Irish Car+Travel Oct. 2013 | Page 30

Autumn 2013 ALFA ROMEO There aren't ever going to be that many of them, but it has to be admitted that this small Alfa 4C is probably going to be the most desirable car from the brand when its final history is written. We have met with concepts of the car in several years of motor shows, and this production one isn't the first, as it debuted at Geneva this year. But we simply can't pass it without taking an admiring look. A 1.8 four with 241hp makes it more than a just a looker. AUDI It's decades since the iconic Audi Sport quattro nameplate was first produced, and this concept (left) is a suitable marker for overall Audi progress since then. A 4.0 V8 and hybrid electric powertrain offers 690hp and yet the concept claims 113mpg equivalent in fuel consumption, and a 3.5secs sprint to 100km/h. We'd like to live with it for a week and see if it does all that. A new 5.0 V10 diesel is the powerplant for the strange Audi nanuk Concept (above) crossover between a supercar and SUV. Air suspension can give it a ground clearance to take it where no car of its shape has gone before. With 544hp, it won't flinch at a steep hill, either. The new A8 (above left) also appeared. 30