Audi R8 GT Spyder

Destined to be previewed at Le Mans in June before its proper unveiling at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, the R8 GT Spyder has been teased with these preview sketches released to the British motor press.Expect the same 560-horsepower V10 as the coupe, mated to Audi's R-tronic six-speed automated manual transmission. But with the droptop's interrupted aerodynamics and added weight, the R8 GT Spyder expected to top out at 193 mph – six mph shy of the coupe's top end. The rear spoiler, front splitter, upgraded brakes and weight reduction regime (less sound isolation, thinner glass and carbon-fiber components) should carry over, as should the Alcantara interior.Production is expected to be capped around the same as the coupe's 333 units worldwide, likely with a slightly higher price tag.

Audi A3 e-tron

Based on Audi's entry-level hatchback, the A3 e-tron packs an electric motor under the hood which sends power from the rear- and mid-mounted battery packs to the front wheels. Output is rated at 100 kW (just over 130 horsepower) and 199 pound-feet of torque, with the 26.5 kWh lithium-ion batteries providing a range of around 90 miles. The electric A3's performance figures to be far from enthralling, requiring 11 seconds to hit 60 mph and topping out at just 90 mph, but with a 400-volt rapid charger, getting juiced up can take as little as four hours – or as long as nine with a standard 110-volt outlet.Other modifications include a new gauge cluster, a low consumption HVAC system and a heated windshield, but when the A3 e-tron is set to hit the market is still up in the air. The R8-based flaghip will supposedly go on sale sometime in 2013, but if Audi wants to get in on the EV action sooner

Gas Prices Could Bring Economic Recovery

Just when it looked like people were more willing to spend money again on non-essential items—and on more essential (but deferrable) purchases like new cars—rising prices at the pump could grind some aspects of economic recovery to a halt.

After a major price spike in summer 2008, when prices topped $4 a gallon on a national average, gasoline prices plummeted at the end of 2008 to well under $2 then after a quick rise to about $2.50 have risen only gradually until about a month ago. Prices have risen about 40 cents a gallon over the past month.

Although prices this time aren't expected to spike with the volatility they did in 2008, many analysts haven't ruled out $4 gas this year—especially after political events in the Middle East and North Africa.

The Rinspeed BamBoo enjoys the summer sun

Rinspeed has unleashed a mammoth collection of photos featuring its upcoming BamBoo. We eagerly await spying this grown-up golf-cart (their words) in person at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. The photos are heavy on the stylized portrayal of wealthy youth enjoying a summer in Saint-Tropez, yet they reveal little of what's under the BamBoo's skin.

We do know that its German-made 54-kW electric motor will allow speeds of up to 75 miles per hour and that its battery (unknown chemistry) offers 65 miles of range. What's more, it appears that there may be a bicycle or two taking up residence in the rear cargo area. Tech junkies will surely appreciate the included seven-inch (Android-powered?) tablet computer.

Ford Fiesta in North America

With 3,050 September sales in North America, the Ford Fiesta is just now beginning to move off dealer lots. And while it's far too early to declare The Blue Oval's premium subcompact a success or failure, the folks in Dearborn have to be pleased with one crucial statistic. Car buyers driving off the dealer lot in a new Fiesta are paying a substantial premium over the handsome runt's $13,999 base price.

Bloomberg reports that the average transaction price of a Fiesta is between $3,000 and $4,000 beyond the base MSRP, or more money than customers are paying for the larger (and soon-to-depart) Ford Focus. Given the fact that the Fiesta is newer, fresher, and more heavily marketed than the Focus, we're not all that surprised, but perhaps more shocking is the fact that the Fiesta also has a higher average transaction price than the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic – both of which are class-above vehicles.
That the Fiesta is selling for premium dollar is no big surprise to Ford, as the automaker decided early on to equip the B-Segment seedling with the same top tech that is typically found in larger, more expensive fare. It helps that Ford has already experienced plenty of Fiesta success in other parts of the world, with 940,000 copies already sold to date. And in those other markets, Ford has achieved strikingly similar model mixes as what is being indicated early on in the States. The top trim Fiesta accounts for 39 percent of U.S. sales, compared to a 42 percent mix in Europe, which accounts for 85 percent of global sales.
Ford is also attracting younger, more affluent customers with an impressive 60 percent buying a Ford product for the first time. We're thinking the early returns are just about everything Dearborn was hoping for save perhaps for total volume, so we'll hold off our praise until we see if Fiesta's overall sales numbers climb now that supply issues have been sorted.

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U.S. Grand Prix in Austin has a lot of hurdles

There has been no shortage of entrepreneurs over the last couple of decades hoping to play host to a Formula One race. But as many of them have discovered, hopping into bed with Bernie Ecclestone is a surefire way to prove Roger Penske's motorsports maxim: "The quickest way to make a small fortune in racing is to start with large fortune."

Tavo Hellmund and his team at Full Throttle Productions have some mighty big dreams for a new dedicated F1 race track in Austin, Texas. So far, however, they don't seem to have land, financing or much of anything else. The owners of the Donington Park track in England already had a track and more time to get ready to host the British Grand Prix and they still failed.

According to ESPN columnist Terry Blount, the $200-300 million estimate for the track seems very low compared to the $250 million spent on Texas Motor Speedway – a facility that was built 15 years ago. The odds of a brand-new track being ready for a race in Austin by 2012 seem pretty slim unless the cash starts flowing and the bulldozers start moving the dirt very soon. Now, a street course, on the other hand...