Audi Car Crash Cars

All day every day we have to agree with forms online that are too long to be worth reading. Much in the same way, we often fail to read contracts in real life, but this could have costly consequences. Take a man who brought his Audi S4 to a body shop for repairs only for an employee to wreck it and then refuse to pay for the damages.

Apparently, the client had signed a contract that exempted the shop from having to pay for any damages that occurred while the car was in their care. However, the owner has since sought legal help as he aims to somehow get the body shop to pay for the gross negligence.

In what can be considered as one of the most unnerving car crashes we’ve seen in recent history, an Audi R8 was violently cut in half after a massive crash with a Volkswagen van in northern Italy near the Austrian border over the weekend. It’s unclear as to how the crash came about, but photos from the scene of the crash show a wet road, suggesting that the driver of the R8 may have lost control of the supercar before colliding with the Volkswagen van. Fortunately, both the driver of the R8 and the driver of the VW van escaped the ordeal without any major injuries.

The last time we saw the second-gen Audi A7 stretching its infant wheels was back in August of 2016. One would think that the car would be a little closer to being production ready at this point, with a debut expected to come in late 2017 or early 2018, but this specific prototype either passed through a portal to hell and came back or experienced an extreme failure. According to our cameramen, the A7 was pulling a dead-weight trailer through the Alps when, all of the sudden, flames began shooting from under the hood and onto the windshield. Fortunately, the driver was able to pull to the side and get out before things to too toasty but attempts to extinguish the flames by a roadside service employee failed.

It took all of about 15 or 20 minutes for the entire car to burn to the ground, at which point the local fire department showed up and extinguished what remained. Unfortunately for Audi, this means there’s definitely still a lot of work to do on the A7 before it’s ready to shift into production, but the hard part at this point will be determining exactly what lead to such a catastrophic failure. Did a fuel line rupture and spray fuel on a hot exhaust outlet? Was there an extreme electrical short that turned fatal, or was it something else? It’s hard to say at this point, but based on what’s left, it leaves one to wonder if Audi will ever know for sure what really happened.

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The new Audi TT-RS isn’t expected to be unveiled until later in the year as prototypes of the car are still hammering out some lap times around the Nürburgring. But one recent excursion around the infamous “Green Hell” ended pretty badly for one of the prototypes as a test driver crashed a prototype into one of the circuit’s metal fences. The damage wasn’t extensive, but it was enough to cause some dings on the rear end, specifically on the area where the taillight clusters are supposed to be.

Seeing as how overly protective automakers are of the finer details of their cars ahead of their scheduled debuts, the test driver, with the help of a colleague who was testing his own TT-RS prototype, quickly sprung to action to cover the entire mule car as they waited for a flatbed to come pick it up and take it away for inspection.

The video does show glimpses of the damage caused by the car but more importantly, precious few seconds passed with the front door of the car swung open, giving us a look at the car’s interior. There is some distance from where the video was shot so it’s not as clear of a look as I’d like, but if my eyes don’t deceive me, that steering wheel looks a lot like the steering wheel from the TT-S model.

The prototype was eventually scampered of to safety, but not before the whole episode gave us a better understanding on the lengths automakers really go through to keep their prototypes away from the prying eyes of those video cameras.

Continue after the jump to read the full story.

Well, they do say that if you’re not crashing, you’re not learning.

At the very least, one Audi test driver learned a lesson or two about the upcoming 2016 Audi SQ7 during high-speed testing at the Nürburgring. YouTube user cvdzijden captured a minor mishap involving a prototype SQ7 at the exit of the Karussell hairpin. In the short video, the high-performance SUV gets a bit out of sorts, leaves the track and takes a dramatic bounce off the guardrail. The SQ7 doesn’t appear to be seriously damaged, and limps away with more bent dignity than sheet metal. A close look reveals what might be might a piece of diagnostic equipment hanging loose. My armchair analysis says that this was probably driver error rather than a vehicle malfunction. Check out the video!

The high-performance SQ7 is expected to join the 2014 Audi SQ5 in the lineup some time in 2016 as a 2017 model. In addition to the usual suite of upgraded brakes and suspension common to Audis with the "S" badge, the SQ7 will also feature an electrically driven turbocharger. It’s the first Audi production vehicle so equipped. Audi calls the system "E-Boost" (not to be confused with Ford’s EcoBoost) and it’s designed to eliminate turbo lag by using an electric motor to get the turbocharger up to speed when the engine is turning slowly.
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The 2007 Audi RS4 is a great car and Willow Springs Raceway is one heck of a track, but both can get even experienced drivers into a heap of trouble fast. This lesson was learned by Tim Bucklin, who lost his RS4 during a recent track day event. Now, I’m definitely not here to poke fun at this guy’s misfortune. Not only do I respect him for facing the harsh criticism of YouTube commenters, but the best part about this video is the driver’s breakdown of what he did wrong – perhaps sparing others from the same fate.

It isn’t clear how fast Bucklin was going when he entered Turn 9, but after turning into the apex early, the car understeers and gets too wide on the exit resulting in both left side tires getting off the track. With the steering wheel still turned to the right, the car shoots back across the track sliding into what looks like soft, deep sand, which sheers off the left front wheel and sends the car into a barrel roll where the car flips over at least two times.

Now, I’ve driven on plenty of racetracks, but, unfortunately, Willow Springs is not among them, but that final turn does seem extremely challenging. Bucklin describes the right-hand corner as having a late apex and decreasing radius, and the amount of skid marks exiting the turn are proof of just how tricky the turn is.

Although the RS4 received heavy damage, the passenger compartment held up impressively well. In fact, Bucklin said that he escaped the wreck with only a bruised arm, stiff neck and mild concussion.

Continue reading to learn more about the 2007 Audi RS 4.

Soccer icon David Beckham and his son Brooklyn were involved in a car crash over the weekend in the elder Beckham’s Audi RS6. According to multiple reports from the UK, the harrowing ordeal happened last Saturday shortly after Beckham picked up his son, who at that time had just finished playing for English Premier club Arsenal’s under-16 team in a game against Brighton.

Details on what exactly happened are still unclear, but a source close to Beckham told The Telegraph that the accident occurred at “quite a speed,” indicating that it was not your typical fender bender. Pictures of the crash scene also paint a clear picture to the extent of damage incurred by Beckham’s RS6 and the Mitsubishi Colt Coupe Cabriolet with a woman and her daughter inside.

Luckily, all parties involved escaped serious injury. Beckham only suffered minor shoulder pains while his son escaped unhurt from the crash. The mother and daughter in the Colt CTZ were both taken to a local hospital with minor injuries.

We’re all hoping that everyone involved in the accident recovers from their injuries. We’ve had far too many of these incidences, and while car crashes are a reality of life, they can also be avoided if drivers are more careful when they’re behind the wheel of their cars.

Click past the jump to read more about Audi RS6.

This just in from the Le Mans track: one of the three Audi R18 e-tron quattro race cars race cars set to start in this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans event got blown to smithereens in a crash that occurred during practice.

The No. 1 R18 e-tron quattro had Loic Duval at its helm when it went airborne and slammed into a concrete wall with its rear end, Jalopnik reports. Although the hybrid vehicle sustained massive damage, Duval is conscious and talking, with no signs of severe injuries.

The Frenchman is, however, under intense medical observation in a nearby hospital. Judging by the way the car looks after the massive crash, Loic is one lucky fellow, but we have a hunch FIA’s demanding safety regulations and Audi’s adherence to them when designing the R18 played a key role in avoiding a tragedy.

Getting back to the wreckage, the footage reveals that likely nothing can be salvaged from the No. 1 car. Losing the chassis is terrible news for Audi, which now has to decide whether to bring a replacement unit and face a penalty or use only two cars in the big race.

The No. 1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro is supposed to lap the Circuit de la Sarthe with Loic Duval, Lucas di Grassi and Tom Kristinsen behind the wheel. The remaining cars will be driven by Marcel Fassler, Andre Lotterer, Benoit Treluyer, Filipe Albuqurque, Marco Bonanomi and Oliver Jarvis.

Click past the jump to read more and watch footage from the scene.

Imagine this: is a nice Sunday morning, you are at home with your family and suddenly an Audi TT is parked in your living room. No, we are not telling you the plot of an action movie here; this is real life.

This incident happened to a British family in Long Meadow Walk in Lowestoft, UK who had the unfortunate experience of seeing an Audi TT crash through its house. We cannot tell you up to this point how this incredible incident really happened, but it looks like the road was wet, the driver lost control, crashed through a fence, launched in the air, drove over two parked cars and plunged half of his car into the house.

Apparently the driver was in his early 20s, and was taken to the James Paget Hospital with serious head injuries and he is currently in critical condition. The car belonged to his father.

No people inside the house were hurt during this incident. We wish the young man a speedy recovery.

Hit the jump for some video taken from the scene.

As a race car driver, nothing is scarier than crashing into a barrier, sending your car airborne, seemingly helpless to fight the laws of physics that take over. Ultimately, as a driver, all you can do is brace for the impact, and pray that the ensuing damage is about as minimal as it could possibly be.

During the first part of Le Mans, Audi driver, Allan McNish, was involved in a horrific accident after the Scotsman accidentally bumped his R18 TDI into a Ferrari 458 Italia. The collision caused the R18 TDI to barrel into the sand trap, crashing the barrier and sending just about every piece of the race car flying everywhere, including near a group of reporters who probably didn’t find it thrilling to see a debris of metal, carbon fiber, and tires raining down on them.

The only positive outcome from this accident - and given the circumstances, it was the best anyone could have hoped for - was that no one, including McNish, was injured from the spectacular, albeit horrific crash.

Just goes to show just how thin the line is in auto racing. One second, you’re posting flying lap after flying lap and before you know it, your race car is doing an airborne cartwheel while you sit helpless behind the wheel praying for the best outcome possible.

A ball of metal. This is how an Audi R8 GT ended after a serious crash in Germany. The driver was speeding on an autobahn and for reason not known yet, he lost control of his car. In the course of 400 meters, it bounced several times against the median barrier. Luckily for the driver he was able to get out of his car just before the car went into flames.

Firefighters arrived immediately at the crash scene but there was nothing to do for the poor car. We guess this was the luckiest day for this guy as he managed to escape an accident like this almost unhurt.

However, he is now without his 200,00€0 sports car, and also the demolished barriers and road damages were estimated to a total of 10,000€.

We have to remind you that the R8 GT is only limited to only 333 units. And now there are only 332 left!

While filming an Audi commercial featuring the new "driverless" VW/Audi car named Shelly, an Aerospatiale helicopter crashed near the summit of the famed Pikes Peak Highway. The pilot, Jim Dirker, was severely injured, but is said to be in fair condition. The other three crew members were hurt, but are in stable condition and will be able to leave the hospital later today.

In an official statement the company said: "Audi is saddened by the helicopter incident that took place this morning near the summit of Pikes Peak. Today’s film crew was shooting a test run of the “Autonomous Audi TTS Pikes Peak,” a joint program involving Audi, the Electronic Research Laboratory in Palo Alto, California, and Stanford University. The goal of the project involves ascending Pikes Peak autonomously without a driver behind the wheel to demonstrate the capabilities of advanced driver assistance systems and GPS. The car was not involved in the incident."

"Further information on the helicopter incident will be released by the National Transportation Safety Board and local law enforcement officials. All research activities on Pikes Peak have been suspended. The research project will continue at a later date."

Let’s keep these folks in our thoughts today.

America’s most popular jock, Tom Brady, was involved in a car accident a few days ago involving a pretty sweet Audi S8 sedan. Now, it turns out that the S8 Brady crashed was loaned to him by Audi as part of an arrangement the Patriots quarterback has with the automaker and the Best Buddies charity.

For those who don’t know, Brady has served as an honorary chairman of the Best Buddies charity for the past three years. In his tenure, Brady has even spearheaded a number of charity events, including hosting the Audi Best Buddies Challenge, a series of fund-raising events that predictably includes a flag football game.

The Brady-Audi partnership has been a solid one for quite some time now and, while we’re pretty sure that Audi was none too pleased on seeing one of their S8 sedans getting all dinged up, we don’t think they’re going to reprimand Tom Brady for the crash.

After all, the Pats quarterback has been a model partner for the company through all the charities he gets involved with and Audi couldn’t have picked a better athlete to tie up with. Just don’t let him drive any more loaner Audis in the future.

Photo credit: Pedro Boué

Rahul Patel bares the distinction as one of the few men in the US to strike gold in the lottery. This time last year – June 29,2009, to be exact – Patel parlayed a $1 Powerball lottery ticket into $25 million and with his new-found wealth, proceeded to purchase himself a nice, spanking new Audi R8 about a week ago.

According to a number of reports, Patel was in the northbound side of Merritt Parkway somewhere between exits 46 and 47 when the R8’s engine inexplicably began smoking, causing the lottery winner to pull over on the shoulder to check up on his new toy. As soon as he stopped to check, flames suddenly burst out of the Audi R8’s engine as Patel haplessly watched his new Audi supercar be barbecued by the ensuing fire. The result, as you can imagine, was a complete loss with Patel left wondering if his luck had finally ran out.

We feel bad for him for losing such a beautiful car after only purchasing it a week earlier, but on the other hand, it’s hard to empathize with the dude because he can probably afford a few more of these R8’s with the money he scooped up a year ago. That is, unless, he hasn’t burned through the winnings too.

If we punched ourselves for every burned down sports car we’ve seen in recent years, our face would be indistinguishable by now. However, no matter how many times we’ve seen these exotic beauties get engulfed in flames, the pain remains the same.

Take this brand new, matte black Audi R8 V8 for example. With only 20 km on its odometer and being taken out for a standard test run, the R8 inexplicably catches fire as it was running along the A67 highway in Someren in the Netherlands. No word yet on what caused the fire, only that it happened without any hint or warning. Luckily, both the driver and the passenger managed to get out of the car in time.

Ouch.

Didn’t we just feature Audi’s new R15 TDI Plus race car a few weeks ago?

It didn’t take long for the car to make the headlines once again. This time, though, it’s for all the wrong reasons. And just so it seems appropriate, the incident happened at the Sebring race track, where a bunch of other racing vehicles figured into recent car crashes of their own.

During a test drive of the R15 TDI Plus, driver Mike Rockenfeller somehow backed it into a tire wall at turn 17 – aka Sunset Bend - of the race track, causing significant damage to the car and halting the testing session altogether. Seeing as Audi only has this one car to test with, team mechanics will have to work extra hard to get the R15 TDI Plus back in good working condition before any sort of testing resumes.

It’s a rather auspicious debut for the Audi R15 TDI Plus and it’s especially more disturbing that it didn’t even make it past one of its first test sessions before something goes horribly wrong.

Remember that cringe-inducing scene in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen when a Decepticon in the form of an Audi R8 was sliced completely right in the middle?

Who would’ve thought that something like that it would actually happen in real life?

This Audi R8 in Athens, Greece ended up getting pierced from front to rear by, of all things, a guardrail. It’s one thing to crash into one, but for an accident to occur in such a way that the whole car almost gets skewered in half, it’s something nobody wants to be a part of.

Further details about the whole incident have yet to resurface, but from what we’ve heard, the driver and the passenger survived the whole ordeal with the driver suffering some pretty serious injuries and the passenger escaping the scene without injury.

One unlucky Audi R8 owning Californian learned what it feels like to be a piece of meat in when he unexpectedly taken from behind by a BMW 6 Series and sandwiched between it and a much larger (and heavier) Range Rover SUV. Unfortunately for the four ringed super car driver his dream car now looks like it was chewed up and spat out like a rotten piece of salami. The good part is that the Audi’s aluminum skin took the brunt of the impact and everyone inside was fine, however the worst part is that the R8’s aluminum skin too the brunt of the impact and even a slight fender bender looks like quite a bit of damage.

On the upside, if the red R8 owner’s insurance is any good and the adjuster is a nice guy, this just might be the perfect excuse to upgrade his wheels to the new 5.2 Liter V10 powered aluminum super car. Honestly there is no excuse for 4.2 Liter FSI owners to trade in their perfectly good mid engine machines, if it is a bump in output that they are after then the aftermarket already has a plethora of forced induction options that makes the old car even more powerful than the new car and combined with the V8’s weight savings should make for a more nimble machine. That is if you aren’t provided with an opportunity like this guy. This is just another silver lining on a very ominous dark cloud, it just depends on how you look at it.