Audi subsidiary celebrates its 40th birthday this year Oliver Hoffmann: “We have a clear goal: to successfully carry the sporting DNA of the four rings into the electric future” Rolf Michl: “The Nürburgring isa magical place for us” Sebastian Grams: “We want to shape the future of mobility in the high-performance segment ina sustainable and progressive way”
Almost 40 years ago – on October 10, 1983 – Audi Sport GmbH, asitis known now, was founded as quattro GmbH. Today, it shapes the sporty and exclusive image of the brand with the four rings. At Audi, the vehicles with the red rhombus stand for performance and sportiness. The birthday celebrations begin at the Nürburgring 24 Hours next weekend (May 18–21).
40 years, more than 250,000 vehicles produced in the past ten years alone and more than 400 clinched motorsport titles meet 20.832 kilometers, 73 turns and elevation changes of more than 300 meters – key figures that stand for Audi Sport GmbH and also the legendary Nordschleife – also known as the “Green Hell” – of the Nürburgring. This has shaped Audi Sport GmbH like no other race track. The circuit in the Eifel region and the wholly owned subsidiary of AUDI AG share a close relationship – both in racing and in the high-performance vehicles of the series. Audi Sport has been an official partner of the 24-hour race since 2002 and provides the “official cars” to the race organizers. Since 2009, the Audi R8 LMShas been competing in the Eifel marathon, which isoneof the annual highlights of Audi Sport customer racing. The customer racing division has been part of the former quattro GmbH since 2011. With six overall victories and three additional GT3 class wins to date, Audi is the most successful manufacturer in the GT3 eraof the endurance classic at the “Green Hell.”
Roots of the traditional NSU brand go back to 1873. In the anniversary year of 2023, Audi Tradition will bring out a number of NSU highlights from AUDI AG’s historical vehicle collection for events. Ten-part series with classic and exotic cars from NSU’s product history
The traditional NSU brand is celebrating its birthday. In 1873, Christian Schmidt and Heinrich Stoll founded “Mechanische Werkstätte Schmidt & Stoll” in Riedlingen for the production of knitting machines, which later evolved into NSU Motorenwerke AG and ultimately into today’s Audi site in Neckarsulm. Even NSU’s name is closely associated with Neckarsulm, as the company name is derived from the city on the Neckar and Sulm rivers. NSU impressively demonstrates the development of mobility – from bicycles and motorcycles to automobiles. For its 150th anniversary, Audi Tradition is bringing out a number of NSU highlights from its historical vehicle collection. The special exhibition “Innovation, audacity and transformation”, a cooperation project between Audi Tradition and the German Bicycle and NSU Museum (Deutsches Zweirad- und NSU-Museum), is also under construction. The exhibition will beon display at the Audi Forum in Neckarsulm and at the German Bicycle and NSU Museum in Neckarsulm starting on June 14.
“There areso many stories to tell from the long history of NSU,” said Tobias Fräbel, an employee at Audi Tradition responsible for the corporate archives of the Neckarsulm site and the NSU brand. “Since we can’t tell all the stories in just one text, Audi Tradition will offer stories and background information about the company, its products, its involvement in racing and much more throughout the year.” These posts can be found on Audi Tradition’s Instagram channel and in the Audi MediaCenter. There, Audi Tradition will launch a ten-part series.
Audi R8 V10 performance RWD now with 570 PS High-performance sports car complements R8 V10 performance quattro and boasts new equipment highlights and driving dynamics features 60 percent carryover parts with LMS GT4, produced at “Böllinger Höfe” plant
Even more power, even more fun: the true meaning of “performance” at the Audi Sport GmbH. The new R8 V10 performance RWDis available asa Coupé or Spyder with 30PS extra, a sporty complement to the R8 V10 performance quattro. This rear-wheel drive sports car, with its mid-mounted engine boasting 419 kW (570 PS) and new technological highlights such as bucket seats, dynamic steering, CFK stabilizers and ceramic disc brakes, is the embodiment of fun driving.
The Audi R8 V10 performance RWD (Rear Wheel Drive) is the sporty new cutting edge of serial rear-wheel drive sports cars from Audi.
Neckarsulm site producing the first fully electric Audi tobe built in Germany Accepting orders from spring 2021 Audi Board of Management Member for Production Kössler: “Net carbon-neutral production at the Böllinger Höfe is another step toward the achievement of our sustainability goals”
At the Böllinger Höfe, passion meets precision, innovation and sustainability: Series production of the fully electric-powered Audi e-tron GTis getting underway there. High performance and environmental awareness go hand-in-hand here. With 100 percent eco-electricity and heat from regenerative sources, production is net carbon-neutral. The resource-conserving vehicle production process also avoids paper and packaging, usesan aluminum closed loop, and ina first for a new Audi model was planned without any physical prototypes at all.
Series production of the Audi e-tron GT, the brand’s most powerful electric vehicle is launching at the Neckarsulm site. The production process at the Audi Böllinger Höfe is every bit as unique as the car itself. No vehicle bearing the four rings has ever been readied for series production as quickly.
First electrically powered Audi produced in Germany Production in Neckarsulm combines high tech and craftsmanship e-tron GT and Audi R8 travel through the same assembly line Gran Turismo sounds powerful and progressive thanks to own e-sound
Passion for detail, maximum precision, and top quality: The new Audi e-tron GT reflects all the passion with which Audi develops and builds cars. For the production of the electrically powered Gran Turismo at Audi Böllinger Höfe at the Neckarsulm site, the company uses customized new technologies – however, the finishing touches are applied by highly skilled hands. And since the dynamic work ofart must also sound good, Audi has brought musical flair and technical competence to bear in composing a unique sound for the e-tron GT. It sounds powerful and progressive – just asan Audi should.
Production of the Audi e-tron GT The Audi e-tron GTis the brand’s first fully electric car tobe built in Germany. The Gran Turismo will start rolling off the production line at Audi Böllinger Höfe at the Neckarsulm site at the end of 2020. The small-series production facility has been expanded, upgraded, and converted for its new role. The skilled craftsmanship from the previous facility has been retained and is supplemented by digital processes and smart technologies. During the expansion, production planners made useof new virtual methods. The tests of the work procedures on the assembly line and the logistic processes were conducted in the virtual domain for the first time, with container planning also performed with the help ofVR technology. Production of the e-tron GTwas designed without physical prototypes – a first at Audi. Large areas of the body of the all-electric Gran Turismo are constructed from ultra-high-strength steel and aluminum.
The racing car has won the 24 Hours on the Nürburgring five times since 2012 Edition model pays tribute to the legendary victories in the “Green Hell” Paint finish in Tioman green, interior with Alcantara and exclusive contrasting stitching V10 naturally aspirated engine with 620 PS, zero to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 3.1 seconds
The Audi R8 LMShas notched up five overall victories since 2012 in the 24 Hours on the Nürburgring – the “Green Hell” –, which is regarded asoneof the world’s toughest and most popular endurance races. Asa tribute to the great success story, Audi Sport GmbH is presenting a limited special edition of the road sports car at this year’s race on the Nürburgring – the R8 green hell.
“Weare synonymous with high performance – in both series production and motorsport,” says Julius Seebach, Managing Director of Audi Sport GmbH. “The R8 road sports car and the R8 LMS racing car were designed and developed jointly; around half of their parts are identical. The R8 green hell edition model draws on the proximity to motorsport, while also paying tribute to our legendary victories on the Nürburgring.” The close connection between road sports car and racing car is also underscored at this year’s 24 Hours on the Nürburgring race. The GT3 racing car with number 1, which isusedby the Audi Sport Team Phoenix, is visually adapted to the R8 green hell with its foil wrap in dark green. Nico Müller/Frank Stippler/Dries Vanthoor/Frédéric Vervisch (CH/D/B/B), all of whom have won the race at least once, are the four Audi drivers that will take turns behind the wheel of the R8 LMS. Two-time winner Frank Stippler in particular, who knows the “Green Hell” better than most, has close ties with the R8.
Heis connected with the history of Audi Sport like no other racing driver. His greatest accomplishments include winning the 24 Hours races of Spa in 2012 and the Nürburgring (2012 and 2019). Stippler was part of the team right from the start, when the GT3 racing car Audi R8 LMS debuted in 2009. Aside from his skills asa driver, he also contributed his engineering expertise. Ever since then, ithas been hard to imagine the development of customer sport racing cars and even sporty road models without him. This applies to the RS models as well as the R8** high-performance sports car, which was extensively updated at the beginning of 2019 – as Coupé**, as Spyder**, and asan R8 V10 RWD** with rear-wheel drive. Stippler’s latest coup isa lap record on the North Loop, which he set with anRS Q8** in the fall of 2019. The clock stopped after 7 minutes and 42.253 seconds – attested bya notary – and the racing professional from Cologne had beaten the former best time for standard SUVs by twelve seconds. While the new record was not the aim of the development work, itis nevertheless clear proof of the immense dynamism that Audi’s most sporty Q model hasto offer. Oliver Hoffmann: “The North Loop is the ultimate endurance test” “The North Loop represents the ultimate endurance test in our development and coordination work,” explains Oliver Hoffmann, Managing Director of Audi Sport GmbH. “Every RS model undergoes at least 8,000 kilometers of testing here. The track provides us with detailed information about the durability of our parts under extreme conditions and specifics about the suspension. With the RS Q8**, our main focus wason the setup of the springs, dampers, and the ESP as well as the performance characteristics of the roll stabilization and the sport differential” What distinguishes the character of Audi’s fastest SUV?
Study combines the sportiness ofa coupe with the utility ofa compact SUV Powerful and efficient e-tron quattro drive with Audi Wireless Charging technology Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg: “A glimpse of how we might imagine a new model ina future TT family*”
The Audi TT offroad concept breaks the mold, combining the sportiness ofa coupe with the lifestyle and utility ofa compact SUV. The four-door model, which Audi is presenting at the Beijing International Automobile Exhibition, adds an entirely new expression to the Audi design language. Its plug-in hybrid drive with two electric motors and a system output of 300 kW (408hp) provides for dynamic performance, yet consumes on average just 1.9 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers (123.8 US mpg).
*The collective fuel consumption of all models named above and available on the German market can be found in the list provided at the end of this MediaInfo.
“The Audi TT offroad concept provides a glimpse of how we might imagine a new model in the future TT family,” says Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Member of the Board of Management for Technical Development. “It combines the sporty genes of the TT with the strengths ofa compact Audi SUV. Its plug‑in hybrid drive with the option of inductive charging isa major step toward the mobility of the future. We chose to present the Audi TT offroad concept in China, our second domestic market, because it represents the urban mobility of tomorrow: Itis sustainable, dynamic, intelligent and connected.” The plug-in hybrid drive The plug‑in hybrid drive in the Audi TT offroad concept delivers 300 kW (408hp) of system output and 650 Nm (479.2 lb‑ft) of system torque. The show car accelerates from 0to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 5.2 seconds and reaches the electronically governed top speed of 250 km/h (155.3 mph) without any trouble. It consumes just 1.9 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers (123.8 US mpg), a CO2 equivalent of45 grams per kilometer (72.4 g/mile).