The readers of Sport Auto, a German automotive magazine, declared the Audi R8 Spyder best in its class in the “Sportiest Cars of 2010” survey. All in all, Audi took eight awards.

The Audi R8 Spyder left its category’s competitors in the rear-view mirror by capturing 17.3 percent of readers’ votes. This high-performance sports car featuring a lightweight soft top dazzles thanks to the synergy of its technologies – such as an ASF body made of aluminum and carbon fiber; quattro permanent all-wheel drive; LED headlights; and an innovative seat-belt microphone.

In addition, three Audi models finished in second place. The Audi A5 Coupé 3.0 TDI quattro, the TT RS Roadster and the Audi R8 4.2 FSI quattro all won silver medals in their respective classes. Further impressive achievements: the Audi S3 2.0 TFSI, the RS 6, the TT Roadster 2.0 TFSI and the Audi TTS Coupé 2.0 TFSI came in third, respectively.

In the “Sportiest Cars of 2010” survey, 8,674 sport auto readers chose their favorites in 15 categories of series-production vehicles and ten tuning classes.

Source: Audi Worldwide News

First aired on the 20th April, the latest TV advertisement showcases the stunning Audi R8 Spyder.

“Beauty and the Beasts” is a spectacular visual feast. The film, shot in London’s ExCel centre, features 28 outlandish, beastlike and heavily-modified cars, which are juxtaposed by the elegance and beauty of the R8 Spyder.

For Audi R8 lease options and Audi R8 contract hire for company cars and to learn more about Audi Lease & Audi Contract hire or other Audi Finance options please contact Audi Nationwide or follow Audi Nationwide on Twitter.

Up-tempo Audi R8 – Lighter by 100kg, and featuring an upgraded 560PS version of the V10 FSI engine, the even more extreme new Audi R8 GT will become available to order in the summer priced at £142,585. Only 33 examples have been allotted to the UK.

Performance is even more acutely of the essence in the new Audi R8 GT, a distillation of the celebrated R8 V10 formula into an even more concentrated and potent form. Through an engine upgrade to 560PS, and the use of even more intensively weight optimized alternatives to many body and mechanical components, the 100kg lighter R8 GT is able to deliver even more breathtaking pace and handling poise.

The R8 GT benefits from the considerable expertise gained in paring back the weight and maximizing the performance potential of the R8 LMS GT3, the circuit car with which it draws obvious parallels, and which won 23 races in its first season and claimed three championships in 2009 and 2010.

Thanks to its largely hand built aluminium Audi Space Frame (ASF) body, weighing only 210 kilograms, and the lightweight aluminium panels joined to it with exceptional precision, the ‘standard’ R8 is already a flyweight by class standards, but by closely scrutinizing every element of the car Audi engineers have managed to whittle away a further 100kg, taking the kerb weight to 1,525kg.

Nine of these kilograms were lost through the use of thinner glass for the windscreen, and a strong but light polycarbonate for the bulkhead and the window in the rear hatch. Lighter sheet metal and additional cutouts shaved a further 2.6 kilograms from the aluminium ‘boot lid’ covering the 100 litre luggage compartment at the front, and at the rear the replacement of the speed activated rear spoiler with a fixed rear wing docked an additional 1.2 kilograms.

Use of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) for the rear ‘bonnet’ has eliminated a further 6.6 kilograms, and a new CFRP rear bumper and CFRP sideblades also save 5.2 and 1.5 kilograms respectively. With its minimal weight and extremely high strength, CFRP is the ideal material for a high-performance sports car, and Audi has broad-based expertise in its use.

The technical components of the R8 GT have not been ignored either. One kilogram has been deducted from the brake system, four kilograms from the aluminium caps of the brake discs, 9.4 kilograms from the battery, 2.3 kilograms from the air intake module and 2.8 kilograms from the insulation of the engine compartment.

The interior also offered substantial weight-saving potential. Numerous details have been further refined, key among these being the fitting of lightweight carpeting which accounts for 7.9 kilograms and the installation of bucket seats with a glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) chassis which cut 31.5 kilograms.

More power, less weight
Collectively the detail changes reduce the kerb weight of the R8 from 1,625kg to 1,525kg, and are combined with a 35PS boost to the output of the V10 FSI engine, taking it to 560PS and securing an exceptional power-to-weight ratio of 367PS per ton. With its distinctive red coloured cylinder head covers, the direct injection V10 petrol engine in the R8 GT delivers its 540Nm torque peak at 6,500rpm but can continue to rev purposefully through to 8,700rpm.

As a result, the super car can catapult from a standing start to 62mph in 3.6 seconds, from rest to 124mph in 10.8 seconds and, where conditions permit, on to 199mph – the highest top speed ever posted by a road-going Audi. A combined economy figure of 20.6mpg confirms that despite offering even more breathtaking performance the R8 GT also remains a viable proposition for more than just occasional use.

Gear changes in the R8 GT are handled by the R tronic sequential manual transmission without exception. Thanks to its electrohydraulic clutch and switching unit it shifts through each of its six gears within one tenth of a second at high load and engine speed, and it can operate in Normal, Sport and ‘manual’ modes.

The intense pace delivered via the R tronic transmission is used as gainfully as possible thanks to effective management by the quattro permanent all-wheel drive system. Its central viscous coupling located at the front differential sends 15 percent of the power to the front axle and 85 percent to the rear axle during normal driving, perfectly complementing the R8 GT’s 43:57 percent weight distribution. The coupling sends as much as 30 percent of the power to the front wheels within milliseconds if necessary. A mechanical locking differential at the rear axle further improves traction. It provides up to 25 percent lockup when accelerating and up to 40 percent on the overrun.

Chassis even tauter and more precise
This configuration, combined with the mid-mounted engine’s positioning close to the vertical axis, helps the racing-inspired double wishbone suspension to deliver breathtaking lateral acceleration and lightning-fast reactions. The R8 GT intensifies these responses through hydraulic, power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering that has an even more direct 16.3:1 ratio. A manually adjustable coilover suspension, which lowers the body by as much as 10 millimetres, is also standard, and higher front and rear wheel camber rates also help to boost agility even further.

The ESP stabilization program has been specially tuned to the R8 GT and can be switched into a Sport mode at the push of a button to allow a degree of controllable oversteer when accelerating out of a corner. If required, for track days and other circuit-based driving, the system can be deactivated entirely.

The 19-inch forged wheels are 8.5 J x 19 up front and 11 J x 19 at the rear, and are shod with size 235/35 and 295/30 tyres respectively. Optional rear wheels with 305/30 section tyres will also be available, as will Cup tyres, which offer the ultimate in performance on dry roads, for racing enthusiasts.

Standard ceramic brakes
Internally ventilated, carbon fibre ceramic brake disks with GT-exclusive red anodized calipers will be fitted as standard. They are extremely durable and abrasion-resistant as well as particularly lightweight. Together they weigh nine kilograms less than their steel counterparts of the same size. They measure 380 millimetres in diameter up front and 356 millimetres at the rear.

The ESP stabilization program has been specially tuned to the R8 GT and can be switched into a Sport mode at the push of a button to allow a degree of controllable oversteer when accelerating out of a corner. If required, for track days and other circuit-based driving, the system can be deactivated entirely.

In the pursuit of even more exceptional performance, but also of even more visual drama, the exterior of the R8 has also undergone numerous modifications as part of the GT transformation. In many cases these reduce weight and enhance aerodynamics, ensuring that the R8 GT produces even more downforce when driven fast than the production model – without any increase in the Cd value (0.36) or frontal area (1.99 m2).

The frame of the single-frame grille, its struts and the slats in the air intakes are finished in matt titanium grey, while the grille is painted matt black. The splitter under the bumper has a double lip and is made of carbon fibre. Slender, curved ‘fins’ at the corners of the nose increase downforce on the front axle and are also made of a carbon fibre composite.

The defining element of the side view is the sideblades, which direct air to the engine and in the R8 GT are also made of matt carbon. The same material is used for the reduced-size housing of the side mirrors, which are mounted on an aluminium base. The 19-inch wheels are also GT-specific, with an exclusive five twin-spoke Y design in a titanium-look finish, and “GT” insignias on the front wings also help to mark this out as an even more exclusive R8.

The modifications to the rear of the car are also particularly prominent. They include a matt carbon fixed wing, redesigned ventilation louvers on both sides of the rear hatch and the CFRP bumper, which integrates large, round tailpipes and vents for the wheel wells. The diffuser is also larger, and in the GT is made of carbon fibre composite, and the license plate surround and the wide slats in the ventilation ducts are finished in matt titanium grey. The tail lights, which also use LED technology, have dark housings with panes of clear glass.

The R8 GT will be offered with a choice of four ‘standard’’ body colours – Samoa Orange metallic, Suzuka Grey metallic, Ice Silver metallic and Phantom Black pearl effect – as well as the wide range of colours available as part of the Audi Exclusive personalization programme.

Exclusive and dynamic: interior and equipment
True to Audi values, the increased performance and efficiency of the R8 GT does not demand sacrifice or compromise where occupant comfort and convenience is concerned. Automatic climate control, power windows, a navigation system with MMI operating logic and a powerful sound system are fitted as standard, and a 465 watt, ten-channel Bang & Olufsen sound system, a CD changer and the Audi Music Interface are available as options.

The ergonomic interior is finished in black and dark grey, with Alcantara featuring contrasting stitching used for the steering wheel, headliner, roof pillars, knee pad, hand brake lever and bucket seats. A synthetic ‘sharkskin-look’ material that feels slightly rough to the touch is applied to the bulkhead, the door liners, the instrument cowl and the dashboard. The “monoposto” – the arch in the cockpit – is made of matte carbon.

The instrument cluster features white dials with “R8 GT” badges, the transmission tunnel and door liners feature decorative body-coloured inlays and the door sills are trimmed in matt aluminium embossed with the R8 GT logo. The gear selector is also a new design crafted from CFRP and aluminium.

A number of exclusive features are available as options for the R8 GT. Exterior options include two alternative wheels, a body-colour front splitter and a CFRP engine compartment lining. Inside, carbon elements in the doors, the tunnel, the cockpit and the instrument panel can also be added at extra cost. Other options include a multifunction leather steering wheel, seat belts in red, orange or grey, floor mats with the “R8 GT” logo and CFRP door sill trims illuminated in red. Sports seats with carbon frames which are even lighter than the standard CFRP shells are also available, as is Alcantara upholstery with embroidered R8 GT logos.

Buyers looking for more comfort and convenience can also choose mobile phone preparation with an innovative belt microphone, a full leather package and a cruise control system as options.

For racing enthusiasts a race package will also be offered. It includes a bolt-in roll bar in red or black, which has both road and type approval, as well as road-approved four-point belts in red or black, a fire extinguisher and a kill switch for the battery. An optional front bar module for motorsport events includes a rotary lock for the four-point seatbelt and turns the roll bar into a full cage.

Currency exchange rates necessitate adjustment of Audi pricing which in a number of cases is offset by enhanced equipment.

With effect from Tuesday May 25, retail prices for most models within the UK Audi range will increase as a result of prevailing currency exchange rates. Their impact has necessitated an average rise of around two per cent, which in some cases will be partially offset by specification improvements.

New customer orders placed up to, and including, May 24 will be fixed at currently advertised 2010 Model Year prices.

Among the core models in the Audi range, the three-door A3 and five-door A3 Sportback hatchbacks are subject to an increase of 1.9 per cent, the A4 Saloon and Avant rise by 2.4 per cent (in SE form) and the Audi A6 Saloon and Avant by 2.0 per cent.

Audi A5 Sportback, Coupe and Cabriolet models increase by 2.5 per cent, 2.4 per cent and 2.2 per cent, Audi Q5 and Audi Q7 by 2.0 per cent and 0.6 per cent, TT Coupe and Roadster by 0.9 per cent and Audi R8 V8 and Audi R8 V10 by 3.0 per cent. Recently announced prices for the A1 hatchback, the R8 Spyder, the RS 5 Coupe and the A8 remain as before.

In a number of cases the increases go hand-in-hand with improvements. The TT range, for example, has been visually enhanced for the 2011 Model Year, and features a newly introduced and significantly more efficient Turbo FSI petrol engine and recuperation technology that boosts economy virtually across the board. The Q5 adds an engine start-stop system for four-cylinder models that also works in favour of improved fuel economy, and the Audi Q7 is revitalised by even more frugal new petrol and TDI engines and a new eight-speed tiptronic transmission.

For Audi lease and contract hire for company cars contact Audi Nationwide.

All Audi models from the Audi A1 to the Audi A8 have to endure a strict quality test before they can hit the roads all over the globe.

The video below highlights Audi’s engineering perfection and attention to detail that is dedicate to every single model in the Audi range or as the video say: What it takes for a car to become an Audi.

Audi Perfection – The Unique Audi Quality

Bonus Video: Iron Man 2 Audi R8 V10 Spyder Commercial

The Audi R8 V10 has been named 2010 World Performance Car at the World Car of the Year Awards ceremony at the New York Auto Show. This is the second time that the R8 has won the World Performance Car award; the V8-powered R8 took this award in 2008.

The World Car Awards jurors observed that; “In the opinion of many on the World Car Awards jury, Audi has at long last satisfied our hunger for a street car that lives up to the excitement of the original Le Mans series-dominating R8 LMP1 race car.”

Developed jointly with Quattro GmbH, the Audi R8 V10 is powered by a 5.2 litre direct injection ten-cylinder engine which develops 525PS, enabling it to sprint from zero to 62mph in just 3.9 seconds and then to a top speed of 196mph. It features Audi technologies such as Quattro permanent all-wheel drive, a lightweight aluminium body and innovative all LED lights.

This is the second World Performance Car award win for the Audi R8; the original V8-powered version won the same award in 2008. Whether a customer chooses an R8 with a V8 or a V10 engine, they will get a World Performance Car award winner.

This is also the third World Performance Car award for Audi in the five years that the award has been on offer; the RS 4 was named as the 2007 World Performance Car.

The truly global nature of the World Car jury is evidence that Audi is hitting the performance car sweet spot of car lovers around the world.

Since the awards began, Audi has claimed one overall award and five category awards;

2005
Audi A6 World Car of the Year

2007
Audi RS 4 World Performance Car
Audi TT World Car Design of the Year

2008
Audi R8 World Performance Car
Audi R8 World Car Design of the Year

2010
Audi R8 V10 World Performance Car

With nearly 300 orders and a waiting list stretching into next year the Audi R8 Spyder, Audi’s most expensive car to date, received a superb review by the Telegraph. In case you missed here it is.

For five glorious, blue-skied days, I joined their number, and my grin was probably widest of all, because I sat in Audi’s most expensive car yet, the R8 Spyder supercar, with a 500-horsepower V10 engine humming behind my seat, cocooned deep inside a black leather cockpit, shielded by aluminium and carbon-fibre body panels.

This is a great-looking car; sexier than its hardtop sibling. Gone are the coupé’s controversial side panels in a different colour; instead there is a very low, sleek, black fabric roof, which smartens things up considerably.

You can no longer see the mid-mounted engine beneath a glass cover, because the roof folds away over it, so, with the roof up, the glass is replaced by two matt-silver arrows that house vents to cool the V10 monster and lend more dynamism to the design.

It’s still a mystery how the unit doesn’t overheat with a protective cover and the roof piled on top of it, but in 400 test miles of motorway, urban traffic and congestion, the engine ticked over happily, so we’ll put it down to more wunderbar Vorsprung durch Technic.

With the roof down, that superb engine note shimmies and crackles in the hot exhaust air and begs you to raise the revs to 4,000rpm, the sweet spot where the gates open and the Kraken wakes, and you have to find a tunnel through which to floor the throttle, clack down through the gears and hear the thunder roar.

It’s not the electric explosion of a Ferrari; it’s deeper and firmer, but it turns heads as much as any Italian stallion.

If you are after the temperamental excitement of a prancing horse, the R8 is not for you, and for that reason the big Audi has its detractors, who say it looks boring and acts boring. Give me dull any day for road driving, over the unpredictable ways of a rear-wheel-drive Italian thoroughbred.

The last Ferrari I drove kicked its tail out in a straight line in the wet at 80mph and had an electric hissy fit every half an hour. I don’t much relish getting into six-figure cars with sweaty palms.

The R8, on the other hand, oozes confidence, if not charisma. The quattro four-wheel-drive system dulls the steering response but ensures you travel in the desired direction in the wet. The throttle and brake responses are so linear, and the clutch so light, that the car trickles happily around town.

In a welcome mark of just how practical this supercar is, the tyre walls even protrude slightly from the wheel, thus protecting the strikingly designed alloys from being expensively kerbed.

I spent four hours sitting in the Spyder in comfort, a feat for any true supercar, but even more of an accolade when the driver is six months pregnant.

Audi says it has 240 UK orders so far for the Spyder, with a waiting list stretching into next year if you order one now. The company expects half its Spyder customers to choose the manual version and half to choose the automated transmission, which costs an extra £5,000.

If you do have to wait until the first quarter of next year for your Spyder, get your bobble hat ready because, come rain or shine, you’ll want that roof down.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/car-manufacturers/audi/7535774/Topless-Audi-R8-V10-spyder.html

The new Audi R8 5.2 V10 FSI Quattro is the hottest R8 to date with 525hp and an 8700-rpm redline, Audi’s new flagship model is among the most desired sports car on the planet.

But R8 price tag makes it an impossible dream for most of us mortals, that is why we decided to post this video from Audi USA Sports Car Experience Day so you understand why the R8 is among the most desired sports cars on the planet.

Audi USA Sports Car Experience now features the Audi R8 5.2 V10 for those willing to spend a mere $1895 on 4 hours of in-paddock training and on-track instruction.

Audi runs its one and two day Sports Car Experience at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma Valley, California. Other options include a two day course of 10 hours for 2,080 GBP. Graduate from one of those two without terrifying your instructors too much, and you’ll be eligible for the 2,550 GBP advanced two-day program.

Here in the UK, Audi also offers a chance for drivers to hone their driving skills. Audi UK’s Driving Experience is carried out in Silverstone, home of the F1 British Gran Prix.

Audi’s experienced instructors will train you in every aspect of car control and safe driving at speed. Techniques you’ll learn include cornering, under steer, ABS braking, high speed lane changes and avoidance manoeuvres.

Audi Driving Experience offers drivers an opportunity to drive some of the fastest, sportiest and most exciting cars in the Audi range like the Audi S5, Audi TTS and Audi S3.

But there is more, once you completed the Audi Driving Experience you’ll be ready to move up a gear. The Advanced Audi Driving Experience will take your breath away, with models like the Audi RS6 and Audi R8.

Audi couldn’t ask for a better year to celebrate its 100 years of car making history, and what a year it has been for the Ingolstadt Company so far. Awards of all sorts, special marquees at renowned auto shows like the Goodwood festival of Speed and the Frankfurt Auto Show, not the mention the introduction of highly efficient engines, new models and ultra-innovative concept cars.

Last week, Audi just added two new accolades to its collection, the first comes from the biggest internet poll in the automotive industry, the online auto portal “AutoScout24″ conducted its 8th Internet Auto Award and guess what, Audi achieved an amazing total of four first places.

The Audi A3 defended its title in compact class and finished top for the second year in a row, while the Audi A4 reigned in the midsize class. In the upper midsize class the Audi A6 knocked down some tough competition to finish first and last but not least the Audi R8 topped the sports cars and coupe category.

The Autoscout24 poll is aimed to find Europe’s most popular cars, the voting was carried out in several languages, voter could choose from 331 vehicles in 9 categories and over 250,000 votes were computed.

Meanwhile the assembly line for the Audi A3 and Audi A3 Sportback won the Automotive Lean Production Award for streamed line production processes and exemplary excellence via efficient and economical approaches.

If you want to find out what is Audi’s secret to such a highly efficient assembly line don’t miss our next post were we’ll look into detail at the Audi A3 assembly process.

As Peter Kössler, Plant Manager at the Audi Ingolstadt site said:

“Today’s state of the art is only temporary – tomorrow we will be even better.”

The second generation of the Audi A8, Audi R8, TT Coupé and TT Roadster sports cars document the current state of the ASF technology. The superstructure of the current A8 weighs 218kg while the aluminium body of the R8, whose co-supporting engine frame is made of ultra light magnesium, tips the scales at 210 kg.

The TT Coupé and Roadster bodies weigh 206 kg and 251 kg respectively while the TT “family” also features an additional innovation. To ideally balance the axle loads between the front and back, Audi developed an innovative hybrid construction for its compact sports cars: Most of the body is made of aluminium, but steel is used in the rear.

Depending on the model, the kerb weight of the TT has been reduced by between 20 and 90 kg compared to the previous model which had an all-steel body. At the same time, the static torsional rigidity of the Coupé increased by 50 percent and that of the Roadster by an even more impressive 100 per cent.

The ASF provides the foundation for precise handling and a high level of passive safety. A lighter car has to dissipate less kinetic energy and is also does less damage to others involved in an accident. The lightweight design combines chassis responsiveness and efficiency in typical Audi fashion.