Audi is the winner of the EuroCarBody AWARD from the Automotive Circle International for the innovative body concept of the Audi TT. The sports coupé beat off 13 competitors from around the world to take the award. The Ingolstadt brand developed its groundbreaking Audi Space Frame (ASF) technology in the early 1990s for the Audi A8. The body of the new TT represents the first application of the ASF with a hybrid construction, featuring an elaborate composition of aluminium and steel.

.

Carbon-ceramic brakes on their way down to the peons

The sight of a race car streaking into the darkness, brakes aglow as it slows for the next corner, is one of those incredible images that just sticks with you. Those massive carbon-ceramic rotors can take a lot of abuse and their light weight and durability have made them a racing staple for more than 15 years now. Street cars, on the other hand, have been slow to adopt the technology. Although their superior performance is unquestionable, the high cost of carbon-ceramic brakes has made them pretty much exclusive to exotics and supercars.Porsche was the first to use them on a street car when they fitted them to the "widowmaker" GT2. Soon after, they found their way onto the "regular" 911 Turbo as well. Now you can get carbon-ceramics on any Ferrari, most Lambos and Porsches, the Bentley Conti GT Diamond and the Audi RS4.

2007 Audi TT Coupe Debuts With Gentex Glare-Elimination Technology

ZEELAND, Mich., Dec. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Gentex Corporation, the leading supplier of automatic-dimming rearview mirrors to the worldwide automotive industry, announced today that it has begun shipping a three- mirror, automatic-dimming mirror system for the 2007 Audi TT Coupe. .

New life for the hardtop that hides itself away

The folding of a retractable hardtop is the automotive equivalent of a Busby Berkeley routine: The hard roof rises, the roof folds and is then shoved into the trunk. It is such a wonder that it would be natural to assume that this engineering feat is a recent development.

Not so. In 1934, a Parisian dentist and part-time car designer, Georges Paulin, designed and patented a retractable hardtop for a small Peugeot coupe. Paulin's patron and coachbuilder, Marcel Pourtout, also custom-built several of Paulin's designs on a larger Peugeot chassis. The cars were attractive and extremely well received.

Paulin sold the retractable hardtop design and patent to Peugeot in 1935. Until World War II, Peugeot built a limited number of cars, called the 402BL Eclipse Decapotable, using Paulin's design.

Mudbugs partner with Dodge for All-Star fan contest

The Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs are proud to announce a partnership with Dodge for a very special contest involving this year's Central Hockey League All Star Game, giving one lucky CHL the full use of a 2007 Dodge Magnum for a year with an opportunity to win the car outright during the 2007 CHL All-Star Game, scheduled for Wednesday, January 17th at the CenturyTel Center.

Participants can submit their entry at their local Dodge Dealership or mail a completed entry form to the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs to be eligible to win. "Dodge has been a long time supporter of the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs and the Central Hockey League. We are proud to further expand our partnership with the creation of this contest," said Mudbugs General Manager Jason Rent. 17 third place prizes (one in each of the CHL’s 17 markets) of a local team jersey will be awarded.

Bologna Show: Maserati MC12 Corse Debuts

Maserati's answer to the Ferrari Enzo Fxx, the MC12 Corse rolled into the sunlight for the first time at the Bologna auto show yesterday. The severely limited-edition model is based on the MC12 GT1 racer, which took the Spa 24 Hours in 2005 and 2006 and several FIA titles in both years. The Corse model gets a major boost in horsepower over the base model, to 755 hp, from a mere 600 in the MC12. And while its racer cousin gets a manual sequential gearbox, the Corse gets Maserati's electro-hydraulic Cambiocorsa (as well as a passenger seat). The price is the same in all markets, the company says, -- that is 1,000,000 Euros (around $1.3 million). It'll be available (that's a relative term, of course) starting in December 2006, ahead of Wall Street's holiday bonus season in early 2007, followed by All Hoonage Eve, which takes place in Westport, Connecticut around April.

More not-for-profit organizations seek higher returns through ...

"When it comes to alternative investments, however, some organizations rely on as little as word of mouth from a friend."