Review Says Audi S1 is Pricey but Worth It

The Audi S1 is unquestionably the fastest and most advanced supermini-sized hot hatch. It’s the only one with all-wheel drive and it’s considerably more powerful than anything else its size – all this plus the posh badge do make it a bit expensive, though.

Audi TT Sportback and Offroad Concepts Driven… Very Slowly

When we asked which of the TT concepts you’d like Audi to build, most votes went to the Sportback Concept. Like the Offroad Concept, it isn't really road legal, but Auto Week has managed to get behind the wheel.

Audi Driver is Having a Dialogue of the Deaf with the Voice Recognition System

Automakers should admit that their voice recognition systems have plenty of room for improvement, as the following video will demonstrate. A Norwegian driver of an Audi has been filmed by the passenger while he was trying to convince his car to play the music he wants.

D'oh! Audi Employee Forgets Handbrake, Car Falls and Almost Crushes Him

If by any chance you happen to be employed at a car dealership / service center, you can (and should) put this to your "must-do" list of things to check and complete: always make sure that a parked vehicle is in gear (manual gearbox) or in Park (automatic transmission) and that the handbrake has been pulled all the way up.

What is that you say; "who cares about handbrakes, they're only useful around corners and on the move"? Sure, you can choose to not listen, but don't come back saying we didn't warn you when you fall in the same pickle as this young gentleman from Moscow, Russia.

He did none of the above and look at what happened to him; he almost got killed when an Audi A3 came falling down from a lift...

Luckily, he lived to tell the embarrassing tale to his boss and the unfortunate owner of the car.

VIDEO

Is the New Mercedes-Benz S-Class a Better Luxury Car Than the Range Rover and Audi A8?

We’ve seen many reviews of the all-new Mercedes-Benz S-Class lately, and the unanimous opinion is that the new luxury sedan is a class above all of its competitors. However, when it comes to luxury cars, things are not that simple to classify. Nowadays, traditional luxury sedans face stiff competition from other luxury vehicles as well, like SUVs and four-door coupes.

This is why AutoExpress decided to test the S-Class against a traditional rival like the Audi A8 (albeit the pre-facelift model) and against a vehicle that theoretically belongs to another segment, the Land Rover Range Rover.

One of the reasons the magazine chose the luxury SUV was because it won Best Luxury Car at the 2013 Auto Express New Car Awards, following six consecutive years of S-Class supremacy.

I suspect the award may have had something to do with British pride as well, but can the Range Rover beat the S-Class in a comparative review? You’ll just have to watch the video to find out.

By Dan Mihalascu

VIDEO

Best Everyday Sports Car: Porsche 911, Audi R8 or Jaguar XKR?

British magazine WhatCar recently uploaded a video comparison of what they call three supercars, though, to be fair, only one, the Audi R8 deserves to be called that. The other two contenders, the Porsche 911 and Jaguar XKR, are quite different beasts, the first lying at the upper end of the sports car spectrum, while the second is nothing more than a big GT car with good handling for its size…

Still, the comparison is justified, and makes for some sound advice, as the three vehicles cost about the same, go about as fast and are all viable alternatives as “everyday supercars.”

Moreover, they could have easily included the Nissan GT-R into their group of cars, though they know it would have annihilated the other three performance-wise, aside from already matching them in terms of price, practicality and even image.

The decision of buying a new car is difficult regardless of the price range within the constraints of which you must stay, or the class/type of vehicle you’re looking to get behind the wheel of. Even buying a very fast sports car/supercar is a daunting task, and the better informed you are, the harder the decision becomes…

Scroll down, check out the video, and find out which car won the test (hands down) in the end.

By Andrei Nedelea

VIDEO

Audi Stages Rally Duel between 1983 Sport Quattro and New S3 Hatch

The 1980s Audi Sport Quattro was essentially a road-going version of the Audi Sport Quattro S1 rally car, and in this respect, it is one of the most sought-after and rare “young-timer” cars. With 306PS (302hp) on tap from a 2.1-liter 5-cylinder turbocharged engine and all-wheel drive, it remains a very capable sports car even when compared to today’s models.

In a promotional video meant to highlight the connection between the Sport Quattro and the latest S3, Audi staged a rally duel between the two cars. The Audi S3 hatchback features a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine producing 300 PS (296hp).

The location for the duel was an old stage of the Rallye San Remo in Italy, between Torre a Castello and Asciano. The Sport Quattro, which may be revived in the near future, was driven by legendary rally driver Stig Blomqvist, while the S3 was driven by Hermann J. Müller.

You’ll have to watch the video to find out which car was faster.

By Dan Mihalascu

VIDEO

Check Out the New Audi RS6 Avant in the First Official Trailer

There seems to be some "RS" love in the air today over at Audi's Ingolstadt headquarters, as following the release of a fresh gallery of pictures and a video of the upcoming RS5 Cabriolet, the brand with the four rings also tossed a new trailer for the RS6 Avant towards our way.

Audi A1 Quattro Beats Nissan GT-R on a Wet and Twisty Track, Rains Cats and Dogs Over England…

Pitting an Audi A1 city car against the almighty Nissan GT-R sounds silly, even if said A1 is the limited run Quattro model with a 253HP engine, a 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) time of 5.7 seconds and all-wheel drive, and the venue is a twisty and wet track.
The GT-R is much more expensive and has double the power, probably double the electronics, too, and is the car to have under those exact circumstances. Put simply, it’s probably the fastest production car bar none in such a scenario.

Audi RS3 Sportback Takes on BMW 1 M Coupe in Quarter Mile Duel

The Audi RS3 Sportback and the BMW 1 M Coupe represent two very different approaches on the compact sport model segment.
Ingolstadt’s proposal is a five-door model that looks more like a hotted-up small station wagon than a hatchback. It features a 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-five producing 340-horsepower and 450 Nm (331.90 lb-ft) linked to Audi’s all-wheel drive quattro system and a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

Video: Audi Q3 RS Prototype Fitted with RS3’s 2.5-liter Turbocharged Inline-Five

What more proof that Audi is seriously considering the introduction of a high-performance S or RS version of its newly launched Q3 compact SUV than the creation of a prototype model shown at a media event?
According to the folks over at Sweden’s Sportbilen, the prototype was uncovered during the European press launch of the new Audi Q3 in Zurich, Switzerland. And mind you, this wasn’t a static presentation as the media had the chance to drive the pre-production model on the road.

Audi Import Its New A6 Avant

It’s not uncommon these days for certain companies to reproduce (or at least try to) the styling and/or the available technology features of Germany’s finest carmakers but this time we have a story that turns the tables the other way around. In mid-May, Audi aired a new commercial for the just launched A6 Avant in its home market. The ad shows the executive station wagon model cruising through streets of a German city as a version of Eminem's "Lose Yourself" song plays in the background.
If you watch the commercial in the video after the jump and it reminds you of Chrysler’s “Imported from Detroit” ad for the new 200 sedan from this year's Super Bowl event, rest assured you are not alone.
"It is absolutely shocking," said Joel Martin, manager of Eight Mile Style, the company that handles the song licensing for Eminem. "We believe Audi not only used 'Lose Yourself' to sell their product without permission, but their spot actually feels inspired by elements of Chrysler's commercial campaign,” Martin added.

Audi's Allan McNish Explains 24 Hours of Le Mans in Animated Film

Audi will attempt to achieve a new victory next month at the Le Mans endurance race, with last year's victorious trio of veteran drivers (Allan McNish, Tom Kristensen and Rinaldo Capello) aiming for a win in the new R18TDI. Audi has won the Le Mans 9 times in the past 11 years, with both petrol and diesel racing cars.
In this eye-catching animated film, driver Allan McNish walks us through some interesting facts related to the famous 24 hours race, the Audi team as well as about him. Entitled “A Day in the Life of an Audi Driver”, the video shows us in an interesting way the difficulties a driver has to overcome during the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Roll down after the break to see the race through the eyes of the Scottish driver.

Audi Challenges BMW, Mercedes and Lexus with new Ad Campaign

Audi of America has launched a new advertising campaign that will most likely generate a similar response from the competition in the premium segment. Under the tagline “Car Carrier”, the two Audi commercials feature a BMW owner that goes nuts when he sees a truck full of brand new automotive metal from Ingolstadt.

Audi USA Promotes its Pre-Owned Program with Two New Commercials

Imagine buying a new car and being annoyed constantly by the car's next owners telling you not to do this or that in order to keep the vehicle in top shape. Not a very nice image, but thats exactly what Audi portrays in a series of commercials that promote the brand’s Certified pre-owned program.

First Video of Audi’s All-New 2012 Q3 Baby SUV

If you’re done looking over the official gallery of the new Audi Q3 compact SUV, we have some good news as the Ingolstadt-based automaker has released the first video of the smallest Q series model yet. The new promotional clip shows the Q3 testing on an oval circuit while also offering us a quick walkaround of the exterior and interior.

VIDEO: 2012 Audi RS3 Chasing RS3 During Monte Carlo Presentation

In March, Audi invited members of the press to test drive the new RS3 Sportback on the roads of the Principality of Monaco. Not surprisingly, some of the journalists filmed their encounter with the smallest and most affordable RS model ever produced by Audi on the twisty mountain roads of the principality.

VIDEO: A Wonderful Road Trip through Brazil in an Audi R8 Spyder V10

Truth to be said, any journey would be a blast if you were behind the wheel of sports car like the Audi R8 Spyder V10, but we can’t help but applaud the brand with the four rings for this beautiful, 2-minute long clip filmed in remote, untouristy parts of Brazil. Sit back, turn up the volume and enjoy the ride in the video right after the break.

New Audi A6 Commercial is a Magical Ode to Metal Crafting

Audi has aired some great commercials over the years and this latest one is no exception. Called ‘Manipulation’, the ad was created for the 2012 A6 and it touts the premium sedan’s hybrid body structure of steel and aluminum. The commercial translates all this tech talk into visual magic: special effects make the metal easy to model by hand, just like Play-Doh. If only real car making were that easy... Video follows after the jump.

Audi R8 Commercial: It’s a Good Day for a Drive in the Snow

While the worst of winter may soon be over in the northern hemisphere, carmakers continue to roll out snow-theme advertisements, which proved to be rather popular this season as even Ferrari touted the capabilities of its newest offering, the FF GT, on the snow.
This advertisement comes from Audi, which is an automaker with a long tradition in all-wheel drive models. The German company questions the notion that supercars are only good for the track and for flat, dry roads and not for the “biggest snowstorm in recent memory” showcasing an R8 Coupe having some fun on the snow. Watch the video right after the jump.