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Return to Germany: with Mattias Ekström’s 14th DTM victory in its pocket, Audi returns to Germany from the DTM’s first round at Valencia, Spain. The third round of Europe’s most popular touring car series will be held at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz from June 4 to 6. The Swede has a very special relationship with this circuit.

With the A2 concept technology study, Audi is offering a peek at electric driving in the megacities of the future. The purely electric powered A2 concept is a classic space concept: a premium vehicle for metropolitan areas featuring generous amounts of space and composed road manners. Audi A2 concept and Audi urban concept The technology study is packed full with attractive, intelligent technologies. An innovative body technology – a further development of Audi’s ultra-lightweight construction – limits its weight to just 1,150 kilograms (2,535.32 lb). Audi connect technologies provide an Internet connection; the steering and brakes are purely electric (by-wire) systems. Exterior design The Audi A2 concept demonstrates the complete skill set of the Audi designers in a compact space. It is just 3,804 millimeters (149.76 in) long, 1,693 millimeters (66.65 in) wide and 1,494 millimeters (58.82 in) high; even so, it makes it makes and elegant, powerful and sporty impression on the road. As is typical for Audi, its clean appearance concentrates fully on the essentials. The opaque glass roof of the show car finished in flat Electric White becomes transparent at the push of a button. When an electric voltage is applied, small particles integrated into the glass align so that the light can pass through the glazing unhindered. When the glass roof is darkened, however, it blocks the infrared component of the sunlight almost completely, effectively shadowing the interior. This is a further contribution to efficient temperature management in the purely electric powered Audi A2 concept. As with every Audi, the front of the technology study is dominated by the single-frame grill, in this case, in a special version tailored to electrical operation. The upper two-thirds are designed as a closed, folding surface, behind which are the charging socket and the cooling water connection. The four Audi rings are intensively sculpted; the engine hood is permanently bolted to the body.

The FSI technology was developed by Audi and used during the Le Mans victories in 2001 and 2002 and is now available on the A2 1.6 FSI and A4 2.0 FSI roadcars. A further award has been given to Audi works driver Tom Kristensen: England´s Motorsport News voted the winner of the American Le Mans Series 2002 (ALMS) "Sportscar driver of the year 2002".

Booklet features a selection of more than two dozen anniversaries The launch of the Audi A2 25 years ago; the first new Audi in post-war times 60 years ago; and Hans Stuck’s record-breaking exploits in the “world’s fastest road-going car” near Lucca 90 years ago With the “Anniversary Dates 2025” booklet, Audi Tradition is showcasing the most important moments in the product and company history of Audi, which is as eventful as it is diverse. Audi historians have selected a total of 27 dates to commemorate in 2025. Twenty-five years ago, the Audi A2 hit the market. With its aluminum body, it made a name for itself as a progressive compact car: light, aerodynamic, and economical. The Audi A2 polarized opinion with its design and unusual proportions; the concept was ahead of its time. However, sales remained below expectations, and Audi ended production after roughly five years and 176,377 units built. Since then, the A2 became a fan favorite and is now a sought-after collector’s item. Sixty years ago, the first post–World War II Audi rolled off the production line. With the “Auto Union Audi” vehicle, Auto Union GmbH revived the tradition-steeped Audi brand name in 1965. The new name was meant to show that this car represented a fresh start for Auto Union in terms of technology. The Audi was the first car from the brand with four rings to feature a four-cylinder four-stroke engine, and it marked the beginning of a new era in Ingolstadt. Twenty years later, on January 1, 1985, Audi NSU Auto Union AG was renamed AUDI AG, and since that time, the company and its products have shared the same short, memorable name. Ninety years ago, in February 1935, a spectacular attempt to break speed records took place in Italy. After test drives in October 1934 with the Grand Prix racing car on the AVUS in Berlin, the Auto Union racing department started developing the vehicle that would later be known as the “Lucca” car.

He then held various management positions within Audi Toolmaking at the Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm sites, in charge of projects for example for the Audi A2, for design technology and for the machine park. Subsequently, Tarek Mashhour was responsible for toolmaking at VW do Brasil. After returning to Audi, he moved to the Procurement division, where he was in charge of purchased‑parts management. In 2009, he was appointed Head of Planning for the Audi’s Neckarsulm, China and Lamborghini plants. After that, he was responsible for production planning at the plants in Brussels (Belgium) and Győr (Hungary), as well as for the planning and implementation of the new Audi plant in San José Chiapa (Mexico). From September 2016, Tarek Mashhour was responsible for the production strategy of AUDI AG, including the key area of digitization. Starting in October 2018, he was the head of series production for electric models at Audi. Since November 1, 2020, Dr. Tarek Mashhour has been Executive President of Audi México.

In his very first year as a works driver for Audi, he won his fourth victory at the "Monte" together with co-pilot Christian Geistdörfer, in an Audi Rally quattro A2. At the classic Histo-Monte winter rally, contestants have to cover 1,800 kilometres in unpredictable weather conditions. Audi Tradition does not want to subject the material of the valuable original racing cars to this challenge. Accordingly, Audi Tradition has built a car especially for such events: the bodywork is from an Audi Rally quattro A2 which Audi Sport used as a test car and later as an show car in the 1980s. Subsequently, the car was added to the historical collection of Audi Tradition. The body and the interior are of the technological standard of the 1980s. The vehicle's livery is also authentic. Instead of maintenance-intensive racing technology, the suspension and drive train are from the Audi quattro series-production model. "Our new vehicle opens up completely new possibilities for us," explained Timo Witt, Head of the Historic Vehicle Collection at Audi Tradition. "We protect our historic racing cars as an automobile heritage. While, at the same time, offering the fans and spectators a great experience." Audi Tradition is exhibiting two original competition cars at the start of the rally: the Audi Rally quattro A2, built in 1984, and the Audi Sport quattro S1, built in 1985. This year, the AvD-Histo-Monte celebrates its 25th year. The routing of the regularity rally is based on previous Monte Carlo rallies. Approximately 80 participants will be setting off from Frankfurt this year, and they will be awaited at intermediate stops including Freiburg, Aix-les-Bains, Cannes and the legendary Col de Turini, before arriving four days later at the traditional finish in the harbour of Monte Carlo.

The Audi A2 represents another milestone in aerodynamics. At its debut at the IAA in 1999, its design, geared towards optimum streamlining and unusual proportions at the time, polarized public opinion. The basic model with an aluminum Audi Space Frame body achieved a drag coefficient of 0.28. The Audi engineers continued to tighten the aerodynamic screw with many individual measures and, in this way, reduced the drag coefficient of the Audi A2 1.2 TDI even further. The Audi A2 1.2 TDI is the world's first four-door, three-liter car and will be part of the special exhibition "Form vollendet"; it has a drag coefficient of 0.25 and an average fuel consumption of 2.99 liters per 100 kilometers. Curator Stefan Felber reveals his favorite inclusion in the upcoming exhibition: “The DKW F9 has a special meaning for me – it is the link between the two exhibitions, Windschnittig and Form vollendet. What’s more, this streamlined and seemingly plain car represents the new beginning of Auto Union in West Germany and IFA in East Germany.”

Audi Tradition also brought along the Audi quattro A2 Group B rally car, which competed in the 1983 Rally Finland. In addition, a DKW F 91 and a DKW Hartmann Formula V caused quite a stir. For Ken Block, the weekend trip to Europe was like a visit to automotive paradise. “The laps in the Audi RS Q e-tron were a phenomenal experience – even though the car probably feels more comfortable in the desert than in the snow,” said Ken Block. “Thanks to Mattias Ekström, who patiently explained all the special features of his car to me. A few minutes behind the wheel was enough to understand the fascination of this car.” Mattias Ekström was impressed. “It only took three turns for Ken to get fully up to speed,” said the Swede, who, with ninth place, was the most successful Audi driver in the 2022 Dakar Rally. For Ekström, the event in Austria was also the perfect preparation for his participation in the prestigious “Race of Champions”, which was held in the north of Sweden last weekend. Ekström only had to admit defeat to the eventual winner Sébastien Loeb in the semifinals. In addition to testing the Audi RS Q e-tron, Ken Block also took a little trip down memory lane and drifted around the circuit in the Audi quattro A2. For the American, who was inspired by Audi rally cars as a teenager, this was a personal highlight: “An insane moment that I won’t forget in a hurry.” Soon there will be even more moments like this: With the purely electric Audi S1 e-tron quattro Hoonitron, which Audi developed as a one-off exclusively for Ken Block and which was inspired by the Audi Sport quattro S1, the Hoonigan team is producing a video entitled “Electrikhana” that will be released in the next few months and will be the latest chapter of their “Gymkhana” series. Video: Mattias Ekström and Ken Block in the Audi RS Q e-tron