Jalopnik: R8-Spotting

Audi R8 Crashes In Portugal, Old Luxury Takes Vengeance

Ray Wert — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 20:32:48 EDT

We'd heard "Old Luxury" was pretty pissed over that whole turf war with Audi over luxury buyers since the Super Bowl. You remember, right? Yeah you do — that was when the Audi R8 dropped the ~~horse head~~ faux Bentley grille into "Old Luxury's" bed. Well, anyway, it looks like that hit they've had out there on the Audi brand has finally taken down one of their made men in Portugal. Yup, scratch one R8, paisan! Sure — it looks like an innocent traffic accident, but that's just what "Old Luxury" wants you to believe. All we know is Audi better watch themselves and their Le Mans R8 TDI next week at the New York Auto Show. Or at least get Iron Man in as a hired goombah to protect it. All we know is, we haven't been this upset since that R8 went up in flames a while back.

[via Quatro rodas e um volante!]

Nooooooo!!!! Audi R8 Goes Up In Flames, We Cry

Ray Wert — Sun, 02 Sep 2007 15:06:24 EDT

Yes, it would appear that's an Audi R8 that's just burst into flames. No, we don't know exactly why. Yes, one of us is very, very, very sad. Although we remember a ~~diesel~~ V10 mule going up in flames earlier this year. Any connection? Again, we've no clue. But feel free to walk through these shots below to figure it out yourselves — if there's anything left to discern any facts from. [via R8Talk.com]

Iron Man To Drive Audi R8

Ray Wert — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 12:45:00 EDT

There's no doubt at least one of us thinks the Audi R8's a pretty smooth looking sports car — and apparently so does the metal-faced gadget-obsessive Iron Man himself, Tony Stark. That's right, the Teutonic automaker obsessed with Bruce is teasing us yet again with the R8, product placing it in the new "Iron Man" movie as a very tony ride for Robert Downey's Stark. Yeah, it doesn't beat Batman's Tumbler, but it'd do quite nicely for us.

Mark Phelan Is A Meanie-Face, Teases Us With Audi R8

Ray Wert — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Mark Phelan, the jovial auto critic for the Freep, and mortal enemy of Scott Burgess, auto critic for the Detroit News regular all-around good guy, is now, in a fit of Colbertism, dead to us. Those wacky kids over at Autoblog pointed out to us that he made the conscious decision to drive the Audi R8 to the Chrysler "What's New?" event over in Chelsea yesterday. We can only assume he did this on purpose as he must know we're already being teased by Audi with their super-duper car. We don't know why he made the decision to hurt us like this, but we know one thing — we're going to make things painful for him. That's right — from now on we won't be picking up any more free copies of the Freep over at Leo's Coney Island in Royal Oak. No, from now on we'll onlyread his reviews online and with AdBlock turned on to ensure there's no chance of added revenue going into his pocket. Full evidence of his meanness below via my camera and the camera of Jeff Kowalsky. – Ray Wert

Audi R8 Fades To Black, Continues To Tease In Metro Detroit

Ray Wert — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 12:30:00 EDT

The spotting of the Audi for our wives continues in Michigan — this time coming to us via a double-shot from tipsters Marcin and Jason of a back-in-black R8 over near Pontiac and Auburn Hills. Here's the report from Jason:

"Spotted on OPDYKE rd,rochestor, near the silverdome...Spotted far away, looked like an unusually wide TT.had a M plate. Saw I was taking pictures and tried to get away but got caught at light. Then made a quick Uturn in the middle of traffic and sped off."

You can run Audi, but you can't escape us — we want our ~~two dollars~~ drive time in the R8! – Ray Wert

Audi Continues To Torture Us With The R8

Ray Wert — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 11:45:00 EDT

We received this e-mail yesterday from Hoser Dave and momentarily lost it in the daily hail of e-mails and tips on whatever-aminos, newspaper articles and breathless solicitations for V1agra. Now that we've read it, we wish we hadn't opened it as it's only prolonging the suffering and misery.

"Friend of a friend spotted this in a Metro Detroit parking garage couple days ago. Wonder if this is the mysterious R8 that's been buzzing Wert's house?"

We're going to go and cry in a corner now and then head out to start searching all the parking garages in the vicinity of Metro Detroit. That shouldn't take more than, what, a month and a half or so? – Ray Wert

Why Is Audi Cock-Teasing Me Mit Ze R8?

Ray Wert — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 18:00:00 EDT

Why does Audi continue to tease me with the R8? Can't they just give me a media fleet car for a week? Heck, even a long weekend — I wouldn't be upset with lopping a couple of days off the end (actually, yes I would) if it gives me a better chance of snagging one. But why must they continue to tease me? I'd been hearing about the R8 being spotted just about everywhere in the area — Ferndale, Royal Oak and Farmington Hills — and now the auto company all about Bruce is going too far. Now they're frigging following me. Two days ago I was pulling out onto Woodward Avenue on my way to 696, heading out to Ann Arbor for the evening. As I'm taking the turnaround just north of 6th, what do I see on the other turnaround? Right there, almost in spitting distance, was a silver R8. Tears streaming down my face, I began to scream epithets as I raised my camera to snag some shots. But, despite the pain and hurt, I soldiered on to Ann Arbor and by the time I got there, my eyes were finally dry. And then, out of the corner of my eye I saw it — a silver flash on Main Street behind me. I didn't think it was possible, so I took the next right, and looped back around to catch it in the act. Sure enough, there it was — another silver R8. I feel beaten. Below, you'll find the photographic proof of Audi's desire to cock-tease me. I feel broken and empty inside now. Why does my Eleanor forsake me and why won't Audi heal my pain?!?! – Ray Wert

Audi R8 Spotted In Suburban Detroit...Again

Ray Wert — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 11:15:00 EDT

More Audi R8-spotting. This time it's on I-696 in Farmington Hills at around 8:30 AM. Hold on, I'll be back — I'm going to go and wait outside and see if it's coming down here to Royal Oak for me! Oh wait — who am I kidding? – Ray Wert

Audi R8 Spotted In Berkeley

Ray Wert — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 13:15:00 EDT

We're spotting the Audi R8 all around the byways of this great nation as it performs all sorts of mysterious tasks. OK, more than likely it's just making the rounds with auto journalists who'll be beating it to a living pulp and tearing it to pieces as they put it through its paces. Case in point would be these shots coming to us from commenter and tipster hxgaser:

"Stars aligned right this morning for me, I have to say. Out of all places, in Beserkeley, CA, I sight an 4.2L FSI V8. Literally, sight... Yeah you heard it right, an R8. and you know what I got to sit in it as well. Turns out that a San Francisco Chronicle car reviewer guy, whose name I forget, was reviewing the fine piece of pre-release V8 arse. He was kind enough for me take some photos as well as sit in the car. Well my camera phone doesn't do justice, but I send you some picture anyways... Enjoy"

We're still waiting for one to be dropped off in our driveway. Ahem - ahem, Audi? – Ray Wert