Audi R8 Named 2008 World Performance Car and 2008 World Car Design of the Year

Audi R8 Named 2008 World Performance Car and 2008 World Car Design of the Year

<< - Double victory for Audi R8 at the 2008 World Car of the Year awards - Audi R8 receives awards won last year by Audi RS 4 and Audi TT - Audi most successful manufacturer ever at World Car of the Year >> AJAX, ON, and NEW YORK, March 20 /CNW/ - After claiming the triple crownof Canadian automotive awards from the Automobile Journalists Association ofCanada with the recent naming of the Audi R8 as the Canadian Car of the Year,"Best New Design" and "Most Coveted" awards, the new Audi R8 today achieved adouble victory at the 2008 World Car of the Year awards. The acclaimed R8 was awarded both the World Performance Car and the WorldCar Design of the Year awards. The super sports car from Audi was chosen forthese awards by 47 World Car jurors from 24 countries throughout the world. When naming the Audi R8 as the 2008 World Performance Car, the jurorsobserved that it has "solid credentials on paper thanks to its mid-mounted420 horsepower V8 engine and aluminum construction. But where it excels is inthe exceptional balance, refinement and control that grant the driver theconfidence to push to the limit. It has astonishing precision for a car of itssize category". Last year, the Audi RS 4 collected the World Performance Car award, sothis makes it two in a row in the performance category for the brand with thefour rings. This year there were two representatives from Audi in the finalstages of voting, as the Audi S5 was also one of the top three finalists forthe award. For the 2008 World Car Design of the Year award, the jurors praised theAudi R8 for "transforming the sports car landscape. The R8 design is striking,original and full of interesting details, from the nose strakes to the muchdiscussed vertical 'blade' behind the B pillar". World Car design expert Tom Matano, Executive Director of the School ofIndustrial Design, Academy of Art University, San Francisco, USA commentedthat the Audi R8 is "a great visual representation of the technology within, acomplete package of Techno-Iconic Design". Last year, the Audi TT received the World Car Design of the Year award,so Audi has retained this design crown for the second year in a row. Audi wonthe overall World Car of the Year title with the Audi A6 sedan at theinaugural World Car of the Year awards in 2005. With one overall win and fourcategory wins in total, Audi is the most successful manufacturer at the WorldCar of the Year awards. The 2008 Audi R8 ---------------- Audi's first ever premium mid-engine sports car began appearing inCanadian Audi retailer showrooms last September. The R8's lightweight aluminum chassis, high-revving 420-hp 4.2L FSI V8engine, race-inspired suspension, quattro all-wheel drive system, and lowcentre of gravity combine to make the R8 handle in an unparalleled manner. With a base price of $139,000 for the 6-speed manual version and $150,500for the automatic R tronic edition, the 2008 Audi R8 is positioned verycompetitively considering its technological standards, road performance, highquality and its extensive standard equipment levels. Audi's R8 productionfacility at Neckarsulm, Germany is geared up to build just over 20 cars a day. AUDI CANADA ----------- Audi's history in Canada dates to 1971, when the brand was firstintroduced on the Canadian market. Today, a network of over 37 Audi retailersnationwide sell and service a range of premium vehicles that include theAudi A3 sportback; the sporty A4 sedan, Avant and Cabriolet models; the highperformance S4 sedan, Avant and Cabriolet models; the pulse-quickening RS 4sports sedan; the design-leading A6 sedan and Avant; the Audi Q7 performanceSUV; the all-aluminum Audi A8; the V10-powered S6 and sovereign S8 performancesedans; and the all-new 2008 TT Coupe and Roadster models and the incrediblenew R8 mid-engined sports car. Audi Canada is headquartered in Ajax, Ontario and markets a line ofluxury cars built in plants in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm, Germany, Bratislava,Slovakia and Gyor, Hungary. The parent company, AUDI AG, is headquartered inIngolstadt, Germany. More information on all Audi models can be found at: Audi Canada > language selector Photographs and information can be obtained at: www.audi-mediaservices.com/en /NOTE TO PHOTO EDITORS: A photo accompanying this release is available on the CNW Photo Network and archived at redirect. Additional archived images are also available on the CNW Photo Archive website at redirect. Images are free to accredited members of the media/For further information: Cort Nielsen, cort.nielsen@audi.com, (905)428-5820The 2008 Audi R8, one of the most acclaimed new vehicles ever, recently added to its impressive list of awards by being named as the 2008 World Performance Car of the Year and the 2008 World Car Design of the Year. These awards were bestowed on the R8 by 47 automotive journalist jurors from 24 countries around the world at the World Car of the Year awards presentation at the New York International Auto Show.