AUDI AG
Vorsprung durch Technik
Type	Public company subsidiary and marque of Volkswagen Group (FWB Xetra: NSU)
Founded	Zwickau, Germany (1910)
Founder	August Horch
Headquarters	Ingolstadt, Germany
No. Vorsprung durch Technik (ˈfoːɐʃpʁʊŋ dʊɐç ˈtɛçnɪk German for Advancement through Technology, (or head start through technology) A public company usually refers to a company that is permitted to offer its registered securities ( Stock, bonds, etc A marque ( French for "brand" ˈmɑrk is a Brand name especially in the Automobile industry Volkswagen Group, or Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft (German (listed as Volkswagen AG) is a German automobile manufacturing group currently The Frankfurt Stock Exchange ( FWB Frankfurter Wertpapierbörse) is a Stock exchange located in Frankfurt, Germany. Xetra ("E' x' change E lectronic Tra ding" is a worldwide electronic securities trading system based in Frankfurt Zwickau (ˈtsvɪkaʊ̯ Cvikov is a city in Germany, in the Bundesland Sachsen (Saxony situated in a valley at the foot of the Erzgebirge Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Year 1910 ( MCMX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting An entrepreneur is a person who has possession over a company enterprise, or Venture, and assumes significant accountability for the inherent risks and the outcome August Horch ( 12 October, 1868 &ndash 3 February, 1951) was a German Engineer and Automobile Pioneer, the founder Ingolstadt (ˈɪŋgɔlˌʃtat Austro-Bavarian: Inglstådt) is a city in the Free State of Bavaria, Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe.  of locations	production locations: Germany: Ingolstadt & Neckarsulm; Hungary: Győr; Belgium: Brussels; Brazil: Curitiba; China: Changchun
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Rupert Stadler Chairman of the Board of Management, Martin Winterkorn Chairman of the Supervisory Board (VOLKSWAGEN AG)
Industry	Automotive industry
Products	Automobiles, Engines
Revenue	▲ € 33. Ingolstadt (ˈɪŋgɔlˌʃtat Austro-Bavarian: Inglstådt) is a city in the Free State of Bavaria, Germany Neckarsulm is a City in northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany, near Stuttgart, and part of the district Heilbronn. Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic Győr (ˈɟøːr, known under alternative names) is the most important city of northwest Hungary, the capital of Győr-Moson-Sopron county and lies The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Brussels (Bruxelles pronounced; Brussel pronounced) officially the Brussels Capital-Region, is |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Curitiba (pron kuɾi'tibɐ or kuɾi'tʃibɐ is the capital City of the Brazilian state of Paraná. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Changchun ( is the capital and largest city of Jilin province, located in the northeast of the People's Republic of China, in the centre of the Professor Dr Martin Winterkorn (born 24 May 1947 in Leonberg, Germany) is the Chairman of the Volkswagen Group (Volkswagen For other uses of this term see Industry (disambiguation An industry (from Latin industrius, "diligent industrious" The automotive industry is the industry involved in the design development manufacture marketing and sale of Motor vehicles In 2007 more than 73 million motor vehicles In Marketing, a product is anything that can be offered to a Market that might satisfy a want or need The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the Combustion of Fuel and an Oxidizer (typically air occurs in a confined space called a In business revenue or revenues is Income that a company receives from its normal business activities usually from the sale of goods and services Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e 617 billion (2007) [1]
Profit	▲ € 2. Net income is equal to the Income that a firm has after subtracting costs and Expenses from the total Revenue. Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e 915 billion (2007)
Total equity	37. In accounting terms after all liabilities are paid ownership equity is the remaining interest in Assets If valuations placed on assets do not exceed liabilities 0%
Employees	53,347 (2007)
Parent	Volkswagen Group (Volkswagen AG)
Subsidiaries	quattro GmbH, Lamborghini S.p.A., SEAT, S.A., Audi Hungaria Motor Kft
Website	Audi.com

AUDI AG, (Xetra: NSU), commonly known as Audi (pronounced /ˈaʊdi/), is a premium German automobile manufacturer and a performance-luxury marque, with headquarters in Ingolstadt, Bavaria. Employment is a Contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. A holding company is a company that owns part all or a majority of other companies' outstanding Stock. Volkswagen Group, or Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft (German (listed as Volkswagen AG) is a German automobile manufacturing group currently A subsidiary, in business matters is an entity that is controlled by a bigger and more powerful entity quattro GmbH is a wholly owned private subsidiary of the German automobile manufacturer - Audi Automobili Lamborghini SpA, commonly referred to as Lamborghini, is an Italian manufacturer of Sports cars based in the small Italian Village SEAT SA ( English pronunciation:, "say-at" Spanish pronunciation:) is a Spanish automobile A website (alternatively web site or Web site, a back-construction from the Proper noun World Wide Web) is a collection of Web pages Xetra ("E' x' change E lectronic Tra ding" is a worldwide electronic securities trading system based in Frankfurt Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The automotive industry is the industry involved in the design development manufacture marketing and sale of Motor vehicles In 2007 more than 73 million motor vehicles A marque ( French for "brand" ˈmɑrk is a Brand name especially in the Automobile industry Ingolstadt (ˈɪŋgɔlˌʃtat Austro-Bavarian: Inglstådt) is a city in the Free State of Bavaria, Germany Bavaria ( German:, with an area of 70553 Km² (27241 square miles and almost 12 It has been an almost wholly-owned (99. 7%) subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group (Volkswagen AG) since 1964, and is held in ownership by its shareholders – hence the term "Aktiengesellschaft" or "AG". Volkswagen Group, or Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft (German (listed as Volkswagen AG) is a German automobile manufacturing group currently Aktiengesellschaft ('aktsiəngəzεlʃaft abbreviated AG) is a German term that refers to a Corporation that is limited by shares i The company evolved from Volkswagen Group's takeover of both Auto Union, and NSU Motorenwerke AG (NSU), the former having incorporated the historic Audi company which was founded in 1910. Auto Union was an amalgamation of four German Automobile manufacturers established in 1932 in Zwickau, Saxony, during the Great Depression NSU Motorenwerke AG, (normally just NSU) was a German manufacturer of cars and Motorcycles which was founded in 1873

Audi's corporate tagline is Vorsprung durch Technik, meaning "Advancement through Technology". A tagline is a variant of a branding slogan typically used in Marketing materials and Advertising. Vorsprung durch Technik (ˈfoːɐʃpʁʊŋ dʊɐç ˈtɛçnɪk German for Advancement through Technology, (or head start through technology) This German-language tagline is also used in other European countries, including the United Kingdom, and in other markets, such as Latin America, Oceania and parts of Asia including Japan. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. The North American tagline was "Truth in Engineering", but in Canada the German tagline Vorsprung durch Technik is now used in advertising.

Contents 1 The origins of Audi 2 The Auto Union era 2.1 The four-ring logo 3 Pause and a new start 4 The modern era of Audi 5 Models 5.1 Current models 5.2 Discontinued models 5.3 Racing models 5.4 Prototypes and concept cars 5.5 Hybrid vehicles 6 Technology 6.1 Bodyshells 6.2 Drive layout 6.3 Engines 6.4 Luxury competitors 6.5 Audi Space Frame 6.6 A4 6.7 DSG 6.8 S8 6.9 FSI 6.10 First choice 6.11 TSI 6.12 Ambitions 6.13 Hybrid technology 7 Motorsports 7.1 Rallying 7.2 Motorsports in the USA 7.3 Touring cars 7.4 Sports Car racing 8 See also 9 References 10 External links

The origins of Audi

The company traces its origins back to 1899 and August Horch. August Horch ( 12 October, 1868 &ndash 3 February, 1951) was a German Engineer and Automobile Pioneer, the founder The first Horch automobile was produced in 1901 in Zwickau. Horch was the popular name for high-performance luxury motor cars manufactured in Germany by the company August Horch & Cie, at the beginning of the 20th century Zwickau (ˈtsvɪkaʊ̯ Cvikov is a city in Germany, in the Bundesland Sachsen (Saxony situated in a valley at the foot of the Erzgebirge In 1909, Horch was forced out of the company he had founded. He then started a new company in Zwickau and continued using the Horch brand. His former partners sued him for trademark infringement and a German court determined that the Horch brand belonged to his former company. A trademark or trade mark, represented by the symbols ™ and ®, or mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual August Horch was forced to refrain from using his own family name in his new car business. A family name or last name is a type of Surname and part of a person's name indicating the family to which the person belongs Horch immediately called a meeting at the apartment of Franz Fikentscher to come up with a new name for his company. During this meeting Franz's son was quietly studying Latin in a corner of the room. Several times he looked like he was on the verge of saying something but would just swallow his words and continue working, until he finally blurted out, "Father – audiatur et altera pars. Audi alteram partem (or audiatur et altera pars) is a Latin phrase that means literally hear the other side. . . wouldn't it be a good idea to call it audi instead of horch?". "Horch!" in German means "Hark!" or "listen", which is "Audi" in Latin. The idea was enthusiastically accepted by everyone attending the meeting. ^[2] It is sometimes (incorrectly) believed that AUDI is a backronym (a reversed acronym) which stands for "Auto Union Deutschland Ingolstadt". Folk etymology is a term used in two distinct ways A commonly held misunderstanding of the origin of a particular word a False etymology. A backronym (or bacronym) is a Phrase that is constructed "after the fact" from a previously existing word or Abbreviation, the abbreviation Acronyms, initialisms, and alphabetisms are Abbreviations that are formed using the initial components in a phrase or name Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Ingolstadt (ˈɪŋgɔlˌʃtat Austro-Bavarian: Inglstådt) is a city in the Free State of Bavaria, Germany

Audi started with a 2,612 cc (2. A cubic centimetre or cubic centimeter (symbol cm3 —the abbreviation cc, though widely used is deprecated is a commonly used unit of Volume 6 litre) four cylinder model followed by a 3564 cc (3. The straight-4 or inline-4 engine (often abbreviated I4 or L4) is a four cylinder Internal combustion engine with all four cylinders 6 L) model, as well as 4680 cc (4. 7 L) and 5720 cc (5. 7L) models. These cars were successful even in sporting events. August Horch left the Audi company in 1920. The first six cylinder model, 4655 cc (4. The straight-6 or inline-6 engine (often abbreviated I6 or L6) is a six cylinder Internal combustion engine with all six cylinders 7 L) appeared in 1924. In 1928, the company was acquired by Jørgen Rasmussen, owner of DKW. Jørgen Skafte Rasmussen (1878 &ndash 1964 was an engineer and industrialist of Danish origin Dampf Kraft Wagen (steam-driven car or DKW is a historic car and Motorcycle Marque. In the same year, Rasmussen bought the remains of the US automobile manufacturer, Rickenbacker, including the manufacturing equipment for eight cylinder engines. The automotive industry is the industry involved in the design development manufacture marketing and sale of Motor vehicles In 2007 more than 73 million motor vehicles Rickenbacker was a US Automobile manufactured in Detroit, Michigan from 1922 until 1927 These engines were used in Audi Zwickau and Audi Dresden models that were launched in 1929. At the same time, six cylinder and four cylinder (licensed from Peugeot) models were manufactured. For the article about the bicycle manufacturer see Cycles Peugeot. Audi cars of that era were luxurious cars equipped with special bodywork.

The Auto Union era

In 1932, Audi merged with Horch, DKW and Wanderer, to form Auto Union. Horch was the popular name for high-performance luxury motor cars manufactured in Germany by the company August Horch & Cie, at the beginning of the 20th century Dampf Kraft Wagen (steam-driven car or DKW is a historic car and Motorcycle Marque. Wanderer was a German manufacturer of Bicycles, Motorcycles, Automobiles, vans and other Machinery Established Auto Union was an amalgamation of four German Automobile manufacturers established in 1932 in Zwickau, Saxony, during the Great Depression

Before World War II, Auto Union used the four interlinked rings that make up the Audi badge today, representing these four brands. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including This badge was used, however, only on Auto Union racing cars in that period while the member companies used their own names and emblems. The technological development became more and more concentrated and some Audi models were propelled by Horch or Wanderer built engines. During World War II, the Horch/Auto Union produced the Sd-Kfz 222 armored car, which was used in the German army during the war. The Leichter Panzerspähwagen (roughly "Light Armoured Reconnaissance Vehicle" were a series of light 4 x 4 armoured cars produced by Nazi Germany from It was powered by an 81 hp (60 kW) Horch/Auto Union V8 engine which had a top speed of 50 miles per hour. A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the Crankcase in two banks of four cylinders in most cases set at a right angle to each other

Another vehicle which was used in World War II to shuttle German military officials safely was known as the Kraftfahrzeug (KFZ 11) or the Horch Type 80. The military used it as a light transport vehicle.

The four-ring logo

The Audi emblem is four overlapping rings that represent the four marques of Auto Union. A marque ( French for "brand" ˈmɑrk is a Brand name especially in the Automobile industry The Audi emblem symbolizes Audi amalgamation of Audi with DKW, Horch and Wanderer: the first ring represents Audi, the second represents DKW, third is Horch, and the fourth and last ring Wanderer. ^[3]

Pause and a new start

The Auto Union plants were heavily bombed and severely damaged during World War II. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including After the war Zwickau was located in the soviet occupied zone of Germany (Since 1949 German Democratic Republic). The German Democratic Republic ( GDR; Deutsche Demokratische Republik DDR; commonly known in English as East Germany) was a Socialist state The Auto Union AG was broken up. The Audi factory became the socialist company "VEB Automobilwerk Zwickau" (AWZ). The new Auto Union was launched in Ingolstadt (Bavaria). Ingolstadt (ˈɪŋgɔlˌʃtat Austro-Bavarian: Inglstådt) is a city in the Free State of Bavaria, Germany Bavaria ( German:, with an area of 70553 Km² (27241 square miles and almost 12 Many employees of the destroyed factories in Zwickau came to Ingolstadt and restarted the production of cars under the DKW label. These cars were equipped with two stroke engines. They based on a pre-war construction and were also built in Zwickau in a very similar way.

In 1958, Daimler-Benz acquired 87% of Auto Union, and in the next year 100%. F103 is the internal designation for a series of Car models produced by Auto Union in West Germany from 1965 to 1972 derived from the earlier Daimler-Benz AG was a German manufacturer of automobiles motor vehicles and engines which was founded in 1926 In 1964, Volkswagen bought the factory in Ingolstadt and the brands of the Auto Union. The time of two stroke engines came to an end in the middle of the 1960s. Customers were more attracted to the comfortable four stroke engines. In September 1965, the last DKW model, the DKW F102, had a four stroke engine implanted and some changes of front and rear. DKW F102 is a car produced by German manufacturer DKW. It succeeded the Auto Union 1000 and 1000S models in 1963 Volkswagen dumped the brand DKW because of its two stroke smell, "relaunching" the Audi brand. The model was classified internally as the F103 and sold as simply the "Audi" (the name being a model designation rather than the manufacturer, which was still officially Auto Union), but later came to be known as the Audi 72. F103 is the internal designation for a series of Car models produced by Auto Union in West Germany from 1965 to 1972 derived from the earlier Developments of the model were named for their horsepower ratings and sold as the Audi 60, 75, 80, and Super 90. These models sold until 1972.

In 1969, Auto Union merged with NSU, based in Neckarsulm near Stuttgart. NSU Motorenwerke AG, (normally just NSU) was a German manufacturer of cars and Motorcycles which was founded in 1873 Neckarsulm is a City in northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany, near Stuttgart, and part of the district Heilbronn. Stuttgart (ˈʃtʊtgaɐ̯t is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. In the 1950s, NSU had been the world's largest manufacturer of motorcycles, but had moved on to produce small cars like the NSU Prinz (the TT and TTS versions are still popular as vintage race cars). MotorCycle is the title of a 1993 album by Rock band Daniel Amos, released on BAI Records. The NSU Prinz was an Automobile produced in Germany by the NSU Motorenwerke AG. NSU then focused on new rotary engines according to the ideas of Felix Wankel. Felix Heinrich Wankel Hon DEng (August 13 1902 &ndash October 9 1988 was a German Mechanical engineer and the inventor of the Wankel engine. In 1967, the new NSU Ro 80 was a space-age car well ahead of its time in technical details such as aerodynamics, light weight, and safety, but teething problems with the rotary engines put an end to the independence of NSU. The NSU Ro 80 was a technologically advanced large sedan -type Automobile produced by the German firm of NSU from 1967 until 1977 Today the Neckarsulm plant is used to produce the larger Audi models, the R8, and the "RS" model range.

The mid-sized car that NSU had been working on, the K70, was intended to slot between the rear-engined Prinz models and the futuristic NSU Ro 80. The Volkswagen K70 (pronounced as "ka siebzig" in German is a sedan automobile developed by NSU and sold by Volkswagen from 1970 till February The NSU Ro 80 was a technologically advanced large sedan -type Automobile produced by the German firm of NSU from 1967 until 1977 However, Volkswagen took the K70 for its own range, spelling the end of NSU as a separate brand.

The modern era of Audi

The new merged company was known as Audi NSU Auto Union AG, and saw the emergence of Audi as a separate brand for the first time since the pre-war era. Volkswagen introduced the Audi brand to the United States for the 1970 model year.

The first new car of this regime was the Audi 100 of 1968. The Audi 100 is a Mid-sized Automobile from Audi (part of the Volkswagen Group) made between 1968 and 1994 This was soon joined by the Audi 80/Fox (which formed the basis for the 1973 Volkswagen Passat) in 1972 and the Audi 50 (later rebadged as the Volkswagen Polo) in 1974. The Audi 80 is a Compact executive car produced by the German car manufacturer Audi, from 1966 to 1996 The Volkswagen Passat is a Family car built by Volkswagen through six design generations since 1973 The Audi 50 (known internally as the Typ 86 is a supermini produced by German automaker Audi from 1974 to 1978 and sold only in Europe The Volkswagen Polo is a Supermini car manufactured by Volkswagen. The Audi 50 was a seminal design in many ways, because it was the first incarnation of the Golf/Polo concept, one that led to a hugely successful world car. The Volkswagen Golf or VW Golf ( Mk1 and Mk5 badged as Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States and Canada, Mk1 badged as Volkswagen

The Audi image at this time was a conservative one, and so, a proposal from chassis engineer Jörg Bensinger^[4] was accepted to develop the four-wheel drive technology in Volkswagen's Iltis military vehicle for an Audi performance car and rally racing car. The Audi Quattro is a notable road and rally car, produced by the German automobile manufacturer Audi, part of the then Volkswagen Group Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4x4 ("four by four" is a four-wheeled Vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four Wheels to The Volkswagen Type 183, more commonly known as the Iltis (German for the European Polecat) is a military vehicle built by Volkswagen for use by the Rallying is a form of motor competition that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars The performance car, introduced in 1980, was named the "Audi Quattro," a turbocharged coupé which was also the first German large-scale production vehicle to feature permanent all-wheel drive through a center differential (not counting the earlier British Jensen FF, produced in small numbers). The Audi Quattro is a notable road and rally car, produced by the German automobile manufacturer Audi, part of the then Volkswagen Group A turbocharger, or turbo, is an air Compressor used for forced-induction of an Internal combustion engine. Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4x4 ("four by four" is a four-wheeled Vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four Wheels to The Jensen FF was a Four-wheel drive (4WD Grand Tourer (GT car produced by the British manufacturer Jensen Motors between 1966 and Commonly referred to as the "Ur-Quattro" (the "Ur-" prefix is a German augmentative used, in this case, to mean "original" and is also applied to the first generation of Audi's S4 and S6 sport sedans, as in "UrS4" and "UrS6"), few of these vehicles were produced (all hand-built by a single team) but the model was a great success in rallying. Ur ( Sumerian:urim; Akkadian: ?) is modern Tell el-Mukayyar, Iraq, and was a city in ancient Sumer. An augmentative is a suffix or prefix added to a Noun in order to convey the sense of greater intensity often though not primarily indicating a larger The Audi S4 is a high performance sport version of the Audi A4 range of cars. The Audi S6 is a high-performance version of the Audi A6, an Executive car produced by German automaker Audi. Prominent wins proved the viability of all-wheel drive racecars, and the Audi name became associated with advances in automotive technology.

In 1985, with the Auto Union and NSU brands effectively dead, the company's official name was now shortened to simply Audi AG.

In 1986, as the Passat-based Audi 80 was beginning to develop a kind of "grandfather's car" image, the type 89 was introduced. The Audi 80 is a Compact executive car produced by the German car manufacturer Audi, from 1966 to 1996 This completely new development sold extremely well. However, its modern and dynamic exterior belied the low performance of its base engine, and its base package was quite spartan (even the passenger-side mirror was an option. ) In 1987, Audi put forward a new and very elegant Audi 90, which had a much superior set of standard features. The Audi 80 is a Compact executive car produced by the German car manufacturer Audi, from 1966 to 1996 In the early 1990s, sales began to slump for the Audi 80 series, and some basic construction problems started to surface.

This decline in sales was not helped in the USA by a 60 Minutes report which purported to show that Audi automobiles suffered from "unintended acceleration". The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Not to be confused with the BBC news magazine program Sixty Minutes (TV series. The 60 Minutes report was based on customer reports of acceleration when the brake pedal was pushed. Independent investigators concluded that this was most likely due to a close placement of the accelerator and brake pedals (unlike American cars), and the inability, when not paying attention, to distinguish between the two. (In race cars, when manually downshifting under heavy braking, the accelerator has to be used in order to match revs properly, so both pedals have to be close to each other to be operated by the right foot at once, toes on the brake, heel on the accelerator; a driving technique called heel-and-toe). Heel-and-toe is a driving technique used mostly in performance driving although some drivers use it on the road in everyday conditions in the interests of effectiveness This did not become an issue in Europe, possibly due to more widespread experience among European drivers with manual transmissions.

60 Minutes allegedly ignored this fact, and some claim rigged a car to perform in an uncontrolled manner. The report immediately crushed Audi sales, and Audi renamed the affected model (The 5000 became the 100/200 in 1989, as it was elsewhere). Audi had contemplated withdrawing from the American market until sales began to recover in the mid-1990s. The turning point for Audi was the sale of the new A4 in 1996, and with the release of the A4/A6/A8 series, which was developed together with VW and other sister brands (so called "platforms"). The Audi A4 is a Compact executive car produced by the German automaker Audi since 1994 The Audi A6 is an Executive car produced by the German Automaker Audi. The Audi A8 is a Full-size luxury Executive car built by the German automaker Audi, to replace the Audi V8

In the early part of the 21st century, Audi set forth on a German racetrack to claim and maintain several World Records, such as Top Speed Endurance. This effort was in-line with the company's heritage from the 1930s racing era "Silver Arrows". Silver Arrows (in German Silberpfeile) was the name given by the press to Germany's dominant Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union Grand Prix motor racing

Currently, Audi's sales are growing strongly in Europe. The Audi R8 is a mid-engined Sports car introduced by the German automaker Audi in 2007 priced at 113150 2004 marked the 11th straight increase in sales, selling 779,441 vehicles worldwide. Record figures were recorded from 21 out of about 50 major sales markets. The largest sales increases came from Eastern Europe (+19. Eastern Europe is a general term that refers to the Geopolitical region encompassing the easternmost part of the European continent. 3%), Africa (+17. 2%) and the Middle East (+58. The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. 5%). In March of 2005, Audi is building its first two dealerships in India following its high increase in sales in the region. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country

Their 2007 worldwide sales have been released as 964,151 vehicles sold, yet another record for the brand. It is predicted that in 2008, they will pass the 1 million unit mark.

Audi has recently started offering a computerised control system for its cars called Multi Media Interface (MMI). The Audi Multi Media Interface, commonly abbreviated to MMI, is an in-car User interface system developed by Audi, and implemented in most of its latest This comes amid criticism of BMW's iDrive control, essentially a rotating control knob designed to control radio, satellite navigation, TV, heating and car controls with a screen. iDrive is a Computer -like system which is used to control most secondary vehicle systems in many current BMW cars iDrive's User interface consists MMI was widely reported to be a considerable improvement on BMW's iDrive, although BMW has since made their iDrive more user-friendly.

MMI has been generally well-received, as it requires less menu-surfing with its mass of buttons around a central knob, with shortcuts to the radio or phone functions. The screen, either colour or monochrome, is mounted on the upright dashboard, and on the A4 (new), A5, A6, A8, and Q7, the controls are mounted horizontally. The Audi Q7 is a Full-size luxury sport utility vehicle (SUV produced by German automaker Audi However, an "MMI-like" system is also available on the Audi A3 and A4 models when equipped with the optional Audi Navigation System Plus (RNS-E). The Audi A3 is an Entry-level luxury car / Small family car

Models

Current models A3 S3 A4 S4 RS4 Cabriolet A5 S5 A6 S6 RS6 A8 S8 TT R8 A6 allroad quattro Q7

Discontinued models 50 Audi and Audi 60/72/75/80/Super 90 80/90/4000/Coupé/Cabriolet 100/200/5000 A2 Quattro RS2 S2 UrS4/UrS6 V8 RS4 saloon and Avant

Racing models Sport Quattro Audi R8 (race car) R10 TDI LMP1 (current model) Sport

Prototypes and concept cars A1 A7 Cross Cabriolet quattro Concept Avantissimo Avus quattro Le Mans quattro Nuvolari quattro Pikes Peak quattro Q3 Q5 R4 Roadjet Rosemeyer RSQ Shooting Brake Audi R-Zero

Hybrid vehicles Main article: Audi hybrid vehicles

Technology

Bodyshells

Audi produces 100% galvanized cars to prevent corrosion, and was the first mass-market vehicle to do so, following introduction of the process by Porsche, c. The Audi A3 is an Entry-level luxury car / Small family car The Audi S3 is a Hot hatch version of the luxury Audi A3 Small family car, produced by German automaker Audi since 1999 The Audi A4 is a Compact executive car produced by the German automaker Audi since 1994 The Audi S4 is a high performance sport version of the Audi A4 range of cars. The Audi RS4 quattro is the top Tier and fastest performing version of the Audi A4 range (above the Audi S4) of cars. The Audi A5 is a luxury Coupé produced by the German automobile manufacturer Audi. The Audi A5 is a luxury Coupé produced by the German automobile manufacturer Audi. The Audi A6 is an Executive car produced by the German Automaker Audi. The Audi S6 is a high-performance version of the Audi A6, an Executive car produced by German automaker Audi. The Audi RS6 quattro, commonly referred to as the RS6, is the highest performing version and top-of-the-line specification of the Audi A6 (positioned above the The Audi A8 is a Full-size luxury Executive car built by the German automaker Audi, to replace the Audi V8 The Audi S8 quattro is a high-performance version of the German automaker Audi 's flagship vehicle, the Audi A8. The Audi TT is a Sports car manufactured by Audi since 1998 in Győr, Hungary, now in its second generation &mdash and available as a 2+2 The Audi R8 is a mid-engined Sports car introduced by the German automaker Audi in 2007 priced at 113150 The Audi allroad quattro is a Mid-size Executive car; an estate car/station wagon, produced by German automaker Audi since 2000 The Audi Q7 is a Full-size luxury sport utility vehicle (SUV produced by German automaker Audi The Audi 50 (known internally as the Typ 86 is a supermini produced by German automaker Audi from 1974 to 1978 and sold only in Europe F103 is the internal designation for a series of Car models produced by Auto Union in West Germany from 1965 to 1972 derived from the earlier The Audi 80 is a Compact executive car produced by the German car manufacturer Audi, from 1966 to 1996 The Audi 100 is a Mid-sized Automobile from Audi (part of the Volkswagen Group) made between 1968 and 1994 The Audi A2 is a premium supermini produced by the German Automaker Audi from 1999 to 2005 The Audi Quattro is a notable road and rally car, produced by the German automobile manufacturer Audi, part of the then Volkswagen Group The Audi RS2 Avant was a limited edition high performance Audi estate car / station wagon, sold from 1994 to 1996. The Audi 80 is a Compact executive car produced by the German car manufacturer Audi, from 1966 to 1996 The Audi Ur-S4, and Audi Ur-S6 were the original models of the Audi S4 and S6 automobiles The Audi V8 is a large luxury saloon/sedan built by Audi AG of Germany from 1988 to 1994 as the company's range-topping model and was the first Audi The Audi RS4 quattro is the top Tier and fastest performing version of the Audi A4 range (above the Audi S4) of cars. The Audi Quattro is a notable road and rally car, produced by the German automobile manufacturer Audi, part of the then Volkswagen Group The Audi R8 is a sports-prototype race car introduced in 2000 for Sports car racing as a redevelopment of their Audi R8R (open top LMP) and The Audi R10 TDI, usually abbreviated to R10, is a racing car from the German car manufacturer Audi. The Audi A1 is a supermini -class car expected to be launched by Audi in March 2010 The Audi A7 is a mid-size Coupé expected to be released by Audi in 2010. The Audi Avantissimo was a Concept car by the German automobile manufacturer Audi. The Audi Avus quattro was a " Supercar -styled" Concept car from the German car manufacturer Audi. The Audi Le Mans quattro was a Sports car styled Concept car, developed by Audi, for presentation at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show, as a The Audi Nuvolari quattro (also known as the Audi Nuvolari) was a Concept car created by German automobile maker Audi. The Audi Pikes Peak quattro was a Sport utility vehicle Concept car. The Audi Q3 is an Automobile manufactured by Audi AG of Germany that is expected to debut commercially in 2010 The Audi Q5 is a compact crossover SUV to be released by German automaker Audi for the 2009 model year The Audi R4 is a small Sports car speculated to be made by Audi sometime in the near future The Audi Roadjet is a Concept car developed by the German manufacturer Audi, and was officially unveiled at the 2006 North American International The Rosemeyer is a Concept car built and shown initally at Autostadt by Audi during 2000 and at various auto shows throughout Europe. The Audi RSQ is a Mid-engined Concept car developed by Audi AG for use as a Product placement in the 2004 Sci-fi movie The Audi Shooting Brake is a Concept car developed by the German manufacturer Audi and officially unveiled at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show. Audi hybrid vehicles are Hybrid vehicles created by the German carmaker Audi. Corrosion means the breaking down of essential properties in a material due to Chemical reactions with its surroundings Porsche SE or Porsche ( German, ˈpɔɹʃə is a German manufacturer of automobiles which is majority-owned by the Porsche and Piëch 1978. Along with other precautionary measures, the thus achieved full-body zinc coating has proved to be very effective in preventing rust and corrosion perforation. Zinc (ˈzɪŋk from Zink is a Metallic Chemical element with the symbol Zn and Atomic number 30 The body's resulting durability even surpassed Audi's own expectations, causing the manufacturer to extend its original 10-year warranty against corrosion perforation to currently 12 years. In commercial and consumer transactions a warranty is an Obligation or guarantee that an article or service sold is as factually stated or legally

An all-aluminium car was brought forward by Audi, and in 1994 the Audi A8 was launched, which introduced aluminum space frame technology (called Audi Space Frame). WikipediaNaming The Audi A8 is a Full-size luxury Executive car built by the German automaker Audi, to replace the Audi V8 A space frame or space structure is a Truss -like lightweight rigid structure constructed from interlocking struts in a geometric Pattern. Audi introduced a new series of vehicles in the mid-nineties and continues to pursue leading-edge technology and high performance. Prior to that effort, Audi used examples of the Type 44 chassis fabricated out of aluminum as test-beds for the technique. At one time, a copy of this body was fitted with a turbine engine, gaining a World record for mpg in a full-sized car, approximately 200mpg.

Drive layout

In all its post Volkswagen-era models, Audi has firmly refused to adopt the traditional rear-wheel drive layout favoured by its two arch rivals Mercedes-Benz and BMW, favouring either front-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of luxury Automobiles Buses coaches and Trucks It is currently a division of the ( BMW) (Bavarian Motor Works is an independent German automobile manufacturer founded in 1916 Front-wheel drive (or FF layout) is a form of engine / transmission layout used in Motor vehicles where the engine drives the front Wheels Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4x4 ("four by four" is a four-wheeled Vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four Wheels to To achieve this, Audi has usually engineered its cars with a longitudinally front mounted engine, in an "overhung" position, over the front wheels – in front of the axle line. In Automotive engineering, a longitudinal engine, also sometimes known as a north-south engine, is an Internal combustion engine in which the Crankshaft A front-mounted engine describes the placement of an Automobile engine in front of the vehicle passenger compartment While this allows for equal length driveshafts (therefore combatting torque steer), and the easy adoption of four-wheel drive, it goes against the ideal 50:50 weight distribution (as do all front wheel drive cars). Torque steering is the influence of the engine torque on the Steering for some Front-wheel drive vehicles For this reason, most still believe that BMW has the edge over Audi in terms of dynamic prowess, although this is addressed with the launch A5 coupe in 2007, and the B8 A4 range, which will feature the engine mounted behind the front wheels. The Audi A5 is a luxury Coupé produced by the German automobile manufacturer Audi.

In the 1970s, two vehicle manufacturers Audi and Subaru designed their own four-wheel drive (4WD) systems in passenger vehicles. is the automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries Co Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4x4 ("four by four" is a four-wheeled Vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four Wheels to In the 1980s, 4WD systems in cars became a fad, and other German manufacturers like Porsche, BMW and Mercedes-Benz offered 4WD systems in their cars to compete in the marketplace, along with GM, Ford, Toyota and others. Porsche SE or Porsche ( German, ˈpɔɹʃə is a German manufacturer of automobiles which is majority-owned by the Porsche and Piëch ( BMW) (Bavarian Motor Works is an independent German automobile manufacturer founded in 1916 Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of luxury Automobiles Buses coaches and Trucks It is currently a division of the General Motors Corporation ( GM) ( is a multinational automobile manufacturer founded in 1908 and headquartered in the United States. Ford Motor Company is an American Multinational corporation and the world's fourth largest automaker based on Worldwide vehicle sales, following (pronounced) is a Multinational corporation headquartered in Japan, and is currently the world's largest Automaker. The 4WD system in the Mercedes-Benz vehicles were riddled with problems right from the design sheet. The system also was not popular in Porsche vehicles because owners wanted the traditional performance of the rear-wheel drive they were used to in older Porsches. Although Porsche and Mercedes-Benz offer 4WD systems in some cars and trucks today, neither manufacturer is as well-known for 4WD technology as is Audi. Audi has recently applied the quattro badge to models such as the A3 and TT which do not actually use the Torsen-based system as in prior years, with a mechanical center differential, but with the Swedish Haldex electromechanical clutch AWD system. quattro (meaning four in Italian) is the name used by Audi AG to indicate Torsen, (full name Torsen traction) is an Automotive part a Limited slip differential.

Engines

In the 1980s, Audi was the champion of the inline 5 cylinder, 2.1/2.2 L engine as a longer lasting alternative to more traditional 6 cylinder engines. The straight-5 or inline-5 is an Internal combustion engine with five cylinders aligned in one row sharing a single Engine block and Crankcase Engine displacement is defined as the total Volume of air/fuel mixture an Engine can draw in during one complete engine cycle it is normally stated in Cubic This engine was used not only in production cars but also in their race cars. The 2. 1L inline 5 cylinder engine was used as a base for the rally cars in the 1980s, providing well over 400 horsepower (298 kW) after modification. Rallying is a form of motor competition that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars Before 1990, there were engines produced with a displacement between 2. 0L and 2. 3L. This range of engine capacity was a good combination of good fuel economy (which was on the mind of every motorist in the 1980s) and, of course, a good amount of power.

Luxury competitors

Through the early 1990s, Audi began to move more towards the position of being a real competitor in its target market against global luxury leaders Mercedes-Benz and BMW. This began with the release of the Audi V8 in 1990. The Audi V8 is a large luxury saloon/sedan built by Audi AG of Germany from 1988 to 1994 as the company's range-topping model and was the first Audi It was essentially a new engine fitted to the Audi 100/200, but with noticeable bodywork differences. Most obvious was the new grille that was now incorporated in the bonnet.

By 1991, Audi had the 4 cylinder Audi 80, the 5 cylinder Audi 90 and Audi 100, the turbocharged Audi 200 and the Audi V8. The Audi 80 is a Compact executive car produced by the German car manufacturer Audi, from 1966 to 1996 The Audi 80 is a Compact executive car produced by the German car manufacturer Audi, from 1966 to 1996 The Audi 100 is a Mid-sized Automobile from Audi (part of the Volkswagen Group) made between 1968 and 1994 The Audi 100 is a Mid-sized Automobile from Audi (part of the Volkswagen Group) made between 1968 and 1994 There was also a coupe version of the 80/90 with both 4 and 5 cylinder engines.

Although the five cylinder engine was a successful and very robust powerplant, it was still a little too different for the target market. With the introduction of an all-new Audi 100 in 1992, Audi introduced a 2. 8L V6 engine. A V6 engine is a V engine with six cylinders mounted on the Crankcase in two banks of three cylinders This engine was also fitted to a face-lifted Audi 80 (all 80 and 90 models were now badged 80 except for the USA), giving this model a choice of 4, 5 and 6 cylinder engines, in saloon/sedan, coupé and Cabriolet body styles. A cabriolet is a light two-wheeled Carriage drawn by a single horse with a folding hood seating two people facing forward one of whom is the driver

The 5 cylinder was soon dropped as a major engine choice; however, a turbocharged 230 hp (169 kW) version remained. A turbocharger, or turbo, is an air Compressor used for forced-induction of an Internal combustion engine. The engine, initially fitted to the 200 quattro 20V of 1991, was a derivative of the engine fitted to the Sport Quattro. The Audi Quattro is a notable road and rally car, produced by the German automobile manufacturer Audi, part of the then Volkswagen Group It was fitted to the Audi Coupé, and named the S2 and also to the Audi 100 body, and named the S4. The Audi 80 is a Compact executive car produced by the German car manufacturer Audi, from 1966 to 1996 The Audi 80 is a Compact executive car produced by the German car manufacturer Audi, from 1966 to 1996 The Audi S4 is a high performance sport version of the Audi A4 range of cars. These two models were the beginning of the mass-produced S series of performance cars. Audi "S" and "RS" models are a range of high performance orientated cars, of certain Audi model ranges from the luxury prestige

Audi Space Frame

The Audi A8 replaced the V8 in 1994, with a revolutionary aluminium space frame, known as the "Audi Space Frame" (ASF), to save weight. The Audi A8 is a Full-size luxury Executive car built by the German automaker Audi, to replace the Audi V8 The Audi V8 is a large luxury saloon/sedan built by Audi AG of Germany from 1988 to 1994 as the company's range-topping model and was the first Audi A space frame or space structure is a Truss -like lightweight rigid structure constructed from interlocking struts in a geometric Pattern. The weight reduction was offset by the quattro four-wheel drive system. quattro (meaning four in Italian) is the name used by Audi AG to indicate Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4x4 ("four by four" is a four-wheeled Vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four Wheels to It meant the car had similar performance to its rivals, but superior roadholding.

A4

The next major model change was in 1995 when the Audi A4 replaced the Audi 80. The Audi A4 is a Compact executive car produced by the German automaker Audi since 1994 The Audi 80 is a Compact executive car produced by the German car manufacturer Audi, from 1966 to 1996 The new nomenclature scheme was applied to the Audi 100 to become the Audi A6 (with a minor facelift). The Audi A6 is an Executive car produced by the German Automaker Audi. This also meant the S4 became the S6 and a new S4 was introduced in the A4 body. The Audi S6 is a high-performance version of the Audi A6, an Executive car produced by German automaker Audi. The S2 was discontinued. The Audi Cabriolet continued on (based on the Audi 80 platform) until 1999, gaining the engine upgrades along the way. The Audi 80 is a Compact executive car produced by the German car manufacturer Audi, from 1966 to 1996 A new A3 hatchback model (sharing the Volkswagen Golf Mk4's platform) was introduced to the range in 1996, and the radical Audi TT coupé and roadster were debuted in 1998 based on the same underpinnings. The Audi A3 is an Entry-level luxury car / Small family car Hatchback is a term designating an Automobile design containing a passenger cabin with an integrated Cargo space accessed from behind the vehicle by a single Launched in 1997 the Volkswagen Golf Mk4 (or VW Typ 1J) became the biggest selling car in Europe at one point The Audi TT is a Sports car manufactured by Audi since 1998 in Győr, Hungary, now in its second generation &mdash and available as a 2+2 A roadster, also known as a spyder or spider, is a two-seater car traditionally without a roof (or with a detachable roof and no side or rear windows Another interesting model introduced was the Mercedes-Benz A-Class competitor, the Audi A2. The Mercedes-Benz A-Class is a Subcompact car produced by the German Automaker Mercedes-Benz. The Audi A2 is a premium supermini produced by the German Automaker Audi from 1999 to 2005 The model sold relatively well in Europe, however, the A2 was discontinued in 2005 and Audi decided not to develop an immediate replacement.

The engines available throughout the range were now a 1. 4L, 1. 6L and 1. 8L 4 cylinder, 1. 8L 4-cylinder turbo, 2. 6L and 2. 8L V6, 2. A V6 engine is a V engine with six cylinders mounted on the Crankcase in two banks of three cylinders 2L turbo-charged 5 cylinder and the 4. 2L V8 engine. A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the Crankcase in two banks of four cylinders in most cases set at a right angle to each other The V6s were replaced by new 2. 4L and 2. 8L 30V V6s in 1998, with marked improvement in power, torque and smoothness. Further engines were added along the way, including a 3. 7L V8 and 6. 0L W12 engine for the A8. A W12 engine is a twelve cylinder piston engine in a W configuration.

DSG

At the turn of the century, Audi introduced the Direct-Shift Gearbox, or DSG, an automated manual transmission, drivable like a conventional automatic transmission. The Direct-Shift Gearbox (German DirektSchaltGetriebe) or DSG, is an electronically controlled twin-shaft dual-clutch Manual gearbox, without A manual transmission (also known as a stick shift or just 'stick' 'straight drive' or standard transmission) is a type of transmission used in An automatic transmission (commonly "AT" or "Auto" is an Automobile Gearbox that can change Gear ratios automatically as the vehicle The system includes dual electrohydraulically controlled clutches instead of a torque converter. A clutch is a mechanism for transmitting rotation which can be engaged and disengaged A torque converter is a modified form of Fluid coupling that is used to transfer rotating power from a prime mover, such as an Internal combustion engine This is implemented in some VW Golfs, Audi A3 and TT models. The Volkswagen Golf or VW Golf ( Mk1 and Mk5 badged as Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States and Canada, Mk1 badged as Volkswagen The Audi A3 is an Entry-level luxury car / Small family car The Audi TT is a Sports car manufactured by Audi since 1998 in Győr, Hungary, now in its second generation &mdash and available as a 2+2 The engine range was continually upgraded, with a 2. 7L twin-turbo V6 being offered in the Audi S4, A6 and allroad quattro, while the 2. The Audi S4 is a high performance sport version of the Audi A4 range of cars. The Audi A6 is an Executive car produced by the German Automaker Audi. The Audi allroad quattro is a Mid-size Executive car; an estate car/station wagon, produced by German automaker Audi since 2000 8L V6 was replaced by a 3. 0L unit.

S8

In 2001, Audi released a high performance version of the A8, dubbed Audi S8. The Audi S8 quattro is a high-performance version of the German automaker Audi 's flagship vehicle, the Audi A8. It featured a 360 hp (268 kW) 4. 2L V8 with 317 torque.

FSI

New models of the A3, A4, A6 and A8 have been introduced, with the aging 1. 8 litre engine now having been replaced by new Fuel Stratified Injection (FSI) engines. Gasoline direct injection is a latest variant of Fuel injection employed in modern two- and four- stroke Petrol engines The petrol/gasoline Nearly every petrol engined model in the range now incorporates this fuel-saving technology, including the following:

Petrol engines:

• 1. 6 litre 4 cylinder 115 bhp (86 kW)
• 2. 0 litre 4 cylinder 150 bhp (Slowly being phased out in order to make way for TSI engines – see section below)
• 2. 0 litre 4 cylinder 200 bhp (150 kW)
• 2. 0 litre 4 cylinder 220 bhp (164 kW)
• 3. 2 litre V6 250-260 bhp
• 4. 2 litre V8 350 bhp (261 kW)
• 4. 2 litre V8 414 bhp (309 kW)
• 5. 0 litre biturbo V12 573 bhp (427 kW)
• 5. 2 litre V10 450 bhp (336 kW).

Other engines on sale and featuring in products of the Audi brand include:

• 1. 6 litre 4 cylinder 102 bhp (76 kW)
• 1. 9 litre TDI 105 bhp (78 kW)
• 2. 0 litre TDI 140 bhp (104 kW)
• 2. 0 litre TDI 170 bhp (127 kW)
• 2. 7 litre TDI 180 bhp (134 kW)
• 3. 0 litre TDI 233 bhp (174 kW)
• 4. 2 litre TDI 326 bhp (243 kW)

All TDI models are diesels.

First choice

As a premium member of the Volkswagen Group, technologies are frequently first introduced to the mass market in Audi vehicles, before being 'trickled down' to more value oriented brands such as Volkswagen, SEAT and Škoda. Volkswagen Group, or Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft (German (listed as Volkswagen AG) is a German automobile manufacturing group currently SEAT SA ( English pronunciation:, "say-at" Spanish pronunciation:) is a Spanish automobile Škoda Auto ( is an automobile manufacturer in the Czech Republic. Recent examples of this include a number of the FSI engines mentioned above, as well as the quick-shifting DSG dual-clutch gearbox option. The Direct-Shift Gearbox (German DirektSchaltGetriebe) or DSG, is an electronically controlled twin-shaft dual-clutch Manual gearbox, without

TSI

Twincharger (TSI®) technology was introduced to the Volkswagen Golf Mk5 early in 2006. Twincharger refers to a Forced induction system used on some piston-type Internal combustion engines It is a combination of an exhaust-driven Turbocharger The fifth generation Volkswagen Golf Mk5 (VW Typ 1K) built on the Volkswagen Group A5 (PQ35 platform was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in These engines use, initially at least, a capacity of 1. 4 litres combined with both a turbocharger and supercharger to produce a high power output, with lower levels of carbon dioxide emissions, and improved fuel economy, when compared with a non-turbo or non-super-charged engine of a high capacity, such as 2. A turbocharger, or turbo, is an air Compressor used for forced-induction of an Internal combustion engine. A supercharger is an air compressor used for Forced induction of an Internal combustion engine. Carbon dioxide ( Chemical formula:) is a Chemical compound composed of two Oxygen Atoms covalently bonded to a single Fuel economy in automobiles is the amount of Fuel required to move the Automobile over a given Distance. 0 litres. The 1. 4 litre TSI engine currently on sale in VW's Golf produces outputs of 140 and 170 bhp (127 kW). These engines have proved popular amongst the motoring press and public in Britain, and could soon be filtered into the Audi range, with a possibility of featuring in the A3 and A4 models, as well as maybe featuring in SEAT and Škoda's model ranges sometime soon. SEAT SA ( English pronunciation:, "say-at" Spanish pronunciation:) is a Spanish automobile Škoda Auto ( is an automobile manufacturer in the Czech Republic.

Ambitions

Audi has publicly set a goal to surpass BMW, and the luxury and safety leaders Mercedes-Benz in global sales by 2015 and have made giant strides to the achievement of this goal since. ( BMW) (Bavarian Motor Works is an independent German automobile manufacturer founded in 1916 Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of luxury Automobiles Buses coaches and Trucks It is currently a division of the

Hybrid technology

Audi is planning an alliance with the Japanese electronic giant Sanyo to develop a pilot hybrid project for the Volkswagen Group. () is a major Japanese electronics company and member of the Fortune 500 whose headquarters is located in Moriguchi, Osaka prefecture, Japan The alliance could result in Sanyo batteries and other electronic components being used in future models of the Volkswagen group. ^[5]

Motorsports

Audi has competed in numerous forms of auto racing. Auto racing (also known as automobile racing, motor racing or car racing) is a Motorsport involving Racing Cars It Audi's rich tradition in motorsport began with the Auto Union in the 1930s. Auto Union was an amalgamation of four German Automobile manufacturers established in 1932 in Zwickau, Saxony, during the Great Depression In the 1990s Audi dominated the Touring and Super Touring categories of motor racing after success in circuit racing Stateside.

Rallying

In 1980 Audi released the Quattro, a four-wheel drive turbocharged car that went on to win rallies and races worldwide. The Audi Quattro is a notable road and rally car, produced by the German automobile manufacturer Audi, part of the then Volkswagen Group The Audi Quattro is a notable road and rally car, produced by the German automobile manufacturer Audi, part of the then Volkswagen Group Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4x4 ("four by four" is a four-wheeled Vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four Wheels to Rallying is a form of motor competition that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars It is considered one of the most significant rally cars of all time because it was one of the first to take advantage of the then-recently changed rules which allowed the use of four-wheel drive in competition racing. Many critics doubted the viability of four-wheel drive racers, thinking them to be too heavy and complex, yet the Quattro was to become a successful car. Leading its first rally it went off the road, however the rally world had been served notice 4WD was the future. It won competition after competition for the next two years.

In 1984, Audi launched the short-wheelbase Sport Quattro car which dominated races in Monte Carlo and Sweden with Audi taking all podium finishes but succumbed to problems further into World Rally Championship contention. The Audi Quattro is a notable road and rally car, produced by the German automobile manufacturer Audi, part of the then Volkswagen Group Monte-Carlo ( Occitan: Montcarles, Monégasque: Monte-Carlu) is one of Monaco 's various administrative areas sometimes erroneously "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. History Early The World Rally Championship was formed from well-known international rallies nine of which were previously part of the International Championship After another season mired in mediocre finishes, Walter Röhrl finished the season in his Sport Quattro S1, and helped place Audi second in the manufacturer's points. Walter Röhrl (born March 7 1947 in Regensburg) is a German rally and auto racing driver with victories for Fiat, The Audi Quattro is a notable road and rally car, produced by the German automobile manufacturer Audi, part of the then Volkswagen Group Audi also received rally honors in the Hong Kong to Beijing rally in that same year. Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders Michèle Mouton, the first female WRC driver to win a round of the World Rally Championship and a driver for Audi, took the Sport Quattro S1, now simply called the "S1", and raced in the Pikes Peak Hill Climb. Michèle Mouton (born 23 June 1951 in Grasse) is a former French rally driver Pikes Peak (originally Pike's Peak, see below) is a Mountain in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, west of Colorado Springs The climb race pits a driver and car to drive up a 4,302 meter high mountain in Colorado and in 1985, Michèle Mouton set a new record of 11:25. The State of Colorado ( or chiefly by nonresidents) is a state located in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States of America. 39 and being the first woman to set a Pikes Peak record. In 1986, Audi formally left international rally racing following an accident in Portugal involving driver Joaquim Santos in his Ford RS200. Santos swerved to avoid hitting spectators in the road, and left the track into the crowd of spectators on the side, killing three and injuring 30. Bobby Unser used an Audi in that same year to claim a new record for the Pikes Peak Hill Climb at 11:09. Robert William "Bobby" Unser (born February 20, 1934 in Colorado Springs Colorado) is a retired U 22.

Motorsports in the USA

In 1987, Walter Röhrl claimed the title for Audi setting a new Pikes Peak record of 10:47. Pikes Peak (originally Pike's Peak, see below) is a Mountain in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, west of Colorado Springs 85 in his Audi S1 which he retired from the WRC two years earlier. The Audi S1 employed Audi's time-tested 5-cylinder turbo charged engine and generated over 600 hp (447 kW). The engine was mated to a 6-speed gearbox and ran on Audi's famous all-wheel drive system. All of Audi's top drivers drove this beast, Hannu Mikkola, Stig Blomqvist, Walter Röhrl and the female driver, Michèle Mouton. The Audi S1 enjoys a 0-60 mph (0-100 km/h) time of 2. 3 s. This Audi S1 started the S-series of cars for Audi which now represents an increased level of sports options and quality in the Audi line-up.

As Audi moved away from rallying and into circuit racing, they chose to move first into America with the Trans-Am in 1988. The Trans-Am Series was created in 1966 by the SCCA as the Trans-American Sedan Championship.

In 1989, Audi moved to IMSA GTO with the 90, however as they avoided the two major endurance events (Daytona and Sebring) despite winning on a regular basis, they would lose out on the title. The International Motor Sports Association (generally referred to as IMSA) is an American Auto racing sanctioning body based in Braselton Georgia IMSA GT was a Sports car racing series organized by International Motor Sports Association. The Audi 80 is a Compact executive car produced by the German car manufacturer Audi, from 1966 to 1996

Touring cars

In 1990, having completed their objective to market cars in the United States, Audi returned to Europe turning first to the DTM series with the Audi V8, then in 1993, being unwilling to build cars for the new formula, they turned their attention to the fast growing Supertouring series, which took place nationally, first in the French Supertourisme and Italian Superturismo. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (German Touring Car Championship or DTM) was a Touring car racing series held from 1984 to 1996 The Audi V8 is a large luxury saloon/sedan built by Audi AG of Germany from 1988 to 1994 as the company's range-topping model and was the first Audi Supertouring, Class 2 or Class II Touring Cars were the rules laid out by the FIA for national Touring car racing in 1994 based on the 2 The Italian Superturismo Championship (Campionato Italiano Superturismo is Italy 's national motorsport series for touring cars. In the following year, Audi would switched to the German Super Tourenwagen (known as STW) and then to British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) the year after that. The British Touring Car Championship is a Touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom.

The FIA, having difficulty regulating the quattro system and what impact it had on the competitors, would eventually ban all four wheel drive cars from competing in 1998, by then Audi switched all their works efforts to sports car racing. quattro (meaning four in Italian) is the name used by Audi AG to indicate

By 2000, Audi would still compete in the US with their RS4 for the SCCA Speed World GT Challenge, through dealer/team Champion Racing competing against Corvettes, Vipers, and smaller BMWs (where it is one of the few series to permit 4WD cars). The Audi RS4 quattro is the top Tier and fastest performing version of the Audi A4 range (above the Audi S4) of cars. The SPEED World Challenge is an American Auto racing series that is sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America. Champion Racing is a Sports car racing team based in Pompano Beach Florida, USA. In 2003, Champion Racing entered an RS6. The Audi RS6 quattro, commonly referred to as the RS6, is the highest performing version and top-of-the-line specification of the Audi A6 (positioned above the Once again, the quattro all wheel drive was superior and Champion Audi won the championship. They returned in 2004 to defend their title but a newcomer, Cadillac with the new Omega Chassis CTS-V, gave them a run for their money. After four victories in a row, the Audis were sanctioned with several negative changes that deeply affected the car's performance. Namely, added ballasts and Champion Audi deciding to go with different tires and backing off the turbos boost pressure.

In 2004, after years of competing with the TT-R in the revitalized DTM series, with privateer team Abt Racing/Christian Abt taking the 2002 title with Laurent Aïello, Audi returned as a full factory effort to touring car racing by entering two factory supported Joest Racing A4s. Laurent Aïello (born May 23, 1969 in Fontenay, France) is a retired Race car driver. Joest Racing (currently Audi Sport Team Joest) is a racing team that was established in 1978 by former Porsche works The Audi A4 is a Compact executive car produced by the German automaker Audi since 1994

Sports Car racing

Beginning in 1999, Audi built the Audi R8 LMP to compete in sports car racing, including the LMP900 class at the 24 hours of Le Mans. The Audi R10 TDI, usually abbreviated to R10, is a racing car from the German car manufacturer Audi. The Audi R8 is a sports-prototype race car introduced in 2000 for Sports car racing as a redevelopment of their Audi R8R (open top LMP) and Sports car racing is a form of circuit Auto racing with Automobiles that have two seats and enclosed wheels A Le Mans Prototype (commonly abbreviated as LMP) is a type of custom-built Race car intended for Sports car racing and Endurance racing, most The 24 Hours of Le Mans ( 24 Heures du Mans) is a sports car endurance race held annually since near the town of Le Mans, Sarthe, The factory-supported Joest Racing team won at Le Mans three times in a row (2000 — 2002), as well as winning every race in the American Le Mans Series in its first year. Joest Racing (currently Audi Sport Team Joest) is a racing team that was established in 1978 by former Porsche works The American Le Mans Series ( ALMS) is a Sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. Audi also sold the car to customer teams such as Champion Racing. Champion Racing is a Sports car racing team based in Pompano Beach Florida, USA. In 2003, two Bentley Speed 8s, with engines designed by Audi, and driven by Joest drivers loaned to the fellow Volkswagen Group company, competed in the GTP class and finished the race in the top two positions, while the Champion Racing R8 finished third overall and first in the LMP900 class. The Bentley Speed 8 (originally known as the Bentley EXP Speed 8) was a Le Mans Prototype race car that was designed to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Volkswagen Group, or Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft (German (listed as Volkswagen AG) is a German automobile manufacturing group currently Audi returned to the winner's circle at the 2004 race, with the top three finishers all driving R8s: Audi Sport Japan Team Goh finished first, Audi Sport UK Veloqx second, and Champion Racing third.

At the 2005 24 Hours of Le Mans, Champion Racing entered two R8s along with an R8 from the Audi PlayStation Team Oreca. The 2005 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 73rd Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 18 and 19, 2005. Oreca is a French racing team, founded and run by Hughes de Chaunac, former team manager of F1 team AGS. The R8s (which were built to old LMP900 regulations) received a more narrow air inlet restrictor, cutting power, and an additional 50 kg (110 lb) of weight compared to the newer LMP1 chassis. On average, the R8s were about 2-3 seconds off pace compared to the Pescarolo-Judd. Pescarolo Sport is a Motorsport team based in Le Mans, France and founded in 2000 by French racing driver Henri Pescarolo. Judd is a name brand of engines produced by Engine Developments Ltd But with a team of excellent drivers and experience, both Champion R8s were able to take first and third while the ORECA team took fourth. The Champion team was also the first American team to win Le Mans since the Gulf Ford GT's in 1967. This also ends the long era of the R8; however, its replacement for 2006, called the Audi R10 TDI, was unveiled on 13 December 2005. The Audi R10 TDI, usually abbreviated to R10, is a racing car from the German car manufacturer Audi. Events 1294 - Saint Celestine V abdicates the papacy after only five months Celestine hoped to return to his previous life Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

The R10 TDI employs many new features, including a twin-turbocharged diesel engine. Twin-turbo refers to a turbocharged engine on which two turbochargers compress the intake charge A diesel engine is an Internal combustion engine which operates using the Diesel cycle (named after Dr Its first race was the 2006 12 Hours of Sebring as a race-test for the 2006 24 Hours of Le Mans, which it later went on to win. The 2006 12 Hours of Sebring was the 54th running of this event and took place on March 18, 2006. The 2006 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 74th Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 17 and 18, 2006. Audi has been on the forefront of motorsports, claiming a historic win in the first ever diesel sports car at 12 Hours of Sebring. Audi has achieved the title as the most dominant motor sport power since the start of the 21st century, continuing its long and storied motor sport heritage. The 21st century is the current century of the Christian Era or Common Era in accordance with the Gregorian calendar.

See also

• Audi Channel
• Audi Driving Experience
• Audi Centre of Excellence
• quattro GmbH
• Volkswagen Group of America
• Volkswagen Group China
• list of German cars

References

External links

• Audi corporate website
• Audi glossary
• Audi in motorsport

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