UK: Late Princess Diana's Audi Auctioned at Blenheim Palace

  A unique RS 6 Avant with a personalised interior autographed by the Oscar-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow was sold at auction for £120,000 at the annual Elton John White Tie & Tiara Ball, held at the home of the singer / songwriter.  Proceeds from the auction of the Audi supercar will go to support the work of the Elton John AIDS Foundation. An impressive net total of £3m was raised by the Ball.  Guests were invited to bid for the various lots, which included the one-off  RS 6 Avant complete with a Lunar Silver leather interior immortalised by Paltrow's signature. The formidable super Avant is currently the most potent Audi available, producing  560PS and 700 Nm, a 0-62mph sprint time of just 3.9 seconds, and a top speed limited to 155mph, which can be raised upon request to 189mph.

  Oscar-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow descended on Piccadilly in London to attend the launch of the latest Audi - the RS 6 Avant - an estate with supercar performance. The RS 6 Avant is powered by a twin-turbo V8 engine and it is the most potent Audi currently made.  It features 560Ps and 700Nm of torque, a sprint time to 62 mph of just 3.9 seconds and a top speed electronically limited to 155mph (which can be raised to 189mph upon request). Gwyneth has many links with Audi through the movies – as Pepper Potts she drove models from the prestige German brand in all three of the Iron Man action series  –  and America’s leading lady of the moment also drives an Audi in Los Angeles.  Gwyneth marked the car’s  launch by signing its ‘Lunar Silver’ leather interior and immortalizing it as an unrepeatable one-off.

After 17 years of global appeal, the Audi has produced the three-millionth Audi A3.  The brilliant hatchback started life in 1996 and stole a march on the German prestige establishment by spearheading the creation of the now flourishing premium compact class.  The three-millionth car is a 2.0 TDI Quattro version in 5-door Sportback form.  This is one of three brilliant body styles currently available in the all-new, third generation A3 range which for the first time includes a 4-door saloon option with more variant set to follow.