AOA's Product Planner, Filip Brabec.

2007 was Audi of America's best year, with 93,506 sales from a comprehensive lineup of desirable luxury cars. But even as Audi continues to strengthen its position in the ultracompetitive U.S. luxury-car market, it is keenly aware that it is a small player here against the likes of BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Lexus. That makes the job of Filip Brabec, Audi of America's 32-year-old head of product planning, all the more important: When you're fighting for every incremental sale against the big guys, your product mix has to be just right. And native Czech Brabec has a lot of models to juggle and to spread among a sales volume that's roughly equal to the number of RX crossovers that Lexus sold last year. Think about it: Audi of America offers the A3, the A4, the A5, the A6, the A8, the TT, the R8, the Q7, and, soon, the Q5. Several of those models are offered in more than one body style, with more than one engine and transmission combination. And, of course, there are also the S4, S6, S8, and RS4 models to consider. That's a lot of models to spread over fewer than 100,000 annual sales. "We have fifty-some model and powertrain combinations," says Brabec. "How many will you have in two years?" I asked. "If I do my job right, we'll still have fifty-odd combinations," offers Brabec, "but spread over more models."

What this means is that Audi of America will, going forward, take a good, long, hard look at ultra-niche models like the S4 Avant. "Wagon, S4, manual transmission-just think about it," says Brabec. "Niche, niche, niche." Sales volumes for such cars simply don't merit their existence, is what he's saying, especially given the euro-dollar relationship. Therefore, there will not be a next-generation S4 Avant for America. "And those are our twenty loudest customers" says Brabec, laughing. "We'll hear from them." As it is, Brabec says that he works "very carefully and closely" with his colleagues at Audi AG to maximize equipment levels for American customers even in light of the weak dollar. But, clearly, it will be harder and harder for Audi of America to include models in its product mix that have minuscule annual sales.

That said, there's plenty of hot metal coming from Audi in the near future, and at the top of that list is the new S4, which is debuting at the Paris Motor Show in October and going on sale in America next spring. The big news here is that, rather than a V-8, the S4 will be powered by an all-new, supercharged, 3.0-liter V-6. "We chose it for performance, CO2 emissions, and packaging reasons," says Brabec. "I first drove a car with a prototype of this engine back in 2005, and it blew me away." Why a supercharger rather than a turbocharger? "We wanted a multiapplication engine," explains Brabec. "A turbo wouldn't work for all the cars we wanted to put this engine in."

Cars such as the A6 sedan, which for 2009 gets the same, supercharged V-6 as the S4 as part of a major midlife face-lift. The A6 will not get a dual-clutch transmission, though. One assumes that will have to wait until the next-generation car.

As for other powertrains for the new Audi Q5 small crossover that goes on sale in February or March of 2009, Brabec demurs. "We have no immediate plans for a diesel," he says. "It's an expensive technology. Really expensive. But diesel is a huge topic for us at Audi of America. The Q7 TDI is the best-driving Q7 you're gonna get. It's the most comfortable, the most fuel efficient." [Audi has already confirmed that a 3.0-liter TDI V-6 will be offered in the Q7 in the first quarter of 2009.] Brabec admits, "the price point of the Q7 TDI is a big point of debate. Mercedes-Benz is charging only a $1000 premium for the new diesel in the ML. This must be at a loss for them. They must want to retain diesel leadership in the United States, knowing that we are coming and BMW is coming into the same segment."

In speaking with Brabec, though, it's clear that Audi of America would very much like a diesel engine not just for the Q7 but also for the Q5; it's just trying to figure out how to bring it here affordably. And one also perceives that, if Brabec could wave a magic wand, he would have Audi's superb new 2.0 TSFI turbo four-cylinder gasoline engine for the Q5 at launch, too. If we had to guess, we'd say that the TSFI is more likely to arrive here for the Q5 than a TDI is. After all, the TSFI is already being offered here starting this fall in the new A4 sedan and Avant, and the Q5 is built on the same longitudinal-engine platform as the A4. And Audi AG is keenly aware that diesel fuel costs more than premium unleaded here in America.

In the meantime, the price of fuel is affecting Audi of America in some interesting ways. Four-cylinder models of the outgoing A4, rather than languishing on dealer lots waiting for fire sale, make-room-for-the-2009-models pricing, are sold out. "The market is crazy for A4 four-cylinders," marvels Brabec. "The other guys [Mercedes, BMW] don't have fours. Even as the A4 runs out [its model life], they're gone. We don't have any [in stock]."

"We're also sold out of the A5 coupe," says Brabec. "Which is too bad, because that means I can't get one as a company car!"

Audis new Supercharged V6

The New 3.0 TFSI: Hi-Tech V6 with Compressor Supercharging
Source: Audi AG

Compressor and direct injection – a compelling duo

213 kW (290 hp), 420 Nm and outstanding efficiency

Superb power from idle speeds up, spontaneous torque buildup

Powerful, spontaneous and ultra-efficient: this is the new top version in Audi's V6 engine range. The 3.0 TFSI develops 213 kW (290 hp) and a huge 420 Nm (309.78 lb-ft) of torque. It combines two state-of-the-art technologies in perfect style – gasoline direct injection and compressor supercharging. The hi-tech V6 will go into production later in the year.

The brand with the four rings has a long tradition of supercharged engines. The legendary Grand Prix racing cars built by Auto Union back in the 1930s already featured compressors, which coaxed as much as 440 kW (around 600 hp) out of the mighty 16-cylinder and 12-cylinder engines. From the late 1970s on, Audi focused its attention on the exhaust turbocharger, which helped it to a succession of noteworthy triumphs in the world of motor sport. It was at this time that Audi's turbo engines began to enjoy resounding market success.

The compressor is now staging a comeback. It is the ideal supercharging technology for the new three-liter V6, the 3.0 TFSI; the T in Audi engine designations consequently no longer exclusively denotes turbo versions.

Extensive comparative tests revealed the mechanical supercharger to be superior to a biturbo concept for this engine. In conjunction with direct injection, its packaging, starting performance and dynamic response were far superior.

The compressor is so compact that it easily fits inside the 90-degree V of the cylinder banks, in place of the intake manifold. Because it is driven by the engine via poly-V belt, its full thrust is available from idle speed upwards, producing huge pulling power when driving off. The 3.0 TFSI delivers its maximum 420 Nm (309.78 lb-ft) at only 2,500 rpm and maintains this constantly until 4,850 rpm.

The gas paths after the compressor are very short; this means that the torque is built up extremely quickly, even more dynamically than on a naturally aspirated engine of the same displacement. The 3.0 TFSI responds sportily to the throttle, with exceptional agility and bite. And it revs up to the maximum of 6,500 rpm with playful ease, achieving its rated output of 213 kW (290 hp) at just under 5,000 rpm.

Top marks for fuel efficiency

The 3.0 TFSI without question earns top marks for fuel efficiency, too. And its pulling power enables it to extend the transmission ratio, further adding to its already superior efficiency. The new 3.0 TFSI will achieve an average fuel consumption of well under 10 liters per 100 km (23.52 US mpg) in virtually all longitudinally engined Audi models, the concept for which it is envisaged. It is designed to run on either premium or regular gasoline and already complies with the future emission standard Euro 5 – a question of honor for every new Audi engine.

The Audi technology of gasoline direct injection according to the FSI principle was what made this trailblazing efficiency possible in the first place. Unlike conventional concepts, it allows the compressor to be located behind the throttle valve. In view of the low density of the intake air at loads below supercharging level and when coasting, its rotors are free-running and the amount of power required to drive them is low.

The engine's high compression ratio of 10.5:1 also plays a big part in its efficiency. The direct injection principle is once again the key, because the intensively swirled fuel cools the combustion chamber, reducing the tendency to knock.

The compressor of the new 3.0 TFSI is what is known as a Roots blower. Inside it, two four-vane rotary pistons counter-rotate at a speed of up to 23,000 rpm, with an air gap between them measuring just a few thousandths of a millimeter. The rotors can deliver 1,000 kilograms (2204.62 lb) of air per hour and force it into the combustion chambers at a boost pressure of up to 0.8 bar.

Two water-to-air intercoolers made from aluminum and connected to a separate coolant circuit are integrated into the housing. Here, the compressed and therefore heated intake air is cooled down again in order to boost its oxygen content for the combustion process. An extensive package of measures reduces the level of noise generated by the compressor to a minimum.

The engine itself belongs to Audi's family of ultramodern V engines. In addition to the standard cylinder angle of 90 degrees, their attributes include systematic lightweight construction – the three-liter version's crankcase, which is made from cast aluminum/silicon, tips the scales at just 33 kilograms (72.75 lb). The entire engine, including the compressor, weighs 189 kilograms (416.67 lb). The bore measures 84.5 millimeters (3.33 in) and the stroke 89.0 millimeters (3.5 in), producing a swept volume of 2,995 cm3.

Reinforcements on the crankcase

Audi has included a whole array of refined hi-tech features on the 3.0 TFSI. The crankcase has been adapted to the higher prevailing pressures and all components are frictionally optimized. The two intake camshafts can be adjusted through 42 degrees crankshaft angle. In the intake ports, tumble flaps induce movement in the incoming air to promote optimum mixture preparation.

The injection system is a fundamentally new design. A common rail system with six-hole injectors injects the fuel directly into the combustion chambers at a pressure of up to 150 bar. The injectors' highly dynamic response permits up to three fuel injections per operating cycle across an extensive range of the characteristic map. They, too, optimize the combustion process and therefore contribute to the impressive performance of the new 3.0 TFSI.

-Audi AG

Audi finishes 1-2-3-4 in Zandvoort

Audi showed a dominant performance at the sixth DTM round at Zandvoort and, like last year, celebrated a one-two-three-four victory in the Netherlands. It was the new Audi A4 DTM’s best result so far and Audi’s 45th victory in the DTM. One day before his 30th birthday, title defender Mattias Ekström celebrated his second exploit of the season, after winning the season opener at Hockenheim. Following the twelfth DTM triumph of his career, the two-time champion is now the best Audi driver in DTM history.Mattias Ekström had prepared the ground for his victory the day before: by clinching his dominant tenth pole, he had secured the top grid position, which he perfectly converted into the lead in the race straight at the start. During the two pit stops the Swede – with his Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline – defended his lead as well, ahead of his team colleague Timo Scheider, who had started the race from position two on the grid.

Towards the end of the round staged on the North Sea coast Timo Scheider increasingly made up ground, but Ekström clinched his second win of the season with a 0.270-second advantage over his team-mate. Scheider extended his lead in the standings from one to five points. He is followed in the championship by Mattias Ekström, who bumped Mercedes driver Jamie Green from second place.Tom Kristensen, who had started from position three, drove the fastest race lap of 1m 33.729s in the first third of the race, thus beating the previous track record in a race by one second. In the end, the Dane completed the podium, which he mounted for as much as the third time this season. Like at the Hockenheim season opener, the podium at the season’s midpoint event was occupied strictly by Audi drivers.When the lights went off Martin Tomczyk overtook the two Mercedes drivers, Jamie Green and Bruno Spengler, who had started in front of him and ultimately completed the Audi quartet of front runners. For the new Audi A4 DTM, this marked the maximum achievable result after the brand with the Four Rings had previously dominated all sessions at Zandvoort.The place of the best driver of a year-old car was secured by Markus Winkelhock after a nail-biting fight with team-mate Mike Rockenfeller and DTM record champion Bernd Schneider in the final phase of the race. Winkelhock was the best driver of a year-old Audi A4 DTM for the third time, and as the best driver of a 2006-spec car occupies ninth place in the standings. Mike Rockenfeller, who had previously been defending the place of the best driver of a used car for a long time, ultimately clinched tenth place. The seventh of eleven rounds in the DTM season is coming up two weeks from now at the Nürburgring. There, Audi was victorious last year with Martin Tomczyk.Quotes after the race Dr Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport): "I’m very happy. We occupied the four top places with the new Audi A4 DTM. We showed a convincing performance and scored a maximum of points. We’ve got the one-two lead of the championship. That’s a good base, because we know that some difficult races are coming up. We need a good starting base, and we were able to create it here."Mattias Ekström (Red Bull Audi A4 DTM #1): "That was great. It was my third victory on this circuit. And it was one of the races we really had to win. It’s good to be among the front of the field halfway through the championship. As the runner-up in the standings I’m now five points behind the front runner and am looking forward to the next race already."Timo Scheider (GW:plus/Top Service Audi A4 DTM #10): "That was a sensational weekend for all of us. If anything at all, I’d have perhaps wished for a different strategy. Mattias pitted in front of me twice. That was clearly an advantage. So I finished in second place in the end. Although I was able to put some pressure on Mattias there was no chance to get even closer to him due to the corners at Zandvoort. In the end, it was a fantastic result because after 38 laps I was two tenths behind Mattias. Congratulations to Audi on this one-two-three-four victory." Tom Kristensen (Audi A4 DTM #9): "A perfect result for Audi. From grid position three, I made a good start, as did my team-mates in front of me and Tomczyk, who was following me. ‘Eki’ and Timo were incredibly fast. I stabilised this gap in the middle section of the race. I also managed the fastest race lap. Third place is part of a perfect result for Audi. I can be happy with that."Martin Tomczyk (Red Bull Audi A4 DTM #2): "A fantastic exploit for Audi. There’s hardly a better way to demonstrate one’s performance capabilities than by repeating last year’s one-two-three-four victory. I had an awesome start and got on the heels of my three team-mates. But I wasn’t able to overtake because we were all driving at the same speed."Markus Winkelhock (Playboy Audi A4 DTM #19): "A tough race. You had to really watch your tyres and use them carefully. At the start I gained one position, but in the second turn someone hit my rear and I lost two places again. On the penultimate lap I benefited from ‘Rocky’s’ duel against Bernd Schneider."Mike Rockenfeller (S line Audi A4 DTM #18): "At the start I improved from tenth to eighth place. I was able to keep it almost up to race end, although the first stop wasn’t exactly perfect. Towards the end I really had to fight hard to keep Bernd Schneider behind me. Unfortunately, in the process, I didn’t get the car into second gear while downshifting in a corner and that caused me to get off the line. Bernd pulled up alongside me and ultimately passed me. Of course, Markus benefited from this manoeuvre. For me, it’s disappointing to finish out of the points after having fought for eighth place throughout the race." Katherine Legge (Audi A4 DTM #20): "After the start my car got damaged and was hard to drive afterwards. In the end, I was forced to retire. That’s really too bad because I think I could have achieved a pretty good result here."Oliver Jarvis (Best Buddies Audi A4 DTM #15): "I had a bad start. The two stops then were perfect on the team’s part. Unfortunately, after returning to the track I was slowed by another car both times. In the end, I was forced to retire because of a gearbox problem. What we take with us from here is a strong qualifying result. We want to build on that next time."Alexandre Prémat (Audi Bank/Shell Helix Audi A4 DTM #14): "This was definitely not the race I’d been hoping for. I did want to score a few points. But my car was really not easy to drive today. Too bad I had to retire. But this was the first time since the race at the EuroSpeedway in 2007 that something like this has happened to me. Now I’ve got my sights set on the next round where I want clinch points again."Christijan Albers (Audi A4 DTM #21): "At first, my start wasn’t all that bad but then I was pushed to the dirty side of the track and that caused me to lose a few places. Later, in the duel with Susie Stoddart, I suddenly moved only straight in turn 5. I don’t know if there was body contact or any other reason for this. We now need to analyse this."Hans-Jürgen Abt (Team Director Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline): "We’re overwhelmed. Like last year, Audi captured the top four positions. My boys did a superb job and didn’t make even the slightest mistake. We moved up in the championship and are looking forward to the next race."Arno Zensen (Team Director Audi Sport Team Rosberg): "A great fight with ‘Rocky’, Markus (Winkelhock) and Bernd Schneider. Of course it would have been nice to have kept both cars in front of Bernd. But, congratulations to my squad. We put both drivers into the top ten and Markus scored points. We’ll be happy to return to Zandvoort. Congratulations to Audi as well on this one-two-three-four win."Ernst Moser (Team Director Audi Sport Team Phoenix): "So far, we’ve always clinched good results at Zandvoort. This time we were hit by a double dose of misfortune: both cars retired from the race. Now we need to analyse the weekend and then go to the Nürburgring with renewed energy."The results at Zandvoort1 Mattias Ekström (Red Bull Audi A4 DTM) 38 laps in 1h 01m03.298s 2 Timo Scheider (GW:plus/Top Service Audi A4 DTM) + 0.270s 3 Tom Kristensen (Audi A4 DTM) + 6.760s 4 Martin Tomczyk (Red Bull Audi A4 DTM) + 10.183s 5 Bruno Spengler (Mercedes) + 21.919s 6 Jamie Green (Mercedes) + 23.079s 7 Paul di Resta (Mercedes) + 45.910s 8 Markus Winkelhock (Playboy Audi A4 DTM) + 49.564s 9 Bernd Schneider (Mercedes) + 50.576s 10 Mike Rockenfeller (S line Audi A4 DTM) + 53.394s 11 Gary Paffett (Mercedes) + 1m 14.680s 12 Ralf Schumacher (Mercedes) + 1m 22.425s 13 Mathias Lauda (Mercedes) + 1m 25.631s 14 Maro Engel (Mercedes) + 1m 29.071s 15 Susie Stoddart (Mercedes) - 1 lap 16 Katherine Legge (Audi A4 DTM) - 5 laps 17 Oliver Jarvis (Best Buddies Audi A4 DTM) - 9 lapsNot classified:Alexandre Prémat (Audi A4 DTM) - 20 laps Christijan Albers (Audi A4 DTM) - 37 laps

-paddocktalk.com

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.