If you look very closely, you might notice that this Audi R8 has been lowered. This speed bump-fearing xXx Performance Audi R8 has been heavily-modified by German tuning companies xXx Performance and Schmidt GmBh.
Along with the underbody-crunching ride height, Bochum-based xXx’s R8 features dramatic fender flares and a wide-body kit that increases the car’s girth by 40 mm at the front and 70 mm at the rear.
The stock five-spoke funnel wheels were ditched in favor of safety vest orange 20-inch concave rims, provided by Schmidt and wrapped in Hankook S1s. Schmidt says the wheels were designed specifically with the 150 mph-plus speeds of the Autobahn in mind, and most of the body is scanned in 3D to ensure stability at high speeds.
The Cheetos dust aesthetics continue around the all-wheel drive sports car, highlighting the custom side skirts, front splitter, rear diffuser, and side mirrors. Neon characters cascade down the sides of the vehicle, looking like something out of The Matrix albeit with a louder color scheme.
You’ll also notice the R8 has a quad-tailpipe system now, which makes it look like the side of a Caribbean pirate ship. It’s also probably loud enough to make Vin Diesel (or Ice Cube, if you prefer) take notice.
This isn’t the first time the maniacs at xXx Performance have gotten hold of an R8, though. In 2012, xXx crafted a 5.2 FSI quattro with a reflective blue chrome wrap and 650 horsepower, thanks to a re-tuned ECU and upgraded respiration.
Audi R8’s are typically lauded for boasting supercar performance while retaining some everyday practicality. XXX’s modifications (and flashy showcar styling) remove all of that, but that’s the whole point, yeah?
The next-generation R8 is set to debut in 2016, and may offer a TDI variant.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.