• Audi receives Kelley Blue Book’s highest honor, topping all other luxury brands
• 2012 Audi A5 selected as best Luxury Car, and 2012 Audi Q7 chosen as best Luxury Sport Utility
• Award presentation took place today at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show

Audi today announced that it is the recipient of three inaugural Total Cost of Ownership awards from Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com, including Best Luxury Brand overall. The 2012 Total Cost of Ownership Awards honors the vehicles and brands with the projected lowest average Total Cost of Ownership during the initial five-year ownership period. The awards were presented today to Audi of America by Vince Nelson, executive vice president of analytic insights for Kelley Blue Book, at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show, and included: Read more

Source : Kelly Blue Book

• Audi rose to sixth place among automotive luxury brands by posting a 34 point gain from its 2011 CSI score
• The CSI Study measures overall satisfaction with the vehicle service experience among owners of 2007 to 2011 model vehicles

Audi and its U.S. dealers showed the greatest improvement among luxury car brands in the influential J.D. Power and Associates Customer Service Index (CSI) Study^SM for 2012.

The J.D. Power CSI study polled owners or lessees of 2007- to 2011-model vehicles on their overall satisfaction with their vehicle service experience. In the new study released today, the Audi score jumped 34 points from its 2011 score, enough to push the brand into sixth place overall from 13^th place a year earlier. Audi also achieved the greatest year-over-year improvements among all luxury brands. Read more

Source : Audi of America

• New R8 30-second spot debuts on YouTube.com/audiusa; network TV premiere slated for March 26
• Commercial features the hashtag #WantAnR8 and showcases the cultural impact of the Audi R8 supercar
• R8 enthusiasts can Tweet for the chance at winning their own Audi R8 for the weekend

After record consumer response in 2011, Audi is bringing back its famed #WantAnR8 Twitter campaign where fans can tweet for the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a 2012 Audi R8 for a day. The #WantAnR8 hashtag will appear during a new 30-second spot called “Once Upon a Time,” featuring the R8 supercar. The spot debuts today on the Audi YouTube channel, followed by network TV on March 26. Read more

Source : Audi of America

Andre Lotterer helped Audi Sport Team Joest to go 1-2-3 in qualifying for the 60th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, the opening round of the FIA World Endurance Championship and American Le Mans Series.

Since unloading on Monday, the trio of factory R18 TDIs, running to 2011 specification this weekend, have been the dominant force around the historic 3.7-mile circuit. The trend continued into qualifying Friday, with the defending Le Mans winner turning a best time of 1:45.820, nearly four-tenths faster than the sister No. 2 entry of Tom Kristensen.

Source : SpeedTV

- Premiere of the FIA World Endurance Championship WEC
- Le Mans winning Audi R18 TDI modified for season opener
- First run for new signing Loïc Duval

The 12-hour race at Sebring (U.S. state of Florida) on March 17 is shaped by major developments. For Audi, the new FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) is ringing in a completely new era. The brand with the four rings last won a world championship title in 1984 – then in rallying. At the same time, Audi has the chance of clinching its tenth overall victory on the 60th anniversary of the classic endurance race. Read more

Source : Audi AG