Mystery Audi Sports Coupe / Spyder (R4?) Filmed at Ski Resort in the Alps

Audi gone viral or someone at the right place, with... almost the right equipment at the right time? Well, we can't answer that, but we do know that a Youtube user filmed a series of videos showing a mysterious Audi sports coupe (or Spyder) in covers being transferred via helicopter to the Olympia Ski Resort in the Tyrolean Alps, close to Innsbruck, in Austria - or at least that's what we understood, so any corrections welcome. The person who filmed the car said Audi was making some sort of a promotional video.

The mysterious Audi sport coupe's shape looks very similar to the e-Tron Concept model shown at the Detroit motor show earlier this year, but that's all we could make about the vehicle from the videos we've added below.

While the possibilities are almost endless, recent reports from Germany suggest that along with the A7 Sportback and S1 hot hatch, Audi will lift the covers off a more production ready version of the e-Tron Concept called the R4 - possibly in Spyder form- at this month's Paris Motor Show.

Could this be that car or is it something different such as a concept version for a new TT? Watch the videos below and share your thoughts in the comments section.

Hat tip to Marcus!

SCOOP: 2011 Audi A6 Sedan Spied in the wild

Here are some spy shots of Audi's next-generation A6, which is scheduled for launch next year. While it's still pretty well wrapped up in swirls, we can assume that the car will essentially be and a less-"designer" A7 Sportback with a trunk; the student has become the master (and quickly!). Since we already know what the A7 will look like, it doesn't take much imagination to see where the A6 will go from there.

The stylish A7 does a damn fine job of being a 4-door, 4-seat coupe while also being a hatchback (and embarrassing BMW's 5GT), which leads me to believe that the next A6 will be a nice-looking 5-seat evolution of Audi's large mid-sizer.

The engine lineup will include the usual suspects, trickling down from the CLS-killer A7 and up from the A4: a 204-horse 2.8 FSI as a base gasoline V6, a supercharged 300-horsepower 3.0TFSI as the sporty gasoline V6, and two 3.0 liter V6 TDIs. Smaller, more efficient engines will be available as well (depending on the market of course), including turbocharged diesel and gasoline 2.0-liter inline-4s, and even a hybrid.

Quattro and FWD will be available across the range, as well as a 6-speed manual, 7-speed S Tronic (DSG), or 8-speed automatic transmission depending on engine choice.

A top-line S6 is rumored to bring some form of big-power V8. Lastly, the madman RS6 will no doubt be built by quattro somewhere down the line to take on the M5 and AMG's E_Class. Even though there has been talk about Audi dropping the current V10 unit in favor of a smaller, lighter, and greener but equally, if not even more powerful, force-fed V8, this has not yet been confirmed.

By Phil Alex

2011 Audi Q3 SUV, is that you Peeking Behind the Blinds?

This just in; our spy photographers in Germany went all "007" today capturing these scoop images of they what they claim to be a masked prototype of the forthcoming Audi Q3 small SUV. The test car was snagged in an Audi facility in Ingolstadt, and according to our people, it looked slightly smaller in size than the Q5 SUV. Too bad the blinds weren't fully opened up. Well, maybe better luck next time...

So, what do we know about the Audi Q3? First of all, Audi has officially confirmed their 'baby' SUV will be built at Seat's Martorell plant in Spain with production scheduled to start in the first half of 2011.

The new car sits under the larger Q5 in the firm's crossover / SUV lineup and will provide Audi with a rival for the freshly revealed BMW X1. Like all new VW Group subcompact and compact models, the five-door SUV from Audi will benefit from a variety of turbocharged diesel and petrol engines, while a hybrid version is also expected to be offered.

SPY VIDEO: New Audi A7 Sportback Doing Some Fast Laps on the 'Ring

Here's another spy video of the A7 Sportback, Audi's upcoming, low-roofline hatchback [sic]. Based on the architecture of the next-generation of the A6, the A7 will slot into the Audi lineup above the A6 and below the A8, in the same way that the A5 Sportback fits between the A4 and A6 models.

The upscale five-door model will compete with the new Mercedes-Benz CLS, and if the rumors turn out to be true, with the BMW 6-Series GT (or whatever else the Bavarian firm's decided to call the production Gran Coupe) also, when it goes on sale next year.

Tear away the prototype model's swirly camouflage, and we're willing to bet that what you'll see underneath is a toned-down version of the Sportback Concept that premiered at the 2009 Detroit auto show (see gallery below).

The new A7 will share its engines and transmissions with the next A6 offering buyers a choice of petrol and diesel units including Ingolstadt's 3.0-liter supercharged V6 TFSI, while rumor has it that Audi will expand the range in late 2011 with a gasoline-electric hybrid model.

An S7 with either a pumped up version of the supercharged 3.0-liter V6 or a naturally-aspirated 4.2 V8, as well as an even hotter RS7 possibly with the 5.2-liter V10 are also believed to be in development, but details remain scarce for now.

Video: Youtube

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Audi Sportback Concept

Audi A1 with S-Line Sport Package Spotted in the Wild

A sharp-eyed reader over from Autogespot took this single photo of the brand-new Audi A1 in the city of Barcelona, Spain. If we're not mistaken, the specific model appears to be equipped with the S-Line package that adds several goodies such as 17- or 18-inch alloy wheels, sport suspension, a larger roof spoiler at the back and unique bumpers (notice the protruding insert on the rear bumper).

Audi's Mini Cooper chasing A1 hatch will have its first public outing at the Geneva Motor Show in March. At launch, it will be offered as a three door hatch with of four engines including two petrol units, the 86HP 1.2 TSI and 122HP 1.4 TSI plus two diesels, a 1.6 TDI with 90HP and 105HP.

European sales of the A1 will start this summer with prices beginning from around €16,000. No word yet if the Audi's new entry-level model will make it on this side of the Atlantic.

Via: Autogespot

VIDEO: New Audi A7 Caught Testing with BMW 7-Series in Norway

A pair of camouflaged prototypes of the upcoming Audi A7 were spotted testing outside the city of Oslo in Norway. The A7s appear to be accompanied by an A5 Sportback, a BMW 7-Series and one more car that we couldn't identify. The A7 is to the next-generation A6 what the A5 Sportback is to the A4 / A5 models; a sexier looking and less practical five-door variant (notice the open hatch in the video) of the A6 with seating for four.

Designed to compete with the likes of the Mercedes-Benz CLS that will soon enter its second generation, the A7 shares its steel-reinforced aluminium platform and mechanical hardware with the next A6.

The A7 though will arrive first as Audi has already made it official that it will launch the sporty-looking saloon onto the market in the second half of 2010.

Power will come from a variety of gasoline and diesel engines including the firm's supercharged 3.0-liter V6 TFSI petrol, while rumor has it that Audi will expand the range in 2011 with a gasoline-electric hybrid model.

Via: DN TV

2011 Audi A1 Mini: First Photo of Production Model?

A commenter on Audi's official A1 Facebook page has posted this photo of Justin Timberlake walking in front of what appears to be the production version of the Audi A1 supermini.

And if you're wondering what's the connection between Timberlake and the German automaker's answer to BMW's MINI, Audi announced on Wednesday that it has struck a deal with the pop singer to play the leading role in an Audi A1 Internet campaign that will be launched in the spring of 2010.

"As a superstar he appeals to a young target audience that we're particularly intent on exciting about the compact and efficient A1, which is superlatively well suited for city traffic," said Peter Schwarzenbauer, Member of the Board of Management of AUDI AG for Marketing and Sales

And now that we've done informing you about the promotional aspects of the A1, let us remind you that the new premium supermini from Audi will make its world debut at the 2010 Geneva Salon next March with European sales following shortly after.

There have been reports on the media claiming that the A1 will not make it to North America, but we haven't heard something official from Audi yet.

Source: Facebook , Via: Blogomotori (Kudos to our anonymous tipster / commenter)

VIDEO: Mystery Audi Sedan Prototype Caught on Tape, is it the 2011 A8 or the New A6?

Audi has us all confused lately with its 2011 A6 and A8 test cars as it's very difficult to tell one car from the other with certainty. For example, check out this video shot in Mexico that shows a somewhat lightly camouflaged Audi test mule on the road. Now, can you tell us if what we're looking at here is a prototype for the new-generation A8 that will be unveiled at the end of the month or for the redesigned A6 which is slated to be introduced next year? Hit the jump to watch the video.

Via: Worldcarfans

2011 Audi A8 Spied in Southern California by AutosWallscreen Reader

We've been reporting for some time that Audi is getting ready to swipe the covers off its next-generation A8 luxury sedan, and now an alert AutosWallscreen reader has sent us these photos of this psychedelically camouflaged Audi prototype. Robert H, who captured the sedan with his iPhone in Southern California, told us that the test car was similar in size to the current A8 limo, thus reducing the possibility that it may be a prototype for the new A6 sedan - let's face it, you can never be 100 per cent sure.

As stated by German firm's Chairman of the Board, Rupert Stadler during his speech at Audi AG's annual shareholders meeting in Germany this past May, we'll have the first official photos of the new A8 in late November.

We still don't know if Audi will perform the motorshow debut of the 2011 A8 in Los Angeles this December or if the Germans will opt for the Detroit show in January next year or even later at the Geneva Salon in March of 2010.

The German firm's Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7-Series rival, which will continue to use a lightweight aluminum chassis, is expected to be offered with cleaner and more fuel efficient engines including Audi's new 3.0-liter supercharged V6.

Hat tip to Robert H. for the photo scoop!

Benero: Would You Believe that this $600,000 Coachbuilt Special is Based on the Audi S5 Coupe?

Every so often we stumbled upon a creation like the Benero sports coupe pictured here that's a completely unknown quantity. In spite of our 'googling' efforts, we didn't find anything official on the car. However, according to the folks that sent these photos over to our friends at Autogespot, it is claimed that the Benero is a special coachbuilt model powered by a 4.2-liter supercharged V8 engine tweaked by German tuning firm MTM to produce an output of 525HP.

Despite the lack of official information and even though it is not obvious from the vehicle's exterior appearance, the Benero's interior and the engine specs can't hide the fact that it is based on the Audi S5 coupe.

It is said that the Benero will be produced in limited number of 50 units priced at a staggering €400,000 or close to $600,000 US a piece. If any of you have more information on the coachbuilt special don't hesitate to leave us a comment below.

Via: Autogespot