Regardless of how well the Audi R18 does at this weekend's 24 Hours of Le Mans, Audi will be guaranteed to lead a few laps thanks to its role as safety car provider. Afterwards, Audi should sponsor a cop show featuring Lt. Aluminium and Sgt. Schteel.

When is an Audi TT an Audi R8? Despite what Afzal Kahn may render in his English workshop, the answer is never. But if you've got the bucks, you can get pretty close. At least visually.

Despite our misgivings about an R8 GT with a removable roof, Audi's going ahead with plans for a 552-hp version of its Spyder. Teamspeed's spies in Germany caught what looks to be a pre-production model in all its wing'd glory.

When it was introduced at the Paris Auto Show in 1978 the BMW M1 was the first mid-engine vehicle BMW had ever built. 33 years later, the low production M1 is the only mid-engine vehicle the company has ever built. One of the rare M1s is currently listed on Ebay, but the entry price to malaise era Bavarian super car…

Remember the Audi R8 GT, the lighter, faster version of the gentleman's supercar? It seems Audi's building one that's nearly the same, only sans top. Sans is French for "nope, doesn't have one."

The Audi R8 has offered tuners a near-perfect canvas to work their dark arts, with a pleasing shape that can take a little tweaking, but not too much. German tunerhaus Anderson's Hyper Black R8 V-10 is more dark than art.

Wiping feces on the car door handle of a Czech singer's Audi R8 and taping the hapless victim is what constitutes a prank these days? Jeesh. In my day we just dumped Biff into a truck full of manure.

An Audi R8. A snow-covered parking lot. A disregard for property financial well-being approaching Charlie Sheen levels. It's a delight to watch.

The 2010 Race of Champions is being held this weekend in Dusseldorf, Germany. Watch F1 driver Heikki Kovalainen wipe out in his Audi R8 after a suspension failure during today's first race. (Hat Tip to D-Fence)

How do you get children to share your love of cars? Step one: Start 'em young, say 2 years old. Step two: Get a car seat for your Audi R8. Step three: Make sure their vocabulary includes "turbo." (Thanks Chris!)

This new Audi billboard in Toronto offers diligent students the hope of eventually owning an Audi R8 Spyder if they "Stay in School." Or you could just drop out and Audi'll give you one for free. (H/t to Andrew!)

The limited edition Audi R8 GT combines the power of an LP560-4 with the robotic sensuality of an R8. Combine this with an old German dude on fast, wet roads and you get this mess.

The Audi R8 GT RS from yesterday? Actually a V10 swap from tuner MTM. AutoExpress got it wrong. Grain of salt and all that. [WCF]

This Creamsicle-painted tester caught gassing up at the Nürburgring is supposedly the R8 GT RS, the hard-edged version of Audi's supercar with a stripped interior, bigger brakes, aggressive aerodynamics, bigger side scoops, tighter suspension and apparently 600-hp. Delicious. [AuoExpress]

Every car nut dreams of building the ultimate garage and showing it off to friends/forum members/strangers. This Audi aficionado's garage is impressive, but let's be honest, it's really all about that sexy RS2.

The Audi R8 stirs emotions in every color, but this shot makes the absence of more black versions conspicuous. Maybe it's the $46,000 paint. (Photo Credit: Phillipluecke)

Manchester United's Anderson Oliveira had to be pulled, unconscious, from the burning wreckage of his Audi R8 moments before it exploded in a single-car accident in rural Portugal this weekend. This is why soccer players can't have nice things.

Cincinnati Reds 2nd Baseman Brandon Phillips was arrested last month for "reckless driving" with his mom in the car. This is the hideous purple Audi R8 V10 he was arrested in. Update!