I went to look at a Audi A3 and when taking it for a drive it would not go over 80mph. When i got back the owner said this happens on all newer audi cars when cold to prevent harming the engine. Is this true?

 

I moved your other thread to teh General tech section, as I think they would have a better take on this issue.

My answer:
I've never heard of this, from Audi, or any other manufacturer. From a technical standpoint, I suppose the ECU is smart enough to pull this off, but it still seems like a made-up answer. Here's why:
During the test drive (unless it was literally only a few feet in duration) the vehicle would have worked its way up to normal operating temperature. Even in the middle of winter (unless, of course, you're at the only Audi dealership servicing either the arctic or antarctic polar caps), it would have gotten up to something approximating normal operating temperatures. This should not have been an issue.

How to confirm:
Go back for another test drive. Let the car sit and idle until it IS within normal operating temps.

Any Audi-techs wanna chime in on this?