RideLust

Thumbs Up: Good looks and practicality

Thumbs Down: No diesel version In US

Buy This Car If: You can afford the price of admission

The 2012 Audi A7 may be the Swiss Army Knife of luxury sedans. It’s speed and handling definitely put it in the “sport sedan” column, its quattro AWD gives it all-weather confidence and it’s cavernous hatchback makes it nearly as versatile as an SUV or crossover. It’s drop-dead gorgeous, too, especially when you view it from the rear three-quarter perspective. Read More…

Audi certainly has their heart in the right place, and there’s no denying that the 2012 Audi A6 is a beautiful design. Still, no matter how many decisions per second a car makes, there are plenty of drivers around you making decisions, too. Bad ones, generally, like ignoring tires until they explode, leaving them stranded by the side of the road. Or worse ones, like thinking that texting and driving doesn’t impact their ability to control their car. Here’s a hint: if other drivers are honking their horn and flipping you off as they pass, you’re the problem – not them. Read More…

APR's 34,000 square foot headquarters in Opelika, AL. Image: APR

When it comes to cities with ties to world-class tuners, what comes to mind? If Mercedes is your thing, you’d probably say Affalterbach, Germany, home to AMG. Perhaps you’d say Asaka, Saitama, Japan, home to Mugen, if fast Honda’s are your passion. Closer to home, Livonia, Michigan, home of Roush Performance, may come to mind if you’ve got a penchant for fast Mustangs.

If you’re a Volkswagen or Audi fan, your performance mecca is Opelika, Alabama, home to APR, LLC and one town over from Auburn University. Founder (and Auburn grad) Steven Hooks simply wanted to create a shop where VW and Audi owners could go for repair and tuning services, without fear of getting ripped off. What started as a hobby has grown into a worldwide business that includes both street and track performance for Volkswagen, Skoda, Seat, Audi and Porsche vehicles. Read More…

Audi's Q5 crossover. Image: Audi AG

Confused yet? That makes both of us, but here’s what we know: Audi wants to build models in the United States. When their sales volume gets to around 150,000 units per year, having a U.S. factory becomes key to Audi’s next sales goal, which is 200,000 units per year in America. In 2010, Audi sold just under 102,000 vehicles here, and they’re on track to have a better year in 2011. Give the time it takes to build a factory and ramp up production, Audi is already cutting things close. They’ve yet to identify a site, and they haven’t even begun the discussion on which model(s) to build here. Or have they? Read More…

Over the years I’ve had the privilege of participating in a host of different automotive events. From cross country races and rallies, to running side by side in open wheel cars, to climbing behind the wheel of vintage muscle cars for the simple reason of showing off. Cars are my life and next to my family and friends, they probably garner the majority of my attention. One of the perks of being in this business is the exposure we get to all sorts of high-dollar iron. From exotics to classics, we get to run the gamut when it comes to cars. Recently a few of my friends and I were having a conversation about what would make up the perfect super car. We spoke about power to weight ratio, horsepower and skid pad numbers and of course, 0-60 times and top speed. We talked about Porsche’s, Ferrari’s and Lamborghini’s but in the end settled on a car that takes its own road; the Audi R8.
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Nothing makes women hotter than an alligator skin Audi with scissor doors...

If you’re a VW or Audi fan, chances are you’ve heard of Wörthersee. It’s a lake in southern Austria, but it’s also home to the largest annual gathering of VW and Audi fans in the world. It’s best described as “Sturgis meet Sprockets”, if you get the reference to the old Saturday Night Live skit with Mike Myers. Picture thousands of heavily drinking Germans, Austrians and other Euros, turning their collective freak knobs up to 12, and you get the picture. It’s fun for families, too!

VW and Audi typically roll out some impressive new cars and concepts at the event, and this year was no exception. VW launched their 35th anniversary GTI, which comes loaded and packs 235 horsepower instead of 200. Audi rolled out their A1 clubsport quattro concept, and we salivated. Who wouldn’t jones over a car the size of a shopping cart, with 500 horsepower and quattro AWD? Don’t expect to see it in showrooms any time soon, but just knowing it exists is good enough for me. Enjoy the video below. Read More…

Thumbs Up: Solid, fast and unbelievably comfortable

Thumbs Down: None; I wouldn’t change a single thing about this car

Buy This Car If: You want a truly exceptional luxury sedan that also doubles as a sport sedan

Audi has a clear and stated goal for the North American market: by 2015, they want to be the number one luxury brand. I can’t think of a better way for them to achieve this goal than by building cars like the 2011 A8L; on the surface, the car is a conservatively styled, long wheelbase luxury sedan. Once you begin to peel back the layers and look into the design and construction of the car, you begin to realize that one thing the A8 isn’t is conventional. Read More…

It’s true… I’m a sucker for well shot car videos and I’m completely envious of the talent that it takes to create them. I’ve been taking photos and videos of cars for years, however my skills rank right up there with the best of them from the kindergarten class at P.S. 131 here in Queens, NY. It’s a shame as I really do try, but alas, I’m a much better driver then I am a photographer, so I suppose I’ll just stick with that. Shot by the VW and Audi guys over at Wagenwerks in Virginia, the following video is their Spring 2011 ShowReel. They’ve got everything from racing footage, to high speed desert rallying, to some outstanding still shots that should, unless you’re dead, get you all ramped up and ready to roll for this years car season. Click through and enjoy.
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Is there a bad choice here? Image: Car and Driver

Actually, that’s not a particularly fair comparison, since two of the three cars are heavy on sport, while the Infiniti leans more towards luxury. Car and Driver recently spent time flogging the upcoming Audi TT RS against the BMW 1 Series M and the Infiniti IPL G Coupe on the Tail of the Dragon and a local racetrack (nice work, if you can get it). Which finished on top? What was the order? Which was the most entertaining to drive? Watch the video below to find out. Read More…

The Audi R8 is without a doubt one of the greatest cars from any manufacturer to have been released within the last 10 years. It seamlessly blends performance, high style and bullet proof reliability into the one true super car that you can drive on an everyday basis. Whether you opt for the standard 4.2-liter V8 version or go buck wild with the likes of this all new 2012 Audi R8 GT, the odds of you not liking your choice are slim to none. With the R8 GT, Audi has seen fit to take what they’ve learned from their existing models and tweak it into this limited edition version. The 5.2-liter V10 from the R8 Coupe 5.2 quattro and the R8 Spyder for example, has been massaged to the tune of another 35 hp, making total power output 560 hp. They’ve also lightened the car by another 180 pounds by utilizing more aluminum and carbon fiber in its overall construction.
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