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Audi R8 caught on tape fleeing hit and run incident
Driving a high-performance car comes with various pros and cons. Whether you own a full-blown supercar, muscle car, or simply a sports car with a high power-to-weight ratio, controlling your right foot and the throttle pedal is, and always has been, a delicate balance. This is thoroughly demonstrated in the featured video. Filmed somewhere in Russia, the video depicts an Audi R8 supercar cruising the Russian streets before slamming into what’s suspected to be a Lada Samara in just a matter of seconds. As you’ll soon see, the R8 is seen making a U-turn from one direction of flow to the opposite direction of flow, before performing yet another U-turn just seconds after the first one. It’s currently unclear why the R8 driver did this, but the result is as plain as day. While performing the second U-turn, the driver either intentionally or unintentionally kicked the tail of the rear-wheel drive supercar out, performing a drift Ken Block would be proud of. However, the result wouldn’t make anyone proud. After drifting into traffic, the R8 smashes into a Lada Samara which rolls after the impact. However, instead of checking to see if the occupants were uninjured, the R8 driver instead paused momentarily while remaining in the car, before speeding off from the scene, even running a red light to escape the scene. Although no number plates can be seen in the video, it’s likely to be crucial part of evidence if police decide to investigate the matter further. Remember, please don’t try this at home!
Video: Audi celebrates its 500,000 German Facebook fans with R8 drifting
After Ferrari revealed a video showing the 458 Italia doing burnouts in order to celebrate its 8 million Facebook fans, Audi is trying to steal their thunder by unveiling a similar video. The German company is celebrating their 500,000 German Facebook fans with a video showing the Audi R8 drifting in the hands of Dindo Capello somewhere in Barcelona, Spain Make sure you check out the video and remember, not to try any of this at home. Capello is a professional and more than likely, this was performed on a closed course. As a reminder, the Audi R8 is powered by a 5.2 liter V10 engine that delivers 518 HP and 391 lb-ft of torque. The future R8 will be even more impressive with a retuned V10 that will produce 533 HP. This engine will be mated with a new seven-speed dual clutch S-tronic gearbox. Spy Shots: Audi R8 e-Tron caught testing at Nurburgring
  Usually, when an auto maker wants to rev their car’s engine as loud as possible when pushing it to its limit, they take it to the Nurburgring race track. This time, however, our spy photographers had a few problems hearing the prototype testing at the famous race track and almost skipped it entirely. That’s because the prototype is the Audi R8 e-tron test mule. The R8 e-tron is not a secret anymore and every car addict knows that a production version will arrive sometime next year, but this prototype still shows that Audi is meaning business with their e-tron projects. As you can see from the spy shots and may already know, the future R8 e-tron will look almost the same as the standard R8 sports car, except for the lack of exhaust pipes due to the fact that this a zero-emissions model. Then there’s the change in the rear window where fans can typically check out the V8 or V10 engines. That’s been covered up now that the engines are non-existent and there is also a big hole for the cooling of the batteries. A production version of the Audi R8 e-tron will arrive in 2013, built in limited numbers.
Video: Three-year old cutie still loves her dad’s Audi R8 Spyder
Safety and parenting issues notwithstanding, this video is about as cute as it gets. We all remember Cris Ostberg as the dude who once put his then 18-month old daughter in the front passenger seat of his Audi R8 V10 Spyder while she gleefully shouted "turbo!" every chance she got. Fast forward to 2012 and the little sweetheart is now three years old. But while she’s gotten bigger, her love for the Audi R8 V10 Spyder doesn’t appear to have waned in the least. In this new video, Ostberg was careful to follow all the safety precautions to ensure that his daughter wouldn’t be hurt, including switching off the passenger airbags. Understandably, some folks might have a problem with Ostberg’s rather loose interpretation of responsible parenting, but if you can put that aside, the sight of his daughter continuing in her "turbo!!!" exaltation is just too cute to ignore. Let’s just hope that dear old Cris doesn’t get any genius ideas and let his daughter drive the R8 V10 Spyder on her 4th birthday.
Facelifted Audi R8 to sport dual-clutch transmission
 The Audi R8 has been an extremely successful car for Audi, as it was originally launched as their first real attempt to compete with modern-day supercars. And boy did they deliver. The R8 is now offered in an array of versions, including the popular R8 V10 which uses the same 5.2-liter engine as the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4, but just like every other car, there comes a time when it has to be updated and the facelifted R8 is set to debut in just a few months. Various spy shots have been captured of the stunning supercar, and the biggest visual changes are set to be its redesigned headlights and taillights. Although they’re expected to largely maintain their shape, the design of the actual lights within will be very different. A difference which will only be clearly noticeable at night, but a change nonetheless. However, the biggest change will happen underneath, as the 2013 model is set to feature a twin-clutch transmission, if Autocar is to be believed. Up until this point, the R8 has only been offered with either a traditional six-speed manual or a paddle-shift operated ‘box, but the inclusion of a DCT should do wonders for sales of the R8. Even though the R8’s successor is being prepped for a release in the next two years, Audi went all out to redesign the tub, suspension, and engine carrier to support the larger gearbox, and this has us coming to one solid conclusion. We’re doubtful Audi would go to that much effort just to get a few more sales and keep up with the competition, and instead believe that the R8’s successor will make use of the same tub and S-tronic dual-clutch gearbox. Additionally, the R8 V10’s engine is set for a slight horsepower increase up from 525BHP to 540BHP, but it’s currently unclear if this engine will be retained in the future model. Either way, it’s great to see Audi updating the R8 to keep up with the times and we’re extremely excited about the 2014 or 2015 model also, which is set to be a true evolution of the car. Video: Audi R8 LMS Ultra track testing sound
The new Audi R8 LMS Ultra will be making its racing debut at the 24 hours of Le Mans race. But until we will finally see how cool the car is and what an impressive level of performance it is delivering, lets see a very cool video from a test track day at Monza racetrack. The new R8 LMS Ultra is powered by a 5.2 liter V10 engine that delivers a total of 570 HP and has received an optimized cooling system, a larger engine oil cooler and transmission fluid cooler. The car is priced at $445,000. The video has been brougth to us by Youtube user NM2255 and we have to admit he did quite an impressive job. It includes an amazing engine sound with lots of loud accelerations and fast fly bys on a very wet track!
2012 Audi R8 PPI Design Razor GTR for John Olsson
Jon Olsson is famous for the amazing cars, like the Rebellion R1k Ultima GTR or the Lamborghini Gallardo Ski Transporter. Now, it’s time to add another great car to his impressive garage: a specially designed PPI Design R8 Razor GTR. According to his official blog, all Olsson wanted to do was add "a nice little spoiler on it and do a nice little "quick" pimp," but PPI kind of ruined his plans. They added a full carbon fiber body kit that weighs only 600 grams. Knowing about his passion for skiing, PPI also added a ski box at the top of the R8. The standard PPI Razor GTR features a normally aspirated V10 engine that provides over 601 hp at 7,400 rpm and a maximum torque of 416 lb-ft at 6,400 rpm. However, from what we know about Olsson’s rides, we wouldn’t be surprised to see at least 700 HP under this hood. Video: Audi educates us on the R8 E-Tron’s "E-Sound"
One of the biggest allures people have of supercars is the ear-splitting noise these cars produce. After all, nothing speaks to a car’s power than all those ponies working in harmony to produce a roar like no other. But what happens with a car like the Audi R8 E-Tron, a supercar that’s powered by silent electric motors? In the case of Audi, it involves a few compromises. In this video, Audi talks about the challenges of producing that emotional sound supercar owners love on a car that’s run by electricity. The solution, as far as Audi engineers are concerned, was to develop a synthetic sound signature that can be played with a loudspeaker attached to the car’s undercarriage. Take note of the word "synthetic" because that in itself means that the sound is fabricated and not directly derived from the engine. Nevertheless, the objective with the "E-Sound" was to generate enough noise to allow drivers to enjoy the thrills of a supercar with an electric powertrain. Check out the videos - one of which you can find after the jump - to find out how Audi accomplished giving the Audi R8 E-Tron the supercar-like sounds similar to its gasoline-powered siblings. Full story Video: 1,000-horsepower Jeep Grand Cherokee gets its drag juices on
Under normal circumstances, a Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 wouldn’t be able to hold a candle to cars like the Nissan GT-R, the Audi R8, and even the BMW X6M. Whereas the Grand Cherokee SRT8 is capable of producing ’only’ 420-something horsepower, the Audi R8 carries 525 horsepower while the Switzer-tuned GT-R has 850 horsepower, and the X6M carries 620 ponies. But things become very, very different when a Grand Cherokee SRT8 packs a monstrous 7.2-liter V8 engine that produces no less than 1,000 horsepower. When you line up an SUV carrying that much power, all common sense is thrown out the proverbial window. In this video, we have a 1,000-horsepower Grand Cherokee SRT8 engaging in a drag race with the three aforementioned vehicles. It’s a rare sight to see a Jeep SUV put a German supercar and a high-powered German SUV to shame. The only car that still managed to get a leg-up on the Jeep SUV was the Switzer-tuned GT-R, which took advantage of its own tuning upgrade to blast the strip and let the Grand Cherokee SRT8 eat its dust. Check out the video and see how a 1,000-horsepower Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 does in a full-on drag race. 2012 Audi R8
The Audi R8 was first launched back in 2007 and even though it has remained successful throughout its many years on the market, Audi is preparing it for a major makeover for the 2012 model year (2013 for the US market). The first details of the future model suggest that the car will receive a facelifted exterior and interior design, and more powerful engines - both V8 and V10 options. The new Audi R8 is expected in the summer of 2012. For the exterior, the R8 will only be receiving minor adjustments with a new headlamp design and millimetric changes to the LED spacing. The biggest changes will be found under the hood. The 5.2 liter V10 engine will be tuned to deliver 533 HP, up from today’s 518 HP, and will be combined with a new seven-speed dual clutch S-tronic gearbox. As for the V8, it will be upgraded to have the same specs found in the S5. This means a total of 444 HP, up from today’s 424 HP. The company also confirmed there will be an updated GT and GT Spyder version. UPDATE 08/24/2011: Fourtitude.com was able to get their hands on an unofficial official image of the front end of the future R8 facelift. Looking at the photo, you wouldn’t be remiss if you thought that what you’re looking at is the new front end of the R8. The changes are noticeably different, particularly Audi’s new hexagonal front grille and a new razor-thin lights set-up that stretches from the quarter panel all the way to the grille. UPDATE 03/12/2012: Audi has unveiled the first teaser video for the facelift version of the Audi R8 sportscar. The teaser video comes with the promise that "the new R8 is coming!" Hit the jump to watch it! Full story | featured reviews:Audi R8 latest reviews:Audi R8 tuning:
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