The Latest Breaking News from Audi

Audi driver Sainz finished a distant 48th in the 27km stretch in Al-’Ul on Friday, dropping 2m18s to team-mate Mattias Ekstrom who set the fastest time in the sister RS Q e-tron. 

The aging Model S and Model X are losing popularity, however, and were replaced in the rankings by the Chevrolet Bolt EV and the Nissan Leaf.

The Hinwil organisation, which will run under the Stake F1 banner for two interim seasons before the entry of the German manufacturer, is currently being built up with extra staff and improved facilities.

The discontinued TT was also up by 41 percent.

The 45th edition of Dakar begins on 5 January and Audi will once again line up at Al-’Ula with a fleet of three cars, as it aims to become the first manufacturer to win the overall cars category with an electric-powered car.

The Dakar Rally roars into life on Friday in Saudi Arabia with Qatari Nasser Al-Attiyah seeking a sixth title and third in a row in the mythic motorsport marathon.

These babies run on four wheels and pure soul, and have inspired generations of audiences to hit the open road.

Plus, Skoda teases Octavia facelift for a February reveal.

In September, Audi revealed its significantly upgraded electric Dakar entry, the RS Q e-tron E2. This was followed by a recent announcement from the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship’s Committee that a balance of performance shift in the T1.U class for prototype cars using renewable energies – which includes the RS Q e-tron…