2007 Audi S6 Base Sedan 4-door 5.2l on 2040-cars

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Audi R8 Spyder looks like heaven at the Green Hell

After Audi took the wraps off the new R8 coupe at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, we knew it would only be a matter of time before the convertible version arrived. Now, we've spotted the droptop during testing on and around the venerable Nurburgring Nordschleife in Germany. The new Audi R8 Spyder is expected to closely mirror the fixed-roof supercar we've already seen. Only instead of a tin top, of course, it'll have a folding fabric roof mechanism. This goes against the recent retractable hardtop trend, and the featured is used by the Ferrari 488 Spider and McLaren 650S Spider. Some revised air vents appear to be part of the R8's convertible package, as well. Otherwise, we can anticipate the same specs as the R8 coupe. The latest model ditched the previous version's V8 engine in favor of 10-cylinder options: a 5.2-liter V10 with either 533 horsepower in "base" spec or 602 hp in the V10 Plus model. Both drive all four wheels through a seven-speed dual-cluch transmission. The jury's still out on whether Ingolstadt will slot a smaller engine option into the R8, particularly for markets where tax brackets are determined by engine displacement. But whatever the coupe gets, the convertible is likely to offer it as well. Related Video:

Watch Audi R8 give Birth to RS3

In the cold light of reality, it's a fairly dubious proposition to suggest that the Audi RS3 Sportback shares much of a mechanical relationship with an R8. One of them is supercar with a snorting V10 and lithe body, while the other is a still-capable hot hatch with roots lower in the brand's range. However, marketing doesn't necessarily have to sell real life, and Audi's advertisers are nailing the emotional pull of these two models in a spot called Birth. With dramatic music and a sci-fi aesthetic, the R8's V10 roars as the supercar stretches and deforms, and eventually the hot hatch gets plucked from its metallic loins. Regardless of how closely these two models are related, this commercial looks and sounds fantastic. With the US rumored to get the RS3 in sedan form at some point, hopefully we get a tweaked version of this ad.

Dieselgate defeats Audi's Le Mans racing dynasty

Referring to what the automotive press has dubbed "Dieselgate", Audi's Chairman of the Board of Management Rupert Stadler announced that Audi is pulling out of the FIA World Endurance Championship by the end of the 2016 season. This means Audi will no longer compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. However, that doesn't mean Audi is through with competing on the world stage. Instead of fossil-fuel-powered prototype racing, Audi will now "focus on the things that will keep (it) competitive in the years ahead", namely Formula E. Having worked together previously with Audi tuner ABT and component manufacturer Schaeffler in Formula E, the company is now turning Team ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport into a fully factory-backed outfit. Audi's DTM efforts with the RS 5 DTM will remain untouched for the time being, and the company hasn't made a decision yet as to whether its World Rallycross Championship with the Audi S1 EKS RX quattro will continue. Audi has competed in Le Mans prototype racing for 18 years, during which it secured 13 Le Mans wins. Out of 185 races contested by Audi's LMP cars, they racked up an impressive 106 wins. Audi's victory in 2006 was the first with a TDI engine, and the first hybrid-engine win was claimed in 2012. From 2000 to 2008, Audi won nine consecutive American Le Mans Series titles. Related Video: News Source: AudiImage Credit: REUTERS/Regis Duvignau Green Motorsports Audi Green Automakers Diesel Vehicles Electric Racing Vehicles Formula E abt audi le mans schaeffler