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Giorgetto Giugiaro sells shares in legendary styling house to Audi

Giorgetto Giugiaro undoubtedly stands among the great automotive designers of the 20th century, having penned the original Volkswagen Golf and Delorean DMC-12, among countless others. However, the great stylist is now longer an employee or even an owner of the company that bears his name. According to Automotive News, Giugiaro and his son, Fabrizio, sold their remaining 9.9 percent of Italdesign Giugiaro to Audi on Sunday, June 28, and the two resigned from the business the following day. The news about this just came out, though. The exact reason that the two men left the company hasn't been made entirely clear. According to Automotive News, a statement said that Giorgetto Giugiaro went "to dedicate more time to his personal interests." Italdesign Giugiaro remains open and intends to keep growing, though, the same announcement asserts. After stints at Bertone and Ghia, Giugiaro founded Italdesign in 1968. He created some masterpieces there, including '70s wedges like Maserati Merak, Lotus Esprit, and much more. The 2000s weren't so kind and 90.1 percent of the company was sold to Volkswagen Group in 2010. Former Audi design boss Wolfgang Egger took over styling duties there in late 2013, but he only lasted for about a year, leaving in late 2014. Since the sale, Italdesign has continued to work, including with the Gea concept at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show and the very mean-looking Parcour in 2013. Giugiaro's designs are still highly prized, as well. On September 5, Bonhams is auctioning the Maserati Boomerang concept by him and expects to get around $4 million for it. The gallery above offers a few more examples of his and Italdesign's concepts for VW Group over the years.

Audi R8: Commander

We're not sure that "Choosing the moon brings out the best in us" is an appropriate tag for an automaker, much less a German automaker. But hey, when it comes to commercials that air during the Super Bowl it's all about playing up greatness, America, and working in Rock and Roll anthems. Audi hits all three here. 205-horsepower supercar? Check. Great moment in our national history? Check. David Bowie's Starman? Check. Add in a dollop of the R8's wicked V10 engine noise and, well, we'll watch this one more than once. And in case you want more R8 and Bowie, click here for the extended version. Marketing/Advertising Audi Super Bowl Commercials 2016 super bowl ad

The Audi RS5 takes aim at the BMW M4 and Mercedes-AMG C63

The current generation of the Audi A5 has soldiered on for the past 10 years, an eon when it comes to automobiles. Though we've seen and driven its replacement, the new car hasn't quite made it to market. As with most of Audi's lineup, the car is expected to come in three versions. While the full reveal and first drive reviews of the A5 and S5 took place late year, until now we haven't had a peek at the range topper Audi RS5. It sits on Audi's B9 platform shared with the Audi A4 sedan. Essentially, it's Audi's equivalent to the BMW 4 Series or the Mercedes-Benz C-Class coupe. In the case of the RS5, compare it to the BMW M4 and the Mercedes-AMG C63. Like its rivals, the RS5 sits longer, lower, and wider than its sedan stablemate. The RS features aggressive front and rear fascias and a set of unique wheels. While the styling of the new model may look evolutionary, it is indeed all-new inside and out. The two cars in these photos are wrapped in camouflage that covers everything below the beltline. The general shape of the bodywork looks the same, but the front and rear are slightly restyled. The front now has larger air intakes in the corners and a lower chin spoiler. Out back, the dual single-exit exhaust pipes give the RS model away. The S5, like all S models, features quad exhaust tips. The rear bumper is slightly modified, but all in all it's not far off from the A5 and S5 models. Audi's styling is always conservative, so this should come as no surprise. There's no word as to what's resting under the hood, but look for forced induction and six cylinders, possibly pulling something from the Porsche Panamera. As with every other Audi performance car, power will be sent to all four wheels through the latest generation of the Quattro all-wheel drive system. Look for a full reveal in the next few months, possibly as soon as March at the Geneva Motor Show. Related Video: