance orientated models and the 2012 Audi S8 is no exception.

The new sporty limousine will drop the previous model's naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V10, which was shared with Lamborghini, in favor of a newly developed 4.0-liter turbocharged V8.

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2012 Audi S6 Avant Scooped Undisguised, gets New V8 Shared with Bentley

Audi’s new A6 model series will soon welcome a new member into the family, the sporty S6 that was snagged by our spy photographers in Avant trim during testing in Germany.

The prototype model was completely undisguised, however, there’s a reason for that. With the exception of some model specific details such as the telling quad tail pipes and unique alloy wheel designs, the S6 will remain unchanged from the A6 with the optional S-Line sport package. The latter adds an aero kit with restyled front and rear bumpers, among other parts.

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Video: Audi Q3 RS Prototype Fitted with RS3’s 2.5-liter Turbocharged Inline-Five

What more proof that Audi is seriously considering the introduction of a high-performance S or RS version of its newly launched Q3 compact SUV than the creation of a prototype model shown at a media event?

According to the folks over at Sweden’s Sportbilen, the prototype was uncovered during the European press launch of the new Audi Q3 in Zurich, Switzerland. And mind you, this wasn’t a static presentation as the media had the chance to drive the pre-production model on the road.

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Was ist das? Strange Volkswagen-Skoda Hybrid Spied in Munich

Roman Jagatić is the latest addition to our ever-growing list of readers-turned-into spy photographers. Roman stumbled upon this strange looking Volkswagen-Skoda hybrid prototype parked at a gas station in Munich, Germany. The test car appears to combine a modified body of a Skoda Octavia with a Volkswagen front end.

While we do not have a definite answer to what it may be, possible scenarios include a test car for a new Skoda Octavia and a prototype for a Volkswagen-badged model for select markets outside Europe.

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