Audi has the reputation of producing high-end, stylish, and consumer-popular all wheel drive cars. But Audi’s image is beginning to change a little with its movement into the ‘my car’s faster than yours but cost more than my house’ market. Audi had an impressive and unprecedented win at Le Mans this past summer with its turbo diesel, 650 hp V12 R10, showing its savvy with engine technology. Building on its success at Le Mans, Audi is set to release the new R8 in the middle of 2007. Boasting a mid-mounted V8 that puts 420 hp to all four tires, high-rev concept engine technology, and a 6-speed R-tronic sequential gear box (via paddles or joystick), the R8 promises to be a good ‘first try’ by Audi to jump into the high-end sports car market (and should be one hell of a company car for us next year). Audi did a great job with the R8’s sexy, yet beastly design–if I had to pick a two-animal mix … great white shark, and black panther. Check out those LED headlights! And as we are fans of well-designed websites, it is worth pointing out that Audi’s site for the R8 is top notch; the site also does a good job explaining the innovative technologies that I just glossed-over.