D'oh! Audi Employee Forgets Handbrake, Car Falls and Almost Crushes Him

If by any chance you happen to be employed at a car dealership / service center, you can (and should) put this to your "must-do" list of things to check and complete: always make sure that a parked vehicle is in gear (manual gearbox) or in Park (automatic transmission) and that the handbrake has been pulled all the way up.

What is that you say; "who cares about handbrakes, they're only useful around corners and on the move"? Sure, you can choose to not listen, but don't come back saying we didn't warn you when you fall in the same pickle as this young gentleman from Moscow, Russia.

He did none of the above and look at what happened to him; he almost got killed when an Audi A3 came falling down from a lift...

Luckily, he lived to tell the embarrassing tale to his boss and the unfortunate owner of the car.

VIDEO

2016 Audi RS3 Coupe Envisioned by Reader

Audi's new A3 Sedan might not be as impressive as Mercedes' rivaling CLA sports saloon at first sight, but initial reactions from the press are positive talking about deeper and more meaningful qualities, such as the…quality itself.

With the A3 range currently comprising a three-door hatch, an estate-like five-door model, a convertible and now the sedan (not to mention the Q3), the only thing missing is a coupe.

Such a car would primarily challenge BMW's newly released 2-Series Coupe in the same way that the existing A3 Cabriolet will compete against the upcoming 2-Series Convertible.

If you would like to see what an A3 Coupe could look like, Carscoops reader Konrad Rogala kindly sent us this photoshop rendering he made of an RS3 version, which would likely get its mojo from a 2.5-liter turbocharged inline five with at least 350-horses distributed to all four wheels via Audi's quattro all-wheel drive.

A big salute to Konrad for the rendering!

PHOTO GALLERY

New Audi A3 Cabriolet Priced from £25,790 to £32,420 in the UK

We're some five months away from the UK market launch of the all-new, bigger and by most accounts, better-looking and -proportioned A3 Cabriolet, which will take place in April 2014, but Audi announced pricing and is already accepting orders.

OTR prices range from £25,790 to £32,420, with buyers having the option of two gasoline engines, the 138bhp (140PS) 1.4-liter TSI and 178bhp (180PS) 1.8-liter TSI, plus a 148bhp (150PS) 2.0-liter turbo diesel.

Beginning from February next year, UK consumers can place their orders in for three more powerplants, a 108bhp (110PS) 1.6-liter turbo diesel, a 181bhp (184PS) 2.0-liter turbo diesel, and the top-of-the line S3 quattro performance model fitted with a 2.0-liter TSI rated for 296hp (300PS).

Besides the single trim S3, all other A3 convertible models are available in three trim lines named "SE", "Sport" and "S Line".

Standard equipment on the base "SE" model includes a fully automatic soft-top in black, 16-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning, the MMI radio incorporating an 11mm-thick powered folding screen, Audi Music Interface iPod connection, DAB digital radio, a Bluetooth interface, preparation for SD card-based navigation and a light and rain sensor package.

The Sport and S Line grades both get an upgraded acoustic hood and sit 15mm lower on their respective 17-inch and 18-inch alloy wheels thanks to sports suspension, which, however, can be replaced with the SE's more comfort orientated standard suspension at no extra cost, while buyers of the S Line can also opt for an even firmer and 25mm lower suspension, again, at no cost.

PHOTO GALLERY

Justice Has Been Served: Frustrated Drivers Knock Over Audi A3 that was Blocking the Road!

Usually, when an insensitive driver double-parks on the road blocking the way to other vehicles, all it takes is a call to the police to get things sorted out. But there comes a time when frustrated drivers take matters into their own hands…
Which is what happened in Exarcheia, a neighborhood in downtown Athens, Greece, when the owner of what looks like a fairly new Audi A3 Sportback parked in front of a couple of large metal trash bins partially blocking the road.
While most passenger cars were able to make it through, a city bus that was making its routine trek around town couldn't fit. The bus driver along with the other drivers that were piling up behind kept honking again and again but to no avail; the owner of the Audi was nowhere to be seen.

Audi RS3 Sportback Takes on BMW 1 M Coupe in Quarter Mile Duel

The Audi RS3 Sportback and the BMW 1 M Coupe represent two very different approaches on the compact sport model segment.
Ingolstadt’s proposal is a five-door model that looks more like a hotted-up small station wagon than a hatchback. It features a 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-five producing 340-horsepower and 450 Nm (331.90 lb-ft) linked to Audi’s all-wheel drive quattro system and a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

Audi Turns A3 Sedan Concept into e-tron Study with a Plug-in Hybrid Powertrain

Audi has been trying to show off its green credentials for quite some time now with a variety of plug-in hybrid and pure electric concepts, all sporting the e-tron nameplate, such as the 2009 e-tron Concept Coupe, the 2010 A1 e-tron, and more recently, the e-tron Spyder. Now, the brand with the four rings has prepared a new e-tron study, this time based on the A3 sedan concept shown at the Geneva Salon this past March.
The new A3 Sedan e-tron is a compact sized four-door saloon study featuring a gasoline-electric hybrid drivetrain, and it will receive its world premiere at this week’s 2011 Shanghai Auto Show in China.
Audi’s engineers replaced the Geneva concept model’s 408HP 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-five with a hybrid powertrain comprising of a 211HP 1.4-liter TFSI gasoline unit with turbocharging and gasoline direct injection, and an electric motor with an output of 20 kW (27HP), for a combined system output of 238HP. A seven-speed S tronic dual clutch transmission is linked to the gasoline engine.

Future Audi A3 Hatch and Sedan Previewed in Official Sketches

Audi released a set of sketches portraying the next-generation A3, which is expected to go on sale in late 2012. The officials drawings show the three-door hatchback and sedan versions, plus a view of the interior.
The A3 Sedan sketch does not come as a surprise, since it shows a car very similar in design with the A3 Concept premiered by Audi at the Geneva Motor Show. The three-door hatchback, however, is more interesting, as this is the first time Audi offers a sneak peak at the design of its future compact model.

The three-door version looks sharp and dynamic, sporting a narrow glasshouse, massive wheel arches and an interesting crease in the lower part of the door.

VIDEO: 2012 Audi RS3 Chasing RS3 During Monte Carlo Presentation

In March, Audi invited members of the press to test drive the new RS3 Sportback on the roads of the Principality of Monaco. Not surprisingly, some of the journalists filmed their encounter with the smallest and most affordable RS model ever produced by Audi on the twisty mountain roads of the principality.

Audi: 38 Percent of all Models Sold in 2010 were Equipped with Quattro Drive

In 2010, the year that Audi celebrated the 30th anniversary of the quattro, it sold an impressive 437,792 quattro-equipped cars, or about 38 percent of its total production. The brand with the four rings said it sells more all-wheel drive vehicles than any other premium manufacturer in the world.

Photo Gallery: Audi RS3 Sportback Takes to the Streets of Monaco

The 408HP A3 Sedan concept may have overshadowed the RS3 Sportback at the Geneva Motor Show, but now Audi has turned its attention to the latter. The brand with the four-ring logo released a new set of photos showing off its 340 horsepower-strong model posing on the streets of Monaco, as the company gets ready to begin shipping the first examples of the hot hatch this spring.

Geneva 2011: Audi A3 Concept Packs 408 Horsepower, Previews Production Model

Audi has officially unveiled its new A3 concept sedan at the Geneva motor show, teasing us with a new, attractive, entry-level AWD four-door to complement its A3 lineup and put Mercedes' small cars in the closet. The concept measures 4.44 meters long, 1.84 meters wide, and 1.39 meters high, and makes use of a lot of CFRP.
That carbon fiber-reinforced plastic finds its way into the grille, front air intakes, 20-inch wheels, side mirrors, and rear diffuser, while aluminum highlights can be found inside and out.
Under the hood are a 2.5-liter turbocharged 5-cylinder (300 kW / 408 horsepower ; 500 Nm / 369 lb-ft) and 7-speed S tronic transmission which help hurl the car to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.1 seconds on its way to a limited top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph). Efficiency figures go like this: 9.1 liters/100 km (25.85 US mpg), with 212 grams CO2 / km (341.18 g/mile) in emissions.

Audi RS3 Sedan Concept: First Real Life Photos Surface Online

We've already seen teaser sketches of Audi's new A3 Sedan Concept, but tonight, the first real life photos of the design study started circulating around the web ahead of its world premiere at the 2011 Geneva Salon . While Audi prefers to call the concept the A3 Sedan, the RS3 Sedan moniker sounds more appropriate given the RS3 Sportback-sourced 2.5-liter turbocharged five-pot with 408 ponies lurking under the bonnet.

New Audi RS3 Breaks Cover, gets 340HP Turbocharged Five-Cylinder

It's official; Audi has finally lifted the wraps off the all-new RS3 Sportback that will be if not the, one of the most powerful and fastest hatchbacks in the market when it goes on sale in Europe in early 2011. It adopts the TT RS' 2.5-liter turbocharged five-cylinder engine producing 340-horsepower and 450 Nm (331.90 lb-ft) of torque available between 1,600 rpm and 5,300 rpm.

Power is transmitted to the road through a seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission with two auto and one manual modes, and the Ingolstadt firm's quattro permanent all-wheel drive system.

Weighing in at 1,575 kg (3,472.28 pounds), the RS3 completes the standard 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint in a mere 4.6 seconds, while top speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h (155 mph). Audi adds that the RS3 returns an average fuel consumption of 9.1 liters per 100 km (25.9 US mpg) and emits 212 g CO2 per km (341.18 g/mile).