Octane TV

Audi is aiming for market domination over the next few years: there will be 17 new models introduced between now and 2015. Due in 2010 is the A7, a 4-door coupe set to rival the likes of the Mercedes-Benz CLS and BMW's upcoming 8-series

The car's based on a new platform that will also form the basis for the next A6. Based around the MLP (Modular Long Platform) matrix unveiled on the A5 last year, it concentrates as much weight as possible within the wheelbase for optimum weight distribution.

Like the CLS, the A7 will utilize air springs in order to provide a luxurious ride. Powering that ride will be 3 choices of direct-injection gasoline engines: a 2.8 FSI V6, a 3.0L TFSI V6 and a 4.0L TFSI V8 (yes, please!). Diesel power will also be available by way of a 2.7L V6, plus turbocharged and, even better, twin-turbo'd versions of the 3.0: V6 TDI. Gear duty will be either a standard 6-speed manual or optional 7-speed twin-clutch or 7-speed automatic.

Along with a hybrid model that's in development, expect S7 and RS7 versions to follow in quick succession after the A7's introduction. The RS7 will use a tweaked version of the RS6's twin-turbo 5.2L V10, good for around 600hp.

Audi may be arriving slightly late to the 4-door coupe party, but they're arriving with style. AutoCar

The Bullrunners continue their journey South, peeling out of Vineyard 49 on Long Island and headed for Atlantic City.

Unsurprisingly, Claus in the TechArt Cayenne arrives in 1st place, having caught the early ferry. Behind him, Bullrunners jostle for position, attempting to beat traffic, stay ahead of the law and head in the right direction. Yeah, the whole 'Head South' thing can get confusing.

Meanwhile, Team Texas' Richard Rawlings and Dennis Collins have been tearing across the country and, at around 5am East Coast time, they make a triumphant phone call to Jay Riecke to call in their $50,000 bet. Their transcontinental time? A ridiculously-fast 31:59.

Morning in Atlantic City means bleary eyes and sore heads all round (boy, those blue rinse old ladies in A.C. sure know how to party...) as everyone heads for a checkpoint at Bullrun National Park. Alas, Team Lotus and Team CEC both fall prey to the cops and Team Riecke 2 just can't seem to find the right road.

A quick pit stop and the cavalcade heads for Staunton, VA. This small town ain't seen nothing like this before and all the locals pack the streets to welcome Bullrun to town. They're rewarded by Mardi Gras beads, thongs & t-shirts thrown from the top of a Hummer and a night of partying they're likely to remember for years to come.

Bullrun Rally 2007 Episode 4 of 10

Seems someone over at Audi ain't too good at keeping a secret, given the recent leakage of a 2010 Engine Product Offensive from their Poland office. Of course, this may all be conjecture / hocus pocus / April Fool's Day in May, but interesting nonetheless.

So, what do we have in store?

Audi A1
In addition to the current 1.4 TFSI engines, the A1 will also receive a new 63kW (86hp) entry level 1.2-liter TFSI which is most likely based on the 70hp 1.2-liter engine that was recently shown in the new SEAT Ibiza at the Madrid Motor Show last week.

Audi S4 (B8)
The sports version of the current generation A4 will see the 4.2-liter V8 from the B7 generation get dropped, and instead, return to its B5 roots with the all new 245kW (333hp) 3.0-liter V6 bi-turbo TFSI. Available in Avant form as well as sedan, the S4 will be available in 6-speed manual transmission or double-clutch 7-speed S-tronic.

Audi S5
The Audi S5 coupe will keep its 4.2-liter V8 for now, but starting in September 2010 the bi-turbo 3.0-liter TFSI V6 as seen in the S4 will replace it. Despite the horsepower reduction from the V8's 260kW (354hp) versus the V6's 245kW (333hp), it's possible the weight savings as well as lower center of gravity of the smaller engine compensates for the reduction in output.

Audi RS5
Using the same 4.2-liter V8 in the current S5, the RS5 gets a massive 70kW (96hp) bump from 260kW (354hp) to 331kW (450hp). Such an increase suggests some turbo charging shenanigans are going on, however only the 7-speed dual-clutch S-tronic transmission will be available. The RS5 hits market in July 2010.

Audi A5/S5 Sportback
The A5 Sportback will be available with 1.8 TFSI to the 3.2FSI for the petrol and 2.0 TDI to the 3.0 TDI for diesels plus all of their variants in between. An S5 Sportback will receive the new 3.0-liter bi-turbo TFSI in either 6-speed manual or S-tronic7. September 2010 is the launch date.

Audi A7 Sportback
We have heard of the all new A7 model in coupe and cabriolet form, but this leaked document brings to our eyes for the first time the A7 Sportback. With only petrol and diesel V6 engines available from June 2010, a new 8 speed automatic transmission will be introduced on the 3.0-liter TDI model which launches in November 2010.

Audi S7 Sportback
Here's the blockbuster. The S7 Sportback breaks cover in November 2010, but it does not receive the 3.0-liter bi-turbo TFSI engine found in the future S4 and S5 models. Instead this baby gets an all new 4.0-liter TFSI producing 290 kW (394hp) with S-tronic7.

Audi A8 (D4)
The next generation A8 retains the same V8 engines and a new 8 speed automatic transmission is added.

Audi R8 Spyder
Hoping for a debut at this past Detroit Auto Show, the R8 Targa or Spyder was absent. Instead we saw the R8 V12 TDI Concept debut. However, according to this leaked document the 5.2-liter V10, which was recently spotted with it's engine in view, will be available in both Coupe and Spyder variants making 386 kW (525hp). The R8 coupe launches in June 2009 and the Spyder in March 2010, both with the R-tronic sequential gearbox.

Hit the link for some nifty charts showing what's coming when. WorldofCarFans

InsideLine have been at it again, slogging away at a job that any of us would do for free! This time around they've pitted the 2009 Nissan GT-R against...The Rest of the World. Well, almost.

The GT-R is up against the following 'wouldn't say no to having it in my garage' list:
2008 Audi R8
2008 Lotus Elise SC
2008 Porsche 911
2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X MR
2008 Subaru WRX STI.

The cars were put through their paces on a twisty 1.8 mile closed road course and at Willow Springs Raceway. Click the link to find out the results...but no prizes for guessing which car came out on top. InsideLine

Motoren Technik Mayer from Wettstetten, Germany has taken a stock Audi S5 and turned it into the "MTM S5 GT Supercharged".

354 horsepower has been transformed into 505 horsepower by adding a compressor to the 4.2-liter V8. An MTM intercooler housing with integrated water cooling ensures max performance. Torque gets a 106 lb-ft boost to a total 546 and all this means a 0-60 mph time of just 4.3 seconds.

New coilover suspension and higher camber angles on the axle geometry give the car more precise and agile steering and handling, plus an enhanced 8-piston braking system with pitted discs means you'll stop as fast as you go.

While the exterior aesthetics of the car are mostly unchanged, a flow-optimized stainless steel sports exhaust system, with four tailpipes, will let everyone know your S5 is just a little bit different.

The finishing touch to the understated package is the 21-inch 'bimoto' rims with low-profile, high-performance rubber. UCarMag.com

Oh, to live in New York and be able to take advantage of all the cultural on offer. And what better way to hit the City That Never Sleeps than in a stylish and, er, understated limousine?

If you're in the market for mass transportation, look no further than the Audi Q7 limo. It seats 14 comfortably and has a Jet Door for easy access. But just wait until you get inside...

Your bottom won't know what hit it when it slides across the alligator and snake skin upholstery. Your senses will be overwhelmed by the disco floor AND ceiling and, the pièce de résistance a fish tank over fire flames. Well, I mean, who could possibly resist the allure of such classic appointments? Royaluxury

We love it when a 'design study' shows up as something that closely resembles a production vehicle. Such is the case with new spy photos of Audi's TT Clubsport Quattro that was originally showcased as a concept at the Wörthersee 2007 enthusiast meet in May 2007.

As with any move from 'fantasy' to 'reality', the production version is somewhat toned down...but not too much! It retains the speedster look of the concept with a wrap-around windshield, some very beefy fender flares and high roll bars behind the seats.

While the spy photogs didn't manage to get a look under the hood, the racing-style seats and big rims suggest there's some serious horsepower hiding under there. The concept used a 300-hp TFSI 4-cylinder mill...sounds like a good fit for the real version, too! AutoBlog

Earlier reports that Audi was preparing to shove a V10 into the R8's engine bay have been confirmed. Audi's been lending prototype units to Audi R8 owners and one was nice enough to snap a pic of the extra two cylinders hiding under the hood.

The 5.2-liter V10 is borrowed from the RS6 Avant but will not, apparently, use that car's twin-turbo setup. The more powerful new model will also get new front and rear bumpers and an updated exhaust system.

Still under speculation is what the car will be called, with some suggesting RS8 and some going for the more predictable R10. No matter what moniker the car ends up sporting, expect at least 500 horsepower when the new car gets uncovered in September for an early- to mid-2009 debut. Jalopnik

Insideline has been busy putting the new Audi TTS through its paces and, it seems, the 'little car that could' finally has what it takes to stop being called 'girly' and give off enough manly presence - and power - to entice even the snobbiest of drivers to get behind the wheel.

Its 2.0-liter TFSI mill is both turbocharged and direct injected for an output of 265 horses and 258 lb-ft of torque, that kicks in at around 2,500rpm and keeps on kicking. And, at 3,120lbs, the TTS offers a power-to-weight ratio sure to make any driver grin.

InsideLine First Drive

The folks over at InsideLine have been earning their daily bread again, this time by putting two German powerhouses head-to-head.

The $53,000, all-wheel-drive 2008 Audi S5 boasts a 354hp direct-injection 4.2-liter V8. It's up against the rear-wheel-drive 2008 BMW M3, that gets V8 power for the first time and will set you back a cool $60,000+.

Which one is your money on? Click to find out which one gets bragging rights.

We were attempting to drive along Hollywood Blvd, CA last night at around 7.30pm and couldn't understand why the traffic was at quite such a standstill.

Approaching Mann's Chinese Theater, the reason soon became clear - the premiere of the Audi-laden "Iron Man" was in full swing, with paparazzi, red carpet and screaming fans aplenty.

The single R8 parked right outside the theater was as good-looking as ever but the stopped traffic had us 99% ready to flip a bitch and try a different route. Thankfully, we didn't.

Continuing our crawl past the theater, on the other side of the road, having just unloaded their celebrity cargo, came not 1, not 2 but 7 R8s!! All in a row! With mean LED lights twinkling in unison.

We're ashamed to say we couldn't get our phone out quick enough to take a pic, but it was quite a sight to behold. We hear the movie's kick-ass too.

Those industrious folks over at World Car Fans have managed to get hold of some spy pics of the new RS6 Sedan.

The RS6 Avant gave us a good idea of what the sedan might look like but these new photos show a front fascia that's unchanged but rear styling cues that are closer to that of the A4.

Expect the Avant's V10 to provide at least 580hp in the sedan, with a 0-60mph somewhere around 4 seconds. World Car Fans

So, you can't afford the sticker on Audi's R8 but simply must get some seat time, right? Well, the "Sportscar Experience" could be your answer.

Held at Infineon Raceway, Sonoma, CA, Audi is launching several driving programs that give you a chance to get behind the wheel of their epic 420 HP 2-seater, plus other models, should you choose.

The 2-day R8 driving program gives you plenty of track time, plus instruction from professional drivers. It's not cheap, at $3,495, but you probably couldn't rent one for much less and you wouldn't get to take advantage of the 2.5 mile track. There's also a cheaper, 1-day option that'll set you back $1,895.

Audi offers an RS program - either 1 or 2 days - that teaches more fundamental driving maneuvers or you can opt for a half-day stint ($695) and get into their S-model lineup, including the 450HP S8.

Sounds like a good way to spend a day...or two. Audi SportsCar Experience

Audi's officially taken the covers off its all-new Q5 crossover. Sharing the same platform as the A4 and A5, it's targeted at SUV buyers looking for something a bit more compact than the current Q7.

Still, it's not exactly compact. At over 9 feet, it boasts the longest wheelbase in its segment. Audi will offer a range of motors, possibly even going so far as to offer the 4.2 liter V8 - nice! Currently, though, you'll be able to get the 211hp 2.0 TFSI, a 170hp 2.0 TDI and a 240hp 3.0TDI, although we don't yet know which of these engines is U.S.-bound.

Usual levels of Audi luxury and comfort are a given, plus Quattro AWD and either a 6-speed manual or new 7-speed DSG gearbox. Standard features also include hill-descent control and adjustable air suspension. No word yet on pricing for the 5-seater.

We love the R8 but, after a few laps at Willow Springs Raceway, it's a tad underpowered. But not for much longer.

Volkswagen's head of powertrain development, Wolfgang Hatz, has confirmed that the R8 is, for sure, going to get a V10 and that motor is going to come fro the RS6 Avant.

In that car the 5.2L engine puts out 580 horsepower and 480 lb-ft of torque, so imagine how those figures are going to translate to the lightweight 2-door R8! The V10-powered R8 is to be dubbed the RS8 so we're not sure what that means for the RS version of the A8.

As for those unfortunate R8 prototypes that burned to a crisp last year (powered by the same engine, no less) that overheating problem has now been fixed by using a roof-mounted vent, much like the one seen on the R8 V12 TDI concept.

Barring incident or further fires, expect the RS8 'rocketship' to come to market in mid-2009.