95 96 Outback Impreza Air Bag Passenger 210163 on 2040-parts.com

Audi shifts to eight-speeds for most models

A formal press conference probably won't happen until this summer, but we hear that Audi dealers have received their 2011 order guides, and it looks as though the company will be going from 0 to about 70 percent of U.S. sales being eight-speed automatic transmissions. Beginning this fall, the eight-speed will replace today's six-speed automatic in the A4 2.0-liter turbo sedan and wagon, the A5 2.0-liter turbo coupe and cabriolet, the Q5 2.0-liter turbo, the Q7 3.0-liter turbo, the Q7 diesel, the Q7 with the 3.0-liter supercharged V6 and the all-new A8 and A8L with the 4.2-liter V8.

BMW 1- and 3-series coupes to become 2- and 4-series

BMW is shaking up its badging strategy and will turn the next-gen 1-series and 3-series sporting derivatives into the 2-series and 4-series. Two-door Ones and Threes - the coupes and convertibles - will in future be rebadged as the BMW 2-series and BMW 4-series. Why exactly are they rebadging BMWs as 2-series and 4-series?

J. D. Power study: Consumers don't fret about reliability as much

The mantra that all cars are reasonably good is beginning to resonate with consumers, and a J. D. Power study found that reliability is less of a concern for shoppers than it previously was.