Zandvoort Report

The newest racing machine out of the Audi AG shops is definitely a show stopper, both on and off track. The new Audi A4 was a class unto itself in both practice sessions at Zandvoort, Netherlands.

In the DTM series, the first day of on-track activity is considered, like many top touring and endurance series, more of a shakedown/test day rather than showing what you have to your competition. Yet, Audi may have tipped their hand on Friday unless the Mercedes factory teams were holding back.

"Things are starting out well again, an experience we're almost used to at Zandvoort," said current points leader Timo Scheider. "That's great because it's the circuit I've been looking forward to more than to any other one. Although that doesn't mean much we did reel off a long distacnce in the first practice session. That worked out quite well. In the second test, we were able to concentrate on the setup for the qualifying and immediately headed in the right direction."

The first session had Audi in the top four positions of the time chart with Timo Scheider (Audi Sport Team Abt) at a best lap of 1:34.170 followed by his teammate Tom Kristensen at 1:34.240, a mere 0.070 seconds adrift.

"With stable weather, Friday made it possible for us to do the work we'd planned on," said Audi Head of Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. "Having eight cars in the top ten is a good sign, but it shouldn't be overrated. We did some good basic work and simulated a racing distance very well with Tom Kristensen. We've accomplished a solid preparation for the weekend."

In the Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline A4 for third was Mattias Ekstrom at 1:34.336 with Audi Sport Team Phoenix's Oliver Jarvis fourth with a 1:34.457 in the year-old Audi A4.

Adrift of the overall pace setter by nearly three-tenths of a second was Paul di Resta for AMG Mercedes with a 1:34.465 to place fifth in the first test of the day.

di Resta and team did not fare as well in the afternoon runs, nearly six-tenths off the fast lap laid down again by Scheider. The Audi driver topped both speed charts with his best lap of the day at 1:33.935.

The second test saw Ekstrom's teammate Martin Tomczyk take the second fastest time of the day at 1:33.935, only 0.26 seconds off the pace of Scheider. Ekstrom hit his best lap of 1:24.047 to again be third in the session.

Jarvis kept a Mercedes at bay with his time of 1:24.112 to remain in the top four overall Friday times a the end of the day.

For the stern AMG Mercedes team it was Gary Paffett taking the fifth best of the day at 1:34.292 and closed the gap a bit by being only four-tenths off the pace of Scheider.

Mercedes has their work cut out to find the extra speed needed on the Dutch circuit to stay in touch with Audi's performance, not only today but with their past win record at the unique sand dune circuit.

Audi's year-to-date sales increase in China - Russia

German automobile manufacturer Audi has reported that its automobile sales in China increased to 60,509 units between January 2008 and June 2008.
The deliveries of the Audi A6L, produced in Changchun, China, climbed 18% to 42,969 units and sales of Audi A4 increased 20% to 10,819 units from January 2008 to June 2008.

The growth figures for imported vehicles doubled, with sales of the Audi A8 increasing 50% to 2,431 units, while sales of the Audi Q7 rose to 2,663 units, up 90% as compared to the first half-year of 2007.

Rupert Stadler, chairman of the board of management of Audi, said: "We are extremely satisfied with the positive development in our second home market and will continue to enlarge our production capacity."

Deliveries increased to about 90,000 cars and sport-utility vehicles last month from 88,846 a year ago, Ingolstadt, Germany- based Audi said today in a statement. Six-month sales gained 1.4 percent to more than 516,000 vehicles, marking a record for the division of Europe's largest carmaker.

Audi is ``already 2 percent ahead'' of a plan to increase sales to more than 1 million vehicles this year from 964,151 in 2007, Chief Executive Officer Rupert Stadler said in the statement. The automaker is introducing an updated version of the A3 compact in July and will begin selling a new version of its best-selling A4 sedan in the U.S. in September after introducing the car in Germany at the end of 2007.

``We'll harvest the fruits of this product offensive in the fourth quarter,'' Peter Schwarzenbauer, Audi's head of sales, said in the statement.

The division, which competes with Bayerische Motoren Werke AG and Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz brand, plans to increase its lineup to 40 models from 26 over the next seven years.

Audi's sales in the Asia-Pacific region last month rose 17 percent to about 13,900 vehicles, with deliveries jumping 20 percent to 10,329 in China, the company's biggest market outside Germany. Eastern European sales rose 23 percent to 4,100 vehicles, as Russian deliveries increased 11 percent to 1,668.

Audi R8, “Audi Symphony”

Audi R8, "The Art of Performance"

Audi heads for Zaandvort

Ingolstadt -- If there is one track on which Audi feels particularly at home then it is Zandvoort. Audi won three of the last four DTM races on the circuit around the sand dunes on the North Sea coast of Holland. Last year Audi even filled the top-four positions. The anticipation for the sixth race of the 2008 DTM season is correspondingly great in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm.

Three of the four Audi sport Abt Sportsline drivers have already won a DTM race in Zandvoort: Mattias Ekstrom celebrated his first DTM victory there in 2002. In 2004 he triumphed again on the way to clinching his first DTM title. In 2006 Tom Kristensen won and in 2007 the winner was Martin Tomczyk.

Only Timo Scheider has yet to mount the DTM podium in Zandvoort. The current championship leader is, however, regarded as a Zandvoort specialist: He has already claimed pole position twice on the extremely challenging circuit. Last year he dominated every practice session. For this reason, Scheider travels to the North Sea with a clear goal: He aims to increase his series lead by taking his maiden Zandvoort win.

The foundations are good: The new Audi DTM, which started its 2008 campaign with a one-two-three in April at Hockenheim, should be able to exploit its technical advantages to the maximum around circuits with many corners -- and there are enough corners at Zandvoort. Additionally, the 2008 A4 will be lighter than the current Merc for the first time.

The drivers of last year's A4 also expect to have a much better chance in Zandvoort than last time out at the Norisring. Oliver Jarvis, Alexandre Premat, Mike Rockenfeller and Markus Winkelhock judge the Netherlands track to be one of their favourites.

Christijan Albers won the Zandvoort DTM race in 2003. However, with his two-year-old Audi A4 DTM he is considered an outside bet this time around; despite this, the Dutchman aims to shine in front of his local fans. Zandvoort is new terrain for his team mate Katherine Legge. She will certainly have one reason to celebrate on the North Sea: It is the Briton's birthday on qualifying day.

Due to TV coverage of the Tour de France the battle for pole position begins on Saturday at 5:43 p.m. local time, the race on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. local -- therefore an hour earlier than usual. ARD broadcasts qualifying and the race live on "Das Erste". Free practice is broadcast on www.dtm.tv in the internet. Highlights and background stories can be seen on www.audi.tv

Quotes before the race at the Zandvoort

Dr Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport): "The fact that Zandvoort has always suited our cars over the years and because of what we have seen over the course of the 2008 season to date, I'm very confident that we'll be able to deliver the goods at Zandvoort. We want to use this opportunity to score as many points as possible for Audi."

Mattias Ekstrom (Red Bull Audi A4 DTM #1): "I'm looking forward to Zandvoort. I won my first DTM race there in 2002. I'll be 30 years old there on race day and will try to give myself a perfect present."

Martin Tomczyk (Red Bull Audi A4 DTM #2): "Zandvoort was always an excellent hunting ground for Audi. I've got fond memories of Zandvoort, especially as a result of the perfect team work last year. I hope that I can forget the misery of Norisring as quickly as possible and that things run better for me again in Zandvoort."

Tom Kristensen (Audi A4 DTM #9): "Zandvoort is a wonderful race track located in beautiful surroundings which remind me a little of Denmark. Audi is traditionally very strong on twisty circuits, which is why I'm looking forward to driving our 2008 A4 there. As our car will also be a little lighter, I can see the chance that the podium will be full of Audi drivers."

Timo Scheider (GW:plus/Top Service Audi A4 DTM #10): "I'm looking for the dunes in Zandvoort enormously. I still have a score to settle there, especially as I took pole-position twice already. After dominating every practice session last year, I want to go one better this time and win the race as well. Our A4 should be very strong in Zandvoort."

Alexandre Premat (Audi Bank/Shell Helix Audi A4 DTM #14): "It's very satisfying for me to come to Zandvoort again. It's as good as a home race for me. I love the circuit and the atmosphere. I won there in Formula 3 and almost won the DTM race there last year. I've purposely saved extra tyres for Zandvoort. I hope it pays off."

Oliver Jarvis (Best Buddies Audi A4 DTM #15): "I won the opening race of the A1GP season in Zandvoort last year and obviously have good memories. I can hardly wait to drive on a circuit that I know. I want to score big points!"

Mike Rockenfeller (S line Audi A4 DTM #18): "The circuit suits our car better than at the Norisring. I also like Zandvoort and I've always been quick there. Zandvoort is a real driver's circuit. It's always good to come to Zandvoort."

Markus Winkelhock (Playboy Audi A4 DTM #19): "I've always liked the Zandvoort circuit. I think that we'll also be okay with our year-old Audis, after all one did win there in 2007. We'll have a car with which we can score points."

Katherine Legge (Audi A4 DTM #20): "I only know Zandvoort from the television and have done a few laps on the computer. I'm already very intrigued to see it as I've heard that the circuit should suit our car better than the Norisring. It's always interesting to get to know a new circuit."

Christijan Albers (Audi A4 DTM #21): "It's always a great feeling to race in your home race. The public and the atmosphere at Zandvoort are fantastic. Hopefully the weather will also be good for the fans. It won't be easy for us with the 2006 cars, but we'll give the maximum to bring home a good result."

Hans-Jurgen Abt (Team Director Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline): "Zandvoort is one of the highlights on the calendar -- especially for Audi. Last year we even occupied the top four positions. We have an excellent base from which we expect to bring home a fantastic result. The season only really now begins for us. We are going to up the ante!"

Ernst Moser (Team Director Audi Sport Team Phoenix): "Zandvoort suits us a lot better than the Norisring. Our drivers love Zandvoort and are looking forward to it. As a team we've always been able to get good results in Zandvoort. We aim to build on this. We can achieve a great deal in Zandvoort."

Arno Zensen (Team Director Audi Sport Team Rosberg): "Zandvoort has always been good for surprises. The sand from the dunes blowing across the circuit constantly creates new track conditions. It is beautiful there. The track runs up and downhill. Zandvoort is a driver's circuit which we are looking forward to."

New Audi S4 gets a Supercharged V6

The speculation as to if the new S4 would go back to its turbo charger roots is over. It will receive a new supercharged 3.0 V6 aptly named the 3.0TFSI. At the heart of the upcoming A4/A6, a new 3.0-litre supercharged V6 with direct injection and 1.1 bar boost is expected to produce in the region of 220 kW and 420 N.m of torque between 2500 and 4850 r/min.

Although no details regarding power outputs are known, pundits have suggested 260 kW for the new range-topping variant of the A4. Mated with the new dual clutch S-Tronic transmission, expect the S4 to sprint from zero to 100 km/h in less than six seconds.
Audi says comparative tests showed the mechanical supercharger spins at up to 23 000rpm. It will be released in South Africa in 2009.Audi says comparative tests showed the mechanical supercharger, when combined with direct fuel-injection, gave better performance off idle and more dynamic response, in a more compact package, than a dual-turbo set-up.The Roots-type supercharger is so compact it fits neatly into the vee of the engine; it has a figure-eight shaped chamber with two four-vaned impellers that mesh together as they counter-rotate to push air through the bottom of the casing.It's belt-driven off the crankshaft and spins at up to 23 000rpm to delivering 1000kg of air an hour at a boost pressure of 0.8 bar. The engine has a 10.5:1 compression ratio, also made possible by direct injection; the incoming charge cools the cylinder as it vaporises and helps prevent knock.

Two aluminium, water-to-air intercoolers with their own coolant circuit are built into the compressor housing and the gas paths between compressor and cylinder are very short so torque builds up very quickly, says Audi, enabling it to pull very long gearing.Audi claims it will use less than 10 litres/100km in virtually any longitudinally-engined models, which is what it's intended for.The 90-degree engine block has a bore and stroke of 84.5x89mm for a displacement of 2995cc; the crankcase is reinforced to take the extra thrust on the conrods, the inlet cams can be adjusted through 42 degrees and tumble flaps in the intake ports start the incoming air swirling before it gets to the inlet valves to speed up the mixing process in the cylinder.Audi says the injection hardware is also new, a common-rail system with six-hole injectors that inject the fuel directly into the combustion chambers at 150 bar, with three separate injections per operating cycle to optimise combustion.


Being a big fan of the B5 S4 I loved the twinturbos and I'm not alone, although I enjoyed the V8 there is nothing like the rush of a mildly modified TT S4. I'm sure the new S/C V6 has the intial torque meter of the older S4's but I'm afraid the time of enthusiasts flocking to Audi has come to a stand still.

Audi A4 2.0 TDI Achieves CO2 Emissions of 88 Grams Per Kilometer

The second part of the efficiency drive through Austria and Switzerland, like the first, was thoroughly successful: 20 randomly selected readers of a motoring magazine and a team of two from Audi once again fully exploited the efficiency potential of the new Audi A4 2.0 TDI with an output of 88 kW (120 hp) in order to drive a route of 1,650 kilometers (1,025.26 miles) from Vienna to Basel and back on a single tank of fuel. All eleven teams reached the finish on Sunday: the most efficient driver duo achieved an average fuel consumption of 3.32 liters of diesel fuel per 100 kilometers (70.85 US mpg). This equates to CO2 emissions of 88 grams per kilometer (141.62 g/mile). With these figures, it would even have been possible to cover a distance of over 2,000 kilometers (1242.74 miles).

This achievement once again topped the outstanding result of the first part of the efficiency drive from Basel to Vienna and back. The winning team of that round, which also lasted 1,650 kilometers (1,025.26 miles), had recorded an average fuel consumption of 3.44 liters per 100 kilometers (68.38 US mpg) and CO2 emissions of 91 grams per kilometer (146.45 g/mile). This, however, was at a higher average speed of 81.4 km/h (50.58 mph).

With full concentration from beginning to end and outstanding levels of enthusiasm, the participants in fact managed to surpass the very high expectations. After a total driving time of 22 hours on average with an average speed of between 73 and 80 km/h (45.36 and 49.71 mph), the white Audi A4 cars reached their destination. It thus became clear just what potential there is in the driver’s foot for reducing fuel consumption.

The new two-liter TDI engine provides ideal conditions for economical driving. With a combined consumption figure of just 5.1 liters per 100 kilometers (46.12 US mpg) and CO2 emissions of only 134 grams per kilometer (215.65 g/mile), the efficiency of the sportiest midsize sedan is simply outstanding. At the same time, the A4 is always capable of bringing the impressive dynamism that distinguishes every Audi onto the road.

However, participants in the Audi efficiency competition significantly bettered even these impressive combined consumption figures. The winning team needed just 3.32 liters of diesel fuel per 100 kilometers (70.85 US mpg). This equates to CO2 emissions of only 88 grams per kilometer (141.62 g/mile) – an outstanding figure at an average speed of 74.6 km/h (46.35 mph). Five teams achieved under 3.45 liters (over 68.18 US mpg). But even the Audi in eleventh place recorded an impressive average fuel consumption of 3.50 liters (67.20 US mpg).

To achieve these extremely low figures, the teams had the air conditioning switched off nearly all the time. However, considering the amount of fuel left in the tanks of the eleven Audi A4 cars at the end, it would certainly have been possible to enjoy the comfort of the high-performance, ultra-efficient automatic air conditioning as well.

No VAG F1 team due to Max Mosley "Nazi Orgy" Fiasco...

The VW Audi group has decided it would be unwise to create an F1 team under the current controversy with FIA head Max Mosley.

Max Mosley, one of the most powerful men in world sport, was under pressure to resign as boss of Formula One’s governing body last night after he was exposed enjoying a Nazi-style orgy with five prostitutes.

Jewish groups condemned the behaviour of Mosley, 67, whose father, Sir Oswald, was the leader of the British Union of Fascists and a friend of Adolf Hitler.

Mr Mosley was caught on video by the News of the World with five women in an underground “torture chamber” in Chelsea, where he spent several hours allegedly indulging in sado-masochistic sex.

The Oxford-educated former barrister, who is president of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), reenacted a concentration camp scene in which he played the role of both guard and inmate.

Speaking in German and brandishing a leather whip, he beat the women after allowing himself to be subjected to a humiliating inspection for lice and an interrogation in chains.

Mr Mosley, a close confidant of Bernie Ecclestone, who holds the commercial rights to Formula One, paid £2,500 cash for the sex services, the Sunday newspaper claimed.

His antics stunned Jewish leaders and motorsport insiders. “This is sick and depraved,” Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said. “For anyone to be in such a position of influence and power beggars belief. I am absolutely appalled.”

Stephen Smith, director of the Holocaust Centre, said: “As Mr Mosley has condemned the racism in motor sport he should live up to the standards he sets. This is an insult to millions of victims, survivors and their families. He should apologise. He should resign from the sport.”

Sir Stirling Moss, the former world champion racing driver whose father was Jewish, said: “I don’t see how he can continue. I hope he can, frankly, because I think he’s very good at what he does. I suppose what goes on behind closed doors is his business but when a thing comes out like this . . . it’s an absolute shocker.”

Mr Mosley, whose two years in Germany as a young teenager gave him fluency in the language, has helped to turn Formula One into a multi-billion-pound business since he became FIA president in 1993. The FIA is a nonprofit association that represents the interests of motoring organisations and car users worldwide.

Mr Ecclestone said that he was shocked by the allegations but did not expect Mr Mosley’s position to be affected. “I’ve known him an awful long time. If somebody had told me this without the evidence I would have found it difficult to believe,” he said.

“Assuming it’s all true, what people do privately is up to them. I don’t honestly believe [it] affects the sport in any way. Knowing Max it might be all a bit of a joke. You know, it’s one of those things where he’s sort of taking the p***, rather than anything against Jewish people.”

Mr Mosley, who lives in Monaco, is understood to be pursuing legal action against the News of The World for breach of privacy. His spokesman said: “This is a matter between Mr Mosley and the newspaper in question and the FIA has no comment.”

Martin Brundle, the driver-turned-pundit who was recently the subject of a libel action brought by Mr Mosley, said: “It’s not appropriate behaviour for the head of any global body such as the FIA.”

Mr Mosley, who once harboured ambitions to be a parliamentary candidate for the Conservative Party, is known for being eccentric and outspoken. Nicknamed “Mad Max” by some in motorsport, he once said he didn’t mind flak because he came from a family used to getting it all the time.

Hitler was present at the wedding of his father, Oswald, and mother, Diana, which took place in Joseph Goebbels’s drawing room. They were interned in Holloway and Brixton prisons for their Fascist connections.

Most recently, Mr Mosley stood up against racism in Formula One by giving warning of immediate sanctions if there was a repeat of the abuse against Lewis Hamilton, the only black driver on the circuit, in Barcelona during testing this season.

The wit and wisdom of Max Mosley

He goes around dressed up as a Thirties music hall man. He’s a certified halfwit”
On Sir Jackie Stewart (a dyslexic)

There was always a certain amount of trouble until I came into motor racing. ‘Mosley, he must be some relation of Alf Mosley, the coachbuilder'. And I thought to myself, ‘I’ve found a world where they don’t know about Oswald Mosley’. And it has always been a bit like that in motor racing: nobody gives a darn”
On being the son of Sir Oswald Mosley

There is always somebody new. If it wasn’t him it would be one of the other new stars . . . There is a tendency to exaggerate the importance of Hamilton”
On British motor racing star Lewis Hamilton

Biela's future with Audi!?!

Biela's future with Audi's sportscar team is in doubt following the German manufacturer's decision to replace him with Dindo Capello in their American Le Mans Series line-up.

Capello, who won the Le Mans 24 Hours with Allan McNish and Tom Kristensen two weeks ago, will share the No.1 Audi R10 TDi with Emanuele Pirro for at least the next two races, at Lime Rock Park in a fortnight and Mid-Ohio a week later. The switch casts a shadow over Biela's future as Audi revealed he was only contracted to contest races prior to Le Mans.
It leaves the five-time Le Mans winner without a race programme for the rest of the season and with no deal in place to remain with Audi beyond this year.
Biela is also a two-time ALMS champion, while Capello is already the most successful driver in ALMS history with 26 race wins and also has two titles to his name, having won the LMP1 championship with McNish for the last two seasons.

The New Audi Valvelift System

Taking a que from Honda more power and torque with less fuel consumption – that is the dream of every engine designer. With the Audi valvelift system, which manages the inlet valve timing in a gasoline engine in a very innovative way, that dream becomes a reality. Audi uses this technology for its direct-injection 2.8 and 3.2-liter V6-FSI engines in the A4, A5, A6 and A8.

The cylinder head in the case of a vehicles engine. The aim is to open and close the valves in such a way that the correct charge of air is always drawn into the cylinders. The first breakthrough came years ago with the rotation of the camshaft by means of adjusters – permitting the valve opening and closing times to be varied. The Audi valvelift system now achieves the next step – variable control of the valve lift, thus influencing the cross-section of the intake duct.

How it works: The two inlet camshafts are equipped with teeth. On each of them sit three cam elements – cylindrical sleeves, on the outside of which there are spiral grooves. There are six metal pins integrated into the ladder frames of each of the two cylinder heads, which extend by four millimeters, powered by lightning-fast electromagnetic actuators. Two of them are responsible for each cam element.

The top illustration on page 2 of this newsletter shows the right-hand pin in action. It engages in the groove of the rotating cam element and so pushes it by seven millimeters to the right on the shaft. It is locked in the end position by means of a spring-loaded pin. The metal pin, now idle, is pushed back mechanically.

Each cam element carries two adjacent profiles for small and large valve lifts. When pushed to the right the cam element is in the full load position, where the voluminous full-load profiles (shown in red in the drawing) operate the especially narrow roller cam followers. They open the two inlet valves with a lift of 11.0 mm – ideal for high charge volumes and flow speeds in the combustion chamber.

Under partial load the cam element is pushed to the left by the left-hand pin; now the small cam profiles come into play. They open the valves with a small and variable lift, either only 2.0 mm or 5.7 mm. This asymmetric opening leads the to the charge air rotating both spirally and cylindrically as it flows into the combustion chamber. This "drumble", which is assisted by edges and bumps in the combustion chamber and a specially shaped piston, renders superfluous the charge motion flaps which are otherwise necessary in the intake duct of FSI engines.

The changeover between the valve lift settings takes place in the range between 700 and 4,000 rpm; it is completed within two revolutions of the crankshaft. A collection of short-term interventions – a switch to retarded ignition, the adjustment of all four camshafts and the closing of the throttle – prevent torque surges. What the driver will notice are the engine’s smooth power build-up and spontaneous throttle response.

The most important effect, however, is that fuel consumption drops by up to seven percent. AVS technology achieves its greatest potential fuel savings at a constant speed in the mid-load range. In sixth gear, the engine of the Audi A6 2.8 FSI propels the car at up to 150 km/h (93.21 mph) using the small valve lift setting.

The Audi valvelift system enables the volume of air drawn in to be controlled to a large extent by the opening of the inlet valves. The throttle butterfly can remain fully open even under partial load and the undesirable choke losses are considerably reduced. A technical pipe dream becomes reality – in a new, intelligent way. Current solutions operate with additional elements such as levers or cups between the camshafts and the valves. This has various disadvantages: the increased mass of the moving parts, greater friction and reduced valve gear rigidity.

None of these problems are associated with the two-stage Audi valvelift system. Its uncomplicated design means that it can cope with engine speeds of up to 7,000 rpm, so it can deliver high peak performance. Its compact proportions also simplify the packaging of the engines in the vehicle and permit efficient production using the modular system. The components are made in the engines plant at Györ in Hungary, where a large proportion of the V6 engines also come off the production line. In AVS technology, which is the result of six years of development work, Audi sees a solution with great potential for the future. In theory it will be possible to implement further development stages, up to and including the complete shutdown of individual cylinders.

The FSI engines with AVS sport a few other special features. A new type of sensor technology feeds data to their management systems. It gets its information from the position of the adjustable inlet camshafts and no longer from the pressure in the inlet manifold as before, which is in fact constant when operating with the throttle wide open. In the case of the 2.8-liter V6, a variable intake manifold enhances the effect of the AVS system. It increases torque at low revs and power output at high revs.