It may not be pretty – eye of the beholder and all that – but the Gumpert Apollo is one serious ride. But as hardcore as the Apollo is, the eponymous former Audi Sport director behind the niche German automaker apparently wasn't satisfied leaving fast enough alone, so the company unveiled the Apollo Speed at this year's Geneva auto show. But that was just about the last we heard of it, until now, as spy shots of the super-Gumpert lapping the Nurburgring have surfaced online.

The (ahem) stock Apollo already packs a range of Audi V8 engines producing 650, 700 or 800 horsepower depending on customer specification, so clearly there's nothing wrong there. The Apollo Speed spied, however, carries an adjustable rear wing, a more streamlined overhead induction system, revised front fenders and updated tail-lights. And while the focus is clearly on performance here, right down to the racing buckets and competition-spec removable steering wheel, the Apollo Speed is still tipped to carry air-con and DVD info-tainment system. The Stig will undoubtedly be pleased.

[Source: Motor Trend]

The Goodwood Festival of Speed takes place this weekend, and every year the Earl of March, who manages the 12,000-acre Goodwood estate that hosts the event, commissions a giant art piece honoring that year's featured marque. Audi is the featured marque this year, which is timely since the Ingolstadt-based automaker is also celebrating its centennial.

This year's sculpture that was commissioned for Audi is a big swoosh of tire tracks with a 1937 Auto Union streamliner and new Audi R8 V10 suspended at either end. Standing 135-feet tall and weighing 40 tonnes, as they say in Britain, the piece is made entirely of steel to support itself without braces or cables. Gerry Judah is the designer, as he has been for Goodwood's featured art installations since 1997 when he first designed one for Ferrari. This is also the second time he's produced a piece for Audi, the first one being back in 1999.

It goes without saying that we all want to stick this in the flower bed in our front yard, but unfortunately you'll only be able to see it if you're in West Sussex this weekend to enjoy the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Check out more pics of this year's Audi sculpture, as well as art pieces from prior years, in the gallery below.



[Source: Audi, Photos courtesy of Gerry Judah]

In 1982, Audi introduced its redesigned 5000 to the world and unwittingly influenced the shape of sedans to come. The 5000's smooth flanks, disk wheels and flush-mounted side glass were replicated by a generation of cars over the next two-and-a-half decades, and when its successor debuted in 1994, the A6 grew some curves while retaining Audi's patented blend of staid Germanic modernity.

The 2009 Audi A6 isn't nearly as revolutionary. It sits atop the same C6 platform we've known since 2005, and last year, the automaker gave its upper mid-sizer a mild makeover consisting of new front and rear fascias, light clusters and a few interior tweaks. Maybe that's why Audi thought it need to commission actor Jason Statham to star in a multi-million dollar Super Bowl advert to boost the A6's image. Well, that and to highlight the automaker's all-new supercharged 3.0-liter TFSI V6 – the same engine due to be fitted to several new Audis, including the 2010 Audi S4. How does the restyled A6 fair during a week of testing? And more importantly, is this new blown V6 a suitable replacement for Audi's 4.2-liter V8? Find out after the jump.



Photos Copyright ©2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Audi's Multi-Media Interface, which is arguably the best of the various all-in-one graphical user interface systems favored, has just got better.

According to Audi, resolution on the system's 6.5-inch screen is getting bumped up to 800 x 480, route calculation will happen faster with a 600 MHz processor, and you can scroll along the route – not just vertically and horizontally – and get speed limit data on highways.

Additionally, the system will also finally charge external MP3 players that are plugged in to the system, song titles will be displayed,

The new A3, TT, and R8 will be the first to benefit from next-step MMI when they arrive in Stateside dealerships in the autumn. U.S. pricing hasn't been announced yet, but you can read about all of the next-gen system's new bells and whistles in the press release after the jump.

[Source: Audi]

Rumors of Audi's plan to resurrect the Ur-Quattro continue to persist, with Auto Motor und Sport reporting that the highly modified A5 is due to arrive sometime next year.

According to the German pub and coinciding with earlier reports, Audi plans to bring the curb weight down to around 3,000 pounds by using scads of aluminum along with polycarbonate windows in place of their glass counterparts. Further weight reductions will come from a lightweight set of 19- or 20-inch wheels and carbon ceramic brakes, while an active rear spoiler, magnetic-ride suspension system and a raced-out interior are rumored to be part of the package.

Naturally, Audi's all-wheel drive system will be the centerpiece of the reborn Ur-Quattro, but there's still plenty of questions surrounding the coupe's powertrain. Audi has supposedly decided to nix the idea of fitting its 4.2-liter V8 and will instead use either a new, twin-turbocharged V6 (odd, considering the automaker put all its efforts into creating a 3.0-liter supercharged V6 for the new S4 and A6) or possibly the 2.5-liter five cylinder currently fitted to the TT-RS in a historical nod to the new Ur's ancestry. If AMuS is to be believed, expect output somewhere between 300 and 425 hp – and there's also talk of a hybrid variant that would allow for a 20-mile electric-only commute (something about a snowball comes to mind...). Regardless, if the Ur-Quattro does come to fruition, expect it to debut sometime next year to coincide with the original's 30th anniversary, with pricing set considerably north of the current S5.

[Source: Auto Motor und Sport | Image Source: AutoBild]

Less than 24 hours ago, Autoblog commenter Zamafir sent us a few cloaked images of the upcoming Audi A5 Sportback getting ready for its close-up at the University of California San Diego. Unsurprisingly, another camera-phone wielding student was able to capture Audi's new five-door A5 sans camouflage, and the results are equal parts telling and predictable.

Although the front end remains masked in these newest spy shots, the bit that matters – the slopping rear hatch – is plain as day, with a stretched C-pillar and elongated rear-quarter window, large rear windshield and slightly upkicked boot lid. The rear overhang doesn't seem disproportionately stretched and the profile proves that at least one German automaker can pull off an attractive mid-sized five-door without relying on a bloated rump.

There's still some debate about whether Audi will offer the A5 Sportback in the States, so just because it was shot in So. Cal. doesn't mean it's headed this way. Instead, expect the A5 to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show this September (possibly earlier, at the Audi Centenary Celebration in July), with a range of gasoline and diesel powertrains, including an S5 variant packing the supercharged 3.0-liter V6. You can read the full account of Zamafir's rendezvous with the A5 Sportback and see another spy shot of the new five-door over at Fourtitude.



[Source: Fourtitude]

Although Audi has said that it won't be bringing the new A5 Sportback to these shores, that didn't stop them from doing exactly that recently. Whether for testing purposes or marketing work, a Sportback was spotted here in Southern California recently and was luckily captured by frequent AB commenter Zamafir. Although the car was covered in camo, Zamafir says he also saw the vehicle in the flesh and offered his thoughts on the car:

I had the chance to poke my head around the A5 sportback this morning, it's a wonderful car. Out of respect for the gentlemen handling it I didn't snap any shots of the car with the camouflage off, but it's very much what you would expect the A4 with an A5 rear superimposed upon it to look like. It's very very cogently penned. All the lines are very crisp, and I honestly prefer the profile from the side to the A5 and the BMW 5 series GT.

Inside the dash is the standard A5 affair with a different sort of trim than I'm used to seeing here in the US, though It's an ingolstadt car so who know if it'll make it over. Kind of a perforated metal look. Most importantly, the rear seats are quite a bit more roomy than I had expected. About on par with the A4. It's hard to tell from the spy shots but there is a reasonable amount of head room in the back thanks to the way the roof liner kind of arches up towards the rear inside. Visibility out the rear windows is a little obscured by their dramatic cut downwards and backwards to facilitate the sloping rear.

Thanks, Zamafir!



Photos copyright ©2009 Zamafir / Weblogs, Inc.

We're definitely looking forward to our first official glimpse at the 2011 Audi R8 Spyder, but unfortunately, we don't know exactly when that will happen. While it was widely expected to bow at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September, we've recently heard that it could show its V10-only face as late as Detroit in January.

Fear not, though, because we've got some high-quality footage of the R8 Spyder as it takes its 525 horsepower whoopin' stick to the Nürburgring. Hit the jump to view the future crown jewel of the Audi lineup as it comes hard after some of the most famous curves in the history of race tracks. If seeing the uncovered R8 Spyder on the track isn't exhilarating enough for you, make sure to turn up the volume. The sinister growl emanating from the rear of Audi's supercar in waiting is enough to send chills down the spine. We like.



Source: Auto Wereld via Jalopnik]

Audi is testing its forthcoming R8 Spyder, and the car is wearing what appears to be a completely stowable roof, not the targa-style top that has been suggested as a possibility. Yet disappearing along with the roof could also be your view of the engine. The droptop in the spy photos and in Audi's official sketch features a solid engine cover and two curious structures adorned with gills that run up to the rear window. They could line up with an interior element when the roof is down, but it would have to be mighty cool to be worth missing out on that engine. Audi's 552 horsepower competitor for cars like the Vantage V12 and Porsche 911 Turbo Cabrio will bow at this year's Frankfurt Auto Show.

[Source: Fastest Car]

When the Audi Q3 compact CUV hits the streets in 2011, its assembly will be handled by the workers at VW's Spanish division, SEAT. In preparation for the crossover's arrival SEAT is building an all-new body shop at its Martorell factory. Like other modern body shops, the 322,000 square-foot facility will be heavily automated with over 300 robots handling most of the welding and stamp manipulation.

A ceremony was held at the site this week to lay the cornerstone for the new building, and as is typical for these types of events, all the usual politicians and dignitaries turned out for their photo op. The €300 million euro factory is the largest investment made by SEAT in 15 years, and signals that the Volkswagen group tends to keep it around for a while. An estimated 1,500 people will be employed building the Q3 when it launches in two years.