The upcoming S5 sports coupe is also driven by a lead character in the movie. Audi's A6 sedan and Q7 SUV will make onscreen appearances in the pic as well.

Audi will likely pony up tens of millions of dollars to help promote the movie worldwide upon its release, set for May 2. Details of the marketing plans are still being worked out. Recruiting heavyweight promotional partners like Audi for "Iron Man" is particularly crucial for Marvel given that the pic is the first the company is self-financing, with Par only distribbing.

"The car fit very well with the aesthetic the production designer was putting together," Marvel Studios prexy of production Kevin Feige said. The R8 hooked filmmakers in part because elements of the car's design closely resemble Iron Man's superhero garb.

Design of the car's headlights also resemble the eye slits of Iron Man's helmet and light up in similar fashion. "The R8 was the perfect car for Tony Stark," Favreau said. "It's wonderfully engineered. It's fast, it's safe and it's flashy."