Audi R8

The Audi R8 is a mid-engined sports car introduced by the German automaker Audi in 2007.

The first appearance of the car was in 2006, appearing at auto shows and events all over the world. The R8 is based on the Lamborghini Gallardo platform, as Audi has full ownership of subsidiary Lamborghini S.p.A.. Audi announced in 2005 that the name of the successful Audi R8 race car would be used for a new road car in 2007, the Audi R8, based on the Audi Le Mans quattro concept car, which was based on the earlier Audi RSQ concept vehicle, appearing at the 2003 Geneva Auto Show and 2003 International Motor Show. The R8 was officially launched at the Paris Auto Show on 30 September 2006. There is some confusion with the name which the car shares with the Le Mans winning R8 LMP. Originally, many thought the car would be called the R9 (as there is a gap in numbering left when Audi announced the R8's successor, the diesel-powered R10).

Pricing for the R8 model starts at around €88,000, although in Ireland, due to high VRT the base price of the R8 is about €160,000. The base price in the US is $109,000.

The Audi R8 is equipped with a 4.2 L FSI V8 developing 420 PS (414 hp/309 kW), the same engine used in the B7 Audi RS4.

The transmission is either a manual gearbox with metal gate, or a "R-tronic" gearbox (single-clutch robotic gearbox). These options are the same that are available on the Lamborghini Gallardo. A double clutch gearbox (DSG, S-tronic) is not currently (as of January 2008) available.

The R8 has a dry weight of 1560 kg (3439 lb). Its suspension utilizes magneto rheological dampers.

As Audi AG owns Lamborghini (Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A.), 15% of the R8 is shared with the Lamborghini Gallardo, including the transmission and chassis. The R8 is made distinct by its exterior styling, cabin, engine and pricing.

The Audi R8 also features an optional Bang & Olufsen sound system,and Carbon-Ceramic composite brakes with monobloc Brembo calipers on all four wheels.

In the production of the Audi R8, 70 workers fit 5000 unique parts by hand - the factory produces 25 cars a day. Ninety-five lasers inspect the entire car in 5 seconds to ensure that over 220 measurements are within 0.1 mm of the programmed plans.


The 2-seat coupe is already available in Europe, and will be made available to the USA in the summer of 2008. In addition, an open-top roadster, Porsche Carrera GT-like model is rumoured to follow in 2009[citation needed].

Many publications were hailing it as the first car to truly be able to beat Porsche - considered by many to be one of the best supercars ever made, and the leader in its class. Initial comparison tests have proven quite positive in this respect; Evo Magazine in its comparison test between the R8, 911 Carrera 4S, Aston Martin V8 Vantage and BMW M6 have claimed that the Audi is a better supercar saying that "Audi humbles Porsche. A new dawn starts today."[6] Other publications have also made similar reviews of the Audi beating the Porsche in comparison tests

A 6.0L, 500 hp (373 kW), 1,000 N·m (738 ft·lbf) V12 TDI diesel concept car was presented at the Detroit Auto Show on January 13th, 2008.[9][10] Due to the additional length of the V12 engine, the TDI variant no longer has stowage space behind the front seats. It also features modified suspension and brakes to cope with the additional power and weight of the engine. An in depth analysis of the Audi R8 V12 TDI is available here.

A V10 version is also planned for 2008 but is considered being put on hiatus as of Dec 2007. Audi already uses the V10 powerplant from the Lamborghini Gallardo in different configurations in three models, including the 5.2 liter twin-turbo version used by the 2008 RS6. It was thought that this version of the engine, which produces 580hp, was going to be fitted to the R8-S. However, the twin-turbo system overheated, and one prototype was destroyed at the Nürburgring.[11] Instead, the production version of the high-power R8 will have a new V10 engine developed from the V8 engine that powers the RS4 and the R8

The R8 was awarded Best Handling Car and Fastest Car In The World of 2007

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Audi

Audi TT Coupe 250 hp Special Edition
Starting at $43,539*
The culmination of TT excellence. With 250 hp, DSG® transmission, and standard features like Homelink® and the Bose® Audio System, only 99 of this unique Special Edition TT Coupe will be produced.

Audi TT coupe.
Manufacturer: Audi AG
Production: 1999–present
Class: Luxury sports car
Body style: 2-door coupe
2-door roadster
Platform: FF, AWD A
Related: Audi A3
Volkswagen Golf
Skoda Octavia
SEAT León
Similar: BMW Z4
Mercedes-Benz SLK

The Audi TT is an automobile produced by Audi in Győr, Hungary.

TT concept

The TT was first shown as a concept car at the 1995 Frankfurt Motor Show. The design is credited to J Mays and Freeman Thomas of Volkswagen's California design studio. The name is an abbreviation of "Tourist Trophy", an annual road race on the Isle of Man (see: Isle of Man TT), not "twin turbo" as is sometimes assumed. Turbocharged models only feature a single turbocharger.
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TT Design

The TT's styling is regarded by many as a watershed moment in automotive design. From its introduction as a concept car in 1995, and as a production car in 1998, the design was regarded by many as bold, innovative, and evolutionary. While the car borrowed a few design elements from earlier vehicles, the overall design was considered by many to be truly unique. With its distinctive, rounded bodywork, bold use of bare aluminum (actually anodized aluminum), and a lack of defined bumpers, the TT represented a departure from much of the styling that dominated the car market at that time.

The success and popularity of the TT's iconic design gave many automotive designers (and manufacturers) greater latitude to experiment with bold, distinctive design. The TT's influence can be seen in the design elements of many vehicles released after the TT.

The TT is often regarded as the vehicle that made people take a second look at Audi. No longer just a second-tier European maker (in the vein of Saab, Volvo et al.), Audi emerged as a serious competitor for the likes of BMW and Mercedes-Benz. The then-new B5-platform A4 model was a substantial improvement on its Audi 80 predecessor; these two models firmly secured Audi's position as a prestige marque.

First generation
2003 Audi TT roadster
Enlarge
2003 Audi TT roadster

The production model was launched as a coupé in September 1998, followed by a roadster in August 1999, based on the Volkswagen A platform used for the Volkswagen Golf, Skoda Octavia and others. The TT uses a transversely mounted engine with front or quattro all wheel drive. It was first available with a 1.8 L turbocharged inline four cylinder 20-valve engine. For the first two years of production, both front wheel drive and quattro models featured a 180 PS (132 kW) version of this engine. In 2001, a more powerful Quattro model was released which was equipped with a 225 PS (165 kW) engine which shares the same basic design but features a larger turbocharger, an additional intercooler on the driver's side, forged connecting rods, a dual exhaust, and a few other internals designed to accommodate the increase in turbo boost from roughly 10 psi peak to 15.

All TT models were recalled in late 1999/early 2000 following concerns over the car's handling which was considered unstable under high-speed cornering as the result of throttle lift-off oversteer - a number of modifications were made, which were subsequently incorporated into all future examples: rear-wing spoilers were fitted (to reduce lift) and suspension settings were altered (to increase understeer). The original four cylinder engine range was complemented with a 250 PS (184 kW) 3.2 L VR6 in early 2003, which comes with the quattro all-wheel drive system. In October, 2004 a new DSG (dual-clutch) gearbox was offered along with a stiffer suspension.

Audi has developed the TT with some notable improvements, including a lightened and power-boosted "quattro Sport" model, and 240 PS (176 kW) and a top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph), however the handling and steering are considered by BBC's Top Gear presenter, Jeremy Clarkson, to be "boring". It compares with the Nissan 350Z which has more grip. It should be noted, however, that the TT's handling character is deliberate, as Audi vehicles are generally designed to exhibit understeer (a characteristic determined by suspension design, the effect of the quattro all-wheel drive system, and other factors). Understeer is inherently a safer handling characteristic, as it is easier for novice and casual drivers to predict and control the vehicle (and thus the car can appeal to a much broader market). Sports car purists and driving enthusiasts, however, generally favor oversteer (which the Nissan 350Z exhibits) to understeer, as the former makes for a more involving and spirited driving experience.
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Second generation

In August 2004, Audi announced that the next-generation TT will be made of aluminum and would go into production in 2007. A TT concept (the Audi Shooting Brake) was shown at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2005. This concept featured angular styling and a "shooting brake" 2-door hatchback body style.[1]

Audi revealed the second-generation TT on April 6, 2006. It is constructed of aluminum in the front and steel in the rear to enhance its balance and is available in front- or all-wheel drive. The production car uses of the 3.2 L V6 engine, with 250 PS (184 kW), as well as a 200 PS (147 kW) version of Audi's direct injection 2.0 L four. A 6-speed manual transmission is standard, with the DSG as an option, and Quattro all wheel drive is standard with the V6. It will again be offered as a 2+2 coupé with a roadster coming for 2008. A wagon version is rumored as well.[2]

Awards

The TT was nominated for the North American Car of the Year award for 2000. It was also on Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list for 2000 and 2001.

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