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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.

2015 Audi A8 and S8 get some new goodies

Luxury car buyers are a demanding bunch. They've got this crazy notion that just because they're spending the better part of a hundred grand on a top-tier luxury sedan, they should get the very best and the cutting edge of what the industry has to offer. That has tended to come down to the S-Class even when it had grown long in the tooth, and now that Mercedes-Benz has rolled out an all-new version, the competition is falling all over itself to release updates to keep their flagship sedans in the running. Jaguar did that just yesterday with its XJ sedan, and now Audi has revealed the latest revisions to its A8 range.
Set to debut at the Frankfurt show in just a few weeks from now, the latest A8 (and its performance version, the S8) benefits from a series of stylistic, powertrain, and technology upgrades. Among the most prominent, of all things, are the new Matrix LED headlights that can automatically lower the high-beams for oncoming vehicles, with integrated turn signals that light up to point in the direction the driver's about to turn. But that's hardly the end of the story.
Audi has apparently reduced the output on the 3.0-liter supercharged V6 to from 328 horsepower to 310 but raised the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 from 414 hp to 435, which now offers a 0-60 run of just 4.5 seconds. That's just three tenths behind the S8, which remains unchanged at 513 hp, as does the 493-hp 6.3-liter W12. The 3.0-liter TDI is up from 247 hp to 258, the 4.2-liter TDI grows from 345 hp to at 385 (with a massive 627 pound-feet of torque to boot) and the hybrid that offers a combined 245 hp and 354 lb-ft. That makes for one massive array of engines globally, although only some of them will be offered Stateside. Each is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and Quattro all-wheel drive, but thanks to the A8's lightweight construction, it's lighter than any other all-wheel-drive model in its class.

Winterkorn kept diesel scandal secret, letter claims

Former Volkswagen Group CEO Martin Winterkorn allegedly kept quiet for two weeks about emissions defeat devices in the company's models. US officials eventually made the automaker's deception public on September 18th. "In the conversation on 03.09.2015 with the regulator CARB (California Air Resources Board), the defeat device was admitted," an employee told Winterkorn on September 4, according to Reuters citing Germany's Bild am Sonntag. Based on this information, Winterkorn had plenty of time to admit the problem. Evidence like this letter continues to suggest top figures knew about the emissions problem. In addition, a separate Bild am Sonntag report recently claimed that an employee emailed Winterkorn in May 2014 to tell him US regulators could discover the cheating. In the lower echelons of the company, the deception was allegedly an open secret among engineers as early as 2006, and people kept quiet even after workers tried to admit what was happening. This culture of secrecy seems to go even deeper than just the diesel emissions scandal. For example, engineers admitted that they cheated on CO2 tests to meet the company's strict standards. According to Green Car Reports, these problems also affected the US. In 2004, an Audi worker in America allegedly discovered an issue with the exhaust gas temperature sensor in some vehicles, but a German executive said not to admit the problem to US regulators. It's not clear whether any high level employees tried to fix the diesel emissions issue or if they simply kept the problem hidden. The company's internal report, which is due in the latter half of April, might address that concern. So far, the VW Group has said only a small group of people caused the scandal. However, these many allegations to the contrary make that claim difficult to believe. Related Video: