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Audi S1 rally car races its RC counterpart

Veteran racer Mattias Ekstrom campaigns the meanest looking Audi S1 on the block in the FIA World Rallycross Championship. With a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder pumping out a claimed 600 horsepower and all-wheel drive, this little hatch can reportedly hit 60 miles per hour in a wickedly quick 1.9 seconds. While those specs are mighty impressive, they don't really matter too much for Ekstrom's latest race in the S1 against a pint-sized doppelganger in the form of an RC replica of the rallycross machine around a warehouse. Despite, the massive gulf in size and power, the two Audis appear fairly evenly matched. The RC version can't quite match the real one in outright speed but can go under obstacles that Ekstrom's S1 is forced to drive around. Check out the clip above to see which S1 makes it to the finish first. Related Gallery EKS Audi S1 Supercar News Source: Audi Deutschland via YouTubeImage Credit: Related images copyright EKS Motorsports Toys/Games Audi Hatchback Racing Vehicles Videos rc car audi s1

Car companies may need to start curbing model proliferation

Looking at the current automotive landscape, especially from German makers, you quickly get the impression that less definitely isn't more. BMW alone offers its 3 Series platform in practically every segment possible, including the regular sedan and 4 Series Gran Coupe, which would seem to be direct competitors. Porsche might be the winner, though, with 20 different variants of the 911 listed for sale on its US website. However, some of this model madness might be reaching an end as companies begin cutting back spending or shifting money to other priorities.
According to Yahoo Finance, the offerings from the German automakers are up 25 percent over the past three years to over 200 models in Europe. The peak is expected to come around 2018 at 230 separate vehicles, according to consulting company PwC.
Amazingly, BMW, which is among the poster children for this model explosion, might be changing its tune. "I'm sure there will be points in the future where we look at certain cars and say, 'Maybe we need to think differently now,'" said head of sales Ian Robertson in an interview, according to Yahoo Finance. The statement certainly sounds shocking coming from a company rumored to have 23 front-wheel-drive vehicles all using a single platform on the way.

This gold wrapped R8 is how Audi celebrates an award

We like to think some awards (our Tech of the Year, for example) are more valued than others. Even so, Audi wasn't going to let its winning the Golden Steering Wheel award from Auto Bild go unnoticed, and this gold chrome R8 ought to do the trick. On display now at the Audi Forum in Neckarsulm, Germany, this Audi R8 V10 Plus is all decked out with a gold chrome wrap, similar to what rival Mercedes rolled out in Cannes a few years ago, but with a tone-on-tone satin gold stripe up the center, flanked by black pinstripes for extra contrast. Fortunately the accents – including the wheels, grilles, mirrors, air scoops, and rear wing – were left in black (albeit glossy) rather than chromed up. It looks just as shiny as the mirror-finish Bugatti Veyron displayed at Autostadt 300 miles north in Wolfsburg. Opened a decade ago, the Audi Forum Neckarsulm is one of two such locations run by the German automaker, alongside the one at its headquarters in Ingolstadt. Situated between Frankfurt and Stuttgart, the Neckarsulm facility includes displays from the company's collection, a customization studio, restaurant, a 4,000-square-foot shop, and a concert space. Customers can also pick up their new wheels direct from the factory at the Neckarsulm location, which is also where Audi operates one of its principal assembly plants – and where Quattro GmbH builds the R8. Following the original that debuted in 2006, the new second-generation R8 was introduced earlier this year at the Geneva Motor Show. It eschews the V8 available in the previous version exclusively for the 5.2-liter V10. In the Plus spec pictured here, it produces over 600 horsepower, channeled to all four wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The R8 won the Goldenes Lenkrad award this year in the sports car category, alongside the Audi A4, Opel Astra, Hyundai i20, and the BMW X1, 2 Series Gran Tourer, and 7 Series. Related Video: X The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience. Featured Gallery Audi R8 V10 Plus in gold chrome at Audi Forum Neckarsulm News Source: Audi Forum Neckarsulm via Facebook Audi Coupe Performance Supercars award gold chrome