(QQ, Fall 2003) — IAA Frankfurt, this past September 09, 2003, Audi has unveiled the shape of things to come.

A high-performance sports car, a road-going vehicle that could be said to have inherited the genes of the Audi R8, three-times winner of the Le Mans 24-Hours race: Audi reveals its 'Le Mans quattro' concept study. The long rumoured Audi GT collaboration with Lamborghini and Cosworth is on the world stage for all of us to behold.

(QQ, Fall 2003) — Procrastination is a good thing, as long as you look at it from the right point of view. It's an ideal way to condition oneself into thinking on ones toes in panic situations-albeit self-induced. If you think about the concept of procrastination in the context of driving on a racetrack, you realize that it applies in nearly every aspect. Late braking, late turn-in, and late apex are all standard practices on the track that are supposed to make good things happen, and they all imply waiting until the last minute to do something. Using that logic, one could argue that it might actually be a competitive advantage to apply the procrastination theory to every day life. That said, it's no surprise that the final hours prior to departing for the 2003 Cannonball One Lap of America were scheduled with a heavy to-do list. I was in the middle of wrapping up final exams, and father Norm had his hands full working with Champagne Motorsports in efforts to get our MTM Hoppen Audi S4 back into shape for the twentieth running of the One Lap. The decision to run this year was made less than four weeks earlier on the final day of the Open Track Challenge in Las Vegas, where we were sitting third in our class, and had a lock on the AWD Cup. The primary reason we were competing in the OTC was the fact that we both had made prior commitments that conflicted with the Cannonball. Fortunately, both of those commitments managed to dissolve which resulted in the following chain of events:

(QQ, Summer 2003) — Slowly Sideways… Originally founded by the world famous rally photographer, Reinhard Klein, for like minded owners of Ex-works rally cars, Slowly Sideways, caters for all makes and types of rally cars and has grown to over 60 registered Ex-workls rally cars throughout the UK and Europe.

(QQ, Spring 2003) — "Like Steve McQueen, all we need's a fast machine, and we're gonna make it all right."
S. Crow

Steve McQueen, in his ultimate coolness, will forever be associated with Porsches and Porsche racing. If, he were still around today, he would probably choose an Audi RS6 for his sedan enjoyment pleasure. And why not? Audi's R8 race car is considered by many to be the spiritual successor to Porsche's '70s dominating 917s, and the 80's dominating 962s. So much so that during Le Mans 2001 the announcers referred to Stefan Johansson's powder blue and orange, Gulf liveried, Audi R8 as a "Gulf Porsche!"

(QQ, Spring 2003) —  First let me say, "What a blast!" I've been to seven Audi Club Driver's Education and Safety schools and as fun and educational as they were, the Audi AG Winter Driving School is a totally different experience. Thought you could drive in slippery, snowy winter conditions? Learning to drive in the upstate New York winters I thought I did. This program taught me how much more I needed to learn to really master the techniques for winter and ice driving. It was also very well run and a tremendous value for the price (even if you weren't one of the eight lucky winners from the annual membership contest, or lucky like me and receive it as a Christmas gift from my wife!).

(QQ, Winter 2003) — Ahh….feel the breeze through your hair. Hmm…smell the moist salt air. Oh….yeah, listen to the sound of an incredibly good sound system, with you favorite tunes. Luxuriate in the wood and leather interior. Enjoy the solid feel of a rattle and shake free chassis. Get thrilled with a 0-60 in just a tick over 7 seconds with an outstanding power train that rivals the best of any of its competition. You are experiencing the open air environ of the new Audi A4 Cabriolet. Ole!

(QQ, Winter 2003) — I'm not Walter Röhrl and the car isn't the S1 Sports quattro, but I couldn't help but imagine myself as that racing legend while piloting a new 2002 A4 3.0 Avant up Pikes Peak. What had it been like to race this road going triple digits and with nearly 600 hp to play with? Should I give the Avant a try and see if I can beat Röhrl's then record-breaking run of 10:47.85 (or should I go for the current record of 10:04.06 set by Rod Millen in 1994)? I'm sure this new Avant would be up to the task - ABS, ESP, Tiptronic, airbags everywhere conceivable, these are features that were lacking in the S1 15 years ago - they were sure to keep me on the road. Right? Sliding around corners that appear to drop off to nothing seemed like a fairly fun thing to do on this day, plus there wasn't that much traffic leading up to the Peak, surely I could pass all of these cars and still beat that record.

  (QQ, Fall 2002) — It does not seem so long ago (1997) when the A8 was introduced to our shores. Time sure goes fast. It was however 1993 when the A8 was first unveiled to the public in Germany. What a sight it was to behold, aluminum spaceframe construction and all. So its replacement is a little overdue. Audi's parent company Volkswagen is primarily to blame for its late arrival, as it wanted its own new Phaeton W12 Sedan to be released first and receive the press accolades unchallenged by its daughter Audi and the new A8. Well, as you read this, the Paris Auto Salon has opened and the new A8 is one of the two bright new stars on the Audi stand.

  (QQ, Fall 2002) — Three kids, four suitcases, one large box storing two child car seats, various carry-on bags, and two overwhelmed adults. These are the joys of a family vacation. And nothing makes a vacation more enjoyable than having to deal with a rental car company, traveling in a nondescript, usually abused car that in most cases is a major step below what one normally drives. Lucky for us, I was able to obtain a Crystal Blue 2002 A6 3.0 quattro to review for the week, so on this vacation we would be traveling in style.

  (QQ, Summer 2002) — In the last 15 years, Audi has been in the forefront of engine development. From Turbo Diesels with advanced "Pump Düse" technology, to direct stratified injected "FSI" engines, to Turbo 5 Cylinder DOHC engines to well over four generations of V6 engines, to 4 Valve and 5 Valve head design, to the present time where Audi has announced two significantly new V8 engine designs at the Geneva Salon in March of this year. Obviously the worldwide tightening of emission controls and consumer demand for more fuel efficient cars is driving the rapid development.