There is no doubt that Jeremy Clarkson is a big fan of the Audi R8. After taking it for a spin on Top Gear, Clarkson even wrote in his review of the car for TimesOnline that he likes R8 more than the Lamborghini Gallardo even though the Gallardo is louder and harder.

Following that, Clarkson and Hammond put the Audi R8 up against the Porsche Carrera S.

We’ve now found this video of from Clarkson’s Supercar Showdown DVD comparing the Audi R8 to the Porsche 911 GT3. Check out Sabine Schmitz, queen of the Nurburgring, as she takes on Top Gear’s Stig. Here we go Stigyyy.

About Cars:

• Audi R8: 4.2L FSI V8 engine that produces 420 horsepower. 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds.
• Porsche 911 GT3: 3.6L producing 415-hp. 0-60 comes in 4.1 seconds.

Read More...

Before tuner HPA Motorsports got its hands on this 2008 Audi TT, the car started its journey in Germany to be painted in custom Lamborghini Gallardo orange. Later the car was shipped to HPA Motosports who built the TT from the ground up.

Originally the 2008 Audi TT 3.2L V6 produces a total of 250-hp. But with HPA’s twin-turbo modification, along with a cast-aluminum short-runner intake manifold, dual air-to-air side-mount intercoolers, proprietary silicone boost plumbing and a high-flow fuel-supply system, this orange TT now produces an outstanding 565-hp. The result? 0-60mph comes in at 3.5 seconds while the 0-100mph takes just 8.4 seconds. Transferring the power to the wheels via the S-tronic transmission required some work as well. HPA threw in performance clutch packs and a reprogrammed mechatronic which increased launch control revs from 3000rpm to 5000.

All this will cost you about $60,000 in upgrades. However you can now take on that Nissan GT-R without any hesitation.

Read More...

A decade after rival BMW, Audi is finally joining the mid-sized SUV party. The new Q5, unveiled at this weekend's Beijing motor show, is Ingolstadt's answer to its hometown rival the X3, and is based on the oily bits from the A4. Which speaks volumes about its intent.

Unsurprisingly, that means it's aimed squarely at on-road performance, where it will shuttle five occupants around in - you'd imagine - saloon car comfort. It also means it's not really supposed to go off-road. But then you knew that already.

Every model is four-wheel drive; there's no namby-pamby FWD sop here. And as the Q5 uses the latest A4 underpinnings, that means that 60 percent of torque is sent to the rear wheels. Hell, it might even handle.

Naturally, most buyers will plump for one of the popular diesel engines. The 170bhp 2.0 TDI will sell best and with a stout 258lb ft of twist, it can hit 62mph in 9.5sec yet still average 35.1mpg. You probably won't need the 3.0 TDI, unless you insist on showing off at the traffic light grand prix with a 6.5sec sprint to the benchmark.

Few will pick the Golf GTI's 2.0-litre TFSI, but it's there for anyone with a derv aversion. It produces 211bhp in the Q5, suggesting the VW hot hatch could be in for a power upgrade soon.

Launching in late 2008 and going up against the Volvo XC60, Saab 9-4X and BMW X3, the Q5 will have serious rivals, but its lines are clean and its sloping roofline and small coupe-style windows creates a genuinely ‘crossover’ rather than ‘SUV’ profile.

Read More...

The R8 was already a brilliant looking piece inside and out. Well the R8 is about to spawn a drop dead gorgeous drop top version. So there may end up being too different gas engines [V8 & V10] plus a V12 diesel and now a roadster R8 will join the lineup next year.

Naturally, when you’re going toe-to-toe with a Porsche 911, the king of variants, you need to have a vast lineup of choices to keep your darling on the tips of the tongues around the country club. A couple of speedster-esque peaks rolling back from behind the cockpit and a flowing cut on the side blade reveal the stylistic direction of the roadster.

There’s talk of it being a targa with panels that are removed rather than a straight up convertible with a fabric top or metal folding hardtop due to packaging with the engine. Either way, sounds good to us.

Read More...

The head of Audi’s brand in the U.S., Johan de Nysschen, said that the weak dollar will force Audi not to sell the Q7 hybrid on the stateside. He said Audi could not make a business case for the electric/gasoline engine hybrid.

“If you look at the way the economics are going, it was a very hard car to make the numbers work,” De Nysschen said in an interview at the New York Auto Show. The Audi Q7 hybrid was scheduled to be launched in early 2009, following the sales of the diesel Q7.

“We will not do the hybrid Q7 as a conventional product offering,” De Nysschen said. “We will have a very low volume of cars available.” He said some Q7 hybrids will be available in the U.S. for ‘commercial’ use.

Audi will most likely offer a hybrid powertrain in the upcoming Q5 crossover which debuts in the U.S. later in 2009.

De Nysschen said that an A4 diesel is also likely to get the green light for the U.S. but won’t go on sale until much after the Q7 diesel. “We also haven’t decided whether we do the V-6 or the four-cylinder diesel,” he said.

Read More...

The diesel TT is here. Audi will unveil the TT TDI Coupe and Roadster at the Geneva Motor Show next week. It was always an obvious thing to do, yet it’s taken the Ingolstadt slowcoach ten years to send its ubiquitous sports car to the black pump.

Precisely. There’s really nothing revelatory about the principle behind the TT TDI, which is why we’re surprised it’s taken Audi so long.

Having said that, let’s not be too glib here – the TT TDI is remarkably efficient, returning well over 50mpg in both Coupe and Roadster forms (53.3mpg and 51.3mpg respectively) and its torque advantage means it will feel genuinely fast.

Let’s be honest, a 0-62mph time of 7.5 seconds (7.8 for the roadster) isn’t gut-wrenching, but the 168bhp diesel engine has 258lb ft of torque at only 1750rpm – 22lb ft more than the 3.2 V6 petrol – and is good for 140mph.

The TT TDI utilizes the same 141bhp 2.0 TDI engine found in the new A4, but the saloon’s tubocharger has been dropped in favor of a bigger unit. Add to that standard Quattro four-wheel drive and the Audi TT looks like it might become the pick of the range.

Read More...

RDX Racedesign Automotive, tuning specialist from Germany, has presented their new aerodynamic styling kit for the Audi A3 8L. The kit is priced at 615.56 euros.

The kit consists of a front bumper spoiler intended for use with a single-frame grille or it can be custom-fit for single-frame grille use on Audi A3/8P Sportback, side skirt set and rear apron fitted with an attractive design.

All the components from RDX Racedesign exhibit excellent custom-fitting, good paint ability qualities and TÜV tested and certified.

Read More...

This driver of Audi R8 from Russia is really insane. Look how he gets nuts behind Audi's wheels.

Read More...

Previously ABT company unveiled Audi Abt AS4, but now Abt Sportsline of Germany has also unveiled the Abt R8 which is based on the Audi R8 supercar. The bodykit such as the front skirt, the rear skirt, the side blades and the side skirts are made of light and sporty high-tech material carbon to reduce the weight of the R8.

Customers also have the option to replace the carbon bodykit to an Abt body kit made of high-quality GRP (glass fibre reinforced plastic).

The front axis comes in 9×20 inch size and the rear axis comes in 11×20 inch. The suspension system has also been upgraded with Abt suspension springs and adjusted by Christian Abt and his specialists. The braking system has also been upgraded to 380 mm Abt sports brake system discs.

Read More...

This is Audi’s new TTS - the most powerful TT to date. Quattro is standard, helping to put 268bhp and 258lb ft safely to the ground, as well as helping the coupe claw to 62mph in just 5.2 seconds.

Using a tweaked version of the Audi S3 2.0-litre turbocharged engine, the TTS will run on to a limited top speed of 155mph, in coupe or cabrio form. Incidentally, the heavier drop-top takes 5.4 seconds to reach 62mph. These headline acceleratation figures are only possible when equipped with Audi’s S-tronic dual-clutch transmission; the six-speed manual adds two-tenths to the 0-62mph time for both bodystyles.

The 2.0-litre is a TFSI engine, meaning it features both direct injection and turbocharging, which helps the Coupe achieve 35.8mpg (a similarly powerful 3.0-litre BMW Z4 Coupe manages 32.5mpg).

The TTS also features magnetic dampers as standard, and the Sport mode lowers the car by 10mm. As with the regular TT, the front half is aluminium while the rear is steel in an effort to achieve a more equal weight distribution.

The coupe’s 1395kg weight is exactly the same as the BMW 3.0 Z4 Coupe's. Braking is by 17-inch discs up front which fit snugly inside the 18-inch wheels while the in-yer-face LED daytime running lights are new to the TT, and standard fit on the S.
The interior features part-leather, part-Alcantara seats, or if you’re willing to pay for it you can get full Nappa leather seen in our pictures. The TTS will reach the UK at the end of summer 2008. Expect a small premium over the prices for the Continent, where the coupe will cost £33,795 and the cabrio £35,935.

The TTS isn't the hardest TT, either. The Ingolstadt-based manufacturer is readying a TT RS with a turbocharged version of the 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine available in American Jettas. Expect the 350bhp TT to go hunting for the SLK55 AMG.

Read More...

In its January issue, Auto Motor und Sport presents a rendering of an Audi R8 study, with V12 TDI diesel powered engine. According to the German magazine, the R8 diesel will be presented at the Detroit Auto Show and, depending on the feedback, Audi will make a final decision if they’ll produce the model.

Audi’s V12 TDI engine (which was pretty impressive on the R10 race car and it will be used on the Q7 V12 TDI) develops 500 hp with 1,000 Nm of torque, and takes the R8 from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.2 seconds, while the top speed is over 185 mph (300 km/h), all this with a fuel consumption of 10 l/100 km (24 mpg).

We’ll post more details on the Audi R8 V12 TDI once it’s made available, at the Detroit Auto Show, so stay tuned.

Read More...

BMW has long reigned atop the upper echelon of the compact sports coupe market with its high-performance M3. The two-door Audi S5 challenges the M3’s authority with a powerful V8 engine and other assorted upgrades over the A5 model upon which it’s based. That A5 is, in turn, derived from the next generation of the A4 sedan.

Much of the Audi S5’s sleek styling — inspired by the striking Nuvolari Quattro concept coupe that graced the auto show circuit in 2003 — is carried over from the A5, but with a few more aggressive touches. The brand’s signature out sized trapezoidal grille is finished in platinum gray and fitted with chrome inlays. It’s flanked by wide headlamps and larger lower air intakes, with bulging wheel wells, a flowing belt line, and a squared-off rear-end treatment; this last region features a more pronounced rear spoiler than on the A5, with quad exhausts lurking below.

A direct-injection 4.2-liter V8 engine can propel the Audi S5 to 60 miles per hour in around five seconds, which makes it a full second quicker than the V6-powered A5. Buyers can choose between a six-speed manual transmission and a six-speed Tiptronic automatic with manual gear selection. Unfortunately, the automaker’s acclaimed manual/automatic Direct Shift Gearbox is not available on the Audi S5.
The Audi S5’s design places the engine closer to the center of the vehicle than in the S4. In addition to allowing a shorter front overhang, the automaker says this configuration results in better front-to-rear balance and improved driving dynamics. To that end, the Audi S5 rides on a specially tuned sports suspension with 18-inch wheels and performance tires; while this setup maximizes the car’s handling abilities, it does so at the expense of ride comfort.

The coupe’s performance is further enhanced by the automaker’s standard quattro all-wheel-drive system. Here it’s rear-biased on a 40/60 front-to-rear ratio for sportier handling than afforded by the usual 50/50 setup; the system can send additional power front or rear as needed on a continuous basis, both for added foul-weather traction and to maximize the Audi A5’s dry-pavement cornering abilities. The car’s standard stability control system can be deactivated in two stages to allow a varying degree of wheel spin for more aggressive cornering without computer intervention. Beefed-up four-wheel antilock disc brakes come with black-painted calipers.


The Audi S5’s leather-clad interior is handsomely cast with a cockpit-like dashboard design and a choice of wood, carbon, aluminum, or stainless steel trim. It’s distinguished from the A5 by virtue of its gray gauges, aluminum sill plates, and supportive sport seats. Two passengers can ride in the rear, though taller riders will have issues with the diminished headroom that’s a byproduct of the car’s sharply sloping roofline. Front, front-side, and side-curtain airbags that cover both rows of seats are standard on the Audi S5.

The latest version of the automaker’s MultiMedia Interface, which uses a joystick-like knob and LCD display to control the audio, climate control, and optional satellite navigation systems, is included on the Audi S5. It’s not as confounding as BMW’s widely vilified iDrive system, but it’s still more complex to operate than a conventional array of buttons and knobs.

The Audi S5 includes adaptive high-intensity headlamps and a 14-speaker premium audio system from Danish hi-fi specialist Bang & Olufsen. The S5 includes an Advanced Key keyless entry and starting system that stores vehicle data, such as warning messages from the vehicle’s information center and the car’s current mileage, to make servicing easier.

Read More...

Design milestones of sports car construction do not only come from Sant' Agata Bolognese or Maranello but also from Kempten. Because there, in the picturesque Allgau region, Abt Sportsline, the greatest tuner for vehicles from the Volkswagen group, is based. With the new Abt R8, the term improvement is set one level higher as this car combines technical competence and brilliant design from Abt and results in an automobile masterwork. Not more and not less. The Abt R8 is a fantastic super sports car, playing in the same league as Lamborghini Gallardo or Ferrari F430.

No doubt, even the basis model of the R8 is something special - and therefore a real challenge, emphasizes Hans-Jürgen Abt. ''The fluently dynamic form of the car is unique, it looks like having a lot of power, even when standing still,'' admits the managing director and therewith he raises the bar for his engineers and designers. As it is usual for Abt, the result is quite respectable and can be driven with fascination.
The light and sporty high-tech material Carbon well visibly shapes the rear skirt, the side blades and the side skirts. The exciting body kit of the two-seater was developed by the motor sports professionals from Kempten who also optimized the car in reducing weight and in distributing mass evenly. That optical features do not obviate technical sophistications but, on the contrary, lead to perfection clearly show the contours of the Abt R8. Front skirt, side skirts, and rear skirt form a unit in which the rear wing, the side blades and also the exhaust system are harmonically integrated. A special highlight is the front skirt partially made of sight carbon. It is a component of the equipment version Extravagant. The customer is able to provide his Abt R8 with attachment parts, at his own option with elements of sight carbon. A two tone structure is also possible by request. Another alternative ist the equipment version Exclusive, which offers the customer the possibility to beautify his R8 with an Abt body kit made of high-quality GRP (glass fibre reinforced plastic). Also the new BR wheel from Abt with its bi-colour paint perfectly fits the car. The front axis presents it in the size 9x20 inch, the rear axis in 11x20 inch. Thus the R8 appears much more dynamical. With Abt suspension springs and car lowering the team from Kempten improves the road holding even more as Christian Abt and his specialists exactly adjusted the suspension. With the Abt sports brake system (380 millimeters diameter), the fast super sports car from the Allgäu sets standards also in matters of delay.

The new Abt R8 is a car which makes hearts beat faster. It perfectly brings the magic of speed onto the road even when standing still.

Read More...

In the latter half of next year Audi’s Q7 off-roader will be joined by the mid-sized Q5. The five-seater off-roader has been co-developed with Porsche and will make extensive use of Audi’s lightweight alloy-intensive engineering skills to keep a tight hold on emissions and consumption. Although the Q5 will have its pick of Audi’s four and six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, it will initially only be available with a 210bhp version of its 2.0-litre TSFI unit, the familiar 170bhp 2.0-litre TDi and the 230bhp 3.0-litre V6 TDi.

To keep the environmentalists happy, Audi is working flat out on mild and full hybrid options that twin conventional petrol and diesel power with electric propulsion. Looks-wise, the Q5 will be a mix of the brutish Q7 with its bold grille, but with the lighter touches of its Cross Cabriolet concept, shown at this year’s Los Angeles motor show. The production Q5 will bow in at Detroit early next year, arriving here after the summer with prices kicking off around £29,000 mark. And if you can't wait, we've already spied the production car on video.

If big and bad forest-killing off-roaders are your thing, Audi’s V12 TDI Q7 will certainly tick your box. By shoehorning a production version of the same biturbo diesel engine that rocketed Audi to victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Audi has created the most powerful production diesel vehicle yet. Conceived to tempt Americans away from huge petrol-powered SUVs, this huge diesel-powered SUV posts some extraordinary power figures – 500bhp and 740lb ft of torque, enough bicep to launch the monster to 60 in 5.5 seconds and onto 180mph if it weren’t fitted with a 155mph limiter. It’s fitted with clean Bluetec technology to cut NOx emissions, too. Don't expect much change out of £75,000 when it arrives here at the end of 2008.

Read More...

If that’s not brisk enough for you, Audi’s go-faster quattro GmbH is developing a snarling RS flagship version that runs a 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine – effectively half the engine block from the RS6’s 5.0-litre V10 – that features the VW group’s innovative TSI twin-charge technology. And with both supercharger and turbo blower breathing hard, it’s going to be hell of a rocket – insiders talk of at least 350bhp, running through a rear-biased quattro drive for a far more dynamic driving experience. It’ll use the newly developed seven-speed S-tronic transmission and come with a heavily tweaked Magnetic Ride suspension system.

Looking every inch a coupe version of the recent TT Clubsport concept, the RS will ditch its rear seats to bring its kerb weight down to 1400kg. With a five second sprint to 60mph and eyeball-flattening mid-range punch, it should be able to show both the
Cayman S and Nissan 350Z the door and give M3 drivers a hard time, too.

At around £44,000 it won't be cheap, but being built by quattro GmbH it will be very exclusive and arguably a real successor to Audi’s seminal 1980 ur-Quattro. Yours in early 2009.

Read More...

The Audi R8 has taken the prestigious title of SportsCar 2007 after being voted by a panel of experts in the AutoBild SportsCars monthly magazine. The award is one of the German car industry’s most sought-after awards.

The trophy was presented to Werner Frowein, Managing Director of quattro GmbH, during the magazine’s “Race Night”, which formed part of the Essen Motor Show. In the closing remarks, experts said that the ”Audi R8 wins because it is currently the most complete vehicle with the hottest body in the sports segment and, despite being a newcomer, displays no serious weaknesses.”

The Audi R8 is powered by a 4.2 liter FSI V8 engine that produces 420 horsepower. 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds

Read More...