Audi A1 Snapped During Commercial Filming with Justin Timberlake

A candid snapshot of the Audi A1, with pop-chart topper Justin Timberlake in the foreground, recently leaked out from a video and photo shoot. As the recently announced Audi A1 ambassador, Timberlake will be featured in a series of advertisements for the new supermini.

Our thanks to WorldCarFans reader "G" for raising the flag on this story.

Following official teaser renderings released a few days ago, the car appears to have headlights that bulge a bit as they extend outwards. The grille has a slight hexagonal shape, instead of a trapezoidal one. Air intakes appear to be larger, with foglights ringed in either chrome or white. It appears as though the A-pillar and roofline are still in a second color tone, as expected.

Do not read too much into the American pop star's involvement in the A1 campaign; this is not a sign that the car is coming to US soil. Despite the Mini Cooper's level of profitability in North America, Audi executives have long maintained that the volume of sales are not enough to justify bringing in another competitor. Audi boldly reiterated this line of thinking recently with a statement saying, "no sales are planned for the U.S."

Audi plans to introduce the urban commuter on the internet next February, with a full-reveal coming in March at the Geneva Motor Show.

All New 2011 Audi A8 Revealed - 87 Photos, Initial Details and Video

With much anticipation, Audi has unveiled the all-new fourth generation A8 full-size luxury sedan this evening in Miami. At a glance the A8 and its aluminum body structure features an updated MMI operating system with hand writing recognition touch pad, new driver assistance systems, full LED headlights and new technologies such as night vision assist with marking of detected pedestrians and Audi pre sense safety system.

The A8's core competitors include the Mercedes-Benz S Class and BMW 7 Series with the Lexus LS and Jaguar XJ described as secondary competitors. The 2011 A8 weighs about the same as the outgoing model despite being 3 inches longer, 2 inches wider and has more standard equipment (8-speed auto transmission, pre sense basic, keyless go, power trunk, etc.) versus competitors: ~50lbs less than S Class RWD, and more than 200lbs (90.7kg) less than S Class AWD; more than 200lbs less than 7 Series RWD and more than 400lbs (181.4kg) less than 7 Series AWD.

“The new Audi A8 is the sportiest sedan in its segment,” says Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG. “It combines numerous functions in a new and intelligent way. And it’s unmatched in the stylistic elements and impression of the interior.”

Set to arrive at U.S. dealerships in late 2010, the initial engine offering is the well known 4.2 FSI V8 with 273 kW (372 hp). The standard transmission is an all-new eight speed tiptronic coupled to the latest generation quattro all wheel drive as standard. 0-100km/h (62 mph) arrives in 5.7 seconds while Audi is claiming an estimated 15 percent improvement in fuel consumption versus the current A8 (EPA figures TBD).

A long wheel base variant will be revealed in 2010 in addition to the confirmation of a hybrid model on the way.

For complete details please see the press release below.

Mystery BMW M1 Mule Spotted

This BMW mule was caught on video while parked on a street in Munich. Covered in the usual black and white psychedelic camouflage, the body is curiously that of the old 1978 M1. The interior is also covered up.

In 2008 BMW revealed an M1 Homage car, a move that sparked speculation of a future BMW supercar or at least a revival of the M1 name. Its design was a clear hark to the original M1 inspired by the 1972 BMW Turbo show car and designed by Giugiaro. It was essentially a racer that customers could also be able to drive on public roads.

Lamborghini had initially been tasked with developing the chassis and for manufacturing but its financial position at the time hampered the project such that BMW ended up retaking control. Ultimately only 456 units of the M1 were ever produced, making it one of the rarest BMWs ever built. The car did not completely disappear when the last one rolled off the production line in 1981 because the first-generation M5 featured a modified version of its 3.5-litre engine.

Perhaps the mule is another Homage model or just simply a public showcase of the older car.