If you want the Audi sports car that Tony Stark drives in 'Iron Man 2,' you'll have to wait - and come up with at least $160,000.

In the meantime you can start looking for ads as the film's May 7 release date approaches. While Audi didn't reveal specifics about its advertising plans it is almost certain to use the film to promote its cars, as it did with 'Iron Man' film in 2008. When the company is linked with a blockbuster film like 'Iron Man 2,' 'We like to do a great campaign around it,' says Scott Keogh, chief marketing officer for Audi of America.

Keogh says having the car in the hands of a character like Downey's Tony Stark helps the brand. The fictional Stark, Iron Man's alter ego, 'matches Audi 100%,' Keogh says, because he is an entrepreneur who loves the latest technology. 'He's not some old-school corporate stiff. He's doing things his way.'

People watching trailers for the film will notice that cars seem to play a bigger role in the sequel's ads than in past clips for the franchise. Stark even drives an exotic racing car on a track - until bad guy Whiplash (Mickey Rourke) destroys it. (To see the trailer for 'Iron Man 2″ go here.)

The R8 Spyder's appearance marks Audi's biggest effort thus far to build its brand by placing cars in movies. The car maker has been at this for a long time. A dozen years ago its high-powered S8 sedan appeared - essentially by coincidence - in 'Ronin,' an action movie starring Robert De Niro and directed by the late John Frankenheimer. Frankenheimer, a car nut who often featured fast sports cars in films, picked the Audi S8 in part for its speed. The model wasn't even available in the U.S. at the time, but its good looks and exciting chase scenes had U.S. customers clamoring, and Audi later began selling it here.

Since then Audi's product placements have evolved from accidents to painstakingly planned and choreographed events, with the carmaker and moviemakers working closely from early in production. The company's cars appeared in 'Mission: Impossible 2″ and more recently in the series of 'Transporter' movies. Its flagship sports car, the R8 and a couple of lesser models starred in 2008's 'Iron Man' and for the sequel, Stark has upgraded to a more glamorous R8 convertible.

Jonathan Welsh

• meantime [´mi:ntaim] n.&ad.其间；同时 (初中英语单词)
• release [ri´li:s] vt&n.释放；放松；赦免 (初中英语单词)
• advertising [´ædvətaiziŋ] n.广告a.广告的 (初中英语单词)
• promote [prə´məut] vt.促进；发扬；助长 (初中英语单词)
• character [´kæriktə] n.特性；性质；人物；字 (初中英语单词)
• available [ə´veiləbəl] a.可用的；有效的 (初中英语单词)
• working [´wə:kiŋ] a.工人的；劳动的 (初中英语单词)
• series [´siəri:z] n.连续；系列；丛书 (初中英语单词)
• campaign [kæm´pein] n.战役；行动 vi.从军 (高中英语单词)
• essentially [i´senʃəli] ad.本质上，基本上 (英语四级单词)
• coincidence [kəu´insidəns] n.巧合；符合；一致 (英语四级单词)
• lesser [´lesə] a.较小的；次要的 (英语四级单词)
• entrepreneur [,ɔntrəprə´nə:] n.企业家，创业者 (英语六级单词)
• franchise [´fræntʃaiz] n.选举权；特许权 (英语六级单词)
• trailer [´treilə] n.拖车；跟踪者 (英语六级单词)