The 4-cyl model has a manual-fold fabric top, the V6 a power top that goes up or down in a claimed 12 seconds. Audi quotes 0-60 mph times of 6.5 sec for the 2.0 T and 5.9 for the 3.2 Quattro. Pricing won't be announced until just before sales begin next April.

No less appropriate for Hollywoodland was the North American debut of Audi's high-performance all-wheel-drive R8 sports car, which reaches dealers next fall. Audi says prices should run $110,000-$115,000, with U.S. sales limited to around 1000 units per year. Named for the racing Audis that won the fabled 24 Hours of LeMans five times in the last seven seasons, the R8 shares a basic aluminum skeleton with the edgy Lamborghini Gallardo. Audi owns Lamborghini, the famed Italian sports-car maker. The R8, however, has its own look and larger dimensions, standing 5 inches longer and 3 inches taller on a 3.5-inch longer wheelbase. Behind the two-seat cockpit sits a 420-hp 4.2-liter V8 borrowed from Audi's racy RS4 compact sedan.

Transmissions are a 6-speed manual or Audi R-Tronic, a 6-speed automated manual with steering-wheel shift paddles. The R8 also differs from its Italian cousin in using "magnetic ride" shock absorbers, which are filled with a special fluid that automatically changes firmness to match driving conditions. The R8 should be a fierce performer, with a claimed 187-mph top speed and likely 0-60 acceleration of around 4.3 sec. Among the few expected options is carbon fiber trim for the interior, engine compartment, and on the exterior "blade" panels behind the doors. Body-color blades can also be ordered in lieu of standard contrast-color panels.

2007 Audi TT and 2008 Audi R8