We won’t say it was only because American movie-goers wanted to get their first look at the Audi R8 e-tron in action. But Iron Man 3 posted the second-biggest domestic opening of any movie, all-time, when it debuted on U.S. screens last weekend.

And the movie already has produced a world-wide gross that is higher than the total for Iron Man 2.

Disney and Marvel grossed an estimated $175 million from screenings in North America that started on Thursday night and ran through Sunday. Iron Man 3 features Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man and his alter ego, industrialist Tony Stark; Gwyneth Paltrow as his girlfriend, Pepper Potts; and the R8 e-tron and Audi S7 Sportback as their rides, respectively.

Movie-industry analysts predicted that Iron Man 3 is on track already to gross more than $1 billion, though perhaps not to match the worldwide total of $1.5 billion for Avengers.

Steer the story

Having broken all-time opening-box office records in China this week, Iron Man 3 is streaking toward its rendezvous with American theater audiences and its U.S. premiere on Friday. And Audi has been helping build anticipation for that event with a unique online promotion with Marvel that ends tomorrow.

The Iron Man “Steer the Story” online comic-book contest gives fans an opportunity to crowdsource twists in a plot in which Iron Man and Pepper Potts, his girlfriend, are driving an Audi R8 e-tron to attempt to escape the clutches of a villain, Blizzard.

The promotion echoes Iron Man 3 itself, in which Robert Downey Jr. plays Iron Man and his alter ego, industrialist Tony Stark, and Gwyneth Paltrow plays Pepper Potts. Stark drives the Audi R8 e-tron, and Potts drives an Audi S7 Sportback in the film, the third in the Iron Man trilogy – each of which has featured versions of the R8.

Massive Hit

Buzz is building around Iron Man 3 as the movie begins opening around the world, to climax with its nationwide U.S. premier on May 3. And Audi – whose R8 is a starring piece of hardware for the third straight installment of the Iron Man film franchise – is happy to add to the hype.

Audi, for example, already has been running a new commercial on U.S. late-night and cable-TV channels featuring Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, Iron Man’s alter-ego industrialist, driving the all-electric Audi R8 e-tron sports car that is featured as his main ride in Marvel’s Iron Man 3. The company made a limited initial production run of the car last year.

The ad uses scenes from the movie to show the unique stresses and strains of being a superhero. Then it states, “It’s never a bad day at work” – Stark gets into the R8 e-tron – “when the commute looks like this.” The 30-second spot concludes with Stark streaking down the highway in the red all-electric R8, and the tag line, “Audi. Engineered for Iron Man.”

Egineering Prowess

There are practically no other relationships in cinema like that between the Audi R8 and the Iron Man movies.

When Tony Stark first climbs into his R8 e-tron prototype in Marvel’s Iron Man 3, debuting in theaters May 3, it will begin the next chapter in an association between a Hollywood action hero and an automotive brand that is rivaled only by the long ties between James Bond films and Aston-Martin.

For Audi, involving versions of R8 in the trilogy of Iron Man movies is a fantastic way to underscore the technological leadership demonstrated not only by the vehicle per se but also by the Audi brand.

An Honor and Distinct Privilege

Tour de France cycling legend George Hincapie will be among those brining his star power to the Audi Best Buddies Challenge: Washington, D.C., a charity walk, run and ride to benefit Best Buddies International on October 20.

Other celebrity guests will include Lauren Potter, Glee actress and member of the Best Buddies board, and multiple Olympic-medalist swimmers Gary Hall Sr. and Gary Hall Jr.

Audi of America President Scott Keogh will serve as chairman of the event, which benefits a nonprofit dedicated to creating opportunities for friendship, employment and leadership training for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The following is an actual email we recieved from a cutomer.  We enjoyed it so much we thought we would share it wilh all of you!

Dear Audi,

I picked up my R8 this past April. Expecting to wait over one year. I was pleasantly surprised when my dealer called and said they got an earlier allotment after 6 months. When I brought the vehicle home my daughter who was 2 at the time asked me whose car that was. She knew the S4 was my car and the Qx56 was my wife's car. So I told her this is yours.

The picture below is what ensued. I guess it's never to early to love the R8.

To this date this car still belong to her if you ask her.

Johnny Chung