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Audi goes out of this world to sell R8 at the Super Bowl

Audi lets the new R8 V10 Plus blast off in the German brand's space-themed Super Bowl ad titled The Commander. The touching commercial puts a forlorn, retired astronaut behind the supercar's wheel, and he gets to relive the experience of leaving the bonds of Earth. Plus, David Bowie's Starman is the perfect choice for the score. Audi's ad makes the clever decision to link the supercar's rapid acceleration to a rocket launch in in viewers' minds. The spot also resonates emotionally because the retired astronaut only experiences the R8's performance because his son is worried about him. While not as humorous, we think the new spot does a better job of selling the R8's capabilities than the company's famous The Godfather Super Bowl commercial. The 60-second version of The Commander (above) will air during the game's first quarter. You can watch a 90-second cut below to enjoy a little more of the R8 and Bowie. SHOOTING FOR THE MOON, AUDI DEBUTS BIG GAME SPOT CALLED THE COMMANDER 60-second spot to air in first quarter of the big game Feb. 7 "The Commander" to feature the next-generation Audi R8, arriving in U.S. showrooms in Spring 2016 2016 marks return and eighth year for the brand as a big-game advertiser February 03, 2016 - HERNDON, Virginia -- Audi of America returns to the biggest night in football with a 60-second commercial titled "The Commander." A 90-second extended version of the spot is now live on the Audi YouTube channel. Featuring the all-new Audi R8 V10 plus, "The Commander" will air on Sunday, Feb. 7 during the first quarter of the Big Game. San Francisco-based Venables Bell & Partners created the commercial. "The Commander" tells the story of a retired astronaut who rediscovers his lust for life. Viewers watch as the man, surrounded by memories of the golden age of space exploration, sits solemnly, deep in reflection. When his son hands over the keys to a new Audi R8 V10 plus, he gets behind the wheel and relives the thrill of a rocket-like ride under the stars. Viewers watch as newfound life stirs within the Commander. Audi reminds us that amazing things happen when we shoot for the moon. The 2017 R8 is the fastest and most powerful Audi of all time. In its second generation, the all-new Audi R8 V10 plus has a top speed of 205 mph with a 3.2-second 0-60 mph time for "rocket-like" performance.

Next Audi R8 E-Tron could have 280-mile range

Just 265 miles of range on a single charge? Meh. That's what the folks at Audi might be saying about the Tesla Model S and its estimated range. Because the German automaker says the next iteration of the R8 E-Tron could go 450 kilometers on a charge, or about 281 miles. This information comes from Automotive News, which cites a presentation from Audi technology chief Ulrich Hackenberg at the company's annual press conference. The fact that the car will soon be available "upon request" is also news. The project was thought to be shelved until reports came out late last year saying that Audi figured out a way to upgrade its lithium-ion battery technology to double its range. Audi spokesman Brad Stertz said the company wasn't disclosing details related to if or when the car would reach North America or how much it would cost (we're guessing a really large number of dollars) but he did say it was notable that the project was back on track. Audi made news in the summer of 2012 when the R8 E-Tron set the "series production electric car" speed record with a 8:09.099 minute-time at Nurburgring thanks to a boosted top speed of more than 155 miles per hour.

The hot hatch without a hatch | 2017 Audi S3 First Drive

The 2017 Audi S3 is a car without equal. That might end up on a billboard, but it's actually meant quite literally, as in the S3 has no direct competitor. Other compact luxury sedans, of which there are few, can't match its performance. The BMW 2 Series has two doors, plus it's rear-drive. The bonkers Mercedes-AMG CLA45 is on another power and price planet altogether. The mechanically related VW Golf R isn't a luxury car and has a hatch instead of a trunk. And so the S3 exists as an oddity. But it's a fun oddity, and a well-made one too. For 2017, it receives a number of noteworthy changes to keep it fresh and technologically relevant. Most also apply to the 2017 Audi A3, the car on which it's based, which itself gets a new 2.0-liter turbo four base engine in place of the old 1.8-liter. Paired with front-wheel drive and essentially a variation of the Quattro model's carry-over 2.0-liter, it produces 186 horsepower (up from 170) and returns 29 mpg combined (up from 27). That revamped A3 wasn't on hand for the press drive in Durham, North Carolina, so we were not-at-all stuck with the 2017 S3. Its own 2.0-liter turbo four is unchanged, still pumping out 292 hp and 280 pound-feet of torque through a six-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission. Audi says it'll hit 60 mph in 4.7 seconds, which is a full second quicker than the 220-hp A3 Quattro as well as about a half-second quicker than the Audi A4 Quattro. That bonkers CLA45 is around the four-second mark. Indeed, having so much power in such a small sedan is a novel and grin-inducing experience. The throttle response is sharp enough in standard mode, but tap the dash-mounted Audi Drive Select toggle to choose Dynamic, and it comes even more alive, eagerly shooting the S3 forward with the merest hint of a toe wiggle. The DSG is also quite happy to downshift when called upon, either by said toe or by itself when under braking. Blipping down two gears when heading into a corner is commonplace here, as are the sharp little barks that emanate from the S3's quad exhaust tips. And then there's the S3's Quattro all-wheel drive, which has been updated for 2017 with the same performance-oriented system found in the TT and TTS. Although its front/rear torque split is constantly changing based on current traction conditions, it nevertheless skews towards a rear torque bias to the point that, when in Dynamic mode, it won't reduce power in oversteer situations.