The Audi S8 is a high-performance version of the Audi A8, an executive car produced by German automaker Audi. The Audi S8 is an extremely fast, hard-accelerating luxury sedan that exhibits none of the ride and comfort compromises that too often limit the appeal of more hardcore sport sedans, such as Audi’s own compact RS 4. The S8 isn’t intended to be a snap-shifting corner carver — though it can do that — but a large yet discreet high-performance sedan for people who disdain wings, spoilers, iridescent paint and hood scoops that make obvious their car’s sporting intentions.

• Engine: FSI V 10
• Naturally Aspirated
• Quattro All wheel drive
• 450 bhp / 336 KW @ 7000 rpm
• 540 Nm / 398 ft lbs @ 3500 rpm
• 86 bhp / litre
• 155 mph

Audi’s R8 is already being celebrated as one of the most savory, slippery, sexalicious supercars ever to roam our roads. And, to our delight, the luxury automaker is acting more like such sports-car makers as Ferrari or Porsche by continuing to evolve the flagship sports model.

In addition to the simplified grillwork front and back and that military-grade flat gray paint job, modifications to this particular Audi R8 mule include widened sail panels—implying the need for more air into the mid-mounted engine than satisfies the standard 4.2-liter V-8 in the regular R8—and a high-performance parts-bin braking system, complete with what appear to be Gallardo-sourced carbon-ceramic rotors coupled with large S-line calipers.

Our spy’s guess is that this is the rumored V-10 model, which makes sense, given how much the Audi R8 shares structurally with the V-10–powered Lamborghini Gallardo.

We think there’s an equal chance, however, that this car might be powered by a high-performance diesel V-8 like that found in the Q7 4.2 TDI, where it makes 321 horsepower and an impressive 561 pound-feet of torque.

When Audi first showed us its concept for a supercar, the Le Mans Quattro, at the 2003 Frankfurt auto show, it was powered by a twin-turbo, direct-injection, gasoline V-10 developing in excess of 600 horsepower—making it more powerful than the Gallardo.

© Source: caranddriver

In a welcome moment of balmy summer escapism from a dank winter’s day, Audi has revealed the new A3 Cabriolet.
Due to go on sale next spring, the A3 Cabriolet is Audi’s first ever compact cabriolet, and the big news is that - unlike most cars in this class - it gets a folding canvas instead of a hard-top.

That’s good news for two reasons. One, as there’s no bulky folding metal to store away, the A3 Cabrio retains a proper set of rear seats and a decent-sized boot. And two, weight is kept down - good news for performance.
Not that the A3 Cabrio will be exactly blistering. It’ll initially be limited to the choice of two engines - two petrol and two diesel - with a 200bhp TFSI four-pot topping the range. That’ll hit 60mph in a touch over seven seconds, but there’s no word on a proper quattro model at the moment.

There’s more choice in the roof department, though. Buyers have the choice of three colours - red, blue or black - and two specifications, semi-automatic and fully automatic, both of which will open in just nine seconds at speeds of up to 20mph.
If open-topped wafting is your bent, the A3 Cabrio looks like a decent first effort from Audi. Apart from those daft chrome roll-hoops, but at least they’ll spend most of the year under the roof.

© Source: topgear
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Only pure-bred sports cars are crowned “SportsCar” of the year by a panel of experts in the Autobild SportsCars monthly magazine. Following its victory in the March 2007 issue, the Audi R8 has now been awarded top place overall, and has thus secured the title of “SportsCar 2007”, one of the German car industry’s most sought-after awards.

2008 Audi R8

The trophy was presented to Werner Frowein, Managing Director of quattro GmbH, during the magazine’s “Race Night”, which formed part of the Essen Motor Show. The Audi subsidiary was responsible for developing the 420 bhp mid-engined R8 sports car, which it also manufactures. The Audi R8 is hand-built at quattro GmbH in Neckarsulm.

Together with the TÜV Rheinland inspection authority, members of the magazine’s panel conduct demanding on-road tests on an ongoing basis to assess the qualities of the very latest sports cars. They then present their favourites as the monthly winners in each new issue. At the end of October, the jury cast a discerning eye on the twelve winning vehicles at the Contidrom test circuit in Hanover.

The experts’ concluding remarks: “The Audi R8 wins because it is currently the most complete vehicle with the hottest body in the sports segment and, despite being a newcomer, displays no serious weaknesses.”

Source: Audi