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Audi R8 Spyder is latest big New York Auto Show debut

The New York Auto Show hasn't been boring. Highlights so far are the kick ass Mazda MX-5 Miata RF and the new Lincoln Navigator Concept. And now, Audi has added a healthy dose of supercar to the mix with the new R8 Spyder. The headlining stats are familiar, seeing as how they're plucked directly from the new R8 hardtop. The only powertrain option is the 5.2-liter V10 and seven-speed S-Tronic dual-clutch transmission. That engine, as in the hardtop, is good for 540 horsepower and will get this droptop German to 62 miles per hour in just 3.6 seconds (only a tenth of a second off the Coupe's time). The convertible R8 will run all the way up to 197 miles per hour. Audi's release makes no mention of a higher-performance V10 Plus model, which is available on the R8 Coupe. That top-end trim bumps output to 610 ponies and cuts three-tenths of a second off the base hardtop's 3.5-second run to 60. The upside, of course, is unlimited headroom. The new fabric roof can be opened or closed at speeds up to 31 miles per hour, and the operating time is 20 seconds in both directions. The R8 Spyder hasn't exactly been a secret. We've spotted it testing as recently as August, and it was included on a leaked product road map last month with a listed March/April debut. Check back later for a full round of live images from the R8's New York debut. Until then, check out our first images of the new R8 Spyder, available up top. Related Video: New Audi R8 Spyder V10: debut at the New York International Auto Show V10 engine developing 397 kW (540 hp), from 0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 3.6 seconds New: driving dynamics system with performance mode Audi Space Frame with 50 percent improvement in rigidity 397 kW (540 hp), from 0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 3.6 seconds, top speed 318 km/h (197.6 mph) – the new Audi R8 Spyder* with V10 naturally aspirated engine merges impressive performance with the allure of open-top driving. Its striking design and high-end technologies demonstrate the concentrated expertise of the premium brand. Audi is unveiling its new open high-performance sports car at the New York International Auto Show 2016. "With its spontaneous throttle response, quick revving-up and inimitable sound, the 5.2 FSI naturally aspirated engine in the new Audi R8 Spyder delivers undiluted emotion," remarked Dr.-Ing. Stefan Knirsch, Member of the Board of Management for Technical Development.

Salvage team boards burnt ship Felicity Ace off Azores, towing begins

LISBON — More than a week after a ship packed with around 4,000 vehicles, including Porsches, Audis, Lamborghinis and Bentleys, caught fire in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, a salvage team managed to board the vessel on Friday and started to tow it to a safe location off the Portuguese Azores archipelago. In a statement, ship manager Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd (MOL) said the Felicity Ace remained stable, and the smoke that for days billowed from the vessel, adrift around 170 km southwest of the Azores, had stopped. The 22 crew members of the Panama-flagged Felicity Ace, which was carrying around 4,000 vehicles including Porsches, Audis and Bentleys from Germany to the United States, were evacuated last Wednesday, the day the fire broke out. Some of the vehicles are electric and their lithium-ion batteries have made the fire very difficult to extinguish, port officials have said. Previous attempts to board the ship to assess its condition and start preparing it for towing had failed due to the fire and rough seas. On Friday, the team was able to board by helicopter and the salvage boat Bear started towing the vessel to a "safe area off Azores," the ship manager said. It was not clear where exactly the vessel was being towed to. It was being escorted by two tug boats and another salvage craft equipped with firefighting gear, MOL said. Related video: Image Credit: Portuguese Navy (Marinha Portuguesa) via Reuters Green Weird Car News Audi Bentley Lamborghini Porsche Electric fire car fire shipping cargo ship

2016 Audi R8 looks like a promising second chapter [w/video]

Audi shook up the supercar market when it released the original R8 road car. Now, it's hoping to do the same with the second-generation of the handsome mid-engine star. But where the original R8 was something of an analog supercar, boasting a naturally aspirated V8 and a delightful gated shifter, this new model is something much different. Gone is the popular, high-revving 4.2-liter V8 and the snickety-snack transmission, although the 5.2-liter V10 that joined the original R8 later in its life remains. In base form, it turns out 540 horsepower in the second-gen R8, while the V10 Plus model can be had with an impressive 610 ponies. That's good for a sprint to 60 of just 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 201 miles per hour in the former and 3.2 seconds and 205-mph in the latter. A seven-speed dual-clutch transmission is the sole gearbox, sending power to a revised Quattro all-wheel-drive system that's capable of shunting 100 percent of the engine's torque to the rear axle. Meanwhile, Audi has managed to shave 441 pounds by using a new Audi space frame, with more aluminum and carbon fiber than before. Weighing in at just 3,205 pounds, the R8 is slightly lighter than the new, V8-powered Ferrari 488 GTB, although it's not quite as light as its cousin, the 3,135-lb Lamborghini Huracan. And of course, we can't forget to mention the R8's new look. It's very clearly an evolution of the first-gen's handsome styling. A strong grille and canted headlights, inspired by the TT and the concepts that came before it, highlight the front end, while Audi has opted to bisect the last-gen car's side blades with a body-color section of sheet metal. In back, slim taillights, exhausts that have been integrated into the rear bumper and a central diffuser are the main styling features. Opt for the V10 Plus, and you'll get a sizable rear wing, for added downforce. Take a look at our full gallery of live images from Geneva for a closer look at the new Audi R8.