A few weeks ago, a trailer for Audi‘s Truth in 24 II: Every Second Counts documentary was unleashed onto the Internet packed with plenty of high-speed action at arguably the world’s most famous race. Now you can grab your favorite Apple device and download the film for free on iTunes.

The documentary debuted nationwide on May 5th on SPEED TV and gave racing fans an inside look into the world of racing from Audi’s point-of-view at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The full copy can be downloaded for free exclusively at the iTunes Store and will work on your Mac, PC, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, or Apple TV. And it is of course in full high-definition. Those that missed the first Truth in 24 can also grab it on iTunes for free.

Narrated by Jason Statham, this film undoubtedly packs the most entertainment and drama one could expect at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. 2011 was the year Audi saw tragedy struck twice for the team leaving the lone number-2 R18 TDI to fend off a trio of Peugeots as it went on to claim the victory.

We received spy photos of the next generation Audi R8 earlier today, but this newest batch of pictures is what we really wanted to see; the new R8 in the flesh, free of design-hiding camouflage. 

The front grille is the most prominent style change on the new R8, although overall it is not that significant. Besides a new look, the facelifted R8 gets new LED headlights, plus exhaust pipes similar to those on the R8 GT.

The 4.2-liter V8 engine that at present runs the car is rated at 430 hp, which could get bumped up to around 450 on the new model. Watch for a transmission change as well, as the current R8 runs with Audi’s R-tronic single-clutch automated manual, where as the new one could receive the brand’s S-tronic gearbox. A dual-clutch unit, that transmission would retain the ultra fast gearshifts while adding a touch more civility to the drive.

Watch for the new Audi R8 to debut at the Paris Auto Show in September, although we can expect more details to leak as the date draws closer.

GALLERY: 2013 Audi R8

The automotive industry is a global business that is constantly evolving and growing, and we here at AutoGuide know it can be hard to keep up sometimes. So here is a summary of the top stories you may have missed this past week:

2015 Ford Mustang Rendered into Reality

Mustang fans and Ford loyalists may decry the automaker’s modern new style language… 

Chevrolet SS Performance Sedan Announced

Straight from the other side of the world, Chevrolet announced its SS Performance sedan today…

Audi Celebrates First Ever Nürburgring 24 Hour Win

Arguably the world’s toughest endurance race, the 2012 Nürburgring 24 Hours ended with the AudiSport Team Phoenix R8 LMS ultra capturing the victory…

Toyota GT 86 Gets Unique 320-HP Twincharger System from Gazoo Racing

Ever since the Toyota GT 86 became official, sports car enthusiasts worldwide have been anxiously awaiting…

2014 Porsche 918 Spyder Prototypes Begin Testing

If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. That at least seems to be the theory at Porsche these days…

Enthusiast-Built Chevrolet S10 Gets a Badass Viper Engine

At the purest level, being a passionate car guy is a selfish game. Somewhere along the line a bug with gas…

2013 Porsche 911 GT3 Near-Production Model in Spy Photos

Our photographers caught pictures of the 2013 Porsche911 GT3 today…

Audi revealed its 2013 A3 three-door hatchback at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, but since then has been a little bit quiet with its five-door variant dubbed the ‘Sportback’.

New photos have surfaced on the Internet of the A3 Sportback that reveals that the five-door model will bring nothing new compared to its three-door counterpart. It’s not a huge surprise considering that it shares the MQB platform with its three-door and sedan variants. While there’s no confirmation yet, we wouldn’t be surprised if the Sportback model made it to America to be sold alongside the sedan.

Hopefully the German automaker will reveal more information on the A3 Sportback in the near future, ideally with word that it’ll make it to America at some point.

GALLERY: Audi A3 Sportback

[Source: Autoforum.cz]

Arguably the world’s toughest endurance race, the 2012 Nürburgring 24 Hours ended with the Audi Sport Team Phoenix R8 LMS ultra capturing the victory after 155 grueling laps on the ‘Green Hell’.

It’s the first victory for the German automaker at the famous Nürburgring 24 race with drivers Marc Basseng, Christopher Haase, Frank Stippler, and Markus Winkelhock at the wheel. Second place also went to Audi with Chris Mamerow, Christian Abt, Michael Ammermüller, and Armin Hahne finishing behind their fellow Audi teammates while representing Mamerow racing.

Third place went to the Hankook-Team Heico Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 driven by Christian Frankenhout, Andreas Simonsen, Pierre Kaffer, and Lance David Arnold who barely edged out the Wochenspiegel-Porsche 911 GT3 R with Marc Lieb, Romain Dumas, Lucas Luhr, and Richard Lietz behind the wheel.

As expected, the race was not without any drama with less than one-third of the 31 GT3-spec race cars having trouble-free races. Team Schubert’s BMW Z4 GT3 held the pole and the race early on but lost six laps from a driveshaft failure. Its sister car experienced gearbox issues after leading, leaving the race down to fellow German automakers Audi and Mercedes-Benz to face off.

Audi’s top entry, the number-2 Phoenix car, crashed in the early morning after rain fell in the 15th hour. The ROWE Racing Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 took over the lead before it found trouble with a suspension failure that ultimately took it out of the race with six hours to go.

This is the fourth Nürburgring 24 Hour attempt for the Audi R8 LMS race car and marks a historic 1-2 sweep along with Audi’s first win. As for Team Phoenix, it’s enjoying its second win after capturing the title in 2003 with an Opel Astra V8 Coupe.

“It was a great weekend for us, for the whole team,” Winkelhock said. “We had a perfect car that had no problems. It’s just amazing to stand on the podium. It was a really tough race and is really competitive.”

Today’s cars all seem to be focused on delivering fun driving experience that’s still friendly on gas. Those two elements are often an important factor in a car purchase, but sometimes you just want to feral thrill of a big, loud engine.

Lets take a look at our top ten list of the most affordable cars with big V8s. Just about all of these cars have at least 300 horses under the hood, and have the personality of old-time muscle cars. The range here includes sports cars, sedans and luxury vehicles, so you might see something out of place while looking through this top 10. The price range also starts off pretty steep, but ventures into real bargain-bin prices near the top three.

At the end of our list is the new Chevrolet Camaro.  ZL1At $54,095 The Camaro ZL1 might not sound like value. That is, until you consider that it has 580-hp and makes a whopping 556 lb·ft of torque. The supercharged 6.2-liter V8 helps you get to 60 mph in under four seconds, and this hopped-up Camaro is also capable of lapping the famous Nurburgring in 7:41.27. The ZL1 accomplishes this thanks to its high-tech Magnetic Ride Control, which you’ll find in some high-class exotics like the Ferrari 458 Italia.

Audi, along with other manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz and Ferrari, have taken to YouTube recently to send out thanks to each company’s fans and faithfuls, releasing videos of cars doing extraordinary things. Audi has now revealed a follow up, which chronicles the making of its thank you video.

 The first video features an Audi R8, stock from the showroom, burning some rubber and doing donuts, all to spell out the number 500,000 on the asphalt, a tribute to 500,000 Facebook fans. In this follow up video, Audi race car driver Dindo Capello talks about his experiences making the video, and the challenges he faced trying to write numbers by lighting up a set of tires.

Watch the video below.

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

It doesn’t matter that there were only a handful of races run on Europe’s second-oldest track, at least not anymore.

Sitting almost entirely unused for the better part of 80 years, former WRC champion Carlos Sainz and current DTM driver Miguel Molina hit the Autódromo Terramar in an Audi R8 LMS for some unofficial fun.

There is no english in the narration, and it’s a pretty long video so just skip the first half, it gets interesting after that. From then on, there’s loads of footage showing the R8 whipping around the track’s 60-degree embankments and getting airborne.

Unfortunately, there’s no racing footage but that doesn’t take away from how awesome the video is by itself.

Originally built in 1922, the track only saw minor races occasionally until the 1950s. It has since been abandoned but has remained more or less intact over the decades.

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

At the annual Worthersee Tour in Austria, Audi will be bringing its new e-bike Worthersee prototype which will be on display alongside the Audi Q3 Red Track, Q3 jinlong yufeng and RS Q3.

Audi says that the bike is made to explore the limits of technical feasibility on the basis of Audi’s core competences “design”, “ultra”, “connect” and “e-tron”.

It’s a unique prototype that Audi claims is for sport, fun and tricks. It was completely designed by Audi’s team and features very light-weight materials. The frame and wheels together weigh just under 5 lbs. That’s thanks to a carbon fiber reinforced plastic material that’s used throughout the body of the bike.

The bike also has a small electric motor that powers the rear wheel when the rider doesn’t want to pedal. This motor adds quite a bit of weight, but the complete bike comes still comes to a relatively lightweight 43 lbs.

The electric battery here is fully removable, to be replaced by a charged unit for example, and can be fully recharged in as quick as two and a half hours.

The bike has five riding modes. ‘Pure’ mode allows the bike to be powered only via the pedals. ‘Pedelec’ mode gives the rider assistance by using the electric motor. ‘eGrip’ gets the electric motor to power the bike alone, with power output being controlled by the rider via a twist-grip throttle.

The last two modes allow the rider to have a bit of fun. Two ‘Wheelie’ modes help the rider perform stunts with some help from the electric motor.

Another key feature of the e-bike Worthersee is its on-board computer, which has a touch screen and shows which riding mode you’re in,can record trick sequences and can adjust various e-bike functions such as electric pedaling assistance and lighting. The display shows speed, distance, battery charge and other stats.

Other cool technology is used in the e-bike Worthersee prototype, like an immobilizer that senses when you are nearby, using your smart-phone’s antennae.

It sounds like an interesting concept from a car company that just bought Ducati. The Worthersee meeting originally started as a Volkswagen GTI meet, but has now transformed into a whole gathering of Audi/VW/Skoda fans, and the companies love to show off new products to its loyal fanbase.

In an always competitive market, Audi has plans to become the largest luxury automaker in the world, and has filed papers with the European trademark office to protect seven new car names likely to be seen on upcoming models.

The seven names Audi protected are: Q6, Q8, R6, S2, S9, RS1 and RS8. Some of these cars, like the Q6, are already known to exist although they are just in testing stages for now, while others like the S9 are not even on the radar yet.

The R6 is likely a variant of Audi’s mid-engine super car the R8 that will probably ride on a smaller platform and be slightly more affordable.

Q6 and Q8 will be the brands newest SUVs, with Q6 being introduced to compete with BMW’s X6 crossover, and the Q8 slotting in as the largest most luxurious SUV in Audi’s fleet.

The names S2 and S9 suggest the the brand will introduce two more cars into the lineup, which will be called A2 and A9. The S2 and S9 will be the sports performance version of these cars. Rumors of a model above the current flagship A8 have been suggested in the past, while the revival of the S2 name suggests an exciting performance oriented coupe.

The RS1 has already been spied, and will be a small hot-hatch that may not have a conventional non-performance version.

[Source: AutoNews Europe]

Along with the Q3 jinlong yufeng and RS Q3 which both debuted at the recent Beijing Auto Show, Audi will showcase a third Q3 concept car at the upcoming Worthersee Tour VW GTI meet in Austria.

Powered by the same turbocharged 2.5-liter 4-cylinder as the RS Q3 making 340 hp, the Q3 Red Track can sprint to 60 mph in just 5.4 – although its adventure capabilities don’t stop there.

Designed as an outdoor lifestyle vehicle the Q3 Red Track gets running boards and flared fenders, with a track that’s been increased by 1.57-inches. The Q3 has also been lifted by 1.18-inches to improve off-road capability. Special aluminum roof rails sit atop the crossover with integrated wide-angle LED lights. And to protect the underside, a special panels protect parts like the dual-exhaust system.

Along with a custom grille, the outside of the Q3 Red Track features numerous unique traits, including its Energy Red paint with matte gray detailing. Inside it gets a unique seat material that uses both leather and fabric, with an Alcantara headliner and black Nappa leather on the dash.

Other interior highlights put the focus back on the Q3′s purpose with a Thermos canister in the cup holder that can heat or chill drinks plus a charging station in the trunk for flashlights that can also function as infra-red heating elements. The trunk floor mat actually features heating coils and can be folded out over the rear bumper so you don’t scratch the shiny paint when loading items. Additionally, the Audi MMI navigation screen features a special function that displays the car’s longitudinal and latitudinal tilt angle.

Along with the three Q3 concepts, Audi’s participation at the Worthersee Tour will also include a display of 16 production vehicles as well as what it’s calling the e-bike Worthersee prototype.

The Worthersee Tour kicks off May 16th.

GALLERY: Audi Q3 Red Track

There are a lot of car stereotypes out there, like that Toyota builds dull appliances. While true on many fronts, the Japanese automaker does also make exciting sporty cars like the Scion FR-S, and Lexus LFA, both praised for their exhilarating rides, edgy styling and pulse-raising performance. But there’s another stereotype that needs to be dealt with.

Likely you’ve heard the phrase “German engineering” more than a few times in your life and there’s a popular misconception that it equals good reliability. German cars are well engineered, sometimes to be amazing performance machines and sometimes to be incredibly high-tech (and often both) but, Porsche aside, German cars don’t have the best track record for reliability.

A REPUTATION EARNED

Part of the reason for the misconception about German engineering is that German automakers did, at one time, earn it. When Consumer Reports started its Long-Term Reliability Tests and Initial Quality Index tests way back in 1972, German brands like Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz came out on top. The initial quality of even the lowly VW Beetle topped many domestic vehicles from Ford, Jeep, Pontiac and Mercury.

For a while afterwards, Mercedes and VW managed to stay near the top in reliability rankings. But their Japanese rivals weren’t sitting idly-by. In the 1980s and 90s the most reliable models ended up coming from Honda, Toyota, Acura, Infiniti and Lexus.

“Back then, the cars like the Beetle were pretty simple. But then came stronger competition, the Japanese [automakers], especially Toyota and Honda got their problems per 100, down to a science,” Said Gabriel Shenhar, an automotive engineer at Consumer Reports.

A REPUTATION LOST

In the late ‘90s Mercedes had released the dismally unreliable M-Class SUV (left) and the brand’s initial quality scores have plummeted since. Other German brands had similar experiences. Even though they stayed at the forefront of new technology and engineering practices, their new gizmos were prone to failing.

“They’re quick to adapt new technologies but rely on suppliers that supply these technologies and in a lot of cases what we see is problems with the electrical systems, the entertainment systems and other interface,” said Schenhar

According to Consumer Reports, Mercedes boosted its reliability a bit in 2011, but is still inconsistent. The same can be said for Mercedes’ German competitors, Audi and BMW. In Consumer Reports last five annual reports, the last time these German brands have been above average in reliability was back in 2007. Since then, they’ve all slumped below the average in the industry.

Consumer Reports’ Long-Term Reliability test documents a car’s reliability over the course of three years, while the Initial Quality Index is based on consumer feedback from the first few months of a new cars ownership.

Consumer Reports also has a report card that ranks automakers based on their average car score, reliability score and the percentage of recommended vehicles. The average score for these carmaker report cards over the past five years (when they started the report cards) of the German brands doesn’t crack 68/100, below the industry average and the competition from the top Japanese automakers.

These results are reflected in numbers released by J.D. Power & Associates as well. In the both of the latest J.D. Power Surveys, the German brands can’t match up to their luxury peers. In the most recent vehicle dependability survey, Mercedes-Benz only gets a four out of five, which is “Better than most” rating, while Audi and BMW get 3/5 or “About Average.” Volkswagen falls below average with 2/5, what J.D. Power describes as “The Rest.” Porsche is also ranked “Better than most” in J.D. Power’s dependability survey, which give Mercedes-Benz some nice company. It’s important to note that only one car maker had a score of 5/5, and that’s Lexus.

Nothing changes in J.D. Power’s Initial Quality rankings. Mercedes and Porsche have 4/5 ratings, BMW and Audi get just 3/5 and VW only achieves 2/5. Lexus tops that ranking as well with a 5/5.

The J.D. Power ratings are based on consumer surveys. Initial Quality is measured after 90 days of a new car’s purchase. Vehicle Dependability Ratings are surveys based on the past 12 months of original owners of three-year old cars.

POOR RANKING NOT JUST ABOUT QUALITY

Some of the reasons why German cars struggle in J.D. Power’s rankings in the past are entirely trivial and are not related to actual vehicle quality at all says Karl Brauer from Total Car Score.

“German cars didn’t offer cup holders for years, and while this isn’t a mechanical failure it was often noted as a dissatisfaction point for buyers on J.D. Power and Consumer Reports surveys, and this drove down their scores” said Brauer. “Most German cars (even Porsches) now have cup-holders because the manufacturers realized they were suffering in terms of owner satisfaction scores by not having them,” he added. The same thing could be said about some of the complicated technologies and infotainment systems like BMW’s first generation iDrive system (pictured right).

SACRIFICE FOR PERFORMANCE

Along with these more trivial complaints and technology issues, Shenhar of Consumer Reports tells us that German automakers, by their own admission, sometimes come up short because of their singular focus on performance. When and if they cut costs, the likely areas that will get cheaper quality parts will be with some of the stuff the customer might not notice.

“They are susceptible to cost-cutting and anywhere they can, in the hopes that the customer won’t know, they use suppliers that will deliver and sometimes won’t,” says Shenhar.

While the phrase “German Engineering” has become synonymous with reliability, Shenhar suggests it should more accurately be a reference to performance. And in regards to performance, there’s little doubt they have some high standards. In fact, looking away from initial quality and reliability, German vehicles rank quite well.

GERMAN CARS STILL APEAL-ING

In J.D. Power’s Automotive Performance, Execution & Layout (APEAL) study, which looks at how gratifying a new vehicle is to own and drive, based on owner evaluations, Porsche comes out on top, as the only automaker to get 5/5. Audi, BMW Mercedes and VW all achieve a 4/5 in this survey as well, showing that these cars are no slouch when it comes to performance and execution.

With its new 3-series, BMW has set the bar even higher for sport sedans, and the new Porsche 911 has again solidified the automakers place in automotive history for making the best sports car in the business. It’s no surprise then that both cars were in the running as finalists for the 2012 World Car of the Year Award.

Neither won, however, but that accolade did still go to a German car: the VW up! In fact, it’s VW’s fourth win in the past five years. Winners are selected based on overall merit, value, safety, environmental responsibility, emotional appeal, and significance.

It’s clear then that there are plenty of reasons to buy a car from automakers like BMW, Mercedes, Audi and Volkswagen, but if reliability is your top concern, don’t be fooled by the myth of “German engineering”.