Get out your check book, you can buy a car from the future in the first half of 2006. The Audi R8 got introduced at the the Paris Auto show (2006 Paris Mondial De L'Automobile) that opens to the public tomorrow.

The Audi R8 is the commercial version of the Le Mans concept car audi showed back in 2003. Some of the R8 look is also from the Audi RSQ, that Will Smith drove in the Scifi movie I, Robot.

Besides the ultra cool design the Audi R8 packs 420hp from a V8 engine. The R8 takes you from 0-62mph in 4.6s.
The chassis is made from a special aluminum and magnesium metal and the motor is placed in the middle of this all-wheel-drive (quattro) sports car.

Audi put all kinds of new and innovative features into the R8. For instance magnetic ride is a new damper system that uses special fluid whose viscosity is controlled by electromagnetic fields - uuh!
Very obvious are the unique shaped LED based light system on the front and rear of the Audi R8, enhancing its futuristic look.

Audi's new cars for 2007 have all a great new design making other brands like BMW or Mercedes look really old and outdated. With the R8 Audi takes on Porsche. If you can afford a Porsche Carrera, you need to also consider the R8.
The Audi R8 comes on the market in Europe first half of 2007 and in the new Porsche killer will be available in the United States in fall of 2007. The price in Europe is supposed to be 104,000 Euro (~$132,000).
Audi has published a cool R8 micro site with more details, photos, videos and R8 wallpaper and screen saver downloads.