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Like its predecessor, the new Audi TT is one of the more positive appearances on the coupe market. MTM from Wettstetten, Germany, has already had its hands on this Audi and has refined the new star in the Audi range both on the outside and under the hood. The heart of the MTM-TT is the 2.0 TFSI with 200 bhp. After being souped up by MTM, the direct-injection turbo petrol engine outputs at least 245 bhp (355 Nm at 1,850 rpm). In addition to this, MTM offers 250 (363 Nm/1,850 rpm), 272 (370 Nm/1,850 rpm), and a breathtaking 313 bhp (395 Nm/ 3,230 rpm) versions, which impress drivers with superior performance.

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For the first time, a diesel- powered sportscar has won the American Endurance classic “Petit Le Mans”. With their victory at Road Atlanta, Audi prematurely clinched the Manufacturers’ Championship in the LM P1 “top class” of the American Le Mans Series having already won the Drivers’ and Teams’ titles. The new Audi R10 TDI remains unbeaten in the seventh race of its debut season, having now won the third most important Endurance race of the year after the 12 Hours of Sebring in March and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June.

Audi triumphed at Road Atlanta despite its gasoline-powered LM P1 prototype competitors being allowed to race with 143 pounds less weight making them faster than the two R10 TDI prototypes. The key to success was the reliability of the revolutionary diesel sportscar which ran throughout the 1000 miles without the slightest technical problem. Consistent lap times, a good strategy, fast pit stops and the low consumption of the V12 TDI engine made the Audi success possible.

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Vorsprung durch Technik infiltrates the rarefied world of the sports car elite this week as the new Audi R8 makes its world public début at the 2006 Mondial de l’Automobile in Paris (September 30th to October 15th). The new ultra-high performance Audi R8 combines the time-honoured hallmarks of the best of the classic sports cars with futuristic construction, transmission and suspension technologies, all underpinned by the steadfast reassurance of the quattro four-wheel-drive system.

Mounted longitudinally directly behind the cockpit of the comparatively lightweight, 1,560-kilogramme aluminium-bodied Audi sports car is a high-revving V8 petrol engine delivering 420PS, and contributing to an exceptional power-to-weight ratio of 269PS per tonne. Spinning freely to its 8,250rpm limit, this acclaimed unit punches the R8 through the 62mph barrier in just 4.6 seconds and, in the right conditions, can carry it on to a top speed of 187mph – an unprecedented high for a road-going Audi.

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The highly anticipated new Audi R8 previewed today at the Paris Motor Show not only offers a unique driving experience. It offers an amazing music experience too. The new R8 is the world’s first sports car fitted with a Bang & Olufsen audio system. ‘It is the finest sound system ever fitted to a sports car,’ says the managing director of Bang & Olufsen Automotive, Jens Peter Zinck.

The Bang & Olufsen Sound System has been designed, engineered and developed specially for the Audi R8. It has 12 speakers driven by 10 discrete channels of amplification and digital signal processing, producing a total amplifier power of 465 watts. The technology is supported by a special visual experience, including machined and anodised aluminium, enhancing the attractive interior of the R8.

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Sebring, Le Mans, Salt Lake City, Portland, Road America, Mosport - the Audi R10 TDI remains unbeaten after six races and its exploits have already gone down in the history books. The revolutionary Audi diesel-powered sportscar faces yet another tough test: “Petit Le Mans” at Road Atlanta is, with a distance of 1000 miles or a maximum duration of 10 hours, the second longest race in the American Le Mans Series and one of the year’s most important sportscar races. Audi has reunited this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans race winning trio for Petit Le Mans: Taking turns at the wheel of the Audi R10 TDI, with start number 1, will be Frank Biela (Germany), Emanuele Pirro (Italy) and Marco Werner (Germany), who will race together again for the first time since their historic Le Mans victory in June. Marco Werner won the American Le Mans Series in 2003 and 2004 and has been heavily involved in the development of the Audi R10 TDI.

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With the Abt TT-R Abt Sportsline celebrated the most amazing motor sport victories in the season 2002. Hardly anyone was able to beat the Abt TT-R. In nine of the ten DTM races at least one of the Abt pilots clinched a podium position, and at the end Laurent Aiello won the DTM championship in the yellow Abt TT-R. Therefore it is no wonder that the Abt team from Kempten has a special relationship with “their” TT and it is a fortunate coincidence that the second version of this sporty Audi model just appears on the market when the family enterprise celebrates its 110th company anniversary. At the same time, this happenstance means a challenge for Abt Sportsline - a challenge the team from Kempten meets by enhancing this exceptional sports car.

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Work on the creation of a major new landmark for Audi and for London begins today (September 18) as foundations are laid for the world’s largest Audi Centre on a prime site alongside one of the Capital’s key arterial roads. The five storeys of elegantly curved glass and steel that will be home to West London Audi from the spring of 2008 will flank the elevated section of the M4 above the Great West Road in Middlesex, which carries thousands of potential Audi customers to and from the heart of London every day.

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The Wettstetten vehicle shop of Motorentechnik Mayer, or MTM, is one of the most important sources of high-quality Audi tuning. Whichever model you choose, the Bavarian firm always has ways of refining it. Even S6 and S8 owners will find something for them at MTM.

Although both these models have the same engine – the powerful 5.2-litre FSI V10 – the S6 does not come off the Audi production line with the same power output as the S8. For those who are troubled by the lower power output compared with the car’s big brother, MTM ups the S6’s horsepower by the missing 15, to match the 450 of the S8. And then of course the driver of the S6 can also look forward to better performance.

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Audi today announced a world first – the first twelve-cylinder diesel engine in a series passenger car. This six-liter V12 makes its debut in the Audi Q7. It produces a colossal 500 hp and 738 ft.-lbs. of torque. With this engine Audi has opened a new chapter in diesel history. The V12 TDI is reminiscent of the engine featured in the new R10 Le Mans racing car – it catapults the driving performance of the Audi Q7 into the echelons of top-class sports cars. The car sprints from 0 to 62 mph in just 5.5 seconds, and has an electronically governed top speed of 155 mph. Maximum torque is available from just 1,750 rpm.

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Audi has become the first car manufacturer to win an internationally recognised motor racing championship with a car powered by a diesel engine. Having made history by winning the Le Mans 24 Hours in June with its revolutionary Audi R10 TDI, Britain’s Allan McNish and Dindo Capello, of Italy, have added to the German manufacturer’s incredible 2006 success story by winning the prestigious American Le Mans Series championship.

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