Flash.(Briefs)

That's $184 per horse

Audi's contestant to the high-performance midsize sedan fray has a price tag. The automaker's 450-hp, 4.2-liter twin-turbo V8 RS6 (AW, July 15, 2002) hits dealerships in July with an $82,700 price tag as the first U.S. model produced by Audi's performance wing, quattro GmbH. The price slots the RS6 well above the $71,000 BMW M5 (394 hp) and Mercedes E55 AMG (469 hp), estimated to have a $75,000 price tag. RS6 is capable of a 4.6-second 0-to-60-mph time, says Audi.

Buy a Jag, save money?

Jaguar's 2004 XJ, the seventh generation of the sedan, is not only lighter than its predecessor due to extensive use of aluminum, it's less expensive than its competitors. Jag notes pricing for the entry XJ8, including freight and standard equipment like active suspension and leather interior, comes in at $59,995-some $9,200 below a comparable BMW 745i and $13,325 below a Mercedes S430. The XJ Vanden Plas starts at $68,995 while the XJR, with a 390-hp supercharged V8, lists for $74,995.

Bankrupt venture?

Carroll Shelby says he hasn't received any money from Venture in two and a half years, he blames Venture for the fall of the Series 1, and says he has set an April 15 deadline for Venture to pay up or else. Venture Industries ...