Audi Proposes R8 Spyder Car Cover for Unhappy BMW and Mercedes Owners

From the creators of last year's R8 V10 garage door decal promo, comes this new advertising project for Audi. This time, creative advertising agency Lowe Roche, came up with a groovy Audi R8 Spyder car cover aimed at BMW and Mercedes-Benz owners who are disappointed with their vehicles, as well as the rest of us who can't afford [...] Ingolstadt's flagship roadster model.

Here's the description from Lowe Roche's webpage: "Don’t have an Audi R8 Spyder? Now you can pretend to have one. Trick your neighbors, and best of all, trick yourself into thinking you have the car of your dreams. Perfect for the BMW or Mercedes owner in your life filled with regret."

Is it just me, or does the wording make the description sound overly conceited?

Source: Lowe Roche

Unholy Tuning: Audi R8 Sedan Based on A8 Limo

If you were ever wondering what an actuall Audi R8 sports sedan would look like, sorry to say, you're out of luck. However, if by any twisted chance you're interested in finding out what would happen if a first-generation A8 and R8 got naughty in bed, scroll down and check out the rest of the photos. According to the forum members of the Audizine site, the R8-wannabe sports sedan was snagged outside Hooters (now, why aren't we surprised...) in Montreal, Canada.

Source: Audizine

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Anderson Germany unleashes the Audi R8 V10 Racing Edition with 585 HP

Anderson Germany is just one in a long line of tuners who think they can make the Audi R8 better. Called the Racing Edition, the Düsseldorf-based tuner's R8 V10 has gone through a number of external and internal modifications, including an engine upgrade that increases peak power to 585 hp (436 kW).

The appearance can make or break a tuned car's fortune, so the Germans offer a complete visual kit, meant to make the body look better and also more aerodynamic. The material of choice here is carbon fiber. The lightweight material is found on the aggressive front apron, the discrete rear spoiler, rear diffuser, rear window bordering and the exterior mirrors.

Even the 19-inch wheels, which are wrapped around in 235/35 and 295/30 tires, receive a carbon finish with orange accents.

What about the interior? You guessed it: carbon fiber all the way, combined with leather and orange stitching. The packet includes carbon door trims, radio frame, ashtray, gear stick frame, hand brake knob and steering wheel.

To gain those 60 extra ponies, engineers used a new, valve commanded exhaust system, which is also 17 kg (37 lbs) lighter, better air filters and modified engine management software.

Anderson Germany didn't release performance figures, but they claim top speed has increased by 12 km/h or 7.5 mph. Also, pricing and availability are not known yet.

By Csaba Daradics

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PPI Automotive Audi R8 Razor GTR

German car tuning specialists PPI Automotive have released their PPI RAZOR GTR version of the Audi R8, and it will premiere at the Top Marques Monaco 2009. A year ago, PPI introduced their R8 RAZOR edition at the Essen Motor Show which had great success. The new GTR model has all the features the R8 RAZOR did, however PPI aimed at tweaking the R8 to get extra performance gains for the GTR version. Some of the new parts they added were a re-engineered supercharger, a ram-charged intake filtering system, and a stainless steel high performance exhaust. The power numbers for this Audi R8 tops out at 580hp at 4,700rpm, and 600Nm of torque at 6,200rpm, which is exceptional for only weighing 1,580kg.

The acceleration for this R8 is amazing, in a mere 3.7 seconds it can reach 100km/h with a maximum speed of 332km/h. This is capable from extensive testing and research performed by PPI Automotive, and with their knowledge they were able to create a true sports car. With their wind tunnel testing and development, PPI was able to enhance the vehicles aerodynamics from the previous R8 RAZOR edition. A specially designed new front bumper with diffuser attached was put in place to reduce lifting forces. Larger air vents to provide cooler air to the radiators were installed, along with new side skirts giving it a sporty look. At the rear, is a special wing that comes with an adjustable Gurney-flap, with a new rear bumper and fenders to allow cooler air to enter the engine bay. Several carbon fiber parts such as a rear diffuser were installed, and it offsets the airflow between the rear wing and newly designed front bumper.

The Audi R8 RAZOR GTR sits on lightweight MAG9 Carbon Fiber forged aluminum PPI wheels weighing in at only 8.8kgs. Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tires are found on all fours and measure 255/35 ZR19 in the front and 325/25 ZR20 in the rear. A new braking system made of high performance parts was installed and it can be easily identified by its large 6-piston orange calipers. The interior received several minor upgrades such as carbon fiber throughout to save some extra weight. To name a few, carbon fiber hand-brake lever, door trims and sill protectors, radio and center console trim was all made entirely of carbon fiber

Eisenmann Takes a Shot at the Audi R8 with "Spark Eight"

Eisenmann is mostly known for its performance exhaust systems, but the German company has now presented a comprehensive tuning package for the Audi R8 sports car. It's called the "Spark Eight" and it features full-blown carbon aerodynamic kit finished in a light grey color, along with some other goodies, such as new alloy wheels, a tweaked chassis and, of course, a new exhaust system.

All good news thus far, but these new toys aren't for everyone, as in they're not exactly what you'd call cheap. Then again, the R8 isn't either. Let's take the wheels, for instance: the 19 inch rims, shod in 235/35 (front) and 315/30 (rear) tires, will set you back $10,242 (or 7,300 euros). But wheels are nothing without proper shock absorbers and springs, so time to add another $5,402 (3,850 euros) to your invoice.

By the time you go through the entire list (front and rear spoiler, front splitter, cooled brakes, rear diffuser, exhaust), the total amount comes close to $50,000 (35,210 euros).

Now that's what I call a shopping spree.

By Csaba Daradics

Via: Germancarscene

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Audi to Participate at the SEMA Show for the First Time, Displays include 710HP R8 Spyder

There's a first time for everything. For Audi, it's SEMA as this year's edition of the show will mark the brand's first ever factory-backed appearance at the annual tuning extravaganza in Las Vegas.

In addition to its lineup of after sales and electronics products, Audi will put on display six-vehicles including the driver-less Autonomous Audi TTS Pikes Peak and a customized R8 Spyder tuned by STaSIS Engineering. The latter is equipped with a 5.2-liter supercharged V10 engine delivering 710-horsepower and 523 lb-ft of torque, and can complete the 0 to 60mph [96 km/h] sprint in 3.1 seconds.

"We're thrilled to be a part of the SEMA experience, and look forward to turning heads with our vehicles, demonstrations, and a sophisticated lineup of After Sales and electronics products that enhance connectivity and entertainment," said David Tait, Audi's lead After Sales executive and spokesman on the SEMA project.

"Our show cars will represent the pinnacle of what owners can do with an Audi, and unleash a variety of opportunities for our vendors, as well," he added.

Though no more specific details we given about the cars, Tait said: "Let's just say we'll have a few distinctive, concept items on the stand that definitely won't disappoint the unique SEMA audience".

The 2010 SEMA Show will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada from November 2-5.

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Audi R8 GT 560HP: New Photo Gallery of Ingolstadt's Flagship Sports Car

Audi has dropped a boat load of fresh images of the hard-core version of its R8 supercar called the GT. You can read all the details in our previous post here, but as a refresher, the GT is a lighter, more powerful and faster variant of the R8.

It is powered by a modified version of the R8 V10's naturally aspirated 5.2-liter direct-injection engine producing 550-horsepower, while thanks to a series of weight-saving measures that shave about 100kg (220 lbs), the car tips the scales at 1,525 kilograms (3,362 lbs).

Audi says the R8 GT accelerates from standstill to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 3.6 seconds and reaches a top speed of 320 km/h (199 mph), while returning a combined fuel efficiency of 13.9 liters of fuel per 100 km (16.9 US mpg).

The GT also benefits from a modified suspension, larger carbon fiber ceramic brakes, 19-inch forged alloys wrapped in 235/35 tires up front and 295/30 at the back, and numerous aero tweaks that are said to improve downforce.

All in all, Audi will produce just 331 copies of the R8 GT, each priced in Germany at €193,000 (approximately US$252,400 at the current exchange rates).