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quattro is Audi, and Audi is quattro. The all-wheel-drive system is one of the core areas of expertise of the four rings and represents optimum traction on any surface. The quattro drive system is used in conjunction with the RS Torque Splitter for the first time in the Audi RS 3. Drifting in an all-wheel-drive car? This is how it works in the RS 3 ...

Daniel Abt and René Rast two of the protagonists in GP Ice Race Audi e-tron FE04 and Audi RS 5 DTM with studded tires for the first time Walter Röhrl completes Audi show in historic Audi Sport quattro Spectacular scenes in Austria: At the GP Ice Race in Zell am See, Formula E Teams’ Champion Daniel Abt and DTM Champion René Rast ventured onto snow and ice in their race cars at temperatures far below freezing. In action for Audi Sport as well were rally legend Walter Röhrl and freestyle skiing star Benedikt Mayr. These pictures are traveling around the world: At the successful revival of the traditional ice race in Zell am See, a trio of Audi race cars thrilled the large crowd of spectators. Daniel Abt drove the Audi e-tron FE04 with which the Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler team had won the title in the 2017/2018 ABB Formula E Championship. René Rast was at the wheel of his Audi RS 5 DTM. The spectacular appearance on snow and ice was completed by World Rally Champion Walter Röhrl at the wheel of a historic Audi Sport quattro. “This was a super-nice weekend with a fantastic atmosphere and fantastic people,” said Daniel Abt. “It was the first time for me to drive a Formula E car on ice. A cool feeling! It was incredibly good fun – also seeing the fans when you set yourself up for the corners and then drift through them. I hope that I’ll have the opportunity to take part in the event again next year.” Abt successfully tried his skills at the traditional skijoring where a skier is pulled by a car as well. Since this weekend, freestyle skier Benedikt Mayr has been the first human to have ever been suspended from the rope attached to a Formula E race car on snow and ice. “That was great. Now I’m looking forward to visit a Formula E race,” said the German. Clearly more difficult conditions were encountered by René Rast.

Spectacular outing for Timo Scheider: the Audi DTM driver competed in the star-studded snowmobile race Formula Snow at the weekend in Saalbach Hinterglemm (A). In the chase through Hinterglemm town center, Scheider and his team mates competed against professional Skidoo riders and enjoyed a turbulent race. Due to technical problems, the snowmobile fielded by Scheider’s team initially ran in last place. He took the lead following a frantic fightback before a collision just before the finish meant fourth place. The two-time DTM Champion, who won the race last year, found himself in illustrious company: in addition to many snowmobile professionals, ex-model Heather Mills, singer Rea Garvey and former Baywatch babe Pamela Anderson dared to ride the snowmobile.

A change of surface did not slow down the pace for Audi DTM drivers Jamie Green and René Rast. The duo, which will be racing for Audi Sport Team Rosberg in the 2017 DTM season, joined four fellow DTM drivers from BMW and Mercedes-Benz for the DTM Ice Challenge in Sweden, featuring road cars from all three manufacturers. The brand with the four rings was represented by the Audi S5 Sportback. The picturesque location provided the ideal frozen lake setting for the duels that included plenty of thrills and spills for the participants. “Driving on ice is not something that I have done much of before, but it was fun with a nice change and a new challenge,” said Green. DTM rookie Rast also thoroughly enjoyed the day’s action: “It is a very different and special event that is very removed from what we’re used to and it was also a nice form of team building.” Following the weekend’s fun in Sweden, the focus switches to the unveiling of the new Audi RS 5 DTM at the Geneva Motor Show on Tuesday, March 7.

The winners of a contest experienced the 367-hp Audi RS 3 Sportback on snow and ice as passengers of the two DTM Champions Mattias Ekström and Timo Scheider. Under the guidance of Chief Instructor Sepp Haider, they were subsequently allowed to take the wheel of an Audi S5 themselves. “A cool event with lots of fun for the readers, as well as for us,” the two Audi DTM stars unanimously said.

Daniel Abt, René Rast and Benoît Tréluyer put in a spectacular show in Zell am See Audi e-tron FE06 and Audi RS 5 DTM sideways on ice and snow Rally legend Stig Blomqvist drives historic Audi Sport quattro Spectacular drifts on ice and snow: at the second running of the GP Ice Race in Austria’s Zell am See, Formula E driver Daniel Abt and DTM champion René Rast tackled slippery terrain with their Audi race cars. The 1984 World Rally Champion Stig Blomqvist and triple Le Mans winner Benoît Tréluyer joined the Audi show. Hildegard Wortmann, member of the Board of Managament responsible for marketing and sales, was present and joined René Rast in the Audi RS 5 DTM as well as Stig Blomqvist in the Audi Sport quattro for several fast laps. “It was an impressive experience,” she said. “It was great to see the enthusiasm of the many fans at the circuit, they were treated to a tremendous show: a unique event that connects the history, the present and the future of motorsport.” After the traditional ice race in Zell am See had celebrated a revival after 45 years last year, Audi racing drivers again treated spectators to an enthralling show. Daniel Abt turned several spectacular laps on snow with his Audi e-tron FE06 from the FIA Formula E and pulled the freestyle ski ace Benedikt Mayr on a rope, in traditional skijoring-style, behind his Formula E racer. “Bene is a professional skier, I drive race cars, so we had the idea to do something together here again,” said Abt. “Over time, this event with exciting racing cars from several marques and eras has turned into a hot spot of the motor racing scene. The drivers spend a great day together, there’s no competition pressure, and we give the fans a great show.” In difficult conditions around freezing point, the two-time DTM champion René Rast shared driving duties in his Audi RS 5 DTM #33 with Frenchman Benoît Tréluyer.

Snow in final! Qualifying winner Andreas Bakkerud finishes fourth Mattias Ekström misses final at Montalegre by 0.5 seconds Sun, rain and even snow in the end: totally crazy April weather in round two of the FIA World Rallycross Championship (World RX) and a roller coaster ride for EKS Audi Sport. After positions one and three in qualifying, expectations of the two Audi campaigners, Andreas Bakkerud and Mattias Ekström, in Portugal had been higher than positions four and seven. Andreas Bakkerud is an extremely fast learner. Still in fifth position after day one at Montalegre, the new driver at EKS Audi Sport made a really strong showing on Sunday. On his favorite track in the mountains of Northern Portugal, the Norwegian won Q3 and Q4, so securing overall victory in qualifying ahead of Sébastien Loeb in a Peugeot. His teammate, Mattias Ekström, completed the strong qualifying performance of the Audi S1 EKS RX quattro cars in position three. Then the first setback in the semi-finals: After having been bumped by Peugeot driver Kevin Hansen in turn one, Ekström, in fourth position, missed the final – for the first time since Canada in early August 2017. Bakkerud lost a position due to the tussle as well but, in second place, made it into the final anyhow. But then Bakkerud, in his 51st run in the World Rallycross Championship, experienced a premiere: snow! “I’ve never driven a supercar on snow before,” said the Norwegian. “The conditions were extremely difficult. In the end, I only finished fourth. But the joy about my first qualifying victory in the Audi S1 EKS RX quattro outweighs any disappointment.” With his strong performance the Audi driver advanced to second place in the World Championship. “Today again showed how close victory and defeat are together in rallycross,” said Ekström, who was half a second short of making it into the final. “Following the qualifying heats, things looked promising but then, after turn one of our semi-finals, really bad.

US drift artist drives Mattias Ekström’s Dakar car Historic treasures from Audi Tradition at the GP Ice Race Ken Block: “A phenomenal experience” This was a car swap of a very special kind: with Mattias Ekström as the instructor in the co-driver’s seat, Ken Block tested the Audi RS Q e-tron with start number 224 on snow and ice. The outing during the GP Ice Race in Zell am See (Austria) was the spectacular prototype’s first appearance after its successful debut in the famous Dakar Rally. The Audi RS Q e-tron, with which Audi clinched four stage victories in January, was just one of the stars on the icy course in Zell am See. 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.