Autoblog

1984 Audi Sport Quattro S1 [w/video]

Matt Davis — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 11:58:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Performance, Europe, Videos, Crossover, Audi, Racing

Tearing It Up In The Deep White With The Original Stig

There are lots of fine race driver names in the history of motorsports. Sterling Moss, Alfonso Antonio Vicente Eduardo Angel Blas Francisco de Borja Cabeza de Vaca y Leighton (a.k.a. Marquis de Portago), and the ever popular Dick Trickle come to mind. We'd need to put in a strong vote, however, for Swede rally sensation Stig Blomqvist, winner of the 1984 World Rally Championship drivers' title. He drove for the Audi Sport factory team between 1982 and 1985, his Group B championship-winning season starting in a long-wheelbase Audi Quattro A2 and finishing in a short-wheelbase Sport Quattro S1.

Lucky for us, we recently had the chance to belt in beside The Stig as he powered over a west central Swedish parcours buried in deep snow. Better still, we were able to ride shotgun with the legendary shoe piloting what was essentially the same Sport Quattro S1 he drove for the last part of the '84 WRC season.

Continue reading 1984 Audi Sport Quattro S1 [w/video]

1984 Audi Sport Quattro S1 [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Mar 2012 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi goes all Herman Melville on us to highlight benefits of Quattro

Noah Joseph — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Audi, Luxury

One man's new toy can be another's Moby Dick. Typically we'd mean that in a figurative sense, but Audi has taken things one step towards the literal - or literary - with its latest advertising spot.

The commercial centers around a Captain Ahab-like tow truck driver who has, when the roads turn white with deep snow, hooked just about everything on the road. Everything, that is, except the elusive Quattro.

The 60-second spot - called "Ahab" - features the latest A6, and is scheduled to air tomorrow during the NFL division playoffs (making it something of a junior Super Bowl ad). It will be followed by a 30-second version that will air nationally on other broadcasts, and Audi is building a broader digital content campaign around the ad as well, including a Facebook app to follow. You, however, don't have to wait for all that to see the clever clip: just click past the jump.

Continue reading Audi goes all Herman Melville on us to highlight benefits of Quattro

Audi goes all Herman Melville on us to highlight benefits of Quattro originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 Jan 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fifth Gear remembers what made the original Audi Quattro so special

Jeff Glucker — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Performance, Videos, Hatchback, Audi, UK

Compiling a list of automotive legends is a task that could force all enthusiasts into a debate of epic proportions. Opinions will differ, feelings will be hurt and some deserving vehicles might wind up off the ultimate list. There is one vehicle, however, that should create little debate as to its place in the annals of all-time greats. We're talking about the original Audi Quattro, and it's clear that the folks from the UK's Fifth Gear agree.

The Fifth Gear crew managed to snag the keys to an Ur-Quattro for its Legends series, and set about tracking it down some of their local country roads. Cameras were powered up, lenses were clean and the resulting review is available to fawn over after the jump.

Continue reading Fifth Gear remembers what made the original Audi Quattro so special

Fifth Gear remembers what made the original Audi Quattro so special originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Audi Quattro edging closer to production [w/poll]

Noah Joseph — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Performance, Audi

Audi Quattro concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

When the veil was lifted on the Audi Quattro concept at the Paris Motor Show last year, suffice it to say people stood up and paid attention. And ever since, reports have been circulating of its production potential. Call it an inside line, or call it wishful thinking, but the latest reports indicate that the Quattro coupe - a five-cylinder, turbocharged, all-wheel-drive tribute to the original rally machine - is edging ever closer to production.

According to the news from across the pond, Audi's namesake Quattro division - the department in charge of all the S and RS models as well as the R8 project in its entirety - has a working prototype based on the S5 coupe but considerably lighter thanks to the intensive use of aluminum and carbon-reinforced plastics. At around 1300 kilos (2,866 pounds), the vehicle is said to be about 300 kg (660 lbs) lighter than an RS5, and 225 kg (500 lbs) lighter than an R8.

The prototype is reportedly due to be driven by Audi's board members before they sign off on its production. No word yet on what strategy the product would take - full production model or niche product - but here's our question for you: if, for the sake of argument, it came in around the same price as an R8, which would you buy? Cast your vote in our poll below.

View Poll

Gallery: Audi Quattro Concept: Quick Spin

Photos copyright (C)2011 Drew Phillips / AOL

[Source: Autocar]

Report: Audi Quattro edging closer to production [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Quick Spin: Audi Quattro Concept

Michael Harley — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Performance, Audi, Specialty, Quick Spins

Thirty Years After The Original, Audi Wants To Build Another Masterpiece

Audi Quattro Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

Blue and red flashing lights filling the mirror after a spirited canyon run are never welcomed. Yet this time, I've fully embraced them. Why?

I'm driving down California's Pacific Coast Highway in Audi's one-of-a-kind Quattro Concept with a full police escort. In front, law enforcement is clearing the road ahead as if sweeping for mines, pushing civilian traffic off to the side. I've got another unit behind me, shooing the restless natives off my flanks. The parade is impressive, but I'm wary of the pageantry. Are the cops there to solely maintain a generous cushion around the multi-million dollar concept, or has Audi paid them to keep me from rocketing off into the sunset off with their turbocharged 190-mph sports coupe?

I'm tempted to floor it and find out.

Continue reading...

Gallery: Audi Quattro Concept: Quick Spin

Continue reading Quick Spin: Audi Quattro Concept

Quick Spin: Audi Quattro Concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Dec 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi Quattro reportedly destined for the green light - but in what form?

Noah Joseph — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 19:24:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Audi, Rumormill

Audi Quattro Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

If your jaw dropped at the site of the Audi Quattro concept unveiled in Paris, you weren't alone. The aluminum and carbon fiber throwback was one of the best looking - and all-around most enticing - show cars on display at Versailles. And if you ask the people in charge, it could be destined for showrooms in short order.

The thing about Audi is that when it does a concept car, it does just do a rolling model. It engineers the thing. It does its homework. And in the case of the Audi Quattro, three years of development work have reportedly already gone into it. According to Motor Trend, both Audi's and the Volkswagen Group's chief execs are eager to put it into production, although their visions for how it'll get there are a little different.

Group CEO Martin Winterkorn reportedly wants to put it into serial production at around 35,000 units annually in order to keep pricing to a reasonable level, offering a full range of engine options in the process. Audi CEO Rupert Stadler, meanwhile, sees the Quattro as a niche product, sticking with the solitary turbo five and all-wheel drive set-up that featured in both the show car and the '80s icon that was its inspiration.

The biggest clue, however, could come down to the car's designer. Audi's design director Wolfgang Egger came to Ingolstadt after having designed the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, a limited-production halo vehicle that's driving the styling direction for a new generation of Alfas. If that's the role that's destined for the production version of the Quattro concept, Audi could do a lot worse.

Gallery: Paris 2010: Audi Quattro Concept

[Source: Motor Trend]

Audi Quattro reportedly destined for the green light - but in what form? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Nov 2010 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Audi building business case for limited-edition Quattro concept

Steven J. Ewing — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 10:01:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Performance, Audi

Audi Quattro Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

Audi stunned us at this month's Paris Motor Show when it unveiled the Quattro concept - an homage to the original Ur-Quattro that pioneered the automaker's now-signature all-wheel-drive system. It shares its underpinnings with those found on the hot RS5 coupe, packs 408 horsepower and weighs less than 3,000 pounds. Talk about impressive.

We certainly wouldn't be opposed to a production version, and according to Autocar, that dream may become a reality. Audi has reportedly been advancing plans for a limited production run of the Quattro, assembled on a dedicated line at parent company Volkswagen's newly acquired design firm, Italdesign. Stefan Reil, head of development at Audi's Quattro Gmbh division, told Autocar that the automaker is "rethinking standard processes to make it possible," and that Audi "know[s] how to engineer it already."

If the Quattro concept gets the green light, power would likely come from a tuned version of the turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-five found in the TT RS, producing somewhere around 350 horsepower. It's not the 408 that Audi originally quoted, but if the sub-3,000-pound weight is kept in order, it should still make for one heck of an interesting performer.

Hurry up and build it, Audi. We'll have our BMW 1M ready for the comparison test.

Gallery: Paris 2010: Audi Quattro Concept

Gallery: Audi Quattro Concept

Live photos copyright (C)2010 Zach Bowman / AOL

[Source: Autocar]

Report: Audi building business case for limited-edition Quattro concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Audi Quattro Concept plays with our emotions

Jeff Glucker — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 20:01:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Videos, Paris Motor Show, Audi, Design/Style

Audi Quattro Concept - Click above for video after the jump

Audi unleashed its Quattro Concept at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, but the automaker isn't done sharing with us just yet. We now have a short new video clip of the Quattro, and we can't stop staring. There are so many questions that will most likely go unanswered. What's it like to drive? How much would a production version cost? Does Audi accept our ~~stolen~~ totally legit American Express card? You know it's been at least several minutes since you last ogled the Quattro, so get your fix by watching the this new video. If that's not enough, we also have a longer cut that ditches the annoying background music. Both are posted after the jump.

Gallery: Paris 2010: Audi Quattro Concept

Live photos copyright (C)2010 Zach Bowman / AOL

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Audi Quattro Concept plays with our emotions

Video: Audi Quattro Concept plays with our emotions originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 02 Oct 2010 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Paris 2010: Audi Quattro Concept celebrates 30 years of performance

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 18:20:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Performance, Paris Motor Show, Audi

Audi Quattro Concept live debut - Click above for high-res image gallery

Here they are folks, the first live images we've managed to snap of the Audi Quattro Concept that's currently being debuted at the Paris Motor Show. We expect to get much more closely acquainted with the machine over the next couple of days, but until then, take a gander at the machine that Audi crafted to celebrate 30 years of Quattro performance.

Keep in mind that this sucker is packing 408 horsepower from its turbocharged five-cylinder engine and routing all those ponies through a six-speed manual gearbox to all four wheels, making for a power-to-weight ratio on par with that of the Audi R8 5.2 FSI. See the rest of the details here. A fitting tribute, if we do say so ourselves.

Gallery: Paris 2010: Audi Quattro Concept

Gallery: Audi Quattro Concept

Paris 2010: Audi Quattro Concept celebrates 30 years of performance originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Sep 2010 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi Quattro concept celebrates 30th anniversary of original

Jeff Glucker — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 16:37:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Performance, Paris Motor Show, Audi, Design/Style

Audi Quattro Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

We've been speculating, applying the magnifying glass to spy shots and just plain wishing that the rumors were true. They are - Audi is set to debut the Quattro concept car at the Paris Motor Show in celebration of its famous all-wheel-drive system's 30th anniversary. Drawing its inspiration from the original 1980 Audi Ur-Quattro and using some underpinnings from the current RS5, the Quattro concept features a shortened wheelbase, lower roofline and a sub-3,000 pound curb weight.

The original Ur-Quattro weighed in under 3,000 pounds and featured a turbocharged five-cylinder engine paired with a five-speed manual. Keeping in line with that spirit, the Quattro concept ditches the V8 and dual-clutch transmission from the RS5 in favor of a turbocharged inline five-cylinder engine and six-speed manual gearbox. Power output for the Quattro concept is rated at 408 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque. All that energy is put to the ground through Audi's famous quattro torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system, which in this case is setup with a 40:60 rear-biased torque split. The weight savings mixed with the power output create a vehicle with a power-weight ratio on par with that of the Audi R8 5.2 FSI.

Since this IS a modern Audi, it features stylish exterior features and a wonderful cabin space. The seats are leather-lined Sparco units that weight in at just 40 pounds apiece. The Quattro concept also makes use of the Audi MMI infotainment system. In this application, MMI includes a slew of screens useful for rally racing like classically-styled round gauges and a page for pace notes. On the outside, the Quattro concept boasts the signature Audi LED treatment, but this time it's in the form of headlamps that adjust their direction both vertically and horizontally, as well as being able to open fully or close to a slit.

This is an exciting concept that pays homage to a true motoring classic. If Audi doesn't find a way to put a version of this into production, we're sure that four-ring fanboys around the world will storm Ingolstadt.

Gallery: Audi Quattro Concept

[Source: Motor Trend]

Audi Quattro concept celebrates 30th anniversary of original originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Sep 2010 16:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Audi scales down its marketing for the Toronto Film Festival

Jeff Glucker — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 10:59:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Audi, Toys/Games, Canada, Humor

Audi starts thinking smaller, Boba Fett approves - Click above to watch video after the jump

The Toronto International Film Festival is in full swing, and Audi is taking advantage of the crowds to do a bit of advertising. Utilizing scale models, a bunch of magnets and the natural curiosity of human beings, Audi has created a unique marketing campaign which uses a simple statement to deliver a brilliant message.

Hundreds of scale models sticking to various downtown Toronto street fixtures is a good way to draw attention to a brand. The cars are literally stuck to random telephone poles, mailboxes and in front of one sure-to-be surly Cadillac CTS-V. The payoff for this short video (it's well under two minutes) doesn't come until the very end but it ties everything together perfectly. And no, Boba Fett is not the big star of this marketing clip. The "brilliant message" comes through in the end and provides an ah-ha moment for viewers and Toronto citizens alike. Very clever, Audi.

Now we just need Audi to keep running this campaign in other cities so we can score some sweet model-car toys for the office. Check out the clever marketing scheme after the jump. Thanks for the tip, Davor!

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Audi scales down its marketing for the Toronto Film Festival

Video: Audi scales down its marketing for the Toronto Film Festival originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Walter Röhrl reunited with WRC-winning 1984 Audi Quattro on famed Monte Carlo stage

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:29:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Audi, Racing

Walter Rörhl throwing an Audi Quattro WRC racer up the Col de Turini - Click above to watch video after the jump

Can we pause for a moment and give it up for Walter Röhrl? Here's a racer whose professional career began in 1973, first person to win the World Rally Championship twice, winner of the Pikes Peak race and the title Rally Driver of the Century in Italy and Rally Driver of the Millennium in France, and who simply never gave up the habit of winning or doing fast laps.

Autocar got the man back in the Audi Quattro with which he won the 1984 Rally Monte Carlo - Quattros took the first three positions, in fact - and sent him up the Col de Turini to see if he and the car still had it. Follow the jump to find out, and for a little more context, there's a video summary of that 1984 rally and a clip of Röhrl discussing and flying up Pikes Peak.

[Source: Autocar]

Continue reading Video: Walter Röhrl reunited with WRC-winning 1984 Audi Quattro on famed Monte Carlo stage

Video: Walter Röhrl reunited with WRC-winning 1984 Audi Quattro on famed Monte Carlo stage originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi Quattro celebrates 30 years of gravel spitting performance

Jonathon Ramsey — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 19:27:00 EST

Filed under: Technology, Audi

The first Audi Quattro unveiled in Geneva in 1980 - Click above for high-res image

Audi's Quattro system is 30 this year, introduced on the Ur-Quattro at the 1980 Geneva Motor Show. To celebrate, Audi has a full year of activities planned, including a special exhibition at the Audi Forum Ingolstadt, a place at the Techno Classica in Essen, and Audi Tradition hauling momentous examples of Quattro to shows around Europe.

It's interesting to ponder where Audi would have gone without Quattro. In America the tech and halo associations that emanated from the marque's Group B rally eating monsters helped it go from being perceived as a maker of really nice VWs to a luxury line with a unique, finessed brawn. We do wonder, though, what the original Quattro would say to a TT... Follow the jump for Audi's press release and a glimpse of where you can find vintage Audis and Auto Unions throughout the year.

Gallery: Audi Quattro's 30th Anniversary

[Source: Audi]

Continue reading Audi Quattro celebrates 30 years of gravel spitting performance

Audi Quattro celebrates 30 years of gravel spitting performance originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 14 Feb 2010 19:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: 700-HP Saab 99 Quattro Turbo is like missing Koenigsegg ancestor

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:20:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, Videos, Saab

700-hp 1969 Saab 99 Quattro Turbo - Click above to watch video

Sweden has just over nine million people - that's an entire country whose population is just a little bigger than New York City - and we'd believe it if someone told us they exclusively devoted their time to blessing the world with peculiar automotive concoctions. We'd file this latest one under "quirky," but it's far too powerful: a 1969 Saab 99 given the Audi Quattro treatment and a turbocharging to the tune of 700 horsepower. And then left to look rather stock.

The brainchild of a man named Gustav, it's development is recorded on Savar Turbo for those of you who speak Swedish (translated, if you don't). It runs sub-10-second quarter-miles with ease, which includes a few tenths lost for wheelspin and manually shifting gears. And we like it. We like it a lot. And we want whatever he's been drinking - we're guessing drums of aquavit. Follow the jump for videos of this stealthy Swede's quarter-mile runs and have a look at what's under the hood in the gallery of high-res images below.

Gallery: 700-HP Saab 99 Quattro Turbo

[Source: Savar Turbo via Car Throttle]

Continue reading VIDEO: 700-HP Saab 99 Quattro Turbo is like missing Koenigsegg ancestor

VIDEO: 700-HP Saab 99 Quattro Turbo is like missing Koenigsegg ancestor originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Luxury automakers could get partial exemption from CO₂ rules

Sam Abuelsamid — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 17:06:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Government/Legal, Luxury

2008 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG - Click above for high-res gallery

It looks as if some manufacturers could be getting at least a partial "Get Out Of Jail Free" card for the new national greenhouse gas regulations announced by the Obama administration back in May. The EPA and NHTSA won't issue final rules until later in the fall, but it seems as though automakers that sell fewer than 400,000 cars a year could get a break. Apparently, up to one-quarter of a qualifying automaker's fleet would receive a four-year exemption, which would allow companies such as BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz to sell high-powered M, RS and AMG models without those sales affecting their fleet CO₂ emissions numbers.

If passed, this set of proposed rules would give the automakers less of a respite than the California regs that would have exempted their entire fleets for seven years. Nonetheless, these foreign automakers would still have an advantage over a company like General Motors, which competes directly against them with some cars such as the of the Corvette ZR1 and Cadillac CTS-V.

Gallery: Review: 2008 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG

Photos Copyright (C)2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: The Wall Street Journal]

Luxury automakers could get partial exemption from CO₂ rules originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 02 Aug 2009 17:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Retro Comparo: Fourtitude puts S5 against Ur-Quattro

Jonathon Ramsey — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 17:58:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Audi

Fourtitude has conjured up an original, red 1985 Audi Quattro and yoked it next to a 2009 S5 to see how the two pull their loads. Of course, with 160 hp, a curb weight of 3,115 pounds (U.S. spec) and 58/42 weight distribution, the original Quattro and its Road & Track-timed run of 8.3 seconds from 0-60 can't compare straight-up with the S5. But historically, the Quattro was the beast that has made the S5 - and perhaps even the RS4 and R8 - a natural progression over Audi's last 27 years.

The handmade Quattro cost $5,000 more than a Porsche when it was new, and the few who own them would tell you it was worth it. Yet while the $56,840 S5 has the Quattro beat on numbers, it will be another two decades before we find out if it still has anywhere near the cachet of its ancestor. Click the link for the rest of the story.

[Source: Fourtitude]

Retro Comparo: Fourtitude puts S5 against Ur-Quattro originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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R8 V10 spied again at Audi's quattro GmbH

Noah Joseph — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 10:27:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Supercars, Audi

Click for hi-res images of the Audi R8 V10 at quattro GmbH

If the latest batch of spy shots are to be believed, the V10-powered version of Audi's R8 supercar must be nearing its public release. Following earlier shots snapped by the folks at Bridge to Gantry, more photos of what seems to be the same vehicle were caught by audiblog.nl at the source: quattro GmbH, Audi's equivalent to Mercedes' AMG or BMW's M division.

In addition to the wider intakes and fewer front grille slats discerned from the last spy shot, these images also betray a more aggressive body kit, a flux capacitor, larger exhaust pipes and two fewer horizontal fins in the rear. (We're kidding about one of those.) Check out the images in the gallery below.

Gallery: Audi R8 V10 spied at quattro GmbH

[Source: audiblog.nl via World Car Fans]

R8 V10 spied again at Audi's quattro GmbH originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Jun 2008 10:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Porsche 911: Ultimate car from the '80s?

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 18:42:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Etc., Audi, Porsche, Ferrari, UK

Growing up as a child in the '80s had its ups and its downs. Sure, every generation looks back at its past-self and wonders-out-loud, "What were you thinking," from time to time. Still, our generation sure did have plenty of cool cars, and many of those were featured on television. A rare day went by when we didn't lust for Magnum P.I.'s Ferrari 308; sitting in the movie theater being mesmerized by Doc's De Lorean (not that it's that great of a car, but it's iconic nonetheless) from Back to the Future; or salivating over the Ferrari Daytona and Testarossa from Miami Vice?

British television viewers have also had their fair share of hit shows with vehicular co-stars. According to a survey by HPI Limited, Porsche's peerless 911 has earned the top spot as the ultimate '80s car, followed only one percentage point in the rears by the original Audi Quattro -- a car featured on current U.K. television in the show Ashes to Ashes. British TV fans also have fond memories of the Ford Capri SLE 71R driven by Terry McCann in Minder, a long-running comedy-drama in the U.K.

With many of our readers residing in our own age bracket, we'd love to get your input on the ultimate '80s car in the comments, and feel free to mention more of your favorite cars made famous on TV.

[Source: HPI International]

Continue reading Porsche 911: Ultimate car from the '80s?

Porsche 911: Ultimate car from the '80s? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 Mar 2008 18:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi keeps last RHD Quattro in undisclosed location

Alex Nunez — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:35:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Europe, UK

Click image to enlarge

The BBC's hit detective show, Life on Mars, has spawned a sequel called Ashes to Ashes. While the former was set in 1973 and featured a nifty Ford Cortina, Ashes follows Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Gene Hunt (the supervisor of Mars' lead character) to the early 80s, and the hero car is now a vintage Audi Quattro. Naturally, British fans' interest in the sweet Audi coupe is up, and incidentally, the TV car is very similar to a car that Audi UK keeps under lock and key. That car is the final RHD Audi Quattro to ever roll off the production line. It is a pristine, zero-mileage example that is kept in a secret, climate-controlled location. It's only removed for show duty and is returned to its hidey-hole immediately thereafter. Audi UK is emphatic about one thing: it will never, ever be sold. So have a look, friends. The car above is probably the most perfect Quattro in existence, and it is unattainable. Press release after the jump.

[Source: Audi UK]

Continue reading Audi keeps last RHD Quattro in undisclosed location

Audi keeps last RHD Quattro in undisclosed location originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Night Watch: Michele Mouton on the sound of the Audi Quattro

Alex Nunez — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 23:31:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Coupe, Audi

In the YouTube clip embedded after the jump, former Audi driver Michele Mouton briefly reminisces about her time behind the wheel during the crazy Group B days.She talks about some of the things that were the most emotionally stirring and tells the documentary crew," If I have some emotion, of course it's the noise of the Quattro. I mean, nobody can forget the noise. Even today, I think we miss this kind of noise."

From there it cuts to around 30 seconds of the Quattro at full tilt, making that glorious roar peppered with the occasional backfire pop. If that sound can't get a rise out of you, you're a soulless corpse. Watch (and listen) after the jump.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Night Watch: Michele Mouton on the sound of the Audi Quattro

Night Watch: Michele Mouton on the sound of the Audi Quattro originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Feb 2007 23:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog

1984 Audi Sport Quattro S1 [w/video]

Audi goes all Herman Melville on us to highlight benefits of Quattro

Fifth Gear remembers what made the original Audi Quattro so special

Report: Audi Quattro edging closer to production [w/poll]

Quick Spin: Audi Quattro Concept

Audi Quattro reportedly destined for the green light - but in what form?

Report: Audi building business case for limited-edition Quattro concept

Video: Audi Quattro Concept plays with our emotions

Paris 2010: Audi Quattro Concept celebrates 30 years of performance

Audi Quattro concept celebrates 30th anniversary of original

Video: Audi scales down its marketing for the Toronto Film Festival

Video: Walter Röhrl reunited with WRC-winning 1984 Audi Quattro on famed Monte Carlo stage

Audi Quattro celebrates 30 years of gravel spitting performance

VIDEO: 700-HP Saab 99 Quattro Turbo is like missing Koenigsegg ancestor

Luxury automakers could get partial exemption from CO2 rules

Retro Comparo: Fourtitude puts S5 against Ur-Quattro

R8 V10 spied again at Audi's quattro GmbH

Porsche 911: Ultimate car from the '80s?

Audi keeps last RHD Quattro in undisclosed location

Night Watch: Michele Mouton on the sound of the Audi Quattro

Luxury automakers could get partial exemption from CO₂ rules