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If you suddenly found the urge to own one of the very last production examples of the phenomenal Audi TT Roadster, the Final Edition model comes just in time for the merry holidays. 2023 marks the last model year of Audi’s iconic TT sports car. The automaker unveiled a TT RS Heritage Edition variant that we thought was the last hurrah, a 25th-anniversary model with a turbocharged five-cylinder engine, a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, and quattro all-wheel drive (AWD). As it turns out, Audi of America is releasing one more batch of 50 TT models called Final Editions. Audi TT Final Edition: Bittersweet Goodbye The Audi TT Roadster Final Edition marks the end and the beginning of an era. Audi revealed in 2019 that the TT would live on in the electrified realm, which means this isn’t the last we’ll see of Audi’s two-seat sports car. The TT is a surviving remnant of the brand’s Bauhaus styling past and has served as the hotbed for Audi’s technological wizardry. All Final Edition Audi TT Roadsters will wear an exclusive Goodwood Green paint job first seen on the original TT Roadster unveiled in 1999. Other custom touches include matte gray exterior trim and a contrasting gray soft top, a feature last seen on the 2019 TT Roadster 20th Anniversary model. Audi claims the convertible roof can raise and lower in just 10 seconds at speeds up to 31 mph. The standard equipment includes bespoke 20-inch Y-spoke forged wheels, a magnetic ride suspension (with a 10mm lower ride height), dual-zone automatic climate control, LED headlights, a digital instrument panel, and wireless charging. Audi TT Roadster Final Edition. Photo: Audi of America. Welcoming Brown Leather Upholstery There’s something about a green car with a brown interior that brings an air of nostalgia. The TT Roadster Final Edition does just that with its Palomino Brown cowhide upholstery, baseball stitching, standard sport seats with neck heaters, a built-in microphone (for Bluetooth calls and voice commands), a brown leather steering wheel, and custom floor mats with leather piping and matching stitches. Moreover, the “extended leather package” is standard, applying the Palomino Brown leather and fancy stitching to the door armrests and center console. Sealing the deal is genuine carbon fiber interior trim. Turbocharged Engine & quattro AWD Powering the Audi TT Roadster Final Edition is a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 228 horsepower and 258 lb-ft. of torque. It sends power to all four wheels using quattro AWD and a seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch gearbox. The Audi TT was never about all-out performance, but the Final Edition could sprint to 60 mph from a standstill in just 5.5 seconds. Audi TT Roadster Final Edition: Starting MSRP The very last examples of the Audi TT Roadster Final Edition are available to order at dealerships with a $68,895 base MSRP (including the $1,095 destination charge). Alvin Reyes is an Automoblog feature columnist and an expert in sports and performance cars. He studied civil aviation, aeronautics, and accountancy in his younger years and is still very much smitten to his former Lancer GSR and Galant SS. He also likes fried chicken, music, and herbal medicine. Audi TT Roadster Final Edition Gallery Photos & Source: Audi of America. Original article: 2023 Audi TT Roadster Final Edition Takes a Bow With Iconic Green Paint, Luscious Brown Leather & Gray Soft Top

Ford Motor Co. reported it was profitable during the third quarter, unlike last year, but its bottom line is going to be crimped for the next few years. The company’s Q3 revenue was $43.8 billion, up 11% year-over-year – a net income of $1.2 billion reversed last year’s Q3 net loss of $827 million. Adjusted earnings before interest and taxes, or EBIT, for the quarter this year increased to $2.2 billion. Despite the lack of red ink on its ledger, Ford fell short of Wall Street’s expectations of $11 billion in adjusted earnings and free cash flow of $6.5 billion for the quarter. As a result, the company’s stock fell 4% in after-hours trading.  “I’m very optimistic about the reality we’re creating with Ford+,” Ford CEO Jim Farley said in a statement. “We’re building a more dynamic, highly talented and customer-focused company at the intersection of great vehicles, iconic brands, innovative software and high-value services.” “We’re also radically changing how we work with a series of actions that put the right people with the right capabilities in the right places across the organization, so that our promise isn’t masked by cost and quality issues.” Automakers Express Tempered Optimism While clearly pleased to be back in the black, some issues linger, primarily the impact of the company’s newly minted labor agreement with the UAW. The two sides finalized the tentative agreement Wednesday evening.  The contract still needs to be ratified by the union’s rank-and-file, yet that is expected to happen this week, especially considering the fact that UAW Vice President Chuck Browning called it the best contract “since Walter Reuther was president.” The union used a series of “stand-up strikes” to cripple Ford – as well as General Motors and Stellantis – during the talks. The strikes went on for 41 days, costing the automaker $1.3 billion. Aside from the billion-dollar-plus loss, the 25% wage increase, return of cost-of-living allowances, and other concessions given by Ford, the contract has another impact. Ford CFO John Lawler said the deal could add $850 to $900 per vehicle. “We’re going to have to find efficiencies and productivity throughout the company to help mitigate the impacts of the higher labor costs,” Lawler said. Will any of that trickle down to the window sticker on your next new Ford? The company is looking to avoid that. “Downward Pressure” on EV Pricing Creating Delays During the talks, Ford suggested the new electric vehicle (EV) battery plant planned for Western Michigan may be delayed as the company reassesses how quickly it wants to spend those billions of dollars – or $3.5 billion in the case of the Marshall, Michigan site being developed to produce new chemistry batteries. Lawler said the delays are a result of “tremendous downward pressure” on the price of electric vehicles. At about $49,000, the average price for a new EV is beyond many buyers in the market. Further, Ford is struggling to find a way to make its EVs green – not environmentally, but profitably. Ford lost an estimated $36,000 on each of the 36,000 electric vehicles it delivered to dealers during the third quarter. That’s a bigger loss than the estimated $32,350 loss per EV in the second quarter, Reuters reported. The automaker is quickly confirming that new EV customers are unwilling to pay a substantial premium for battery-electric models.  Ford said its EV unit posted a loss in earnings before interest and taxes of $1.3 billion, bringing its nine-month EBIT loss to $3.1 billion. The company previously forecast a full-year pretax loss of $4.5 billion for the Ford Model e unit. Original article: Ford Misses Analyst Expectations, Says New UAW Deal Raising Costs

The 2024 Acura TLX is home to numerous improvements after debuting a high-performance TLX Type S PMC Edition for the 2023 model year. Unlike the first-gen TLX that made do with Accord underpinnings, Acura gave the new TLX a purpose-built platform that fortifies the automaker’s intent to compete with segment forerunners like the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, BMW 3-Series, and Genesis G70. “The new 2024 Acura TLX has reached new heights, demonstrating our commitment to advancing Precision Crafted Performance throughout the Acura lineup,” said Emile Korkor, assistant vice president of Acura National Sales. “It comes hard on the heels of the red-hot Integra and Integra Type S, as Acura continues to deliver exciting premium performance products for people who love to drive.” 2024 Acura TLX: What’s New? There’s a lot to unpack in the 2024 Acura TLX. All variants get a frameless pentagon grille with a diamond pattern mesh first seen in the 2019 Acura Type S Concept. The previously optional Technology package is now standard across the board and includes 19-inch wheels, ambient interior lighting, Milano leather upholstery, and an ELS Studio premium stereo. The TLX also gets new paint colors for 2024: Urban Gray Pearl and Liquid Carbon Metallic. Meanwhile, the A-Spec has updated 19-inch split-spoke gray alloy wheels, dual round exhaust tips, and a glossy black rear wing to match its darker exterior theme. The changes extend to the performance-oriented TLX Type S, which now has an open-surface front grille mesh, a front splitter, quad exhaust tips, red Brembo front brake calipers, a rear diffuser, and custom 20-inch black wheels wrapped in Pirelli Cinturato P7 all-season rubber. The TLX Type S remains available with lightweight 20-inch Y-spoke copper alloys and summer tires. 2024 Acura TLX Type S. Photo: Acura. 2024 Acura TLX Engine Lineup The 2024 Acura TLX is motivated by turbocharged engines with a front-wheel drivetrain and an available Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system. All TLX variants (except the Type S) have a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 272 horsepower and 280 lb-ft. of torque. The TLX Type S soldiers on with a venerable 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 with 355 horsepower and 354 lb-ft. of torque. SH-AWD is standard for the 3.0-liter plant. Both engines mate to a 10-speed automatic gearbox. New for the 2024 TLX Type S is a retuned Sport+ driving mode for a quicker throttle response. More Tech, More Silence The Acura TLX has received a host of new technology. New for 2024 is a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen with a faster processor, wireless smartphone connectivity, wireless charging, and Amazon Alexa. Also new is a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster with updated graphics, user-selectable displays, and a multi-information display. In addition, the TLX Type S has a configurable 10.5-inch heads-up display (HUD) and a bespoke instrument cluster design. Furthermore, the TLX promises a quieter ride with front acoustic glass, thicker carpets, redesigned fender liners, wheel insulators, and more sound-deadening materials in the B-pillars and doors. Acura engineers also fiddled with the standard Active Sound Control system to make the cabin quieter. Acura TLX Safety Ratings & Equipment The current Acura TLX is an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ with a five-star overall rating from NHTSA. All TLX variants have AcuraWatch, which includes adaptive cruise control, front collision mitigation braking, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, road departure mitigation, and traffic sign recognition. To enhance the performance of AcuraWatch, the 2024 TLX has a new front single-lens sensor camera, a grille-mounted millimeter-wave radar, and a new rear radar with a wider field of view. Acura TLX Warranty The 2024 Acura TLX has a four-year/50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and a six-year/70,000-mile powertrain warranty. There are options to extend the factory warranty on any new Acura vehicle, including the TLX. 2024 Acura TLX Starting MSRP The 2024 Acura TLX will start arriving at dealerships by late November. The MSRP information remains forthcoming, but expect the base prices to start from $46,000 to $58,000, depending on the model and options. Alvin Reyes is an Automoblog feature columnist and an expert in sports and performance cars. He studied civil aviation, aeronautics, and accountancy in his younger years and is still very much smitten to his former Lancer GSR and Galant SS. He also likes fried chicken, music, and herbal medicine. 2024 Acura TLX Gallery Photos & Source: Acura. Original article: 2024 Acura TLX: Refreshed Styling, Updated Technology, Improved NVH, Safety Features & More