The Audi A3 has an all new 1.6-litre common rail TDI engine combining an outstandingly low CO2 output of 109g/km with the potential to cover close to 69mpg.
With the system’s help, economy is boosted and CO2 is reduced by approximately 5g/km, but if required it can be deactivated at the touch of a button.
Recuperation technology provides further fuel and CO2 savings by recycling a proportion of the wasted kinetic energy which is generated under normal braking and normally dissipated as heat, and storing this temporarily in the vehicle battery to reduce the engine load when the car subsequently accelerates again. With its help, fuel usage is reduced by as much as three per cent in the A3.
These virtually imperceptible economy-maximising measures in no way detract from the responsiveness and agility which has always been part of the A3 range.
The 1.6 TDI is also available in more comfort oriented SE and Standard trim levels, all four options featuring alloy wheels and comforts such as air conditioning or climate control, a single CD audio system, electric windows and mirrors and split/folding rear seats.
The economical engine is leading the way in Board of Management Chairman Rupert Stadler’s pledge to reduce average Audi fleet CO2 output by at least 20% by 2012.
For more details of the Audi A3’s available at Audi Nationwide please click here.
Besides their passion with the auto industry, Germans are also extremely passionate about football and Audi knows that very well. As part of its 100th anniversary celebration and also to pay a tribute to its customers, Audi have organised a two day tournament comprising of four teams, FC Bayer Munich, AC Milan, Boca Juniors and Premier League Champions Manchester United
The Audi Cup will be played at the Allianz Arena, the home of FC Bayern Munchen. With only two days to go, speculations about who will be the MVP player of the competition have already begun and players like Miroslav Klose, Juan Riquelme, Ronaldinho and Wayne Rooney are among the favourites to win the Audi MVP title.
Audi has also teamed up with the Department for Sports, Media and Communication of TU München (Technical University Munich) and aims to make the findings of scientific research available to businesses as well as sports journalists, and contribute to networking between members of the academic community and the field. The MVP selection is a case in point. Of course, the members of the panel will make their decisions spontaneously and, based on their subjective assessment, which should primarily be oriented to the criteria of creativity, personality and fairness.
In addition, they will support their impressions by statistical data. Impire AG, a company specializing in scientific sports analyses in soccer, will provide the judges with a player tracking chart indicating the six most conspicuous players of the meeting – as early as shortly after half-time and shortly before the game ends.
The player who managed to convince the judges with a strong personality as well as playing skills will be honoured for his performance on the field immediately after the final whistle. The Audi MVP will serve as an extra motivation for players to show their best football.
Place your bets now! Who do you think will the Audi Cup and Audi MVP title – leave your guesses in our comments box and on Friday we’ll see whose got it right.
The Audi Annual Report wins “BCP Best of Corporate Publishing Award” for the second time, in the largest corporate publications competition in Europe.
The jury described Audi’s innovative approach as a “textbook example of brand staging; an annual report of the next generation that fulfils every parameter of corporate publishing,”
Audi won the Gold Award in competition with 60 well-known international companies. They were praised in particular for their successful and international mix of gripping magazine articles, reports and interviews with celebrities.
AUDI AG’s Chairman of the Board of Management said: “Our current annual report also demonstrates the company’s tremendous innovative strength. That is why I am particularly pleased that our annual report took gold again during this our 100th anniversary of the brand with the four rings.”
A criterion for the Gold Award doesn’t only include overall approach, text credibility and journalistic quality, graphics realisation, but also the relevance of industry issues and an optimum way of addressing the target group.
Another hit for Audi! For more details of the cars we retail here at Audi Nationwide please click here.
Without a doubt Audi is one of the most innovative auto makers in the world, with highly efficient, clean, diesel engines, The Audi Quattro four-wheel-drive 7 speed S-tronic transmission, just to name a few. But it is not just under the hood that Audi innovates, hence the creation of the Avant concept and recently, the Sportback concept already seen on the Audi A3 and Audi A5.
The Audi A3 Sportback has been on sale for a while now and the Audi A5 Sportback is due to hit Audi dealerships in September, but sales have already begun, for Audi contract hire and Audi Leasing options contact Audi Nationwide.
The Audi A5 Sportback joins the Coupé and Cabriolets models to complete the Audi A5 family, for now. Could we see an Audi A5 Avant in years to come? I believe that is a question not even Audi has an answer too.
So for now, let’s have a closer look of what the Audi A5 Sportback has to offer. First, all six engines are highly efficient direct injection and are equipped with Audi’s exclusive energy recuperation system, this combination helps all 6 engines comply with the Euro 5 emissions standards which could save you money with your company car tax. Out of the 6 engines available, only the 2.0 TDI and the 2.0 FSI come with Audi Start/Stop technology.
As mentioned above, the Audi A5 Sportback reinforces Audi’s leadership in innovative automotive design. With a combination of elegance with flowing stretched lines and progressive styling the A5 Sportback impose a powerful figure on the road.
Fourtitude describes the Audi A5 Sportback with perfection:
“A five-door model with the long, flowing rear end unites the best of various vehicle genres: the emotion and elegance of a coupe, the comfort of a sedan and the practicality of a station wagon.”
Today is Audi’s birthday
The week of celebrations starts on Thursday, July 16, with an evening gala at the Audi Forum Ingolstadt. Marking the occasion, Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG, will greet an array of famous personalities from the worlds of politics, industry, sport, culture and science. One highlight will be the commemorative speech by German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Other guests will include Bavarian Prime Minister Horst Seehofer; Christian Wulff and Günther Oettinger; Matthias Wissmann, President of the German Automotive Industry Association; basketball star Dirk Nowitzki; Karl-Heinz Rummenigge of FC Bayern Munich; and racing legends such as Jacky Ickx, Walter Röhrl and eight-time Le Mans champion Tom Kristensen.
“One look at the guest list tells you the kind of prestige Audi has acquired in its 100-year history,” Stadler said. “July 16 not only gives us a reason to celebrate – it also provides motivation for all Audi employees to continue writing the company’s success story on into the future.”
Audi TV will be covering the celebrations here
Today is the exact date that Audi was founded by August Horch back in 1909 and to celebrate Audi’s 100th anniversary, here is the third and final part of Audi 100 Years of Car Making History.
Vorsprung durch Technik – Advantage through Technology
In 2000 Audi revolutionised sports car racing once again with the Audi R8 and dominated the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans, winning 5 of 7 years it competed.
After 20 years of research with diesel engines the results were paid off with another revolutionary racing car the Audi R10 TDI, which again dominated Le Mans’ racing tracks for four consecutive years, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, till it was replaced the new Audi R15 TDI.
All technological advances made by Audi in the racing tracks are used in its models nowadays. With their high fuel efficiency and low emissions the TDI engines are a reference, the petrol engines have high fuel efficiency thanks to Audi’s Valvelift technology, not to mention the Quattro four-wheel-drive and all the other technological advances Audi makes year after year.
Prove to that is the Audi R8 a state of the art sports car that was successful in the racing and in less than 2 years gained respect of sports cars enthusiast form all over the world.
Audi’s success is the reflect of the company’s tagline Vorsprung durch Technik, meaning “Advantage through Technology”.
In case you missed the first to parts here they are:
Audi 100 Years of Car Making History – Pt 1
Audi 100 Years of Car Making History – Pt 2
Happy Anniversary Audi!
For the second part of our story, we’ll skip the WW II and Post War periods and jump all the way to early 80’s.
Auto Union Extinction, Quattro and the 90’s
In the 80’s Audi introduced the revolutionary Quattro four wheel drive and the Audi Quattro, commonly know at the time as Ur-Quattro, a turbocharged coupé that dominated the rally tracks in the 80’s and was the first German car to be produced in large scale featuring permanent all-wheel-drive (Quattro).
In 1985 Auto Union was officially dead and Audi shortened its name to Audi AG. Over the following years Audi introduced less successful models like the Audi 80 and the Audi 90.
Audi’s big break happened in 1994 with the introduction of the Audi A4, a predecessor for the Audi 80, the Audi A4 gain recognition and sales went up which led Audi to develop more powerful and luxurious models like the Audi A6 and A8.
Two years later Audi released what became its most successful model to date, the Audi A3, built in conjunction with the Volkswagen Group using the same platform as the A4, the A3 was initially available only as a 3 door hatchback.
If you think we missed any important facts about Audi from that period, we would be interested to hear them, feel free to add them in our comments section and the miss on Thursday the third and last part of Audi 100 years of Car Making History.
This three parted post is a compilation of the most important facts in Audis history and a tribute to Audis 100th anniversary. Over the next 3 days we will be telling you all about Audi since it was founded by August Horch in 1909, through the Auto Union days, going pass the dominant rally cars of the 80s till now. So sit back, relax and enjoy the read.
Foundation and the Auto Union Days
Audi was founded by August Horch in 1909, the year he was forced out of the company he founded in 1899. In the beginning, Horch continued to trade under the Horch brand, but after his partners sued him for trademark infringement, he was forced to come up with another name for his company; it was then that the Audi name came up.
During a meeting in Franz Fikentschers apartment to come up with a new name for the company, Franz’s son who was studying Latin at the time (common in those days), suggested that instead of Horch they used Audi (Latin for hear) which means “Hark!” or “Horch” German for “hear” and the idea was accepted by everyone attending the meeting.
The first models produced by Audi were the 2,612 cc 2.6 litre 4 cylinder model, followed by a 3564 cc 3.6 litre model, as well as 4680 cc 4.7 L and 5720 cc 5.7L models. In 1921 Audi was the first German car manufacturer to build a left-hand drive production car, the Audi Type K.
Audi Models of the 1920’s were luxurious and were becoming successful in the racing tracks, in the early 30’s Audi merged with Horch, DKW and Wanderer to form Auto Union. With the creation of Auto Union the four overlapping rings badge was created to represent the union of the four German car manufacturers. The Auto Union era is best known for its success in the racing tracks. The Silver Arrows dominated the GP car racing from 1934 onwards and established records that were only equalled in the early 80’s by turbocharged F1 cars.
If you think we missed any important facts about Audi from that period, we would be interested to hear them, feel free to add them in our comments section.
As promised, we added more stunning Audi wallpapers for you to download for free, yes all the wallpapers on our download’s page are completely free of charge, choose your favourite Audi model and download it.
To pay a tribute to Audi’s 100th anniversary, we added two new wallpapers of the Audi central marquee at this year’s Goodwood Festival of speed, as you already know Audi was the main attraction at Britain’s largest moving motor show this year.
Audi brought a complete range of cars, from the historic days of the Auto Union racing cars, going through the dominant quattro rally cars of the 80’s all the way to its newly launch the Audi R8 V10 super sports car which made its debut in the UK.
Other model were seen in the UK for the first time as well, which was the case of the Audi A1 concept car due to hit the roads some time next year and the exquisite Audi S5 Cabriolet, Audi’s new addition to its range of soft-top cabriolets.
Going back to the wallpapers, we have also added a 1:2 scale replica of the Auto Union Type C, visit our downloads page and choose the one like and download it. Which is your favourite?
Audi models achieve top ratings for safety in four prestigious tests.
The Audi A4 and Q5 achieved a top five-star rating in the new Euro New Car Assessment Program safety tests.
The Audi Q5 also achieved top ratings from the renowned Insurance IIHS in the United States. This makes Audi the first carmaker in the world to earn the honour of “Top Safety Pick” for the fifth time.
The Audi Q5 and A4 both achieved a top five-star rating in the Euro NCAP safety test, for which a new and expanded evaluation system was used.
You will find that Audi offers an extensive active safety package to help prevent accidents before they happen. The Audi A4 and Q5 rated highly in the Euro NCAP tests thanks to their efficient ESP and seatbelt reminders, which come as standard. Customers can also select numerous optional intelligent driver assistance systems.
The high safety standards of the Audi A4 and Audi Q5 were also confirmed by the test methods applied by the U.S. National Highway Safety Administration.
Both cars received the top five-star rating from the U.S. traffic safety agency in a total of four categories. The results find American safety experts in agreement with their European counterparts: the Audi A4 and Audi Q5 are among the safest cars in their classes.
Audi pride themselves on safety being of the highest priority. For a full specification of the top safety cars of 2009, please visit Audi Nationwide’s Audi A4 and Q5 product pages.