With only 6 days until Christmas, those struggling to find a gift to satisfy those with specialized German luxury tastes are engaged in a desperate search. For others, the after holiday shopping sends some searching for that one indulgence to ring in the new year. Luxury carmaker Audi provides a collection of pleasure-filled options that requires neither a driver’s license nor insurance to enjoy.

Sold under the Audi Collection, the lovers of the Audi TT or R8 sports car be rewarded or award themselves with lifestyle items. The Following list of available Audi Collection items are a few suggestions that could be found at the company’s official outfitter website in the United States.

Audi Leather Business Card Case
Price: $35.00 US

Looking to make a powerful statement for the important power lunch? Mixing business and pleasure, the businessperson would find themselves returning to work with an extra spring in their step for the new year thanks to a powerful business card case. The Audi Leather Business Card Case is a stylized organizer wearing the four rings logo discretely on the corner. Also suitable for containing important plastic such as credit cards or a driver’s license, the Audi Leather Business Card Case would fit easily in a jacket pocket.

Audi Silk Tie
Price: $76.83 US

For the gentleman looking to proudly advertise their allegiance to Audi in a formal setting, the Audi Collection offers a proper piece of clothing for the occasion. The Audi Silk Tie is a hand-sewn, high quality cut from 100% Italian fabric. Available in two of Audi’s most popularly exhibited colours, the high-end silk tie can be ordered in red or gray.

Audi R8 GT Scarf
Price: $59.60 US

Perfect for the Audi drop-top fan (especially those cruising in an R8 Spyder), there may be encouragement from the sheer forces of open-air performance motoring to ride with the roof retracted on a cooler than average day or night. While the driver may be caught up in the emotion of driving to be focused on temperature, maybe a passenger gains a chill from the rushing breezes. Offered in brown, gray and silver, the Audi R8 GT Scarf is a high performance item against uncomfortable coldness. A blend of 45 percent cotton and 55 percent linen, the quality Audi R8 GT Scarf is also a stylish fashion item inside or outside of an Audi product.

Audi Comforter with Teddy Bear Head
Price: $24.74 US

A novelty item guaranteed capable of bringing delight to the faces of children or even some adults, the Audi Comforter is a cute and assuring product. A comforter designed to infuse Audi motorsport interests, the appliqué of a 1930s era Auto Union racer is attached to the corner. Serving as a centerpiece to the Audi Motorsport comforter is a plush teddy bear wearing what appears to be an old-style race car driver headgear. When cheering on the Audi R18 prototype through the upcoming sports car racing season, the Audi Comforter with Teddy Bear Head could be a viewing companion for a budding child fan.

Audi Chronograph Wristwatch
Price: $272.17 US

When a motorist is lost in the adventure of quattro all-wheel drive or wrapping their hands around the performance of Audi’s newest TFSI engine, time can be easily lost. Perhaps a companion timepiece to the sleekest Audi S7 Sportback or Audi TT RS could act as a friendly warning that family and friends are missing the German performance aficionado. A product of Germany (just like the Audi brand), the Audi ‘double-stop’ Chronograph is a water resistant wrist piece operating on Swiss Ronda 5030.D quartz movement. A silver, gray and black chronograph is an extension of Audi’s modern elegance. A cow skin leather strap features a gentle stitching similar to the pattern found on S-Line Audi cars. The large numbers on the hour face are reminiscent a tachometer read-out like that of a 2012 Audi S6 or A7 Sportback.

Information source: Audi AG

photo source: Audi AG, Chris Nagy

Project Kahn, the British specialty car design firm, just released their newest kit for the Audi TT. Starting with a standard TT, Kahn added new front and rear bumpers, mesh inserts and a new front grille that looks like the grille found on the R8. In addition, they’ve added a new rear spoiler, stainless steel quad exhaust system, lowered suspension, a front lower bumper lip and door mirrors in a billet steel finish to match the dark gray exterior paint of the Audi. Of course, the first thing you probably noticed is the signature colored sideblade as found on the R8. Audi connoisseurs like yourself aren’t going to be fooled into thinking that the TR8 is a real R8, but a few “commoners” might be fooled at a glance. Even if you’re not trying to convince others that you own an R8, the TR8 still looks quite a bit better than your standard TT, so it may be worth a look if only for the uniqueness factor. No word yet on its cost, but I’ll update this article when I know.

Check out more pictures below:

The new A3 is said to “epitomise Audi’s latest brand language”, with its lightweight design and fuel efficiency, coupled with a remarkably fast, turbocharging engine. Over the years, Audi’s brand language has shifted somewhat but the German manufacturer has rarely failed to impress.

Here are five of our favourites:

1980 Audi Quattro

Like the brand new A3, the original Audi Quattro was given its unveiling at the International Geneva Motorshow. Also, like the A3, the Quattro was seen as an innovative, ground-breaking car. Few could have imagined the legacy the Quattro would leave, becoming the first all-wheel-drive car to truly gain mainstream popularity thanks to its space-saving, small, light gearbox.

The Quattro excelled on the high street and also in the world of rallying, winning titles in the American TransAm and the IMSA Series. Even to this day, though the design has started to show its age, the Quattro can command high sums from Audi lovers worldwide.

Audi TT DSG

For years, the beautiful Audi TT was let down by its somewhat sluggish, four-cylinder 1.8T engine. Finally, in 2003, Audi placed a 3.2 litre V6 engine in the TT and fans of the coupe were at last given the car of their dreams.

The performance of the TT DSG finally matched up to its prize-winning looks, with a narrow-angle V6 engine roaring away and the revolutionary Direct Shift Gearbox providing the most sophisticated transmission seen in any car at that time.

With a price tag of around £30,000 as well as some heftily-priced car insurance UK drivers could have been deterred from the TT DSG, had it not been such a blindingly good package. Fortunately for Audi, it sold in droves and remains a classic to this day.

Audi R8

In 2006, Audi brought the legacy of the Quattro and the classy style of the TT together in a razor sharp new supercar – the R8. Based on the Lamborghini Gallardo’s platform and inspired by the Audi Le Mans Quattro racing car, the R8 was heralded by six-time Le Mans winner Jacky Ickx as “the best handling road car today.”

The R8 was so proud of its 4.2 litre V8 engine, it was displayed beneath a glass engine cover. The performance of said engine blew many Audi fanatics away, reaching 8,250 rpm and combining with a six-speed manual gearbox that delighted purists.

The body control, steering and ride quality of the R8 took Audi to new heights and the model remains perhaps the most attention-grabbing cars ever built, forcing the creators of car insurance bands to reconsider their boundaries!

Audi RS2

When Audi set about creating an estate car in 1994, they enlisted the help of Porsche – a company not exactly renowned for their expertise in designing large, cumbersome vehicles. The result: the Audi RS2 – the fastest estate car in the world.

Porsche added a KKK turbocharger to Audi’s 2.2-litre, 20-valve, 5-cylinder engine and the boost pressure was raised from 1.1 to 1.4 bar. To cope with the mighty 315 horsepower and 180mph speeds of the RS2, Porsche fitted the brakes used on their 911 – something drivers of the RS2 were thankful for as they sped from 0-60 in 4.8 seconds.

Audi RS6

Lovers of the original Audi Quattro spent a long time waiting for the German manufacturer to produce a car that could match the sheer driveability of the 1980 classic. That wait finally ended in 2002 with the release of the RS6.

The RS6 was Audi’s most powerful production car ever at 444bhp, with a top speed of 189mph. Its engine was more powerful than the Jaguar S-type and the BMW M5, while hi-tech features such as Tiptronic steering controls ensured the RS6 wowed gadget fans.

Buyers, blessed with the new millennium luxury of being able to order the car and their car insurance online, snapped up the RS6 like hot cakes.

First appearances are everything, and Audi are certainly making a good impression…

The striking Autonomous Audi TTS Pikes Peak – also known as ‘the car that can drive itself’ – boasts a new exterior design, inspired by the rally cars of the 1980s. The revolutionary model features two computers in its trunk which enable the TTS to handle a variety of surfaces and drive under different speeds and conditions.

SEMA visitors will be in for a treat when Audi rolls out the TTS Pikes Peak for a live demonstration. Let’s just hope it goes more smoothly than the commercial shoot, in which the helicopter filming the car crashed, forcing a temporary closure of the Pikes Peak summit. Ooopps!

Also making an appearance alongside the TTS Pikes Peak is a modified 5.2-litre, 710-horsepower R8 Custom Spyder. The modified Audi R8 Spyder boasts a new body kit and was built by STaSIS Engineering. A new range of dealer-installed car accessories, cabin technology and “extreme sports” Audi gear will also be unveiled at the show by the German manufacturer.

“Let’s just say we’ll have a few distinctive, concept items on the stand that definitely won’t disappoint the unique SEMA audience,” commented David Tait, Audi’s U.S. After Sales boss.

Watch out Ford, Hyundai, and Honda, I think someone is stealing your SEMA limelight…

The 2010 SEMA Show kicks off on November 2nd and takes place at the Las Vegas Convention Centre. Audi’s booth will be located in the Mobile Electronics Area of the North Hall, Booth 11245.

After tons of speculation and confusion, Audi finally officially confirmed they will be bringing the high-powered TT RS to the United States. Initially, the car was set to be a model only sold overseas. What changed their minds? After putting up a poll on their Facebook page, Audi had more than 11,500 US-based people express interest in the car in the first month. Chances of 10,000 of them being wide-eyed teenagers just wanting to see one on the road? Pretty damn high, probably, but I think the car will do well over here.

“With performance and agility rooted in Audi motorsports success, the TT RS is truly an emotional sports car,” explained Johan de Nysschen, President, Audi of America. “That emotion became abundantly clear as we explored interest across the country.”

Pricing? Not announced yet, but don’t expect it to be cheap. In the UK, the TT RS Coupe starts at £44,775 (or nearly $70,000 USD.) No, it won’t be that much when it goes on sale, but still…whoa!

Check out some more pictures of the TT RS below:

Although the Audi TT has been a winner since its introduction back in 1995, that doesn’t mean there still isn’t room for improvement. And improvement is just what Audi will be imparting on the 2011 version of their much-loved TT.

There are a host of equipment changes for 2011 TT Starting with the 2.0 TFSI Quattro, you will now get chrome dual tailpipes, optional Audi magnetic ride with better differentiation between the ‘Sport’ & ‘Normal’ modes. The sport button program will modify the steering servo boost as well as the exhaust sound and there are new standard bumpers, radiator grille, fog lamp grille and fog lamps in chrome.

Additionally there are interior aluminum optic accents including the steering wheel, center console, and door liner, and the accents continue on the rings, frames, and strips in high-gloss black. There is an aluminum strip above the glove box door that is now brushed grey.

There are new exterior colors for America: nougat brown, titanium gray, and garnet red. Along with the new exterior colors, Audi has added optional Fine Nappa leather that is thermally resistant and reduces the temperature of the seating upholstery up to 68 degrees Fahrenheit.

For the TTS, Audi has added a new grille, fog lamp grille in honeycomb optic, fog lamps and horizontal cross braces in chrome.

MTM TT-RS

A few months ago we got a look at the Sportec TT-RS, a tuned version of Audi’s high performance sports coupe tuned to 400 horsepower by only modifying the car’s ECU.

This time, German tuners MTM get their hands on a TT-RS and make it even better. By taking the 2.5-liter turbocharged five-cylinder engine and tweaking the ECU and adding their own high performance exhaust, MTM was able to squeeze out 424 hp – 84 more horsepower than the stock TT-RS. The power enhancements allow the MTM TT-RS to travel from 0 to 62 mph in only 4.2 seconds and reach a top speed of 181 mph.

The MTM TT-RS package comes in three varieties, the above-mentioned 424 hp version being the most powerful – and most expensive – running you about $12,900. If you don’t have that kind of cash lying around, you have the option of the 404 or 408 hp versions as well, which will cost about $2,800 and $7,000, respectively. Optional 19- or 20-inch BIMOTO wheels are also available.

Audi TT Forza Motorsport Edition

From the rumor mill comes a report that Audi will be creating a special edition TT called the Audi TT Forza Motorsport Edition based on the Forza video game series. We already knew Audi partnered with the Forza Motorsport team when the R8 V10 became the cover-car for the Forza 3 packaging, but it comes to no surprise that they’re taking it a bit further than that. While this is the first car ever (that I can remember) to be based on a video game, it’s exciting to see where things are heading.

While there haven’t been any details released from Audi on this special edition, iCars.sg suggests it will come with an Xbox 360 console and copy of the game Forza Motorsport 3.

See below for more images:

Sportec Audi TT RS

What’s a tuning company to do when manufacturers such as Audi take their high performance sports cars – in this case the Audi TT – and make it better? The Audi TTS is Audi’s tuned version of the TT. Think that was enough? Of course not! Audi then came out with the TT RS – a turbocharged 340 hp version of the sports car. This is normally tuning company territory.

Sportec decided to take it a step further with their Performance Stage 1 kit. The Sportec TT RS creates 400 hp – a 60 hp increase, and a feat achieved only by tuning the car’s ECU. A 4.2 second 0-62 mph time is a 0.4 second decrease from stock, and a significant difference for only tuning the ECU.

The $1,963 price tag is high for an ECU tune, but not bad for a 65 hp jump. Like the TT RS itself (unless we’re right,) the tuning package will only be available in Europe. Let’s hope Stage 2 and subsequent packages will include more modifications such as an intake, exhaust, and body kit.

source: Sportec via Luxvelocity

2009 Audi A3 Sportback

VW of America announced a voluntary recall of about 16,000 VW and Audi models due to a faulty temperature sensor in the DSG transmission. The recall only applies to certain models built between September 2008 and August 2009, including the VW Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, GTI, and Eos, as well as Audi’s 2009 A3, TT and TT Roadster.

According to Audi of America, “Some customers with the affected vehicles have experienced illuminated warning lamps in the dashboard, and in rare instances, reported that the transmission went into neutral.” Volkswagen will be contacting affected customers within the coming weeks, but if you’re among those with a recalled vehicle, contact your dealer right away or call Volkswagen at (800) 444-8982 or Audi at (800) 253-2834.