Car Throttle

The Audi R8 5.2 FSI is already one of the most desirable cars on earth. I mean, come on - it's a combination of Lamborghini craziness with Audi civility and beautiful design.  It makes a sound like God playing a trumpet, accelerates like it's just been rear-ended by a runaway dump truck, and will make beautiful four-wheel powerslides with one hand on the wheel.  The interior is immaculate, it's got an external-gated 6 speed, and... well, I could go on for days.  It took up where the NSX left off; offering supercar performance with everyday civility in a perfectly engineered package. And now Audi has seen fit to add a little spice to the recipe, and it looks like it's about to get a little more

Sadly, this is not a full blown return for Hispano-Suiza, the vaunted Spanish car builder that had a penchant for using airplane engines in street cars (think about that for a while). No, this time around Hispano-Suiza has come back as a coach builder, and they've decided to do up some custom coachwork for Audi's R8 The debut model, just rolled out at the Geneva Show, for the reconstituted Hispano-Suiza is not just any R8, but an R8 5.2 FSI V10. Seems like they can't shake the "let's put a BIG engine in the car" vibe that pervaded their offerings for so many years. And just like the Hispano-Suizas of yore, this one ain't cheap. €700,000 or US$950,000 is what they're asking. Yes, it does come

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

GAH! My eyes! MY EYES!!! Why do people do this? Why do they try to make one car, look like a different car? And doing to a car like the A5, that makes no sense. The A5, although not to everyone's tastes, is a pretty good looking car and quite handsome as it sits. If you're going to mess with something like that, you better be careful. I ran across this little bit of news on Paul Tan's site. He seems like a car guy, like us, but he's based in Malaysia (see how far I go for you guys to get interesting news?), so he always digs up interesting things, or usually has a different perspective. So up pops the Hofele Design Audi A5 Styling Kit

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

What is it with the high-end cars crashing this week? First the Bugatti Veyron crashing into a lake, next a Ferrari California into construction equipment and then a Aston Martin DB9 crashing into a tree. The Audi R8 has been pegged as a more affordable exotic, and while it might not be up there with Lamborghinis and Ferraris, it certainly is a desired car by enthusiasts. This  one is rare - the crash involves a red R8, a BMW 6-Series and a Range Rover on Newport Boulevard in Costa Mesa, California. Apparently the Audi R8 hit into the Range Rover and was hit from behind by the BMW 6-Series. The Range Rover involved in the incident wasn't photographed. Very bizarre to say the least! Thanks to WreckedExotics

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

Sometimes, you get a filet mignon when you're expecting Hamburger Helper. That's sort of how I feel going to an Audi dealership - for the most part, modern Audi's don't push my buttons as much as the golden oldies like the Type-44's, the ur-Quattro, and the Porsche-engineered RS2.  But when you pull up to your local Audi dealer and this is sitting outside, I'd like to see your expression. Sure, most of Audi's modern range is uninspired and just too German to be interesting, but the R8 is different.  This is the type of car that leaves an impression after you see it - one that lasts a long time.  I think it's sure to go down as one of the most beautiful designs of this