Goodwood Celebrates Audi's Centenary by Suspending Cars over Massive Sculpture

This year's featured marque at the Goodwood Festival of Speed (3-5 July) is Audi as the Ingolstadt-based automaker is celebrating its 100th birthday. To commemorate the anniversary, Lord March, who hosts the festival at his back-yard 12,000-acre West Sussex estate, commissioned the creation of massive sculpture that features two cars from Audi's history, the iconic 1937 Auto Union streamliner and the just launched R8 V10 sports car suspended in the air, at either end of the 'swoosh' of tire tracks.

Designed by the Gerry Judah, Lord March's creative collaborator, the sculpture weighs in at a total of 40 tonnes or the equivalent of 40 small family cars and it took two 100-tonne cranes to raise the monument and about four weeks for 12 men to fabricate, build and install it in front of the Goodwood house.

"I drew about 20 ideas and some had elaborate bridges with vaulted arches but somehow they didn't have quite the right style," said Judah. I then had a flash of inspiration and designed this 'swoosh' with a car at either end to represent Audi's 100-year history.

"It's made entirely of steel and although the design looks simple, it's actually extremely complex, because the structure has to be rigid and completely balanced without the need for hundreds of supporting props."

Chinese Hybrid Sports Car Mixes Audi R8 and Ferrari Styling Traits

It has come to the point where this blatant copying of Western car designs from Chinese auto manufacturers is getting totally ridiculous. The Tong Jian S11 that was reportedly revealed at the Shanghai Motor Show earlier this year but somehow escaped our radars, borrows several styling cues from a number of vehicles including the Audi R8-esque profile and the Ferrari-inspired tail design.

The Tong Jian S11 is said to be a hybrid sports car that presumably combines electric motors with an internal combustion engine. There are no specific details on the car's mechanics nor if it is scheduled to enter production at some point.

Via: Leblogauto & Autoblog.com , Images: Goche Sohu

Audi Presents Updated Navigation System Plus for A3, TT and R8

Just like any other electronic product, navigation systems are continuously upgrade with better software and hardware. Audi's updated navigation system plus with MMI (Multi Media Interface) for the A3, TT and R8 models promises to offer improved route calculation speeds thanks to a latest-generation processor clocked at 600 MHz while another significant enhancement is are the 800 x 480 pixel, high-resolution graphics displayed on the 6.5-inch screen.

On the back of the display, which can be folded away at the push of a button, are two slots for SD and SDHC cards with capacities of up to 32 GB, enough to store about 14,000 songs or 700 hours of music.

Also new on Audi's updated navigation system plus is the optical parking assistant which can be combined in the Audi R8 with the rearview camera. Aside from the acoustic warning signals, the distance to the front and to the rear is now displayed optically on the high-resolution display.

The new system is available for order now with prices ranging between €2,270 and €2,565, depending on the model.

VIDEO: Audi R8 Spyder Spied Barely Camouflaged on the Nurburgring

Ever-expanding Audi is adding the final touches on the R8 Spyder (could be named Spider though) that is expected to premiere at the Frankfurt motor show in September. A thinly disguised prototype model of Ingolstadt's drop-top supercar was captured on film during testing at the Nurburgring race track. Despite the fact that only the rear window seems to be covered, the dark finish does not allow us to view the design in all its glory. What is clearly visible though is the R8 Spyder's fabric roof.

If we're not mistaken, the prototype seen in the spy footage appears to be equipped with Audi's 5.2-liter V10 FSI that churns out 525HP at 8,000 rpm and a peak torque of 530Nm or 390.91 lb-ft. Unverified reports from both sides of the Atlantic suggest that the R8 Spyder will initially be available only with the V10 engine, though we find it hard to believe that the German firm won't offer the smaller 4.2-liter V8 engine in the near future.

Thanks for the tip Markus! - Via: Youtube / Autowerld

Supercar Duel: Audi R8 Crashes Into Ferrari 599GTB

Not that it's entirely impossible, but two supercars getting into an accident on a public road is a rarity. This incident that involved an Audi R8 rear-ending a Ferrari 599GTB occurred on May 25th in Fu Zhou, China. According to reports, the driver of the Ferrari slammed onto his brakes after a taxi in front of him came to a sudden halt in order to pick up a passenger. As is common in these type of accidents, the Audi R8 suffered much more damage than the Ferrari 599 GTB.

Source: Wrecked Exotics , Via: Autoblog.nl

Rumorville: Audi to Unveil R8 Spyder and Electric-Powered R8 Concept in Frankfurt

The 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany won't be opening its doors to the members of the press and the public alike until mid-September, but we're already hearing rumors about the cars that are set to make their debut at the show. Today, German car magazine AMS reported that aside from the A5 Sportback that we've already told you about, Audi will also use the Frankfurt Show to take the covers off the long-awaited topless R8 Spyder as well as an electric-powered concept variant of the R8 coupe dubbed 'e-Version'.

The magazine does not give out any details on the R8 'e-Version' so it's unclear if the rumored sportscar concept is equipped with an all-electric drivetrain or a gasoline/diesel electric hybrid powertrain. We'd go for the latter, but better wait for something official before we run into conclusions.

As for the R8 Spyder, as reported earlier, it will feature a fully convertible fabric roof, rather than a targa panel and it will be offered with the standard 420HP 4.2-liter engine and the top-of-the-line 5.2-liter V10 with 525HP. Sales are expected to start during the first quarter of 2010.

Via: AMS

Transformers Revenge of the Fallen: Third Trailer Released, Audi R8 Decepticon Seen Again

Paramount pictures has released yet another extended trailer of its forthcoming Transformers film, 'Revenge of the Fallen' that will hit the big screen on June 24th. And just in case you missed out on the previous trailer, this one too gives us a short glimpse of the Audi R8-based Decepticon named Sideways that crashes through a building of some sort at around 52 seconds into the video. Hit the jump to watch the trailer as well as to check out the screen shots we took from the film.

Audi to Unveil an-all new Model on July 16 - Can you Guess which one it'll be?

During the opening ceremony for the celebrative festivities on occasion of Audi's 100th birthday at the Audi Forum Ingolstadt on July 16, the company will unveil an all-new model in front of around 2,500 invited guests that will include German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the automaker has announced. Audi did not disclose any details on the car that it is planning to reveal, but we are aware of most of the cars that are destined to join in the German automaker's line-up in the very close future.

These include in random order, the R8 Spyder, A1 minicar, A5 / A7 Sportback, Q3 small SUV and the RS versions of the A3 and A5 Coupe. Our guess? We would probably give our vote to either the R8 Spyder or one of the Sportback models. If you happen to know something we don't, feel free to enlighten us with a comment below.

Factory Supported Audi R8 LMS to Compete at the 24h of Nurburgring

The competition is heating up for next month's 24-hours of Nurburgring as Audi has announced that it too will take part in the famed endurance race with four factory supported R8 LMS racecars, two for each of the ABT Sportsline and Phoenix Racing teams. The R8 LMS is a rear-wheel drive GT3 version of the German firm's mid-engined sportscar equipped with a 500HP-plus 5.2-liter FSI V10 that was developed by Audi's motorsport division for private customers and race teams alike.

"The 24 Hours is not only one of the biggest motorsport events in Germany," says Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. "The Nürburgring-Nordschleife is considered one of the world's toughest and most demanding race tracks. Similar to Sebring for the sports prototypes, it is superbly suited for revealing the final improvement potential of any new race car. This is exactly what we're planning to do at the 24-hour race before delivering the R8 LMS to customers, starting this fall."

The ABT Sportsline and Phoenix Racing teams will hit the 'Ring on May 23 with driver squads consisting of five current Audi "factory" drivers, four DTM Champions, four Le Mans winners and five drivers who have won the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring at least once.

Among others they include the reigning DTM Champion Timo Scheider, who – together with his DTM teammate Mattias Ekström and three-time Le Mans winner Marco Werner – will compete for Team ABT Sportsline, and three-times 24h Nurburgring winner Hans-Joachim Stuck, who will pilot one of the cars of the Team Phoenix Racing.

The Audi teams at the 24-hour race on the Nürburgring:

Audi R8 LMS #97 (ABT Sportsline)

• Christian Abt (D)
  
• Jean-François Hemroulle (B)
  
• Pierre Kaffer (D)
  
• Lucas Luhr (D)
  

Audi R8 LMS #98 (Phoenix Racing)

• Marc Basseng (D)
  
• Frank Stippler (D)
  
• Mike Rockenfeller (D)
  

Audi R8 LMS #99 (Phoenix Racing)

• Frank Biela (D)
  
• Marcel Fässler (CH)
  
• Emanuele Pirro (I)
  
• Hans-Joachim Stuck (A)
  

Audi R8 LMS #100 (ABT Sportsline)

• Mattias Ekström (S)
  
• Timo Scheider (D)
  
• Marco Werner (D)
  

VIDEO: New Transformers 2 Movie Extended Trailer, Includes Audi R8 Transformation Scene

In about two month's time, on June 24, 2009, the much anticipated sequel of Michael Bay's Transformer movie will see Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) once again joining forces with the Autobots against their mechanical foes, the Decepticons. To get the blood pumping, the creators of the film dropped a two-and-a-half minute long trailer where we get the chance to see Bumblebee crying -really, a few fights, a first glimpse of the Audi R8 transforming into a Robot (1:52 minutes into the video) and oh, what's her Fox-y name taking her clothes off. Hit the jump to watch the video.

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MTM's Supercharged Audi R8 with 560HP in Porsche GT3 Green

We never cease to be amazed by the lack of taste shown by many tuning houses. This latest proposal from MTM for a modified Audi R8 finished in a truly repulsive Porsche GT3 green color with contrasting black accents is a classic example. We'll just leave it that and continue with the other mods performed by MTM. Paint aside, the R8's exterior has been garnished with an aero kit made from carbon fiber that includes a front splitter, side sills and a rear diffuser. The looks are rounded off with a set of lightweight 20-inch forged wheels finished in black.

The Audi R8's standard 4.2-liter V8 engine has been upgraded with the addition of a specially developed compressor that helps boost output from 420HP to 560HP while maximum torque increases by 34 percent, from 430 to 580Nm. Owners of the R8 5.2 FSI V10 will be happy to know that MTM has developed an ECU upgrade for the range-topping model as well that lifts output from 520HP to 560HP.

Other mods included in MTM's package for the Audi R8 are a new exhaust system with valve control that leads into four black ceramic-coated end pipes and height-adjustable chassis springs for the Magnetic Ride System and serial dampers that can raise the front- or rear axle of the sportscar by 40 millimeters.