The Next Generation Audi A4 To “Loose” 330 Punds

Audi plans to reduce the total weight of the future A4 with about 330 pounds to improve performance, ride and consumption.

Although the public still enjoys the current generation, the new A4 already begins to take shape in design workshops of Ingolstadt. Audi plans to make the mid-size luxury sedan unbeatable in the premium segment, offering more than BMW and Mercedes.
So, in order to do that, Audi though of a process of weight reduction for the next Audi A4 generation. The 3 Series’ rival could lose up to 330 lbs, an explicit goal, fixed by Heinrich Timm, Head of the Audi Lightweight Design Centre. Reaching this goal would bring to an improved ride, performance well above the current ones, lower fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions.
The 330 lbs will be lost by using an aluminum structure, of composite materials such as carbon fiber, and by improving the production methods. The philosophy first experienced on the future A4 will then be borrowed by the entire line-up of the German automaker of Ingolstadt.

Before the roaring race cars took to the Circuit de la Sarthe for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, only the squeal of protesting tires could be heard as Audi’s E-tron, clothed in an R8 skin, took to the track.

Audi gave fans a demonstration of its electric sports car before the endurance race began as part of “Le Mans vers le futur.” Vers le futur was a demonstration run specifically for electric vehicles to showcase the future of sports cars. Five-time Le Mans winner Frank Biela was behind the wheel to put the R8 E-tron through its paces.



Audi has shown no less than two E-tron sports car concepts, a larger one at the Frankfurt auto show last year, and a second, smaller one in Detroit this year. Both concept models were based on the R8 platform. The E-tron that took to the track was based on Frankfurt’s larger, more powerful E-tron, sans fancy concept exterior.

R8 E-tron used the same powertrain setup as the E-tron shown at Frankfurt, with electric motors driving each wheel to give it Audi’s signature Quattro all-wheel-drive. In total, the motors put out 313 horsepower and 3319 pound-feet of torque, according to Audi, but we’ve shown that to be more like 252 pound-feet of torque at the crankshaft. However you look at the torque, it’s enough to propel the car to 62 mph in 4.8 seconds.

The car continues with the R8’s handling balance as the batteries are placed behind the driver where the gasoline engine would sit in a conventional R8. This gives the car a 42:58 front/rear weight balance, but the car exhibits extremely neutral handling coupled with Audi’s centrally controlled electric Quattro all-wheel-drive. Also featured was active torque vectoring, seen on the new S4’s optional rear differential, but because of the nature of the centrally controlled electric motors, it can be implemented only by using electronics on the E-tron.

We know Audi is planning a production E-tron to compete with Mercedes-Benz’s upcoming electric SLS AMG. Audi has also made no secret about turning E-tron into a corporate sub-brand similar to TDI or Quattro. The first of the E-trons is slated to go into production alongside the R8 and Lamborghini Gallardo next year.

Was the R8 E-tron taken around the Circuit de la Sarthe our first look at the production car?

Source: Audi

Audi's Stronghold in China Threatened by BMW, Mercedes-Benz

"Mercedes and BMW have more up side than Audi in emerging markets, so it will be difficult for Audi to achieve its target," London-based automotive analyst Arndt Ellinghorst told Automotive News.

As the world's single largest automotive market, Chinese customers are increasingly important to BMW and Mercedes. As a result, both have crafted vehicles specifically aimed at the Chinese market. Tomorrow at the Beijing auto show, BMW will unveil an extended 5 Series, while Mercedes is set to debut its new longer E Class. The reasoning for extended wheelbases is that the wealthier Chinese population is typically chauffeured. 



Earlier this month, Audi posted its first quarter sales figures. With a strong start to 2010, Audi was able to secure the second place spot in global luxury sales, bumping Mercedes down to third. The Ingolstadt based automaker hasn't fared so well in China lately. Over that last 6 years, Audi's market share has slipped from 66 percent down to 46 percent. BMW has climbed from 16 to 23 percent, while Mercedes more than doubled its share, from 7 to 16 percent.

Audi had 159,000 deliveries in 2009, but has a goal to sell 200,000 this year. On track for that target, it sold 51,449 in the first quarter this year. Last year BMW sold 90,500 vehicles, but is on track to surpass that mark, with 34,179 sold through March. Mercedes sold 24,100 vehicles in the first quarter of 2010, and should meet its 100,000 sales goal. BMW is investing $749 million in a new Chinese factory to double capacity to 100,000 units annually. Mercedes already has a 100,000 unit production capacity in China.  

"The potential of the Chinese market remains enormous, and our targets are correspondingly ambitious," Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche said last week.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription required)

Audi and Xbox to Host Forza 3 Tournament in New York City



The event celebrates the Le Mans race and serves as a venue for a digital race challenge. Audi's currently asking gamers to fire up Forza Motorsports 3, pilot a digital 2009 Audi R15 TDI race car around the Circuit de la Sarthe, and submit their best lap times. Those with three best times will be invited to the Audi Forum in New York City on June 12, where they'll compete head-to-head in a four-hour Forza-based endurance race. The winner will receive a one-day program with the R8 at Audi's Driving Experience school in Sonoma, California.

Want to watch the cyber-race in person? Audi's opened the event -- which includes a live feed of the Le Mans race, food, door prizes, and Forza 3 game kiosks-- to those over the age of 21. The festivities will be held from 1-5 p.m., and Audi suggests you preregister.

Source: Audi, Forza

After orchestrating the design and installation of some pretty far-out Bang & Olufsen sound systems into vehicles like the R8, A8, and Q7, you'd think Audi's sound engineers would be perfectly content. Not so. In fact, in pursuit of the perfect sound, some engineers within the company have created their dream sound system, which involves stuffing 62 speakers into a Q7.




The venture, dubbed the Audi Sound Project, is the pet project of infotainment development engineer Peter Gleim. His goal -- to focus on wave field synthesis -- sounds like a scientist's fantasy, but is actually quite impressive. The object is to recreate a sound wave with several sources (i.e. speakers) placed closely together. Each speaker is controlled separately, so the signal can be delayed and staggered, allowing the listener to hear an exact reproduction of the original sound. Better yet, the sound is produced in an identical fashion for each seating position.

"We can simulate any wave front," Gleim said in a release. "With stereo, we can generate a sound as if the two speakers were located far outside the car. We can also add any desired spatial impression computationally -- not as a sound effect, but as a mathematically precise simulation."

Gleim's team managed to cram all 62 speakers, baffles, and amplifiers into the Q7, but its interior looks anything but normal. The ASP system includes five tweeters, five subwoofers, and 52 midrange speakers, all connected to a large power amplifier. Speakers are integrated into the dashboard, pillars, door panels -- virtually anywhere engineers could find space. Three separate PCs are needed to control both the amplifier and the entire speaker array.

"Our goal was to show what is technically feasible; to explore the limits," said Denis Credé, head of Audi's sound development. "What we are learning will be integrated into the sound systems of tomorrow. It's like with racing: A lot of what is first tried out on the race tracks of this world later shows up in modified in production vehicles. The Audi Sound Concept project is like racing for sound systems."

We imagine both packaging and cost are two major hurdles in pushing the ASC into production. On that later note, adding the 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen system in an A8 or Q7 adds roughly $6300. We suspect that figure would grow exponentially for a 62-speaker system.
We're fans of excellent sound systems, but aren't always convinced they're worth the investment. What say you -- when shopping for a car, is the sound system an important component, or do you skip that option box?

Source: Audi

1973 Audi Asso Di Picche
Italdesign and Karmann teamed up once again in 1973 to craft a Volkswagen concept car, but the finished product would have a much more profound influence on other production vehicles than the Cheetah before it.



Although Audi was enjoying the fiscal stability provided by new parent Volkswagen, it was Karmann who approached Italdesign with the idea of creating a concept coupe built off the Audi 80. At the very least, the company had a vested interest in the project -- should VW/Audi brass enjoy the proposal, Karmann felt it could attain a contract to mass-produce the car.

Dubbed the Asso di Picche (Italian for Ace of Spades), the finished product looked nothing like the humble 80 it was built upon. Giugiaro envisioned a sleek, wedge-shaped coupe with a slender nose, long hood, and a short, angular fastback. The show car looked nothing like any other Audi model at the time -- arguably, the only visual link to the 80 was the front fascia, which sported a full-width grille housing large quad headlamps and the fabled four-ring logo.

VW executives liked the car, but didn't push it into production exactly like Karmann hoped. Instead, it called upon Giugiaro to pen the first-generation Scirocco, which bears a striking resemblance to the Asso di Picche -- gaping grille and all. Lucky for Karmann, it found a way to score a contract building the bodies for the little sport coupe.

Giugiaro eventually extrapolated the Asso di Picche into a line of "Ace" concepts. The Asso di Quadri (Ace of Clubs), shown in 1976, was built from a BMW 320i, and bears a remarkable resemblance to the second-generation Scirocco. The Asso di Fiore, unveiled in 1979, was a dead ringer for the 1982 Isuzu Piazza/Impulse
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source by automobi

Forget the fantasy baseball camp -- if you've got a good chunk of change at hand, we'd recommend signing up for Audi's Race Experience program, which will ultimately put you behind the wheel of a race-prepped R8 LMS on the famed Nürburgring.

The program, crafted in partnership with Team Joest, essentially allows participants to play race car driver for a day. After a series of driving lessons (including earning a current racing license), participants will field one of two Joest-owned R8 LMS cars in a VLN race on the 'Ring. Joest and Audi Sport will provide everything else needed to go racing, including tires, fuel, a pit crew, telemetry -- and, if so desired, a professional co-driver.



"For the first time, customers have the opportunity to participate in a race with a professional Audi 'factory' team without having to enter a long-term commitment, or making a high financial investment," said Klaus Demel, head of Audi's Driving Experience programs.

Demel's last point may be true -- this will be less expensive than sponsoring and running an entire race team on your own -- but we don't expect the Race Experience program to come cheap. Audi hasn't talked pricing, but seeing as there are more costs to amortize than the company's Sportscar Experience (which runs roughly $3500 for a two-day program), we know this experience will carry a lengthy bill.

If cost is no object to you, add this to your bucket list -- and quickly. Team Joest is only running these cars in six VLN races at the Nürburgring, so despite the high prices, expect openings to disappear quickly.

Source: Audi

2010 Audi Q7 Overview

Introduction

The Audi Q7 has established itself in the luxury SUV class with bold styling, numerous tech features and five-star safety ratings.
The Q7 is available with three different engine choices, two direct-injection gasoline engines, a 280-hp 3.6-liter V6 and a 350-hp 4.2-liter V8, as well as a new 225-hp 3.0-liter V6 direct injection diesel (TDI). All are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission and quattro all-wheel drive. Standard features include leather upholstery, heated front seats, automatic dual-zone climate control, 6-disc audio system, power liftgate, Bluetooth and wood trim. The 4.2 adds even more standard luxuries such as Advanced Key passive entry, auto-dimming mirrors, bi-xenon headlights, blind spot detection, Bose audio, satellite radio, navigation system, sunshades and 20" wheels.
Along with the new TDI engine, the Audi Q7 gets a refresh for 2010 with new front and rear LED lighting, updated bumpers, front grille and side mirror housings, 3G MMI navigation and numerous new color choices.

NHTSA Frontal Crash Test

NHTSA rates crash-tested vehicles by assigning them one to five stars, with five stars indicating the most injury protection and one star indicating the least protection.