Car Throttle

BMW disappoint me. Sure they build fabulous performance cars like the BMW 1-Series M Coupe, the M3, the M5, and the to-be-built 552bhp BMW M6. But that's about it really. No gull-winged, bi-spoilered, extra wide arched, super-low supercars. This irks me as BMW are now, in my opinion, either too profit-oriented, politically correct, socially conscious or environmentally friendly for their own good. In a recent interview, BMW North America's Product Manager stated that the German brand doesn't feel the need to make a supercar and that they like to build practical cars that are drivers' cars and executive cars that one can use everyday. This thought is further cemented by the statement made by Albert Biermann, BMW M’s development chief who told Autocar last year that

Audi has been highly successful at the 24 Hours of LeMans race, winning ten victories. The first race won by Audi was in 2000, with the winning vehicle being a R8 sports prototype. To celebrate its racing success, Audi is announcing the R8 Limited Edition. Just 100 units will be produced. Interestingly enough, the car is powered by the same 4.2-liter V-8 as the standard car. Making 430 horsepower, it doesn't receive any tweaks. The biggest differentiation with this car comes on the exterior. The R8 Special Edition is finished with an exclusive special titanium-effect paint exclusive. Also new is 19-inch titanium finish "5-arm double-spoke Y design" alloy wheels that inspired by the top-shelf R8 GT. Red brake calipers round off the package. Inside

Audi hasn't let up on its drive to push further upmarket with its performance cars. The R8 mid-engined sportscar arrived as a halo model for Audi. Since its arrival, it has been continually enhanced and new models have come along such as the V-10 FSI as well as the Spyder. The R8 GT ups the ante further with a 560-horsepower 510, which is up 25 ponies on the "standard" V-10. The power increase is coupled with reduced weight to the tune of 220 pounds. The changes are good for a 0-60 dash of just 3.6 seconds, 0.3 faster than the R8 V-10. Pricing checks in at just under the $200,000 mark, at $198,000. The car is limited to just 333 units globally, with 1/3

Audi is pressing forward with new models at both ends of the spectrum - from the A1 minicar to A8 sedan. In performance, the R8 continues to set the standard for the brand. The new Audi A8 was revealed last year and is going on sale currently, with the BMW 7-Series and Mercedes S-Class firmly in its sights. Befitting of those aspirations, it gets a hefty price tag to match. Audi waited until the last minute to reveal the A8's pricing information. The standard length car is going on sale right now, and it starts at $78,050 (excluding $875 destination and dealer charges). Next month the long-wheelbase A8-L (pictured) hits showrooms, and it checks in at $84,000. Next up is the R8 Spyder. Last year, Audi released the Spyder

The fact that Audi is on a roll is undisputed. The brand has become one of the leading contenders in the luxury segment in a small space of time. Sales have increased to match - it was just announced that the 2-millionth Audi has been sold in the United States. It took 40 years to achieve that goal, and we can only imagine the amount Audi will be hitting in the next 40 years. That success has all comes down to product - vehicles like the A5 in particular for enthusiasts. Now, things are about to get a whole lot more interesting as the RS5 has officially been confirmed as coming to the U.S. This is extremely exciting news. Here in America, we currently get the S5

There's nothing like a cool high-speed chase scene, is there? Often the most extreme are police chases. Unfortunately in those, there are real-life people in harms way and they often get hurt. Not so in this new video though! It was created by a new company called Mothership specializing in motion graphics. It looks pretty cool to us. What do you think? Check it out below. Chase from Mothership on Vimeo.

Audi has been releasing videos quite often lately. Most recently we showed you the A1 Quality video, which offered a bit of details about the new small car coming from Audi. The current exotic-lite R8 has only been available in coupe form, but Audi is set to change that with the 5.2-liter V-10, all-wheel drive Spyder. Audi says 0-60 times are on par with the coupe, as well as the 195 mph top speed figure. What would you rather have: R8 Coupe or Spyder? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wT-4nESh-4Y

Audi has gotten a lot of attention lately for its exotic-lite mid-engined R8, and rightfully so. Along with new mainstream models like the A4 and Q5, it has helped vault Audi to a new level - in fact, Audi had its best-ever sales year in 2008. It was sort of surprising that the R8 was allowed to be produced, given it can be seen as a a low-budget alternative to the Gallardo. However, the boost in image that it gave Audi is extremely valuable - the potential for high profit at the Audi brand through using halo models was an appealing proposition to VW's planners. AutoExpress is reporting that a model is actually in the works to slot above the R8, called the R10. The R10 would be

Last month at the Frankfurt Auto Show, the Audi E-Tron Concept debuted. Ahead of the car's launch, rumors were running rampant about a production announcement of an electric R8. That didn't quite turn out to be true, but the speculation instead resulted in the E-Tron concept, which is clearly based on the R8. The car certainly didn't seem like a production preview though. Apparently the car has been greenlighted for production! The news isn't just based on anonymous sources either - it's coming right from Audi's North American head Johan de Nysschen. He says that Audi will be testing complete prototypes of the car within 24 months. The production version is to follow within a 3 year time frame, meaning the end of 2012 at the latest. This

The introduction of the R8 was a big step forward for Audi. A mid-engined vehicle that provided a less expensive alternative to the exotics is something pretty revolutionary for the brand. It's amazing that it was approved by the corporate board, which has to make sure there isn't any cannibalization with the other luxury brands in it's stable. It has proved to be the right call though. No one can doubt the success the car has in generating interest for Audi in demographics across the board. It was a signal of what Audi intended to be in the future. Could fellow German rival BMW be looking to jump into the game as well? BMW is rumored to be hard at work on a mid-engined competitor for the R8. I think