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]

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]

It's been all but confirmed by Audi that the R8 Spyder is due to debut alongside the new A5 Sportback at the Frankfurt Motor Show this September, but according to two reports from Car and Driver, there will be one less vehicle on the show stand in Germany and only one engine available in the drop-top supercar.

The 2011 Audi R8 Spyder will reportedly be available with the 525 hp, 5.2-liter V10 at launch -- meaning no V8 -- with a standard six-speed manual gearbox or optional R-tronic automated transmission. The 420 hp, 4.2-liter V8 currently fitted to the standard R8 could be added later, but Audi seems to favor sticking with the V10 until the R8's replacement arrives a few years down the road.

Additionally, it was widely reported that the 2011 Audi A8 would be unveiled in Frankfurt, but C&D says that the launch has been pushed back sometime after the LA Auto Show in December. Apparently, the reason for the delay is two-fold: Audi doesn't want to risk quelling sales of the current A8 in some of its most important markets (China, Europe and the U.S.) and the automaker is (wisely) worried that the unveiling could be overlooked at a large auto show where too many models are vying for attention. As such, the A8 could be shown initially at a private event in Florida later this year, with the first public exhibition being the Detroit Auto Show in January.



[Source: Car and Driver (1) (2)]

The 16th season of the hit British motorcar show Fifth Gear is just getting off the ground, and it's starting in style with a review of a stunningly beautiful Audi R8 V10. Unfortunately, Fifth Gear didn't appear to really wring out the 522 hp, V10 beauty during their review, but the rain may have had something to do with it. The UK team did provide plenty of exquisite shots of the top Audi, though, along with plenty of pithy dialogue.

Do the blokes at 5G feel that the added punch of the V10 engine is enough to justify the massive price premium over the standard V8-powered R8? Hit the jump to view Fifth Gear's leisurely review for yourself. We're not entirely sure we agree with the final analysis of the V10's merits, but we'll reserve judgment until we get our mitts on one. In the meantime, we appreciate the well-done video and the R8's striking blue paint – a shade we haven't encountered before, but one we look forward to seeing again and again.



[Source: YouTube]

Reports out of France and Germany indicate that in addition to the all-new A8 and A5 Sportback, Audi plans to reveal two versions of the R8 at the Frankfurt Motor Show this September.

Both Auto Motor und Sport and L'Automobile report that Audi will finally reveal the R8 Spyder at the IAA expo, with the French pub saying the drop-top supercar will be available with either the standard 420 hp, 4.2-liter V8 or the newly released 525 hp, 5.2-liter V10, allowing Audi to compete directly with the 911 4S, Turbo and convertible models.

However, the big news is the rumored reveal of an electric version of the R8. Details are scarce, so it's unclear if the R8 concept will be a pure EV, a diesel/gasoline-electric hybrid, a limited production model or, more likely, just an indication that Audi is looking at future powertrains. Regardless, we'll be on the floor in Frankfurt to bring you both the reveals if/when they happen.



[Sources: AMuS, L'Automobile]

Audi is obviously looking forward to being in the coming Gran Turismo 5. After all, the Quattro company has created a website to promote its car on the Nürburgring in real life and in the game, and it interviewed GT5 mastermind Kazunori Yamauchi about what fans can expect. Yamauchi-san revealed that the game is going to offer not only more vehicles, more online features, and increased detail, but it will also include night racing, damage rendering (previously confirmed), and weather changes.

If you watch the Audi R8 Meets Gran Turismo 5 video, one of the game developers even talks of one day providing weather reports for an entire 24-hour race, and you can read the interview with Yamauchi-san by clicking on a PDF link here. The graphical and gameplay additions are surely welcome and long overdue, and could return GT5 to the head of the racing sim pack – whenever it finally gets here...



[Source: GT Planet]

The residents of Maranello used to the sight of rakish red two-door sheetmetal roaring under the impulse of several hundred horsepower – and they still do. Except when that metal hides a ten-cylinder engine and wears four rings on its hood. In this Audi commercial depicting an R8 V10 on a slow cruise through Ferrari country, the locals are shown to have a decidedly different reaction upon realizing that the German barbarians are no longer content to hang out at the town gates.

If you want to see some excited Latins, follow the jump to watch the commercial. Hat tip to Kobla!

[Source: Audi.tv via Quattro Videos]

If anyone could have done a diesel supercar, it would have been Audi. After achieving utter domination in Le Mans racing with its R10 TDI, the German automaker unveiled two successive turbodiesel concept versions of the R8 supercar at the Detroit show and then at the Geneva salon in 2008. But after whetting our appetites for an oil-burning supercar with instant power delivery and endless reserves of torque, Audi has reportedly canceled development of its R8 TDI program.

Apparently, the R8 was not originally designed to accommodate the company's enormous V12 turbodiesel engine, and re-engineering the car was proving far too costly for Audi to justify under these financial circumstances, especially when the American market, which accounts for 1/3rd of R8 sales, is marred by diesel prices that are higher than gas. Fortunately Audi's already given us the 5.2-liter V10 FSI and has the convertible version in the works, but a diesel R8 just isn't in the cards.




[Source: Auto Express]

Pacified as we've been by the appearance of the 5.2-liter FSI V10 and LMS competition spec versions of the Audi R8, it's been a while since we've heard anything about the roadster version. But reports citing unnamed company insiders suggest that the ruthless roofless supercar is scheduled to hit the market by 2011.

Since Ingolstadt opts to stick with soft-tops on its other convertible models, the R8 Spyder is expected to follow suit in order to save on space and added weight. Earlier reports suggested a partial convertible targa-style roof opening, but the drop-top flagship is likely to get a more conventional and complete solution. The big question mark remains over whether the convertible variant will be limited to the V8 powertrain or whether it will get the more potent 5.2-liter V10... we'd hope that if they can manage to pack it all in behind the buckets, a V10 roadster would prove a delectable alternative to the likes of the Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster and Ferrari California, to say nothing of the R8's own sister Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 Spyder.

[Source: What Car?]