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His journey began at the Instituto d’Arte Applicata & Design in Turin, where he cultivated his talent and passion for automotive design. After graduating, he began his career at the legendary Stile Bertone, an Italian design studio known for creating concepts and vehicles for global automotive brands, leaving a significant mark on automotive history. During this time Frascella learned the fundamental craft of automotive design. He was later recruited to work at Ford Motor Company in the UK and his quest for new challenges took him to Lincoln/Mercury and afterwards Kia in California, USA. In 2011, Frascella joined Jaguar Land Rover, where he has held leading positions and most recently was the Head of Design for both historic brands. He was responsible for shaping the new design of the iconic Land Rover Defender and more recently the new Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models. As of June 1st, 2024 he took on the role of Chief Creative Officer at AUDI AG. In his position as creative director for brand creative design, he is responsible for the holistic design of every customer touchpoint with the Audi brand. Furthermore, he oversees all aspects of the automotive design such as Exterior, Interior, Colour & Materials, User Interface and User Experience design, Motorsport vehicles and Design Strategy. The design philosophy of Frascella is rooted in simplicity, sophistication and clarity – values he aims to incorporate into every aspect of Audi’s touchpoints to strengthen the brand through a consistent look & feel in all manifestations. Together with Frascella the Audi Design team stand for carving out design as the emotional force that can inspire, connect and drive change, and to cultivate and promote creativity as the beating heart of the brand.

Italdesign has operated as a service company for the automotive industry since 1968. From the beginning, the company specialized in design, engineering, prototyping, and ultra-limited series production, serving both traditional original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and newcomers to the mobility sector at a global scale. Over the years, Italdesign has developed technologies, methodologies, and engineering capabilities that are inherently cross-industry, enabling the company to support innovation in automotive as well as in adjacent high-tech sectors, such as aerospace and robotics, where its expertise in complex systems, advanced materials, and precision engineering delivers significant added value. Italdesign is part of the Audi family alongside Lamborghini, Ducati, and Bentley. Find a portrait of Italdesign here Antonio Casu Chief Executive Officer of Italdesign S.p.A. The Italdesign press portal offers further Read more

The split rear seatbacks can be folded over individually, and a load-through hatch from the trunk to the rear seating area improves variability. Special reinforcements contribute to the convertible body’s high rigidity, and aluminum front fenders compensate for some of the added weight of the reinforcements. Elegant LED light strips illuminate in the taillights, which operate without any conventional incandescent lamps. Like the lights, the rear bumper was also redesigned; its diffuser is now much higher, and a honeycomb screen insert encloses the two large elliptical tailpipes of the exhaust system. On the trunk lid there is a subtle matt carbon spoiler lip for more downforce; it may be painted in the exterior color as an option. The Audi RS 5 Cabriolet measures 4,649 millimeters (15.25 ft) long, 1,860 millimeters (6.10 ft) wide and 1,380 millimeters (4.53 ft) high, and its wheelbase is 2,751 millimeters (9.03 ft). Eight exterior colors are available – a monochrome color, four metallic and pearl effect colors and three crystal effect paints. The soft top is available in black, gray, red or brown. As options, Audi can install a styling package in matt aluminum as well as an engine compartment design package that uses carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) materials. The car’s drag coefficient is 0.34; underbody panels make a significant contribution towards aerodynamic refinement. Interior A typical RS 5 highlight is its three-spoke steering wheel with flat-bottomed rim that is trimmed in perforated leather. The multifunction keys are intuitive, as are all other controls in the RS 5 Cabriolet. The terminal of the optional MMI navigation plus system, for example, only requires six permanent keys for the main menus, and just a single button control suffices for Audi drive select. White numerals on black dials provide a strong contrast and are easy to read.

Successful for decades: 662,762 units across three generations built over 25 years Design inspired by Bauhaus: every shape has a clear function Vorsprung durch Technik: New technologies launched with the TT, including Audi magnetic ride, Audi virtual cockpit, and OLED technology A quarter of a century of TT history: When Audi presented the concept car at the IAA in 1995, public opinion became clear right away: “This car should be mass-produced – exactly as it is!” With the series debut in 1998, the Audi TT wrote design history and was built across three generations as a Coupé and Roadster. With a vision of “a car for enthusiasts,” Audi presented the Audi TT Coupé as a sports car concept at the IAA in Frankfurt in the fall of 1995. Shortly afterward, the decision was made to mass-produce it. Torsten Wenzel, the exterior designer at Audi who helped introduce the study to series production, recalls: “To us, the greatest praise was when the trade press noted appreciatively that not much had changed from the concept to production model, although we did, of course, have to adapt many details due to the technical specifications for the production version, including the proportions.” Most noticeable was the integration of a rear side window, which elongated the car’s profile and increased the sports car’s dynamics. For Wenzel, the TT remains “a driving sculpture, with highest-quality surfaces and lines.” The body of the Audi TT appears to be made from one piece, Wenzel says, and the front end without traditional bumper overhangs emphasizes its distinctive shape. Another design element contributes to the unmistakable silhouette of the Audi TT Coupé: the circle – “the perfect graphic shape,” as Wenzel describes it. Numerous circular elements inspired the sports car’s exterior and interior design. Inspired by Bauhaus, every line in the Audi TT has a purpose, every shape a function. “At Audi Design, we always follow the philosophy of ‘less is more.’

Inspired by Bauhaus: Coupé study from 1995 began series production in 1998 178,765 first-generation Audi TT Coupés had rolled off the production line by 2006 Audi designer Torsten Wenzel introduced the study to series production: “The Audi TT is a driving sculpture” Twenty-five years, three generations: The brand with the four rings wrote design history with the Audi TT. Since its debut in 1998, the sports car has struck a chord with people worldwide thanks to the fun it promises drivers and its clear design language. „Auto Europe“ voted it the best new car of the year in 1999. In the mid-1990s, the Audi A8 luxury model elevated the Audi brand to a higher position and gradually led to the renaming of the model series: The Audi 80 became the Audi A4, and the Audi 100 was dubbed the Audi A6. Introduced in 1994, the Audi A4 was the first model to embody Audi’s new design language. Next was the Audi A3 premium compact car, launched in 1996, and the second generation of the Audi A6, introduced in 1997. In the course of emotionalizing the brand through a fresh, progressive design, American designer Freeman Thomas, under the then Head of Design Peter Schreyer, created a puristic sports car in the Audi TT Coupé. Audi presented the study to an enthusiastic trade show audience at the IAA in Frankfurt in September 1995. The model name “TT” is reminiscent of the legendary Tourist Trophy on the Isle of Man, one of the oldest motorsports events in the world and one where NSU and DKW celebrated great successes with their motorcycles. The name “TT” also recalls the sporty NSU TT of the 1960s. The Audi TT Coupé’s deliberate departure from the usual Audi nomenclature underscored the complete novelty of the model. Designer Wenzel: “In the Audi TT, every shape has a clear function” In December 1995, the decision was made to mass-produce the Audi TT Coupé.

Cycle-independent modular assembly simplifies work with high product variability Virtual inspection of surfaces serves as a digital interface between design, technical development, and production Robot dog named Spot supports 3D scanning in production halls VR makes globally networked production planning possible in the virtual world Audi is setting up fully networked, highly efficient, and sustainable production. The goal is to design a resilient, agile, and flexible value chain to meet future challenges successfully. These include a growing diversity of variants, the transition to electromobility, the increasingly volatile supply situation, and political uncertainties. “We’re using synergies and looking at production as a whole – from the worker to the fully automated cycle,” says Gerd Walker, Member of the Board of Management for Production and Logistics. “We’re digitizing specifically within the framework of an open innovation culture. We’re ensuring efficient value creation and making it possible to utilize resources and capacities flexibly and efficiently.” What advantages does modular assembly have over assembly line production? The assembly line has set the pace in automotive production for over a century. Now it is increasingly reaching its limits. Numerous derivatives and individualization options are making products more and more varied. In a rigid, sequential process, that complexity is more and more difficult to master. “Modular assembly is one of our answers to future challenges,” says Gerd Walker. “We’re using digital technologies specifically to our employees’ advantage while obtaining a more flexible and efficient assembly process.” In the Audi Production Lab, project manager Wolfgang Kern’s team is preparing modular assembly for mass production. Audi is initially implementing the concept in interior door panel pre-assembly in the Ingolstadt plant. In the test operation, work no longer follows a uniform sequence.

The Audi TT is a design icon. Ever since the premiere of the first concept car in 1995, the Audi TT has stood for driving pleasure, design and attention to detail. When the first Audi TT Coupé came onto the market in the fall of 1998, and the first TT Roadster one year later, the series production products differed only insignificantly from the previously displayed show cars – the dream of any designer. The central design motif was the circle: the arcs of the roof, the front and the rear stood in contrast to the strictly horizontal lines. 1995: the Audi TT concept car At the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt am Main, Audi presented the first Audi TT as a concept sports car with high suitability for everyday use. Technical Development with a team of Audi designers had developed the concept for a sporty Coupé in the shortest conceivable time. In November 1995, the Roadster version made its premiere as a TTS concept car at the Tokyo Motor Show. The outer lines of the two show cars followed the German philosophy, and recalled the rounded shapes of the pre-War racing cars and post-War sedans of Auto Union. The interior rested on the principle of “as much as necessary and as little as possible.” The TT concept cars were very well received as forward-looking innovations and the embodiment of revolutionary automotive design. Audi kept a low profile for many years regarding possible production of the two model versions, however. 1998: the first generation of the Audi TT Closely based on the show car, the production model with its formally coherent design idiom has remained a milestone of innovative automotive design to the present day. Its aspiration was clear in the tiniest of details: aluminum elements in the interior, progressive wheel design, a short, spherical gear knob and round, closely spaced tailpipes. For the first time, Audi employed the quick-as-lightning dual-clutch transmission in a production model – the so-called S tronic.

Audi and its two joint-venture partners – First Automotive Works (FAW) and SAIC Motor - showcase their product portfolio for China on a joint booth. Sustainable premium mobility is taking center stage with a lineup of all-electric Audi vehicles. The Formula 1 show car featuring the four rings’ signature livery as well as the Audi A6 Avant e-tron concept and the Audi urbansphere concept are displayed publicly in China for the first time. At the motor show, Audi underlines its approach to the Chinese market: With products designed and made “in China for China” as well as a dedicated ecosystem, Audi intends to reshape its business in the country. All-electric booth and tailored offerings for China: Audi at Auto Shanghai 2023 At Auto Shanghai 2023, Audi and its two joint-venture partners - First Automotive Works (FAW) and SAIC Motor - showcase their product portfolio for China on a joint booth. Sustainable premium mobility is taking center stage with a lineup of all-electric Audi vehicles. The Formula 1 show car featuring the four rings’ signature livery as well as the Audi A6 Avant e-tron concept and the Audi urbansphere concept are displayed publicly in China for the first time. At the motor show, Audi underlines its approach to the Chinese market: With products designed and made “in China for China” as well as a dedicated ecosystem, Audi intends to reshape its business in the country. Audi presents Formula 1 project in China Audi is presenting its Formula 1 project in China for the first time from April 18 to 27: The F1 show car with the striking Audi Launch Livery is a central element of the brand’s presence at Auto Shanghai. Audi CEO Markus Duesmann has provided insight into the current progress of the project during the press conference. More information about Audi in China