Category: Slideshows

1. ABT

With a 125-year history ABT is probably the largest and most well-known tuning company for all Volkswagen Group products. This of course, includes Audi. ABT products are sold in more than 50 countries. They are heavily involved in motorsport. You find their products in everything from DTM to Formula E. They offer individual components as well as entire builds such as the limited edition RS7-R that you see here.

2. APR

Founded in 1997, APR has been delivering upgrades for brakes, engine hardware, suspension, transmission hardware and more for decades. They are also well-known for their ECU upgrades that will provide you with inexpensive and reliable power. Of course, if you just want to dress up the looks a little bit with something like a carbon fiber engine cover APR has you covered there as well.

3. LCE Performance

This is a German company so you will be working with folks from the motherland of Audi. And they have you covered with all sorts of performance upgrades and ECU tuning. But by far the coolest thing they offer is their Sportquattro replicas. They have several variants to choose from and each one of them is amazing. The cars have TÜV approval so you should be able to import into the U.S. if you desire.

4. AWE

AWE is a lot closer to home being located in Horsham, PA. They have been around since 1991 and are best known for their exhaust and air intake products. The range of products they offer may not be as extensive as some of the others on this list. However, what they do offer is top quality and their exhaust systems come with a lifetime warranty.

5. Weistec Engineering

Based in California, Weistec Engineering has a number of exciting products to improve the performance of your Audi. Naturally they offer ECU tunes. But they also offer turbo upgrades, and meth injection systems. They also offer quite a few other services such as CNC machining, laser and waterjet cutting, casting and more.

6. AMS Performance

AMS Performance is a big player in the automotive performance space. Their cars have broken multiple drag racing world records over the years and have been competitive in various race series around the world. They will sell you individual components, but you can also choose from several ‘Alpha’ packages. The top dog is the Alpha 12 for the Audi R8 which is good for over 1,200 horsepower. If you are chasing big numbers AMS is a good place to start.

7. GMG

GMG is a premier tuning facility located in Santa Ana, California. They are a development partner with GIAC who is the leading manufacturer for tuning calibrations for Audi. GMG will develop a custom tune for your specific car to help you extract the most power possible. Oh, and if you just need regular factory recommended service, the folks at GMG can do that for you as well.

8. T1 Race Development

Are you looking to dominate the drag strip? Well, T1 is happy to be your partner. They offer upgraded pistons, rods, head studs and so on. Everything you need to allow your engine to last while making big power. They recently completed an Audi R8 build that puts out 2,059 horsepower at the wheels and ran a 7.66 quarter mile on its first outing after the build.

9. ECS Tuning

You can practically replace and upgrade every single part of your Audi by shopping at ECS. Wheels, safety equipment, exhaust, lights, brakes, suspension and so on. ECS offers the broadest selection of products out of all the tuners on this list. This is your one stop shop.

10. Horse Power Technics

HPT is another German company, and they offer some serious firepower. The Audi you see pictured here put down about 1,600 horsepower on the dyno. They use top quality products such as Dodson clutches, KW suspensions and more. You can seriously upgrade your Audi with the help of the HPT team.

5. Audi R8 4.2 FSI quattro – 8:04 (2007)

Being Audi’s flagship performance model, the R8’s appearance in the list of fastest Audi production cars around the Nürburgring is all but expected. And starting the list off at number 5 of all time is the very first iteration of the mid-engine supercar. The R8 4.2 FSI quattro was tested by German magazine Sport Auto with a highly respectable lap time of 8 minutes and 4 seconds.

Photo: Top Gear

4. Audi TT RS – 7:48.40 (2017)

The Audi TT RS is a favorite among enthusiasts because of its intense performance and compact, lightweight package. And the little rocket’s quickness was put to the test at the Green Hell by the aforementioned Sport Auto who recorded an amazing lap time of 7 minutes and 48.40 seconds. This lap time puts the TT RS ahead of many amazing cars, including the 2007 Corvette Z06.

3. Audi R8 Coupé 5.2 FSI quattro – 7:44 (2009)

The second R8 of this list is the R8 Coupe 5.2 FSI quattro. With more performance than the original, the 5.2 variant of the Audi was tested by the same magazine, recording a top lap time of 7 minutes and 44 seconds in 2009. 

2. Audi RS3 – 7:35.552 (2021)

If you needed another reason to add the world’s best compact performance car, what can be better than the fact that’s faster around Nürburgring than most R8s? In their official attempt at the track, Audi had driver Frank Stippler take the RS3 around the Nordschleife in 7 minutes and 35.552 seconds (7:40.748 with the new layout). This lap established the RS3 as the fastest compact sedan in the world. 

Photo: Top Gear

Audi S8 – 15/23 MPG

The sportier version of the Audi lineup’s holy grail of luxury, the Audi S8 is powered by the manufacturer’s trusty 4.0-liter V8 aided by twin turbochargers. In this application, the mill puts down a mighty 563 horsepower. The figure to highlight here, though, is the high curb weight of 6,393 lbs. Hence, the powerful engine yields 15 MPG in the city and 23 MPG on the highway on average.

Audi RS6 Avant – 14/21 MPG

The mechanical elements of the RS6’s power plant are nearly identical to that of the aforementioned S8, and a number of other high-performance machines in the Audi lineup. In this case, the 4.0-liter V8 is capable of 591 horsepower. Though the RS6 Avant weighs less than the S8, the performance-oriented setup of the power source results in a worse fuel economy of 14 in the city and 21 MPG on the freeway.

Audi RS 7 – 14//21 MPG

The RS7 is practically identical to its station wagon sibling in terms of the numbers. Similar weight, the same engine and power output, and the same EPA-estimated fuel economy. 

Audi RS Q8 – 13/19 MPG

The RS Q8 falls in the same high-performance category as the two previous models on this list. It’s powered by the same twin-turbo 4.0-liter engine. Interestingly, however, it weighs quite a bit less. With a curb weight of just under 5,500 lbs, it’s over 500 lbs lighter than the RS6 and RS7. But the taller frame of the powerful AWD SUV brings the fuel economy to 13 MPG in the city and 19 MPG on the highway.

Audi R8 – 14/23 MPG / Audi R8 quattro 13/18 MPG

The RWD versions of the final edition of the Audi R8 have a gas mileage that tops those of the RS6 and RS7 with 14 in the city and 23 on the freeway. The figures are lower for the GT model, which comes in at 14/21. But the quattro models, the most powerful iteration of the V10-powered supercar, have an EPA-estimated MPG of 13 in the city and 18 on the highway, which makes it the biggest gas guzzler in the Audi lineup. As with most of these amazing vehicles, though, it’s a lot more about the smiles per mile than the miles per gallon.

>>Join the conversation about these high-consuming Audis right here in the Audi World Forum!

For help with the service of your car, check out the how-to section of AudiWorld.com.

2009 Audi E-Tron Concept – $3 Million

With the iconic Audi R8 as a source of inspiration for the proportions of the Audi E-Tron concept of 2009, the German automaker gave the world a glimpse of its electric future. A refined version of the e-Tron concept was introduced in Detroit the following year, which coincidentally also sold for a pretty penny. 

2000 Audi Rosemeyer Concept – $3 Million

Audi has long been in the business of creating aspirational mid-engine supercar-type concepts. Years before ‘E-Tron’ was a thing, the folks from Ingolstadt built the famous Rosemeyer concept. When it was designed, the looks of the Rosemeyer harkened back to an art deco aesthetic. This is appropriate, given that the name pays tribute to legendary Auto Union racing driver Bernd Rosemeyer. This W16-powered concept would later become the foundation upon which the Bugatti Veyron was created.

1991 Audi Avus Quattro Concept – $3 Million

Taking us another 9 years back in time, the 1991 Audi Avus Quattro concept was the pinnacle of Audi design and engineering for the time. The chrome exterior and the intriguing looks still dazzle today as they did back when it debuted in Tokyo over 3 decades ago.

2003 Audi Le Mans Concept – $5 Million

The concept car that directly resulted in the creation of the Audi R8, the Le Mans concept is as iconic and memorable of an Audi concept as it gets. It’s no wonder, then, that it’s among the most desirable concept vehicles ever. 

2016 Audi R18 – $30 Million

And Audi car with the highest price tag in history is actually the formidable 2016 Audi R18 endurance racer. Achieving amazing success and bringing home multiple world championships between 2012 and 2016, the Audi R18 is arguably the most significant Audi race car ever, and one of the most successful race cars of all time, period. 

>>Join the conversation about these Audis right here in the Audi World Forum!

For help with the service of your car, check out the how-to section of AudiWorld.com.

Robert Downey Jr.

Let’s start with the obvious… Since his career resurgence, bringing to life the role of Iron Man on the big screen to perfection, RDJ has become synonymous with the Marvel superhero. And one thing everyone knows about Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark is his love for Audi, especially the R8. And he lives the Iron Man lifestyle in real life, as well, which includes rolling around in the mid-engine Audi.

Jason Statham

Another world-renown action star with deep ties to the Audi brand is Jason Statham. The British actor co-starred alongside the Audi A8 on multiple occasions. And it’s no surprise that he enjoys the perks of his professional relationship with the German automaker by taking advantage of all the performance that the R8 has to offer.

Lady Gaga

(Paddle) Shifting gears from world-famous actors to a world-famous musician, the next A-lister on this list is Lady Gaga. Interestingly. Lady Gaga has actually been spotted driving a number of cool cars, and the Audi R8 is one of them.

Tom Brady

An athlete whose fame and success transcend sports, Tom Brady has etched his name in history not only as the GOAT of football, but also a cultural icon. It’s no surprise that the seven-time Superbowl champion has an impressive arsenal of amazing cars. The R8 is a shining star of his collection.

Cristiano Ronaldo

From the best of football to the best of football: Cristiano Ronaldo is among the most successful players in the history of the beautiful game, and one of the world’s most famous superstars. He’s been known to show off his nice cars on his way to training, and since Audi has a great relationship with numerous top teams in European soccer, they’ve had the Portuguese phenom as an ambassador from time to time. 

>>Join the conversation about these celebrities who drive the R8 right here in the Audi World Forum!

For help with the service of your car, check out the how-to section of AudiWorld.com.