2007 Audi A6 3.2 Quattro on 2040-cars

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The 2017 Audi R8 Spyder starts at $176,350

Audi just revealed pricing info for the R8 Spyder, which will start at $176,350, about a year after revealing pricing information for the coupe ( which starts at $164,150 in base form; the Plus starts at $191,150). In case you haven't had your coffee yet, like-equipped base cars will span a $12,000 gulf. But the 2017 R8 Spyder costs about the same as the outgoing R8 Spyder V10 equipped with an automatic (which was at the time a very expensive option), so consider that minimal price inflation. The more interesting comparison is with its platform-mate, the Lamborghini Huracan. A drop-top version of the Italian supercar starts at $267,545 in similar AWD trim with a 5.2-liter V10. Now, it is true that the Huracan Spyder makes 602 horsepower, a 62 horsepower advantage over the standard R8 Spyder with the same engine (540 hp if you are bad at math). The Lambo also a tenth faster to 60 mph than the R8 Spyder, at 3.4 seconds. (The '17 R8 Spyder is itself a tenth quicker than its predecessor, so there's that.) But, the R8 V10 Plus makes 610 hp. We're waiting to hear back form Audi on pricing for that Spyder model. In the coupe, it's a $27,000 increase over the base R8 V10. That logic would peg an R8 Spyder V10 Plus at around $203,000, or $64k less than the Huracan. In either case, you're paying a lot for Lamborghini's unique styling and tuning, although it's hard to put a price on the specialness of driving a Lamborghini. The Huracan Spyder never for a moment lets you forget you're in something fast and Italian. That being said, both are legitimate supercars. The R8 Spyder was developed alongside its Italian cousin, and features an appropriately large amount of aluminum and carbon fiber materials in its construction. Of course, like its coupe counterpart, there's no manual available for the new R8 Spyder. That died with the previous generation. The good news, for fans of open-air driving, is that the roof mechanism only adds 97 lbs to the weight of the car, and Audi kept the electrohydraulics that actuate it as low as possible. If it's anything like the Coupe to drive, and you can be sure since it's an Audi there won't be much trade-off for the open roof, it'll have a dual personality that will accommodate both daily driving and occasional track use. Sounds like a deal, huh? Related Video: Audi Convertible Luxury Performance Supercars r8 spyder r8 huracan

Autoblog Podcast #376

Episode #376 of the Autoblog podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Chris Paukert and Brandon Turkus talk about the New York Auto Show, internet criticism of the Ram Runner, and the 2014 Ward's 10 Best Interiors. We start with what's in the garage and finish up with some of your questions, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Check out the new rundown below with times for topics, and you can follow along down below with our Q&A. Thanks for listening! Autoblog Podcast #376: The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience. Topics: New York Auto Show preview Ram Runner criticism Ward's 10 Best interiors for 2014 In the Autoblog Garage: 2014 Chevrolet Camaro 2SS 2014 Chevrolet Camaro 1SS 1LE 2014 Audi Q7 TDI Hosts: Dan Roth, Chris Paukert, Brandon Turkus Runtime: 01:37:18 Rundown: Intro and Garage - 00:00 New York Auto Show - 24:07 Ram Runner - 45:57 Ward's 10 Best Interiors - 57:00 Q&A - 01:14:02 Get the podcast: [UStream] Listen live on Mondays at 10 PM Eastern at UStream [iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes [RSS] Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator [MP3] Download the MP3 directly Feedback: Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show in iTunes Auto News Podcasts New York Auto Show Audi Chevrolet Off-Road Vehicles chevy camaro 1le wards 10 best interiors

Ferdinand Piech (1937-2019): The man who made VW global

Towering among his peers, a giant of the auto industry died Sunday night in Rosenheim/Upper Bavaria, Germany. Ferdinand Piech, a grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, who conceived the original Volkswagen in the 1930s, was the most polarizing automotive executive of our times. And one who brought automotive technology further than anyone else. Ferdinand Porsche had a son, Ferdinand (called "Ferry"), and a daughter, Louise, who married the Viennese lawyer Anton Piech. They gave birth to Ferdinand Piech, and his proximity to two Alfa Romeo sports cars — Porsche had done some work for the Italians — and the "Berlin-Rome-Berlin" race car, developed by Porsche himself, gave birth to Piech's interest in cars. After his teachers in Salzburg told his mother he was "too stupid" to attend school there, Piech, who was open about his dyslexia, was sent to a boarding school in Switzerland. He subsequently moved on to Porsche, where he fixed issues with the 904 race car and did major work on the 911. But his greatest project was the Le Mans-winning 917 race car, developed at breathtaking financial cost. It annihilated the competition, but the family had had enough: Amid growing tension among the four cousins working at Porsche and Piech's uncle Ferry, the family decided to pull every family member, except for Ferry, out of their management positions. Piech started his own consultancy business, where he designed the famous five-cylinder diesel for Mercedes-Benz, but quickly moved on to Audi, first as an engineer and then as CEO, where he set out to transform the dull brand into a technology leader. Piech killed the Wankel engine and hammered out a number of ambitious and sophisticated technologies. Among them: The five-cylinder gasoline engine; Quattro all-wheel drive and Audi's fantastic rally successes; and turbocharging, developed with Fritz Indra, whom Piech recruited from Alpina. The Audi 100/200/5000 became the world's fastest production sedan, thanks to their superior aerodynamics. Piech also launched zinc-coated bodies for longevity — and gave diesel technology a decisive boost with the advent of the fast and ultra-efficient TDI engines. Less known: Piech also decided to put larger gas tanks into cars. Customers loved it. Piech's first-generation Audi V8 was met with derision by competitors; it was too obviously based on the 200/5000.