HI, I'M JOHN DAVIS AND THIS IS MOTORWEEK !

JOIN US FOR A STYLISH BLEND OF SPEED AND LUXURY, THE LEXUS RC F... PAT GOSS WITH TIPS TO KEEP YOUR CAR'S TECHNOLOGY HUMMING...

THE LATEST ON MOVING THE MASSES WHILE GOING GREEN... AND A NEW FACE AT THE TOP OF THE LINE-UP AT AUDI, THE Q8...

SO, COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

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John: IN THE WORLD OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE LUXURY THE STAKES KEEP RISING.

AND THERE'S SO MUCH TO CONSIDER, STYLE...COMFORT, AND OF COURSE, THAT ADRENALINE RUSH WHEN YOU PUNCH THE THROTTLE.

IF IT'S A COUPE, SO MUCH THE BETTER.

LIKE THIS LEXUS RC F. SO, LET'S SEE IF THIS RARE, "RADICAL COUPE" IS READY TO EXCITE AND IMPRESS.

* LEXUS SELLS ITS FAIR SHARE OF SUVs, NOT TO MENTION IT WAS LUXURY SEDANS THAT MADE THEM WHAT THEY ARE TODAY.

BUT THEY'VE CERTAINLY HAD A FEW MORE EXCITING OFFERINGS ALONG THE WAY, OF THE 2-DOOR VARIETY.

THEIR CURRENT FLAGSHIP COUPE LC500 IS ALL ABOUT ATTRACTING ATTENTION FOR THE BRAND OF COURSE, SO IT'S EASY TO FORGET ABOUT THIS 2020 RC F COUPE, A CAR THAT'S ALL ABOUT PERFORMANCE.

SO, TO KEEP THIS LUXO-ROCKET THAT DEBUTED FOR 2015, FRESH IN PEOPLE'S MEMORY, LEXUS PUTS FORTH A SLEW OF UPDATES.

NO MID-CYCLE REFRESH IS COMPLETE WITHOUT A STYLING NIP/TUCK FOR THE FRONT AND REAR.

FOR THE RC F, THAT MEANS RE-DESIGNED AIR INTAKES IN THE FRONT FASCIA THAT NOT ONLY LOOK BETTER, BUT DIRECT MORE AIR TO THE OIL COOLERS.

ALSO, IN THE INTEREST OF MANAGING AIRFLOW; DOWN THE SIDES, THE ROCKER EXTENSIONS HAVE BEEN WIDENED, AND THE TREATMENT IN FRONT OF THE REAR WHEELS RESHAPED WITH A MORE CONCAVE DESIGN.

IN ADDITION, THE REAR BUMPER TAKES ON A NEW FORM, WITH FRESH TAIL LIGHTS THROWN IN FOR GOOD MEASURE.

THANKFULLY, THE STACKED TWIN EXHAUST TIPS REMAIN.

NOT MUCH TO COMPLAIN ABOUT REALLY, IT'S ONE WILD LOOKING LEXUS!

INSIDE, YOU CAN STILL SEE THE BEGINNINGS OF THE THROWBACK THEME TO THE DASH WHICH THE LC TOOK TO A NEW LEVEL.

WE'D STOP SHORT OF SAYING, IT'S CLAUSTROPHOBIC IN HERE, BUT THE CONFINES ARE CERTAINLY INTIMATE.

THE FRONT SEATS THEMSELVES ARE QUITE COMFORTABLE HOWEVER, AND 10.1 CUBIC-FEET OF TRUNK SPACE MAKES THINGS PLENTY PRACTICAL FOR BOTH WEEKDAY CHORES AND WEEKEND TRAVEL.

FOR REASONS UNKNOWN TO US, LEXUS' TOUCHPAD CONTROLLER STILL EXISTS, AND ITS STILL HERE IN THE RC F. FOR A CAR THAT DEMANDS YOUR FULL ATTENTION WHEN BEHIND THE WHEEL, IT'S JUST TOO DISTRACTING.

NOTHINGS SOUNDS LIKE A V8, AND IT HAS CERTAINLY BECOME A RARITY IN THE SMALL SPORT COUPE SEGMENT, SO THIS 5.0 LITER POWERED RC F EASILY STANDS UP AND APART.

A GROWL GRABS YOUR ATTENTION EVERY TIME YOU FIRE IT UP; EVEN MORE SO, WITH ITS ROCKET-LIKE THROTTLE RESPONSE.

IN ADDITION TO A LITTLE ADDED POWER, NOW AT 472 HORSEPOWER OR FIVE MORE THAN BEFORE, AND 395 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE, UP SIX; THE V8 HAS GONE ON A WEIGHT LOSS PLAN.

THERE'S A NEW INTAKE, ALUMINUM BRACKETS REPLACE STEEL, AND THERE'S A LIGHTER A/C COMPRESSOR.

THAT, AS WELL AS NEW STANDARD LAUNCH CONTROL, SHOULD MAKE FOR QUICKER PROGRESS TO 60.

UNFORTUNATELY, WE COULDN'T GET THE LAUNCH CONTROL TO WORK PROPERLY, AND FINDING A HAPPY MEDIUM BETWEEN TOO MUCH TRACTION CONTROL AND TOO MUCH SLIP WITHOUT IT, ALSO PROVED DIFFICULT.

SO, WE WERE UNABLE TO BEST THE QUICK 4.4 SECOND 0-60 OF THE ORIGINAL RC F OR IT'S QUARTER MILE TIME OF 12.8 SECONDS AT 114 MILES PER HOUR.

IT SOUNDS INCREDIBLE, AND THE OVERALL EXPERIENCE IS QUITE VISCERAL, WITH THE 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC RIFLING THROUGH GEARS QUICKER THAN SOME SEQUENTIAL MANUALS, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S NOT AS QUICK AS RIVAL'S TURBO-6s.

NEW FOR THIS REAR-DRIVE CHASSIS, ARE REVISED BUSHINGS AND TUNING.

THE RESULTS ARE LASER BEAM HANDLING, QUICK NICELY-WEIGHTED TURN-INS, BEAUTIFUL BALANCE, AND VIRTUALLY NO BODY ROLL.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE 16-CITY, 24-HIGHWAY, AND 19-COMBINED; WE AVERAGED A GOOD 20.2 MILES PER GALLON ON PREMIUM.

PRICING STARTS AT $65,925.

SEEMS LIKE A LOT, BUT THAT'S A BARGAIN COMPARED TO EUROPEAN COMPETITORS; NONE OF WHICH HAVE THE CHARACTER OF THIS V8-POWERED LUXURY MINI-BEAST.

THE IS F SEDAN WAS ARGUABLY LEXUS' FIRST TRUE DRIVER'S CAR.

IT WAS FOLLOWED BY THE LFA SUPERCAR, AND EVENTUALLY THIS RC F COUPE.

AS IT DID WHEN IT DEBUTED, THIS 2020 VERSION DELIVERS EXHILARATING PERFORMANCE, YET REMAINS A BIT OF A THROWBACK TO A SIMPLER TIME WHEN V8s RULED THE WORLD, BUT WITH THE ADDED BENEFIT OF THE QUALITY AND RELIABILITY ASIAN LUXURY CARS ARE KNOWN FOR.

NOW, IF YOU WANT SIMILAR THRILLS IN A MORE AFFORDABLE PACKAGE, THERE'S THE RC300 F SPORT.

IT'S A BIT OF A TWEENER; OCCUPYING THE MIDDLE GROUND BETWEEN THE POTENT RC F AND A BASE RC 300.

IT RECEIVES MOST OF THE SAME UPDATES AS THE RC F, BUT OPERATES WITH A 241 HORSEPOWER 2.0 LITER TURBO-4, IF YOU STICK WITH REAR-WHEEL DRIVE.

OPT FOR ALL-WHEEL DRIVE, AND YOU GET A NATURALLY-ASPIRATED 3.5 LITER V6 WITH 260 HORSEPOWER.

BUT IF YOUR PERFORMANCE PENDULUM SWINGS THE OTHER WAY, THERE'S ALSO A NEW RC F TRACK EDITION WHICH WE'LL HAVE A FULL TEST ON SOON.

SO MANY COUPES WITH SO MUCH PERFORMANCE!

THIS IS INDEED A NEW ERA FOR LEXUS.

* MANY OF THE NEW PASSENGER VEHICLES WE DRIVE THESE DAYS ARE ELECTRIFIED IN SOME FORM, EITHER AS HYBRIDS OR FULL EVs.

NOW, MORE AND MORE OF THE TRANSIT VEHICLES, WE RIDE ON ARE FOLLOWING A GREENER PATH TOO, WITH ELECTRIC AND HYBRID POWER ON THE RISE, ALONG WITH NATURAL GAS AND OTHER CLEAN FUELS.

ONE COMPANY IN PARTICULAR, IS FLYING HIGH AS AN INNOVATOR OF TOMORROW'S CLEAN TRANSIT SOLUTIONS.

* NEW FLYER IS AMERICA'S LARGEST TRANSIT BUS AND MOTORCOACH MANUFACTURER.

FROM THREE U.S. PLANTS, THEY CRANK OUT 60 BUSES A WEEK.

THAT MAY NOT SOUND LIKE MUCH, BUT CONSIDER THAT EVERY ONE IS CUSTOM-SPEC, AVAILABLE IN THREE LENGTHS AND FIVE POWER SOURCES - DIESEL, NATURAL GAS, HYDROGEN FUEL CELL, HYBRID, AND FULL BATTERY ELECTRIC, ALL FROM THE SAME LINE, AND THE FEAT BECOMES NOTHING SHORT OF AMAZING.

WE VISITED NEW FLYER'S ANNISTON, ALABAMA ASSEMBLY PLANT, WHERE MORE THAN 35 BUSES ARE IN PRODUCTION AT ANY GIVEN TIME.

EACH BUS IS BUILT FROM THE GROUND UP, LITERALLY.

RAW STEEL IS LASER CUT, BENT AND FORMED ON-SITE, THEN HAND-WELDED TO CREATE EACH FRAME ASSEMBLY.

FROM THERE THE ZIGZAG PRODUCTION LINE ADDS THE HUGE BODY PANELS, WINDOWS, CUSTOM INTERIORS AND MILES OF WIRING THAT MAKE UP THESE BEHEMOTHS.

FOR ITS BATTERY-ELECTRIC AND FUEL CELL BUSES, NEW FLYER USES A MODULAR BATTERY PACK TO FIT IN THE SAME ENGINE BAY AS DIESEL AND CNG MODELS.

AN ADDITIONAL BATTERY PACK CAN BE LOCATED ON THE ROOF TO MAINTAIN FLEXIBILITY AND USEABILITY FOR THE BUS INTERIOR, WHERE SPACE AND FLOOR HEIGHT ARE CRITICAL.

BUSES ARE EVEN PAINTED ON-SITE, SO THEY ARE READY TO HIT THE STREETS IN THEIR NEW CITIES, ALREADY IN UNIFORM.

WE COULDN'T HELP BUT NOTICE AN ORDER FOR OUR HOME TOWN BWI AIRPORT BEING READIED FOR DELIVERY.

THOUGH, WE DO WISH THEY WERE LOW-EMISSION MODELS, THE CHOICE OF POWER IS UP TO THE CUSTOMER, AND DEPENDS ON EACH BUSES INTENDED USE AND ROUTES.

Ian Macpherson: THE INDUSTRY IS MOVING MORE TOWARDS ZERO EMISSIONS, PARTICULARLY WITH CALIFORNIA IMPLEMENTING REGULATIONS WHERE 100% OF THEIR FLEETS ARE GOING TO BE PURCHASING ZERO-EMISSION BUSES BY 2030.

SO THAT'S BASICALLY MANDATING THAT THE BUSES WILL BE EITHER BATTERY ELECTRIC OR HYDROGEN FUEL CELL, WHICH PRODUCES A ZERO EMISSION BUS.

John: AS THE INDUSTRY TRANSITIONS AWAY FROM PETROLEUM FUEL, NEW FLYER IS GOING THE EXTRA MILE TO HELP FLEET CUSTOMERS UNDERSTAND THEIR CLEAN POWER CHOICES.

THE VEHICLE INNOVATION CENTER IN ANNISTON IS THE FIRST RESEARCH LAB IN NORTH AMERICA DEDICATED TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF BUS AND COACH TECHNOLOGY.

THE V.I.C.

ENGAGES LEARNING THROUGH INTERACTIVE EXHIBITS, SIMULATION AND HANDS-ON EXPERIENCES COMPARING THE BENEFITS OF VARIOUS PROPULSION SYSTEMS AND OFFERING EXPERT GUIDANCE ON WHICH WILL BE THE BEST TO FILL THEIR NEEDS.

THIS ELECTRIC BUS SIMULATOR DEMONSTRATES HOW DRIVING STYLE AFFECTS EFFICIENCY, AND RANGE, AND TEACHES THE TECHNIQUES THAT ALLOW MAXIMUM REGENERATIVE BRAKING DURING ROUTINE DRIVING.

OPERATING COST SAVINGS FOR BOTH CNG AND ELECTRIC DRIVE BUSES CAN BE SIGNIFICANT, IN FUEL COSTS AND REQUIRED MAINTENANCE VERSUS DIESEL POWER.

WHICH IS IMPORTANT SINCE NEW TECH AND HIGH-TECH USUALLY COST MORE TO BUY UP-FRONT.

SO, FLEETS HAVE TO DO THE MATH TO MAKE SURE THAT OVER THE FEDERALLY-MANDATED 12-YEAR LIFE-CYCLE FOR TRANSIT BUSES, THE ONGOING COST SAVINGS AND DESIRABLE ENERGY-ENVIRO BENEFITS RESULT IN A WISE LONG TERM INVESTMENT.

VARIOUS RE-CHARGING OPTIONS MUST ALS0 BE CONSIDERED FOR ELECTRIC BUSES.

CHOICES INCLUDE CONVENTIONAL PLUG-IN CHARGING OVERNIGHT, OR ON-ROUTE OVERHEAD QUICK-CHARGING THAT CAN KEEP BUSES IN SERVICE 24 HOURS A DAY.

Ian: A DIESEL BUS OR A CNG BUS CAN EASILY ACHIEVE 350 MILES RANGE, WHEREAS OUR BATTERY TECHNOLOGY CURRENTLY LIMITS US TO APPROXIMATELY ABOUT 200 MILES RANGE.

WE EXPECT THAT TO INCREASE OVER TIME, AS BATTERY TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES, AND WE GET MORE ENERGY DENSITY IN THE BATTERIES.

ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF THE HYDROGEN FUEL CELL IS IT CAN ACHIEVE THE RANGE OF 350 MILES, AND AS WELL IT DOESN'T TAKE IT NEARLY AS LONG TO CHARGE UP THE BATTERIES BECAUSE YOU JUST PLUG IT INTO A FUEL SUPPLY STATION AND IT RAPIDLY FILLS THE TANKS WITH THE HYDROGEN NEEDED.

John: WITH MORE THAN 65,000 TRANSIT BUSES SERVING COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE U.S., THE SHIFT TO ALTERNATIVE FUELS IN THESE IMPORTANT PUBLIC FLEETS CAN HAVE HUGE ENERGY SECURITY BENEFITS, WHILE ALSO HELPING TO PAVE THE WAY FOR MANY OTHER LOW/NO-EMISSION VEHICLES BOTH LARGE AND SMALL.

* AS CARS BECOME MORE ADVANCED, CARING FOR THEM BECOMES MORE COMPLICATED.

WELL, LET'S HEAD DOWN TO GOSS' GARAGE WHERE PAT HAS THE LATEST KNOW-HOW.

Pat Goss: LOOK UNDER THE HOOD OF A MODERN AUTOMOBILE AND YOU'RE GOING TO SEE ALL KINDS OF WIRES AND SENSORS, AND MODULES, AND COMPUTERS, AND SO ON.

WELL, THAT MEANS THAT ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE ELECTRICAL OR ELECTRONIC AND THEY NEED A GOOD ELECTRICAL SUPPLY WHICH THAT ELECTRICAL SUPPLY STARTS HERE AT THE OLD FASHIONED BATTERY AND THAT MEANS YOU HAVE TO HAVE GOOD CLEAN ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS ON THE BATTERY DON'T WANT IT TO LOOK LIKE THIS MESS.

WELL, FOLLOW PROPER PROCEDURES AND CLEAN THE BATTERY.

THERE ARE BATTERY CLEANERS YOU CAN BUY THOSE THAT HELPS AND THEY'RE ALSO BATTERY CABLE PROTECTORS THAT SEAL THESE AND PREVENT FUTURE BUILDUP OF CORROSION ALSO DON'T FORGET THINGS LIKE THESE FELT PANTS TO GO UNDER THE CABLES ARE CHEMICALLY TREATED AND THEY HELP PREVENT THE CORROSION SO USE THOSE.

IF YOU HAVE A CAR THAT HAS THESE OLD-FASHIONED BULBS IN THEM WELL, MANY OF THESE CAME WITH A SILICON-BASED DIELECTRIC GREASE AROUND THEM AND LOOK PRETTY NASTY BUT IT WAS THERE FOR A PURPOSE AND EVERYBODY WIPED IT OFF.

WELL, THE PURPOSE WAS TO KEEP MOISTURE OUT FROM AROUND THE BALL AND TO KEEP THE BALL FROM VIBRATING IN THERE, SO REPLACE IT, DON'T THROW IT AWAY.

ANOTHER THING THAT WE HAVE HERE WITH BULBS MODERN HEADLIGHT BULBS THEY HAVE CONNECTORS THAT GO DOWN INSIDE, THEY OFTEN GET CORRODED THEY MAY FLICKER, DO CRAZY THINGS.

YOU HAVE SPECIAL CONTACT CLEANERS AND ELECTRONICS CLEANERS AND SO ON THAT CAN BE USED IN THE SITUATIONS LIKE THIS.

AND HERE'S SOMETHING ALL CARS HAVE THESE COIL ON PLUG ASSEMBLIES WHEN YOU CHANGE THE SPARK PLUGS YOU HAVE THESE RUBBER BOOTS THAT GO DOWN INSIDE THE VALVE COVERS.

WELL, THEY SOMETIMES GET WELDED TO THE VALVE COVER AND WHEN YOU TRY TO TAKE IT APART THEY PULL APART AND PREVENT THAT DIELECTRIC GREASE ON THE RUBBER PART KEEPS THEM FROM ADHERING AND CAUSING PROBLEMS.

NOW, WE HAVE ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT CHEMICALS THAT CAN BE USED AROUND A CAR THESE DAYS, YOU HAVE TO FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH WHAT IS NEEDED ON YOUR CAR THEN BUY THE RIGHT PRODUCT.

ONE PRODUCT DOESN'T FIT EVERYTHING UNDER THE HOOD FOR SURE.

RIGHT PRODUCT FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS AND YOU CAN SAVE YOURSELF A LOT OF GRIEF AND EXPENSIVE REPAIRS OVER THE LIFE OF THE CAR.

AND IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR COMMENT, DROP ME A LINE, RIGHT HERE AT MOTORWEEK !

Greg Carloss: OUR 2019 TOYOTA RAV4 HYBRID IS PROVING TO BE A POPULAR ADDITION TO OUR LONG TERM FLEET.

ANOTHER 3400 MILES HAVE PASSED BY...

BRINGING THE TOTAL NOW UP TO 7300 MILES IN JUST FOUR MONTHS.

THE 219 HORSEPOWER 2.5 LITER INLINE-4 AND TOYOTA HYBRID SYSTEM II COMBINE WITH AN ELECTRIC MOTOR ON THE REAR AXLE FOR ALL-WHEEL DRIVE...

THE COMBINATION WORKS WELL FOR SHORT TRIPS AROUND TOWN AND ON LONGER JOURNEYS.

IT'S ALSO VERSATILE, WHICH IS PROBABLY ANOTHER REASON IT'S ALWAYS IN DEMAND.

WE'VE PUT ENOUGH MILES ON THE RAV4 TO TRULY APPRECIATE JUST HOW SEAMLESS THE HYBRID OPERATION IS.

HOWEVER, WE HAVE NOTICED THAT WHEN COMING TO A STOP, THOSE MANDATED ARTIFICIAL HYBRID NOISES, KIND OF SOUND LIKE POLICE SIRENS.

BUT, THE JBL AUDIO SYSTEM'S STELLAR SOUND QUALITY USUALLY MASKS IT.

WE'RE NOW AVERAGING 39.7 MILES PER GALLON, WHICH IS DEFINITELY, ONE OF THE HIGH POINTS FOR THIS COMPACT CROSSOVER AS WE HEAD INTO THE FALL AND WINTER DRIVING SEASONS.

TWO MONTHS AND ANOTHER 3,000 MILES HAVE BEEN ADDED TO OUR 2019 NISSAN ALTIMA.

THAT PUTS OUR RUNNING TOTAL AT JUST OVER 4,000 MILES.

OVER THAT TIME, WE'VE GOTTEN CONSISTENT COMMENTS ABOUT THE ALTIMA'S SMOOTH AND COMFORTABLE RIDE.

IT'S A REAL LOOKER, TOO, WITH MORE THAN ONE PERSON WE'VE COME IN CONTACT WITH, MISTAKING IT FOR A MAXIMA.

THE STANDARD 2.5 LITER ENGINE SEEMS TO BE MAKING THE BEST USE OF ITS 188 HORSEPOWER, AS WE'VE HAD NO COMPLAINTS SO FAR, AND DOING IT QUITE EFFICIENTLY AS WELL.

OUR AVERAGE SITS AT 31.0 MILES PER GALLON.

THE ALTIMA IS ONE OF THE FEW AFFORDABLE MIDSIZE SEDANS WITH ALL-WHEEL DRIVE AVAILABLE, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO PUTTING IT TO THE TEST THIS WINTER.

IF YOU DON'T NEED THE ALL-WHEEL DRIVE, AND ARE LOOKING FOR MORE POWER, A SEGMENT EXCLUSIVE IS NISSAN'S 2.0 LITER VARIABLE COMPRESSION 4-CYLINDER TURBO RATED AT 248 HORSEPOWER.

OUR PLATINUM-TRIMMED ALTIMA HAS A HOST OF ADVANCED SAFETY FEATURES, BUT IT'S WORTH NOTING THAT ALL ALTIMAS COME WITH FORWARD COLLISION WARNING AND AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING STANDARD.

WE'LL CHECK IN ON OUR VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN AND HONDA INSIGHT, ON THE NEXT MOTORWEEK LONG-TERM ROAD TEST UPDATE!

John: OVER ALMOST 40 YEARS, WE'VE CERTAINLY SEEN CARS AND THE CAR INDUSTRY EVOLVE.

AND THAT PROCESS IS ACCELERATING.

WELL, LAUREN MORRISON HELPS KEEP US UP TO DATE IN THIS WEEK'S MOTORNEWS.

Lauren Morrison: THE QUEST TO HARNESS POWER FROM THE SUN HAS TAKEN MANY FORMS OVER THE YEARS... AND NOW, THERE'S A NEW EFFORT TO DRIVE ONLY ON SUNSHINE.

TOYOTA IS WORKING WITH ELECTRONIC GIANT SHARP AND OTHERS TO DEVELOP A CAR THE RUNS ON SOLAR POWER.

THEY'RE USING A PRIUS TEST CAR IN JAPAN WITH FLEXIBLE SOLAR PANELS ON THE ROOF, HOOD, AND REAR HATCH.

WE'VE SEEN OTHER EXPERIMENTS WITH SOLAR POWERED CARS, BUT THEY WERE USUALLY SMALL WITH LIMITED PRACTICALITY.

THIS RESEARCH OFFERS THE POSSIBILITY OF MOVING A PASSENGER CAR FOR WHAT TOYOTA SAYS, "IS UP TO 35 ELECTRIC-ONLY MILES FROM SOLAR ENERGY ALONE."

LIKE IT OR NOT, AUTONOMOUS CARS ARE COMING, AND THE PACE IS PICKING UP TO BRING DRIVERLESS CARS TO AMERICAN ROADS.

WORKING WITH ARGO AI, FORD WILL TEST AUTONOMOUS TECHNOLOGY IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.

IT'S THE THIRD PLACE IN THE COUNTRY, THEY'RE SEEING HOW THESE VEHICLES OPERATE ON CITY STREETS.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY FLORIDA AND WASHINGTON, D.C. ARE THEIR OTHER TEST SITES.

MEANTIME, THE OHIO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SAYS, "THEY'VE RECEIVED A $7.5 MILLION GRANT FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.

THE MONEY WILL BE SPENT STUDYING AUTONOMOUS TECHNOLOGY ON RURAL ROADS AND HIGHWAYS.

THEY'LL ALSO, SEE HOW IT WORKS ON UNPAVED ROADS AND WORK ZONES.

MICHIGAN AND VIRGINIA HAVE ALSO RECEIVED GRANTS TO RESEARCH SELF-DRIVING VEHICLES.

SUPPORTERS OF DRIVERLESS VEHICLES SAY, "REMOVING THE HUMAN FACTOR CAN MAKE THEM SAFER."

AND RISING SPEED LIMITS ARE TAKING A DEADLY TOLL ON THE ROAD.

THE INSURANCE INSTITUTE FOR HIGHWAY SAFETY SAYS, "HIGHER SPEED LIMITS DURING THE PAST 25 YEARS HAVE COST NEARLY 37,000 LIVES."

STATES SET THEIR OWN SPEED LIMITS, AS 55 IS NO LONGER THE RULE EVERYWHERE.

THE IIHS STUDY FOUND A 5.0 MPH INCREASE IN THE MAXIMUM HIGHWAY SPEED LIMIT YIELDS AN 8% INCREASE IN THE FATALITY RATE.

SO, SLOW DOWN AND DRIVE SAFE.

AND, THAT DOES IT FOR THIS WEEK'S MOTORNEWS.

John: DON'T MISTAKE THIS AUDI Q8 AS SIMPLY A COUPE ROOFED VERSION OF THEIR Q7 SUV, LIKE AUDI'S GERMAN RIVALS ARE KNOWN TO DO.

RATHER, IT'S A WHOLE NEW MULTI-PURPOSE FLAGSHIP.

AND WHY NOT, UTILITIES ARE INCREASINGLY BECOMING A STATUS SYMBOL OF CHOICE FOR MOST LUXURY BUYERS.

SO, LET'S GET A TASTE OF THE HIGH LIFE IN THE Q8.

* THE 2019 AUDI Q8 GOES UP AGAINST THE LIKES OF THE MERCEDES-BENZ GLE COUPE, BMW X6, EVEN THE RECENTLY-LAUNCHED PORSCHE CAYENNE COUPE, WITH WHICH THE Q8 ACTUALLY SHARES A CHASSIS.

AND, IF THAT CHASSIS IS GOOD ENOUGH FOR THE BENTLEY BENTAYGA AS WELL, IT'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR US.

UNLIKE THAT BENTLEY, AUDIS HAVE NOT BEEN WHAT YOU'D CALL BEAUTIFUL LATELY; TAKING ON A MORE COMBATIVE/ IN YOUR FACE TONE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, THAT SEEMS TYPICAL FOR OUR TIMES AS A WHOLE.

BUT IT DOES WORK, LOOKING MODERN, CLASSY, AND EXPENSIVE.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE NEW ROOFLINE OF COURSE, AS WELL AS FRAMELESS DOORS, AND STEEPER ANGLE TO THE D-PILLARS AND BACK GLASS.

WHEELBASE ACTUALLY, REMAINS THE SAME AS THE Q7, AT 117.9 INCHES, BUT OVERALL LENGTH IS THREE INCHES LESS.

STANDARD WHEELS ARE 20s; 22s OPTIONAL A SINGULAR ENGINE CHOICE, MEANS THE NOW-FAMILIAR AUDI 3.0 LITER V6 TURBO, WITH 335 HORSEPOWER AND 369 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

WITH MILD-HYBRID ASSIST, IT FEELS SMOOTH AND IMMEDIATELY POWERFUL, JUST LIKE V8s DID NOT LONG AGO, BUT WE WOULDN'T COMPLAIN IF THEY WERE TO EVENTUALLY OFFER AN ACTUAL V8.

QUATTRO ALL-WHEEL DRIVE IS STANDARD, AS IS AN 8-SPEED TIPTRONIC AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.

THE Q8 MAY BE ONE DIGIT HIGHER IN NAME THAN THE Q7, BUT THE NUMBER OF SEATS HERE IS TWO FEWER, MAKING IT A 5-PASSENGER UTILITY; THOUGH EVEN WITH THE SLOPING ROOF DESIGN, HEADROOM IN THE REAR SEATS REMAINS QUITE GOOD.

CARGO SPACE DOES SUFFER A LITTLE BIT, BUT LESS THAN WE EXPECTED; STILL 30.5 CUBIC-FEET IN BACK, EXPANDING TO 60.7 WITH THE REAR SEATBACKS FOLDED.

NO BIG SURPRISES THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE INTERIOR; IT OBVIOUSLY SHARES THE NEW TWIN SCREEN SETUP IN THE CENTER; WHICH IS A STEP BACK IN OUR OPINION, BUT NOT ENOUGH TO SOUR OUR OVERALL LOVE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.

WE JUST FIND OPERATING THE LOWER TOUCHPAD PANEL A BIT DISTRACTING FROM THE MAIN TASK AT HAND, WHICH IS OF COURSE, DRIVING.

AND WHEN DOING THAT, YOU'LL NOTICE THE Q8 IS SUPREMELY QUIET INSIDE, AND THE RIDE QUALITY HERE IS EQUALLY SUBLIME; COMFORTABLE WITHOUT FEELING PLUSH OR OVERLY FIRM.

VISIBILITY IS ALSO BETTER THAN MOST COUPE-ISH MODELS ON THE ROAD TODAY.

AUDI WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TO OFFER A FULL DIGITAL COCKPIT GAUGE DISPLAY, AND IT REMAINS ONE THE BEST AS WELL.

STEERING FEEL AND FEEDBACK ARE NOT ONLY BETTER THAN MOST LUXURY UTILITIES, BUT BETTER THAN A FEW SPORT SEDANS AS WE CAN THINK OF.

ALL MORE IMPRESSIVE WHEN YOU CONSIDER IT'S RUDDERING 5,000 POUNDS OF LUXURY THAT'S RIDING ON SUPER-LOW PROFILE 22.0 INCH TIRES.

YOU DO GET A SENSE OF WIDTH WHEN GOING DOWN THE ROAD, BUT WHEN WHIPPING IN AND OUT OF CONES, IT FEELS SMALL, AND NIMBLE.

QUATTRO HAS A 60/40 REAR BIAS IN MOST DRIVING CONDITIONS, BUT CAN PRETTY MUCH SHUFFLE ANY AMOUNT OF POWER ANYWHERE WHEN NEEDED.

IT'S VIRTUALLY, UNDETECTABLE WHERE POWER IS GOING ANYWAY; SO JUST SIT BACK, RELAX, AND ENJOY THE BENEFITS.

AN AVAILABLE ADAPTIVE CHASSIS PACKAGE ADDS FULL AIR SUSPENSION AS WELL AS REAR-WHEEL STEERING.

IT ALL WORKS TOGETHER TO MAKE LATERAL GRIP HIGH, AND BODY ROLL MINIMAL.

IT'S A QUITE SERENE EXPERIENCE ACTUALLY...UNLESS THAT IS, YOU MASH THE GAS AND LET IT RIP.

IT'S AN EASY LAUNCHER, WITH GOOD POWER AND GRIP; GETTING US TO 60 IN JUST 5.7 SECONDS.

IT DOESN'T FEEL OVERLY MUSCULAR; JUST SMOOTH AND EFFICIENT WITH SEAMLESS SHIFTS THROUGHOUT THE QUARTER MILE, WHICH WE COMPLETED IN 14.1 SECONDS AT 98 MILES PER HOUR.

A 118 FOOT AVERAGE STOPPING DISTANCE FROM 60 IS PRETTY GOOD FOR A LUXURY UTILITY, BUT WE DID EXPERIENCE A LITTLE MORE FADE THAN EXPECTED.

STANDARD AUDI PRE-SENSE WILL APPLY THE BRAKES FOR YOU AT SPEEDS UP TO 52 MILES PER HOUR IF A POTENTIAL COLLISION WITH ANOTHER CAR, OBJECT, OR EVEN A PEDESTRIAN IS DETECTED.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE 17-CITY, 22-HIGHWAY, AND 19-COMBINED, WITH OUR AVERAGE RIGHT ON, AT 19.8 MILES PER GALLON ON PREMIUM.

THAT'S A WORSE THAN AVERAGE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE; RESPONSIBLE FOR 17.3 BARRELS OF OIL CONSUMPTION AND 7.8 TONS OF CO2 EMISSIONS ANNUALLY.

BEING A NICHE FLAGSHIP VEHICLE, BASE PRICING OF $68,395 SEEMS MORE THAN REASONABLE.

EVEN TOP LEVEL PRESTIGE STARTS AT JUST $77,545.

SO, WHETHER YOU LOOK AT IT AS TRUE LUXURY FLAGSHIP, OR JUST ANOTHER SPACE COMPROMISED COUPE OF AN SUV, THE 2019 AUDI Q8 IS THE BEST OF WHAT AUDI HAS TO OFFER, TAKEN TO A HIGHER LEVEL.

AND AS THE LUXURY WORLD TRANSITIONS FROM SEDANS TO SUVs, IT LOOKS LIKE AUDI IS WELL SITUATED TO CONTINUE DELIVERING THE LUXURY GOODS BETTER THAN MOST.

WELL, THAT'S OUR SHOW, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT.

NOW FOR MORE MOTORWEEK ; INCLUDING DAILY NEWS UPDATES, PODCASTS, AND EVEN COMPLETE EPISODES, CRUISE ON OVER TO PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

AND I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US NEXT TIME...

WHEN WE HEAD TO THE TRACK AND EXPLORE THE LIMITS OF THE MERCEDES-AMG GT R. AND IT'S GOBBS OF TORQUE FOR HAULING, WITH THE HEAVY DUTY RAM CUMMINS DIESEL.

UNTIL NEXT TIME, I'M JOHN DAVIS, WE'LL SEE YOU RIGHT HERE ON MOTORWEEK !

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