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Audi's 16-Cylinder Supercar!  It must be the most exciting appetiser for a
car ever: Audi fans visiting an exhibition in Germany are being given the ultimate in 'sneak previews' – a first glimpse of the company's top-secret sixteen-cylinder supercar! Set for production within two
years, the firm's answer to the Mercedes SLR and McLaren F1 is the highlight of the Audi display at the new AutoStadt 'theme park' next to the company's HQ in Wolfsburg .
As part of the bizarre AutoStadt
experience, members of the public are strapped into Recaro seats in a darkened room before the stunning car appears from inside a huge gift-wrapped box. You're only given a teasing
taster, though, as the alloy-bodied beauty disappears after 16 seconds. Cameras are banned as the commentary tells the audience to keep the experience 'our little secret', and that it is 'Audi's gift to you'.
But we've smuggled out this shot to give you an exclusive peek at the TT's big brother and Audi's new corporate look.
And it's not the only secret we can reveal about the supercoupé. Audi is determined to keep the details under wraps to attract visitors to the show, but insiders have revealed that the car is set for limited
production, with no more than 500 built. Finding buyers prepared to part with the estimated $400,000 cost will be no problem, though, as the ultra-exclusive machine packs the W16 motor first seen in the
Bentley Hunaudières. This 623bhp 8.0-litre monster is essentially two 4.0 V8s 'merged' together, giving huge power and refinement combined with compact dimensions and comparatively low emissions.
Quattro four-wheel-drive and a sophisticated electronic stability device also feature. The concept is said to use a Lamborghini Diablo VT chassis – as with the Hunaudières – but production versions will
use a handbuilt aluminium spaceframe.
The jaw-dropping styling is the work of design director Peter Schreyer and his team, and combines the
best elements of Audi's classic and contemporary looks. Schreyer said: "We must look very carefully at the way we approach the flagship sports car market. It must be a machine that takes Audi forward
rather than backwards. Given our brand values, we don't want to build something like BMW's Z8, which in some ways takes its maker a step back."
It looks as though he has succeeded. The links with Audi's striking TT Coupé are clear in the wheelarches, trademark seven-spoke alloys and shape of the headlamps. The front lights are hidden
behind protective 'eyelids' which slide up when the lamps are illuminated. But it is the grille which is sure to be the biggest talking point. Marking a huge departure from the current range's anonymous
black-slatted rectangle, the egg-shaped 'mouth' harks back to Audi's sister Auto Union grand prix cars of the Thirties. The grille isn't all the new model shares with the Porsche-designed, mid-engined racers
which ruled pre-war GPs. Both feature a long, rib-like cover behind the driver, hiding mid-mounted 16-cylinder motors.
The Auto Unions C-Type's 520bhp is safely beaten by the new model, but the old-timer's awesome 853Nm of torque remains unchallenged, with the W16 producing a claimed 761Nm. And remember
that the C-Type pounded race tracks at up to 211mph before traction control, ABS or even radial tyres were invented! This Supercoupé should be capable of at least that speed, but is sure to be safer
and more comfortable. The aerodynamic shape and engine-cooling requirements have ruled out any form of rear window, but the driver can still check behind by viewing through two roof-mounted cameras.
Yet for all its visual potency and drama, Audi's supercar faces some of the most formidable opposition imaginable. Just as the Auto Union C-Type met arch rival Mercedes on the track, the new Supercoupé
will battle with the soul-stirring SLR. This two-seat coupé is to be built by McLaren at its Woking HQ in Surrey.
Styled to mimic the classic 300SL, as well as today's McLaren F1 racer, the SLR will feature a
supercharged 5.5-litre AMG-prepared V8 developing a mighty 557bhp – sufficient to ensure 200mph potential, given the lightweight carbon fibre and aluminium construction. Just don't expect much change
from $300,000 when it rolls out at a rate of 500 units per year.
Quite who Audi will ask to turn its supercar into reality remains to be seen, but it's likely that Cosworth
Technology will sort the powertrain and quattro GmbH will build it. Both have overseen the development of the RS4, an ultra-high-performance spin-off from the dated A4 range.
On the other side of the fence sits BMW. Already reaping the benefits in terms of positive publicity over its seductive Z8 roadster, the Bavarian firm has been rumoured to go one step further, although
details are sketchy. Still recovering from burnt fingers following its Rover fiasco, the company is believed to be working on an ultra-exclusive motorsport spin-off which follows in the footsteps of the
legendary M1 supercar. Making the most of its return to Formula One, the maker's 'M' division is said to be responsible for much of the handiwork |
