The Audi R8 ranks among the fastest cars you're likely to see on the road, but the German automaker isn't about to rest on its proverbial laurels. After the V8 version came the 5.2-liter V10, and while the turbo-diesel V12 TDI version never made it past the concept stage, Audi has tantalized the torque-happy alternative-energy crowd with the e-tron concept.

Based on the R8 and unveiled last week in Frankfurt, the e-tron replaces the gasoline-burning engine in the existing supercar with no less than four electric motors and an enormous lithium-ion battery pack to supply it with juice. The result? A relatively modest 313 horsepower, but an absolutely bonkers 3,319 lb-ft of torque. And no, that's not a typo: it really does have more than ten times the torque of most of the cars. To go with the alternative power, Audi updated the e-tron's design details. But don't take our word for it: have a look for yourself in our high-resolution photo gallery below.

It's been a long time coming, but the Audi R8 Spider is finally here. The convertible version of Audi's mid-engine supercar debuted at the Frankfurt auto show after months of speculation, finally giving enthusiasts the car they want.

The design is essentially the same as the R8 coupe, but replaces the fixed roof with a folding soft-top. Gone as well are the iconic side blades that characterize the coupe's profile. The structural reinforcement and collapsing roof structure add an extra 476 lbs to the curb weight, but the 525-horsepower V10 engine should have no problem hauling the extra heft in return for the open-air experience and unmitigated exhaust note.

The Audi R8 took the supercar market by storm when it launched in 2006. But if you were waiting for a better version, we've got good news and we've got bad news. The good news is, after launching the V10 version at the Detroit show late last year, plans are reportedly moving ahead to introduce an open-air version of the Audi supercar which should be on the road within the next two years. That's bad news enough for the likes of the Aston Martin DB9 Volante and Jaguar XKR, but the real disappointment is that Audi has reportedly canceled the development of its V12 turbo-diesel version. After previewing the idea as a concept car at the Detroit show in January 2008 and then again in Geneva the following March, Audi has determined that the costs involved with reshaping both the engine and the chassis to fit the former into the latter are just too high to be justified in this economy, particularly wit diesel prices as high as they are in the United States, a key market for the R8's financial success. Oh well, you can't win 'em all.

Audi AG has plucked Seal, singer of 1994 hit song "Kiss From a Rose," to serve as a brand ambassador as he tours the world. It's quite the natural fit, in fact -- Heidi Klum's British-born beau and self-proclaimed technophile already hosts the Audi Q7 and R8 sedan in his personal garage.

Seal has already begun his work as an Audi brand ambassador, first early last January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit to sing his hit "Crazy" while the company launched its Q7 V12 TDI, then later in January in Las Vegas when Audi launched the new R8.

This week, Seal will hit Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt, Berlin and Hamburg as Audi launches the A5 in Germany through events themed "Talk of the Town."

Click through to the jump for Audi's full release.

[Source: Audi]

Sure, if it feels like it should cost $200,000. The always-funny Ezra Dyer got to take a spin through Beverly Hills in the 2008 Audi R8 for the New York Times, where he bemoans the car's sideblades (or "sideburns," as Dyer calls them) but not much else.

Despite the price tag of $110,000 and up, the DNA shared between the street-bound R8 and Audi's lauded race car R8 -- midengine layout with most of the torque going to the rear wheels, dry-sump lubrication, etc. -- makes the 2008 Audi R8 one of the few cars allowed on municipal pavement that truly feels like a race car. In effect, the R8 is more like its Lamborghini cousins (also owned by VW) than like its other Audi siblings.

Unlike most Audis, which Dyer says are criticized for lacking any soul, the R8 offers up plenty of meat to get us grunting like cave men -- yes, even the women -- from an exhaust note that gets your blood rushing to optional LED lights that appropriately light up the engine under its transparent cover when the parking lights are on (should you be showing things off under the hood after dusk).

Click through for the full review, and watch this space in the coming months for more news about the R8, including rumors that it will soon be packing an optional V10 courtesy of Lamborghini.

[Source: The New York Times]