AUBURN HILLS, MI – The new Audi R8 sports coupe has been awarded the title of best “Sports Car 2007” by Autobild Sports Cars monthly magazine. The award is one of the German car industry’s most sought-after prizes.

The winning trophy was presented to Werner Frowein, Managing Director of Audi’s quattro GmbH division, during the magazine’s “Race Night”, held at the annual Essen Motor Show. The Audi subsidiary is responsible for developing and manufacturing the 309 kilowatt mid-engined R8 sports car, a superb sports coupe which is hand-built at quattro GmbH in Neckarsulm.

Together with the TÜV Rheinland inspection authority, members of the Autobild’s panel conduct demanding on-road tests on an ongoing basis to assess the qualities of the very latest sports cars. Each month, the magazine presents the latest winner which has undergone testing. In the March 2007 issue, the Audi R8 was the winner. At the end of October, the jury casts a discerning eye on the twelve winning vehicles at a test circuit in Hanover to determine the overall victor.

The experts’ concluding remarks stated that “The Audi R8 wins because it is currently the most complete vehicle with the hottest body in the sports segment and, despite being a newcomer, displays no serious weaknesses.”