2 new Audi Concept cars unveiled at the Paris Motor Show

Two new Audi concept cars grabbed the limelight on press day at the Paris motor show; the quattro concept and Spyder e-tron plug-in hybrid sports car.

quattro concept reborn

The quattro concept celebrates the 30th anniversary of the iconic quattro. Based on a shortened RS 5 platform, the concept is actually closer in spirit to 1984’s Sport quattro, a more compact version of the original coupe that was designed to improve the car’s agility on the world’s rallying stages.

The concept’s wheelbase is 150 mm shorter than the RS 5’s, its roofline is around 40 mm lower and the 4.28 metres overall length is around the same as a Volkswagen Scirocco’s, which is 200 mm shorter than an A5. However, unlike the RS 5, the concept is a strict two-seater.

Most of the bodywork is aluminium, but the bonnet and rear hatchback are carbonfibre. The car weighs approximately 1300 kg, around the same as the Sport quattro.
Power comes from a 400PS version of the TT RS’s twin-turbocharged five-cylinder engine, mounted north-south. This is comfortably more than the 300 bhp of the original road-going special. It is paired with a six-speed manual gearbox and the quattro can accelerate from 0-62 mph in just 3.9 seconds.

Like the RS 5, the quattro “has full four-wheel-drive, not the TT's Haldex system,” commented the quattro concept’s designer, Steve Lewis.

The front styling is dominated by a huge rectangular grille, while the side profile’s key feature is an extra-thick C-pillar that has the four-ring logo stamped into its metal. The cabin features a slender, ‘floating’ dashboard and bucket seats that are 40 per cent lighter than regular items.

Spyder e-tron plug-in hybrid sports car unveiled

The Spyder variant will be a diesel hybrid in contrast to the pure electric e-tron, which was shown at the Detroit motor show earlier this year.

It has a twin-turbocharged TDI unit powering the rear axle and a pair of electric motors at the front. The new concept’s dimensions are similar to those of the original e-tron. At 1.8 metres wide and 4.06 metres long, it’s 13 cm longer and 3 cm wider than the all-electric version.

Fleet of electric Audi A1s create a buzz in Munich

Twenty A1 e-trons will be part of a pilot project in Munich to monitor ‘green’ behaviour. The 102 PS battery-powered ‘Mega City vehicle’ fleet will be up and running by mid-2011.
The ‘eflott’ project will form part of the ‘Model Region Electromobility Munich’ initiative sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Transport. Two hundred newly installed charging stations will form part of the ‘power grids of the future’ according to Klaus-Dieter Maubach, member of the Board of Management of E.ON AG. The Department of Vehicle Engineering has developed a smartphone application that will monitor participants’ mobility behaviour. Experts at the Technical University of Munich will collate this information which will include how often they use buses, trains, bicycles, and their electric cars.

Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management at Audi AG, said: “We hope that this fleet trial will enable us to gain broad insights into the behaviour but also the expectations of our customers regarding their dealings with electric cars. Of course, the data that we will collect are another aspect. This market and technology feedback will enable us to further expand our expertise in electrification.”

For more information on the A1 E-tron, click here

Electric Audi A1 unveiled

Audi has unveiled the A1 e-tron, an innovative electrically-powered design study based on the A1. The new study has taken centre stage at Europe’s first major motor show of the year in Geneva. The A1 e-tron is an innovative Mega City Vehicle (MCV). Like the previously unveiled e-tron sports cars, it is electrically propelled and has a range of more than 30 miles in heavy traffic. With a peak power output of 102 PS, the A1 e-tron is also fun to drive.

When the battery’s energy supply is exhausted, it is recharged by an exceptionally compact ‘range extender’ consisting of a single-rotor Wankel (rotary) engine and an electrical generator with a charge rating of up to 15,000 Watts.


This device gives the A1 e-tron an additional range of 125 miles. This means the vehicle's average fuel consumption is 148mpg and has CO2 emissions equivalent to only 45 g/km.

For more information call 01202 775050

The next Audi TT, the Audi R4…

It has been called several names by the motoring press, but Audi are still holding onto ‘E-Tron’. Now this is not to be confused with the E-Tron they unveiled at the end of 2009. This second E-Tron is much smaller and production is a little more realistic.

Headlights
Thinking back to when Audi first announced the R8 with it’s LED daytime running lights. This really captured the imagination and has given the inspiration for many designs across other manufacturers. Here we have the next stage of evolution, technology has moved along so quickly. All of the cars lighting is now provided by ultra-efficient LED technology. The headlights are the most innovative of these as they can actually change their appearance, angle and brightness dependant upon the speed of the vehicle and ambient conditions.

Air intakes
The lights are not the only thing that can adapt themselves to the environment. Despite having no engine (electricity is all that is required) the car still needs a supply of cold air to cool various components. Therefore Audi have developed moving air intakes that will open to allow more air to enter cooling ducts, or close to enhance the car’s aerodynamics.

Interior Space
A real leap forward in design is the amount of space inside the cabin. The car has no need for a transmission tunnel and so the centre-console can be made much slimmer. Buttons have been removed wherever possible and in there place, we have touch-sensitive pads. These clever pads (also in the new A8) can read hand-gestures and even allow you to write with your fingers. An un-necessary gadget you may think, but this actually means that you no longer have to take your eyes off the road to navigate the car’s menus.

I-Phone and Blackberry application
The Smart-phones of today can have a symbiotic relationship with the E-Tron. The car can use the phones internet connection, play music/videos from the phones memory, access addresses, phone numbers, etc. The phone can control car functions (even from in your home), monitor the car’s status (including alarms, battery levels, etc) and the user can even plan routes for the satellite navigation from the comfort of their own home.

Torque Rendering
Now this is where the electric drive system of the second E-Tron comes in. The rear wheels are independently driven by two energy-efficient motors meaning that oversteer and understeer can be eliminated with just a short burst of power to the effected wheel. It also helps that the car has a near perfect 40:60 weight distribution and the batteries are situated in a mid-engine-type position.

Living with it
Simple really, it has a range of 155 miles on one charge and even a fully depleted battery will fully charge overnight when connected to a normal mains plug socket. Upgrade to a 400 volt supply and this full charge will only take 2 hours! Amazing, a two hour charge and I can do 155 miles in a super-car – emission free! The E-Tron is capable of doing the 0-62 MPH sprint in only 5.9 seconds and then keep on accelerating at the same blistering pace, meaning that it will do the 37-75 MPH climb in only 5.1 seconds.

Stopping power
With all that speed, you are going to need some serious stopping power. That is why Audi have created these clever electric floating brakes. These reduce friction and work in harmony with the electric drive motors. When the cars brakes are applied, the motors can capture the energy and use it to charge the batteries. The basic principle of this is already in place on the new range of Audis (called recuperation) however using the cars big electric motors is like having two generators in the car.

What is next for the Audi E-Tron?
Well, we don’t really know for sure, but this is what we hope is going to happen. We would love for this car to become a reality, sooner rather than later and not just electric power either. I would love to see a mid-engined, rear-wheel drive version of this car. The existing placement of moving vents could be used to cool the engine and provide a much needed supply of cold air for the engine to breathe. The Audi sports-differential would give a similar level of torque control and if they managed to get the very shallow 2.5 litre turbo charged engine from the TTRS to fit in the E-Tron’s aluminium space-frame, it would create a very quick car indeed.

Press Coverage
Don’t just take our word for it. Below are just a small selection of comments from the motoring press:

Autocar.com
Audi has taken the wraps off its Detroit show car, a smaller and lighter version of its e-tron electric sports car that the firm's development boss Michael Dick described as a "vision of how a small sports car positioned below R8 could look." The unveiling of this second e-tron model just a few months after the first was shown indicates that Audi is still looking at different formats for a future electric sports car. While the first e-tron previewed a car the size of an R8 that would cost over £100,000, this second model is clearly aimed at providing a more affordable electric sports car.

Auto Express.co.uk
Stunning new concept finally confirms Audi's plans for an affordable sportscar... And it's electric! The waiting is finally over! Audi has shocked Detroit Motor Show goers with a new electric concept car that previews a new zero emission baby brother for the R8 supercar.

Whatcar.com
It has the same name as the model shown at the Frankfurt motor show in September – e-tron – but this one is mid-engined and develops more than 200bhp and almost 2000lb ft of torque. 'We want the name e-tron to take its place alongside our other iconic brand names like quattro and TDI,' said chief executive Rupert Stadler.

More Information
To find out more about the E-Tron and other new Audi models, call Poole Audi on 01202 775050

Petrol Vs Diesel –The Battle Continues!

Since the dawn of the motor car, manufacturers have been constantly developing ways in which to give their cars the competitive edge. Some have focused on the fuel consumption, for others it has been the performance and recently we have seen the move towards lower CO2 emissions.

One could argue that the biggest battle in the world of motor cars is not between car manufacturers, it is between petrol and diesel! For centuries diesels have been seen as slow, loud and dirty while their petrol counterparts have been seen as fast and quiet but thirsty! Times are changing. Audi have won the coveted Le-Mans 24 hour race several times in a diesel race car. This remarkable feat of engineering is able to outpace the petrol rivals and while they are in the pits filling up with high octane fuel, the Audi is still going round the track.

I suppose you could argue that this blog should take note of the advancements in electric and hydrogen cars but when you do away with the classic internal combustion engine, you lose the car’s heart and soul. So for me anyway the battle is only two-way, at least until somebody comes up with a viable alternative!

Well today Audi have announced improvements in both their petrol and diesel engines, with a new ultra efficient petrol engine and an improved “clean diesel”. Typically diesels have always had the advantage when it comes to fuel consumption but the recent advancements in petrol injection are closing the gap fast.

So at the fighting in the corner for petrol is the new 1.2 T FSI engine in the Audi A3 and A3 Sportback. This clever new engine has the same power output as the 1.9 TDI and delivers a remarkable 51.3mpg combined. And this new engine, made almost completely out of aluminium, produces only 127g/km of CO2.

Today Audi have also announced a 3.0 TDI “clean diesel” for the Audi A4. This is the same powerful and smooth diesel that is currently on offer in the Audi Q7, but now with some new technology called Adblue. This innovative chemical breaks down the Nitrogen Oxide emissions into Nitrogen and water. Couple this with the new DeNox exhaust and you have a family car that is much kinder to the environment and can still hit 0-60 in just 6.2 seconds.

Who is winning? Well due to the higher cost of diesel and the new DPF filters fitted to most diesels you still have to do an above average mileage for it to have a real benefit, but it is in the lead for economy. These new advances in petrol engines are really making a mark and with better performance than the diesels they are sure to stay the fuel of choice for “petrol heads”.
Both these new engines will be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor show in September. If you would like more information on these or any other Audi break-through why not phone us on 01202 775050 or visit http://www.pooleaudi.com/