Autoblog

Four days ago we brought you in-depth coverage of Audi's publicity parade on Park Avenue, featuring the new R8 supercar, the R10 Le Mans racer and the 1938 Auto Union Type-D "Silver Arrow". The attention-grabbing event marked the North American debut of the R8 as well as the opening of Audi's new high-tech 6,400-square-foot "Forum" showroom on Park Avenue in mid-town Manhattan.

For your viewing pleasure we have for you today an impressive and dramatically-filmed video of the R8 making its way down Park Avenue, driven by none other than New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The video not only captures the finer details of Audi's new range-topping halo model, but the overall mood and atmosphere created by the high-octane spectacle.

Not only is this video definitely worth watching, but you'll probably go back to the start and watch it again (and think you're watching HBO).

Related posts:

• Audi plans to raise prices, brand perception
• Photos from Audi's parade on Park Avenue
• Audi planning parade on Park Avenue

(Bonus: catch Audi's press release after the jump for more staggering details on the NYC Audi Forum.)

[Source: The German Car Blog]

UPDATE: Photos added from Neal M. and dc, play-by-play account from Ahmed
UPDATE 2: Video of the Auto Union Type D on the street after the jump


This morning New Yorkers on their way to work were greeted with Audi's Park Avenue parade that marked the R8's first official drive on U.S. soil and the opening of the company's new Audi Forum located at 250 Park Avenue. Autoblog reader Ahmed M. was on hand and armed with a camera phone. He sent us these pics of the R8, R10 Le Mans racer and 1938 Auto Union Type D Silver Arrow, the latter of which was one of the world's first mid-engined racecars. NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg was reportedly on hand to deliver the R8 to the Forum, which is not a dealership but rather a brand awareness space that will educate New Yorkers on the Audi experience and can also host events up to 150 people.

If any other readers were present and have pictures they'd like to share, specifically of the Forum itself, send them to abresearch at gmail dot com and we'll post them here.

Check out Ahmed's play-by-play account of the parade after the jump near the bottom of the page.

We feel lucky having been one of a relatively small group of people to see the Audi R8 in person at the 2006 Paris Motor Show. We won't feel so special after next Wednesday, however, when Audi is planning a parade in the Big Apple that will be lead by the company's new two-seat, mid-engine road rocket. Millions of New Yorkers will be able to catch a glimpse of the R8 leading a pack of Audis that also includes the R10 TDI racecar currently dominating the American Le Mans Series and a 1938 Auto Union Type D Silver Arrow, which represents the line of world's first mid-engined racecars. Why all the hubbub? The celebration commemorates the opening of the newly created Audi Forum New York City, which is not exactly a dealership but what the marketing folk call a "brand awareness venue".

If you're in the area, the procession's going to begin at 10AM EST next Wednesday and start at 52th and Park Avenue. The cars will be flanked by New York City's finest as they drive down to 47th where they'll be parked outside the new Audi Forum NYC for people to inspect. Expect a few celebrities to be present, and supposedly some will be commissioned to drive the vehicles, as well. The occasion will technically mark the first time a production R8 has been seen outside in open air, although we've seen plenty of uncamouflaged mules the last few months. If you're planning to attend, takes pics and send them to abresearch at gmail dot com.

[Source: Fourtitude]

Despite regulations allowing its competitors to race with 143 lbs. less weight, Audi managed to claim the win this weekend at the Petit Le Mans endurance race at Road Atlanta. Other LM P1 cars from Zytek, Creation and Porsche were actually faster than the Audis thanks to the rules that lightened their load, but the R10's bulletproof durability and lower fuel consumption, combined with error-free driving from Alan McNish and Dindo Capello, carried one of the two Audi cars across the finish line first. The second R10, driven by the Le Mans winning team of Frank Biela, Emanuele Pirro and Marco Werner, was poised to finish alongside or ahead of its counterpart, but contact with a slower GT car pushed the team back to seventh overall and fourth in LM P1.

With the win, Audi clinches the Manufacturers' Championship in LM P1, having already won both the Drivers' and Teams' Championship. It's also the seventh straight Petit Le Mans victory for Audi and the tenth straight win at Road Atlanta. That is what they call merciless domination, folks. Watching the diesel-powered R10 mow down its gas-powered competitors all season makes us a little more than excited for the start of the next 24 Hours of Le Mans where Peugeot is preparing to fight fire with fire by fielding its own diesel-powered Le Mans racer, the 908.

[Source: Audi]

Six races, six wins so far this year for the incredible (and eerily quiet) Audi R10 TDI: Sebring, Le Mans, Salt Lake City, Portland, Road America and Mosport. They've already clinched the Teams' and Drivers' Championships. Now all that remains is to sew up the Manufacturers' Championship in the "Champions League" LM P1 class for Audi. Heading into this week's Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta they've decided to take no chances and have brought together the Le Mans-winning trio of Frank Biela, Emanuele Pirro, and Marco Werner.

The Petit Le Mans has grown to be one of the most important endurance races in motorsports. Although locking up the championship is still a concern, the Audi team has won the race six years in a row with the R10's predecessor, the R8, and they'd hope to keep the streak alive. Additionally, because it is one of the longer races on the calendar it gives teams a chance to test late season improvements for next year. The revolutionary diesel-powered R10 would also be one step closer to finishing off its maiden season with a perfect record. Full release after the jump.

[Source: Audi]

We had a big news week to cover in the Autoblog Podcast, Episode #40. Damon and I kick off the show with a debate over Ford's chances for survival after its new CEO, Alan Mulally, settles in. Somehow we manage a smooth segway into talking about GM's new 5-year / 100,000-mile warranty and what it means for the General's longstanding problem with perceived quality. Finally, we round out our 40th episode with GM's sequel to its Sequel hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle and Audi's announcement that it's going to drop the LeMans-winning V12 TDI diesel engine into the Q7. Enjoy the show!

[MP3] Listen to the show now.
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Hosts
John Neff and Damon Lavrinc

Producer
John Neff

Length
37:14

UPDATE 1 - Audi's official press release added after the jump

Friday, we brought you the initial report that Audi would be dropping a 6.0-liter V12 TDI based on it's Le Mans-winning engine into the Q7 SUV. That report has been confirmed today with the release of additional details and photos from Audi, which will publicly unveil the beast later this month at the Paris show.

Pumping out 500 horsepower, the big TDI also generates 1000 Nm / 738 lb-ft of torque, so if you ever feel inclined to pull your house off its foundation, you'll be well-prepped to give it the 'ol college try (if the car makes it to this side of the Atlantic).

All that power is channeled through a 6-speed Tiptronic and Audi's Quattro AWD system. 0-62 mph takes just 5.5 seconds and it'll keep running up to a governed top end of 155 mph. Fuel economy is 11.9 liters per 100 kilometers. That's 19.7 mpg for us Yankee-types -- a very respectable number, all things considered.

When we first reported this on Friday, some questioned why Audi would choose their SUV as the first platform for the twelve-cylinder diesel. Simple: it's the only vehicle in the lineup with an engine bay large enough to swallow the big motor. Visually, the Q7 V12 TDI is differentiated by a modified front end with enlarged intakes on either side of the company's corporate grille. In back, the exhaust outlets are neatly integrated into the rear bumper.

Look for it in Europe as a 2008 model, and pray that Audi can get it to pass US emissions regs. This is one we want to see here, too.

Update: According to the press release issued by Audi, there are no plans to import this engine to the US. Sigh...

[Source: Audi via Auto Motor und Sport (translated)]

Rumors are floating around the net that Audi may be so bold as to offer the A8 with a version of the twin-turbo V12 TDI diesel engine that powers the automaker's R10 Le Mans racecars. In full race trim the 5.5-liter, twelve-cylinder engine produces 650 horsepower and 811 ft-lbs of torque. The powerplant would likely be detuned for production use, as well as lightened from its current weight of over 440 lbs.

While this appears to be pure speculation at this point, it's not very far fetched. The Audi R10s have been just as dominant in the American Le Mans Series as was their R8 predecessor, proving that diesel can more than hold its own the track. Audi has also stated in the past that it plans to fast track technology advancements made on the R10 racers to production vehicles. Lastly, the German automaker has by far been diesel's loudest cheerleader this year. What bigger statement could be made then by dropping the most dominant engine in motorsports today into a luxury sedan? But... wouldn't the engine make a bit more sense in Audi's everyday supercar, the upcoming R8? Whatever, as long as its coming to a driveway near us we don't care.

[Source: Motor Authority]

Despite the decision by American Le Mans Series officials to handicap both Audi R10 race cars in Round 7 at Road America, the two diesel-powered LMP1 race cars, one driven by Frank Biela and Emanuele Pirro and the other by Allan McNish and Dindo Capello, won the race with the team's second successive 1-2 finish.

The Audi teams were racing against competing LMP1 Lolas from the Dyson team that were allowed to compete with 143 lbs. less, a decision made by ALMS officials to even the playing field. It didn't work, as both Audis overcame some hairy contact with the field on the first lap to finish the race in an all out duel.

Though both cars started on the pole (Allan McNish set a new ALMS track record in qualifying), the R10 driven by Frank Biela was forced off the track on the first lap and he spent the rest of the race charging the back of the field and eventually catching his teammate in the other R10. After McNish handed his R10 over to co-driver Capello, the pair lost the lead to their charging teammates and finished 0.4 seconds behind the R10 driven by Pirro. Round 8 of the AMLS will be in two weeks at Mosport in Canada.

[Source: Audi]

A couple of years ago the thought of a diesel-powered race car would've made all but the most die-hard diesel fans laugh out loud. Today, however, Audi is dominating the American Le Mans Series with its pair of diesel-powered R10 racers. Their domination is so thorough, in fact, that ALMS organizers have decided to grant their competition concessions so they can keep up.

At this weekend's round of racing at Road America, the competing LM P1 Lolas from the Dyson team will be allowed to race with 143 pounds less than the R10s. At the following race at Mosport the Lolas will be given a five-liter larger fuel tank, as well. These concessions seem to be aimed at making up the gap in power and fuel economy the R10s enjoy over their gas-powered competitors.

The decision by ALMS officials to change the rules in the middle of the series have cast doubt about Audi's future participation in the series, though the team plans to tough it out for the time being. Road America's long 4-mile track should suit the R10's abilities, despite the fact Audi engineers calculate the cars will be giving up 1.3 seconds per lap due to their weight disadvantage.

[Source: Audi]