Our guy on the East Coast, Paul Chenard was lucky enough to be tipped off that the Audi R8 Trans-Canada Performance Tour had stopped in Halifax on Monday night. So Paul did what any self respecting car nut would do, he grabbed his camera and headed down to the local Audi store to grab a few shots. Like most of us, Paul was taken by the stunning shape and the throaty rumble from the pipes.
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Audi has something good going on with the R8 supercar and they know it. The problem is, there isn’t enough of them to go around. In order to make sure as many enthusiasts as possible get to lay eyes on the new machine, Audi is sending 15 journalists on a cross Canada jaunt from Cape Spear, all the way to the west, finishing up in Victoria, BC.

Friend of The Garage, Russ Bond from Painkillerz is lucky enough to be along for the section from Barrie, Ontario to Thunder Bay, Ontario. In fact, Russ is having a month filled with R8 goodness, having visited the press launch for the car last week and will spend next week with the press car. While Russ is on the road with the Audi R8 Trans-Canada Performance Tour, he’ll be updating Painkillerz readers with daily photos and stories.

I got my first on the road glimpse of Audi’s new supercar, the R8, on Highway 407 on Friday afternoon. The beast has hit the streets. It was fitting then that there were 2 in attendance at the Mosport Grand Prix on Saturday morning. The silver mid engined coupe looked somewhat forlorn sitting on the hill overlooking a wet and foggy turn 1.

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

More and more consumers are realizing that they want to drive something with a bit more pizazz than a minivan these days. While we might all want to drive a sports car, for most of us reality dictates that we need something with a bit more utility. These opposing needs are what has fueled the growing CUV market. Smaller than a full size SUV, less seating than a minivan, this niche offers good looking, sporty vehicles that can haul some gear. The newest player is the attractive 2007 Ford Edge which combines a sporty look and feel with a healthy dose of utility. In fact, the Edge offers more utility than the FX-35 that we spent time with earlier this year.
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Back in the good old days, it was pretty common for European manufacturers to offer stripped down sporting versions of their regular road cars. For a long time, the fun side of things vanished as corporations tried to be politically correct or something. Lately though, the design gods are bringing the fun back. Case in point, the Audi TT clubsport quattro concept. Borrowing styling cues from sixties era speedsters, this is one hot looking machine.

Be sure to visit our gallery full of images

Audi press release with all the details after the break
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Super hot Olympic swimmer Charlene Wittstock has gotten her hands on the super hot new Audi TT. Why does she need a TT? Well, to carve up the mountain roads around her boyfriend’s neighborhood. Why do the rich and royal types get all the hot Olympians? Oh yeah…something about being rich and royal!

Audi press release after the break
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Regular readers here in The Garage know that I’ve got a soft spot for the Nissan’s twisty warrior, the 350Z. In stock form it’s one of the best all around sports cars I’ve ever driven, besting many cars that cost more than double. This season, Nissan is upping the ante with a hi-po version that’s decked out with the full line of Nismo upgrades.

Beginning with the cosmetic stuff, there is a full aero package that was inspired by the factory Super GT Championship winning cars. This body kit doesn’t only look good though, as it provides additional downforce at high speeds that will be most welcome on lapping days.

One of the great things about 350Z owners is that many of them actually do take their cars to local track days. The Nismo is even better equipped for the track, with a tweaked suspension, free breathing exhaust and big Brembo brakes to slow things down. Horsepower is up to 306.

Read the full details from Nissan after the break
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This morning there was the press release. Now, through the magic of YouTube we have the film for you!

60 Seconds of Audi history after the break
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Spring 2007 seems to be the season of the big budget promo video. We’ve had high end shorts from Ferrari/Shell, Red Bull F1 and now Audi is getting in on the action with a pair of shorts for the upcoming A8 supercar.

Shot over 6 days in Mexico with 1050 extras, the films cover Audi’s motorsports heritage from each of the past 7 decades. Shot in HD by veteran camerman Ian Foster, this promises to be a great ride. The spots will debut in Germany on April 6th during the first airing of Will Smith’s I Robot on the RTL Channel.

Full story from Audi after the break
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Here in The Garage, we’re all about the history. Most manufacturers realize the value of their heritage and Audi is no different. This year they are celebrating 75 years of the four rings as the company symbol. It’s been 75 years since 4 manufacturers joined forces to become Auto Union AG. This combination of Audi, Horch, Wanderer and DKW produced the second largest auto manufacturer in Germany. If you’re lucky enough to be in Essen from March 29 to April 1, be sure to spend some time at the Techno Classica show, where Audi is showing a number of vehicles from all 4 partners.

Read all the details from the Audi press release after the break
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