While it may not be a record number for some automakers, Audi AG has, for the first time, exceeded one million global sales in 2008. Thanks to the recent release of the new 2009 Audi A4 and the small 2009 Audi Q5 SUV, Audi was able to attain a total number of 1,003,400 sales globally, a 4.1 percent increase over last year’s 964,151 sales. December 2008 sales jumped 17.4 percent (82,800) over the previous year’s December sales (70,523).

We congratulate you, Audi in your sales success, but can we ask you to please bring back the Quattro Sport now that you’re a proven sales success? Thanks, we won’t forget it.

[via Fourtitude]

Audi A1
Starting at the bottom of the grid, the Audi A1 will maintain the currently planned 1.4 TFSI, but will get an 86 HP 1.2-liter TFSI good for a little less power but will be quite a bit easier on European wallets.

Audi S4
It seems the B8 Audi S4 will be returning to its twin-turbo V6 roots, as early as this coming November. News of this respite from V8 shenanigans comes with virtually all positive notes, considering the engine is to displace 3.0 L but grunt out 330 HP, only 10 shy of the current iteration. Add in lighter weight and the same treatment for the Avant versions and everyone's happy.

Audi S5
In September 2010 the S5 will be dumping its current V8 mill for the same twin-turbo 3.0 L TFSI V6 in the S4. This will be a cut in power, but like we said about the S4, it's not giving up much and will lighten up that porky bottom line. What's perhaps more interesting is the introduction of an Audi RS5. It will retain the same 4.2-liter V8 in the current S5, but gets a whopping increase in power up to 450 HP. With such power on tap it's a good thing there will be a new 7-speed to keep it in check.

Audi S5 Sportback
The previously unknown S5 Sportback will be on sale as of September 2010 and will get the 3.0 L twin-turbo TFSI mated to a 6-speed manual, or a 7 speed auto. We're beginning to see a theme here with S-line engines, aren't you? Hopefully this new engine won't have many teething problems.

Audi A7 Sportback
Being called the Audi A7 "Sportback" leads us to believe this as-yet unseen and unheard of version of the A7 will have a certain wagony-goodness to it, but who knows. Perhaps it'll be a big old five door, swiping the hardware from the Skoda Superb. Anyway, we digress. The A7 Sportback gets a 2.8L FSI, a 3.0 L TFSI, and a bevy of oil burners. And now what's this? An S7 Sportback? Why yes, yes it is. And this one gets a 4.0 L TFSI with 395 HP! While that's no RS6 Avant, it's nothing to sneeze at.

Audi R8 Spyder
When we got the first images of that Audi R8 V10, we couldn't even speculate on a release date for the thing. Now we know the plan is for the hardtop version of the upgraded V10-powered R8 to roll out in June of 2009, and those wacky Germans are going to hack the top off and give you the R8 Spyder in March, 2010. The lesser 4.2 L V8 will follow a little later for the Spyder, just in case you were interested.

Audi Q7
While there's no earth shattering engine news on the Audi Q7 front, these docs report a facelift for the bulky-UV coming in August of next year. So, you know, if the looks are what keep you from taking the plunge, maybe wait a year and see if you like the changes.

There's an exhaustive breakdown of models, engines, and dates over at Audiblog, the original leakers. Good stuff fellas, now all the surprises are gone, thanks a lot (no, really). [via WCF]

Last night, a member of the Vortex for all things VW supposedly gave his beloved Audi A8 over to a Brooklyn valet attendant, but instead of getting the car back in the condition he left it, he found it totaled. Currently, details are slim — and completely unverifiable — but according to the member of the forum, the big German luxo sedan was being raced for about 45min prior to biting the sidewalk and sealing its fate. [via VWvortex member icuMk2]

OK, so first of all, here is the Comment, from Goatrope:

"Hey you dumbass!! It's an "R8" not an "A8"! Even Motor Trend readers know that!"

"Any car which lessens the demand for the Audi A8 while simultaneously increasing the A8's first year depreciation earns my support."

Press Release:

Audi A8
Sporty luxury and exemplary efficiency

* New A8 2.8 FSI offers the lowest CO2 emissions in its class
* Consistent enhancements across the model series
* A new driving experience in one of the world's quietest cars

The Audi A8 not only offers the sportiest performance of any luxury-class saloon, it also stands out as a model of efficiency. A particularly outstanding example is the new A8 2.8 FSI: superlative performance and excellent comfort make it a joy to drive. But at the same time, with a standard fuel consumption of 8.3 l/100 km, its CO2 emissions of 199 g/km are the lowest in its class.

The new A8 model series features major advancements across the range, which includes the top models Audi A8 W12 and Audi S8, and offers a new driving feel whilst building on traditional strengths. An even more precise driving feel, even better ride and acoustic comfort, and subtle refinements to the exterior and interior serve to strengthen the special status of Audi's flagship model.

Unique character - consistently enhanced

To achieve this, many aspects have been refined in the unique blend of sportiness, elegance, supreme control and sophistication that forms the Audi A8 character. For instance, the more direct steering and re-engineered running gear have produced even more exact handling. Overall travelling comfort has also been enhanced by the modified adaptive air suspension and extensive improvements to noise insulation. These make the Audi A8 one of the world's quietest and most comfortable saloon cars.

The new assistance systems Audi lane assist and Audi side assist promise to make life easier for the driver and considerably enhance safety, especially on long journeys. Their tasks are to alert the driver if the car begins to drift out of its lane and to warn of vehicles in the adjacent lane.

Luxurious, sporty motoring with low fuel consumption

The 2.8 FSI impressively demonstrates how well the Audi A8 combines luxurious, sporty motoring with high efficiency and low fuel consumption. Its efficiency nevertheless comes with exciting performance, as the new high-tech V6 engine produces 154 kW / 210 bhp and delivers its maximum torque of 280 newton metres over the broad rev band of 3,000 to 5,000 rpm. With acceleration of 0 to 100 km/h in just 8.0 seconds and a maximum speed of 238 km/h, the Audi A8 2.8 FSI is an effortlessly powerful performer.

High-tech engine with lightweight design concept

Thanks to its state-of-the-art engine and an exceptionally low vehicle weight of only 1,690 kilograms, the A8 2.8 FSI has a standard fuel consumption of just 8.3 litres per 100 kilometres. That is equivalent to CO2 emissions of 199 grams per kilometre - the lowest value of any luxury-class car. Here the dual benefits of low vehicle weight - thanks to lightweight aluminium design based on Audi Space Frame technology - and low wind resistance make themselves felt, in both excellent performance and equally good fuel economy.

The new six-cylinder engine demonstrates "Vorsprung durch Technik" with FSI petrol direct injection and the innovative Audi valvelift system. This new technology adjusts the valve lift, varying it between two levels. The Audi valvelift system uses sliding cam units mounted on the intake camshaft, which are moved by an electronic control mechanism. Depending on the engine power demand, the valves are opened wide or less wide as determined by the position of the cam units.

The advantage: the required quantity of fresh charge can be very efficiently controlled via the valve opening. Most of the time, the throttle valve remains fully open, thus substantially reducing throttle loss. In combination with a series of additional measures to reduce friction on numerous components, the Audi valvelift system reduces fuel consumption by ten percent.

High power transmission comfort with athletic qualities

The new A8 2.8 FSI is equipped with front wheel drive and the multitronic continuously variable automatic transmission. The multitronic not only offers unmatched power transmission comfort with fully jolt-free acceleration, its tall overall gear ratios make for very fuel-efficient motoring. Nevertheless, the seven fixed ratios available in manual mode reveal its thoroughly athletic qualities.

In Germany the Audi A8 2.8 FSI with its extensive standard equipment costs from 61,900 euros incl. VAT.

Consistently enhanced

The A8 impressively embodies the progressiveness of the Audi brand: its extremely rigid lightweight body based on the Audi Space Frame principle, the powerful FSI and TDI engines, quattro permanent four-wheel drive and the highly acclaimed MMI operating system are a few of the elements that demonstrate Audi's impressive "Vorsprung durch Technik" in the luxury class.

The character of the Audi A8 is formed by a synthesis of dynamic and agile performance and exceptionally refined ride and acoustic comfort. While setting new standards with its agility and steering precision, the A8 displays handling with definite sports car qualities. Even long journeys are both relaxing and pleasurable.

To underscore the unique character of this luxury saloon, Audi has further enhanced the two major strengths of the A8. The rack-and-pinion steering with variable steering ratio and servotronic speed-dependent power assistance has been optimised and engineered for a more direct feel. The dampers, supports and tuning of the adaptive air suspension have been revised. As a result, the A8 shows an even more spontaneous response to steering input, tightly follows winding country roads and effortlessly maintains a smooth straight line at high speeds.

Air suspension with even more sensitive comfort

Gains in performance and handling are matched by those in ride comfort: the standard-specification adaptive air suspension is now even more sensitive in responding to fine bumps. The electronically controlled variable dampers are now fitted with new seals to reduce friction. These are combined with new valves that have optimised characteristic curves, and the entire hydraulics have also been retuned. The A8 absorbs expansion joint grooves with supple ease and without even the hint of a vibration. With the addition of an insulation package to reduce rolling noise and road noise, the luxury saloon from Audi offers outstanding comfort.

Exemplary soundproofing

Even the complete acoustics of the A8 have been optimised with the use of innovative materials - after all, Audi approaches noise insulation as a component of its intelligent lightweight construction. The result: without gaining weight, the Audi A8 achieves the lowest rolling, road and ambient noise levels in its class. Being one of the quietest cars in the world is an important element of the relaxing long-distance comfort that is a hallmark of the Audi A8.

Assistance systems bring comfort and safety

Drivers of the Audi A8 can rely on the support of the most up-to-date assistance systems. They serve to enhance comfort and combat driver fatigue on long journeys, thus making an important contribution to safety. The new Audi side assist in the A8 makes use of intelligent radar technology.

The system is especially designed for lane-changing manoeuvres and warns the driver of dangerous situations: whenever there is another vehicle in the critical zone, a yellow LED display in the exterior mirror housing lights up and remains on.

If the driver of the A8 activates the indicator to change lane even though the warning display is lit up, the LEDs become brighter and flash more quickly at shorter intervals. This signal is almost impossible to miss as the peripheral vision of the human eye is extremely sensitive to changes in contrast.

Audi lane assist warns the driver to prevent an unintentional departure from the lane. A small camera positioned above the interior mirror on the windscreen observes the road ahead of the car and a high-speed computer detects the lane marking lines. If the driver moves towards one of these lines without indicating, Audi lane assist makes the driver aware of this by a vibration in the steering wheel.

Still a step ahead in the luxury class

The clear and progressive design idiom of the Audi A8 stands out for its timeless quality. The exterior design has thus only been accentuated at carefully chosen points - from the modified single-frame grille and new exterior mirrors with integrated turn signals to the new wheel designs and LED tail lights with their innovative night design. To complete the range, the A8 is available in new paint finishes and with sophisticated aluminium trim inserts plus new interior colour schemes and inlays.

The Audi A8 thus resolutely continues its progress on the road to success. With sales of over 100,000 vehicles so far, the current model has already exceeded the total sales volume of its predecessor. And it is continuing to make gains year by year in a market segment that has remained flat overall. How come? Because the A8 steadily attracts customers from other brands with its clear character, while at the same time product loyalty and repurchase rates among A8 drivers are above average.

We admit; this is only peripherally related to cars. However, that doesn't change the fact that US Navy Capt. Lisa Nowak drove 900 miles wearing diapers to confront, allegedly intimidate and possibly kidnap another woman in an airport parking lot. Nowak felt Colleen Shipman was romantically involved with Space Shuttle Discovery pilot William Oefelein whom Nowak had a big ole crush on (even though she's married with children, as is he). Back to the important bits: The diapers were so Nowak wouldn't have to stop and pee on her voyage from Houston to Orlando. The article states that lots of astronauts wear diapers. This raises a number of questions in our mind, chief among them being what sort of a vehicle has a 900-mile range? Even Clarkson the Great could only coax 800 miles out of his diesel Audi. And we wager that NASA-chick here was driving pretty fast. Plus, if she had to stop for gas, why not stop for a pee? Unless... yeah. Fans of the first season of Upright Citizens Brigade will find below to be the funniest headline of all time. – Jonny Lieberman

Astronaut arrested in alleged kidnap attempt [Associated Press]

Related:
NASA to Establish Moon Base, Moonage Planned by 2024 [Internal]

Cold Weather Test Mule: Next Generation Audi A8 [Audi World]

Related:
Spy Photos: Next Decade's Audi A8 [internal]

England is car hell. Let's forget about the expensively obvious for a moment (insane taxes, equally insane gas prices, doubly insane speed cameras on every corner and under your bed) and the plain daf (Clarkson thinks the Jaguar XK is cooler than the upcoming Dodge Challenger) and look at the cars themselves. They suck! Nine out of ten cars in Old Blighty are 1.9-Liter French diesels. The rest are Korean brands you don't even want to know about. (SsangYong Rexton II, anyone?) Sure, you will see an occasional large BMW "saloon," but closer inspection will reveal it to be a 520d SE with a 1995cc oil burner and tiny wheels (though, it does — slowly — get 41mpg). Audis sell pretty well in London, but the overwhelming majority of them are three-door A3s with puny engines. In other words, rebadged Golfs. (Jump baby, jump)

For as much guff as we in the automotive press (and especially us Swedish Mafia types) give an uninspired car like Chevy's Impala, transport said car to England and its blah by stateside standards looks are suddenly more handsome than 90% of the grimy little boxes puttering about London. Which is weird. Moreover, while I can't stand penis-substitute SUVs (Hummer H2, me looking at you), at least they have presence. Posturing is, if nothing else, visually interesting. And as my sister loves pointing out, H2s appear to be from the future. Whereas new cars in "Cool Britannia" appear to be from France and are therefore rotten looking with huge asses.

Personal transportation in Spain was a bit more interesting. And by more interesting I mean Renault Twingos and Smart ForTwos were all over the streets of Barcelona. The latter of which I really dig, while the former is more frighteningly anthropomorphic than a Nissan Micra. I have a theory as to why DCX is withholding the much discussed Smart cars from American streets. The almighty San Francisco Department of Parking and Traffic would stand to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in parking ticket revenues. Think I'm insane? You've never owned a car in San Francisco. And if you agree with me you have. Anyhow, most cars in Spain were also French and tiny and, well, rather meh.

There was one eye-opener — how utterly fantastic big cars looked. Buy an Audi A8 here in the states and you have a vehicle that dimensionally isn't much different than your Aunt's Avalon. In fact, it's about the same size as the Buick you just rented from Enterprise while visiting your Aunt and her Avalon over the holidays. But in London and Barcelona at least, Audi's big sedan truly is uber. Forget the ALUMINUM UND SHTEEL shtick, let's talk stance; a black A8 on wet cobblestones next to a teal Fiat Punto is devastating. Where I live, 7-Series are more common than Fords (no, really) and even as Bangled as they are, the big Bimmers basically blend into the background out here in Los Angeles. But on the narrow, wrought-ironed off streets of London they look like Dolph Lundgren in Rocky IV. Prussian physical perfection. Other cars that impressed; Maserati Quattroporte, Audi A6 Avant, Chrysler 300C, Jaguar XJ, Mercedes S550. Cars that looked like a Ford Taurus; Jaguar XK. – Jonny Lieberman

Related:
Standing Still: Ford Launches Fusion Pursuit Edition For Euro Market [Internal]

Audi engineers are pretty torqued by the company introducing its first major LED-based lighting system with the R8. According to a press release, the R8 has 210 external LEDs, some of which even illuminate the engine. Among them are 24 front-mounted LEDs — set as running lights amid an assembly inspired by the Sydney Opera House — and 186 LED brake lights. And to think, it wasn't long ago we were throwing around a "disco" Frisbee and wearing LED-laced Garanimals. What's next, not getting burned by hot lightbulbs? – Mike Spinelli

Press Release:

LIGHTING UP TIME FOR NEW AUDI R8

New 187mph Audi sports car features 210 exterior LED lights and even illuminates a rarely visible component - the engine

Festive lighting is all around us, but some sources are much more unusual than others. Car maker Audi, for example, has used LED illumination to spectacular effect in its new R8 sports car, which will not only pierce the night sky with a total of 24 front-mounted LED driving lamps and 186 LED brake lights, but will also shed light on a component that is rarely visible - the engine.

Due to be launched by the Vorsprung durch Technik brand next spring priced from 76,725, the 187mph 2-seater is available with an optional interior light package that not only includes Light Emitting Diode (LED) cabin illumination, but also bathes the engine compartment in LED light, drawing onlookers' attention to its powerful eight cylinder unit through its clear glass 'bonnet'.

On the outside, the 24 LEDs also conspire to create a remarkably distinctive and immediately recognisable front view. Inspired by the design of the Sydney Opera House, the R8's head lamp units incorporate 12 LED daytime running lights on each side that follow their pronounced curves. Combined with bi-xenon dipped and main beam head lights, and a total of 186 LED tail lights, they will not only give the R8 maximum road presence, but will also enhance safety for the driver and surrounding road users.

Audi UK Director Jeremy Hicks commented: "The importance of seeing and being seen on the roads is obviously brought into sharp focus at this time of year, and with its new LED technology our new R8 will be pretty hard to beat on both fronts. With the help of Audi innovations such as the quattro four-wheel-drive system we have always strived to deliver high performance as responsibly and safely as possible, and this hugely impressive lighting technology underlines that fact yet again."

Customer deposits for the new Audi R8 have been taken by the UK Audi Centre network since its world public debut at the 2006 Mondial de l'Automobile in Paris in late September, and these have already accounted for all right-hand-drive production slots allocated right through to mid-2008.

Related:
More on the Audi A8 [internal]

Our boy Zerin at Dubspeed sent his man Wes Grueninger off to French Canada to flog the V10-powered angry brothers of the A6 and A8, and came back...well, we're not entirely sure. He had nits and picks about both models, but as if seemed like he liked them and was suitably impressed with the precision of most everything but the brake modulation. Plus, there's an entertaining bit about airborne pomme frittes and an irate Quebecois woman, and we're always suckers for that kind of nonsense. – Davey G. Johnson

Dubspeed Driven First Drive: 2007 Audi S8 & S6 [Dubspeed Driven]

Related:
Jalopnik Reviews: 2006 Audi RS4 - He Said Supercar, He Said 'Meh' Edition, Part 1 [Internal]

...the Pope would be driven in a BMW 7-series in Munich, and driven in an Audi A8 while on a three-day stay in Regensburg. But even divine providence couldn't stop these two big Germans from trying for one last piece of one-upsmanship, with BMW's spokesperson declaring:

"It was important to us that we provided the car he used first on his visit...after all, when the Pope is in Munich, he should be driven in a BMW."

Audi's spokesperson on the other hand provided a bit less biting of a retort:

"Audi is satisfied with this compromise because at the end of the day, it is all about the visibility of the product. Plus, we saw BMW making out with Jimmy in the back of the school bus so BMW's a whore and it knows it."

Kids...can't live with them and it's against the law to shoot them. But really, it's days like this we wish he still just drove around in the Pope-mobile. And anyway Volvo won the contract on his new whip so they're just better than you both. Nyah-nyah!

Pope gets the best of both [AFP via Wheels24.co.za]

Related:
Habemus Volvo! Pope's New Whip [internal]

Our buddy Luca and his gang of Italian viscounts at Autoblog.it say Audi may be preparing to drop its LeMans-winning V12 TDI motor into the A8 flagship. That would bring between 500 and 650 horses (depending on turbos and tuning) and just over a gajillion lbs.-foot of torque to the limo. We're still convinced the company will also drop the 5.5-liter mill into its R8 sports car, but that likely won't happen until at least a year after launch.

Audi A8: monter il V12 TDI della R10? [Autoblog.it]

Related:
Audi Launches R10 LeMans Racer: Yes, It's a Diesel; More on the Audi R10 racer [internal]

Skiny maneuvers the A6 Avant into proper takeoff position in San Diego.

Generally, when you wake up in the morning at a deluxo hotel in beautiful downtown San Diego and find out that your next destination is in the 909, your first inclination is to break out in hives, go into a seizure, mess yourself, and then put on a straight-brimmed baseball cap, take a hit off the glass dick, climb into a lifted Avalanche, get a slew of tribal tats and crank up any and every Fred Durst-related project you can get your hands on.

Dave Green (left) used to be pretty. Somehow we doubt Richard Rawlings ever was.

Instead, we had eggs that were quite good, drank a fair amount of coffee, and sat down at a table with a group of people, all of whom, except for Jennifer Nicole, had varying models of Motorola RAZRs. Ours was even admired for being "old school," despite the fact that we only bought it last fall. Emil's was gold, Keri's was pink, and Claus had one in some crazy dark finish we'd never seen before which is probably only available to owners of Brabus-tuned cars.

But much in the manner of ninjas during one or another of those Shogunates they had in Japan back in the time, we and our RAZRs would all soon be hurtling toward California Speedway in Fontana. Little did we know, but those of us in the black Audi A8L would also be headed toward our finest hour on the 2006 Bullrun.

The intersection was a madhouse. Danny Coyle was pulling mad donuts and block-long burnouts in the Mallett Corvette. Jen couldn't figure out which way to point the Audi until Emil pointed out to her that she'd be driving out over a curb. Skiny and Bret were about to enter a world of hurt and emerge unscathed, but with their time shattered. Emil was shooting back and forth like a shuttlecock. And Claus? Well, Claus kicked back with his feet up on the open door of his Brabus and made use of his RAZR. Peter Kolb was undoubtedly being more German than anyone else. In fact, we're starting to wonder if he'd actually shrunken the state of Bavaria down to pocket-size when nobody was looking and was carrying it in his pants, simply for added precision. A little extra Weissach never hurt anyone, after all. Except for James Dean.

And then, suddenly, we were off. And miraculously, we were really off. After blowing past Los Matadors on the 163, we didn't see anyone until we got onto the 15, blasting past Skiny and Haller in their A6 Avant. And then the crackle started on the radio. The heavy hitters were quickly moving up behind us. Tove Christensen. the Lehman-Haupt/Ferretti GT with Noah at the wheel. The Team Chris 911. And of course, Danny Coyle wheeling the Chuck Mallett 'Vette.

They blasted past us, with Danny the first to arrive, but not without Jen getting a crack in to Danny over the CB about how it felt to be behind a girl. More chatter, including some worrying news from the well-tuned scanners in the GT regarding Chippies searching for Bullrunners. And sure enough, not long after, the news came over the radio that Team Chris and the GT boys had been snagged. We attempted to get a shot as we drove by, but our imprecise Japanese camera did not allow us such a luxury. We knew we should've bought a Leica. Peter Kolb is no doubt laughing at us as we write this.

Then we flew past Chuck Mallett on the side of the road, refuelling the 'Vette, which only had a 66-mile range. Keri commented, "Watch, in five minutes, he'll come flying past us." Guess what? He did, doing well over a buck on the hard shoulder. Keri put out an APB to all Bullrunners within range, pointing out that in California, the hard shoulders are often filled with tire-and-air-dam-destroying detrius and that we all should be careful.

Meanwhile, just a few miles before we hit I-10, we got stuck in massive traffic. We're not quite sure how we got past Tove, but with the traffic locked in and the GT boys and Team Chris stuck behind us due to their run-in with law enforcement, we knew we had a real shot. Especially if Chuck and Danny ran out of gas again.

On the 10, we made good time, and on the offramp to the Speedway, Jen made use of her looks and got us up in the line. We drove carefully, as the fuzz tend to hang out around the entrance to the speedway, and then hauled ass to the staging area, where we pulled up third behind the Magnaflow RS4 and the Mallett Corvette. The RS4 guys had voluntarily disqualified themselves because they'd left 20 minutes earlier, due to the co-driver not feeling well, putting the nearly bone-stock A8L in behind the 900hp Corvette.

Which just goes to show that on the Bullrun, horsepower is far from everything.

Related:
More on the Bullrun [Internal]

The Jundland Wastes are not to be travelled lightly!

With Miss Nicole back behind the wheel and properly chastised, we cruised through some amazing scenery down 95, as well as an abundance of trailer parks, until we got to Quartzsite, which besides being home to overstuffed 55 gallon drums of quartz, is also home to something called "The Main Event," which apparently involves thousands of people in motorhomes trading rocks. It's also famous as the only place Dan Gurney and Brock Yates were ever pulled over on the Cannonball, a traffic stop that prompted Gurney to stretch the Kirk F. White Ferrari Daytona's legs, eventually hitting 171 mph. Ours only tops out at 130, but for the next few stages, that top speed is primarily useless, and the stealth factor will prove invaluable.

"Leaving Lake Havasu" doesn't quite have the same impact as "Leaving Las Vegas," but we left anyway.

Cutting across on I-10 from Quartzsite to Blythe and having switched drivers, we loaded up on bonus cups at a drive-thru Starbucks, cut across town and caught CA 78 south, which turned out to be one of the most incredible drives of the trip. Rory Camagian of Los Matadors took the same route with a camera guy on board their Gallardo SE while Emil relaxed on the Bullrun bus and watched Beverly Hills Cop and drank beer. When we convened that evening, you could see the awe in his face. We went from farmland to straight-up Tatooine-style desert, and then once we took a quick run down the 111 to I-8 east of El Centro, we passed through mountainous, rocky terrain, the likes of which we'd never seen. It was like a micron-sized being's view of piles of sand.

Keri was really giving the long-wheelbase Audi's throttle the business on this leg, and the Valentine One didn't start chirping with any regularity until we got into the San Diego metro area. We were craning our neck and straining our eyes, staring out the back window through the tint, trying to make out telltale Crown Vic grille-and-headlight combos.

We pulled into the parking lot across the street from the W Hotel, not having placed well due to the morning's Garmin goof (we really can't thank you enough, Noah!), but we were proud of ourselves, having shaved an hour and a half off the time predicted by the Audi's Nav Bitch, and somehow, even though the only moments of real levity were laughing about random signs and business in Quartzsite and Blythe, we were friends. There's something about spending more than the better part of a day trying to beat the clock, other drivers and the po-po while doing it safely and taking only reasonable chances that really bonds you to people. We know it sounds somewhat cornball, but it's a trial by fire, and by the end of the day, we were working really well as a team, with the right-seater running the Nav Bitch, the driver doing her driving thing, and Los Jalopnik studying the road atlas, watching for cops, and disembarking in an attempt to figure out why a train hadn't kept a-rollin'.

The next morning, when we ran into Keri in the parking lot while shooting cars, we gave each other a big hug and she asked, "Do you want to ride along with us again today?" While we had other options, we immediately said yes.

More on the Bullrun [Internal]

On an absolutely sweltering, uncharacteristically humid Nevada morning, after a blast to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway with Noah Lehman-Haupt in the SuperSpeeders/Gotham Dream Cars Ford GT, we hopped in the back seat of the Rensing/Nicole Audi A8L, did a quick lap of the Shelby proving ground, and shot off for lunch in Lake Havasu. Click through for the tale.

As one of the first cars to leave the speedway, we knew it would only be a matter of time until characters like Lehman-Haupt/Ferretti, Tove Christensen, the Collins Brothers and Peter "I drive Porsche" Kolb would come hammering past us on I-15. We kept in radio contact with Noah, whose Garmin GPS had rendered the team nearly unstoppable on the eastern half of the rally. It had failed us plotting the route to the Speedway, however, and it was about to fail us again.

Noah had decided he and Rob were going to take 93 over to I-40 at Kingman, AZ. Which, of course, took us right over the Hoover Dam. Now, we've wanted to see the Hoover Dam since we were a wee Jalopnik, but today wasn't the right time to be sightseeing and moving slowly. But, slowly we were moving, so we made the best of it and took in the sights. We'd thought about counselling Keri and Jen against the route, but seeing as we'd met Keri roughly five minutes before we got in her car and Jen when we got in the car, we figured that it'd be prudent to let it lie.

We did have a piece of advice from Alex Roy to share, however; proceed slowly through Kingman, as it's a hornets' nest of speedtraps. The best part was when Lehman-Haupt got addled and radioed us later saying, "We're coming into Kingman. We've heard that Alex Roy says there are a lot of speed traps here." Thanks again, Noah.

We caught AZ 95 down to Lake Havasu City, and then something ridiculous happened. Lake Havasu's most famous attraction is London Bridge, which was disassembled in the late 1960s and put back together in Havasu, opening in '71. Yet off the city's main artery, there are no directions to the Bridge, which we were supposed to cross to find the checkpoint. Find it we did, with help from a local girl in a Jeep. Every Bullrunner without prior experience in the town had the same problem. In fact, many said that this checkpoint was the biggest goatfuck of the entire rally.

While we were refuelling, Jen stopped to talk to some folks who wanted to know know if we were making a movie or something, prompting a frustrated discussion between us and Keri, who finally hopped out of the car and yelled, "JEN!"

More on the Bullrun [Internal]