Audi held the world premiere of the all-new 2011 A8 at Design Miami yesterday, and we’ve put together a massive photo gallery of it for you.  While the design of the 2011 A8 is definitely an evolution over the outgoing D3 model, the subtle complexities of the lines on the car make for one very impressive package.  While we only have press photos to offer right now, George Achorn from Fourtitude told me not to worry, the car looks much better in person than it does in photos. 

The quick and dirty of the new A8 is that like the outgoing model, the D4 platform is built on Audi’s Aluminum Space Frame (ASF) which Audi says is wider and longer than the S-Class, 7-series and Jaguar XJ.  Gasoline power comes from an updated 4.2-liter FSI V8  engine which produces 372-horsepower which is mated to a new eight-speed Tiptronic transmission.  Audi claims that the new powertrain is 15 percent more efficient than the previous 4.2.  For Europe, the A8 will also be available in TDI form at launch, followed by a hybrid model later in the D4 A8’s lifecycle. 

Check out the full 2011 Audi A8 photo gallery after the jump, along with the very in-depth Audi USA press release after the jump.

Continue reading 2011 Audi A8 Revealed at Design Miami 2009

Price: $52,400
Major Equipment: “Prestige” equipment, navigation, DSG transmission, uprated leather interior.
Approximate mileage driven: 800

M. MITIAS: Since being introduced in 1998, the Audi TT has been known more for award-winning design than race winning performance, developing a loyal following among stylish urban professionals and little interest amongst hardcore track rats. Devoted Audiphiles wishing to devour sweeping turns and late apexes along with their creme brulee and mochaccinos typically opted for the street-cred approved S4, which rapidly became the tuner Audi of choice.

Meanwhile, Audi continued their steady march to introduce an S model of each car in their line to keep abreast of the dizzying performance arms race amongst luxury automakers. The Beetle in a black dress was sent off to martial arts class, and the result is less Laura Ashley and a lot more Lara Croft. The TTS package features an upgraded 2.0 direct injection gasoline engine, now producing 268hp and 258lbft of torque, Quattro AWD and six speed S-tronic direct shift transmission, along with electronic stability control, handy for keeping your TTS shiny and undamaged during those times when you get it all wrong.

In an attempt to do exactly that, we took our bright red test car to historic Waterford Hills Road Racing course for a few hours of very private lapping. There are few things in this world which make one feel as utterly privileged as having a race track entirely to oneself, and I’m unlikely to experience any of them. When it comes to track testing a car, an empty track is a luxury with purpose, however.

Continue reading Speed Read: 2009 Audi TT-S 2.0T Quattro

Microsoft and Turn 10 released the demo for Forza Motorsport 3 via Live today. It includes only one track and just a handful of cars, but it should be enough to tease what looks like a fantastic third installment to an already strong franchise.

S:S:L ProTip: There are some interesting new features of the physics engine. Try to keep it shiny-side up.

The 2009 E3 Expo kicked off today, and along with it the announcement that Audi will be collaborating with Microsoft and Turn 10 with Forza Motorsport III.  Reading through the press release, there aren’t a whole lot of details about the game itself but it does state that Turn 10 has worked with Audi engineers on the development of the 2010 Audi R8 5.2 FSI model that will be featured in the game.  Audi is celebrating this collaboration by hosting the AXF-24 Audi-Forza Challenge which will be held at the Audi Forum in New York City while the 24 Hours of Le Mans is being run in France.   

The only bit of information probably worth caring about in this press release is that Forza Motorsport III will be available this October and will feature 400 manufacturers!    

Check out more information on Forza III and the newly released demo video @ http://forzamotorsport.net/en-us/game/default.htm (Which features music from one of my favorite groups, Pendulum)

Box art and worthless press release after the jump.

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Continue reading 2009 E3 Expo: Audi Joins Forces with XBox 360 in Forza Motorsport 3

If you are as obsessed with anything Le Mans related like we are, you have probably heard about Audi’s award winning documentary,  Truth in 24.  This documentary was produced by NFL Films and follows the Audi Motorsport team as they chase the checkered flag at the 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans.  If you missed it on ESPN last week, Audi has good news for you by way of a free iTunes download.  This film is a must see for ANYONE who is even remotely interested in racing, and we promise there are parts that will leave you with goosebumps. 

If you’ve already seen the film, please feel free to leave your thoughts on it in the comments.  Enjoy!

Download Truth in 24 from iTunes

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With the 57th Annual Mobil 12 Hours of Sebring just a week away, we thought it would be an appropriate time to post up a few wallpaper size images of the all-new Audi R15 TDI.  The Audi R15 is the staff favorite to win overall, and we can’t wait to see it run next weekend against the Peugeot 908 HDi and Acura’s new ARX-02a in LMP1.  In the meantime, enjoy a gallery of 1440×960 images after the jump!

By the way, if you are a fan of the American Le Mans Series, be sure to check out The Race Forums.  They’ll be updating the site with daily news and fantastic photography straight from Sebring all week long. 

Continue reading Weekend Wallpaper: Audi R15 TDI