Audi

The owner of an Audi A3 was fined three times for driving without a license. On the fourth, the court took away the car

by

What prevents a driver from driving without a license? Obviously, the law. But going down to a purely practical field, what prevents a driver without a driving license from going to the garage at home, taking his car, turning the key and putting it in first gear to take the car to work, take a walk or go out? That’s what has happened in Vigo where Justice has only found the way out for one woman: to take away her Audi. The Provincial Court, tired of imposing sanctions on him that emphasized that he was prohibited from driving, has decided to confiscate his Audi to avoid greater harm. By then the sentences had had “no deterrent effect,” in the words of the ruling. Either you give it to me or I’ll take it from you There are not many violations for which they can keep our car. There are not many reasons why they can revoke our driving license. Surely you have already found one of them. Bingo. A positive for alcohol or drugs leaves, for the moment, the car immobilized and depending on the severity of the positive, it can leave us without a driving license. In cases that the car is immobilizeda passenger who does not test positive may well take charge. alcohol control Or a family member or friend can come pick it up, as long as the immobilized car is not hindering driving. If neither of these two cases occur, the tow truck comes and takes it to the municipal warehouse. The next day, the car can be removed. By a person who has a driver’s license, of course. But, as we said, what really prevents a person from taking their car again when they arrive at the garage at home? The limits have been found by the resident of Vigo who stars in a story collected by The Voice of Galicia. The Provincial Court has ended up confiscating his Audi to prevent him from driving again without a license and in the process has answered the question of how many times is too many times. They explain in the Galician media that on March 15, 2025, she was caught driving without a valid driving license because all her points had previously been removed. Taking charge of the case, the Criminal Court sentenced him to six months and one day in prison for a crime against traffic safety. But he applied a less common decision: seized his Audi A3. The reason is that the convicted woman was the fourth time she had faced justice for similar events. To the point that the judge in charge pointed out that his record includes three other similar convictions in just 11 months. On those three previous occasions, the driver was fined for driving without a driving license. In the third, in addition to the financial penalty, he was imposed 60 days of work for the benefit of the community. On the fourth occasion lost the Audi A3 with whom he was driving. Upon hearing the verdict, the accused appealed to the Pontevedra Court, alleging that the three previous convictions for the same reason (driving without a license) are not enough to apply the aggravating circumstance of multiple recidivism. In addition, he requested that a mitigating circumstance be applied for drug addiction and asked that the car be returned because he considered that the measure was disproportionate and unjustified. For its part, the Pontevedra Court has confirmed that the seizure of the vehicle was a correct measure because the three previous convictions had had “no deterrent effect.” In addition, he emphasizes that the car itself was a “potentially dangerous instrument” since the driver had been detected driving without lights at night or under the influence of drugs. Photo | Audi and DGT In Xataka | In 1896 a man decided to drive at the reckless speed of 13 km/h. And he received the first fine in history

In China you can buy an 800 HP Audi for a price of a bare A3. The only catch is that it’s not an Audi

by

We already explained some time ago in this house how AUDI was formed in China and in what aspects it differs from the one we all know in Europe. in China its four rings disappear to display the manufacturer’s name in capital letters on the front of their cars. But beyond the difference in their logo, it is clear that their cars are completely different. This makes sense, since the firm embarked on a stage in which wanted to adapt to local tastes taking inspiration from the brands that are already established there. Even if that means eliminating all traces of what we know about Audi to date. In China, AUDI markets an electric vehicle with 770 HP of power and that costs between 28,000 and 40,000 euros in exchange. Meanwhile, an equivalent model in Europe could easily exceed 100,000 euros. We are talking about the AUDI E5 Sportback, which was already presented in 2024, and which continues to surprise due to the contrast of the figures they manage there and here in Europe. Although we make no mistake, we know perfectly well that it is not an Audi. An Audi that is not Audi. The E5 Sportback is the result of a joint venture between Audi AG and SAIC (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation), the Chinese state company. Although it has German engineers behind the interior design and chassis development, the technical architecture, components and production are completely Chinese. In fact, the vehicle is based on the SAIC platform, the same one used by IM Motors, another brand of the Chinese group. German YouTuber Jean Pierre Kraemer, better known as JP Performance, has had quite a bit of traction on one of his latest videossince it has been able to show the ins and outs of this car through an imported unit. “This car has as much to do with an Audi technically as… well, many of our viewers have never seen it before,” he said. The trap of the Chinese market. 770 HP, 0-100 km/h in 3.4 seconds, 100 kWh battery, ultra-fast charging up to 424 kW and… it costs almost less than a basic Audi A3 in Spain. But hey, it’s really not the first case nor the last. This is due to cost structure in China. We are talking above all about lower wages, local production of batteries up to 15% cheaper than in Europe, according to data from Business Insider, massive state subsidies for production plants, aid for the purchase of electric vehicles, and a brutal price war between local manufacturers that forces even foreign premium brands to adjust their offerings to survive. The dilemma of German manufacturers. For brands like Audi, Volkswagen or BMW, China represents a critical market. According to account Audi, the firm sold approximately 650,000 units in China in 2024, compared to just 198,000 in Germany. That is, the Chinese market is three times larger than the German one for the Ingolstadt firm. These figures explain why Audi has surrendered to the conditions of the Asian giant: because to sell there, foreign brands are required by law to form joint ventures with local companies. The result is that Audi provides the design and part of the engineering, but SAIC provides the technology, factories and know-how for mass production at low cost. The reaction of the Chinese market. The E5 Sportback reached 10,000 units sold in its first 30 minutes since its launch. One week after the debut of the E5 Sportback, Audi presented the SUV versionand a luxury sedan on the same platform is even rumored. For Chinese consumers, the E5 competes directly with the Xiaomi SU7 and other high-end local electrics. Logically, the car will not reach our lands, and if something similar is done in terms of equipment and technology, it is clear that we will not see it at that price either. Cover image | AUDI In Xataka | In 1997, a Chinese student asked his grandmother for money to set up a stall. Today it is an emporium that surpasses McDonald’s

The brands are turning in the electricity. Porsche and Audi will return to combustion because nobody wants to buy them

by

We do not know the future and that encourages us to be anchored in the past. The electric car brings more power and greater control over it, a wilder acceleration or cars that will end up being more effective in curve. With the weight of the current sports, it is not surprising that we begin to see very similar figures in weight … and much better if we talk about the weight/power relationship with respect to the combustion models. Byd, in fact, has just demonstrated that The future of the hyperdeportivo is electricsweeping Bugatti and becoming the Yangwang U9 in the fastest car in the world. A long time ago, the McMurtry Spéirling I left ridiculous The acceleration of any car with combustion engine. And, despite everything, the sports electric car is still not pending. We do not know if it is a matter of time, if cars like the future RENAULT 5 TURBO 3E They will break schemes and become an immediate classic. But until then, the combustion car offers sensations that the electric car cannot match. For some those Sensations They are different. For others, they are clearly better. Anyway, there is evidence: the sports electric car does not finish convincing. And that is causing the plans to electrify these models are delayed. The best example is the future Porsche 718. A car that had to make the leap to the electric whole and that, however, will have a version of combustion. And that, with rebound, will lead us to a future Audi Deportivo that will also mount combustion engine. Porsche collects cable (and passing, Audi benefits) “We want to meet the new market realities and change customer demands. We have seen a clear drop in the demand for exclusive battery electric cars, and we are taking it into account.” The words are from Oliver Blume, CEO of Porsche, in a call to investors collected by The Autopian. They arrive to confirm a change of strategy. Future Porsche 718, classic central motor sports and the entrance range to the company will continue to offer, at least in their most expensive options, combustion engines. The news is the confirmation of what began to be an open secret: the future Porsche 718 will not be only electric as He had defended until now by the company. The movement arrives just when it is also confirmed that the Porsche Cayenne will not jump into the electrical exclusive. It is a strong change in strategy since The good initial results of the Porsche Taycan They had served the Germans to boost their electrical strategy. However, China has turned its back on the company And it has broken much of this strategy. Along the way he has confirmed that wealthy customers who have access to their combustion cars … They are not making the jump to the electric. So much so that the Porsche Macanwhich was sold as an exclusively electric model, could have a combustion brother in 2028 according to Jalopnik. Of course, we will have to see on what basis because The PPE on which the macan sits Current only admits completely electric models. When we analyzed the new Porsche Macan Electric we already counted that it was a really interesting car. It was an effective car, a brute force and a surprising curve step for its height and size. But he had a but: That car had a V6 gasoline engine before. And convince who enters the world Porsche that now that engine is electric … is very complicated. The basic problem for Electric Deportivo is that cars are much more than numbers. In social networks it is repeated as a mantra that “Who knows how to handle an Excel buys an electric car”. And yes, it’s true If you are looking for a “affordable” car for day to daywith a lower expense in “fuel”, a savings in maintenance over the years, tax benefits in taxes … But none of that is taken into account when one buys a central motor biplaza. That is why a Mazda MX-5 continues to transmit sensations that no other car transmits with just over 100 hp. That driver profile values ​​the sound of the car, the thrust when it goes up or the touch of a manual gearbox. Yes, a quartz clock is usually more precise than automatic but the buyer values ​​the “artisanal” work under the sphere. Yes, a digital camera is more versatile and easy to use than an analog but the Feeling To load the reel and “feel” the mechanics in the hands goes far beyond the megapixels. These cars are mere whim toys And, as such, they do not attend to rational factors. You can talk about numbers but that is only the continent, not the content. Given this diatribe, the brands that are indissoluble of this driving experience have it hard complicated. Especially those more “earthly.” Ferrari either Lamborghini It has a higher bandwidth to transfer to its customers the possible fines that reach it in the future, Porsche does not have so much room to transfer this cost to the customers. Especially in the most “affordable” models. That is why a two -speed future has been raised. It is no accident that Combustion models of the Porsche 718 are identified with the top range versions. That will help sell the most expensive versions because they will deliver a inaccessible driving experience for the vast majority of drivers. But, it will even be relatively inaccessible even for those who can buy a Porsche. This future Porsche 718 gives the company air. As they explain in The cars.net podcast Joan Dalmau and Juan Carlos Grande, companies have made efforts to advance a solid range against a horizon in 2035 without combustion engines. But they need to continue earning money and in Europe the client has not embraced the electric car at the expected rhythm. In this business niche, problems are even more serious because, as we said, rationality is … Read more

Not being Audi. And it is giving it a result

by

Audi is no longer Audi. At least in China, although Some point out that his new design language of the interiors also does not meet what we have traditionally known in the Germans here in Europe. Anyway, the truth is that the company has undertaken a new course in the Asian country. Last April, my partner Javier Lacort He already had a first contact With the new Audi E5 Sportback in the Shanghai Motor Show where he saw that Audi that is not Audi. The first track is obvious, with four hoops that have been replaced by the four letters that form the word Audi. Javier Lacort wrote then: “The first thing one perceives is breakup. Metaphorical, and Physics: the stand From the brand at the fair it was split in two, with its different logos. He is no longer audi adapting to China. Is Audi delegating your identity to survive in the market that holds a good part of its global results account “ Why does an electric car have less autonomy than the announcing First results What has resulted from this hug to the electric car and the Chinese car by and for China has been positive for the company. They point out in Carnewschina that the brand has achieved more than 10,000 reservations in the first half hour since orders from the Audi E5 Sportback were opened. Of course, they are not the 200,000 reservations in three minutes that accumulated the Xiaomi Yu7. Nor the 7,000 reservations that he got the Xiaomi Su7 Ultra In 10 minutes (they expected to sell 10,000 versions of this type in the first year). But the figures are good. Especially if we consider that the future of European companies in China is being especially bad In recent years. He problem It was especially serious for Audi to which 40% of sales around the world They came from China. But European manufacturers have been razed by Chinese rivals In the blow of screens and software. Some fireworks inside the car that in Europe They have not been able to read or understand. As an emergency measure, Audi announced last November A strategic turn in its approach to China. So, Gernot Döllner, CEO of Audi, was already giving some details of what we could expect to see: “Chinese premium clients have different expectations: they are younger than in the rest of the world and more technology fond of technology. They expect a leading connectivity, as well as automated driving and, more importantly, an exciting and unmistakable experience in an interior that is familiar and surprising at the same time.” To quench Chinese wishes, Audi reached an agreement with SAIC, a Chinese state company with which Volkswagen has a close relationship From your association to be able to manufacture in the country. Thus, the visual image of this car developed between Chinese and Europeans already completely changes the image we have of Ingolstadt in Europe. The front light game created with 942 LEDs and around 2,000 small triangular elements that offer dynamic animations is striking. Inside there is a panel that goes until 59 inches, moved by a Snapdragon 8295 chip of Qualcomm. This is formed by various screens. The plant is 27 inches and has 4K resolution. And the equipment is not far behind: ventilated and heated seats, a huge solar roof, 360º cameras, adaptive suspension or 18 -speakers Bose sound system. 27 sensors must be added (including lidar, radar and ultrasonic sensors) moved by a Nvidia Orin-X Chip that allow selecting semi -autonomous driving modes in city and highway. China Momenta It is also part of the project for this last task. All from 235,900 Chinese yuan (28,000 euros) with 76.2 kWh battery and 295 hp rear engine. The most expensive option is the one that mounts a battery of 100 kWh and double engine to generate up to 776 hp of power. This latest version is priced at 319,900 yuan (37,970 euros). That is, this Audi E5 Sportback has almost nothing Audi. And yet, everything indicates that that is why it is reaping good results in China. It is not at the level of brands such as Xiaomi in its reception but seeing the results of European manufacturers, it cannot be said that they have not made the right decision. Photos | Audi In Xataka | The Audi TT has died victim of Europe and consumers. This is our love letter

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.