Wired’s car blog has an interesting piece on one of the most expensive Audis ever - no not a modern super car in the mould of the Bugatti Veyron but a pre-war auto union Auto Union V12 D-Type.

The car was scheduled to be auctioned by Christies at the retromobile auction on the 16th and 17th - but It was removed at the last moment. The Christie representatives said the car was removed from the auction to check its racing provenace , but rumor has it that investigators were trying to determine just how much of the race car’s parts were the true originals.

MSN  reports that pictures of the new Audi A5 (scheduled to be launched at the Geneva motor show in march) have been leaked onto the internet by a Blogger.

Audi have confirmed the pictures as the real thing and not the result of a photoshop expert mocking up what they think the new audi-a5 may look like.

 There is still no news yet as to the engine and gearbox configurations for the A5 - apart from indications that a manual gearbox will be offered. 

The Launch date for the new Audi A5 has been announced. The world premiere of this extraordinary new coupé will be on 6th March 2007 at the Geneva Motor Show.

Audi have a preview website here you can register for information and news on the launch.

We have full confidence in our extensive list of checks by expert Audi technicians and we want you to feel the same. That’s why, in addition to the 12-month Audi guarantee with Roadside Assistance, you’ll receive even greater reassurance with 2 years’ free servicing on the V6 or V8 Audi Approved Used A6 of your choice before 31 March 2007.

Terms and Conditions

Offer only available on Audi Approved Used V6 and V8 A6 models (excluding S or RS models) purchased from a participating Audi Centre from 02/01/07 to 31/03/07. Servicing must be carried out at an authorised Audi Centre by Audi Approved Technicians and in line with Audi time and mileage recommendations. The Audi Service Programme covers the cost of all scheduled servicing for your Approved Used Audi for 24 months or 30,000 miles (whichever is sooner) from the date of purchase. The Audi Service Programme covers the cost of all parts and labour needed to carry out scheduled servicing of your vehicle. The programme is based on the service schedule outlined in your Owner’s Manual. It is particularly important, and a condition of your cover, that your vehicle is regularly serviced in accordance with Audi servicing recommendations. Failure to comply with this requirement will result in the automatic termination of cover.

Imagine floating weightless on the edge of space as you look down at the vast blue curvature of the earth below. This could be you. Brought to you by Audi and New Scientist, the Win a Trip to Space competition celebrates innovation and human progress through technology. All you have to do to enter is answer the following question in 250 words or less.

What is the greatest patented invention and why?

This question could be all that stands between you and a journey well beyond the limits of normal flight to an altitude of 100km, the distance where space begins. It’s your chance to make history as one of the first space tourists.

Visit www.winatriptospace.co.uk to enter.

www.winatriptospace.co.uk

Take a look at Audi’s own TV channel, available 24 hours a day on Sky digital channel 884.

New 187mph Audi sports car features 210 exterior LED lights and even illuminates a rarely visible component – the engine.
Festive lighting is all around us, but some sources are much more unusual than others. Car maker Audi, for example, has used LED illumination to spectacular effect in its new R8 sports car, which will not only pierce the night sky with a total of 24 front-mounted LED driving lamps and 186 LED brake lights, but will also shed light on a component that is rarely visible – the engine.

Due to be launched by the Vorsprung durch Technik brand next spring priced from £76,725, the 187mph 2-seater is available with an optional interior light package that not only includes Light Emitting Diode (LED) cabin illumination, but also bathes the engine compartment in LED light, drawing onlookers’ attention to its powerful eight cylinder unit through its clear glass ‘bonnet’.

On the outside, the 24 LEDs also conspire to create a remarkably distinctive and immediately recognisable front view. Inspired by the design of the Sydney Opera House, the R8’s head lamp units incorporate 12 LED daytime running lights on each side that follow their pronounced curves. Combined with bi-xenon dipped and main beam head lights, and a total of 186 LED tail lights, they will not only give the R8 maximum road presence, but will also enhance safety for the driver and surrounding road users.

Audi UK Director Jeremy Hicks commented: “The importance of seeing and being seen on the roads is obviously brought into sharp focus at this time of year, and with its new LED technology our new R8 will be pretty hard to beat on both fronts. With the help of Audi innovations such as the quattro four-wheel-drive system we have always strived to deliver high performance as responsibly and safely as possible, and this hugely impressive lighting technology underlines that fact yet again.”

Customer deposits for the new Audi R8 have been taken by the UK Audi Centre network since its world public debut at the 2006 Mondial de l’Automobile in Paris in late September, and these have already accounted for all right-hand-drive production slots allocated right through to mid-2008.

New TT receives prized What Car? Best Coupé award – a first step towards matching its predecessor’s five consecutive wins.
The completely new Audi TT 2.0 TFSI is the best coupé in its class according to What Car?, which has just formally confirmed that opinion by honouring the car with its Best Coupé trophy at the magazine’s 2007 Car of the Year Awards.

This latest accolade is further evidence of the title’s long-standing admiration for the TT, the original version of which was a winner in this category on five consecutive occasions, and comes soon after journalists at the BBC’s Top Gear Magazine reached the same conclusion in the annual Top Gear Awards.

Explaining the reasons behind their decision in the March 2007 edition of What Car?, the judges said: “This one’s a proper sports car – lighter, more agile, quicker over any route you care to throw in its path, and a whole lot more fun to drive. From being a car that sold on style, it’s become a thing with real driving talent. The good news is that you still get the Bauhaus looks and tremendous quality as well.”

Director of Audi UK Jeremy Hicks was understandably delighted with the result: “The original TT raised the bar in the coupe class back in 1999, and as a result gave rise to some very impressive competitors, so I’m particularly delighted that the team at What Car? feels this completely new car has thrown down the gauntlet yet again,” he said.

The subtly updated skin of the new Audi TT conceals a highly advanced superstructure benefiting from 69% lightweight aluminium content, giving a freer rein to the 200PS, 2.0-litre Turbo engine with FSI direct petrol injection, and a brand new sports chassis incorporating the leading edge Audi magnetic ride adaptive damping system for optimum balance and composure. The TT 2.0 TFSI is priced from £24,625 OTR.