The long wait is over: since last week, more precisely Tuesday 27th of August 2010 the Audi A1 has been available at dealers in Germany for test drives and obviously to buy. Deliveries will simultaneously begin in Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland, followed by most other European markets from mid-September. With a starting price of €15,800, the A1 impresses with its progressive design, superb workmanship and state-of-the-art infotainment technologies. The new Audi offers a vast number of possibilities for customization and can be ordered in over 800 different exterior versions.

“Reports from our international dealers show us that interest in the A1 is exceeding our expectations considerably,” commented Peter Schwarzenbauer, Member of the Board of Management for Marketing and Sales at AUDI AG. “We will therefore increase our production capacity by 20 percent.” Audi had previously expected average production volumes of 100,000 A1 units per year, primarily for the European market at first. However the new Audi will now also be launched in the Asia-Pacific region and in South America in early 2011. “And we are now also thinking about bringing this generation of the A1 to China,” added Schwarzenbauer. A total of 50,000 units are scheduled to roll off the production line in Brussels by the end of 2010.

The Audi A1 will be launched with three appealing engine options: the 1.2 TFSI, the 1.4 TFSI and the 1.6 TDI. Each engine features direct injection, turbocharging and a start-stop system with braking energy recovery. The A1 is the only car in its segment that has a start-stop system together with an automatic transmission.

Even in advance of its market launch, the new Audi has caused quite a sensation with more than 150,000 prospective customers worldwide having registered to receive information about its market launch and the latest campaigns. Audi has also received the renowned “red dot award” for its direct marketing campaign for the A1 introduction. At the heart of the cross-media campaign was the circulation of a magazine series, also available online, that focused on the new model.

The A1 commercial has been broadcast on television this week featuring music from the hot new band Torpedo. The exclusive song, called “An Invention”, was produced by A1 brand ambassador Justin Timberlake and can be downloaded for free at www.audi.de/a1.

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The Audi A8 is Audi’s flagship model and it reflects with perfection what vorsprung doith technique means. Recently Audi decided to raise the bar a little higher and launched the premium version of its flagship model the Audi A8L.

Why Audi A8L and what does the L stands for? It is quite simple the L stands for Larger. The Audi A8L has a longer wheelbase which allowed Audi to set new standards in luxury, dynamics and efficiency in the premium segment. The Audi A8L it is also the first car in the world to offer optional factory installed WLAN hotspot for Wi-Fi access.

We have covered the Audi A8L in detail a series of articles. The first one was entitled “New Audi A8 W12 FSI Setting new Luxury Standards” and the second was entitled “Audi A8 2011: First Car in the World to Offer Wi-Fi Access“.

Today we brought you a video from Audi TV that shows the excellence of Audi’s Premium Flagship Model. So sit back relax and enjoy.

The week is coming to an end and so is our series of posts about Audi’s trailblazing logistics program. In case you missed the first two parts you can read them here: Audi’s Green Logistics Program Part 1 and Audi’s Green Logistics Program Part 2.

Intelligent – the energy supply

AUDI AG is also focused on resource efficiency when it comes to the supply of energy. Beginning in spring 2011, the use of waste heat from Ingolstadt’s waste utilization plant and from the Petroplus refinery will double from 60,000 to 120,000 megawatt hours per year. This represents potential CO2 savings of around 26,000 tons. A further expansion which will use 200,000 megawatt hours of waste heat is planned. The plant in Neckarsulm is also supplied with district heat.

In Ingolstadt, Audi has for years been producing roughly 100,000 megawatt hours of heat in its own highly efficient power-heat-cooling trigeneration plant, which also produces electricity and cooling energy. The remainder of the heat requirement is met using natural gas-fired boilers. Thermal wheels are used in many areas of the Company to recover heat; many hundreds of these units are deployed in Ingolstadt. The use of 19 heat recovery systems in the paint shop, for example, extracts approximately 35,000 megawatt hours per year, which corresponds to a CO2 reduction of around 7,000 tons.

Audi is also driving progress in the field of photovoltaics. The carmaker has made the roofs of numerous factory buildings at the Ingolstadt plant available to Munich-based Green City Energy. The photovoltaic modules installed there over an area of 11,600 square meters (124,900 square feet) produce more than 1,000 megawatt hours of electrical energy a year. An expansion of the photovoltaic surface area, including to the second German Audi site in Neckarsulm, is currently under review. And just a few months ago, Automobili Lamborghini, a subsidiary of the Audi Group, took a 17,000 square meter (183,000 square feet) solar power plant on line.

Beyond the factory gates – the Oak Forest research project

At Audi, environmental protection does not stop at the factory gates. In collaboration with the Bavarian State Forest Service and the Technical University of Munich, the Company has launched the “CO2 Reservoir Oak Forest” research project in the vicinity of the Ingolstadt plant. The project is focused on the scientific investigation of biological and ecological interrelationships. Audi planted roughly 36,000 Pendunculate Oaks for the project in 2008. A second trial site near the Györ production site in Hungary was planted with more than 13,000 oaks. Other sites are currently in planning.

The Company’s commitment is also manifest in the newly established Audi Environmental Foundation, which has been endowed with five million euros. The foundation’s aim is to protect the natural livelihood of people, animals and plants. It will fund measures and research activities that encourage the development of environmentally compatible non-automotive technologies, promote environmental education and contribute to a sustainable human/environment system.

Universal – environmental management at Audi

Sustainable business practices are an integral component of the Audi corporate strategy, in which environmental protection and innovation are linked. Audi has been awarded the European Union’s seal for outstanding environmental protection.

The Company is also involved within the framework of the 3rd Bavarian Environment Pact, which is dedicated to environment-friendly economic growth. Particularly high value is placed on the sharing of information with suppliers. The greater use of environmental protection strived for at the suppliers gives Audi greater influence on indirect environmental aspects by enabling the early development of holistic solutions.

The Audi Group is considered both in Germany and abroad to be one of the pioneers of site-specific environmental protection. EMAS (Eco Management and Audit Scheme), the demanding environmental management system of the European Union that far exceeds standard requirements, was installed in Ingolstadt (1997), Neckarsulm (1995), Györ (1999), Brussels (2002) and Sant’Agata Bolognese (2009), and has been steadily optimized in the interest of continuous improvement.

The Ingolstadt, Györ, and Sant’Agata Bolognese sites are also certified to the global standard DIN EN ISO 14001, which ensures continuous improvement of environmental protection performance. Furthermore, the environmental management system at the Ingolstadt plant has been certified to the European standard DIN EN 16001. This stipulates particularly stringent requirements for the steady and systematic reduction of energy consumption. The Audi plant in Ingolstadt was the first automobile plant to be awarded this certificate.

To conserve water resources, Audi is making greater use of rainwater at the Ingolstadt plant, where it is gathered over an area of 450,000 square meters (4,843,800 square feet), collected in five retaining pools and two storage sewers and forwarded to a treatment plant. The pools supplied more than 235,000 cubic meters (8,298,900 cubic feet) of process water in 2009.

Innovative and efficient – the products
When it comes to the products, Audi is further expanding its Vorsprung durch Technik  with highly efficient TDI, FSI and TFSI engines and many new solutions from the modular efficiency platform. The lightweight construction of the Audi Space Frame reduces vehicle weight, and the aluminum bodies also enjoy major advantages in the overall energy balance and with recycling.

Audi is also concurrently hard at work on the development of alternative drive systems, with the Audi Q5 hybrid scheduled to debut next year. For a glimpse at the brand’s interpretation of the sustainable mobility of the future, one only need look at the Audi e-tron family, which features tailored concepts for each segment.

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Continuing from where we left on Tuesday, here is the second part of the series about Audi’s Green Logistics Proram. In case you missed first part please read Audi’s Green Logistics Program Part 1.

By train across Europe – efficient transport

Audi has relied on resource-efficient logistics for many years now. Up to 70 percent of all cars manufactured by the brand with the four rings arrive at their destinations by freight train. Many large components are also transported within the Volkswagen Group by rail.

Audi also uses the railroad for the high-volume traffic between the Ingolstadt and Györ sites. The painted bodies-in-white and add-on parts of the Audi TT depart Bavaria in closed, double-decker freight cars for assembly in northwestern Hungary. The finished cars then return to Ingolstadt over the same 610 kilometer long rail line, as do the engines assembled in Györ for the entire Audi model lineup.

Over the last 12 years, the trains have covered roughly ten million rail kilometers on the line between Györ and Ingolstadt, thus replacing more than 325,000 trips by truck. This represents an annual saving of 36,000 tons CO2. The high share of sustainably generated hydropower electricity in the Austrian rail system plays an important part in this good balance.

Where transport by truck is necessary, Audi pools shipments regionally within the Group network at so-called consolidation centers, so that the items can be transported to the plants with fully loaded trucks. This significantly reduces the number of road shipments and avoids unnecessary CO2 emissions.

The Logistics Center (GVZ), which houses numerous suppliers, was established in Ingolstadt in 1995. Key suppliers produce their assemblies there and deliver them directly to the assembly line according to the just-in-sequence principle. This close cooperation greatly reduces pollution due to the very short transport distances.

Less is more – resource-efficient Audi production

Audi places great value in all areas of the Company on maximum efficiency and resource conservation. In the logistics area, for example, the “PackAssistant” software ensures that the space in packing and containers is used optimally. The savings potential of up to 20 percent enables the elimination of numerous shipments from the supplier to the factory.

A major focus of Audi’s environmental activities is the reduction of energy consumption in car production. Taking the planned expansion of capacity into account, AUDI AG has stated the goal of reducing site- and company-specific CO2 emissions by 30 percent relative to 1990 by the year 2020. Overall energy consumption at the Audi Group has held steady for several years now, despite the significantly increased production volume.

The continuous improvement of the energy efficiency of the production facilities is very important in this context. Audi accomplishes this with new technologies, such as more efficient robots and new welding tongs, and with a large number of intelligent solutions. When engines are tested on the engine test rigs at the Neckarsulm site, for instance, generators are used to produce electricity, which is fed into the plant’s grid. The Company’s latest project is a particularly lightweight die for the body shop featuring carbon fiber composites in many areas. Developed in-house by Audi Toolmaking, it saves 43 percent electricity versus a conventional unit.

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This is the first of a series of posts about Audi’s newest traiblaizing logistics standards. Once again Audi has innovated and developed a logistics program relying on renewable energy for rail transport.

AUDI AG is setting new standards in logistics: The carmaker is using trains powered by green electricity to transport its cars from Ingolstadt to the North Sea loading port of Emden, making it the first company in Germany to use green electricity in this way. This innovative logistics concept is a trailblazing step for the car industry and an important element of Audi’s strategy of ensuring that production is sustainable in all areas.

“CO2-free rail transport is an important element of our environmental efforts and is of great interest to us,” says Ernst-Hermann Krog, Head of Audi Brand Logistics. Beginning August 1, 2010, the carmaker is operating its transport trains on the Ingolstadt – Emden route with electricity from renewable energy sources. This allows Audi to eliminate the emission of around 5,250 tons of CO2 per year, more than 35 kilograms (77 lb) per car transported. The line to the North Sea loading port, the hub for overseas exports, is the brand’s most important transport route. Three trains loaded with Audi models travel this route each day and carry roughly 150,000 cars a year.

The CO2-free rail freight transport concept Eco Plus is a new offer from DB Schenker, the logistics area of German railway operator Deutsche Bahn. For transport within the domestic rail network, the energy required is replaced entirely by renewable energy from Germany. The electricity is bought in additionally by Deutsche Bahn, meaning that emissions are avoided right from the start. Eco Plus from DB Schenker and the energy supply are approved by TÜV SÜD.

The additional costs incurred compared to conventional electricity are borne by Audi; DB Schenker uses a portion of these for targeted projects in the field of renewable energies. Green electricity only comprises around 18.5 percent of the German rail electricity mix, with conventional energy sources in the form of coal-fired, nuclear and natural gas-fired power plants currently dominating. The green electricity required for transport is an additional component fed into the grid for Eco Plus from DB Schenker, thus the share of green electricity in Germany will increase.

Audi is the trailblazer in the car industry when it comes to the use of green electricity in rail freight. The premium manufacturer is working with DB Schenker as an early adopter and development partner. “The switch to CO2-free transport underscores our progressive character and sustainable mindset,” adds Ernst-Hermann Krog.

The highly anticipated Audi RS3 is soon to become a reality. After years of speculations and spy shots we can now confirm that the Audi RS3 will hit Audi dealers across the globe some time next year.

Audi headquarters have made no official announcement yet on the matter but recent and more convincing spy shots took at Audi’s official testing ground, the Nurburgring racing track, leave us with no doubt that Audi is running the final tests on what is set to be the fastest and most powerful Audi A3 to date.

Like every other Audi wearing the RS badge the Audi RS3 is being developed by Quattro GmbH. As afore mentioned, no official data has been published yet but it is known that the RS3 will be propelled by a 2.5 litre 5-cylinder turbo engine from the Audi TT RS capable of delivering a staggering 335bhp output.

Our sources in Ingolstadt suggest the RS3 can charge to 60mph in just 4.5 seconds, before heading on to a 175mph top speed (where derestricted).

- We could clearly hear that it was the new RS3 as it sped past – reported a spy photographer of Pro-Street.dk.

These latest spy shots confirm that the RS3 will incorporate the Sportback concept in its design with robust front bumpers and larger air intakes.

There will also be stiffer suspension, up-rated brakes and bigger wheels, while the twin pipes on the prototype are expected to be swapped for the typical twin RS oval exhausts. Prices for the RS3 are expected to start at over £32,000.

Images sourced from: http://www.autoweek.nl/autonieuws/14699/Komst-Audi-RS3-nabij & http://ekstrabladet.dk/biler/bil_nyheder/article1377188.ece

The Audi A7 Sportback is the latest buzz in the auto industry these past two weeks. There isn’t a single auto blog on the web that hasn’t written an article about this amazing premium coupe but better to describe it than its creators.

Today we bring you an exclusive video with all the top guns that helped to develop, design and market the Audi A7 Sportback.

The Audi A7 Sportback has so many incredible features that it is hard to pick a favourite one. But in my opinion one of the coolest and most useful ones is the MMI Navigation with Google Maps functionality

Emotion-packed design, sporty character and innovative technology: Audi is targeting a new market segment with the Audi A7 Sportback. The large five-door model with the dynamically accentuated rear end brings together the best of three worlds: the sporty elegance of a coupe, the comfort of a sedan and the practicality of a station wagon.

The Audi A7 Sportback is pure high-tech. Its body is very lightweight thanks to numerous aluminum components. The elegant interior shows a craftsman’s level of workmanship. The four V6 engines combine refined power with groundbreaking efficiency. The 3.0 TDI with 150 kW (204 hp) and multitronic has CO2 emissions of just 139 grams per kilometer (223.70 g/mile). The sporty chassis comes with new solutions, such as electromechanical power steering. When it comes to assistance and infotainment systems, the luxury-class coupe exhibits all of the innovative power expected of Audi.

The five-door coupe from Audi combines supreme, long-distance comfort with a sporty character. The interior noise level is very low even at fast highway speeds, with the V6 engines providing refined acoustic feedback as their power unfolds.

The excellent vibrational comfort likewise contributes to the atmosphere of cultured tranquility on board. This is the result of painstakingly tuning all components, systematic hydraulic damping in the axle and drivetrain bearings and the extremely stiff body. The body is comprised primarily of aluminum and high-tech steels, making it extremely lightweight and safe. The large rear hatch opens wide to reveal a large, extremely usable luggage compartment that is very easy to load. Its 535-liter (18.89 cu ft) capacity swells to a volume of 1,390 liters (49.09 cu ft) with the rear seat backrests folded down.

With the A7 Sportback, which will be rolling into dealerships in the fall at a base price of €51,600, Audi is taking up a new design line representing elegance on a grand scale. The five-door coupe is 4.97 meters (16.31 ft) long and 1.91 meters (6.27 ft) wide, but only 1.42 meters (4.66 ft) high. Its long hood, the short front overhang, the long wheelbase, the sportily flowing C-pillars and the sharply dropping rear create a dynamic overall impression. The five-door coupe is an aesthetic athlete with a wide, powerful road stance.

Optional LED headlights reinforce the unmistakable expression of the A7 Sportback and provide all light functions with light-emitting diodes while minimizing energy consumption. Bi-xenon headlights and LED tail lights come standard. The innovative all-weather light function has also been integrated into the headlights, replacing the classic fog lights.

The sinewy sportiness of the exterior carries over into the interior of the A7 Sportback, where Audi again demonstrates its leading role in automotive design. The salient element is the “wrap-around,” a horizontal line that encircles the driver and front-seat passenger in the interior to provide a feeling of safety and security. The wave-shaped application strip with its integrative dynamics is the salient element of the dashboard.

The utmost care has been devoted to every last detail in the interior. Workmanship is at a craftsman’s level. Optional climate-control and massage functions are available for the front seats covered in high-grade Audi leathers. The optional ambient lighting fills the entire interior with atmosphere.

Like Audi’s A8 flagship, the Audi A7 Sportback also combines a new level of technical intelligence with logical, intuitive ergonomics and self-explanatory operation. The advanced MMI operating system with central menu button and reduced number of buttons comes standard, while one of the options is a new head-up display that projects the most important information on the windshield. The MMI touch system combines a hard drive navigation system with the convenience of touchpad input.

The driver can use the touchpad to perform numerous functions, such as using his or her finger to write the letters of the destination or the digits of the telephone number.

The online services work together with Google to connect the five-door Audi coupe to the Internet via the Bluetooth car phone. A UMTS module delivers images and information from Google Earth to the monitor and combines them with the navigation route. A WLAN hotspot is used to connect mobile devices. Further to the Bose sound system, the top-of-the-line option is the Advanced Sound System from Bang & Olufsen featuring 1,300 watts of power and 15 speakers.

The top navigation system works closely together with the many optional driver assistance and safety systems in the A7 Sportback. It forwards the route data to the control units for the headlights, the automatic transmission and the adaptive cruise control with stop & go function, enabling these systems to recognize complex scenarios. In many cases, the Audi pre sense safety system can reduce the severity of accidents and their consequences. The new Audi active lane assist helps the driver to keep the A7 Sportback firmly on course, and the new park assist system relieves the driver of the chore of steering when parallel parking.

Audi will initially offer the Audi A7 Sportback with a choice of four powerful and cultivated V6 engines: two gasoline and two TDI units. Their power output ranges from 150 kW (204 hp) to 220 kW (300 hp), and their efficiency sets impressive new standards in the vehicle class. The new 3.0 TDI with 150 kW (204 hp) and multitronic consumes on average just 5.3 liters of fuel per 100 km (44.38 US mpg), corresponding to CO2 emissions of just 139 g per km (223.70 g/mile). All engines use Audi’s innovative thermal management system, a recuperation system and a start-stop system.

The standard automatic transmissions also play a role in the high efficiency of the Audi A7 Sportback. Audi offers two different transmissions depending on the engines: The continuous multitronic sends the power to the front wheels, while the sporty seven-speed S tronic works together with quattro permanent all-wheel drive. The latest evolutionary stage of quattro features a crown-gear center differential and torque vectoring.

The drive system is particularly flexible and dynamic. The optional sport differential actively distributes the power between the rear wheels.

The chassis also combines sporty precision with luxurious comfort. The Audi A7 Sportback rolls on large wheels measuring from 18 to 20 inches in diameter. The chassis features aluminum control arms and a newly developed power steering system with an electromechanical drive for high efficiency. The Audi drive select dynamics system is standard and can be supplemented by the optional adaptive air suspension with controlled damping.

The day has finally come, after two years of rumours, spy shots and misleading information by Audi itself to get us sidetracked on whether the Audi A7 would be a reality or not. Today is the day that Audi will officially show the highly anticipated Audi A7 Sportback.

The long wait has finally come to an end; Audi will unveil the newest addition to its model range during a special event at the Modern Art Museum in Munich today. Many Audi enthusiasts and auto industry experts thought Audi would wait till the Frankfurt Auto Show to officially unveil the Audi A7 Sportback.

Audi presented the sportback concept during the 2009 Detroit Auto Show and at the time used a prototype of today’s Audi A7 Sportack. Worth mentioning that the first model to incorporate the sportback concept was the Audi A5.

During the weekend official images of the new Audi A7 Sportback leaked on the web and we managed to grab hold of a few exclusively to our readers.

In terms of drivetrains and specifications, all will be made clear later today, but a few details of the A7 have trickled out along the way.

It is believed the five-door coupe will be a four-seater only with a useful rear hatch. Both petrol and diesel V6 engines will be available from launch, with a new 3.0-litre TSI expected to produce around 216kW.

Transmissions will include six-speed manual and eight-speed automatic options, while a seven-speed automatic is also reported to be in the mix.

S7 and RS7 variants are tipped to join the line-up, with a hybrid version also rumoured to be in the pipeline for 2012 or 2013. Expected to follow the lead of the next-generation S6, it is believed the high-performance variants of the A7 will be powered by no more than eight cylinders.

The Audi A7 Sportback is also expected to benefit from air suspension rather than the standard spring set-up, just like most of its direct competitors.

Audi enthusiasts from around the globe will be able to watch the Audi A7 Sportback premiere live on Audi TV at 7.30 pm (UK time).

New filler design prevents costly damage to Audi TDI models through accidental fuelling with petrol

Drivers of 2011 Model Year Audi A4, Audi  A5 and Audi Q5 TDI models will no longer have to face the inconvenient and potentially expensive consequences of accidentally filling with petrol thanks to a new preventative system built into the fuel filler neck.

The neck has been redesigned to incorporate contact points that open an internal fuel flap only when the larger diesel pump nozzle applies pressure on them. The smaller diameter petrol nozzles do not make contact, ensuring that the filler flap remains closed to prevent access to the reservoir.

Instances of “misfuelling” have risen significantly in recent years as an unfortunate bi-product of the dramatic forward strides in refinement made by Audi TDI models, which thanks to high pressure common rail injection technology operate very nearly as smoothly and quietly as their petrol counterparts. This latest advance will of course be of particular interest to companies running vehicle fleets, but it will also provide reassurance for private customers making the switch from petrol, and those who aren’t the sole user of their car.

The newly equipped models in the A4, A5 and Q5 family will be joined by further Audi models in the near future as the system is gradually rolled out.