RideLust

The 2011 Audi A8

Audi of America has been upfront with their goal: they aim to be the number one luxury brand in the United States by 2015. Despite enjoying record sales in 2010, that’s still an ambitious goal: Mercedes sold 224,924 vehicles in 2010, BMW sold 220,113 vehicles in 2010 and Lexus sold 113,106 vehicles in 2010. Audi, on the other hand, sold 101,628, which currently has them in fourth place. The good news is that Audi sold nearly eight times more cars than Jaguar did, and they sold more than fifty times the number of vehicles moved by Bentley, Rolls Royce and Maybach, combined. Overtaking Lexus is a perfectly reasonable goal for 2011, assuming demand for luxury cars remains strong and the economy continues to improve. Read More…

So what does the Audi A1 have in common with Route 66 signs, scantily clad models and a techno soundtrack? Nothing! Now we dance, ja! Seriously, I’m mostly German and even I don’t understand what this ad shoot is about. Is the A1 supposed to represent the freedom of the open road? Does Audi have an RS-S version of the A1 that really is capable of 255 miles per hour? Is the Route 66 sign a subtle hint that we are getting the A1 on this side of the pond after all? Has “Vorsprung dürch Technik” become “Vorsprung dürch Peyote”? Your guess is as good as mine. Anyway, enjoy the weirdness (and the skin) after the jump. Read More…

Audi unveils the A6 Hybrid in Detroit. Image: Audi of America

I like Audi and I love the styling of the new A6, but I cannot imagine why they thought it was necessary to build a hybrid version of their midsize luxury sedan. Audi, if you recall, promised to bring a diesel variant of all their cars to this side of the pond in the coming years. Speaking for most enthusiasts (the type of buyers that Audi is likely to attract), I’d much rather have a clean, fuel efficient diesel than an expensive, heavy and needlessly complex hybrid. Read More…

*Photo: Cardesigns.com

In recent years there has been a very big push to get the American public to buy into new clean diesel technology. Gone are the black smoke belching machines of yesteryear and in their place are beautiful, great performing and more importantly, fuel efficient automobiles. German automakers such as Audi, Mercedes-Benz and BMW have been at the forefront of this technology and because of this are pushing for more diesels on U.S. shores. Diesel vehicle sales have been slowly increasing due not only in part to the new technology, but to advanced marketing efforts as well. 53% of all Audi A3′s sold in the U.S. are TDI models, as well as 43% for their Q7 SUV range. Diesel availability has also increased due to the fact that there are more gas stations carrying diesel fuel then there were just 10 years ago. I’ve driven these diesel models and can safely say that if you’re looking for a suitable traditional gas alternative, you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you didn’t give the new clean diesels a look.

Source: Autoblog

Audi's best seller, the Q5. Image: Audi of America

Despite the fact that many of us are feeling the pinch of unemployment, underemployment or questionable job security, there’s clearly a segment of the population unconcerned over personal financial issues. While car sales were up in 2010 after a disastrous 2009, luxury car sales are way up. BMW sold 220,113 vehicles last year, an increase of 12% over 2009. Mercedes Benz sold 225,007 vehicles in the U.S. last year, an increase of 18%. Audi, on the other hand had a record year in 2010, with sales of 101,629 vehicles and growth of 23% compared to 2009. Audi’s sales even grew 10% beyond their previous best year, 2007, when the company sold 93,506 vehicles.

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What would you do if, say, you were being pursued by Nazi SS who wanted to kill you (because, you know, they’re Nazis)? Or what if your daughter was captured by evil communist lackeys who then drove off into the sunset with her? Or how about if the zombie apocalypse happened and the undead masses learned how to drive cars in pursuit of your moist, delicious brains? There are many everyday scenarios just like these that will make it MANDATORY that you get involved in a high speed chase. In order to prepare for such inevitabilities, it’s important that you get the right car. But what car is that?
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Who knew that taking a squirt on the side of the road could lead to such mayhem. You see one of the best parts about being a man is that we have the option of relieving ourselves while standing up. It’s a wonderful feature and one that most of us cherish. Take this guy for example. Maybe he’s had one too many cups of coffee, or maybe he has a bladder infection, either way though he found it necessary to relieve himself in natures backyard. Unfortunately he positions himself right in the center of a tight corner on a back country road where an overzealous driver in an Audi almost takes him out. Obviously startled by the man and his exposed winkie, the Audi driver panics and proceeds to plant his car in a tree line ditch. What happens after that, we have no idea.

Source: Autoholics.com

There is just something so fundamentally right about seeing proper hoonage performed in a high-end super car. Burnouts, donuts and power slides used to be reserved for the likes of imports and American muscle, but no longer. You see there are those out there that have finally realized that cars like the above Audi R8 are not only good at going around corners, but more importantly, you can give them a proper beating without worrying about them. Today’s super cars are a far cry from the finicky ones of yesteryear that had reputations for breaking at the slightest signs of abuse. Nowadays Ferrari’s, Porsche’s, Audi’s and even Lamborghini’s can take a thrashing and still keep on ticking. This is a wonderful thing for all owners to know, as they should now feel confident enough to put on a show for all of us onlookers without having to worry about their pride and joy going up in smoke.

Source: Youtube.com

It’s true, we here at Ridelust.com want one of these suckers BAD! What you are seeing is the new Audi Quattro Concept, a car that is a fitting tribute to the original Audi Quattro Sport that was released back in 1984. Powered by a 5-cylinder turbo that bangs out 408 hp, this amazing concept is something that we hope Audi builds. Oh yeah, it’s also a proper 6-speed manual gearbox and rockets to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds thanks to its all-wheel-drive system. You see right now Audi is pimping this thing out all over the place in order to test the waters and gauge public reaction. I saw this car in person a month ago at the LA auto show and not only was I immediately impressed, but I knew right then, that I wanted one. Audi went back to basics with this car by making it light weight, fast and a traditional two-seater. This is one of those rare automobiles that WILL sell… all Audi has to do now is build the damn thing.

Source: Youtube.com

Photo: Audi AG

Audi has their sights set on Mercedes Benz and BMW, and has publicly declared that they intend to be the number one luxury brand by 2015. Their mid-range A6 is key to achieving that goal, so Audi took the redesign of their executive sedan very seriously. The previous generation, launched in 2004 and refreshed in 2008, became one of Audi’s best sellers; the successor had to maintain Audi’s reputation for style and performance, but still draw new buyers away from other luxury brands.

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