MTM Geneva Show Display Includes Fastest Audi R8 with 777HP and TT RS with 472HP

Among the many tuning firms making their way to the Geneva Motor Show is VW Group specialist MTM. The German company will display two heavily modified Audi models, based on the R8 V10 and the TT RS. The most impressive proposal is the one-off MTM R8 Biturbo that comes with a polished chrome body that took over 700 working hours to complete. A large fixed spoiler at the back along with 20-inch forged rims and carbon fiber parts round off the exterior changes.

However, the most striking aspect of the tune is hidden underneath the shiny body as MTM has modified the V10 engine to produce a whopping 777-horses and 888 Nm (655 lb-ft) of peak torque for a 0 to 100km/h (62mph) sprint time of 3.0 seconds. The R8 BiTurbo also accelerates from naught to 200km/h (124mph) in 9.37 seconds and to 300 km/h (186mph) in 19.42 seconds, en route to a top speed 350km/h (218mph).

The conversion also includes an adjustable sports suspension and massive MTM brakes with 8-piston calipers at the front and rear axle. Currently a one-off model, the MTM R8 Biturbo is said to cost over €400,000 or about US$550,500.

MTM's second tuned vehicle is the TT RS that sports a 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-five producing 472-horsepower that was recently tested at Nardo achieving a top speed of 312km/h (194mph).

MTM TT RS
Power output (max.): 472 hp (347 kW) at 7000 rpmTorque (max.): 600 Nm at 4400 rpm
Acceleration 0-100 km/h: 3,9 s
Top speed: 312 km/h
Brakes: MTM brake VA 380 x 34mm, dimpled, 8-piston calipers
Wheels: 20'' MTM Schmiederad im BIMOTO Design
Price: 84.166 Euro (incl. tax and installation)

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Red Hot Audi R8 Spyder with 600 Ponies will Burn your Pockets

If the factory ready Audi R8 Spyder isn't quite to your liking, perhaps the tuning folks over at Sport Wheels can help you build the roadster of your dreams, albeit at a very, very steep price. If our calculations are correct, the full treatment will cost you around €62,000 (US$85,000 at the current exchange rates) or about half the price of an all-new R8 Spyder in Germany.

The tuning house begins from the outside with numerous carbon fiber parts including the front bumper (€7,799), brake cooling ducts (€1,259), front spoiler (€1,799), rear bumper (€4,799), rear diffuser (€3,799) and fixed wing (€1,999).

Next up are the engine and exhaust system upgrades (€6,048), which help boost output to 600HP and 580Nm of peak torque. Stopping power can be further improved with MOV´IT-CER ceramics brake calipers, but at a ludicrous cost of €21,990.

Those sexy looking alloy wheels sized 20-inch up front and 21-inch at the back with Dunlop Sport Maxx tires are priced at €4,599, while the tune is completed with an aluminum coil-over suspension for €7,349.

Goodwood Celebrates Audi's Centenary by Suspending Cars over Massive Sculpture

This year's featured marque at the Goodwood Festival of Speed (3-5 July) is Audi as the Ingolstadt-based automaker is celebrating its 100th birthday. To commemorate the anniversary, Lord March, who hosts the festival at his back-yard 12,000-acre West Sussex estate, commissioned the creation of massive sculpture that features two cars from Audi's history, the iconic 1937 Auto Union streamliner and the just launched R8 V10 sports car suspended in the air, at either end of the 'swoosh' of tire tracks.

Designed by the Gerry Judah, Lord March's creative collaborator, the sculpture weighs in at a total of 40 tonnes or the equivalent of 40 small family cars and it took two 100-tonne cranes to raise the monument and about four weeks for 12 men to fabricate, build and install it in front of the Goodwood house.

"I drew about 20 ideas and some had elaborate bridges with vaulted arches but somehow they didn't have quite the right style," said Judah. I then had a flash of inspiration and designed this 'swoosh' with a car at either end to represent Audi's 100-year history.

"It's made entirely of steel and although the design looks simple, it's actually extremely complex, because the structure has to be rigid and completely balanced without the need for hundreds of supporting props."

Audi Presents Updated Navigation System Plus for A3, TT and R8

Just like any other electronic product, navigation systems are continuously upgrade with better software and hardware. Audi's updated navigation system plus with MMI (Multi Media Interface) for the A3, TT and R8 models promises to offer improved route calculation speeds thanks to a latest-generation processor clocked at 600 MHz while another significant enhancement is are the 800 x 480 pixel, high-resolution graphics displayed on the 6.5-inch screen.

On the back of the display, which can be folded away at the push of a button, are two slots for SD and SDHC cards with capacities of up to 32 GB, enough to store about 14,000 songs or 700 hours of music.

Also new on Audi's updated navigation system plus is the optical parking assistant which can be combined in the Audi R8 with the rearview camera. Aside from the acoustic warning signals, the distance to the front and to the rear is now displayed optically on the high-resolution display.

The new system is available for order now with prices ranging between €2,270 and €2,565, depending on the model.

Chinese Hybrid Sports Car Mixes Audi R8 and Ferrari Styling Traits

It has come to the point where this blatant copying of Western car designs from Chinese auto manufacturers is getting totally ridiculous. The Tong Jian S11 that was reportedly revealed at the Shanghai Motor Show earlier this year but somehow escaped our radars, borrows several styling cues from a number of vehicles including the Audi R8-esque profile and the Ferrari-inspired tail design.

The Tong Jian S11 is said to be a hybrid sports car that presumably combines electric motors with an internal combustion engine. There are no specific details on the car's mechanics nor if it is scheduled to enter production at some point.

Via: Leblogauto & Autoblog.com , Images: Goche Sohu

VIDEO: Audi R8 Spyder Spied Barely Camouflaged on the Nurburgring

Ever-expanding Audi is adding the final touches on the R8 Spyder (could be named Spider though) that is expected to premiere at the Frankfurt motor show in September. A thinly disguised prototype model of Ingolstadt's drop-top supercar was captured on film during testing at the Nurburgring race track. Despite the fact that only the rear window seems to be covered, the dark finish does not allow us to view the design in all its glory. What is clearly visible though is the R8 Spyder's fabric roof.

If we're not mistaken, the prototype seen in the spy footage appears to be equipped with Audi's 5.2-liter V10 FSI that churns out 525HP at 8,000 rpm and a peak torque of 530Nm or 390.91 lb-ft. Unverified reports from both sides of the Atlantic suggest that the R8 Spyder will initially be available only with the V10 engine, though we find it hard to believe that the German firm won't offer the smaller 4.2-liter V8 engine in the near future.

Audi R8 5.2 FSi Launched

Audi has announced the launch of the new Audi R8 5.2 FSI for India. Propelled by a powerful V10 quattro engine and built using the lightweight Audi Space Frame (ASF) design, the R8 V10 goes from 0-100 kmph in 3.9 seconds, boasting of a top speed of 316 kmph. Every Audi R8 5.2 FSI is hand built and is priced at Rs. 1,32,49,000/- (ex-showroom Maharashtra). The Audi R8 5.2 FSI will be available with a manual six-speed transmission or R tronic which enables the driver to change gears in an instant via rocker switches on the steering wheel. The speciality of the this car audi r8 5.2 fsi is that it is handbuilt.

The car also features the Quattro permanent all-wheel drive technology. Then, there's the Launch Control function, which is available with both types of transmission. This ensures the car is stable and there is driving comfort even when it hurtles forward from standstill. The car is built of aluminium and the spaceframe weighs just 210 kg, with no compromise on safety and performance though.No wonder then, that this car has won the 2010 World Performance Car Of The Year award.