2008 Audi S8 Lane Assist and Side Assist Features

Cars.com's Joe Wiesenfelder walks you through the side assist and lane assist features in the 2008 Audi S8.

2008 Audi S8 Review

Cars.com's Joe Wiesenfelder walks you through the 2008 Audi S8.

2008 BMW M3 Coupe vs. 2008 Audi S5 Coupe

Before you start sending us flaming e-mails complaining that a comparison between the 2008 Audi S5 and the 2008 BMW M3 Coupe is an obvious mismatch from the get-go, you should know a few things.

Our first full test of the $53,000, all-wheel-drive 2008 Audi S5 was a bit of a revelation. With a 354-horsepower version of Audi's direct-injection 4.2-liter V8 under its hood, the voluptuous Audi S5 ran a 13.3-second quarter-mile at 104 mph, just 0.1 second and 2 mph shy of the 420-hp 2007 Audi RS4 sedan. What's more, the S5's slalom speed is within a couple mph of the harsh-riding RS-spec sedan. "It ran a 13.3? With that kind of speed, who needs a $67,000 RS4?" we asked ourselves.

2008 Audi R8 Review

Cars.com's Joe Wiesenfelder takes a look at the 2008 Audi R8. It competes with the BMW M6 and Porsche 911.

2008 Audi R8 Review

The R8 features a normally-aspirated 4.2L V8 that develops 420 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque.

Audi TT 2008 Vehicles Recall

Volkswagen is recalling 720 MY 2008 Audi TT coupe vehicles. These vehicles were produced with C-pillar trim cover clips that do not provide adequate retention. In the event of a deployment of the rear pyrotechnic safety belt, the C-pillar trim cover may become detached from the sheet metal due to low retention force of the trim clip. The detached trim cover could pose a risk of personal injury for vehicle front seat occupants.

For more information, visit the NHTSA web site.

Audi R8 Super Bowl Ad

Audi R8 Luxury Sports Car Super Bowl Commercial Ad

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This Audi R8 Super Bowl Commercial recalls the Godfather movie when it shows a rich man awaking in his bed to find himself covered in oil and grease (rather than blood), with his old car bumper and grill at the foot of the bed under the covers (instead of a horse head). "Old luxury has been put on notice" Camera pans out to see the mansion front with the new Audi R8 luxury sports car revving its engine to leave the scene of the crime.

Audi R8 V12 TDI Concept

Video of the unveiling of the new Audi R8 V12 TDI Concept car in Detroit, at the 2008 North American International Auto Show.

Audi TTS

The unveiling of the new Audi TTS in Detroit, at the 2008 North American International Auto Show.

AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE Names the Audi R8 Automobile of the Year

AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE, America’s leading automotive lifestyle publication (www.automobilemag.com) and part of SOURCE INTERLINK MEDIA, today announced that the Audi R8 is its 2008 Automobile of the Year. The magazine also named the R8 Design of the Year and GM’s Two-Mode Hybrid System Technology of the Year.

The winners are featured in the pages of the February 2008 issue of AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE, available on newsstands beginning January 2, 2008.

2008 Automobile of the Year: Audi R8

Audi’s first foray into the sports car arena impressed the editors with its depth of abilities, which include straight-line speed, deep reserves of power, generous suspension travel, laser-like directional stability, and the surefootedness of all-wheel drive. The R8’s glass-encased, 420-hp, 4.2-liter V-8 engine has the sound of a traditional Italian supercar. Editors called it a great real-world sports car in the vein of the Porsche 911, but with the exotic presence of a Ferrari.

“The R8 absolutely captivated the automotive world this past year,” said Jean Jennings, President and Editor-in-Chief of AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE. “It propels Audi into a whole new league of driving dynamics, and it emphatically caps Audi’s steep ascent from the somnambulant lull in which it languished in the early 1990s. The R8 is a thrilling new sports car from a company that’s stronger than it’s ever been.”

Design of the Year: Audi R8

The arresting R8 features a bright metal blade on its side, an unmistakable and dramatic design feature shared with no other car. For Design of the Year, AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE looks for innovation, style, beauty, engineering, dynamics, heritage and public approbation, and editors noted that the R8’s design is outstanding in almost every way.

“We honor the designers and the engineers who have so perfectly realized a truly civilized grand touring coupe,” said Design Editor Robert Cumberford. “It is far more comfortable than cars of equal performance, and it features a highly focused environment for the driver but a relaxed and more open space for the passenger.”

Technology of the Year: GM’s Two-Mode Hybrid System

AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE editors also called General Motors’ Two-Mode Hybrid System the most significant gasoline-electric propulsion advancement since the original Toyota Prius. With oil approaching $100 per barrel, big trucks that don’t guzzle gas on an ordinary commute could be a God-send.

“Two-Mode blends the best attributes of internal combustion and battery-powered electric motors,” said Technical Editor Don Sherman. “Chevrolet Tahoes and GMC Yukons equipped with the technology can achieve 20 miles per gallon or more, which is equivalent to the capability of a four-cylinder mid-size sedan in city driving.”

Sherman noted that because Two-Mode is a second-generation approach conceived by transmission experts instead of engine specialists, gasoline and electric power sources are more ingeniously combined with fixed and variable gear ratios to achieve higher efficiency over a broader range.

Since GM partnered with BMW and the former DaimlerChrysler to develop Two-Mode for front-, rear-, and four-wheel-drive applications with gasoline and diesel engines, consumers should begin to see it in more cars, pickups, SUVs, and crossover vehicles.

About AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE

AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE, part of SOURCE INTERLINK MEDIA, has a circulation of 550,000 and a total readership of 3.6 million. Recipient of more editorial awards than any other major automotive publication, AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE is designed to appeal to the interests of passionate automotive enthusiasts. Its diverse editorial mix includes behind-the-wheel experiences in the world’s most fascinating cars, as well as personalities, travel destinations, automotive art, vintage cars and industry trends. SOURCE INTERLINK MEDIA is a division of Source Interlink Companies, Inc., (NASDAQ: SORC), a media and marketing services company. Source Interlink (www.sourceinterlink.com) is one of the largest publishers of magazines and online content for enthusiast audiences and a leading distributor of home entertainment products, including DVDs, music CDs, magazines, games, books and related items.

Audi Cross Cabriolet Concept

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Steve Siler takes a look at the Audi Cross Cabriolet, a concept car unveiled at the 2007 LA Auto Show.

2008 Audi S5 Review

Cars.com's Mike Hanley takes a look at the 2008 Audi S5.