Audi cars

2014 Audi A8

The third-generation Audi A8 was officially unveiled back in 2009, but, just like any other model in the company’s lineup, the luxury sedan is also going to receive a small revision. Our spy photographers have caught the model testing for the first time somewhere in Germany.

Audi tried to hide the updates under some heavy camouflage, but even so, we already know what to expect when the revised A8 arrives on the market. Updates will be nearly identical to what we have seen on all the other updated Audi models.

The revised A8 is going to receive small changes to the front bumper, a new grille and new headlights. For the rear, the revised A8 will feature new lights and an updated bumper. The interior is also going to receive some small updates, plus an updated infotainment system.

Expect the revised Audi A8 to be unveiled later in the year, most likely at a major show like the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show.

Video: The New Audi R8 is Iron Man Approved

Audi must’ve missed Tony Stark so much. Or you can probably say the same thing vice versa.

Either way, the two have reunited after a brief split during the “Avengers” and the second time around appears to have come with a serious lovefest for both parties. It was only a few days ago when Audi released a commercial for the R8 e-Tron featuring no less than Robert Downey Jr in it.

Well, they followed that one up pretty quickly with another ad, this time for the new R8 with Downey again reprising his role, small as it may be, of Tony Stark.

If there’s one thing these promotional tie-ups have shown us, it’s that you get copious amounts of mileage for both companies, something Audi must be happy to have, especially when you consider that the new Audi R8, with its 525-horsepower 5.2-liter V-10 engine with a top speed of 195 mph, is apparently "Iron Man Approved".

If Iron Man likes it, so do we! So do we!

Iron Man 3 hits theaters on April 24.

Audi and Marvel Comics Want You to Finish a Comic Book

Back when all of us were kids, comic books were pretty important part of our lives. Some of us have carried that love as we’ve gone older and now, Audi and Marvel Comics are giving all of us a chance to finally check something off our bucket lists.

Write our own comic book.

The two mega brands have decided to collaborate for a unique project, giving fans an opportunity to create the final frame of Iron Man’s comic book showdown against the Blizzard. And wouldn’t you know it; the frame also has the Audi R8 in it.

As far as your objectives are concerned, all you have to do is create the ending for the story. You are allowed to use whatever technology you can use to conclude story, including sketchpads, cameras, or if you’re really old school, you can draw it up on a sheet of paper. From there, you upload your scene and head over to Steerthestory.com for a chance to see if your work made it to the official comic book pages.

Click past the jump to watch a video describing the mechanics of the contest.

2015 Audi A5

The Audi A5 was initially released in 2008 and the only update it has received since was in the 2012 model year. It now appears that BMW’s decision to offer a 4 Series Coupe and Convertible has forced Audi into also developing a new-generation A5. The new A5 Coupe will arrive in 2015 and it will be followed by a Convertible version six months later.

First details on the second-generation Audi A5 suggest the model will be put on a strict diet, as Audi hopes to shave a total of 220 pounds from the car’s weight. This move will also help reduce the car’s fuel consumption, without needing to downsize engines to a 1.4-liter level.

In order to obtain this drop in weight, Audi will use lighter engine ancillaries, hollow-spoke wheels and aluminum panels. Under the hood, Audi will install the same engine lineup found in the current generation, but with an improved output level. For the S5, the V-6 will deliver a total of 340 horsepower - up from the current 328 horsepower, while the RS5 will drop the current V-8 in a favor of a new twin-turbocharged V-6 engine with an output of 475 horsepower. It is also rumored that the next A5 will be offered with an electric range for the first time.

Hit the jump to read more about the Audi A5.

Image Note: The above image is of the 2012 A5, not the upcoming generation.

Spy Shots: Just When You Thought it was Dead, the Audi R8 E-tron is Caught Testing

When Audi announced that the R8 E-tron was delayed indefinitely, we were pretty skeptical. After all why spend so much money on a project that will never make it to production, right?

Today, our spy photographers have caught some R8 E-Tron prototypes testing during in the cold, despite the certificate of death. Additionally, a few R8 E-Tron prototypes where spotted in Spain last week, making us believe that the R8 E-Tron is very much alive.

This news does not come as a big surprise, considering that BMW is almost finished with the development of its i8 supercar. As usual, Audi will need an i8 fighter to draw customers’ attention back to its lineup and the R8 E-Tron would certainly do that.

However, we need to be fair and admit that Audi could be testing the E-Tron’s technology for a different model. Unfortunately, only Audi knows what’s really going on here, so stay tuned to learn more about a possible production version R8 E-Tron.

Click past the jump to read more on the R8 E-Tron.

2013 Audi R8 PD G850 by Prior Design

Last year, Prior Design unveiled the PD GT650 for the Audi R8 sports car and this year improved upon that and came up with the GT860 package.

The aerodynamic package is made in high-quality Dura-Flex FRP (Fiber Reinforced Plastic) that provides sufficient flexibility combined with high stability and allows for easy and inexpensive painting.

The package includes a new front bumper combined with a new front lip spoiler, front fenders, hood and new side skirts. For the rear, the tuner tossed in a new bumper, new diffuser, a new trunk spoiler and new rear widenings.

This package can be applied to all the Audi R8 models. Unfortunately, Prior Design decided to keep the price a secret and will only unveil it on request. However, considering that previous GT650 package was priced at $26,200 we expect a similar price for the new Audi R8 PD G850.

Click past the jump to read more about the R8

Video: Audi R8 E-tron Featured in New Iron Man 3 Commercial

In the previous movie, Iron Man drove a standard Audi R8 sports car, but for the third installment of the series, Iron Man will be switching to the E-tron version. In fact, he will be among only a few in the world who have had the opportunity to actually enjoy the R8 E-tron, as Audi decided not to offer a production version.

The new commercial for the Iron Man 3 shows the electric supercar in action, and as we can see from the video, is a shame a production version will not follow.

The R8 E-tron is powered by four electric motors with a total output of 313 horsepower. It can go from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.8 seconds, so bad guys won’t have a chance to outrun the Iron Man.

Iron Man 3 will be released on theaters on April 24.

Confirmed: Next Audi TT will Mix Design Elements from Previous Generations

We are still waiting for an updated version of the current-gen TT, but that’s not stopping Audi from testing the third-generation TT. Unfortunately, our spy photographers have only been able to snap images of the next TT’s test mule, but Walter de Silva - head of Volkswagen Group design - revealed in a recent interview that the next-generation TT will be a combine design elements from the first and second generations with some fresh design elements.

de Silva confirmed that the next TT will combine the strong elements we saw in the first generation with the elegance of the second generation and the resulting car will be one that "looks TT, 100 percent, but in a different way."

When viewed from the front, the TT will look like no other Audi, but the side and rear will retain the character of the TT. The new TT will be built on Volkswagen’s new MQB platform, which is not only lighter and stiffer than the current platform, but it will also carry a longer wheelbase. This change will make the car lighter and offer a whole new lineup of turbocharged gasoline and diesel engines that will deliver improved fuel consumption.

Expect the new Audi TT to arrive in 2014.

TopSpeed Rendering: Audi R10 supercar

A few months ago, we first learned that Audi was planning a new supercar inspired by the automaker’s very successful LeMans racecar, the R18, and that it would feature a hybrid powertrain. Initial rumors suggested the model could be named R20,. New rumors are now pointing toward the new supercar being called the R10, which makes more sense to us, considering it will sit right above the upcoming second-generation R8. With this new rumor comes an all-new rendering for you to enjoy (above).

The R10 is rumored to combine a turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 diesel engine driving the rear wheels with a pair of electric motors driving the front wheels. The total output will be in the 600-horsepower area.

Ok, so how we designed our rendering? We started with an R8 and increased the proportions to make it more hypercar-ish. The front is enhanced with design elements from the e-tron Concept and quattro Concept, while the A-pillars are inspired by the R18 racecar.

Why do we think this car will really happen? Because Audi spent lots of money on the R8 E-tron that won’t make it to production because of the current market situation and all the things they have learned designing it need to be used somewhere.

However, don’t expect to hit up your local Audi dealer for one next year, as the R10 is currently in the product-evaluation stage and likely won’t arrive until 2016 or 2017.

Click past the jump to read more on the Audi R10 and its history

2014 Audi S3 Sedan

Audi has finally pulled the covers off of the new Audi A3 Sedan and with it, the German automaker also introduced its S-variant, the equally new S3 Sedan. Oh joy.

Scheduled to meet the world at the New York Auto Show, the new S3 is already getting quite the attention from a lot of people in large part because Audi hasn’t had a small sports sedan in its line-up in a long time.

So you can say that the new S3 has a lot of expectations attached to it, in large part because you can never have enough people clamoring for a German sports sedan that they can actually afford.

Mercedes went ahead and revealed the CLA-Class earlier this year, so it was only the right time for Audi to join the German sports sedan party in America. There’s a sentence we never thought we’d write.

If you’ve been waiting for this day to come, well, wait no longer because details of the new Audi S3 Sedan can be found after the jump.