In what I hope is a website bug, the Audi USA website A4 configurator has the new B8 Audi s4 sporting one of the most expensive paint jobs cashing in at a whopping $46 000 for the “Imola Yellow”. I’m a massive Audi fan and while I totally dig this colour, I highly recommend you check out the “Lava Grey”. I just bought my second A4 in that colour and I’m still totally in love with it!

Pls click on the pic to view larger image

I was recently invited by Audi Cape Town to join them on their MVP Day by the great Chris Rawlinson of HuddleMind. The basic promise of the day was that a few of us would be given a few cars, we would drive out somewhere and stop for breakfast, relax, chat and then drive back in time to arrive for lunch. All the while swopping cars on the way ensuring that we get to drive each model of Audi that was on the trip with us.

We arrived at 9am (some of us at least, @CapeTown_girl showed up late!) and offered coffee and tea while we were briefed on the days plan. We were welcomed by Chris, Grant and Wernich of Audi Cape Town.

We were then introduced to the cars:

• Audi Q5 2.0T
• Audi A3 2.0T
• Audi A5 3.2 Quattro
• Audi A5 3.0 TDi

I paired up with Athol Price of BrandScape and jumped into the Audi A5 3.0 TDi passengers seat as we took off from Audi Cape Town in the Waterfront to our first meeting point, the Shell garage at the foot-end of Sir Lowry’s Pass. We stopped on the N2 highway to swop seats and I took the helm of the A5 from there all the way through to meeting point.

The A5 is a beautiful car! It’s a dream to drive and the comfort levels inside the car are well specced. I love the driving position, the centre console setup, the steering responsiveness, the MultiTronic gearbox and the ease of which this car goes from 100km/h to 160km/h to overtake slower traffic.

We were the first to arrive at our meeting point and relaxed while we waited for the other 3 teams to arrive. We quickly swopped cars and headed toward Betty’s Bay for breakfast. The only place in Betty’s Bay that was open at the time actually. A small, quirky tea shop!

We drove the Audi A3 2.0T next, and oh boy did I drive it! If you know the route, you’d know that its pasted up against the side of a mountain with sharp cliffs dropping into the sea on the other side. It’s a tight bending, single lane, windy road that is any driving enthusiast’s dream. I was not shy with the A3. It does have the same setup as the VW Golf GTi which has a reputation of being a boy racer. I hammered the car into corners hard and held nothing back on the short straights with quick hard gear changes on the 6 speed manual gearbox. It was nothing but the most exhilarating, fun drive that I have EVER had. The Audi A3 2.0T stands out for me as the most fun car that I have driven yet!

On the last stretch, I went up against @AmandaSevasti in a straight shootout run to the finish in the A5 Diesel and the A3 did its job of making the task tough for the lady!

Breakfast was a scone and tea. We sat around and chatted for a bit. Chris and Grant then had a lucky draw of two prizes, an Advanced Driving Course in an A5 and a day with an R8 out on the streets of Cape Town.

The truth is that I don’t remember who won the R8 drive, but what I do remember is ME winning the Advances Driving Course ) #Buya

I drove the Q5 back to Gordons Bay and while everyone else enjoyed driving the SUV, I didn’t. I guess that I’m too much of a boy racer and wanted to plough the lumpy beast into corners under heavy breaking and pull it out of corners as quick as possible to plough it into the next corner. I hated the body roll but totally enjoyed the superior driving position of being so high up.

I didn’t get to drive the A5 petrol due some chop smashing into the back of it coming down Sir Lowry’s Pass while @JohannSchwella was at the helm, so I had another go at the best car of the day, the Audi A5 3.0TDi.

It’s completely convinced me to upgrade my A4 to a A5 on my next Audi purchase.

To Chris, thank you dude. You are a royal legend and I have mad love for you. I have the utmost respect for you and your work and your most notable humility.

To Grant, thanks a mil for spending the day with us out on the road and explaining the cars so well.

To Wernich, this was all you. You are a real champ to recognise the value of leveraging social media and you have a great guy to back you up on that front. Chris won’t let you down. You run a smooth operation there and your coolness about the little accident did nothing less than impress all of us. Thank you for the treat and a HUGE thank you for the Advanced Driving Course, I’m stoked about it.

The Audi MVP Day rocked and I REALLY hope that I get invited back!

Be sure to join our Audi Run, which is a group of us that get together every now and again for a breakfast run in and around Cape Town. Our Facebook Group has more details.

The Audi A1 has officially been launched in Europe and here are the facts:

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Thanks to @obox, a fellow Audi nut and Audi Run member,  for the heads up!

This morning, bright and early, I headed down to La Med in Clifton for the first Audi Run gathering for a Sunday morning Breakfast drive to Franschoek.

I started this little idea with the intention of starting up a social club with a group of folk in and around Cape Town who love driving, who love Audi and just want to hook up for a chat every now and again while taking a Sho’t Left to check out some of South Africas sights.

I was joined by

Chris M of iMod and his fiance’ in a 2010 Audi A3 1.8T with the personalised plate “SEO GURU-WP”. (His plate doesn’t lie… he is the guru when it comes to SEO in SA).

The Perel brothers, otherwise known as obox and MarcPerel, the brainchildren behind “From the Couch” the vlog rocked up in a Audi A3 B7 2.0 model. They are more famous for having beaten me in last years Blog Awards in the “Best New Blog” category.

We hit the road around 9am and headed north on an absolutely awesome drive. It was the perfect distance to enjoy the scenery, enjoy the drive and have fun driving without getting bored. It’s also a really great road with some cool swooping turns, a few bumps and crests to keep the drivers entertained and highly recommend that you check it out sometime.

Breakfast was cool. We settled in a quiet but complicated little restaurant and chilled for a few hours. The company was great and it was exactly the kind of vibe that I was hoping for. Just a group of us chilling without worry about work, talking about projects or any of those pretentious things that get brought up at the usual social gatherings in Cape Town.

I had fun and I’m definitely going to be organising a follow up.

Chris – your car is sweet dude. Enjoy it buddy, I know how hard you worked for it and be proud at the fact that its yours and not a gift or something that came easy!

The Perel boys – It was gangsta gents. You guys are real and I love the humility. Your business rocks already, but stay true to yourselves and you guys will be champs one day. #TrueStory

if you are keen to join us on our next trip, be sure to join the Audi Run Facebook group, its open to anyone. We think that once every two months or so would be a nice way to set up the regular gatherings and keep it casual.

The controversial Audi A5 suicide advert has been doing the rounds online. I think that it’s a brilliant advert that highlights the new Clean Diesel engines that are good for the environment. Audi has a reputation of really good adverts and I have featured some here before.

Sadly though, Audi has come out disowning the advert and denying the validity of he advert as an Audi initiative. In their defense, the advert does stand out like pink hair when you consider that legacy Audi adverts are always very clinical and portray clean and tidy concepts. #JustSaying!

Check out the Audi A5 Suicide advert:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlVoX-04SLQ&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Do you think that this really is an Audi advert?

The Audi A1 rumours started a little while ago and is expected to be on show at the Geneva Motor Show in March this year. Reports have started to surface of the Audi S1 specs and I am sure that this is the model that the young Audi fans have been waiting for.

Built on the same frame as the VW Polo GTi, the Audi S1 is set to challenge the likes of the Mini Cooper S and Alfa’s new sexy MiTo Cloverleaf.

The S1 will be powered by a 1.4L turbocharged, direct injection, 4 cylinder engine, pumping out 180bhp and 184lb-ft torque.

The real kicker though, is that the Audi S1 will be Audi’s first S range car without the renowned Quattro system which usually pumps power out to all four wheels.

The Audi S1 is expected to go on display at the Paris Motor Show and should hit showrooms early 2011.

I’ll have 1 please!

The Audi guys have released a video ahead of the European winter season for its Audi Winter Accessory range.

It’s a pretty funny take on ice-hockey and worth the watch!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRTJrMzutdM[/youtube]

Check out all other Audi articles or some of these:

Audi A7!

Audi reveal it’s new logo!

Audi TT RS – Car Porn!

Since the A5 took to teh streets a few years ago, I have been convinced of the creation of an A7 from Audi. I have maintained that it will most likely be swooping coupe’ styled luxury sedan that follows design hints of the A5, but the size and luxury of the A8, and it seems that my hopes have been fulfilled!

I;ll be keeping my eye’s open for engine specs and other features for the Audi A7 and I’ll be sure to post them here!

Old Audi Logo:

New Audi Logo: Yup, its new, I promise…

It took me a while to notice the subtle differences, which lay mainly with the slight change in font and the newer bolder 3D rings. Otherwise, to the man on the street, its the same. One need to ask though, why bother?

In keeping with the Audi news, I’d like to announce that the rumour mill has tapped me on the shoulder and whispered that the Audi Q7 will be getting a facelift in April of this year.

So, if you had any plans of getting yourself one of those sweet SUV’s, hang in there for just a little longer.

The new model is said to bear those awefully sexy new front lights that all the new Audi’s have nowadays, a bigger, more aggressive front grill and a refined interior.

You can also expect a new engine lineup on the new Q7. Be sure to find a 300bph 3.0litre TFSI engine in the line up now, the new double-cluth S-Tronic system and I certainly won’t be too surprised to find the latest version of the Multi-Media Interface which is currently in Generation 3 on the latest Audi Q5 2009.

I’m pretty excited about this, because I have always that the current Audi Q7 is by far the prettiest SUV on the road. Something that definitely can’t be said about its siblings the VW Toureg and the Porsche Cayenne!

Don’t forget to check out my other Audi posts!