Rumors: Audi Quattro Coupe May be Given the Green Light by September

The Audi Quattro Concept wowed the crowds at the 2010 Paris motor show. The favorable reaction of both the public and the press to the one-off concept that was created to celebrate the original Quattro’s 30th anniversary has sparked many rumors that Audi is seriously considering making a production version. According to a report from Inside Line, the future of the 21st-century Quattro will be decided soon –more specifically in September, on the eve of the Frankfurt motor show premiere.
Quattro GmbH boss Stephan Reil, speaking during the launch of the Audi Q3 SUV, confirmed that the final decision has been delayed. However, he is "optimistic" about its chances, and added that the production version, if given the green light, would be a small-volume (500-1,000 units per year) supercar with lightweight materials prominent in its construction.
The Quattro’s engine could very well come from the RS5 which, with 450 hp and a 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) time of 4.6 seconds, is no slouch. But, as Reil said, “we need more power than the RS5, and it would have to be mounted longitudinally”.
The head of Quattro GmbH commented that the exotic car’s development would take at least 2-3 years, and be similar to that of Audi’s current supercar, the R8.

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Audi Q3 RS Rumors give Birth to Rendering

The latest news from Audi is that the Ingolstadt automaker is working on a high-performance version of its new Q3 compact SUV. According to inside sources quoted by Auto Motor und Sport magazine in its most recent issue, the brand with the four rings has even decided on the powertrain, which is none other than the 340HP 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-five found under the hood of the TT RS and RS3 hot hatch.

Power of course would be transferred to all four wheels through Audi’s quattro system and a seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission.

These yet to be officially confirmed rumors have lead photoshop resident and CoolPictures reader L il-k Amaru to use his talent on the creation of two renderings depicting the possible styling of the Q3 RS.

The artist’s proposal includes all the usual design cues of Audi’s RS models such as the prominent front bumper with a honeycomb grille, side skirts, five-spoke alloy wheels, aluminum trim accents and a rear apron with a diffuser.

Thanks go to L il-k Amaru from Virtuel-car!

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Audi UK Celebrates 24h of Le Mans Win with R8 V8 Limited Edition

Earlier this month, Audi snagged its tenth victory at the grueling 24 Hours of Le Mans marathon race with the R18 TDI and to mark the event, the firm’s UK division has churned out a special edition version of the R8 V8 sports car with a unique paint and enhanced standard equipment.

The R8 V8 Limited Edition is reserved exclusively for UK customers, with only 100 examples currently scheduled for production. It is available to order from July in coupe form only and with either manual or R tronic automated manual transmission priced from £93,935 OTR.

Exterior highlights include bespoke titanium-effect paintwork, which is available alongside all normally optional metallic and pearl effect paint options, matching color 19-inch alloy wheels inspired by the R8 GT Coupe and red brake calipers.

There’s also an optional Carbon Package, which adds carbon sigma sideblades, door mirrors, monoposto, inlays and door sill trims plus an engine cover.

The Limited Edition’s interior is marked out by the crimson red accents to the black leather seats, headrests, knee pads and passenger door handles along with red stitching on the flat bottomed, leather-covered multi-function steering wheel and instrument cowl.

The stainless steel pedals, illuminated door sills with bright aluminium inserts carrying the R8 logo and the new floor mats with a red surround complete the styling changes.

In addition to the standard features found on the R8 V8 Coupe, the Limited Edition model includes satellite navigation, the Audi Music Interface (AMI), an interior light package and a premium Bang and Olufsen sound system, as well as mobile phone preparation via a Bluetooth interface with integrated seat-belt microphones.

The only mechanical upgrade concerns the addition of the Audi magnetic ride adaptive suspension system.

As with the standard R8, the Limited Edition is motivated by a directly injected 4.2-litre engine with 430-horses that allows the sports car to go from 0 to 62mph (100km/h) in 4.6 seconds in both manual and R tronic automated manual versions and reach a top speed of 187mph (301 km/h).

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Shiny Happy People: Chromed Out Audi R8 Spyder Auctioned at Elton John’s White Tie and Tiara Ball

Every year, British musician Elton John throws the famous White Tie and Tiara Ball at his house to raise money and awareness for the Elton John Aids Foundation (EJAF).

At this year’s event, which took place on Thursday, June 23, Audi UK decided to donate a unique R8 Spyder V10 coated in a unique mirror-like chromed finish with all proceeds from the auction going towards the charity.

“Sir Elton John’s fundraising ball really is a golden ticket event that is as glamorous as it is hugely effective in fundraising terms,” commented Jeremy Hicks, Director of Audi UK.

“We are delighted, and enormously proud, to support it for a ninth year with the donation of what is arguably our most fittingly glamorous model,” he added.

Audi did not say how much the 525-horsepower R8 Spyder V10 was auctioned for, but we assume that the buyer paid more than its £117,710 OTR (equal to US$188,050) sticker price.

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Senner Tuning Cooks up a Spicier Audi A1 1.4 TFSI with 165HP

German tuning firm Senner has a new solution for anyone looking to upgrade their desperately plain Audi A1 supermini. The tune starts with the A1’s 1.4-liter TFSI gasoline engine, which normally produces 122-horsepower and 265Nm of peak torque. A custom-tailored ECU along with a sports exhaust system bumps those figures to 165HP and 265Nm (195.5 lb-ft). The engine tune is complemented by an adjustable sports suspension from KW.

For the baby Audi’s exterior, Senner Tuning chose a teak brown metallic hue contrasted by white accents on the mirrors, roof arches, side sills and the massive Barracuda Tzunamee 19-inch alloy wheels shod in beefy 225/35 R19.

The package also includes a re-sprayed front grille in a glossy black finish along with a new front apron, side skirts and a modified rear bumper that houses a diffuser and two exhaust outlets.

Inside, the A1 features sports seats trimmed in two-tone fabrics with matching floor mats and an upgraded infotainment system.

Senner Tuning said it offers the A1 as a complete car priced at €36,590 (~US$52,300), which includes some €10,000 (US$14,300) worth of parts and labor.

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A Photo Tour of the VW Group’s 2011 Wörthersee Festival with 150 Images

For the past thirty year, tens of thousands of enthusiasts of Volkswagen Group cars assemble on the shores of Lake Worthersee in Austria to participate in the largest festival of its kind in the world. Over the years, Volkswagen and the other brands of the German group including Audi, Seat and Skoda, have used the show to unveil special concepts, new models and studies that hint at future production versions or accessories.

At this year’s event (June 1 to 4, 2011), the VW Group prepared several vehicles for the festival including the production VW Golf GTI 35 Edition with 235HP, the VW Golf Cabriolet GTI and R concepts, the wild 503HP Audi A1 Clubsport Quattro study, and the Skoda Fabia RS 2000 Convertible prototype. As you may have noticed, the company didn’t show much love for its Seat brand which was left to display its current lineup.

The official cars joined an army of privately owned tuned and classic VW Group vehicles. To put it simply, if you are a fan of the Volkswagen Group and especially of the Golf GTI, then Wörthersee was the place to be. You can get a taste of what went on in Austria in our extensive gallery after the jump.

For those of you that would also like to see the girls of the show, stay tuned, as we’ll bring you a dedicated gallery later on today.

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