Here are the first shots of the Audi R8 with all of that oilburning V12 TDi goodness you've been waiting for. Confirming the well supported rumors that we heard, the Audi R8 V12 TDI is all the power with slightly less of the petroleum depletion. As we thought, the V12 displaces six liters and produces 500 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque while still achieving a mileage of nearly 23 MPG (US/Highway). Below is the press release, which required us to listen to Bryan Adams to get to you.  read more »

Designed and engineered to reaffirm its place as a desirable and affordable entry point for the Acura sedan range, the all-new second-generation 2009 Acura TSX is larger, more agile, more powerful and even "more Acura" than ever before. The 2009 Acura TSX made its world premiere at the on-going 2008 New York International Auto Show . Carefully crafted to honor the original TSX's vision as a world-class sports sedan, the TSX has significantly evolved to offer more comfort, safety, convenience and driving performance - dramatically raising the standards for Acura's entry-level sedan . With sharp-edged and athletic styling, a powerful, clean and efficient i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine, a choice of automatic or manual transmission, and the kind of driving character that's an Acura trademark, the 2009 TSX continues as a valuable asset to the Acura division - and to a loyal following of customers. Major advances in handling agility, safety features, emissions reduction, ride smoothness and quietness, and interior comfort and convenience features all contribute to the new TSX's added appeal.  read more »

The 2009 Audi A4 Avant will feature the 2.0 TFSI, a new high-powered four-cylinder turbocharged engine that has 211 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. The current A4 Avant offers 200 hp and 207 lb-ft of torque. The 2009 A4 Sedan will also offer drivers the 2.0 TFSI or the option of a 3.2 FSI V6, with 265 hp and the patented Audi Valvelift Technology (AVS). 2009 Audi A4 Avant: Made its North American debut at this years New York International Auto Show (2008 NYIAS). Enhancements to the V6 include considerably lower inner friction and a valve actuation system called the Audi Valvelift System which varies the stroke of the intake valves. The engines will improve performance, while reducing fuel consumption versus previous generations. A number of transmission options are also available, including a six-speed manual and tiptronic transmission, which is optional for the 3.2 FSI. The Avants proportions have been reconfigured significantly from the previous generation model to emphasize both sport and practicality. The front overhang has been shortened, while the hood and wheelbase have increased in size.  read more »

To make a championship winning car even better the Audi Sport engineers and technicians faced this delicate task when the job of developing the DTM race version of the new Audi A4 arose. From the visual aspect they certainly succeeded: The new A4 DTM, which was publicly unveiled for the first time at the Motor Show in Geneva , spontaneously appears even more dynamic than the successful predecessor model with which Mattias Ekstrm won the DTM title last year. The fourth-generation Audi A4 DTM, which bears the project name "R14" internally at Audi Sport , is also futuristic from the technical aspect. With the help of state-of-the-art CFD calculations (Computational Fluid Dynamics) particular attention was paid to the air flow running around and through the car.  read more »

Audi is continuing to make its mark on the Indian automobile market. The company today announced the start of local assembly of the new Audi A4. The successful model, which was launched on the Indian market in July this year, is the second Audi model to be produced at the Group plant in Aurangabad after the Audi A6. By 2015 we will have built a total of some 11,000 Audi A4 and 7,000 Audi A6 models in India, while investing over 30 million in our Indian production site, said Frank Dreves, Member of the Board of Management for Production at AUDI AG.

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(from Spyker Press Release) Spyker Cars, manufacturer of premium sport cars, unveiled its second generation C-line sports car at the Salon International de lAuto in Geneva, Switzerland today: The all aluminium Long Wheel Base model is called Spyker C8 Aileron and will come with both a manual as well as an automatic gearbox.  read more »

We've now got the official scoop and pics of the Audi TTS Roadster &amp Coupe that broke through the embargo shields on Tuesday, sans that horrible watermark from Motorpason . Confirming what we'd heard, the Audi's will get the more potent 2.0-liter Turbo FSI four banger good for 272 horsepower. This will give them a 0-62 time between 5.4 and 5.6 seconds for the coupe and roadster, respectively. They'll go on sale in the UK sometime around mid year.  read more »

Black Tie Gala, Food, Booze, The New Audi A4 and Miss America After a very long week in the office, I was looking forward to a relaxing Friday night with my girlfriend. I had been talking to a few of my co-workers and one of them mentioned they were going to the Philadelphia Auto Show's Black Tie Gala event that evening. Having lived in the area for the last couple of years, it was something I always wanted to do. The reason I hadn't gone in the past is because the price tag for the event was rather steep - $200 for the evening. Seemingly every year the price had gone up, and for whatever reason I just dealt with general admission to the venue. Over the past few years I'd grown weary of car shows being mobbed by people to the point where you really couldn't get a good look at anything for more than a few seconds, as people would shuffle you out of the way for their 10 second chance to glimpse an exotic auto. Taking a picture was impossible as well, because even if you had enough space to take one someone would walk into your path. This brings me to another point: anything really worth looking at is completely roped off from the general public. I left the office that day and I told my co-worker to let me know how the event west, as I had explained to him (and now to you) my gripes with past auto shows. On the way home I was enjoying the fact that the week was over and looking forward to my vacation the following week. I then received a text message from my girlfriend and based on an unforeseen family obligation my Friday night suddenly freed up completely. As luck would have it I was still able to get my hands on a last minute ticket, so I drove home to get suited up for a fun night ahead. Not wanting to leave my S4 at the mercy of the local parking lot attendants I wisely took the train to the Philadelphia convention center. I also didn't realize the event would also include an open bar for the night. In retrospect it was quite fortunate that I took the train. I arrived at the event and I was one of the first few people in the door at 7pm on the dot. I figured that the allotted four hours would provide plenty of opportunity to see everything.  read more »

A new Audi A8 is in the works but development is still in the early stages and so far only engineering test-mules wearing current-generation sheet metal have been sighted. This artists rendering shows a potential new look for the next A8, revealing a streamlined shape with new head and taillights and plenty of dramatic character lines. The chrome-laden front end of the current version will also likely be toned down somewhat for the next-generation, though the essential form of the car will remain more or less the same as most of the upgrades will be happening beneath the surface. The current Audi A8 has been on sale since 2003 and since that time has only received a minor facelift to keep it fresh alongside the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Lexus LS and soon-to-be superseded BMW 7-series. However, the minor styling changes implemented during the recent facelift will have to soldier on for a few more years as the next-generation D4 A8 isnt expected to make its international debut until late 2010.  read more »