After “Windschnittig” comes “Form vollendet”: A new special exhibition at the Audi museum mobile
The Audi A2 represents another milestone in aerodynamics. At its debut at the IAA in 1999, its design, geared towards optimum streamlining and unusual proportions at the time, polarized public opinion. The basic model with an aluminum Audi Space Frame body achieved a drag coefficient of 0.28. The Audi engineers continued to tighten the aerodynamic screw with many individual measures and, in this way, reduced the drag coefficient of the Audi A2 1.2 TDI even further. The Audi A2 1.2 TDI is the world's first four-door, three-liter car and will be part of the special exhibition "Form vollendet"; it has a drag coefficient of 0.25 and an average fuel consumption of 2.99 liters per 100 kilometers. Curator Stefan Felber reveals his favorite inclusion in the upcoming exhibition: “The DKW F9 has a special meaning for me – it is the link between the two exhibitions, Windschnittig and Form vollendet. What’s more, this streamlined and seemingly plain car represents the new beginning of Auto Union in West Germany and IFA in East Germany.”
Lamborghini Lanzador concept: the visionary, rebel, Ultra GT
The interior layout strictly follows the ‘feel like a pilot’ design philosophy of Lamborghini, combined with the spaceship idea: it takes the idea of a 2+2 GT but moves that a step forward, creating a 2+2 lifestyle concept where the rear space of the cabin can also be used for carrying all sorts of sports equipment or luggage. A trunk is concealed under the short and steeply sloping front bonnet, while the large glass tailgate opens wide. Adjustable rear seats and a variable luggage compartment in the rear make the concept car adaptable to almost any everyday situation. The futuristic concept car’s detailing is sophisticated and reflecting its unique character: the slim headlights take inspiration from the Countach LPI 800-4, while the hexagonal-shaped taillights include the characterful light signature with three LED elements on each side. The typical stylistic elements such as the Y and the hexagon, which have characterized Lamborghini's design from the very beginning, can be found throughout the car including the rear lights and in the interior. “For me, the Lamborghini Lanzador is to date our most visionary and futuristic concept car, as well as delivering stunning looks and a new kind of beauty” says Mitja Borkert. “The proportions are new and unseen, with the potential to create an entirely new automotive segment. The Lanzador presents supers sports car volumes but with the pilot in a slightly higher position, echoing that of the Huracán Sterrato. It is designed for a new generation growing up in an era of high tech and digitalization, and demonstrates new and fresh ideas within Lamborghini in terms of our approach to authentically integrating sustainability, via an interior delivering more space and using innovative materials. The Lanzador is a brave and unexpected concept visualizing a potential future Lamborghini model, with an emotional design and Lamborghini-performance approach to creating a true Ultra GT,”emphasizes Borkert.
A timeless design icon: The Audi TT turns 25
In 2008, the TTS sports model was launched with a 2-liter turbo engine and 272 PS, followed a year later by the TT RS with a 2.5-liter five-cylinder turbo engine with 340 PS and 360 PS in the Audi TT RS plus. In 2008, the brand with the four rings launched the TT 2.0 TDI quattro – the world’s first production sports car to run on a diesel engine. The third generation of the Audi TT was launched in 2014 – and once again, Audi used the new generation to reduce its weight. The TT Coupé, with a 2.0 TFSI) engine and manual transmission, weighed only 1,230 kilograms, up to 50 kilograms lighter than before. For the new TT and TT RS, the designers reinterpreted the unmistakable lines of the original TT from 1998 for the modern age. They enriched them with numerous dynamic facets, while the round fuel tank cap with typical TT lettering remained true across the generations. Many profile details also deliberately recalled the first-generation design classic. In technical terms, the third-generation TT offered several innovations. For example, this model marked the debut of the Audi virtual cockpit, a fully digital instrument panel with highly detailed, versatile displays that replaced analog instruments and the MMI monitor.
The traditional NSU brand and the Audi Neckarsulm site: 150 years of innovation and transformation
The company is renamed AUDI AG and the headquarters are relocated to Ingolstadt. 1988 AUDI AG enters the full-size car class with production of the Audi V8. 1989 Introduction of the turbocharged diesel engine with direct fuel injection in a passenger vehicle, developed in Neckarsulm. 1994 Production starts on the Audi A8, the first series-production vehicle in the world with a completely aluminum body (ASF: Audi Space Frame). 2000 Production begins on the Audi A2, the first aluminum large-volume production car. 2001 Victory in Le Mans with FSI direct fuel injection, newly developed in Neckarsulm. 2005 The Audi Forum in Neckarsulm opens. 2006 Start of the production of the Audi R8 super sports car; first victory in the 24 hours of Le Mans with a diesel engine developed in Neckarsulm. 2007 The first production turntable is established between the Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm plants with the start of production of the Audi A4 Sedan. 2008 The new Audi toolmaking shop is inaugurated. 2011 Audi acquires a 230,000-square-meter plot at the Böllinger Höfe industrial park in Heilbronn (more plots acquired in 2014 and 2018). 2012 The Technical Center for Fiber-Reinforced Polymers and the new Engine Test Center are inaugurated. 2013 Audi Neckarsulm receives the J.D.
Ken Block and the Audi S1 Hoonitron electrify Las Vegas
Alongside the S1 Hoonitron, the Electrikhana film features brief guest appearances by other models from Audi Tradition, such as the Audi 90 IMSA GTO (1989), the Audi 200 Trans Am (1988), the Audi Sport quattro S1 Pikes Peak (1987), the Audi quattro Gruppe B A2 (1984) as well as the Audi R8 LMP and Audi R18 e-tron quattro from Le Mans. Apropos Le Mans: Tom Kristensen, the record winner of the iconic endurance race with nine triumphs under his belt, makes a brief guest appearance at a red traffic light as well. Link to the Electrikhana video Footage of testing the Audi S1 Hoonitron
Audi Tradition shows legendary cars in Berlin
Audi Tradition is chipping in three legendary cars, a cutaway model, and a wealth of information to the show, thus putting “Vorsprung durch Technik” on display in Germany’s capital – for example, the lightweight design of the Audi A2 or the engineering expertise that inspired the legendary Audi quattro; the rally version of the latter is also on display in Berlin. 120,000 visitors have already seen the exhibition at the Group’s representative office at Friedrichstrasse 84, Berlin. It is still open daily from 10 AM to 7 PM until the end of 2022; admission is free.
The current exhibition shows that the will to change and the courage to renew have always been central components of the DNA of the Volkswagen Group and its brands. Before their visit, interested exhibition-goers can get inspired and get a first impression online at https://drive-volkswagen-group.com/en/exhibition/. A virtual tour is also available online at https://drive-volkswagen-group.com/ausstellung/#virtualtour. “The Golden Twenties”: A hundred years of Vorsprung at Classic Days Berlin Classic Days Berlin brings car history to life: On the weekend of June 18 and 19, Audi Tradition will present gems from AUDI AG’s historic vehicle collection in and in front of Audi City in Berlin on Kurfürstendamm. In keeping with the 2022 motto “The Golden Twenties”, the cars on display along Berlin’s famous boulevard include an Audi R19/100 PS “Imperator” from 1929, a Horch 10/50 PS “Tourer” from 1925, and a Wanderer W11 Landaulet built in 1929.
Ken Block thrilled with the Audi RS Q e-tron
Audi Tradition also brought along the Audi quattro A2 Group B rally car, which competed in the 1983 Rally Finland. In addition, a DKW F 91 and a DKW Hartmann Formula V caused quite a stir. For Ken Block, the weekend trip to Europe was like a visit to automotive paradise. “The laps in the Audi RS Q e-tron were a phenomenal experience – even though the car probably feels more comfortable in the desert than in the snow,” said Ken Block. “Thanks to Mattias Ekström, who patiently explained all the special features of his car to me. A few minutes behind the wheel was enough to understand the fascination of this car.” Mattias Ekström was impressed. “It only took three turns for Ken to get fully up to speed,” said the Swede, who, with ninth place, was the most successful Audi driver in the 2022 Dakar Rally. For Ekström, the event in Austria was also the perfect preparation for his participation in the prestigious “Race of Champions”, which was held in the north of Sweden last weekend. Ekström only had to admit defeat to the eventual winner Sébastien Loeb in the semifinals. In addition to testing the Audi RS Q e-tron, Ken Block also took a little trip down memory lane and drifted around the circuit in the Audi quattro A2. For the American, who was inspired by Audi rally cars as a teenager, this was a personal highlight: “An insane moment that I won’t forget in a hurry.” Soon there will be even more moments like this: With the purely electric Audi S1 e-tron quattro Hoonitron, which Audi developed as a one-off exclusively for Ken Block and which was inspired by the Audi Sport quattro S1, the Hoonigan team is producing a video entitled “Electrikhana” that will be released in the next few months and will be the latest chapter of their “Gymkhana” series. Video: Mattias Ekström and Ken Block in the Audi RS Q e-tron
Powerhouses: five-cylinder engines at Audi
The other eleven rounds of the season were contested by the Swede Stig Blomqvist in the Group B Audi quattro A2 producing 265 kW (360 hp). In the end, he won the drivers’ title and Audi took the manufacturers’ title. Unforgettable: Walter Röhrl on Pikes Peak Even after Audi withdrew from rallying in 1986 there were other racing highlights: in 1987, Walter Röhrl won the Pikes Peak Hill Climb (USA) in the Audi Sport quattro S1 (E2). The racing car developed 440 kW (598 hp). And the IMSA GTO excelled on the US touring car scene in 1989, delivering 530 kW (720 hp) – from little more than two liters of displacement. Audi presented another milestone in automotive history at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt am Main in 1989: the Audi 100 TDI. It was the first production car with a five-cylinder direct-injection turbocharged diesel engine and fully electronic control. The powerplant generated 88 kW (120 hp) from a displacement of 2.5 liters. Audi continued to refine its range of five-cylinder gasoline engines. In 1994, the Audi RS 2 with an output of 232 kW (315 hp) came on to the market. As an Avant with the power of a sports car, it established a new automotive class. 1994 saw the five-cylinder units bow out of the B segment, when the Audi A4 (B5) was introduced. They were gradually replaced in the mid-1990s by the new V6 engines. The last five-cylinder engines, the 2.5 TDI in the Audi A6 and the 2.3 Turbo in the Audi S6, were phased out in 1997. Turbo and direct injection in the TT RS Then in 2009 there was a big comeback – with turbocharging and gasoline direct injection in the Audi TT RS. The transverse-mounted engine developed by quattro GmbH produced 250 kW (340 hp) from a displacement of 2.5 liters. The TT RS plus, which Audi presented in 2012, even reached 265 kW (360 PS). In 2013, the RS Q3 established a new market segment as the first compact SUV. As in the TT RS and RS 3, the engine was a transverse-mounted 2.5 liter five-cylinder.