Fresh from ripping up the Le Mans racing rulebook with the diesel-powered R10 TDI, Audi is exploring the possibility of breaking yet another mould with a road-going TDI super car based on the R8. The R8 V12 TDI Concept makes its debut at this month’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit, replacing the production sports car’s mid-mounted petrol FSI V8 with a 12-cylinder TDI endowed with an incredible 1,000Nm of torque.First seen in the forthcoming Q7 V12 TDI SUV, the 6.0-litre twin-turbo V12 with 500PS is similar in basic concept to the R10 TDI’s 5.5-litre race engine, and delivers its colossal 1,000Nm output from just 1,750rpm, guaranteeing the effortless delivery of a 4.2-second 0-62mph acceleration time and a top speed in excess of 186mph.Despite its astonishing statistics, this remarkable engine shows the necessary restraint when it comes to environmental impact. Its fundamental efficiency, achieved through the use of an advanced common rail fuel injection system enhanced by piezo injectors, is complemented by twin particulate filters and a new state-of-the-art ultra-low emission system that ensures compliance with proposed EU6 emission limits expected to apply from 2014.   The heart of the system is a special catalytic converter downstream of the oxidizing catalyst and the particulate filter. The second component is an additional tank containing an aqueous urea solution. Small quantities of the solution, known as “AdBlue,” are injected into the exhaust system. The hot exhaust gases break the solution down to form ammonia that splits the nitric oxides into inert nitrogen and water. The system remains effective for the entire service life of the vehicle. The R8’s classic mid-engine configuration, combined with advanced Audi Space Frame (ASF) construction mating lightweight aluminium panelling to an aluminium space frame, provides the very best operating conditions for the futuristic chassis, which itself contains a high proportion of aluminium components. Audi magnetic ride The V12 TDI Concept is equipped with the advanced Audi magnetic ride adaptive damping system, which swaps conventional damper fluid for a magnetorheological fluid containing minute magnetic particles that can be influenced by an electromagnetic field. By applying a voltage to the system’s electromagnets, the viscosity of the fluid is altered by the affected magnetic particles, increasing resistance to damper movement to iron out pitch and roll when necessary, and reducing resistance at times when ride comfort is of greater importance. The system constantly monitors road conditions and driving style and reacts accordingly. A specially tailored version of Audi drive select, the adaptive dynamics system introduced recently in the new A4 Saloon, also helps to personalise the driving experience. Offering ‘Dynamic’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Race’ settings, it enables further fine-tuning of the magnetic ride dampers and the parameters of the engine and transmission. When the ‘Race’ setting is selected on a circuit, the interior instrument lighting changes from white to red and the onboard satellite navigation system displays navigation information relating to the specific circuit being driven, along with a lap timer. Supplementary information including centrifugal force and boost pressure can also be accessed in this mode. quattro four-wheel-drive reassurance Whether on road or circuit, the R8 is effectively moderated by high-performance carbon fibre-reinforced ceramic brakes, and by the legendary quattro permanent four-wheel-drive system, which by apportioning power to front and rear axles in constantly varying degrees dictated by road conditions prevents the less desirable handling traits often exhibited by powerful mid-engine, rear-drive sports cars. Additional downforce to help the quattro system suck the car to the tarmac at speed is provided by a specially developed, larger version of the production road car’s automatically extending rear spoiler, combined with a fully clad diffuser under-body and special measures such as diffuser apertures in the rear bumper. Air is not only channelled in a way that accentuates the R8’s widely acclaimed handling capabilities, but is also effectively captured by racing-derived NACA ducts within the new glass roof over the passenger compartment to cool the potent V12. The engine itself is also displayed in all its glory beneath a clear glass cover, through which special air deflectors can also be seen in the Concept. At only 684mm in length, the surprisingly compact 12-cylinder is only 166mm longer than the V8 TDI, which means that with the help of the long 2.65-metre wheelbase the sensation of space which sets the R8 apart from rivals is barely compromised. All-LED lighting technology Inside, the V12 TDI Concept is distinguishable by its additional aluminium and carbon fibre elements, and by its figure-hugging racing-style sports seats. On the outside, it is marked out by all-LED lights, enlarged inlet and outlet ducts at the front, side and rear, the modified rear spoiler and exclusive alloy wheels.

All though this car has Not been confirmed for production if you would like to register you interest in the R8 V12 TDI please contact us and we will register you!  

Looking for a present for the Top Gear fans in your family?

You can now get an Audi R8, the Audi Super car that Jeremy Clarkson drooled over earlier in the year for a mere £45 it represents a saving of exactly £78,150 over the standard R8.

The catch? this is a 1:18 scale model, enabling Audi R8 fans to bypass the current twelve month waiting list for a full-size example and park one on the mantelpiece almost immediately.

The meticulously finished Audi R8 model is faithful to the much admired design of the full-blown original right down to the detailing of its windscreen wipers. Only 750 examples of its all-aluminum, mid-engined and quattro-equipped big brother will find homes in the UK in 2008, thrilling their drivers with a mighty 420PS output, 4.6-second acceleration from rest to 62mph and, for those lucky enough to be visiting an Autobahn next year, a 187mph top speed.

The real Audi R8 is available from Essex Audi dealers Of course if you want the real thing contact or if you want one as a r8 company car - check out audinationwide.com

Firsty audinationwide would like to wish you all a Happy New Year!

We hope you had a good break over the festive period.

Now the festivities are over and the presents are all exchanged remember Audi are still offering gifts with offers across the Audi Range for 2008!

Here’s a snippet of a few for you but contact us for more information now!

• Contract Hire Audi A3’s From £195 a Month*
• New Audi A4 B8 Free Bang and Olufsen loyalty offer upgrade for existing Audi Drivers worth £525! 

•  Audi A6 Saloon 2.0 TDI contract hire from £323 a Month*
• The New Audi A5 Coupe contract hire from £399 a Month*
• A6 2.0 TDI and 2.0 T FSI Saloon and Avants Free DVD Nav, MMI High and 6 CD Changer saving you £500! 
• A6 2.4 Petrol- 3.2 FSI Quattro Saloon and Avants £500 off communications packs!
• A6 2.7 TDI- 3.0 TDI Quattro Saloon and Avants £500 off Communications packs!

•  Free S Line Upgrade on Q7’s worth an amazing £900!

All this and more available including stock cars for immediate delivery!

Call us for more details

Audi has recently brought the curtain down on a phenomenally successful motorsport season. The German manufacturer’s pioneering diesel engine technology triumphed in arguably the world’s toughest motor race, the Le Mans 24 Hours, for a second consecutive year.  

(Pictured below Alex Brundle, 18, and father Martin with the Audi A3 which has just joined the Brundle household)

The winning Audi R10 TDI, powered by a 5.5-litre, 12-cylinder bi-turbo TDI engine, covered a distance of 3,124 miles – the equivalent to an entire 16-race Formula One season – at an average speed of almost 130mph, and was stationary in the pits for less than 24-minutes during the twice-around-the-clock race.

Scotsman Allan McNish, together with Dindo Capello (Italy), swept their R10 TDI to a successful defence of their LM P1 American Le Mans Series title – the eighth consecutive year Audi has won the North America based championship. Their 650PS Audi, delivering 1,100 Newton metres of torque, won the “blue riband” 12 Hours of Sebring and 1,000-mile Petit Le Mans races.

Furthermore Audi won the German Touring Car Masters (DTM) for the fifth time (1990/1, 2002/4/7) when Swede Mattias Ekström secured the Driver’s title in the most popular international touring car racing series for the second time (2004/7). The new generation A4 will be used in next year’s DTM which, for the third consecutive year, features a race at Brands Hatch (31 August).

“Winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the American Le Mans Series and the DTM in the same year is a fantastic team achievement,” commented Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of AUDI AG. “All Audi employees and Audi customers can be proud of our successful 2007 motorsport season.”

Meanwhile the Formula Palmer Audi series celebrated its 10th consecutive year in 2007. The single-seater cars are powered by standard Audi 1.8-litre turbocharged engines that are fitted with an innovative “overboost” button that increases power to 360bhp for an eight second burst in each race to aid overtaking.

Formula Palmer Audi has proved itself to be one of the premier training grounds for aspiring Formula One drivers. Nine FPA graduates have progressed to F1 with many more racing in premier international championships.

Tim Bridgman, from Essex, won this year’s championship title while Alex Brundle, the 18-year-old son of former Grand Prix ace Martin, completed his first full single-seater season by registering a creditable 11th place in the final standings. Alex, from King’s Lynn, plans to continue in the FPA championship next year and will spend the close-season, winter months behind the wheel of a 1.6-litre Audi A3 he recently took delivery of from Audi UK in Milton Keynes.

Meanwhile 2007 FPA series runner-up Stefan Wilson has won the prestigious McLaren Autosport BRDC Award. The 18-year-old from Sheffield is the younger brother of Justin who won the inaugural FPA title in 1998

 WORLD DEBUT FOR THE ALL NEW AUDI A3 CABRIOLET

The new Audi A3 Cabriolet made its World debut on Friday 30th Nov 2007, the first ever premium compact class “open top” from Audi which will offer four engine options when it arrives on British roads next Spring.Audi’s latest convertible lines up alongside established soft tops in the A4 and TT ranges. The exciting addition to the much in demand A3 range will be available with either a semi or fully automatic hood specification while crucially for an open car, its advanced body structure features a high proportion of high-strength steel reinforcing measures that provide maximum rigidity and optimum crash safety.The A3 Cabriolet comfortably seats four occupants while the rear seat backs can be folded down for optimum practicality. The normal uncompromising Audi build quality, subtle and understated exterior design as well as exemplary driver ergonomics combine to create a prestige and elegant new contender inside and out. Four engine versions – two petrol and two TDI – combine ample power with impressive efficiency. All of them are direct injection units with turbo charging. The performance range extends from 77 kW (105 PS) to 147 kW (200 PS). As an option, the innovative S-tronic dual-clutch gearbox is available. At launch transmissions will be limited to front wheel drive.
The car is launched with both “standard” suspension, or the option of “sports” suspension.At launch a Standard or Sport can be chosen for the Audi A3 Cabriolet. In both cases its equipment specification is generous and extensive; the Sport model includes 17-inch aluminium wheels, sports suspension and sports seats. An S line exterior package and S line sports package will also be available later in the year to UK customers. The exterior design

Thanks to the hood’s compact folding design, Audi’s designers were able to create a comfortable four-seater with subtle lines measuring up 4,238 millimetres in length, 1,765 mm in width and 1,424 mm in height. The car is shorter than the A3 Sportback (4,286mm) but longer than the existing 3 door A3 (4,214mm).Easily identifiable as an Audi, the exterior design creates strong presence making the A3 Cabriolet visually typical of current Audi family of models. The “face” of the A3 Cabriolet is dominated by the large single-frame grille while the headlights are also an eye-catching, distinctive feature. They can be supplied optionally with xenon plus lights, which can operate in tandem with the dynamic adaptive (steering) light technology.
The optional daytime running lights in the form of an integral light strip – an important safety feature at Audi it comprises of seven white light-emitting diodes in conjunction with the xenon plus units. Similarly to the headlights, the rear lights of the A3 Cabriolet are of a flat, broad design. Their technology is based on fibre optic rods, but the visual effect is of two radiant rings that clearly distinguish the car as an Audi even after dark.When viewed side-on, the unique but subtle profile of the Audi A3 Cabriolet is clearly in evidence. The striking wheel arches accommodate large wheels: in the case of the Standard model, 16 inches in diameter. The Sport model has 17-inch alloy wheels, 18-inch wheels from quattro GmbH are available as an option. Audi supplies the A3 Cabriolet in 15 paint colours that can be combined with three hood colours – black, blue and red.

The hood and body.

The fabric hood keeps its shape thanks to the mechanically moved metal linkage, which assures an excellent close fit, perfect tightness and the silhouette of a coupé. A large, heated glass rear window provides a good view to the rear.
Audi can supply the fabric top in two versions – the semi-automatic soft top and the fully automatic acoustic hood. In both cases the hood is moved by a high-pressure pump with two hydraulic cylinders. They open the large soft top in an extremely rapid nine seconds.When lowered, the hood is folded up in a Z-pattern which takes up a minimum amount of space. The header – a rigid section at the roof’s front edge – comes to rest on top, basically flush with the body. The folded hood is set down in a compact sheet steel compartment that only very slightly reduces the luggage compartment capacity.The clever design enables the acoustic hood to be opened and closed while driving at speeds of up to 30 km/h – a big advantage in terms of convenience when driving in urban traffic. The process is controlled by a switch on the centre console; the hood can also be opened and closed conveniently from outside the car, via the ignition key in the door lock.The fully automatic soft top takes the form of an acoustic hood. Between the outer skin and the inner lining there is a synthetic fibre mat that further improves thermal insulation and soundproofing – at a speed of 140 km/h it is only 1 dB (A) louder inside the Audi A3 Cabriolet than in the hard top A3. If only the front seats are occupied, a wind deflector can be erected above the rear bench seat in a few simple steps for optimum comfort.

The interior

The interior of the Audi A3 Cabriolet is immediately recognisable as a modern Audi; its materials, Audi’s familiar uncompromising build quality and its elegant design accentuate the premium character of this new convertible. Elegant lines border its large surfaces. The four round air vents and the side knee cushions on the centre console’s struts are reminiscent of the Audi TT.
The two navigation systems available use an operating logic adopted from the superior MMI concept as familiar from Audi’s larger cars.
Audi offers a broad range of options for the seats; on the Sport model, both front seats are sportily contoured. An electric four-way lumbar support is available as an option, as well as heating for the front seats or for all four seats.Another of the Audi A3 Cabriolet’s major strengths in everyday use is its variable luggage compartment. The rear seat backs can be split 50:50 and released to fold flat to expand luggage compartment capacity. The wide, high through-loading space that is created increases the luggage capacity to 674 litres and the load area length to 150 centimetres – ample even for large items of sports equipment. In the standard arrangement the luggage compartment has an ample capacity of 260 litres, whether the hood is open or closed.

The equipment

The Standard Audi A3 Cabriolet already comes with a semi-automatic hood. Four electric windows round off the specification. The A3 Cabriolet Sport will be available in the UK with a fully automatic and acoustic hood and has the distinguishing features of 17-inch aluminium wheels, front fog lights and sports suspension. Inside, the sumptuous equipment includes sports seats, a driver information system, a 3-spoke leather sports steering wheel, a wind deflector and special inlays, upholstery and door sill trims.The range of options for the A3 Cabriolet includes multifunction steering wheel, dual zone climate control, LED daytime running lights, leather upholstery, heated seats and a parking aid. Xenon plus headlights and the adaptive light for cornering illuminate the road effectively in the dark. The storage package for the interior and luggage compartment and a ski and snowboard bag further add to the practical utility of the A3 Cabriolet.Typically for Audi, the A3 Cabriolet too features a broad range of multimedia technologies. This extends from the chorus CD radio, with four speakers, to the Bose sound system. All audio systems from the concert radio upwards include an interface on the centre tunnel for connecting up an iPod or MP3 player. Two navigation systems – with monochrome or large colour monitor – help with providing directions. For mobile telephony, Audi offers a mobile phone preparation in combination with the audio systems. Those who are fond of bespoke specification features will appreciate the equipment options on offer from quattro GmbH. The S line comprises an exterior package for the body and a sports package.Prices will be confirmed later this year.

For more information about the New Audi A3 and how to register your interest with audinationwide simply contact us

The UKTV Car of the year awards results are in and Audi got the silver in medal in two categories: The Audi Q7 in the 4 X 4 category and the Audi S8 in the Luxury car category.

But with no real suprise the winner of the UKTV Car of the Year and also the star of the Sports category was the Audi R8.

The final votes were cast between 12th November 2007 and 16th November 2007 in the 5 main categories in which a shortlist of 3 cars per category from the previous weeks votes were published.

Votes were cast via the UKTV website by you after adverts were shown across the UKTV Network predominantly one their newest channel Dave!

Click here for a full list of winners.

Top gear tested the Audi R8 Vs the Porsche 911  on the show aired 14th Oct 2007 Jeremy Clarkson raved about the R8 whist the “hamster” still preferred the 911 - but as he owns one he is probably biased

In this weeks Topgear (11th November 2007) Simon Cowell became top of the “star in a reasonably priced car” leader board for the second time by beating Gordon Ramsay’s time of 1.46.38 when he managed an impressive 1.45.9 lap after trying to forget help and advice give to him from The Stig  to gain the top spot! Simon Cowell has recently taken delivery of his new Audi R8.

There is a short clip on the top gear site here of Jeremy Clarksons review on the R8 note that the realplayer version seem to work better.

The new 2008 Audi A4 has already begun to recognize its significance overseas. German newspaper Bild am Sonntag has awarded the new midsize saloon with the Golden Steering Wheel Award.

The Audi A4 has also been awarded the title of “Imported Car of the Year” by the RJC (Automobile Researchers and Journalists Conference). This respected jury, made up of 70 Japanese automobile market researchers and journalists, testified to the A4’s “perfect balance between the four key elements of the Audi brand - design, driving dynamics, safety and quality”.

In Spain, the Audi A4 has been awarded the title of “Family Car of the Year” by “Car & Driver”, one of the leading Spanish car magazines. The readers of the magazine, which has connections with the US periodical of the same name, chose the Audi A4 because of its high levels of “safety and comfort, combined with low fuel consumption”