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2015 Audi S3 configurator goes live with all the black and silver paint you've hoped for

It has already been nearly a year since we completed our First Drive of the premium pocket rocket Audi S3, with official pricing for the car detailed earlier this summer. Those are facts, but facts won't help you while away your lunchtime in blissful, car-dreaming reverie, will they?
No, for help with imagining just exactly the kind of Audi S3 that you'd like to put in your garage, the freshly launched configurator is just the thing.
Every 2015 Audi S3 will come with 2.0T power under the hood - to the tune of 292 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. The most basic Premium Plus trim (an interesting renaming of "entry level" we'll grant you) starts at $41,100 before destination, while the higher-content Prestige asks $47,000. The extra six grand buys you full LED lighting, tri-zone climate control, S model appearance upgrades like quad exhaust tips and a more advanced infotainment suite with Bang & Olufsen sound.

A8 Audi Exclusive Concept shows off brand's interior chops

It's an envious position to be in, not wanting a normal Audi A8 but not wanting to make the statement that comes with a Bentley or a Rolls-Royce. What's an oligarch to do? Well, if you have the funds, consider the A8 Audi Exclusive Concept (yes, that's the actual name), a modified A8L W12 that's limited to just 50 units and features a significantly upgraded interior. Think of it as a followup to the A8 Exclusive Concept, shown at Frankfurt in 2011.
Aniline leather from Italian furniture manufacturer Poltrona Frau is fitted over the seats, while diamond stiching accentuates the Agatha Cognac color. Granite Gray piping and stitching on the seats provides some contrast - not just with the leather but the natural, olive ash inlays on the dash. Granite Gray Nappa leather lines the instrument panel and steering wheel while a white Alcantara headliner sets off the whole package. Not that it's a shock, but this looks like a really nice place to spend some time.
It's unclear how much the exclusive concept treatment adds on to the already lofty $135,900 starting price of a US-spec A8L W12, or if the special interior treatment will even be available in the North America. Production is set to kick off next March. Scroll down for the full statement from Audi.

Audi commits two R18 E-Tron Quattros to final Sebring race for LMP1 cars

We were baffled a few weeks back when the American Le Mans Series and Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series announced new classes that will make up their combined racing program in 2014. Gone from the list is the Le Mans Prototype class, otherwise known as LMP1. The LMP1 class has long been the top dog of endurance racing, both in Europe and the US, so we couldn't figure out why this newly minted racing series was jettisoning it like yesterday's donuts.
It appears as if Audi is confused by the move as well. The German brand has announced it will participate in this year's ALMS opening round, the famed 12 Hours of Sebring, as it does every year, and bringing two Audi R18 E-Tron Quattro hybrid race cars with which to compete. Unlike every other year, Audi is treating this year's race as its potential swan song in this famous Florida race.
There's a good reason that Audi is so fond of the 12 Hours of Sebring, as it debuted the gas-powered R8R there in 1999 that kicked off its participation in the upper echelon of endurance racing. The R8R preceded the R8, which debuted at Sebring in 2000 and won that race, starting an amazing career for that car that included five more wins at Sebring. The R8 was followed by the R10, then the R15 and R18, and finally we wind up at today's R18 E-Tron Quattro - all winners, all dominant, all exciting to watch.