Tony Stark the hero of the New Ironman Film drives an Audi R8 in the recently released film. There is an official microsite here and Audi will be doing several movie tie ins.

The theatrical trailer has some interesting shots in Tony Stark’s garage including a pre war silver arrow which can be briefly spotted in the back ground along with the R10.

Ford Cobra Fans might want to look away towards the end of the trailer.

Not to be out done by its super car sibling the R8, the Audi S5 also gets a look in as the ride of Virginia “Pepper” Potts, Starks PA played in the film by Gwyneth Paltrow.

Super hero films out side of the very well known hero’s don’t always work well transferring from comic book to screen but this one does have some good d reviews both from fans and the main stream press. In the states Iron Man is the second highest ever opening three days ($101 Million) for a non sequel film.

Audi will present at the 2008 Geneva Auto Show the New Audi R8 V12 Turbocharged TDI Le Mans with 500hp, the first 12-cylinder diesel engine in a high-performance roadgoing sports car.

Audi is writing a new chapter in diesel technology with this power unit. Equipped with the expertise that Audi has built up through its motor sport activities, the R8 TDI Le Mans in Brilliant Red embodies superb road handling, pioneering technology and fascinating design.

The V12 TDI is closely related to the engine in the Audi R10, the two-time Le Mans winner – so it catapults the Audi R8 into supercar terrain concerning performance too. It sprints from zero to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in just 4.2 seconds and its top speed is well over 300 km/h (186.41 mph).

The Audi R8 TDI Le Mans already fulfills the Euro 6 emissions standard that is likely to take effect in 2014 and calls for sharply reduced nitrogen oxides. By designing ultra-precise fuel metering by the common rail system, Audi’s engineers have made full use of current clean diesel technology.

The Audi R8 TDI Le Mans with Brilliant Red bodywork looks even wider and more resolute than the core model. It shows its potential through its muscular proportions, accentuated wheel arches and even larger air apertures.

The V12 TDI engine is displayed as the beating heart of this sports car, like a work of art inside a large showcase. With extremely clean, ultra-low emission technology, Audi is continuing its tradition of leadership in diesel engine technology.

Here is a more detailed break down of the new motoring taxes announced in today’s (12 March 2008) Budget.

Car tax rates and VED bandings

This years budget announced the reform of the car tax structure. New bands will be introduced from 2009, to reward drivers of the cleanest cars. There will also be higher first-year rates in 2010, to influence car buying choices.

Changes to VED rates will take effect from 13 March 2008

Pre-graduated VED (registered before March 2001)

Graduated VED for Private Vehicles (registered from March 2001)

Fuel duty - increase delayed

The planned fuel duty increase of 2 pence per litre in April 2008 will be delayed until 01 October 2008. Main road fuel duty rates will rise by 1.84 pence per litre on 01 April 2009, and will increase by 0.5 pence per litre above inflation on 01 April 2010.

Increase in fuel duty by 2p delayed by 6 months. From 2009, major reform of the vehicle excise duty. For new cars from 2010, the lowest polluting cars will pay no road tax in the first year. Higher polluting cars will pay more - Cars under the 130 g/Km will pay £0 road tax in the first year.

Audi will introduce the Audi A4 Avant next week at the 2008 Geneva Auto Show. The Audi A4 Avant goes on sale this spring in Germany and other European markets, with prices starting at $40,600.

When the 2009 Audi A4 series goes on sale, the sedan will get a 265-horsepower 3.2-liter FSI V6 that makes 243 pound-feet of torque, while both the sedan and wagon will offer a “high-powered four-cylinder turbocharged engine,” according to Audi.

In Europe, the new Audi A4 Avant will be offered with a choice of five engines, including two gasoline and three diesel power plants, as well as six-speed manual, Tiptronic gearboxes and a continuously variable automatic.

Audi says the new wagon is 4.7 inches longer than its predecessor, with a longer wheelbase providing better stability, while the body is nearly 10 percent lighter and considerably more rigid. As usual, the Avant will come in front-wheel-drive and Quattro all-wheel-drive variants.

Among the wagon’s technical features are LED headlamps, an electromechanical parking brake, adaptive cruise control, a lane departure warning system and a side hazard warning system.

A music interface provides a connection with an iPod, and cell phones can be integrated into the hands-free multimedia system. A top-of-the-line option is a 505-watt Bang & Olufsen audio system with 14 speakers.

New ‘green’ version of Audi hatchback with 119g/km CO2 output will be exempt from proposed congestion charge.

• A3 1.9 TDI with engine, transmission and aerodynamics optimized to reduce CO2 output to 119g/km and increase fuel economy to 62.7mpg (combined).
• A3 1.9 TDI with five-speed manual transmission – 105PS @ 4,000rpm, 250Nm @ 1,900rpm, 0-62mph in 11.4 seconds, 120mph, 62.7mpg, CO2 119g/km.

A specially developed A3 1.9 TDI joins the Audi range, with extensive revisions that ensure it will fall under the proposed 120g/km CO2 limit permitting exemption from the congestion charge. Available in three-door and five-door Sportback body styles.

Following closely behind the swift yet sparing A3 1.4 TFSI, the even more acutely economy and efficiency-focused TDI model has been developed on the foundations of the existing A3 1.9 TDI. It benefits from a specially modified version of the already frugal 105PS diesel with new friction minimizing components and redeveloped ancillary units, combined with a manual gearbox with remapped, economy-biased ratios and an in-dash indicator informing the driver of the most effective gear change points for optimum economy.

Helped externally by tyres with reduced rolling resistance, and by additional modifications to further increase aerodynamic efficiency, the A3 1.9 TDI combines 62mpg-plus fuel economy with CO2 output of just 119g/km. Acceleration from rest to 62mph in the three-door model with five-speed manual transmission takes 11.4 seconds, and a top speed of 120mph is possible where conditions allow.

The measures taken to increase economy and minimise emissions in the A3 will also be employed in the creation of more efficient versions of other models in the Audi range in the near future.

A review of the Audi S5 4.2

Audi’s latest model, the Audi S5 gets a going over by The Guardian Weekend:

The Audi S5 drops it’s weight even closer to the ground than previous Audi models, comes with four exhaust pipes instead of two, and features a set of 19-inch alloys.  

All this weight is distributed pretty evenly on to both axles.  Jump on the accelerator, therefore, and there is little chance of your Audi S5 rearing up on its back wheels like a panicked horse.

Being an Audi, the car’s behaviour is, by default, mature and sensible.  The Audi S5 doesn’t so much overtake other cars as patronise them until they slow down.

Top Speed: 155mph

Acceleration: 0-62 in 5.2 seconds

‘The Audi S5, a four-seat grand tourer that says “Ambassador, you are spoiling us”, quicker than a tray of Ferrero Rocher ever could’

- Giles Smith (The Guardian Weekend).

Looking for a present for the Top Gear fans in your family?

You can now get an Audi R8, the Audi Super car that Jeremy Clarkson drooled over earlier in the year for a mere £45 it represents a saving of exactly £78,150 over the standard R8.

The catch? this is a 1:18 scale model, enabling Audi R8 fans to bypass the current twelve month waiting list for a full-size example and park one on the mantelpiece almost immediately.

The meticulously finished Audi R8 model is faithful to the much admired design of the full-blown original right down to the detailing of its windscreen wipers. Only 750 examples of its all-aluminum, mid-engined and quattro-equipped big brother will find homes in the UK in 2008, thrilling their drivers with a mighty 420PS output, 4.6-second acceleration from rest to 62mph and, for those lucky enough to be visiting an Autobahn next year, a 187mph top speed.

The real Audi R8 is available from Essex Audi dealers Of course if you want the real thing contact or if you want one as a r8 company car - check out audinationwide.co.uk

Go on Richard or James buy one for Jeremy

The new 2008 Audi A4 has already begun to recognize its significance overseas. German newspaper Bild am Sonntag has awarded the new midsize saloon with the Golden Steering Wheel Award.

The Audi A4 has also been awarded the title of “Imported Car of the Year” by the RJC (Automobile Researchers and Journalists Conference). This respected jury, made up of 70 Japanese automobile market researchers and journalists, testified to the A4’s “perfect balance between the four key elements of the Audi brand - design, driving dynamics, safety and quality”.

In Spain, the Audi A4 has been awarded the title of “Family Car of the Year” by “Car & Driver”, one of the leading Spanish car magazines. The readers of the magazine, which has connections with the US periodical of the same name, chose the Audi A4 because of its high levels of “safety and comfort, combined with low fuel consumption”

Some renderings of what the ‘Audi A1 Metroproject Quattro’ concept will look like have been leaked.

It features a new take on Audi’s established Quattro technology. The Audi qautro four-wheel drive system is usually a traditional one engine driving four wheels affair. But the 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine under the A1 Metroproject’s bonnet only powers the front wheels. It gives a respectable 148bhp but is not going to help out with back-end traction. The secret is instead under the boot floor, where lurks a compact 40bhp electric motor, driving the rear wheels.

The A1 Metroproject is a hybrid, too. an extra 40bhp might not sound very much, the real bonus of an electric motor is the instant - and we do mean instant - torque. In the Audi A1 Metroproject’s case, the motor delivers an extra 148lb ft of torque. More than enough to propel what is supposedly an environmentally friendly city-car concept to 65mph in 7.8 seconds. The electric motor can also power the Audi A1 Metroproject entirely on its own at urban speeds, with a range of up to 65 miles thanks to lithium-ion batteries. As with all hybrids the only real downside is the weight penalty; the set-up reputedly adds 70kg to the Metroproject’s overall weight.

The Audi A1 Metroproject is also a ‘plug-in’ hybrid. So it can be recharged at any standard power outlet as well as via the petrol engine. It uses various regenerative techniques to recover energy while driving too, just like the Toyota Prius, and new BMW and MINI EfficientDynamics models. As a result it produces just 112g/km of CO2 and is capable of 57.6mpg. if you do not think that too impressive, remember: we are talking about 148bhp turbocharged petrol engine here, not some kind of diesel. The 1.4 turbo should appear in a refreshed A3 next year, the new A4, and the production A1.