If ever there was a reason to be excited about some car news as of recent… this is it! Audi is ‘Seriously Rethinking’ its stance on bringing the TT RS to North American Shores and you have a chance to help them decide!

As of recent it appears that some overseas auto manufactures are getting the picture. We WANT the rare and unique cars over here too! Recently Porsche tested the waters by seeing if there was any interest in building the Porsche 918 Sypder Hybrid and indeed there was. Porsche as since stated that it will be producing a limited number of the vehicles.

Audi has jumped into the arena to test the waters on interest for bringing the Audi TT RS to North American Soil. This occurred only days after the announcement that Audi was going to be selling the RS5 Coupe here in 2012. This isn’t a gimmick, hoax or rumor. Audi has put this site up to gauge interest! You have the rare opportunity to let your voice be heard, so tell Audi you want them to bring the TT RS to North American roads by signing the petition!

A product of Audi’s Quattro GmbH division, which is responsible for the  RS6 and R8, will be making the TT RS. Power will be delivered via a 2.5-litre inline-five based loosely on the design of the 5 cylinder unit found currently in the Jetta and Golf. The engineering team have modified the engine by adding direct-fuel-injection technology along with a intercooler and turbocharger. The result is an output of 340-horsepower at 5,400 rpm and 331 lb.-ft. of torque available between 1,600 and 5,300 rpm. A standard 6-speed manual gearbox sends power to all four wheels through Audi’s quattro all-wheel drive system.

A byproduct of this engine? That wonderful, unique and classic Audi 5 cylinder sound!! If you don’t remember or were to young to have ever heard the classic sound … take a listen here to get the idea (keep in mind that engine was setup for racing).  Then check out the TT RS below.

This will move the TT RS from 0 to 62 mph in 4.6 seconds, with a limited top speed of 155 mph. European  buyers have the option of removing the electronic limit allowing the car to go up to 174mph.  Keeping is all on the road, the TT-RS’s suspension and electronic stability control systems have been upgraded along with bigger brakes to help slow things down a bit.

Exterior updates are minor over the TT S model, including slightly larger front air vents, a rear trunk spoiler, twin spoke alloy wheels and a unique rear diffuser. Interior changes will consist of an updated sports steering wheel and sports seats using a combination of alcantara and leather.

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Just a year after celebrating it’s 100 year anniversary, Audi has been celebrating 30 years of Quattro goodness. They continued that celebration by publishing a documentary video in which they present the birth and evolution of the famous quattro all-wheel-drive system. Watch this video presenting Audi’s 30 years of quattro evolution…

First introduced 30 years ago in 1980, the original model is also known as the Ur-Quattro, with the first generations S4 and S6 models also referred to as the Ur-S4 and Ur-S6.

Today the most advanced quattro system can be found on the new Audi RS5, featuring the crown-gear center differential that allows for the distribution of torque between front and rear axles.

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In just about all scenarios, all high performance cars that we enjoy on the road today owe many of their performance technologies to those first researched and implemented on a race track. Eventually this technology makes it’s way to the everyday commuter car for improved power and performance.  In this case, Hybrid technology started mostly on the consumer side of things and ended up finding its way to the race track via some very brave pioneers. Carrying over from our last article on the Porsche GT3 R Hybrid, we will take a look at the all new Porsche 918 Spyder Hybrid, just recently given the green light for production in Stuttgart.

“Production of the 918 Spyder in a limited series proves that we are taking the right approach with Porsche Intelligent Performance featuring the combination of supreme performance and efficient drivetrain concepts. We will develop the 918 Spyder in Weissach and assemble it in Zuffenhausen. This is also a very important commitment to Germany as a manufacturing base.” said Michael Macht, President and Chairman of the Board of Management of Porsche AG.

The highly innovative 918 Spyder  combines Porsche’s Intelligent Performance technology, high-tech in motorsport, and classic but modern design, based on the Porsche 917, to make a truly bold statement.  Providing the performance of a thoroughbred super sports car on fuel consumption of just three litres/100 kilometres in the New European Driving Cycle, equal to a CO2 emission rating of 70 g/km.

This open two-seater is powered by a high-speed V8 developing more than 500 bhp and running at maximum speed engine of 9,200 rpm as well as electric motors on the front and rear axle with overall mechanical output of 218 bhp (160 kW). The V8  is a further development of the highly successful 3.4-litre power unit already featured in the RS Spyder racing car and positioned midship in front of the rear axle, giving the car the right set-up for supreme performance on the race track through its good balance.  Power is transmitted to the wheels by a seven-speed Porsche-Doppel-kupplungsgetriebe (PDK) also feeding the power of the electric drive system to the rear axle. The front-wheel electric drive powers the wheels through a firm transmission ratio.

The energy reservoir is a fluid-cooled lithium-ion battery positioned behind the passenger cell. The big advantage of a plug-in hybrid is that the battery can be charged on the regular electrical network. A further point is that the car’s kinetic energy is converted into electrical energy fed into the battery when applying the brakes, thus providing additional energy for fast and dynamic acceleration, similar to the GT3 R Hybrid.

A button on the steering wheel allows the driver to choose among a few different running modes:

• The E-Drive mode is for running the car under electric power alone, with a range of up to 25 km or 16 miles. In the Hybrid mode the Spyder uses both the electric motors and the combustion engine as a function of driving conditions and requirements, offering a range from particularly fuel-efficient all the way to extra-powerful.

• The Sport Hybrid mode uses both drive systems, but with the focus on performance. Most of the drive power goes to the rear wheels, with Torque Vectoring serving to additionally improve the car’s driving dynamics.

• In the Race Hybrid mode the drive systems are focused on pure performance with the highest standard of driving dynamics on the track, running at the limit to their power and dynamic output. With the battery sufficiently charged, a push-to-pass button feeds in additional electrical power (E-Boost), for example when overtaking or for even better performance.

With the hybrid drive system offering this wide range of individual modes and applications, the 918 Spyder is able either to achieve lap times comparable to those of a born and bred racing car – such as less than 7:30 minutes on the Nordschleife of Nürburgring – or, focusing on a more economical style of motoring, with a reduction in emissions to just 70 grams of CO2 per kilometre.

Like the drivetrain, the lightweight body structure of the 918 Spyder also bears out the car’s DNA carried over directly from motorsport; The modular structure with its monocoque bodyshell made of carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFP) and the appropriate use of magnesium and aluminium not only reduce weight to less than 1,490 kg or 3,285 lb, but also ensure supreme driving precision thanks to the very high level of torsional stiffness.

Reminiscent of highly successful, legendary racing cars such as the Porsche 917 Le Mans and the current Porsche RS Spyder, the
918 Spyder with its design concept so typical of Porsche arouses powerful emotions. The combination of racing car dimensions, clearly structured design with perfectly balanced surfaces, and innovative details all round creates an overall pattern of aesthetic, perfectly balanced harmony in design full of power and dynamics. This indeed is the ideal synthesis of form and function following Porsche’s design DNA.

The smooth balance of tradition and progress gives the car a powerful stance on the road in its combination of dimensions. Variable aerodynamics typical of Porsche ensure both visionary and traditional highlights especially around the rear spoiler. The striking rear hoods extending out of the headrests, in turn, not only fulfil an aerodynamic function on the 918 Spyder, but also accommodate retractable air intakes with a ram air function.

The driver and passenger are not only perfectly embedded in contoured sports bucket seats, but also form part of the cockpit with its synthesis of efficient function and ergonomic high-tech operation offering an outlook at the interior architecture we may possibly see in super sports cars of the future. The three free-standing circular dials for road speed (left), engine speed (middle) and energy management (right) would appear to come directly from a racing car in the ‘60s, bearing out that unique philosophy of driver orientation so characteristic of Porsche.

The centre console rising up towards the front in the 918 Spyder houses a touch-sensitive surface for intuitive control of the car’s functions, serving consistently to reduce the number of visible controls and maintain the principle of direct operation.

The control units relevant to the driver are concentrated in particular on the three-spoke multifunction sports steering wheel, while the variable driving modes, again so typical of Porsche, are supplemented by a map switch enabling the driver to call up various drive programs and serving as the push-to-pass button for E-boosting, for example when overtaking. Instrument illumination, finally, varies from green for the consumption-oriented running modes to red for the performance-oriented driving programs.

The 918 Spyder also comes with further innovative functions such as the Range Manager. After being activated in the Center Display, the Range Manager uses the map in the navigation system to present the remaining range the car is able to cover, naturally allowing the driver to influence that range through the appropriate choice of power and performance. In cities with environmental alert areas the Range Manager also states whether the driver is able to reach a certain destination on electric power alone.

Applying this information and using further info on the availability and location of special energy filling stations, the driver is then able to choose his personal style of driving as well as the right battery charge and filling strategy.

With a 0-60 time of around 3 seconds, a lithium-ion battery that can take the car 16 miles on battery power alone, a maximum fuel efficiency of about 78 mpg, and a combined 718 horsepower, this plug-in hybrid supercar seems to have it all.

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Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid Racecar will run at the American Le Mans Series finale, “Petit Le Mans,” Oct. 2, 2010 at Road Atlanta.

Come October 2, at Road Atlanta, we get the opportunity to see the GT3 R Hybrid in action for the first time on American soil!  Making her appearance at the season finale of the American Le Mans Series ‘Petit Le Mans’. The race will run more than 1000 miles or 10 hours at most. Although the Porsche will not be eligible for points, due to hybrid technology not being recognized by current CT regulations, it will have the opportunity to stretch it’s legs and show us some amazing technology!

“After the 911 GT3 R Hybrid’s fantastic performance at the Nurburgring 24 Hours, we are now eager to gain more experience with the hybrid technology on a variety of race tracks,” said Hartmut Kristen, head of Porsche Motorsport. “At the same time, we would like to show fans and customers in our most important markets how our ‘race lab’ performs under racing conditions,” Kristen added.

The GT3 R Hybrid features two electric motors at the front axle, each developing 60 kilowatts to supplement the 480-horsepower normally aspirated rear engine. When the driver brakes, the car converts kinetic energy into electrical energy and stores it in a flywheel. When the driver accelerates, this energy is automatically delivered to the front wheels, supporting the engine at the rear. This leads to a reduction in fuel consumption and increases the cruising range. Drivers can manually utilize the stored energy with a boost paddle on the steering wheel for overtaking other cars in the race as well! This additional power is available to the driver after each charge process for approximately 6 – 8 seconds.

The 911 GT3 R Hybrid is a perfect example of the Porsche Intelligent Performance philosophy, a principle to be found in every Porsche: More power on less fuel, more efficiency and lower CO2 emissions – on the track and on the road.The 911 GT3 R Hybrid will also race at Le Mans International Cup on Nov. 7  in the 6-hour race in Zhuhai, China.

Get your tickets to The Petit Le Mans here and hopefully we’ll see you there!

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Every once in a while something wicked comes along that would make you want to be in a certain scenario. For example, lets say you happened to see a new wagon from Mercedes and it just happened to have 525hp and would accelerate from 0-60 4.6 seconds. In turn, the situation you would want to be in would be that of a family man with a loving wife, 3 kids and trusty dog.

Every once in a while something wicked comes along that will cause you to throw all rules out the window. Using the previous scenario, I don’t care if I don’t have a loving wife, 3 kids and a trusty dog! I would still rock that shit out of the 2010 Mercedes E63 AMG Estate Wagon!! I’d rock it all damn day long!

Mercedes, in my opinion, has always been ahead of the curve and as of recent has started putting out some beautiful cars again! If i had the funds, I would certainly consider taking one from the production line!

Here is the press release from Mercedes…

Although you won’t see these on the showroom floors here in the states, you can special order them… just be prepared to sign a good size check!

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