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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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.

The Audi R8 Spyder 4.2 FSI quattro comes standard with a manual six-speed transmission. It works together with a compact dual-disc clutch and can be shifted extremely precisely and easily with short throws. The shift lever is made of polished aluminum, the open gate of stainless steel.

The R8 Spyder 4.2 FSI quattro is optionally available with the R tronic, a highly efficient sequential six-speed transmission. Shift commands are transmitted electrically; a hydraulic system changes the gears and manages the clutch. The R tronic offers both an automatic and a manual mode, both of which allow the driver to choose between two shift programs.

In manual mode, the driver changes gears using the joystick on the center tunnel or with the paddles on the steering wheel. At high load and engine speed, gear changes take less than a tenth of a second. The Launch Control program ensures optimal starts. It controls the engine speed and the engagement of the clutch to accelerate the open-top two-seater with the ideal wheel slip.

The quattro permanent all-wheel drive delivers the engine’s power to all four wheels. Together with the locking differential on the rear axle, it provides significantly greater traction, stability, cornering speed and precision. The four powered wheels seem to claw into the asphalt at the exit of the corner, and the driver can get back on the throttle sooner than in a car with rear-wheel drive.

Due to the mid-engine layout, the quattro all-wheel drive system in the R8 Spyder is a special design with a strong rear bias. The transmission, which is mounted behind the longitudinally installed V8, has an auxiliary drive for a cardan shaft running past the engine to the front.

A viscous coupling distributes the torque at the front axle. During normal driving, it sends roughly 15 percent of the torque to the front wheels and 85 percent to the rear wheels. If the rear wheels begin to slip, an additional 15 percent is quickly sent to the front. A locking differential at the rear axle further improves dynamics. It provides up to 25 percent lockup when accelerating and up to 45 percent when coasting. If a wheel on one of the axles should slip, it is braked by the EDS electronic locking differential.

Since the first rumours about the Audi A7 started, the auto industry was also talking about a more sportive variant that would follow suit shortly after the A7 debut. No we are not talking about the RS7 but we sure are talking about the Audi S7.

Just like the Audi A7 rumours were confirmed and the car is making its debut on August 26th during the Moscow Auto Show the Audi S7 is also a reality and these pictures can confirm it.

Courtesy of Autocar.co.uk

These images were taken by a spy photographer from Autocar.co.uk while the Audi S7 was being tested at the Nurburgring race track, Audi’s favourite spot to test its new vehicles. Despite its heavy disguise the quad exhausts, the aggressive front bumper, bigger air intakes and the larger wheels tells us that it really is an Audi S7 prototype.

Nothing has been confirmed by Audi but it is likely the Audi S7 will come out of Ingolstadt with 500bhp of power and a possible supercharged V6 engine; the US version might get a V8 motor instead due to market demands.

We can conclude by these images that the Audi A7 & S7 designs were inspired by the original Sportback concept with some influences that go all the way back to Audi’s 100 S coupé from the 1970s.

UK drivers will have to wait till next year to get their hands on the Audi A7 and wait a little longer for the Audi S7. Unfortunately there is no pre-order available just yet. But as soon as it is available you will sure find the information here, so keep coming back to more Audi A7 and other Audi news.

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Audi plans to revolutionise car customisation with downloadable softwares that buyers will be able to download at the point of sale or at home.

Newly launched Audi models are already equipped with the latest technologies to provide driver with enhanced driving experience, hence Audi’s Multi Media Interface (MMI), Audi Drive Select and many others. Now Audi wants to take it to the next level with computer-style dashboards that will be able to download Iphone-style apps on the go.

Audi’s Sales and Marketing Boss, Peter Schwarzenbauer suggested that before the end of the decade Audi owners will be able to download apps to improve day to day driving. Mr. Schwarzenbauer emphasised the need of selecting the correct sat-nav guidance based and pre-emptive checks on traffic information for day to day drivers who make the same journey nearly every day.

These improvements could be a game changer for Audi in the company cars and fleet market as such enhancements could mean huge savings.

Audi’s Sales and Marketing Boss went even further and suggested that in the near future Audi owners will be able to “download heated seats” as part of a scheme to allow buyers to upgrade their vehicle specifications once it has left the factory or dealer. Audi App Store anyone?

Such suggestion made by Mr Schwarsenbauer means that the hardware will have to pre-installed at the factory. Other downloadable software packages could range from electronic chassis and traction controls to hi-fi and sat-nav packages.

These hardware installations would also help optimise Audi’s assembly line by making it more flexible. Nowadays it takes Audi 12 weeks to build a car to order. The idea is to make vehicles that meet the buyer’s exact specifications at the point of sale via apps downloaded by the dealer.

The revolution is already under way as a number of Audi models are getting in-car wireless internet access before the end of the year. Audi wants its vehicles to become more than just ordinary vehicles it wants its cars to become “interactive machines” capable of using live information to predict behaviours and enhance driving experience.

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Highest perfection in every detail is the credo of every Audi employee. That is the reason why Audi has become on the most respectful auto-makers in the premium sector.

With over 100 years of car making history, Audi made great additions to the auto world with technologies like the Quattro four-wheel-drive, aluminium space frame (ASF) and many others.

The video below highlights Audi’s attention to detail and the engagement of each perfectionism of each employee in delivering the best possible results in each vehicle made by Audi.

It’s simply pure Vorsprung durch Technik!

All Audi models from the Audi A1 to the Audi A8 have to endure a strict quality test before they can hit the roads all over the globe.

The video below highlights Audi’s engineering perfection and attention to detail that is dedicate to every single model in the Audi range or as the video say: What it takes for a car to become an Audi.

Audi Perfection – The Unique Audi Quality

Bonus Video: Iron Man 2 Audi R8 V10 Spyder Commercial

There’s no shortage of Vorsprung durch Technik with this new model.

Known for its all-aluminium spaceframe construction and luxo-barge looks, the A8 sells modestly around the world and is admired both for its meticulous interior and its all-weather traction.

It’s ironic, then, that the most popular A8 model in Britain will be the front-wheel-drive model powered by the smallest diesel engine, which will sell mainly to the chauffeur market. The back seat is the closest that most of us will ever get to driving the new A8.

This simply highlights the fact that the Audi A8 is the ideal company car for higher branch executives.

Engines at launch will include two 90-degree V8s; a 366bhp/328lb ft, 4.2-litre FSI petrol unit and a 345bhp/590lb ft, 4.2-litre TDI turbodiesel unit. Audi retains its aluminium featherweight stance and this new A8 goes on sale in right-hand drive in May with prices starting at £54,760.

Launch models will use the standard wheelbase and quattro four-wheel drive as well as debuting the latest ZF eight-speed automatic transmission.

There is also a new rear axle for the quattro models, with Haldex-type clutch packs on each side of the differential to deliver torque between the rear wheels for additional traction and something all new to the previously strait-laced A8.

While you are holding the slithering monster at an impossible angle of drift, you might also want to admire the improvements to the excellent Multi-Media Interface (MMI).

This now includes a touch pad, which recognises a driver’s finger tracing out letters to dial destinations into the satellite navigation system.

Capable of recognising Arabic, Chinese, Japanese and Cyrillic alphabets, the driver traces a letter on the pad, which appears on the MMI screen with voice confirmation.

The system also combines with Google Maps via a 3G internet link to allow the selection of destinations not included in the navigation system’s memory.

MMI also reads the road ahead like a rally co-driver.

It prepares for the more severe bends by swivelling the light emitting diode (LED) headlamp beams into the corner before the driver has moved the steering wheel, it also prepares the gearbox for a change down and will disengage the cruise control system.

As the A8 also knows which country it is in, it will also automatically switch the headlamps from left-to-right dipping and back again.

From the back seat, however, little of this need bother you at chauffeuring speeds. Savour instead the immaculate interior, the exquisitely stitched leather upholstery, the myriad and brilliant surface changes and the voluptuous comfort of the generous seat.

Pull down the centre arm rest and play with your individual heater controls, or scroll through the downloaded CDs on the player, or perhaps just plug in your MP3 player. The ride comfort is cushion-like, but never nauseous.

At speeds up to highly illegal, there is no discernible wind noise and the big tyres are also dialled out of your listening horizon.

You can feel and hear the mighty 3.0-litre diesel, especially when James floors the throttle, but it’s not at all unpleasant, merely the confirmation that this is a car of substance, concealing iron-fist performance beneath a kid-glove interior.

Once again emphasizing the fact that the Audi A8 is the ideal company car for CEOs, Directors and high end business managers.

The gearbox is never lost for a ratio and slurs the changes without becoming impaired in slush.

Read the complete review here.

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