Audi R8 V10 Falls Victim to the Stretch Limousine Industry

From the creators of the Ferrari 360 stretch limo comes yet another controversial supercar conversion, this time based on the Audi R8 V10.

Carbonyte UK will work in conjunction with Limo Broker to create the world's first super-stretched R8 and which it says is destined to become the signature model for the Limo Broker brand that also owns the Ferrari 360 Modena limousine.

The British company said that work on the Audi R8 V10-based model has already commenced with the launch expected to take place by the end of summer 2012.

In the meantime, Limo Broker's released the design renderings and a virtual video that outlines the concept behind the limo, while also providing an impression of how the finished vehicle will look like.

The limousine will be able to seat up to eight people and will retain the production sports car's 5.2-liter V10 engine with 528bhp.

Scroll down for a video and pictures of both the Audi R8 and Ferrari 360 limousines.

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Audi Prices New A6 Allroad Quattro from £43,145 in the UK

The brand-new Audi A6 Allroad Quattro won't reach British shores before spring, but the Germany company has already released base pricing and will begin accepting orders for the high-riding station wagon model in February. The range starts from £43,145 on-the-road.

The initial UK lineup includes a choice of three engines, the 3.0-liter TFSI V6 petrol with 310PS and 440Nm (324 lb-ft), and a 3.0-liter V6 TDI diesel available in two flavors, with 204PS and 450Nm (331.9 lb-ft) or 245PS and 580Nm (427.8 lb-ft).

All three engines are paired with a seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission and Audi's quattro permanent four-wheel drive system, while an adaptive air suspension that lowers the body by up to 15mm at high speed and raises it by up to 35mm at the push of a button, also comes as standard.

Based on the latest A6 Avant, the Allroad Quattro is distinguished by its more rugged looks on the outside thanks to the extended side sills, flared wings, stainless steel guards, new roof rails mounted on double bars and bespoke alloy wheel designs.

For more detailed info on the A6 Allroad Quattro

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Audi Boss Confirms Q3 Vail Concept for Detroit Show

The first and second place in the U.S. premium segment may belong to the Germans for 2011, but while BMW and Mercedes-Benz are at the top, Audi couldn’t manage anything better than seventh place, with less than half deliveries of its rivals.

Clearly, this is far from ideal for the Ingolstadt-based carmaker since the U.S. remains the number one market for premium brands. Furthermore, Audi, which is the segment leader both in Western Europe and China, wants to overtake BMW as the number one premium brand worldwide by 2015.

That’s why Audi plans to introduce more models in the U.S. market. It will start from next week’s Detroit Motor Show where it will reveal a new concept version of its Q3 crossover named “Vail”, and will follow up with a sedan version of the third-generation A3.

“The next pillar of the market that we have to conquer is the United States”, Audi CEO Rupert Stadler told Bloomberg News. “We see opportunities in the SUV and sedan segments”, he added.

Stadler also re-confirmed plans to resurrect the A2 premium compact, the first generation of which was discontinued after failing to meet its targets.

Moreover, despite beginning U.S. production in 2015, long after its rivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz, Stadler said that Audi would follow their example and look into assembling SUVs and sedans at its U.S. plant.

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Audi Announces New Investment Plan and Confirms New A3 and R8 e-tron for 2012

You can say business is going good for Audi as the German premium automaker announced today a new plan to invest €13 billion, mainly in new products and technologies and in expanding its sites by 2016, while the company will also recruit some 1,200 specialists in 2012 in addition to 3,500 new employees it hired throughout 2011.

“We are aiming to achieve strong growth on an international scale and boost our lightweight construction and electric mobility areas of expertise in particular," said Thomas Sigi, Member of the Board of Management for Human Resources at AUDI AG. "That is why we will be hiring even more people and are planning to appoint a further 1,200 experts next year.”

Audi said that in order to cover its needs for skilled employees over the next few years, the brand and the employees’ elected representatives agreed to offer permanent employment contracts to trainees, students from vocational training academies and participants of the StEP program (Study and Experience in Practice) once they complete their courses.

The carmaker's planned investment of €13 billion (US$17 billion) from 2012 through 2016 is the biggest investment program in Audi's history.

“To maintain our profitable growth, we will step up investment spending on new products,” said Axel Strotbek, Member of the Board of Management for Finance and Organization at Audi AG. “The Audi Group plans to invest over € 2 billion annually in new products and technologies.”

Audi said that more than €10.5 billion (US$13.7 billion) would be spent on the development of new models and on technologies of the future such as electric or hybrid drive.

The company also confirmed three new production models for 2012, including the A8 hybrid that employs a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine, the next generation of the A3, the 2013 A6 allroad quattro as well as the pure-electric R8 e-tron that will be built in a small series.

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TRD Spices up New Toyota Aqua / Prius C Hybrid with Sport Package in Japan

Toyota is losing no time in pushing out its aftermarket proposals for the all-new Aqua hybrid that will be marketed as the Prius C in markets outside of Japan and which will make its North American debut at the forthcoming Detroit Motor Show in January.

On the same day that the regular Aqua went on sale in its home market, Toyota's TRD racing and performance division announced a slew of tuning upgrades for the sub-compact hatchback.

Starting with the exterior package, TRD's offerings include a new front apron with additional air vents and optional LED daytime running lights, matching side skirts, a roof spoiler, and a rear apron that incorporates a diffuser in a matte black finish.

For the interior, there's a new TRD push-button start while performance mods are limited -for the time being- to a sports exhaust system with a pair of chrome tailpipes, larger alloy wheels and a suspension package with new springs and shock absorbers that lower the car's ride height.

TRD said that it will release more styling accessories and performance mods in the near future.

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