Robert Downey, Jr. will star as Iron Man, a.k.a. Tony Stark, a playboy billionaire who uses the technology of his weapons manufacturing company, Stark Industries, to fight bad guys.

Audi is shelling out millions of dollars to promote the film, a huge help to Marvel because it is financing the movie itself. Paramount Pictures will distribute.

This isn't the first time Audi has collaborated with filmmakers. In the 2003 I, Robot starring Will Smith, Audi designers created a futuristic sports coupe (below) with the help of the film's director. That car was fictional, but Iron Man's Audi R8 is available launched this year.

"The R8 was the perfect car for Tony Stark," says the film's producer, Jon Favreu. "It's wonderfully engineered. It's fast, it's safe and it's flashy."

Not to mention $108,000, with features that include an engine housing at the rear that glows at night just like Iron Man's chestplate -- the source of his power. And the car's headlights even look like the superhero's slit eyes in his armor helmet.

The similar design between the R8 and Iron Man's superhero suit are what sold filmmakers. And thus another Hollywood marriage between action hero and super car is born, a love affair that has a long history.

In the 1968 film Bullitt, the Mustang GT 390 Steve McQueen ripped through the streets of San Francisco in was on loan to Warner Brothers from Ford Motor as a promotional deal. For The Italian Job, BMW gave Paramount 32 Mini Coopers for filming.

And the Aston-Martin, car of choice for 007, has appeared in various Bond films, most notably Goldfinger<.em>. In the recent Casino Royale, three Aston Martin DBS V12s were destroyed in the shooting of a chase scene around a mountain. That's nearly $900,000 worth of sports car, gone.

Iron Man comes out on May 2. The Audi R8 will be sharing the screen with a few co-star cars: The upcoming S5 sports coupe, the A6 sedan, and the Audi Q7 SUV.

Gentlemen, start your product placements.

by Andrea Chalupa