Audizine Newsletter - December '08

[Anthony]

AUDIZINE NEWSLETTER - DECEMBER 2008

• Welcome/Intro
• New Merchandise: Audizine 2009 Calendar
• Audizine Beta Test Team: Now Taking Applications
• Featured AZ'er: Adam@SPP's '07 A3 Sportback
• Latest Industry & Motorsport News
• New & Returning Audizine Advertisers
• Wrap-Up/Outro

Hello and welcome to the last Audizine Newsletter for 2008. I can't believe it's December already, and that this year is just about over with. At any rate, we're back with our usual monthly wrap-up of the latest happenings around The Zine. We've got the usual Industry & Motorsport News from the past month, as well as details on our current Featured AZ'er. We end the newsletter with our traditional shout-out to the companies joining or returning to our group of Official Audizine Advertisers.

Before that though, we have some exciting new details which bear mentioning this month. As we talked about last time, we've been working hard on putting together an official Audizine Calendar for 2009. Well we are happy to say that we've pulled it off and we will be shipping them out just in time for the new year. More info about the 2009 Audizine Calendar can be found below.

On top of that we've been working very hard behind the scenes too, laying out and developing a number of new features for the Audizine website which will be released in the coming new year. Because of this we're looking to set up an Audizine Beta Test Team which will work alongside the AZ Admins, Mods, and Devs in the testing of these new features. More about this can be found below as well. Exciting times!

So, please use the Table of Contents above to jump to a specific section of interest, or read on below for all the latest news and information from around The Zine.

[Anthony]

• New Merchandise: Audizine 2009 Calendar

The time is here. It's almost the new year, we've picked 12 amazing photos submitted by our fellow AZ'ers, chosen a cover shot, and finished laying out the first ever official Audizine Calendar front to back. It's now headed off to the printers and we are aiming to begin shipping orders just after Christmas. The first orders should arrive by the first of the year.

Complete ordering details can be found here: http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=252692

INSIDE SPREAD

[Anthony]

• Audizine Beta Test Team: Now Taking Applications

With a number of new features under development and set for release in 2009, we're looking to form an official Audizine Beta Test Team. This group will work hand in hand with the AZ Admins and Mods to test these new features, find and report bugs to the AZ Developers, recommend additions and enhancements to the features, and help us flesh things out before we release the feature to the entire Audizine Community.

There are of course a few rules and requirements to be on this Beta Test Team, and a number of questions to answer in order to be considered. Please view the full/main discussion thread to see if you qualify, and to find out how you can apply: http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=253123

[Anthony]

• Featured AZ'er: Adam@SPP's '07 A3 Sportback


December '08 Featured AZ'er: Adam@SPP's '07 A3 Sportback

Modding, it's in our blood. Sometimes it's in our genes. It's the act of taking one thing that works perfectly fine (for the normal person), or looks perfectly good (again, for those boring normal people), and making it better. It's an art form which we showcase each and every month with our Featured AZ'er. Like many of our past spotlighted AZ'ers, Adam is the epitome of a hardcore modder. This is his third modified VAG car in as many years. When we first met him three years ago he was on his way to having one unique B6 A4. After an extremely gnarly run-in with a very large boulder (from which he thanks the safety of his Audi to him being healthy and still modding today) he moved on to a Mk4 GTI. After he'd done all he wanted to do with the Volkswagen (which can be seen in the December 2008 issue of Eurotuner) he couldn't resist the urge to come back to Audi. Adam's new personal masterwork is what we'll be discussing here today. More

- Full Article
- Article Discussion Thread
- Article Photo Gallery

And in case you missed it, be sure to check out last month's Featured AZ'er for November, Billi's 2004 A4 sedan.

[Anthony]

• Latest Industry & Motorsport News

New Audi R8 V10 ready for the road (and track)
Audi AG - 12/09/08
Audi is sending shockwaves through the sports car establishment yet again with the new R8 V10, a ten-cylinder, 525PS, 196mph evolution of the quattro four-wheel-driven sports car that automotive enthusiasts have taken to their hearts. The project that has been the subject of intense speculation since the 2006 launch of the V8-powered R8 is set to come to fruition in January when the new super car opens for European order in manual form, or equipped with the R tronic sequential shift transmission. More
- Full Article
- Article Photo Gallery
- R8 Wallpaper


Audi concentrates on European motorsport
Audi AG - 12/05/08
Audi concentrates its motorsport programs for the 2009 season on the new R15 TDI sport prototype for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the re-worked racing touring car A4 DTM and the newly developed R8 LMS for customer use in the GT3 class. Audi will not be represented by its factory team Audi Sport North America in the American Le Mans Series in 2009. More
- Full Article
- Article Photo Gallery
- Motorsport Wallpaper


Audi A5/S5 Coupe Inspires All-New Cabriolet Range
Audi AG - 12/03/08
The Audi A5 with a sunnier disposition - the new A5 Cabriolet - is set to make its European debut next spring, and will be closely followed by a new S5 Cabriolet flagship. The striking four-seat A5 soft-top range capitalizes on the space maximizing extended wheelbase length and state-of-the art engines, transmissions and chassis configuration that have secured success for the A5 Coupé. More
- Full Article
- Article Photo Gallery
- A5/S5 Wallpaper


Audi Motorsport based on three pillars in the future
Audi AG - 11/28/08
In future, the AUDI AG motorsport program will be based on three pillars: During the 2009 season, the brand with the four rings will compete once again in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and in the DTM. Additionally, with the new Audi R8 LMS, Audi Sport offers for the first time a racing sports car specifically developed for customer use. More
- Full Article
- Article Photo Gallery
- Motorsport Wallpaper


More Industry News
More Motorsport News

[Anthony]

• New & Returning Audizine Advertisers

And now it's time for our monthly thank-you to our Official Audizine Advertisers. This month we have a few familiar faces extending their stint with us at Audizine. We like to take this opportunity to recognize them and to let them know that their support of this community is greatly appreciated. In turn we ask that you please show your own personal thanks for our Official Audizine Advertisers when you make your next parts or service transaction. You will find these and all of our Official Audizine Advertisers on our complete list within the Audizine Advertiser's Corner.

CTS Turbo
[email protected]
www.ctsturbo.com

Novitech Tuning
(305) 251-6661
[email protected]
www.novitechtuning.com

Podi
[email protected]
www.podi.ca

[Anthony]

• Wrap-Up/Outro

And that will do it for yet another Audizine Monthly Newsletter, and another year at Audizine.

With 2009 fast approaching, like many people I tend to look back over the year we've had and reflect a bit. Overall I'd say that it was one pretty great year. We accomplished a lot, and Audizine is not only a bigger community than it was this time last year but it's definitely a better one as well. We launched an all-new website both front end and back, as well as too many new site features to mention. We had a few fun community contests, produced a couple of very cool new products, and ran one extremely successful benefit fundraiser. Man, I'm exhausted just from thinking 'bout all of it!

So anyway, to end I would just like to thank all of you within the Audizine Community for helping us to make 2008 such a great year. I thank you for your patience, your support, your constructive feedback, and your dedication to this community. When we founded Audizine around this time back in 2001, I could have only hoped and dreamed that I'd still be here with you now in 2009. Still an Audi enthusiast, still as devoted to the community as I've always been. It's great to know I'm not alone in this, and that our family is still as strong and tight as ever.

Please stay safe out there this cold and snowy winter season, but whenever possible keep on modding and keep on driving. And of course, have yourself a very Happy Holidays and a wonderful New Year!

Anthony
Founder & Editor in Chief, Audizine