The Audi Technology Magazine Issue 2/2012 The Audi Technology Magazine Technology The Audi 2/2012

Record Electric sports car withstands tough test → Page 16

Vision New mobility for big cities → Page 24 Intelligence Clever material mix for extremely light cars → Page 86

Energy Milestone victory for hybrid technology → Page 136 Gold Winner

The Audi Technology Magazine 2/2012

Encounter Augmented Reality Experience video footage with your iPhone, iPad or Android smartphone.

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The Audi Technology Magazine The Audi Technology Magazine 2/2012 2/2012

Record Record Electric sports car withstands tough test Electric sports car withstands tough test → Page 16 → Page 16

Vissiiono Vissiiono New mobility forfo big cities New mobility forfo big cities → Paagege 2244 → Paagege 2244

The Audi Technology Magazine The Audi Technology Magazine 2/2012 2/2012

Record InRecordte lligence Intelligence Electric sports car withstands tough test Electric sports car withstands tough test → Page 16 Clever → Page 16 material mix for extremely light cars Clever material mix for extremely light cars → Page 86 → Page 86

Vision Vision New mobility for big cities New mobility for big cities → Page 24 → Page 24 Intelligence Intelligence Clever material mix for extremely light cars Clever material mix for extremely light cars → Page 86 → Page 86

Energy Energy Energy Energy Milestone victory for hybrid technology Milestone victory for hybrid technology → Page 136 Milestone victory for hybrid technology → Page 136 Milestone victory for hybrid technology → Page 136 → Page 136

Download the junaio app Start up the junaio app and free-of-charge from the App Store touch the scan button. or Android Marketplace.

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The Audi TechnologyThe Audi TeMagachnologyzine Magazine 2/2012 2/2012

Record Re cord Electric sports car Electric withstands spor tstough car withstands test tough test → Page 16 → Page 16

Vissiiono Vi ssiiono New mobility forfo Nbigew cities mobility forfo big cities → Paagege 2244 → Paagege 2244

The Audi Technology MagazineThe Audi Technology Magazine 2/2012 2/2012

Record Record Intelligen Intelligence ce Electric sports car withstands tough test Electric sports car withstands tough test → Page 16 → Page 16 Clever material mix Clever for extremely material mix light for cars extremely light cars → Page 86 → Page 86

Vision Vision New mobility for big cities New mobility for big cities → Page 24 → Page 24 Intelligence In telligence Clever material mix for extremely light cars Clever material mix for extremely light cars → Page 86 → Page 86

Energy Energy Ener gyEner gy Milestone victory for hybrid technology Milestone victory for hybrid technology → Page 136 → Page 136 Milestone victory M forilestone hybrid victory technology for hybrid technology → Page 136 → Page 136

Scan the title page of the Scan this magazine’s images Encounter magazine and select tagged with the Audi Augmented the Encounter channel. Reality logo. Driving fun also means not having to drive when it’s not Michael Dick, Member of the Board of Management of fun. Driving around a parking garage is one trip that many of us AUDI AG, Technical Development. would rather avoid. Our Parkhauspilot project will one day relieve us of this task; your Audi will autonomously seek out its parking spot, as just one example of the phenomenal growth in the intel- ligence of our models. Find out more in this issue. Individual mobility is a fundamental expectation of I would also like to offer heartfelt congratulations to modern society, and it is without a doubt also one of the clear pre- the makers of the Audi Technology Magazine. Recent weeks have requisites for its ability to function. We at Audi are working inten- seen Encounter win two highly respected awards. The magazine sively on the future of this mobility, on a resource-conserving, safe received the red dot award: communication design 2012 for its and comfortable mobility – and one that also looks beyond the high design quality. It was also honored with the Best Corporate automobile. One example is the Audi Urban Future Award, which Publishing Award 2012 in gold. sees participants developing individual visions for a variety of urban regions around the world. Now discover in this latest issue of our award-winning magazine a One thing is certain – every future model from Audi will few of the ideas with which we are heading into the future and on be an emotional experience; driving an Audi is always a joy – regard- which we are working with passion. Enjoy! less of its drive technology. I was impressed recently by a day I spent at the Nürburgring – before its official world premiere, the Yours truly, Audi R8 e-tron achieved a record time for a series-production ve- hicle with electric drive. For Audi, electromobility never means sacrifice, but always emotion, sporting character and driving fun. This is why it was also important to me that our e-tron vehicles be given their own unique sound that doesn’t simply fulfill a function, but also offers a dynamic experience. The task was not easy, but the outcome is impressive.

Every future Audi model will also be an emotional experience. Driving an Audi is always a joy, regardless of its drive technology. Michael Dick

2 Encounter Technology At full power Audi set a record on the Nürburgring Nordschleife with the R8 e-tron. Professional driver Markus Winkelhock rode the electric sports car around the track in 8:09.099 minutes. 40 minutes is all it takes for the R8 e-tron to fast-charge at the electricity station.

→ Page 16 A view into the microcosm Tiny particles – with the aid of the scanning electron microscope, Audi technicians can identify the tiniest problem in a material. 500,000 times is the maximum magnification of the scanning electron microscope.

→ Page 52 The lighter the better The weight of the new A3 has been reduced by up to 80 kilograms – through extensive lightweight design measures in all areas, such as the chassis. 2.3 kilograms of weight are saved by each of the front axle’s new swivel bearings.

→ Page 72 At the limit The Audi TT evo plus technology showcase weighs less than 1,000 kilograms. Behind this amazing figure are new materials like CFRP and innovative jointing technologies. 163 kilograms is the weight of the Audi TT evo plus bodyshell, 43 kilograms less than the series version.

→ Page 86 A new dimension in sound What is the sound of electric dynamism? Audi has developed a characteristic acoustic profile for its R8 e-tron high-performance sports car. 3 years is how long it took to develop the sound for the Audi R8 e-tron.

→ Page 106 Mindset It was the courage to innovate that put Audi at the top. The company wants to expand its lead with a constant stream of new ideas Mindset. and with a clear approach. 16 Rock at the Ring 24 A Vision of DiverCity 32 The Sixth Element 38 Circuit Training 42 Bike’s Peak 50 Design Cycle 52 Tiny Particles 62 Open Planning

14 Encounter Technology 15 Encounter Technology Record drive on the Nordschleife Technical Data Audi R8 e-tron Power 2 x 140 kW (190 hp) 8:09.099 min – the Audi R8 e-tron achieved a Max. torque 2 x 410 Nm record time on the Nordschleife for series-production cars with electric Battery capacity / voltage 48.6 kWh / 389 V drive. At the wheel was racing driver Markus Winkelhock. 0 – 100 km/h 4.6 s Range ca. 215 km Vmax 200 km/h* Length / width / height 4431 / 2029 / 1252 mm Wheelbase 2650 mm Curb weight 1,760 kg

*electronically limited

Join the R8 e-tron on its record drive! Rock at the Ring www.encounter.audi.com

16 Encounter Technology 17 Encounter Technology Text Photos The Nürburgring Nordschleife, the most beautiful and Johannes Köbler Stefan Warter most difficult track in the world: 20.832 kilometers long, 33 left and Alexander Herbold and 40 right-hand bends, gradients of up to 17 percent, an altitude differential of 307 meters. “Here, every single mistake takes you right into the crash barrier,” says Winkelhock. “I always have re- spect for the Nordschleife. And I am really excited about what we’re doing here. I’ve never driven an electric car before.” Karl-Heinz Meitinger, Audi Specialist Team Leader for Chassis, accompanies Winkelhock on his first rendezvous with the The men of the Audi team still seem very R8 e-tron and explains its features. “The electric motors work in- relaxed, despite the many cameras and de- dependently from one another. We generate torque vectoring by spite the movie helicopter clattering around in the evening sky regulating them as required. At the front, you have normal hydrau- above grandstand T 13. Michael Dick, Board Member for Technical lic brakes and electromechanical ones at the rear. But, in practice, Development, has positioned himself at the crash barrier that di- your braking at the rear axle is almost always with the electric mo- vides the short pit lane from the track. Engineer Tobias Schneider tors – you recuperate energy. The springs are made from glass-fiber is once again checking data on his laptop, while his colleague Karl- reinforced polymer, but they function exactly the same way as steel Heinz Meitinger is bent over in conversation with Markus Winkel­ springs. 58 percent of the vehicle weight is on the rear axle; the car hock at the open door of the R8 e-tron. is very agile.” The man with the white/orange/blue helmet, through Markus Winkelhock and Tobias Schneider climb into the which only his eyes are visible, is the one around whom everything R8 e-tron, and the sports car rolls silently out of the workshop. It is turning and, at the same time, the calm center of the storm. returns 20 minutes later with a happy driver at the wheel. “Sure, it Winkelhock is a high-speed professional. Five weeks previously, he might not drive like the R8 race car, but the torque it lays down won the 24-hour race here at the Nürburgring in the Audi R8 LMS, when pulling out of the slow corners is unbelievable,” says Winkel­ together with his team mates Marc Basseng, Christopher Haase hock. “I drove a little carefully first time out, because it was still and Frank Stippler. It was the first overall victory for Audi at the damp in a few places, and because it’s difficult to judge the speed Eifel classic. Now Winkelhock has a new and unusual task – to set correctly when there is no engine sound. I’m very impressed.” the world record for electrically powered series-production cars at Driving, getting to know the car better, testing differ- the Nordschleife. ent software variants for the drive and braking management, sort- Flashback – it’s a cloudy day on the Thursday before the ing out minor complications – the Audi team works its way through record attempt. In the Audi workshop close to the Nordschleife are an extensive program on this Thursday. No track in the world is bet­ three R8 e-trons. Development engineers have been driving them ter suited to this than the Nordschleife, with its fast and slow, in- since Monday as part of everyday testing. The electric sports car ward and outward hanging bends, with its jumps and compressions has already hinted at its potential, with times of around 8:40 min- and with its level of grip, which is always full of new surprises. utes and a whole package of high technology. Each of the two large electric motors drives one rear wheel via a fixed ratio with up to 140 kW (190 hp) and 410 Nm of torque. The bodyshell is an innovative multi-material concept made from carbon-fiber reinforced polymer and aluminum – the high- performance sports car has a curb weight of 1,760 kilograms, not 1 much more than an R8 V10, despite the fact that the lithium-ion battery with its capacity of 48.6 kWh accounts for 550 kilograms. The energy management of the Audi R8 e-tron is highly developed – typical for the work carried out at Audi. “In series- production trim with the speed limiter set at 200 km/h, the elec- tricity is enough for two laps,” explains drive specialist Schneider. “This is a very good figure, because the Nordschleife is extremely energy intensive. A car with a powerful internal combustion engine can end up with an average consumption of 65 liters per 100 km.”

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← Preparations – the Audi R8 e-tron in the workshop at the Nürburgring. Below – driver Markus Winkelhock.

1 Talking shop – Michael Dick, Board Member for Technical Development (left) with Project Leader Ralf Schelchshorn.

2 Thermal management – the heat pump in the front of the R8 e-tron is a major effi- ciency factor.

18 Encounter Technology 19 Encounter Technology In order to drive fast efficiently, it is important that the The stopwatch at the crash barrier is running, the sec- recuperation* functions all the way into the heavy braking zone. onds mount, each accompanied by a soft click. Waiting and hoping, When Winkelhock lifts his foot from the drive pedal, the effect is there’s not much else left to do. Even Michael Dick, who is also similar to the drag torque of a powerful gasoline engine. When tim­ing the lap on his own watch, can’t hide his nerves: “I would braking into the bends, the recuperation increases steadily until actually prefer to be sitting in the car myself. This not knowing until reaching a peak of more than 200 Nm of braking torque – energy he comes back from the long section is pretty tough.” that flows back into the battery. The brake discs on the rear axle Finally – the screeching of tires under pressure, a dron- remain almost cold for the entire lap. “Markus knows from his en- ing rattle as the car drives over the curbs and then the red phantom durance race cars how to drive quickly and efficiently at the same shoots across the finish line. The clock stops at 8:30.873 minutes. time,” comments Meitinger. In the following lap, Winkelhock is even faster with 8:26.096 min- While the cars “fill up” with electricity at the rapid- utes, equating to an average speed of 147.95 km/h. “Less than 17 charge station, which takes around 40 minutes, Tobias Schneider minutes for two consecutive laps,” reckons Project Leader Ralf and his colleague Alexander Kruse evaluate the drive data on the Schelchshorn. “That’s a time that won’t be broken anytime soon!” laptop. “Right away in the Hatzenbach, we were unable to maxi- Winkelhock rolls with the R8 e-tron in front of the mize torque at the inside wheel because the tires were still cold. grand­stand and steps out to the applause of the team, has a quick And both rear wheels must have been in the air for a short time at high-five with Dick and Schlechshorn, then switches to the sister Flugplatz,” says Kruse. “Here, that’s the Fuchsröhre,” adds Schneider. car for the fast single lap. More tension and crossed fingers until “At a speed of 226 going downhill with his foot to the floor! And he the car returns – after 8:13.490 minutes, around four seconds really flies up the hill after Karussell, from 100 to 180 in seven-and- slower than the amazing fastest time from that morning. “The tires a-half seconds.” took too long to get up to temperature after the start,” reports On the record attempt the following Tuesday, Winkel­ Winkelhock. “That’s where I lost the time …, oh well.” hock will drive two laps in one go in a completely production-stan- Four seconds up or down – that doesn’t make a differ- dard R8 e-tron – the ultimate endurance test for the car’s range. ence anymore. Celebration and hugs all round, beaming faces, the There will then follow a single lap with a second car, which will be R8 e-tron is treated to a champagne shower. Michael Dick has the taken to its dynamic limit with sports tires and the speed limiter final word after the record has been set: “Performance and efficien­ increased to 250 km/h. What time might we expect to see here? cy are a great pairing with us. Our R8 is a showcase project, a dynam­ Meitinger deliberates before answering: “An eight-twenty could be ic laboratory in which we are working on the technologies for the in there, close to our series-production R8. But, of course, when electromobility of the future. Today, we used it to set a milestone.” you take the weather into account …” The following Tuesday brings summer to the Hoch­ eifel, much to everyone’s surprise. Shortly after sunrise, long be- fore the start of everyday business, the Audi troupe is at the track, which is already free from dew and mist. Markus Winkelhock lets the R8 e-tron fly, completing a single lap in 8:09.099 minutes, climbs out and smiles broadly: “That was all very straightforward! Okay, the tires were not completely warm and I didn’t drive at 100 percent. You have to be a bit careful in the fast sections like the Schwe­den­kreuz or the Pflanzgarten jump. But I was really able to make up time.” 3 The day is spent making final tweaks to the setup. That eve­ning, the team heads out once more, under the watchful eye I’m impressed! The torque the of Michael Dick, Board Member for Technical Development, Axel e-tron lays down pulling out of the slow Eiser Head of Engine Development and Karl-Heinz Hollerweger, Head of Total Vehicle Development. A notary and an observer from bends is unbelievable. the Deutsche Motorsportbund (German Motorsport Association) have appeared on grandstand T13. At 19:44 hours, Markus Winkel­ Markus Winkelhock, Race Driver hock starts the double lap. Almost silently, the R8 e-tron flies across the start line – a mildly disconcerting apparition in the world of screaming engines throws itself into the tight left arc and disap- pears from sight.

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← Dynamo – Markus Winkelhock in the Karussel, one of the slowest sections of the Nordschleife.

3 Measurements – the temperatures of tires and brakes discs play an important role.

4 Starting procedure – final data check in the pit lane right before the start.

20 Encounter Technology 21 Encounter Technology * see glossary, pp. 168 –169 Audi R8 e-tron on its record lap Nordschleife

From section to section: Bergwerk Markus Winkelhock’s record lap on the 102.6 km/h Nürburgring Nordschleife. 96 kW 4,914 rpm

Legend: Section Kesselchen Klostertal Hohe Acht Vmax 220.9 km/h 158.9 km/h 106.5 km/h Power 262 kW 22 kW 48 kW Revs 10,575 rpm 7,615 rpm 5,147 rpm

Metzgesfeld 165.4 km/h Carraciola-Karussell 280 kW 79.8 km/h 7,924 rpm 61 kW 3,822 rpm Brünnchen 100.6 km/h Fuchsröhre 79 kW 226.2 km/h Pflanzgarten 4,827 rpm 280 kW Aremberg 205.1 km/h 10,852 rpm 97.7 km/h 258 kW 30 kW 9,826 rpm Schwalbenschwanz Schwedenkreuz 4,684 rpm 95.6 km/h 245.9 km/h 20 kW 200 kW Galgenkopf 4,569 rpm 11,780 rpm 140.3 km/h 48 kW 6,734 rpm Döttinger Höhe 250.7 km/h 233 kW 12,013 rpm

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Hatzenbach 7 70.7 km/h 91 kW It was all very straightforward. 3,436 rpm I was surprised myself by how much I was Quiddelbacher Höhe able to get out of it. 126.8 km/h 263 kW Markus Winkelhock, Race Driver 6,122 rpm

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5 20.832 km of full concentration – the Nordschleife has 73 bends and gradients of up to 17 percent.

6 The Brünnchen section – the difficult double-right holds cult status among Nord- schleife fans.

7 “The waiting isn’t easy” – Michael Dick times the lap on his own watch.

8 Winners – Schelchshorn hugs Winkelhock after the record drive.

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22 Encounter Technology 23 Encounter Technology A Vision of

Watch the AUFA video! DiverCity www.encounter.audi.com

The best way to predict the future is to shape it yourself. Six international firms of architects compete for the Audi Urban Future Award, Germany’s most highly endowed architecture prize, and put their own metropolitan region under the microscope. Ingolstadt

BosWashBoswash Istanbul TokyoTokio

Pearl River Delta Mumbai

Text Photos issues: In 20 or 30 years will we still be driving and refueling our Eva Backes Architects cars ourselves? Will the city of the future still need intersections and traffic lights? In order to be successful as a global brand, Audi must take local needs into consideration. No two major cities are the same. Tailor-made concepts are the order of the day; every city needs its individual user manual for the future. Think glocal – Seeing into the future has fascinated hu- is therefore also the approach taken by the Audi Urban Future Certainty – man beings for time immemorial. Whether Award 2012. Six international firms of architects compete for it’s simply a matter of reading the tealeaves or serious science, Germany’s most highly endowed architecture prize and put By 2050, the number of people living getting to grips with what is yet to come has a certain attrac- their own metropolitan region under the microscope – Boston/ in cities will be almost as high as tion – where is this journey headed? And what is moving the world Washington, Istanbul, Mumbai, the Pearl River Delta, São Paulo São Paulo of tomorrow? and Tokyo. The search is on for visions that are locally anchored the population of the whole world today. One thing is certain – in the year 2050, the number but globally relevant. This is about the transition to a new and of people living in cities will be almost as high as the population sustainable mobility – like in the Pearl River Delta, where 80 of the whole world today. This presents an enormous challenge. million Chinese people will soon be living, or Istanbul, the melt- What trends will define our everyday lives? How will we be mo- ing pot between Europe and Asia. bile in future? The architects presented their first ideas in Ingol- 2050 The best way to predict the future is to shape it your- stadt in mid-May. The most innovative and forward-thinking self, which is why, in 2010, Audi established the Audi Urban concept will be presented with the Audi Urban Future Award in Future Initiative – a think tank for tomorrow’s mobility. Audi is October in Istanbul. It will be turned into a city dossier that will working together with town planners and architects to explore provide Audi with inspiration for specific research projects. the future. The Insight Team with nine Audi experts ensures On the following pages, you will meet the partici- the transfer of the results into the company. At regular meetings, pants in the Audi Urban Future Award and learn what kind of rele- this internal company think tank discusses a diverse range of vance their work has for Audi.

24 Encounter Technology 25 Encounter Technology São Paulo Mumbai São Paulo is the most populous city The population density in Mumbai is around in the southern hemisphere. 28,000 people per square kilometer, The average commute from home to more than seven times greater than Berlin. work takes 2.5 hours every day. 2.5 h 1 km² = 28,000

Urban Think Outline Questions CRIT Outline Questions Founders: What does the word “mobility” mean to you? Founders: What motivates you to take part in the 2012 award? Tank Alfred Brillembourg and Hubert “Mobility is an intrinsic human desire, reflected in the first steps of a child. This Mumbai, India Rupali Gupte and Prasad Shetty “The link between urban research and urban interventions, specifically how Klumpner desire for displacement is a natural state of being. The term is also loaded different forms of maps and projections can help rethink interventions within São Paulo, with conflicting agendas defined by personal and collective modes of transport. Teaching positions: today’s urban realm is one of the primary interests of CRIT. We see the Audi Teaching positions: Specific attributes of mobility that shape our ideas include; the surface, navi- Rupali Gupte is an architect, author Urban Future Award 2012 as being consistent with this interest. It has provided Brazil Since 2007, Brillembourg and gation, collective mobility, scales and function of mobility, potentials of and town planner and teaches at us with an opportunity to develop our ideas on contemporary cities as well Klumpner have been teaching in New congestion, potentials of the city and the contradictions of contemporary urban KRIVA University in Mumbai; Prasad as to test them in an international forum, which brings together a range of dif- York at the Graduate School of mobility. Often the need for mobility is inflicted by an incapability of urban Shetty is an architect and urban ferent urban experiences. We also believe that it is industry that forces aca- Architecture, Planning and Preser- populations to reorganize alternative forms of living. Consequently, commut- researcher. demic interest in the non-western world and we want to support initiatives in vation at Columbia University, where ing becomes a lifestyle that consumes much of our time.” this direction.” they established the Sustainable How will São Paulo be mobile in future? Company profile: Living Urban Model Laboratory “Traveling must become either part of a new multilayered society where mobil- CRIT is examining closely the current Learning für Audi (S.L.U.M. Lab). They have been pro- ity, work, recreation, eating and sleeping become part of us or we will have situation in Mumbai and shedding fessors of architecture and urban to change the city around us. Mobility must become multifaceted and capable light on the changing urban environ- “With CRIT, we have gained a better understanding of the logic of the city of development at the ETH Zürich since of embracing the "culture of congestion" and rapidly changing environments ment. Mumbai. There is a demand for new forms of mobility that are particularly 2010. and scenarios. Future travel will breed new urban conditions emerging from efficient in their use of space as a resource and also guarantee transport from enhanced transitions between scales of mobility – these are currently in a A to B in the chaos of a densely populated urban environment.” Company profile: state of tension. Future mobility infrastructures will play a key role in shaping Lisa Füting works in Communication, Culture and Trends where she Interdisciplinary office working heterogeneous modes of living and in shared social dialogue.” is responsible for the Audi Urban Future Initiative. in the glocal context, building bridges between industrialized na- Learning for Audi tions and third world countries. “Densely populated cities like São Paulo need a mobility mix – this is also appar- ent from the ideas emerging from Urban Think Tank. As a premium manu- facturer, we want to offer the customer suitable solutions that connect urban mobility with positive experiences.” Nadine Endress works in the Brand and Customer Strategy function on the issue of mobility services.

26 Encounter Technology 27 Encounter Technology Pearl River Delta Tokyo Around 80 million people will soon Tokyo has 7.5 million commuters be living in the Pearl River Delta, around every day, yet the subway 80 percent of them migrants. rarely ever suffers from delays. The region is seeking a new identity. 80% 7.5 M

NODE Outline Question Junya Ishigami Outline Questions Founder: How will you get from A to B in Hong Kong in 2050? Founder: Why are you participating in the 2012 award? Architecture & Doreen Heng Liu “This is a difficult question, the answer to which relies mainly on the desire of the + Associates Junya Ishigami “I think that the time has come when we must find a new concept for the city. human being and the technology available. I think a diversity of choices for I think the current vision of the city is beginning to fail to meet the environ- Urbanism Teaching position: traveling are necessary, such as seamless connections via public/private trans- Tokyo, Japan Teaching position: mental and social needs of modern society, what people have now or what they Urban Planner Liu is a professor at portation or cyber-net, depending on the mood and desire of the traveler, and Ishigami has been a professor at are looking for. I thought the Audi Urban Future Award was a good opportu- Pearl River Delta, the Chinese University of Hong Kong. the speed of connection we want from moment to moment. The future is Tohoku University since 2010. nity to investigate this.” all about diversity of needs, and diversity of possibilities to meet those needs What does mobility mean for you? China Company profile: within a moment or within the maximum desired timeframe.” Company profile: “I am interested in a free transportation system that is independent of infrastruc- NODE is dedicated to the complex- The office is focused on poetic and ture, or an invention beyond the infrastructure we currently have. I think it is ity of town planning, nature, Learning for Audi visionary architecture. Ishigami func- better to reconsider current transportation on many various levels. I think that landscape, tradition and culture. tions on the boundaries between mobility is an inherent condition of our freedom; something that we have “China is our most important market and we have production facilities there, urban planning, architecture and art. within ourselves.” too. We want to work with Node to achieve a better understanding of the iden- tity and structure of society. We need this knowledge in order to support the Learning for Audi transition to sustainable mobility and to play a worthwhile role in its creation.” Felix Schwabe is responsible for innovation management within the “Ishigami’s visions show us how important it is to think beyond pre-conceived Advanced Technology function of Audi Production. notions of space and infrastructure. Only then is it possible to develop specific regional solutions for tomorrow’s mobility.” “People have a desire for self-determination, especially in mega-cities like Dominik Stampfl works on sustainable mobility within the Strategic Shenzhen and Hong Kong. Individual mobility available round-the-clock is one Corporate Planning function. answer to that, and thus the desire of many people, especially in urban areas. But there is no such thing as the definitive city, and therefore no definitive solution for individual mobility. Our challenge is to filter the right solutions for Audi out of the many possible candidates – we can learn this from the regions covered by this year’s Audi Urban Future Award.” Klaus Verweyen is Head of Product Strategy, Innovation and Feature Planning.

28 Encounter Technology 29 Encounter Technology Istanbul Boston/Washington Istanbul’s population has multiplied BosWash is the 750km band of by a factor of ten since 1950. cities along the Atlantic coast of America The average age in Turkey is 28. that stretches from Boston to In the EU it is 42. Washington D.C. One third of the USA’s GDP is generated here. 28 years 750 km

Superpool Outline Questions Höweler + Yoon Outline Questions Founders: Tell us your first ideas! Founders: How far have you come with your concept for the 2012 award? Istanbul, Turkey Selva Gürdoğan and Gregers Tang “What strikes visitors the most when encountering Istanbul is its seemingly Architecture J. Meejin Yoon and Eric Höweler “Right now we're in the process of constructing narratives around the futures Thomsen boundless energy; every corner of the city is bustling with life. The more time we'd like to design, in order to see the effects of our thinking on the urban you spend in Istanbul, the more you start wondering where all this energy Boston/ Teaching positions: environment. For instance, if we were to imagine some future mobility technol- Office Profile: is channeled. It is not always evident. Our concept will attempt to tap into this Yoon is a professor at Massachusetts ogy, it's helpful for us to imagine how that influences the ordinary aspects Interdisciplinary office working pri- wealth of dynamism and steer it into meaningful and much needed discus- Washington, Institute of Technology, of everyday life, like getting to work, buying groceries or having goods marily in a local context to build a sions about the city. Over the next few months, we will initiate a series of inter- Höweler teaches at Harvard. shipped to your home. To tell stories that imbed new technologies in these bridge between the technology and ventions in the digital realm, as well as a speculative project proposal, cre- USA everyday events allows us to imagine architecture and infrastructure work- construction industries. ating an umbrella of initiatives." Company profile: ing differently and doing different things than we've come to accept over time.” What inspiration have you taken from your visit to Audi? Multidisciplinary office working Research focus: “Most impressive was the just-in-time delivery of components to the assembly at the boundaries between Learning for Audi Mapping projects that analyze the line. Contrary to our expectations, each car on the assembly line was different architecture, technology and urban social, economic and demographic from the one before and after it. The technology that makes it possible to planning. “Society is changing and, as a premium manufacturer, we have the chance, but structures of the city of Istanbul. plan at such an incredible scale of options and precision is exciting. It points to also the responsibility, to reshape things. We are learning from Höweler + how critical digital infrastructures can be for large organisms, like cities.” Yoon how much potential there is in the Boston/Washington region for new infrastructure projects. Concrete ideas – such as the development of smart Learning for Audi streets – present Audi with excellent opportunities to participate in shaping the region.” “The car is one of the most important forms of transport in Istanbul. The chal- Anne Maier works in the Product Strategy department dealing with lenge is to optimize traffic flow in the burgeoning mega-city. Working to- future customer needs and their relevance for products. gether with Superpool, we are seeking different approaches to an intelligent infrastructure.” Attila Wendt works in Technical Development for the Chassis department.

“Particularly in the context of Audi connect, I am utterly convinced that we, as a premium manufacturer, will make our contribution to sustainable mobility. The paradigm shift that autonomous driving will someday bring with it is gelling in a highly pragmatic way – for instance, a completely networked car that communicates with other road users and the environment no longer needs traffic signals and road signs.” Christian Labonte is responsible for the Design Fundamentals and Future Developments function.

30 Encounter Technology 31 Encounter Technology The Sixth Element

Carbon 6 12.0107[8] [He] 2s² 2p² C

Lightweight design cooperation between Audi and Voith Carbon is the sixth element on the periodic table and the basis for extremely high-performance materials. At Audi, CFRP and other fiber reinforced materials are important factors in ultra-lightweight design. The cooperation with Voith plays an important role in the strategy for the future.

32 Encounter Technology 33 Encounter Technology 3 Text Photos Johannes Köbler Myrzik und Jarisch

Dr. Lutz-Eike Elend, Head of the Audi Lightweight Design Center*, Claus Haverkamp, Head of Bodyshell Concepts and Lightweight Design Technologies at the Audi Lightweight Design Center and Dr. Lars Herbeck, CEO of Voith Composites GmbH discuss their cooperation in fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP)*.

Audi and Voith are conducting joint research and development in the field of fiber-reinforced polymers. How did this partnership come into being? Dr. Elend: We decided about three years ago to seek an external 1 Abstract graphic – CAD representation partner with whom we wanted to address the new task. We looked around first of the parts cut from the CFRP mat using the cutter. in the aviation industry, but recognized very quickly that, although there is a great deal of know-how in the sector, there was only limited willingness to 2 Complex – the cut-out parts are rethink the manufacturing structures. Voith, on the other hand, is a strong later crafted by hand into a CFRP spare equipment manufacturer that approaches the issue of fiber-reinforced poly- wheel well. mers in a very open and forward-looking manner. We are convinced that it is 1 2 4 the right partner for the industrialization of the process. Dr. Herbeck: Our group has gathered experience with CFRP* in its core business activities over many years across a number of different areas, such as rollers for paper machines, nose sections for trains and ship propellers. When we looked at the expansion of our activities with the target of pushing forward the development of industrial manufacturing processes for com- posite solutions* we, too, spoke with many different companies. AUDI AG, the leading innovator in lightweight design, fitted perfectly with our own ideas. We were impressed by the systematic approach with which Audi back then established a new vehicle concept using aluminum. Haverkamp: Our view is that we always want to work with the best. The names of Audi and Voith have such a good reputation that the big- name producers of fibers and resins approach us of their own volition and offer to cooperate with us on future projects.

By the year 2020, I can envisage fiber components in the mid-size class or even in certain areas of the compact class. Dr. Lutz-Eike Elend 3 Audi expert – Dr. Lutz-Eike Elend, Head of the Audi Lightweight Design Center. At what point in the process does the practical work begin? 4 Voith specialist – Dr. Lars Herbeck, Dr. Elend: We are starting at the moment with the fiber mats that CEO of Voith Composites GmbH. we buy from an external supplier. Audi and Voith are not chemical companies; we are not interested in manufacturing the fibers ourselves and thus com- mitting ourselves to one specific material. What we want to do first is master the production of the components and gain knowledge on which materi- als, semi-processed parts and production processes are suitable for pos- sible high-volume applications. Furthermore, we would like in future not to buy the fibers and semi-processed parts – the webbing and mats – off-the- shelf, but instead to tailor them to our specific needs.

What fibers other than carbon fibers are still of interest to you? Haverkamp: Basalt fibers are relatively easy to work with and you can use them to make parts with thermal insulation properties. We could achieve the integration of a new function and dispense with, for instance, protective panels. Natural fibers are becoming increasingly interesting because of CO₂ considerations. And glass fiber is obviously an attractive and relatively cost-effective material for many areas of application.

The technical facilities of Voith and Audi are complementary. We can take different routes and thus develop the best solution. Dr. Lars Herbeck

35 Encounter Technology * see glossary, pp. 168–169 What is the current status of your cooperation? 7 Dr. Herbeck: Our joint teams are working on a whole series of proj- ects. The FRP pilot line that we commissioned a few months ago in Garching near Munich complements Audi’s technical center in Neckarsulm in a very targeted manner, because it uses other technologies in areas such as cutting equipment and the RTM press*. We can follow different paths and thus develop the best solution.

Have you already found the definitive route for the production of FRP components? Dr. Elend: The process of choice is always dependent upon the functional characteristics of the components, the volumes and the cost. When it comes to the volumes we are addressing currently and over the next few years, we prefer the RTM process, where we are seeking to reach a pro- 5 Pre-cut blank – Voith Composites is cess interval of less than three minutes. However, when you think beyond running an FRP pilot line in Garching, which that to more than 100,000 vehicles per year, you have to consider other also incorporates a CAD cutter. technologies like hot pressing. 6 Detail of the RTM press – the mixing head handles the dosing of the resin and the To what extent is lightweight design a matter of cost? curing agent at a pressure of around 140 bar. Dr. Elend: Models like the R8 and the A8 are our technology show- cases, where we stretch the boundaries somewhat farther. When it comes to 5 6 the high-volume models, economical factors obviously play a more important 8 role. But by the year 2020, I can certainly envisage fiber components in the mid-size class or even in certain areas of the compact class. We are making the entire materials portfolio accessible; we are combining all materials into our multi-material spaceframe in order to create a feasible overall concept. In parallel, we are also establishing extensive expertise in the field of joining technology. Dr. Herbeck: The major cost factor is the fibers themselves. In CFRP, they account for 80 to 90 percent of the material cost, which is why we are working together on new, more cost-efficient semi-processed material supplies. If we successfully manage to manufacture the parts cost effectively and quickly, then CFRP and other FRP materials will have a great future. With higher volumes, we can then work on building a real mass-production system.

Would fiber-reinforced polymers also makes sense in areas other than the bodyshell? Dr. Elend: Yes, the R8 e-tron for example has a battery casing and crash structure made from CFRP. On the R18 Le Mans race cars, the transmis- sion casing is made from the same material. The fascinating thing about the new fiber materials is functional integration – like a fuel tank that is inte- grated as a load-bearing element into the floor structure. Our e-tron models in particular call for a fundamentally new approach to the layout of the 7 Audi specialist – Claus Haverkamp, bodyshell architecture, which offers all sorts of possibilities. Head of Bodyshell Concepts and Lightweight Design Technologies at the Haverkamp: On top of that we also have the chassis and drive as Audi Lightweight Design Center. possible areas of application. We already have fiber-reinforced con rods and we could just as well envisage propshafts and drive shafts made from FRP 8 Cutting equipment – CAD-controlled, materials. We are examining the entire vehicle and talking with our colleagues high-frequency spindles cut the component to its final shape. They rotate in the various specialist areas. at around 21,000 rpm.

What is the plan for your cooperation going forward? Dr. Elend: It is set up as a long-term cooperation and will also become an important project for the entire group, in which other brands can participate. We are happy to take on the lead role, as always in lightweight design. Dr. Herbeck: The strength of our partnership is that we face all challenges together, in an open and trusting way. The cooperation of two com- panies with the image and the innovative power of Audi and Voith is a great asset, and one that we want to continue using.

Our view is that we always want to work with the best. Claus Haverkamp

37 Encounter Technology * see glossary, pp. 168 –169 Audi balanced mobility Nature leads by example every single day – life is an endless cycle. Audi has converted this fundamental wisdom into highly developed technology – the Audi balanced mobility initiative. Its aim is to achieve CO₂-neutral mobility. But what does that really mean? And how is it even possible to make the CO₂ cycle neutral? Facts, 50%

figures and sketches on the topic of a mysterious chemical bond. A long-haul flight to Thailand equates to 50 percent of the average CO₂ produced per person in Germany every year. 1.33 T

Vegetarians save 1.33 tones of CO₂ per year compared with Circuit “meat eaters”.

Text Illustrations Training Hanna van der Velden Barbara Stehle What is CO₂? We exhale it. We use it to extinguish fires. It puts the head on beer and the bubbles in champagne. CO₂ is almost everywhere. The abbreviation stands for carbon dioxide, a molecule made up of one carbon and two oxygen atoms. The invisible and odorless gas plays an important role in the metabolism of all living things. Without CO₂, life on earth as we know it would be impossible. However, carbon dioxide is also one of the compo- nents contributing to the greenhouse effect. Too much of it in the atmosphere and temperatures start to increase. In the worst case scenario, it could result in climate change. The major cause of the rise in CO₂ is we human beings. Every Ger- man contributes to the greenhouse effect with ten tonnes of CO₂ per year. Energy consumption for heating and electricity production is the largest fac- tor; up to 40 percent of global CO₂ emissions are attributable to that. Air- planes are also major producers of CO₂. Just one long-haul flight to Thailand equates to around 50 percent of the total amount of CO₂ produced per per- son in Germany every year. But food also has an important role to play. Vege- tarians, for instance, save 1.33 tones of CO₂ per year compared with “meat eaters”. The transport sector is responsible for around 20 percent of global CO₂ emissions. Within the automotive industry, Audi is striving to play the lead- ing role in environmentally friendly mobility. The major goal is overall CO₂- neutral mobility over short, medium and long distances.

Audi lives and breathes environmental responsibility Audi balanced mobility stands for the vision of overall CO₂–neutral mobility. The first major step along the way is the Audi e-gas project. Four wind turbines will begin producing renewable energy for Audi in late sum- mer 2013. Alongside this, electricity is also being generated by the likes of biogas facilities. Excess energy is converted into methane and can then be stored within the natural gas network. The project is enormously forward looking, because this environmentally friendly energy can be used to gen- erate no less than three forms of drive energy – electricity for e-tron models, hydrogen for fuel-cell vehicles and e-gas for the new TCNG cars*.

38 Encounter Technology 39 Encounter Technology * see glossary, pp. 168 –169 neutral CO₂ in circulation The engine of the Audi A3 TCNG will burn Audi e-gas in future – thus releasing only the same amount of CO₂ as was previously used to produce it. 35°

1 Apple tree – Carbon dioxide is everywhere, inclu- ding in the air. Plants extract it 1.500 × and use it for growth. Thus, it might A1 e-tron end up in the form of sugar in an A3 TCNG apple that we eat, before the core is then later processed by a biogas facility. 5 1 min = 300 km Methanization plant – 2 First, electrolysis is used to split Biogas facility – water (H₂O) into oxygen (O₂) and hy- Waste, slurry and, for instance, an drogen (H₁). Afterward, the CO₂ apple core are poured into a large vat particles scrubbed in the “wash facil- maintained at a tropical 35 degrees ity” are brought together with the 15.000 km Celsius. The heat-hungry bacteria hydrogen (H₁) in the “CO₂ sauna”. gorge themselves on the pile of waste With the help of a catalyst, the mole- and all organic material is pro­cessed. cules reform at a temperature of The output from the simmering 350 degrees Celsius to create meth- garbage soup includes carbon dioxide. ane (CH₄), i.e. Audi e-gas.

3 6 Amine gas scrubbing – e-gas-storage – The resulting carbon dioxide is, The public gas grid offers a capacity however, “contaminated” by other of 217 TerawattHours, making it gas particles, which means run- the largest existing energy storage ning it through the “CO₂ wash facil- facility in Germany. If there is plenty ity”. Instead of a 30-minute quick of wind from the sea, the excess cycle with spin, the washing pro- electricity can be converted into e-gas cess here takes just a few seconds. and stored in the public gas grid. The CO₂ is sprayed with a solvent If desired, the energy can be fed into that separates the “clean” particles a car via the gas grid at any time. from the “dirty” ones. 7 4 Audi A3 TCNG – Offshore wind turbine – Audi e-gas can be filled directly At around the same time, we are as fuel. With the production volumes 100 meters above the sea bed. Be- from the first installation, 1,500 A3 TCNG eGas 350° neath us, the waves of the North Audi A3 TCNG vehicles can drive for Sea beat against the wind turbine. 15,000 kilometers per year. The weather is stormy. The tips of the blades rotate through the air at 8 up to 250 km/h. The offshore wind The engine of the A3 TCNG – turbines in the North Sea use wind Audi e-gas is burned in the engine energy to generate clean electricity of the A3 TCNG with the aid of oxygen. for Audi, which is fed into the pub- The energy generated drives the lic electricity grid. The Audi e-tron car. The CO₂ from the exhaust is re- 217 models can be recharged directly by leased back into the atmosphere, this electricity. Just one minute of where it is once again processed by 217 TerawattHours of capacity is work by a single wind turbine is an apple tree. Thus, Audi is only offered by the public gas grid, enough to power an A1 e-tron for 300 borrowing available CO₂ and tempora- making it the largest existing energy kilometers. Sometimes more elec- rily converting it into e-gas. When storage facility in Germany. tricity is produced than is required. A burned in the engine, the amount of proportion of it is then directed CO₂ released into the atmosphere from the grid directly into a methani- is exactly the same as that previously zation plant – a kind of “CO₂ sauna”. used to produce the e-gas.

40 Encounter Technology 41 Encounter Technology Full of tricks – the Audi e-bike Wörthersee is set up for stunts.

Bike’s Peak

Audi e-bike Wörthersee This magnificent piece of hi-tech defies categorization – It is more than a bicycle and more than a pedelec. DTM driver Miguel Molina takes the power two-wheeler of tomorrow for a spin today.

42 Encounter Technology 43 Encounter Technology e-tron – the Audi e-bike Wörthersee sets a new record in the world of e-bikes with its power-to-weight ratio. 2.3 kW

Balanced Wheelie – the electronic wheelie mode provides the rider with help at the back wheel.

Power Wheelie – less experienced riders who want to do a wheelie can even set the desired angle.

Text Photos Regina Brand Myrzik und Jarisch

The blacktop is still wet from the overnight rain. This morning, heavy clouds are hanging between the green mountains around the race track in Spielberg, Austria. Preparations are fully underway for the DTM race scheduled to run in two day’s time on the Red Bull Ring. In the midst of all this hustle and bustle, the Audi e-bike Wörthersee is being unpacked. Miguel Molina, Audi driver in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) is already on the track and takes advantage of the opportunity. He grabs a hold of the futuristic two-wheeler, catapults the front wheel in the air, hops around for a moment on the rear wheel, balances for a few seconds and starts to grin. “A wheelie is child’s play with this bike. Where’s the applause?” he calls to his fellow race drivers. The high-end sports machine has some extraordinary functions that facili- tate an array of tricks and stunts. The wheelie mode makes riding on the rear wheel a piece of cake. During a wheelie, in-built sensors analyze the position of the e-bike and the driver’s weight in relation to gravitational force. Within just a few milliseconds, a control unit then regulates the power drawn from the electric motor. As if by magic, the e-bike holds the rider’s balance. Forward or backward movements can be evened out by the electric motor. “This control unit is an existing series-production part from the electronic stability system in the Audi A6. We modified it specially. In order to incorporate

44 Encounter Technology 45 Encounter Technology Full power – with a top speed of 80 km/h, the Audi e-bike smashes all standard e-bike categories. 80 km/h

Audi e-bike

Technical data Audi e-bike Wörthersee Motor power 2.3 kW peak output Power-to-weight ratio 9 kg per kW Torque at the rear wheel 250 Nm Top speed in “Pedelec” mode up to 80 km/h (motor assistance)

Range Battery only 50 km, depending on weight of rider With pedal assistance 70 km, depending on weight of rider Overall weight 21 kg (including battery)

The lithium-ion battery is integrated into the frame. At a rating of 48 V it has a capacity of 530 Wh. At a 230 V outlet, the approximately 5-kilogram battery is fully charged in two and a half hours. For long trail tours, it can be easily removed by hand and replaced with a fresh battery. Extreme lightweight design – the CFRP frame weighs just 1,600 grams.

it into our e-bike, we had to reduce the size of the sensors,” explains Heinz Hollerweger, Head of Development, Total Vehicle at Audi. “This wheelie function gives us a USP that has never been seen on a two-wheeler before.” Molina is impressed by the technology and its ease of use. “I’m a total wheelie fan. I’ve never had this much fun with a bicycle before,” laughs the 23 year-old race driver as he lifts the front wheel into the air again. Then he leans his weight forward and disappears into the distance. Be it a race course, steep mountain or rocky path – the Audi e-bike Wörther- see is at home everywhere and a dream-come-true for trail bikers. With its lightweight frame structure and low center of gravity, it is very compact and exceptionally agile, even in extreme situations. The ultra-light CFRP frame* weighs just 1,600 grams. The linkage that supports the rear wheel is also made from carbon-fiber and weighs just 2,600 grams (without damper). In line with Audi’s ultra-lightweight design principle, every single component is designed to be incredibly lean. Material reinforcement is used only where absolutely necessary. At an overall weight of just 21 kilograms and a power-to-weight ratio of 9 kilograms per kilowatt, the Audi e-bike Wörthersee is a record breaker. As a sports bike, it breaks out of every possible category – it can’t be classed as either a pedelec or a bicycle. “We have created a new vehicle class with the Audi e-bike Wörthersee. It’s a two-wheel technology concept designed for tricks and stunts. Thanks to its height-adjustable seat and low seating position, it’s suitable for all kinds of acrobatics,” explains Hollerweger.

46 Encounter Technology * see glossary, pp. 168 –169 47 Encounter Technology Secure – before setting off, the lock has to be Audi e-bike five operating modes deactivated by smartphone.

Wheelie For less experienced riders there is the “Power Wheelie” mode with adjust- able wheelie angle. With “Balanced Wheelie” the electronic control system counterbalances the movement of the rider via the electric motor.

Pure In “Pure” mode, the drive comes from the rider alone.

Pedelec In the “Pedelec” operating mode, the electric motor provides assistance; a top speed of up to 80 km/h is possible and a range of 50 to 70 km.

eGrip In the “eGrip” mode, the Audi e-bike Wörthersee is powered by battery alone, with a top speed of up to 50 km/h. The rider controls the drive via a twist grip and can configure the power as desired via the on-board computer.

Training mode If the rider wants to pedal at a constant power level, he selects the “Training” mode. In a head wind or on a gradient, the motor then compensates for the added force required in order to maintain the same power output while training.

Intelligent – one of the five operating modes Meanwhile, Miguel Molina doesn’t pass up the opportunity to take full can be selected via smartphone or directly advantage of the 2.3 kW peak power output on the winding race track. Using the on- via the on-board computer touchscreen. The board computer touchscreen integrated into the frame, he selects the “pedelec” mode display shows speed, distance covered, battery charge status, energy consumption and the and starts pedaling hard. He shoots along the race track, returning a short time later. current gradient. “It’s a whole new experience to ride at that kind of speed on an e-bike. The on-board computer display showed 80 km/h.” With up to 250 Nm of torque at the rear wheel, the Audi e-bike Wörthersee reaches high speed very quickly indeed. Its hydraulic nine- speed gearing delivers an incredibly fast shift action. At full tilt, Molina can depend on the hydraulic disc brakes and the air suspension on the front fork (130 millimeters spring travel). Those wanting to line up fancy tricks while riding can adjust the seat height smoothly and easily by pressing a button on the handlebars. To enable the DTM driver to share his e-bike adventures with his friends, his smartphone is connected via WLAN* with the on-board computer using an antenna in the front-wheel brake line. Outlandish trick sequences can be recorded by a small helmet camera and immediately uploaded as a video to the Internet via smartphone using a special app. Every successfully completed trick is then rewarded with success points. As his score increases, Miguel Molina would receive awards and his level of difficulty would rise. Via an overall ranking in the Internet, a rider can, if he wishes, measure his performance against other trail bikers. Their locations appear as Facebook status posts on the display of the Audi e-bike Wörthersee. “My friends won’t believe their eyes when they see the videos,” grins Molina. He is delighted with his outing on two wheels: “It’s 30° really daring me to go for a ride off-road,” he calls, seeking out the nearest grassy hill in the center of the Red Bull Ring. He comes face-to-face with a gigantic bull. The stainless steel sculpture is the race track mascot and it’s rare for an uninvited visitor to venture Networked – the wheelie angle can into his territory. The colossus gazes at Molina from a height of 17 meters. “He doesn’t also be set via smartphone. scare me – not on this bike,” laughs Molina.

48 Encounter Technology 49 Encounter Technology * see glossary, pp. 168 –169 Design Cycle Audi e-bike Wörthersee It’s not just the innovation that makes the e-bike a true Audi, but the design, too.

Design and Technology – the Audi genes are in every detail.

Text Photos Regina Brand Myrzik und Jarisch

“With this showbike, we are demonstrat- It wasn’t just engineers that were involved in the ing the very limits of technical possibility,” e-bike’s intensive development phase; Audi’s designers had their explains Heinz Hollerweger, Head of Total Vehicle Development hands full, too. The e-bike Wörthersee is one example of how at Audi. Be it styling, lightweight design, networking or electro- thinking and working at Audi also takes major departures from mobility – the Audi e-bike Wörthersee is forward-looking in every conventional routes. It was styled in the Concept Design Studio Clear form – distinct identity respect. “As a prototype, it brings together our core competences Munich. “Every detail bears the Audi genes. This is especially im- and an authentic character are decisive of design, ultra, connect and e-tron.” portant when we develop a product outside of automotive de- factors for Wolfgang Egger. An ambitious cyclist, Heinz Hollerweger was the source sign,” states Wolfgang Egger, Head of Audi Design. “The structure of the idea and the main initiator in the development of the Audi of the carbon fibers, the layout of the components, the lighting e-bike Wörthersee. “We had had the idea for a long time. Then, at – all elements reflect the clear Audi design language. The homog- the end of 2011, we got the green light. I invited all the develop- eneous LED light strips in particular make the Audi e-bike imme- ment engineers that are into cycling to a kick-off meeting. Many of diately recognizable as an Audi product.” With its futuristic de- us are total bike freaks and know the scene extremely well. To opti- sign, it is far more than a regular bicycle. mize the functions of the e-bike, we were in constant contact with “The choice of materials shows how closely design professional trail bikers during the development,” says Hollerweger. and ultra-lightweight expertise are linked with one another. Strict The Audi e-bike Wörthersee was created in a process functionality and extreme sporting character were the funda- involving a highly flexible working organization. Developing the mental principles of the styling. All design elements are system- idea for an e-bike brought employees together from all areas, atically derived from their technical function,” says Egger. “Our with interdisciplinary networking playing a crucial role. “Through motorsport expertise was an important source of inspiration for the enormous enthusiasm for the task in hand, we were able to the design of the e-bike. We benefited particularly from the bring together our expertise extremely quickly. Everyone pulled experience in working with carbon, because the materials used together. Only this way was it possible to create time and space in the e-bike, too, have to be able to withstand extremely high for this unusual project,” recalls Hollerweger. The project was real- loads.” The 26-inch carbon wheels feature an all-new “Audi ultra ized in the space of just four months. “I was very proud when we blade” design with broad, flat spokes optimized for the distribu- presented our e-bike in May.” tion of forces.

50 Encounter Technology 51 Encounter Technology 1 2

52 Encounter Technology 53 Encounter Technology 3 4

Tiny Particles

A look into the microcosm of an Audi through the eyes of a scanning electron microscope.

54 Encounter Technology 59 Encounter Technology 1 2 3 4

Manipulated The circular structure looks like a honeycomb, maybe even a crater – the image from the scanning electron Landscape of The jagged edges look like mountain peaks, the craters in between like valleys. What looks like a land- A microcosm The fibers layered above and below one another seem almost without structure. Innumerable and Open pores – The finest of ridges and crevices cover the entire surface. The material looks uneven and restless on the moon landscape microscope lets the imagination run wild. It may be hard to believe, but this material is actually chrome- mountains and valleys scape beneath the scanning electron microscope is actually a polymer material. The jagged surface has of delicate fibers entangled, they dominate the image on the scanning electron microscope. It is precisely this effect that a sign of quality image from the scanning electron microscope. The appearance, however, compared with what people plated polymer. What is special about it is that the circular opening has been put here intentionally by a been created intentionally. “Plastic has to be as matte as possible, and we achieve this through the makes the material pictured to special, so pleasant and soft to the touch – Alcantara. “The fibers that actually feel with their fingers, is highly deceptive, because, what looks here to be positively porous, is ac- special chemical process. Dr. Bertram Reinhold from Materials Technology, Hardness/Corrosion explains: rough microstructure of the surface,” states Helmut Donaubauer from Materials Technology, Interior. In make up Alcantara are so thin that they cannot be used individually,” explains Jürgen Frank from the tually soft and smooth to the touch. We’re talking about leather. The restless landscape shown by the “We drop acid onto the surface of the chrome-plated polymer. This eats through the various layers to the order to create this, the surface of the associated injection molding tool is textured using acid. When Materials Technology, Interior department. “That’s why they are bundled together into strands that can images is, in fact, a sign of quality when it comes to leather. “The indentations that you can see on the Chrome (Audi A3) carrier material, the plastic.” Using the images from the scanning electron microscope, the specialists can Polymer (Audi Q5) the plastic is molded, it takes on the texturing of the tool. The outcome is that the surface of the plastic Alcantara (Audi R8 GT) then be processed together.” A complex and time-intensive procedure with an extremely attractive Leather (Audi A7) scanning electron microscope images are hair pores,” explains Jörg Bernhardt-Moggl from Materials Tech- 2 µm then determine whether the chrome layers meet Audi’s strict criteria. This image, for instance, shows 20 µm appears matte, almost like a textile. “That is the manufacturing standard for our plastic components,” 20 µm outcome: Alcantara is a premium textile that is breathable and hard-wearing. Moreover, the fibers take on 20 µm nology, Interior. “The more pores evident in a specimen, the more natural and breathable the leather.” that the remaining surface structure is chrome, while the bottom of the honeycomb is plastic and the side says Donaubauer. “The matte, almost fabric-like plastic is a sign of our quality.” It is used for applications virtually all colors. “The quality of the material suits our premium standards,” says Frank. “And through In Audi’s in-house lab, Bernhardt-Moggl and his co-workers test the leather specimens for durability. Not EHT: 20.00 kV EHT: 20.00 kV EHT: 20.00 kV EHT: 20.00 kV walls are nickel. “Layering of this kind protects from environmental influences and ensures durable qua- such as interior trim. The polymer in the image shows the cover panel for the D-pillar in the Audi Q5. the various color variants, it offers a vast array of options in designing the interior of a car.” until they have passed 45 different tests are these leathers approved for use. This is how Audi guaran- Detector: SE2 lity over the lifecycle of the car,” explains Reinhold. Detector: SE2 Detector: BSD Detector: SE2 tee’s durable quality that you can see and feel. Date: 1 June 2012 Date: 1 June 2012 Date: 16 May 2012 Date: 16 May 2012

55 Encounter Technology 56 57 58 1 2 Text Photos It’s like detective work. Every day, Poese and his team Annika Jochheim Myrzik und Jarisch search for the proverbial needle in a haystack: “We examine the entire fracture surface for the tiniest, telltale signs,” explains Poese. “Once you have a bit of experience, you usually find what you’re looking for quite quickly.” Held continues: “Many fracture surfaces have distinctive structures that indicate the origin of the fracture.” For the quality inspectors this is an important clue Pine cones, moonscapes, mussel beds – because, when examined under the scanning electron micro- magnifications of up to 500,000 times scope, this point provides information on the nature of the frac- unlock a microcosm that is incomprehensible to human senses. ture. “From its form and markings, we can identify whether this Even surfaces that seem completely smooth to the eye and finger- was,for instance, a fatigue failure or a forced rupture,” says Held. tips take on strange forms at this magnification and seem some- “But sometimes, the images also show us the inclusion of foreign how restless, even bizarre. It’s a world utterly unto itself – a mi- material during the production of the part. An inclusion of just crocosm open to exploration by those who choose to look closely. a few thousandths of a millimeter is sometimes all it takes to The door to this world is opened by the Scanning trigger a fracture.” Electron Microscope (SEM)*. As its name would suggest, it uses Striving for the highest possible quality leads quite electrons to create an image by grouping them extremely finely literally into microscopic detail – even the type of the foreign ma- into a beam. This focused electron beam scans the respective spec- terial that has been included can be analyzed by Poese and his 3 imen in a pre-determined pattern. The interactions of the elec- co-workers. The so-called x-ray fluorescence analysis* of the scan- trons with the object that occur during this scanning process are ning electron microscope helps in this process. “When scanning used to generate a visual representation of the specimen. These the specimen, the interaction of the electrons with the object images may be black and white, but they have a very high depth generates x-rays. And because different chemical elements gen- of field and are razor sharp. erate different types of x-rays, we are able to identify them.” Audi makes good use of this function. “In quality assur- To do this, the team uses a measurement system at- ance, pinpoint accuracy is necessary when examining the tiniest tached to the SEM that presents the spectrum of the x-rays mea- surfaces. The SEM images enable us to undertake exactly this kind sured as a diagram. It shows the distribution and intensity of of detailed analysis,” explains Martin Poese, Head of Department, the respective elements and provides intelligence on the com- Materials Technology, Engines/Transmissions/Oil. position of the material. “An oxygen peak, for example, indicates While scanning electron microscopes can achieve a to us the inclusion of slag and suggests a manufacturing failure maximum magnification of 500,000 times, Audi’s quality inspec- during the steel melting process,” states Poese. tors usually work with a factor of “only” 20,000. Poese explains: It is findings such as these that make the use of the “That kind of magnification is equivalent to relating the size of a scanning electron microscope absolutely crucial at Audi. By pro- business card with that of a stadium. This is usually sufficient for cessing this kind of information – from development, through pro- most of our analysis.” duction to customer service – Audi ensures the consistent quality The investigations carried out by Poese and his team of vehicle components. For Poese and his co-workers, the micro- generally concern vehicle components that an Audi owner never cosmic world of vehicle components bears messages that are 4 sees. “We analyze cracks, wear spots and surfaces on every imag- visible only to the trained eye. But when non-experts look at the inable vehicle part. And we use the images produced by the images produced by a scanning electron microscope, they see scanning electron microscope to do that,” explains Michael Held, a fascinating array of landscapes. a member of Poese’s team. Sometimes they are tiny parts like valve springs or screws; sometimes they are larger elements of the bodyshell structure that have to be cut into smaller speci- mens prior to examination. The respective specimen is then placed in a vacuum inside the scanning electron microscope. “We are interested inthe ‘Why’” explains Poese. “If a valve spring is broken, for instance, we take a close look at the fracture, which provides us with information on the cause of the damage.”

The fracture surface of the valve spring shows that it is a fatigue fracture resulting from a foreign material inclusion.

1 Expert – quality assurance specialists use the The damage to the spheroidal periodic table to identify the elements that appear graphite cast iron material is in the x-ray fluorescence analysis. a forced fracture.

2 Precise – Martin Poese aligns the sample mount in the scanning electron microscope for damage analysis.

3 Functional – up to eight samples can be fixed onto the rotating mount.

4 Experienced – Martin Poese evaluates the SEM images from a CFRP component* at the computer.

60 Encounter Technology 61 Encounter Technology * see glossary, pp. 168 –169 Creativity as a resource At its Munich think tank, Audi Design believes in openness – in the design of its space, as well as the thinking of its people. And it is for this reason that Audi reorganized the studio together with Swiss furniture Open Planning maker Vitra.

Text Photos Klaus Thomas Edelmann Myrzik und Jarisch

62 Encounter Technology 63 Encounter Technology Right in the center of Munich is Audi Design’s think tank – its Con­ cept Design Studio. It delivers important inspiration for vehicle de­­velopment and product design. To create new free spaces for working as a team and to 1 encourage maximum creativity from the designers, the studio was recently redesigned together with Swiss furniture maker Vitra. And this is where Wolfgang Egger, Head of Audi Design and Eckart Maise, Chief Design Officer for Vitra come together to discuss the future of office and car, creativity as a resource and the exchange of ideas that exists at the begin- ning of every avant-garde.

What does design mean for your work? How do you inspire creativity? Maise: Human creativity is an infinite resource. When the environment is right, Wolfgang Egger, born 1963, good ideas generate themselves. You have to allow creativity to “run free” and you have to is Head of Audi Group Design. He is re­spon­­sible for the Audi and try to clear away any unnecessary restrictions to the creative process. Designers have to be Lamborghini brands. Before taking able to communicate with one another without barriers. And it is precisely these funda- over leadership of Audi Design, mental principles that we have applied to the creation of the Audi Design Studio in Munich. he was Chief Designer for Alfa Romeo, In my role as Design Manager, I’m dealing with the same issue – the release and control Seat and Lancia. of creative processes. Eckart Maise, born 1965, is Chief Egger: The creativity of a human being enables something new to be made out Design Officer at Vitra, a Swiss of every situation, which is why I am happy that we are here talking and exchanging views. furniture manufacturer dedicated When it comes to automobiles and architecture, and interior design too, the ideas of ex- to the development of healthy, intelligent, inspiring and enduring perimentation are very similar. In the 20s, Bauhaus showed how you can bring together solutions for the office, home diverse competencies and technologies. An avant-garde was created from creative dialogue. and public spaces. Maise: What’s important is not to limit your thinking, … Egger: … to break out of your own discipline … Maise: … find new perspectives and a more expansive view of things.

Is it possible to learn from design how to manage creativity? Egger: This is a skill that is completely instinctive for children, because children create many variations in a single moment. Through our education or our profession, we often lose faith in our own creative capabilities, because we are constantly searching for the one, right solution. But creativity is in every single one of us; we designers are simply lucky enough to be allowed to exercise it … Maise: … but you also have to have a little faith in yourself. In order to produce design from creativity, you have to be able to express an idea and to communicate it to as many people as possible. As a designer, you want to make the world more exciting and interesting.

What is the role played by the Audi Concept Design Studio in Munich? Egger: It’s a think tank. Here at the Munich Concept Design Studio, we can es­ cape from the industrial world and really get to grips with different issues. Every product that is created here stands for an approach to life that is closely connected to the Audi brand. The studio is located in Schwabing, an area of Munich with strong artistic roots. It is a creative environment – you see directly how people live and express themselves with 2 fashion and lifestyle. In Design in Ingolstadt, we are consciously more heavily oriented toward Technical Development. The focus there is on intermeshing technical innovation and design with one another as closely as possible.

Human creativity is an infinite resource. When the environ- ment is right, good ideas generate themselves. You have to allow creativity to “run free” and you have to try to clear away any unnecessary restrictions to the creative process. Eckart Maise 1 Independent – “Through modern technology, it is possible to work any- where,” says Eckart Maise.

2 Think tank – in the Concept Design Studio Munich, ideas are created for a diverse range of products. 3 All in the head – one thing is clear 4 to Egger, “The best ideas are created in the head”.

4 Tool – with a pencil and straight edge, ideas are transferred from head to paper. 3

64 Encounter Technology 65 Encounter Technology How is the office, as such, changing? Maise: Before, it was a kind of employee workbench; today, it is once again a social place, where co-workers can enter into dialogue. It is a place for teamwork and 6 communication. Tom Allen from MIT established that 80 percent of innovative and ground- breaking ideas are generated through personal communication. Based on this, Vitra has developed a concept called “Citizen Office”, which turns the modern office into a knowl- edge marketplace and can also be used simultaneously as a social meeting point. Modern technology dispenses with the need for a prescribed location where everybody does the 7 same thing at the same time. Work can be done anywhere, in the office, in the car, at the airport. Thus, today’s office becomes more of a business club with different zones and uses. You can experience that here in the Audi Concept Design Studio, too.

How do you set up a design studio like the one here in Munich? Concept Design Studio Munich Maise: The important thing is that the people using the space are involved in “Concept design needs freedom” – this is how Wolfgang Egger defines the process. We have run several workshops with Audi. As with design, you have to know the task of the external creative for whom it is you are creating and how work is done there. How often are people working studio in Munich. The Concept Design there individually and how often in pairs or more? Then you have to add into the equation Studio Munich is the think tank of that a design studio is a specific place. Audi Design. Imaginative individuals from many disciplines work to- Egger: Exactly! In a design studio, it is about maximizing creativity, and creativ- gether here on the creative input ity is based on dialogue between designers. Design happens by sitting together, provoking for the future of the brand’s design. ideas and discussing them. And the best way to do that is just like we are sitting here – a discussion in the middle of the working environment. It’s not about getting up early in the The Munich facility has a long tradi- tion for Audi Design – the studio morning, sketching and then being able to show a finished object in the evening. We pre- in Schwabing was set up 25 years ago. fer to apply studio thinking. It dates back to the Renaissance. Back then, artists and archi- From day one, Munich established tects recognized that it made sense to group people around the object of their work. It itself as a place where designers was important to us that we completely avoid isolated meeting situations. Discussions could think way into the future, work on new vehicle concepts and gene­- can take place right in among the designers’ workstations. We no longer need a separate rate unexpected inspiration for the meeting room. Audi brand. Maise: There are – and this also fits in with our job here at Audi – ever-growing spaces in which a variety of different jobs overlap. We are working more and more with The studio in Munich is a location for seeking new ideas and a place for day­light. It’s not just about architectural but also organizational transparency. The caves open dialogue. Discussions with crea- into which we are constantly withdrawing are no longer necessary. The dimensions of these tive people from other disciplines spaces present new challenges when it comes to furnishing them, because this is no longer or with students taking part in pro- a space for work alone – concentration is a major issue. How do you divide the space with- jects within the global network of art schools are a constant source of out losing the overall impression of openness? We are confronted with this issue all the inspiration for the designers. Plus, 5 time now. the Concept Design Studio Munich Egger: This dialogue also relates to the dialogue between cultures. Alongside is also closely networked with Audi’s Ingolstadt and Munich, we also have the opportunity for dialogue with Italdesign in Turin, other design studios. Lamborghini in Sant’Agata, the Volkswagen Design Center in Potsdam and the Design Center California in Santa Monica. And our Audi Design Team of more than 200 incorpo- rates 16 different nationalities. I see it as my job to give these diverse teams, which come together on specific issues and then go their own ways, the space to exchange ideas – be it digitally or in the classic way with a face-to-face meeting.

In a design studio, it is about maximizing creativity, and creativity is based on dialogue between designers. Design also happens by sitting together, provoking ideas and discussing them. Wolfgang Egger 5 In the thick of it – meetings take place within the office space. Separate conference rooms are no place for creativity. Wolfgang Egger and Eckart Maise agree wholeheartedly on this.

6 Togetherness – the best ideas result from dialogue.

7 Transparency – looking onto the street outside through the large mirrored windows is a source of inspiration.

66 Encounter Technology * see glossary, pp. 168 –169 67 Encounter Technology What is the greatest challenge facing automotive design in future? Egger: Dealing with new drive technologies means an enormous amount of change – for design, too. Many technical givens disappear and are being redefined. Imagine the engine compartment is no longer required, or the center tunnel in the interior loses its technical significance. This gives us designers a whole new set of parameters. Despite all of this change, however, what remains is the emotion that is expressed through a de- sign. The task for us designers is to carry automotive emotion into the future, because our fundamental aesthetic understanding remains unchanged. This is also the challenge that we designers will face in future from society. Life is changing, the environment is changing, cities are growing and new forms of mobility are emerging. This influences our emotional needs and thus the design of the future.

Is the upheaval in the furniture industry and at Vitra less dramatic? Maise: The world is changing constantly and that obviously has an impact on 9 the world of working and living. The changes in the field of work are enormous. Plus, a certain degree of hybridization between living and working is increasingly playing a role. The domestic is progressively pushing its way into the office environment. We spoke about the fact that exactly this desire existed when we began redesigning Audi’s design studio. The important thing with these projects is to find the right balance between productivity and wellbeing.

Can classics still be created under today’s conditions? Maise: Even the Eames chair wasn’t born a classic. Very good design is, of course, part of it, but function and other aspects contribute to us adopting it as part of our culture. There are a lot of examples among cars, too. Classics can be born anytime if the quality is right and innovation is present. Egger: Of course classics are still being created today – in the automotive in- 8 dustry, too. Take our R8 for example. It certainly has the potential in ten, twenty and thirty years still to be highly attractive and emotional.

Are there areas of commonality between Audi Design and Vitra; direct opportunities for cooperation on issues like car seats? Maise: I believe there are a great many points of contact and overlap when it comes to emotionality, materials, aesthetics, attention to detail, craftsmanship. That’s quite a lot, isn’t it? Egger: Exactly! And what’s particularly important is the dialogue between our two design disciplines. The result of our cooperation won’t manifest itself in the concrete form of a car seat. We don’t simply want to transfer things one-to-one. But the dialogue between creative individuals in a variety of disciplines – like with Bauhaus – can lead to a new avant-garde.

10 Life is changing, the environment is changing, cities are growing and new forms of mobility are emerging. This influences our emotional needs and thus the design of the future. Wolfgang Egger

8 Tailor-made suit – product design made-to-measure by Audi.

9 Childhood dream – “We designers are lucky enough to be allowed to exercise creativity,” explains Egger.

10 Accuracy – the right light sharpens the perception of forms and lines.

68 Encounter Technology 69 Encounter Technology Skills. 72 Aerobatics 82 Magazine 86 Non Plus ultra 92 Shift Work 94 Autonomous Movement 100 Net Gains 106 AC/DC 112 Current Affairs 118 In Two-Four Time 120 Magazine

Skills Audi’s great strengths include the skill of every single one of its employees. It lays the foundation for perfection and innovation.

70 Encounter Technology 71 Encounter Technology Weight reduction on the Audi A3 Depending on the engine version, the new A3 weighs up to 80 kilograms less than its predecessor. Audi is putting enormous effort into ultra-lightweight design in series production. Aero-

batics

Fenders Like the hood, the fenders are made from aluminum. This saves 1.1 kilograms per part, equating to 50 percent. The hood is 7.0 kilograms lighter.

1.1 kg

72 Encounter Technology 73 Encounter Technology Front axle swivel bearings For A3 variants starting at 110 kW (150 hp), the swivel bearings are made from aluminum. They weigh in at 2.4 kilograms each. With a combined weight reduction of 4.6 kilograms, they balance out the additional weight of the larger brakes.

2.4 kg

11.6 kg

18-inch wheels The large wheels for the A3 are made using flow-forming technology. The rim base is rolled out over a cylinder under high pressure and at a high temperature.

74 Encounter Technology 75 Encounter Technology Text Photos Initiatives responsible for the peace and quiet on board Johannes Köbler Myrzik und Jarisch the new Audi A3 include wheel arches made from acoustically in- sulating fleece material, making them 0.5 kilograms lighter. The molded part that lies between the interior floor and the carpeting weighs just 3.9 kilograms. Front axle subframe A major weight factor in the new A3 is the engines. The The large component that supports both the engine 1.8 TFSI that drives the three-door with 132 kW (180 hp) and 250 and the front axle is cast in a single piece. Compared with the previous Nm weighs just a little more than 140 kilograms; the thin-wall model, this saves 1.5 kilograms. technology used to cast the crankcase saves 2.4 kilograms. In the new 2.0 TDI, mounting the balance shafts inside the engine block For many years, vehicle weight in the auto- reduces weight by 3.0 kilograms, while modified mufflers in the motive industry went in only one direction – exhaust line contribute a further 2.0 kilograms. The exhaust sys- up. Audi, however, has succeeded in breaking through the weight tem has shed weight across all engine versions. spiral, with the first A8 and the current A6 and TT models. The new For the new 1.4 TFSI with 90 kW (122 hp), the needle A3 continues on this course. In its base engine version with the 1.4 stops at just 107 kilograms – 21 kilograms less than its predecessor. TFSI, it weighs 80 kilograms less than its predecessor – well under At 18 instead of 33 kilograms, the new aluminum crankcase has 1.2 tonnes. made the greatest contribution to this diet. A host of details – such This achievement is remarkable on the one hand be- as the aluminum pistons, slimline valves, hollow-bored conrod kg cause of the compact vehicle format and, on the other, because the bearing journals, weight-optimized crankshaft and compact inter- 8.6 new A3 exceeds its predecessor in all criteria – it is sportier, safer cooler – round off the overall package. and even better equipped. Many of its design principles and indi- Engineers also made substantial weight savings on the vidual components are based on the group’s new modular trans- chassis of the new Audi A3. The front axle subframe, which also sup­ verse platform (MQB)*, which offers a great deal of technical and ports the engine and transmission, is cast in a single piece from alu­ financial freedom for ultra-lightweight design. minum – as a result it weighs just 8.6 kilograms, 1.5 kilograms less The ultra-lightweight design principle is not an obliga- than its three-piece predecessor. On the 1.8 TFSI and the 2.0 TDI, tion for engineers, but rather a state of mind. Audi engineers always the front axle swivel bearings are also made from aluminum. With consider the vehicle as a whole, making every gram count in every a combined weight of 4.8 kilograms, they come it at around just half area. Many interior trim elements, for instance, are now fastened the weight of the cast steel components on the preceding model. with plastic expansion rivets; each one saves 4 grams of weight The optional 18-inch alloy wheels are no heavier than compared with the steel screws used in the previous model. the 17-inch wheels and are made using sophisticated flow-forming A new configuration for the control units now makes a technology. The rim base is rolled out over a cylinder under high series of wiring lines superfluous and reduces weight by 1.5 kilo- pressure and at a high temperature; this hardens the material, en- grams as a result. The air conditioning system has shed 4.0 kilo- abling lower wall thickness. The new 18-inch wheels are tougher grams because the fan motor now requires fewer coils. The housing than on the previous model, yet weigh just 11.6 kilograms each. for the passenger airbag is made from plastic and the frame of the MMI monitor from magnesium – both components have dropped a combined weight of 0.6 kilograms. The new seats are 4.0 kilo- grams lighter than the previous ones; in the rear bench frame, plas- tic inlays take the place of steel wire.

The materials in the body-in-white Intelligent material mix – the bodyshell of the new Audi A3 of the new A3 is made from a mix of different materials and semi-finished parts. 1 Hood, fenders and rear transverse beam in sheet aluminum

2 Crash management system in aluminum profile

3 Longitudinal beams, lower transverse beams, sills and C-pillars in modern high-strength steel 6 6 6

4 A-pillars, B-pillar bases, floorpan 1

and trunk floor made from high-strength 3 steel 5 4 1 5 Key areas of the occupant cell made 6 5 from form-hardened steel 3 5

6 Side panel frames, door panels and tail- 3 4 gate made from deep-drawn steel 3 4 3 2 5 3 1 6

1

76 Encounter Technology 77 Encounter Technology * see glossary, pp. 168 –169 Crash management system The crash management system at the front of the vehicle that distributes forces in the event of an impact is made entirely from extruded aluminum profile, making it 1.4 kilograms lighter.

3.8 kg

78 Encounter Technology 79 Encounter Technology The largest single component on any car is the body­ In the press shop and bodyshell shop, the forming of Audi A3 1.4 TFSI: shell, which offers particular potential for weight saving. In accor­ the aluminum components and their connection with the steel parts Comparison with the previous model dance with the principle of “the right material in the right place for present particularly tough challenges. The same applies to the form-­ optimum function”, a steel cell was created for the new A3 using a ­hardened components, which are coated with an anti-corrosive layer multi-material construction. The outcome is 25 kilograms lighter made from an aluminum-silicon alloy. Audi benefits here from its Engine and chassis Saving than for the preceding model. At its core are form-hardened steels; expertise in ultra-lightweight design – progressive jointing tech- 1.4 TFSI with integrated exhaust manifold 21.0 kg prior to being formed, they are heated to almost 1,000 degrees niques have been tested for years in models like the TT. The body­ Modified muffler 2.0 kg Cel­sius in a continuous furnace and then quenched to around 200 shell of the new A3 features a wide array of jointing technologies, Front axle swivel bearing in aluminum 4.6 kg de­grees immediately afterward in a water-cooled press tool. This including adhesive bonding, clinching and punch riveting. Front axle subframe in aluminum 1.5 kg tem­perature drop creates an extremely stiff iron-carbon structure The joint between the side wall and the roof of the Audi – form-hardened steels can handle low wall thicknesses, and the A3, which are both made from steel, is created by a plasmatron- Bodyshell Saving as­sociated parts weigh 18 kilograms less than conventional com- soldered* seam, with the permitted tolerance reduced to just a few Form-hardened steels in the occupant cell 18.0 kg ponents. tenths of a millimeter. The finished seam is polished with brushes Further initiatives in the occupant cell 7.0 kg Form-hardened steels are used in the transition from to create a “zero joint” that is virtually invisible. In contrast to the Aluminum hood 7.0 kg the front section to the occupant cell, in the A-pillars, B-pillars, roof pre­vious model, the doors and window frames are pressed in a single Front fenders in aluminum 2.2 kg arches, center tunnel, sills and floorpan. Altogether, they consti- piece, which also saves weight. Crash management system in aluminum 1.4 kg tute 26 percent of the occupant cell. A tailored rolled blank forms ultra-lightweight design has been a core competence at the transition from the floor to the rear section; its eleven segments Audi for many years. The brand wants to continue expanding the Interior Saving are rolled to five different thicknesses. global leadership that it already possesses in this field. In future, Wheel arches in fleece material 0.5 kg High-strength and ultra-high-strength steel grades are every new Audi model will be lighter than its predecessor. The new Seats 4.0 kg used in many other bodyshell areas, such as the floor of the occu- A3 is showing the way. Air conditioning 4.0 kg pant cell. At the front of the vehicle, the hood and fenders are made Control units and wiring 1.5 kg from aluminum – making the hood 7.0 kilograms lighter and saving Center armrest mount 1.2 kg 1.1 kilograms on each of the fenders, equating to around 50 per- cent. An aluminum profile behind the front skirt serves as a crash plus further measures management system. It weighs 3.8 kilograms and saves 1.4 kilo- grams. The massive weight reduction at the front end of the car also delivers a finely balanced distribution of axle load. The result is the well-balanced, sporty handling that is such a feature of the new A3. –80 kg

How the photos were created

Flight hours – the lightweight parts from the Audi A3 were not magically placed in the summer skies above Ingolstadt by image editing soft- ware. They actually flew through the air – with the help of a trusty photographer’s assistant.

Light work With a base weight of less than 1.2 tonnes, the A3 sets new milestones in Audi ultra-lightweight design.

80 Encounter Technology 81 Encounter Technology * see glossary, pp. 168 –169

Escape the flood

Windshield wipers that also serve as mobile Magazine weather stations are the focus of the “RainCars” project at Hanover University. Scientists are seeking to pin down the threat of floods caused by heavy rainfall faster and Only those prepared to look beyond their horizons with greater precision. In so doing, car windshield wip- can evaluate and build on their own progress. Technology ers are serving as precipitation indicators. Alongside wipe frequency, which indicates the amount of rain, the news from around the world. researchers are investigating whether optical sensors can also be used. A field trial with ten taxis in Hanover is scheduled to start soon. The data gathered will then be compared with measurements from stationary rain sensors and rainfall radar.

For further information go to: www.uni-hannover.de 2

By wind and weather

Never change another tire! The “adaptive tires” from research group HTWK Leipzig will automat- ically adapt to suit the prevailing weather and road con­ ditions. The idea is that the grooves of the tread change in accordance with the driving situation. The aim of the scientists is to optimize wear, noise generation, fuel consumption and safety, which Image provided by: Fraunhofer COMEDD by: Fraunhofer Image provided is why they are currently in the process of integrating a At eye level regulating device into the tires that autonomously con- trols the form-changing components in line with re- quirements. It enables the grooves in the tire’s profile One blink is all it takes – and the desired in- to be moved individually and adapted to suit the driving formation appears on the OLED data goggles*. The user conditions. The researchers are currently working with can access information from both the real and virtual elastic materials and piezo-ceramic actuators, as well worlds. as with memory compounds and smart materials. At the heart of the new technology is a bi- di­rectional micro-display. It is both a screen and a cam- era and consists of photo-detectors and organic light- For further information go to:

Image provided by: Picture Services by: Picture Image provided www.htwk-leipzig.de emitting diodes (OLEDs) interwoven within a fixed struc­ ­ture. This means it is capable not only of reproducing Mobile measuring station – sensors in windshield wipers images, but also of recording them. As a result, it can be measure precipitation. controlled completely using the eyes. The micro-display pre­cisely identifies the direction in which the user is looking and passes this onto the respective interactive application. By focusing on a virtual key, the user can, for instance, select what should appear in his line of sight. The combination of camera and display makes the goggles compact and convenient. Re­searchers at Fraunhofer COMEDD (Center for Organic Materials and Electronic Devices Dresden) can even envisage in-

tegrating the technology into a conventional pair of by: HTWK Leipzig Image provided sunglasses. Adjustment while driving – the grooves of a tire tread are able to move.

For further information go to: www.fraunhofer.de

Intelligent data goggles – the micro-display made up of OLEDs and photo-detectors recognizes the line of sight.

82 Encounter Technology OLED 83 Encounter Technology * see glossary, pp. 168 –169 Awards for Encounter

Recent weeks have seen Encounter – the Audi technology magazine – honored with two highly respected awards. The magazine received the red dot award: communication design for its high design qual- ity. And with Gold in the Best Corporate Publishing Award 2012, Encounter was commended by the jury as “a per- fect image vehicle presenting new ideas and technolo- gies from around the world”.

For further information go to: www.encounter.audi.com

Reckoning – the ten-millimeter cubes can duplicate themselves.

From beneath the ground 10

The road as a source of energy – American researchers are working on a variety of concepts derived from this vision. One idea is “Solar Roadways” that gen- erate renewable energy from sunlight and could even use this electricity to extend the range of electric cars. An initial prototype of a module of this road covering has already been completed. It measures three by: M. Scott Brauer Image provided meters square and consists of an extremely hard glass Building with sand surface. Inside are solar cells, LEDs for street lighting and the incorporation of traffic signs, a heating system and microprocessors. The development engineers in- A tiny pile of sand that recognizes the form tend to realize a prototype of a parking space this fall. of an object and shapes itself into a duplicate? Sounds a lot like science fiction, but initial research steps have been taken here, too. Scientists at the Massachusetts For further information go to: Institute of Technology (MIT)* have tested the associ- www.solarroadways.com ated technology with cubes. The ten-millimeter blocks are fitted with a microprocessor and have special mag-

Image provided by: Solar Roadways nets attached to their walls. They can use these to dock A further project, which also uses the road Energy transport by road – the Solar Roadways modules with each other, exchange messages and carry out sim- for transmitting energy, is being pursued by a research produce electricity. ple reckoning functions. team at Stanford University. Electric energy will be trans­ The intention is to transfer this technology mitted wirelessly to electric cars using magnetic reso- to sand. The individual grains will recognize their neigh- nance – even while driving. The researchers want to em­ bors and where one is missing, thus enabling them to bed into the road two copper coils that vibrate at the analyze the shape of an object. As a final step, the grains same frequency. One of them will be connected to an of sand could then shape themselves autonomously to energy source and generate a magnetic field that causes duplicate an object. the second coil to vibrate. This allows the electrical en- ergy to be transferred from the sender to the receiver. In a computer simulation, the system can For further information go to: www.web.mit.edu already transmit 10 kilowatts over a distance of two meters. A field trial will see a large number of coils built 2xinto the asphalt. The receiver coils would be positioned beneath the car and could continually charge the bat- tery while driving.

For further information go to: www.stanford.edu

84 Encounter Technology solar85 Encounter Technology * see glossary, pp. 168 –169 Audi TT evo plus With its TT evo plus technology study, Audi is driving ultra-lightweight design to the very limits of possibility. The bodyshell is made from CFRP, aluminum and magnesium, the coupe weighs less than 1,000 kilograms.

Non Plus ultra

86 Encounter Technology 3

2

1 4

Text Photos 1 New technology – a layer of polymer The TT evo plus technology showcase, of which just The B-pillars in the TT evo plus are a particularly inno- Johannes Köbler Myrzik und Jarisch creates a strong bond between the adhesive two have been built in the Audi Lightweight Design Center* vative variant of CFRP production technology. Along the lines of fasteners and the CFRP material. and the Pre-Production Center (VSC in German) in Neckarsulm, the race cars from the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM), 2 Engineering innovation – the rear takes this principle to its extreme – through extensive work on they are built up as hollow structures around a foam core. Their section of the luggage compartment floor all sub-assemblies and an enormous team effort on the part average wall thickness is just 1.3 millimeters. The hinge mounts has a wave-shaped profile. of all involved. “From the bodyshell alone, which weighs just for the tailgate, the corner reinforcement for the center tunnel 206 kilograms in the series-production version, we have man- and the upper floorpan are all made from semi-finished magne- 3 ultra-light – the roof of the Audi TT evo plus is made from carbon-fiber reinforced agedto take out a further 43 kilograms,” enthuses develop- sium parts in a variety of forms such as sheet metal and cast- polymer. ment engineer Thomas Milde. “We have replaced most of the ings. The ultra-lightweight metal saves up to a further 15 percent steel components at the rear with aluminum and opted for CFRP* in weight compared with aluminum. 4 New production technology – the B-pillars in many areas.” And what benefit does all this effort bring? Project on the technology showcase are built around a foam core in the style of a DTM race car. The roof, B-pillars, center tunnel and rear floorpan Leader Ralph Schünemann outlines the expected vital statistics are made from CFRP, carbon-fiber reinforced polymer. CFRP com- for the technology showcase compared with those of the series- ponents like the tailgate, front fenders, doors and front end mod- production car: “The TT evo plus consumes around 20 percent If you want to run a successful sprint, you ule bring further weight savings of 38 kilograms. The CFRP com- less per 100 kilometers in the NEDC and accelerates from zero to need a good starting position – and this ponents used in the interior – door and side panels, for example, 100 km/h in less than six seconds – both results of the ultra-light- is certainly the case with the Audi’s TT evo plus. Even as a series- or the instrument cover panel – add up to savings of more than weight design and the increased power yielded by the engine. We production car, the compact coupe is already exceptionally light 13 kilograms. have made it 25 percent lighter in areas like the block, crankshaft, thanks to its many aluminum components. In 2.0 TFSI guise, it “The TT evo plus is so exciting for us because we are flywheel, fasteners and ancillary units. And the exhaust system is has a curb weight of just 1,280 kilograms. “And with our new using it to test ultra-lightweight technologies that we want to made from ultra-lightweight titanium, which saves 14 kilograms.” technology showcase, it’s less than 1,000 kilograms,” says Peter put into series production in the near future,” explains Heinz Schünemann is already looking forward to the day Fromm, Head of Vehicle Body Development at AUDI AG. “The Hollerweger, Head of Total Vehicle Development for AUDI AG. The when he can drive the TT evo plus on the test track for the first time. TT evo plus is our new spearhead in ultra-lightweight design.” back end of the CFRP luggage compartment floor has a wave “The handling will be incredibly sporty. In the suspension, we are Audi leads the competitive field in lightweight design. structure – the so-called OLAS waves (oscillating laminated using aluminum, mono-tube dampers and new springs made from 1994 saw the debut of the first A8 with its aluminum bodyshell absorbing structures) absorb a high proportion of energy in glass-fiber reinforced polymer that we will shortly be putting made using the revolutionary ASF (Audi Space Frame)*, since when the event of a collision. Many cables and cover panels are attached into series production. On the front axle, we are using a light- the brand has continued to extend its lead. The latest major step is 43 using adhesive fasteners; a polymer layer forms a strong bond weight braking system with aluminum fixed calipers. The anti- the Multi-Material Space Frame, which combines a diverse range with the CFRP when it is heated for a few seconds. Technical adhe- roll bar is made from CFRP and, together with the brakes, saves of different materials in line with the classic Audi mantra “the right kilograms is the weight saved just in the bodyshell of the sives and rivets form the connection between the CFRP and alu- us 13 kilograms. And the forged 18-inch wheels with their spe- material in the right place for optimum function”. TT evo plus compared with the series version. minum parts. cial ultra design weigh just 6.4 kilograms each.”

88 Encounter Technology 89 Encounter Technology * see glossary, pp. 168 –169 5

The weight of less than 6 1,000 kilograms is a statement of which we are proud. 13 Peter Fromm At the front of the show car is technology that will 5 The interior – the specialists at the Pre-Production kilograms of weight are saved by CFRP feature in the next TT – its large engines will come from the group’s Center in Neckarsulm complete the TT evo plus. parts in the interior. modular transverse platform (MQB)*. The engine is tilted to- 6 The driver door – power windows and speakers are ward the rear, the front axle with the steering moves seven centi- included in the technology study meters forward. Schünemann: “We have removed a lot of weight from either end of the car and put it in the middle to make the TT evo plus even more agile. The starter battery, for instance, is inside the car in front of the rear axle and features lithium-ion technol- ogy. It is much smaller than a lead-acid battery and weighs just over four kilograms.” “The TT evo plus is a dynamic car. But it demands abso- Experience the construction of the lutely no sacrifice from the driver, aside from the missing rear TT evo plus on video! bench, where we have fitted a transverse tube for added stiff- www.encounter.audi.com ness and a dividing net,” says Jochen Uhl, Vehicle Body Controller and Coordinator for Concept and Special Vehicles at the VSC in Neckarsulm. Uhl’s team takes the bodyshell and transforms it into the finished car – a visually understated coupe clad in innocent “Around 500 man hours of work go into the assembly,” white with an interior finished entirely in fine Audi style. The reckons Uhl, “in our showcase discipline of bodyshell manufac- deep gloss of visible CFRP contrasts with black Alcantara up- turing, it’s a further 800 hours. And the materials also come at holstery; the backs of the lightweight racing bucket seats are a cost; the price of bodyshell tooling quickly adds up. A few panels also made from CFRP. Equipment includes air conditioning and were beaten out by hand using negative forms and a great deal power windows. of skill that our colleagues in the VSC have perfected to a tee.” The technology puzzle that the VSC team is putting When the TT evo plus is finished, it will be worth every together consists of several thousand pieces, from large compo- cent. Peter Fromm, Head of Vehicle Body Development for AUDI nents like engine and transmission, to the smallest screws AG sums up the importance of the technology showcase in two and plugs. Putting it together calls for precision and expertise. sentences: “The weight of less than 1,000 kilograms is a state- How do you make the new engine control unit from the MQB ment of which we are proud, because it offers impressive proof of communicate flawlessly with the electronics from the current TT? Audi’s leading role in lightweight design. For us, the ultra-light- Are the clip points for the new side panels correctly positioned? weight design principle means repeatedly going to the boundaries Does the weight of the rear axle precisely match the specification of what is possible, so that each time our strong team can push down to the last gram? them a little farther.”

90 Encounter Technology 91 Encounter Technology * see glossary, pp. 168 –169 Seven-speed S tronic In its new version, the Audi R8 is even faster – especially at shifting gear. The new seven-speed S tronic shifts with virtually no interruption in drive. Shift Work

Text Illustration Johannes Köbler Steven Pope

In the field of power transmission, too, Audi is permanently driving progress. The seven- speed S tronic, developed from the ground up, is ready and waiting for the redeveloped R8; it is optional equipment with the V8 and standard with the V10. Its ratios are closely spaced for sporty per- formance, with a long top gear that keeps the revs low and im- proves fuel consumption. The dual-clutch transmission reduces con­sumption by up to 0.9 liters per 100 km and shortens the stan- dard sprint by three tenths of a second with lightning-fast shift speeds. The new R8 V10 plus shoots from zero to 100 km/h in 3.5 seconds and has a top speed of 317 km/h. 6 The new seven-speed S tronic transmits the engine’s power along three shafts, a dual drive shaft and two secondary shafts – a layout that facilitates an extremely compact construc- 4 tion. Two multi-plate clutches positioned one behind the other operate the two standalone partial gearboxes. Clutch K1 sends the torque via a solid shaft to gears 1, 3, 5 and 7. Rotating around the solid shaft is a hollow shaft. It is connected to clutch K2 and oper- ates gears 2, 4 and 6, as well as reverse gear. The two partial gearboxes are permanently active, but 5 only one is connected to the engine. When the driver is accelerating in third gear, for instance, fourth gear is already engaged in the second partial gearbox. Gearshift occurs by switching the clutches 3 – K1 opens, K2 closes. It all happens so quickly and smoothly that it is barely noticeable, taking just a few hundredths of a second and with virtually no interruption in drive. The driver can change gear himself using the gear stick or steering wheel paddles for a distinctly sporty driving style. Al­ ternatively, there is also a fully automatic level available with pro- grams D and S. On start up, Launch Control is available at the touch of a button to manage clutch actuation at the optimum engine speed – transmitting engine power to the road with perfectly con- 1 trolled tire slip. And the driver of the R8 experiences the dynamism of his high-performance sports car in its most instantaneous form. 2

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The Audi R8 V10 with S tronic takes just 3.5 seconds to shoot from zero to 100 km/h.

1 Clutch 1 2 Clutch 2 3 Input shaft 4 Secondary shaft 1 5 Mechatronics 6 Differential 7 Output shaft to the front axle connected to secondary shaft 2

92 Encounter Technology 93 Encounter Technology Automatic valet parking Simply leave the car at the entrance to the parking garage and the car takes care of the rest by itself. At a car park in Ingolstadt, Audi is already testing this tantalizing vision – with the help of complex electronics.

Autonomous Movement

94 Encounter Technology Parking space 1 Planned – in future, parking garages 1 could inform cars of available spaces on arrival search navigation via UMTS*.

2 Started – the driver will be able to bring his car to the entrance area, get out and issue the park command via his smartphone or car key at the touch of a button.

3 Located – using a secure WLAN connection, the central control unit in the parking garage makes contact with the car and sends 2 a route map.

← Project Manager Stefan Stümper stops the Audi A7 Sportback in front of the parking garage. He touches a button on his smartphone and the car takes care of the rest.

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soon may no longer have to. Stümper and his team have been car- rying out research for some time into highly complex technologies. Practical tests are currently underway in the parking garage at the railroad station in Ingolstadt North. The team has installed sev- eral computers at a small table on the first floor and is deeply en- grossed in detailed discussions on sensor sensitivity, program loops and network connections, while the Audi A7 Sportback at the en- trance barrier below awaits its instructions. “In future, the driver will be able to drive his car to the entrance, step out and deliver the parking command via his smartphone or car key,” explains Stümper. Then several systems take over. In the parking garage, a central control unit is installed that regulates the parking proce- Text Photos dure. Via a secure WLAN connection* it makes contact with the Audi Thomas Tacke Myrzik und Jarisch at the entrance and retrieves its key data – such as the model, and thus its dimensions, or services requested by the customer, like wireless charging in the case of an electric vehicle. During its driverless drive, the car is able to determine Slowly, the Audi A7 Sportback makes its way its position – thanks to its standard sensors and a map transmitted up the entrance ramp of the new north car by the parking garage. Simultaneously, the car park monitors the park in Ingolstadt. Once more around the bend, then the car rolls pro­cess with the aid of high-precision LIDAR laser sensors. “With onto the second parking level, past an empty space and stops. Re­ this localization, we always know exactly where the car is located verse gear, some tidy steering and it slips into the space in two or within the parking garage,” explains Stümper – a critical prerequi- three moves. The car is perfectly positioned. An everyday scene? An site in ensuring the smooth running of the system. This is followed expert at the wheel? Neither. There is, in fact, nobody at the wheel. by “route planning”. The computer calculates the location of the The Audi maneuvered itself into the parking space entirely on its next suitable parking space and sends a schematic route map to own. The technicians refer to this as piloted parking*, while lay- the vehicle. “We are working here to a thousand times greater ac- people are fascinated simply by the sight of the A7 steered purely curacy than a navigation system. The route has to be calculated very by electronics. precisely,” stresses the development engineer. Cars that move without any input from their driver – what sounds like science-fiction is gradually becoming reality at Audi. New technologies for piloted parking are currently under de­ velopment, with one of the most sophisticated being Project Park­ hauspilot. “Not everyone is at ease in a parking garage. In any case, it takes a lot of time to find a parking spot, maneuver the car into it and then collect it later. With our project, we are helping the driver with this task,” says Stefan Stümper, Project Manager with the Audi Electronics Venture (AEV)*, an internal Audi think tank. Parkhaus­ pilot is among the innovation activities underway as part of Audi connect, networked mobility. Within this program, cars are being given more and more intelligence in order to make the daily task of driving more convenient. Current projects include traffic situations in which the driver would prefer not to steer himself – and perhaps

97 Encounter Technology * see glossary, pp. 168 –169 All-in-all, this procedure produces a veritable 4 flood of data. The challenge is primarily in the inter- action of all the necessary sensor and control modules to create an overall concept. Stefan Stümper

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Navigation 4 Controlled – the digital guidance directs 6 the car via its electromechanical steering to and parking the parking space.

5 Steered – an evolution of the series- production Park Assist takes over the parking itself.

6 Parked – with the aid of complex electronics, the car then drives itself into the space and turns itself off.

→ In the parking garage at Ingolstadt North station, the team from the Audi Electronics Venture is carrying out meticulous testing. Laser sensors monitor the car’s movements.

“All-in-all, this procedure produces a veritable flood of data. The challenge is primarily in the interaction of all the nec- essary sensor and control modules to create an overall concept,” Follow the Audi development says Stümper. Due to the enormous challenges it presents, this engineers on video! www.encounter.audi.com technology is undergoing intensive testing in order to understand a vast range of scenarios. Several times during the tests, the AEV team resets the sensors, modifies parameters on the computers and checks the data connection between the parking garage and the vehicle. While the Audi A7 Sportback, steered by the electron- “We have already achieved significant success, but are ics, travels its first few meters, the development engineers con- still at an early stage and several years away from development for tinue to study the data flow. The digital route guidance controls the series production,” says Bernhard Müller-Beßler, AEV Coordinator vehicle’s electromechanical steering. It rolls along the planned for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems. This is due, on the one hand, route at a speed of between five and ten kilometers per hour through to the technology with all of its variables and, on the other, to the the Ingolstadt parking garage. An intelligent computer algorithm infrastructure. “Widespread implementation and the associated pulls together all the data to create a complete image of the sur- equipment of parking garages obviously call for a regulatory frame- roundings and compares this with the route map. If, while driving work, too. A number of automakers are working together with the or parking, an obstacle or other collision threat arises, the Audi authorities to achieve this.” The issue of liability also needs to be comes to an immediate halt. The same applies should radio contact clarified. But Stefan Stümper is convinced: “This project has enor- to the central computer be broken. Safety is priority number one in mous potential!” Project Parkhauspilot. When the Audi A7 approaches a parking space, an evo- lution of the series-production Park Assist takes over the parking maneuver. As if guided by invisible forces, the car drives into the empty parking space and automatically turns itself off. When the driver wants to retrieve his car, he simply informs the car park com- puter via smartphone to send the car to the exit – unless he has already booked a specific pick-up time. His Audi rolls autonomously to the exit and the driver can step in as normal. The parking fee is booked automatically.

98 Encounter Technology Fully networked The car is going online. Audi is networking myAudi – via audi.com/myaudi, it with its owner, the Internet, the infrastructure and, ultimately, the driver can configure some functions with other vehicles. The Audi IT is a major part of that. of Audi connect from home. Net Gains

Audi Traffic Information online – delivers a precise image of congestion along the route. It uses information from hundreds of thousands of cell phones.

Audi music stream – access to internet radio and your own music library from your iPhone. Controlled via MMI Navigation plus.

Fuel stop – lists the least expensive fuel stations at the destination, at a preferred point or close to the current location.

100 Encounter Technology 101 Encounter Technology With Audi connect, we are creating added Text Photos Without powerful IT in the background, this network- Stefan Kotschenreuther AUDI AG value for our customers, because they don’t have ing would be impossible. “For a long time, this simply wasn’t an to abandon their digital lives while driving. issue for vehicle buyers,” explains Matthias Ulbrich, Head of IT/ Organization at Audi. “Their perception was dominated by the clas- Dr. Peter Steiner sic aspects of the driving machine.” It all comes together in the nerve center of the Audi con­nect services inside the Audi Computer Center in Ingolstadt. 1 New in the A3 – the Touchwheel, a combi- nation of rotary/push control and This is where the so-called Modular Backend Platform (MBB in Touchpad. It recognizes handwriting and German) is located. Its counterpart in the car is the Modular Info­ thus simplifies the inputting of text. tainment Platform (MIB in German)*. Data exchange flows via the Imagine a day in the very near future. You vehicle’s roof antenna, which is connected to the Internet via a 2 Ultra-flat – the high-resolution LED display is just eleven millimeters thick, step into your Audi in the morning and check conventional SIM card, or via a cell phone with SIM Access Profile. but incredibly easy to read. your appointments on the way to work using the in-car display. A Innovations in networking are particularly evident in 1 friendly voice reads out an incoming e-mail then a series of current the Audi A3, the brand’s most recent model. In the MMI Navigation news items. You still have some time because you are stuck in rush- plus, engineers have integrated a Touchpad into the rotary/push hour traffic. The on-board computer recognizes this and automat- control for the first time. The Touchwheel recognizes handwriting ically treats you to your favorite music, keeping the morning may- in a number of different languages – even Chinese characters. Al­ hem at bay for a few more minutes. As you approach your office, it ternatively, the driver can also input the destination and control informs you of an available parking spot and provides directions. the phone, music system or other Audi connect services using free- You drop off your car and embark on your working day in a relaxed text voice search. frame of mind … Functions that are already familiar from smartphone What might initially sound very futuristic is already al- apps can also be used via the MMI system – if a friend has sent an most reality at Audi. “The car will soon no longer be simply bringing answer on Facebook or has tweeted something, the new A3 informs us from A to B, but functioning instead as a personal assistant,” the driver itself with a spoken alert. If desired, Facebook friends says Florian Kirschner, who works in the IT Electrics/Electronics can also be kept up-to-date on your location using pre-prepared department for Audi in Ingolstadt. The car relieves the driver of text blocks combined with current positioning. And online news bothersome tasks like parking and calms his nerves in stop-and-go brings the latest developments into the car from the driver’s pre- Twitter – social media adapted for the car. Incoming tweets are read out, traffic. This means he can make far more sensible use of his time in ferred sources. When the car is at a standstill they are shown on the while drivers can compile their own the car than he does today – both professionally and privately. MMI screen and read out while driving, thus avoiding inconvenient tweets using pre-prepared text blocks. Young customers in particular are used these days to and dangerous glimpses at the cell phone display. having their family life, their friends, their favorite books or films Information on the current location or travel destina- and their office with them at all times, to be “always on”. Audi brings tion, such as the weather, can also be searched. And, prior to setting the necessary functions into the car, easy-to-use and tailored pre- off, the driver can take a look at the destination surroundings using cisely to the needs of the customer. “Audi connect” is the keyword the integrated navigation map with Google Earth images and Street 2 – the comprehensive networking of the car with the owner, the View. Using the Picturebook Navigation function, you can even nav­ In­ternet, the infrastructure and the other vehicles on the road. Dr. igate to places depicted on pictures taken yourself – made possible Peter Steiner, Head of Development Infotainment comments: “We by Geodata. The Point-of-Interest search understands spoken terms are bringing our Audi connect services into the car today at UMTS and processes the data with the help of Google Search – the results speed*. In future, we will be working on the even faster LTE Tech­ list is the same as on your computer at home. Flight and train con- nology* and expanding our portfolio even further,” says the expert. nections can also be searched, as can fuel stations and fuel prices “With Audi connect, we are creating added value for our customers, within range. The City Events function tells you what is going on in because­ they don’t have to abandon their digital lives while driving.” the area and thus helps you put together your own leisure program.

Audi music stream – In the past, it was the juke box that set the mood at exactly the right moment in the local watering hole. In the 80s, easy listening the invention of the Walkman brought the individual music ex- perience to the street. Today, all you need to do is pick up your Music pleasure made simple – the Audi music stream smart- smartphone. One stroke of the finger delivers access to songs phone app can be operated easily via the MMI Navigation of all genres and from every era – from the golden twenties plus when the cell phone is connected to the car via WLAN. through the 70s to the latest chart hits of the day. Added to that is internet radio with an unending array of stations to suit abso- lutely every taste, often specializing on one particular type of music from rock through classical to electro. With Audi music stream for the iPhone, Audi is now bringing this audio experience into the car. The customer down- loads it from the app store and simply connects it via WLAN* to the MMI Navigation plus in his Audi. It can now be operated via the MMI, simply and conveniently. Sorting them by category sim­plifies their selection, including the top 20 most popular sta­tions. There is also a free-text search facility. If there is nothing on the radio right now that takes your fancy, you can just as easily play music from your personal iPhone media library via the MMI.

103 Encounter Technology * see glossary, pp. 168 –169 Meanwhile, the Audi Traffic Information online applica- Nerve center – all the threads of Audi connect come tion turns the car into an interactive road user. It takes data from together in the Audi Computer Center. hundreds of thousands of smartphones and navigation devices and processes them online. Thus, the driver receives a more precise idea of congestion along the route. But it is not just the driver of the Audi A3 that is well net­worked. Using a WLAN hotspot*, Audi connect offers all occu- pants the greatest possible freedom to surf with their own smart- phones or tablet PCs. Up to eight mobile devices can be connected to the Internet via the hotspot. A further Audi project is the implementation of the Online news – call up the latest news Seamless Media vision. Thanks to this technology, the customer on MMI, then read it or have it read to you. Easy to configure via myAudi, even can, for instance, start listening to an audio book at home, stop it from home. wherever they want and then continue listening where they left off in the car the next morning – all the data are stored in the cloud. The compilation and preparation of the data would not The Audi A3 is showcasing today what will be taken for be possible without the MBB in the Audi Computer Center – here, granted tomorrow – the car is a part of the Internet, it receives data, in the Backend, is where the real work is done. Audi connect can be generates it itself and forwards it. The phrase of the future, car-to-X*, used not only from the car, but also from the home computer, mean­ encompasses a field of technology in which cars communicate with ing you can do things like enter a destination into the navigation each other and with the traffic infrastructure – such as traffic lights system from the comfort of your PC. and car parks. The MBB and MIB are connected for the first time in the “Another of today’s trends is that new generations of new Audi A3. Their modular construction ensures that Audi connect customers are connecting with each other via online communities, services and the hardware are always fully up to date. “Audi is set- and we are seizing on this, too,” explains Gerhard Stanzl, Program ting itself an enormous challenge,” explains IT departmental man- Manager for Audi connect IT. Current projects on which the IT team ager Gunnar Lange. “With the aid of the computer center and MBB, is working include Follow Me, an application conceived specifically we are guaranteeing that an Audi will be constantly supplied with – as the name implies – for driving in convoy. “When the cars move the latest tailor-made content throughout its lifecycle.” Audi will out sight of one another, we ensure they don’t get lost,” says Martin integrate function updates and new services into the Backend on Heimann, Head of Innovation Management and IT Program Man­ an ongoing basis, making them available to all Audi connect users. ager for Audi mobility. “Users can talk during the journey via a The server, computing and storage capacity necessary for the soft- walk­ie-talkie function. It is also conceivable that they could play ware can be made available at very short notice using new IT con- games with each other or synchronize their next stopover.” cepts. The MIB, too, has a modular construction. Its unique archi- And, with all this virtual networking, should people tecture enables it to accommodate the installation of hardware want to meet face-to-face, the navigation systems can calculate an components to the latest technological standard during the pro- ideal meeting point – with individual driving times for each user. duction life of a model range. This, too, is organized by the intelligent Backend IT.

City Events – displays concerts, cultural highlights, good restaurants and more at the current location, Information Technology, known for short as IT, plays Audi IT – at the destination or at another place. a central and cross-functional role at Audi. Be it for computing always on duty in Technical Development, for equipment programming in Pro­ duction or for networking most of the almost 64,000 employees worldwide, Audi IT ensures that all processes run smoothly. The customer benefits when he calls up the Audi website, configures his vehicle in a dealer showroom or when he is traveling in a ve- hicle with Audi connect. IT is increasingly becoming a decisive Glass-fiber cables – they make communication factor in the purchase of a car, and therefore a competitive factor between the car and Audi IT even faster. in the automotive industry. They are standard equipment in the new Audi In Germany alone, there are 600 people working for Computer Center. Audi IT. The technical infrastructure currently encompasses two computer centers in Ingolstadt. They accommodate around 3,500 servers, with a further five percent added every year. The current storage capacity stands at 6.2 Petabytes – which is more than 12,000 standard 500 GB hard drives. To prepare Audi IT for the future, a new computer center will come online in August 2012. It has 2,000 square meters of space for up to 6,000 serv- ers and network components, all of which are connected with around 3,000 kilometers of glass-fiber cable. Despite its substantial computing power, the new computer center consumes around 35 percent less energy than the previous computer center, thanks in part to indirect cooling with outside air. This equates to an annual saving of up to 9,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

104 Encounter Technology * see glossary, pp. 168 –169 AC/DC

The new sound of the rings Electric cars drive silently – but not at Audi. In the brand’s acoustics lab, Rudolf Halbmeir has developed an artificial sound for future e-tron models that turn the head of every pedestrian. The careful construction of the sound DNA is now complete.

106 Encounter Technology 107 Encounter Technology 1 Text Photos The sound a car makes is part of the business card of Lena Kiening Myrzik und Jarisch every vehicle. The last decades have seen Audi perfect the sound of the engine. The deep frequencies of an internal combustion engine convey power and quality. A six-cylinder should also sound like a powerhouse. But all that doesn’t apply to the electric motor of an R8 e-tron – virtually no noise emanates from its drive. The high fre­ ­quencies of the electric motor are rather unpleasant to the ear, which is why the car needs a virtual sound. For three years, Rudolf Halbmeir and his team have worked on fine-tuning the e-sound. In the beginning, they had no point of reference, because there was nothing on the market – nei- ther hardware nor software – and certainly no sound models from In developing the e-sound, which to work. “We simply had to start from zero,” says Halbmeir. This was also the greatest challenge: “To know that, we simply had to start from zero. with this project, we would be taking steps that would most cer- Rudolf Halbmeir tainly continue for years and cost a great deal of money – that was the toughest part,” says Rudi Halbmeir today. “To simply trust your own judgment.” Today he knows that it has been worth it. The 40 year-old reckons that no competitor is as far forward in e-sound development as Audi. But how do you develop a sound? “Everyone works with The car of the future – what will it look like? their own hand tools,” explains Halbmeir. For him, it was music. At How will we drive it? And, first and foremost, the tender age of five, he was already playing trumpet in a band. how might it sound? The cinema gives us an initial idea of how film Then, as now, he couldn’t read a single note; he heard only the tones, makers imagine it. When Jedi knight Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars the rhythm, the melody. Later, the guitar became his firm favorite Episode II draws his light saber, when the Starship Enterprise bat- and he played in a few rock bands. At home, he has his own small tles through the galaxy with a Klingon Battleship or when Will Smith sound studio in the attic. “It’s not very big, but I use it regularly to is chased by robots in his futuristic Audi RSQ. Many Hollywood pro- produce music,” he says, pulling a CD out of his desk drawer. He plays ductions have attempted to define the sound of the future. every instrument himself. So is a talent for music part of the job Rudolf Halbmeir has seen all of these movies. His ar- specification? Rudolf Halbmeir thinks for a moment. “My musical chive includes hundreds of excerpts, starting with Raumpatrouille background has certainly played a part,” he says. But whether it was – Raumschiff Orion (Space Patrol – Starship Orion), the first Ger­ crucial, he can’t say. man space series, to animated movies like Wall-E; from series like Creating a sound is very similar to composing a piece of Star Wars or Star Trek to science fiction movies like I, Robot or Tron: music, admits Halbmeir, but goes on to stress, “The room for cre- Legacy. He enjoys watching these kinds of movies in the evening on ativity is significantly smaller than you might think, because you the couch, but there is also a professional interest. often have only seconds instead of minutes to fill with sound.” He Halbmeir is a Sound Designer at Audi and has developed starts with an abstract image of a sound in his head; then he tries the working sound of the brand’s future e-tron models. “Quite hon- to make this idea more tangible, audible with the help of a com- estly, these kinds of movies served only as inspiration,” he admits. puter. “This should not come over as pretentious,” explains Halb­ But he quickly noticed that he was looking for a completely new meir carefully. “But developing the e-sound was actually more of sound. “Something to make everyone on the road turn their head a feeling.” The artificial sound was created using a great deal of and think: Wow, what is that? That sounds good!” sound experience, a trained ear and his understanding of music.

1 The first notes – the virtual sound 3 of the electric motor in its basic form was created at the keyboard.

2 Lord of the Sounds – Rudolf Halb- meir has been fine tuning the sound of the R8 e-tron for three years.

3 Special – software, hardware, everything had to be developed from the ground up.

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109 Encounter Technology 4 Dry run beneath the desk – The software and control unit were created in the hands This sound should make the e-sound always sounds different of Dr. Hinrischen. The control unit generates the sound in accor- depending on how the driver dance with the speed of the electric motor, load and road speed. works the pedal. everyone on the road turn their head. The e-sound is dependent on the driving situation. That is another Rudolf Halbmeir 5 Basic principles – the route to big difference to music: “In a song, you always hear the same mel- the e-tron’s virtual sound calls for a ody,” explains Halbmeir. “And it has a beginning and an end.” The fine ear and a feel for sound. e-sound, in contrast, is always different, depending on how the 6 Finer, clearer, quieter – the Audi driver is working the gas pedal. e-tron accelerates with a quiet growl “But that’s enough talk,” says Rudolf Halbmeir, leaping thanks to its 380 hp. to his feet. Sound is a hard thing to talk about, you have to hear it. Full of anticipation and with a broad grin, he slides into the sports seat of the R8 e-tron, slips his sunglasses over his eyes and starts Halbmeir is one of those creative people with his feet the electric motor – and it remains silent. Is the motor running? firmly planted on the ground. Music is his hobby, but also his job. You certainly can’t hear it. Following his training in energy electronics, Halbmeir decided to Then Rudi Halbmeir gently touches the right pedal. With go to university – to become a mechanical engineer. He then be- a quiet growling sound, the car glides out of the building into the came an acoustic engineer at Audi and, for more than eight years, open air. Halbmeir accelerates round the bend; the red R8 e-tron Experience the sound of the e-tron on video. was responsible for ensuring that ancillary units, like ventilation, shoots forward with its 380 hp, and the quiet growl turns into a www.encounter.audi.com impede on engine sound as little as possible. Three years ago, proper roar. This is definitely no conventional internal combustion Halbmeir became a sound designer for the Ingolstadt automaker engine, which sets the current benchmark. “That will change,” pre- and was given the job of finding a synthetic sound – e-sound. dicts Halbmeir. In the distant future, the sound of the electric ve- He now sits at a rather unusual desk, even for someone hicle will be designed to be finer, clearer and quieter. from Audi’s Technical Development function. Alongside the screens It should sound realistic and not artificial, authentic are two studio speakers; beside them are large shell headphones and futuristic at the same time – a fine line that Dr. Ralf Kunkel and, on his right, a musical keyboard. This is where the sound is has walked for many years as Head of Acoustics, Total Vehicle. “We created in its basic form. wanted to orientate Audi at the sporting pinnacle, to extract the But Rudolf Halbmeir is well aware that you don’t de- maximum from the sound.” This is how Kunkel describes why the velop an e-sound with just a keyboard and a computer. It also takes R8 e-tron became the first electric vehicle with an artificial sound. co-workers like Axel Brombach and Dr. Lars Hinrischen. “It’s an Now they will turn their attention to other e-tron models like the organic process,” explains Halbmeir. Over the last three years, the A1 and the A3. All electric Audi models will have their own distinc- three co-workers have worked very closely together. “We are the tive sound in future, although all of them will be “typically” Audi. perfect team.” The “sound DNA” for that has already been constructed. Brombach is responsible for bringing the sound of the Customers, too, should soon be able to enjoy the elec- electric motor to the road. Robust speakers on the underbody of tric sports car, with the R8 e-tron scheduled to reach the streets by the R8 e-tron are there to warn pedestrians and cyclists of the the end of the year. The focus for the coming months, according to sports car’s silent approach. “He’s as mad about speakers as I am Halbmeir, is on fine-tuning the sound, especially the quieter tones. about sound,” jokes Halbmeir. The diamond has been cut, now it must be polished.

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110 Encounter Technology High-Voltage Battery Projekthaus Audi is working intensively on all aspects of electro­ mobility, including the design and testing of batteries. This work now even has its own dedicated Projekthaus. Current Affairs

112 Encounter Technology 113 Encounter Technology 1

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Text Photos climate control. However, the demands on the battery system in Johannes Köbler Myrzik und Jarisch an electric car are very high and sometimes also contradictory – quite different from batteries in electronic devices. Traction bat- teries have to be lightweight and compact and supply as much en­ er­gy as possible. They have to last for at least ten years and with- stand 160,000 km of travel and thousands of charge cycles without Electromobility is a quiet affair. In the new any appreciable aging. Regardless of the outside temperature, they 2 High-Voltage Battery Projekthaus that Audi must always remain within the recommended temperature range established early this year at the gates of the Ingolstadt plant all – from around 25 to 45 degrees Celsius – which calls for a sophisti- you can hear is the whirring of electric drives behind some of the cated fluid cooling system. And, on top of all that, safety and ro- doors. Otherwise, all areas are very peaceful – in the office section, bustness are of the highest priority. of course, but also in the test area and in the so-called Battery In developing its battery systems, Audi works on solu- Technical Center. tions that fulfill all requirements in a balanced manner. The com- More than 100 specialists work together in the Projekt­ petence that the brand is gaining in this field starts with assembly, haus in a closely knit and flexible team. They come from a range of which takes place in the Battery Technical Center. The specialists 1 The start of the production Audi development departments, from production and from the here have so far built more than 70 batteries for the A1 e-tron and process – individual flat cells are put pre-production center. Two postgraduate students from the RWTH the R8 e-tron. They are currently working on prototypes for vehicles together to form a stack. Aachen complete the team; Panasonic is an important external like the A6 L e-tron concept that Audi presented earlier this year at 2 Heavyweight – a special tool is used partner supplying the battery cells. “Intensive discussion between the Beijing Auto Show. to lift and position the units. the different disciplines is one of the great strengths of our ap- The Battery Technical Center is a workshop in which the proach,” says Jens Koetz, Head of Networking and Energy Systems. individual process steps are handled partly manually and partly 3 Base unit – the plate serves as the “Disagreement and debate generate sparks and that always leads automatically. One piece of equipment checks the prismatic flat basis for the construction of the Audi R8 e-tron battery. to new solutions.” cells that come from the store, while another presses them to- This highly networked approach is so important because gether into modules known as stacks. They generally consist of 6 4 Assembly – the battery of the elec­ the integration of the sizable battery system into the vehicle leaves to 13 cells that are isolated from each other by spacer elements trically powered sports car absolutely no room for compromise. And even in an electric-drive like Teflon plates. Every cell is secured by a burst valve, which en- groups cell stacks one top of the other in several layers. Audi, all the brand’s strengths are fully preserved – the progressive sures that in the event of overheating the cell does not burn, but design, the sporty handling, the passive safety and the comfortable outgas instead.

114 Encounter Technology 115 Encounter Technology 5 7 6

Next to the Battery Technical Center is the test area 5 Lifting equipment – cranes on (photo page 112). This is where development engineers test the the roof of the hall facilitate trans­ portation of the heavy batteries. batteries as cells, as stacks and as complete units. Their test beds are chambers that can be adjusted to temperatures ranging from 6 Precision – connecting the individ­ -­ -40 to +80 degrees Celsius; some of them also generate a high level ual layers calls for a very high degree of humidity. The three largest test chambers, each with a 6,000- of accuracy. liter capacity, are located in separate containers. They can accommo­ 7 Completion – the finished battery date the substantial batteries of the R8 e-tron, which weigh in at 550 takes the form of a T. On top of it is In the next step, establishing the electrical contact, as- kilograms each; their electrical systems are rated at 350 kW each. the control and connection unit. sembly technicians set the stacks on top of the conductive alumi- The test bed cycles simulate the later operation in the num rails. The tension level is already more than 60 volts, the level vehicle; some of them last several hours, others a few months. The above which it becomes dangerous for human beings. The workers components are charged and discharged using direct current run in this area are thus fully qualified for the task. They wear protective through a rectifier from the building’s electricity network. During suits and work in an area that is isolated from the rest of the hall by the process, probes pick up all the key data – such as temperatures, bands. The general safety technology throughout this building is capacity, internal resistance, voltage and current. first class. The test area includes further equipment. The “shaker” The rails in the battery system, bonded together by la­ is a climatic chamber in which stacks weighing up to 50 kilograms ser welding, incorporate channels in which coolant will later be are shaken and vibrated at frequencies up to 2,700 Hertz. Further The battery of circulated. In the 48.6 kWh battery of the R8 e-tron, which is made test beds serve to put the vehicle’s transformer and cooling system the Audi R8 e-tron up of 530 cells, some of the stacks are mounted on top of each through their paces. Finally, in the laboratory, specialists prepare other in four layers. Afterward, the assembly technicians fit the individual battery samples for analysis. This takes place outside the units with low-voltage connections for the external control and Projekthaus with the aid of gas and ion chromatography and scan- Technical Data diagnosis devices. ning electron microscopes*. Weight 550 kg The last process step is final assembly. The battery sys- “There is an unused piece of land next to our building,” No. of cells 530 tems are fitted with their casings – in the case of the R8 e-tron it is says Jens Koetz, Head of Networking and Energy Systems. “In the Capacity 48.6 kWh made from carbon-fiber reinforced polymer – and the junction box medium term, we could envisage putting a low-volume production Voltage 389 V containing fuses and connectors. Following initialization, every facility there.” The new traction battery Projekthaus is a major in- unit is then put through a test cycle lasting around 16 hours. vestment by Audi in the future of mobility.

116 Encounter Technology * see glossary, pp. 168 –169 117 Encounter Technology In addition to all of these high-end solutions, the new In two-four time 1.4 TFSI brings with it a new technology from Audi – the cylinder on demand system (COD), which celebrated its premiere in a simi- cylinder on demand lar form in the large S models. It has the potential to reduce fuel consumption in the EU cycle by several tenths of a liter per 100 km. The COD technology is based on the Audi Valvelift System that var- ies valve lift and deactivates the second and third cylinders of the four-cylinder engine under low and mid-range load, as well as trail- ing throttle conditions. The engine speed has to be between 1,400 and 4,000 rpm and the torque between around 25 and 75 Nm. Text Illustrations Actuation occurs via axially movable sleeves known as Johannes Köbler Steven Pope cam sections that have two different cam profiles. To activate the COD system, electromagnetically actuated metal pins are fired into spiral grooves on the sleeves, offsetting them by 6.25 millimeters longitudinally on the camshafts. Now the so-called zero-lift profile cams are rotating on the rocker arms of the exhaust and inlet valves without actuating them. The valve springs hold the valves closed; fuel injection is deactivated simultaneously. In active cylinders 1 and 4, efficiency increases because the operating points shift to higher loads. As soon as the driver opens the throttle, the cam sections are pushed back and the deactivated cylinders are reactivated. De­ pending on engine speed, the entire switching procedure takes just 13 to 36 milliseconds and is smoothed out by adjustments to the injection and throttle valve. If the driver looks up the current fuel The brand new 1.4 TFSI that Audi will soon consumption in the DIS, he sees the two-cylinder status display. be offering in the A1 Sportback and the new Without that, he would be virtually unaware of the change – even A3 is a powerful engine. It generates 103 kW (140 hp) from its on two cylinders, the 1.4 TFSI still runs quietly and smoothly. This 1,395 cm³ displacement (bore x stroke 74.5 x 80.0 millimeters) is thanks to its low moving masses and special modifications to the and produces 250 Nm of torque at the crankshaft from 1,500 to engine mounts, the dual-mass flywheel and the exhaust system. 4,000 rpm. The four-cylinder accelerates the A1 Sportback from In order to identify driving style, the system accesses the zero to 100 km/h in 7.9 seconds and onward to a top speed of 212 information from the gas pedal sensor. If it shows an uneven pattern km/h. The sporty performance is paired with amazingly low fuel – such as when driving through a roundabout or sporty driving on a consumption, averaging just 4.9 liters per 100 km. country road – deactivation does not occur; in such situations it The entire concept of the 1.4 TFSI is state-of-the-art. Its would probably be too short and thus not save any fuel. Two-cyl­inder­ crankcase is made from pressure cast aluminum instead of the grey operation ceases as soon as the driver brakes, so that all four cyl­ cast iron used in the previous unit. As a result, it weighs just 18 in­ inders support the braking effort under trailing throttle conditions. stead of 33 kilograms. Further dietary measures on the likes of the Cylinder deactivation also does not occur when rolling downhill. crankshaft and con rods contribute to an overall weight of just 107 kilograms. The improvement of 21 kilograms delivers substantial benefits for overall vehicle weight and axle load distribution. A further innovation is the integration of the exhaust manifold within the cylinder head. It ensures that cooling water reaches operating temperature very quickly after cold start; not until then does a thermostat in the new coolant pump module per- mit crankcase cooling. Under full load, such as high speed autobahn driving, the water jacket lowers the exhaust temperature; this ne- gates the need for enrichment of the fuel/air mix that would other­ wise be necessary for cooling, and fuel consumption decreases as a result. The aluminum pistons in the 1.4 TFSI have been devel- ← Completely on demand – under low load, oped from scratch; the almost flat crown design is precisely matched the system temporarily deactivates two of the four cylinders. to the intake channels, which are also new. The common-rail injec- tion system generates up to 200 bars of pressure, with its five-hole ↓ COD active and inactive – in the image on injectors dispensing up to three injections per cycle. Compared with the left, the valves are closed by the rocker arms. the previous engine, the turbocharger has lost 1.8 kilograms; its In the one on the right, they are open. new electric waste gate actuator operates extremely quickly and precisely. Charge air cooling is integrated into the intake manifold with a correspondingly compact layout – which also increases the rate of charge pressure build-up. Compared with the previous engine, friction losses in the new 1.4 TFSI are down by up to 20 percent. The most significant improvements are the piston rings and their clearance within the 1.4 TFSI with cylinder on demand cast iron liners, the reduced diameter of the main crankshaft bear- ings, the lighter valves and the toothed belt drive for the control Even more from even less – Audi is making its and ancillary units, which is designed for long engine life. The new engines even more efficient. The new 1.4 TFSI with cylinder shut-off valve timing module has a separate bearing arrangement for in- stands for progress through hi-tech. creased stiffness and lower weight. The camshaft drive pulleys run on needle bearings for minimal friction. The intake camshaft can be adjusted by 50 degrees of crank angle. The oil pump operates with pressure control, contributing to improved efficiency.

118 Encounter Technology 119 Encounter Technology From top to toe

You have barely settled onto the sofa and Magazine the TV switches itself on. As soon as you slip on two special armbands, your own body can even function as a touchpad. And even water can recognize when some- Only those prepared to look beyond their horizons can one touches its surface. These are all visions that might evaluate and build on their own progress. Technology news soon be made reality through a technology known as Touché. from around the world. The technology behind it is called “swept frequency capacitive sensing”. Researchers at Disney Research in Pittsburg have developed the system in Nano-precision – a 285 micrometer 3D race car printed such a way that it not only recognizes the scenario “no in record time. contact/contact”, but also the nature of the contact. It can thus tell whether it is just a fingertip that is touch- 5 ing the door handle, or the entire hand. All that is required to turn everyday objects into sensors is a simple wired or wireless connection to the process electronics. Additional electrodes are re- quired on the body or in liquids. According to Disney Research, the system functions with almost 100 per- cent accuracy.

For further information go to: www.touche-sensor.com Image provided by: Fraunhofer IFAM by: Fraunhofer Image provided

Nature as a role model

Shells are experts in adhesion. They can fas- ten themselves to virtually any surface. The key is their byssus threads. This is the term applied to the “anchor ropes”, at the ends of which they excrete an adhesive Vienna University of Technical Image supplied by: sub­stance. Using the Dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) Adhesion points on glass – mussels excrete their Fastest time amino acids within this secretion, the shells are able to DOPA adhesive via their byssus threads. stick to organic oxides in the stone and absorb metal ions from the sea water. The ions supply the adhesive A world record at the nano level! A new 3D with self-healing properties. printer at the Technical University of Vienna is setting Researchers at the Max-Planck Institute for record times for three-dimensional printing. The printer Polymer Research have been able to make use of these took just four minutes to produce the 285 µm long race findings. They have manufactured four-armed, star- car. It is made from 100 layers each consisting of 200 shaped polymers that are related to DOPA and have at- individual polymer strokes. tached nitrodopamine groups to their ends. This en- “To date, we’ve been measuring print speed ables the adhesive to crosslink under water and to heal in millimeters per second. Our printer manages five itself in the event of damage to the adhesion surface. meters in one second,” says Professor Stampfl from the by: Disney Research Image provided Plus, the adhesive can also be dissolved with the aid of TU Vienna. In order to achieve this speed, researchers Touché recognizes the nature of the contact. UV light. The nitrodopamine group gives this adhesive worked in an interdisciplinary project to improve the a distinct advantage over natural adhesives – it is re- “Two-Photon Lithography” technology. versible. A key factor leading to the increased speed was the optimized control of the mirror and the applica- tion of new photoresists synthesized by the TU Vienna. For further information go to: A laser beam is focused inside liquid photoresist using www.mpip-mainz.mpg.de a microscope lens. The substance hardens (polymerizes) only at the focal point. The focal point can be adjusted within the test piece by moving two mirrors in front of the lens.

For further information go to: www.tuwien.ac.at

DOPA120 Encounter Technology 121 Encounter Technology EO Swarm intelligence – the EO smart connecting car is primarily efficient as part of a group.

Traffic signs on the torso – 4,230 LEDs are required for gesture control. Image provided by: West Saxon University of Applied Sciences in Zwickau Saxon West by: Image provided

Crème de la kren

Low weight and extremely strong – that is the essence of lightweight design. And these are exactly the characteristics of horseradish fibers, also known in Bavaria as kren. Young scientists at the West Saxon Uni-­­ Minimal principle ver­sity of Applied Sciences in Zwickau have compared horse­radish with other renewable raw materials usu- ally used to reinforce polymers – hemp and flax. They A Lego car made from just 50 individual have established that “kren” fibers “display significant- parts? No problem! That’s pretty difficult to achieve ly higher strength with lower weight”. Moving forward Bright spot with a real car bodyshell, though. It normally consists on the basis of these findings, the young researchers of 150 to 250 individual parts. are now working on optimizing fiber extraction and de- A project team at the Deutsches Zentrum fining the possibilities for processing. Reflective safety vests are a critical safety für Luft- und Raumfahrt (German Aerospace Center)

component as soon as people (have to) stop on or next Copyright: Jaka Plesec has now reduced the number of elements to 50. The to the road. Students at the Weißensee School of Art in bodyshell is kept very simple and weighs just 80 kilo- For further information go to: Berlin have worked in cooperation with the Thüring- grams. The outer and inner shell is made from alumi- www.fh-zwickau.de Vogtland Textile Research Institute to develop a safety num. In order to ensure a high degree of safety, the vest that uses LEDs to display a variety of different signs foam core in between is made from high-performance by: DFKI GmBH Image provided and that can be controlled by gestures. polymers. Electric swarm The TexVest is made from polyester fitted with 4,230 LEDs. The textile panel is connected to move­ ment sensors on the arms and a microprocessor. This For further information go to: They drive in a chain formation, charge each www.dlr.de enables the vest to recognize the wearer’s hand signals other and swap data with one another. This is how elec- and display the associated image. The technology could, tric vehicles known as “EO smart connecting car” ex- for example, help police officers to regulate traffic at tend their range. night. Scientists at the DFKI Robotics Innovation Center in Bremen have developed the electric car to adapt itself to traffic conditions. It can lift each one of For further information go to: its four wheels individually and turn them through 90 www.kh-berlin.de degrees. It can also drive diagonally and turn on the spot. The chassis can push itself together while driving, thus shortening the length of the car by 0.8 meters to 1.5 meters. Additional modules like passenger cells can be attached – all depending on the individual needs of the driver. In future, the “EO smart connecting car” will

Image provided by: Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR) und Raumfahrt e.V. für Luft- by: Deutsches Zentrum Image provided also be able to drive completely autonomously.

Slimmed down by a factor of 5 – a bodyshell made of only 50 parts. For further information go to: www.robotik.dfki-bremen.de

122 Encounter Technology 123 Encounter Technology Passion Passion is a driving force of Audi’s development work. Passion means love, sometimes lust and always full commitment. Passion. 126 Gran Torino 136 Fan-tasyland 144 Dynamic Axle-ence 150 (T)rusty Companions 158 Italian SUVenir 168 Glossary

124 Encounter Technology 125 Encounter Technology From the wrist – delicate lines, strong lines – with deft strokes, Gran Torino the contours of a new vehicle are conjured onto paper.

Text Photos Uwe Hans Werner Myrzik und Jarisch

Perfectly formed With iconic Turin design house Italdesign, one of the most globally successful Italian automotive designers is now under the Audi umbrella.

126 Encounter Technology 127 Encounter Technology 1 Expert eye – Giugiaro signs off on every single line.

2 Fine touch – the lines have to be right in the interior, too.

3 Sporting spirit – the passionate mountain biker is often in the saddle, even at work.

Moncalieri, Via Achille Grandi, is sit­ Outside of Italy, Turin is associated primarily Design should not be ­u­­ated around 20 kilometers south with the impression of a gray industrial and automotive of Turin – the home of Italdesign lies in the middle of a city, closely connected with the company and brand of Fiat. a work of art sprawling industrial area. A handsome complex of buildings Very few know the glamorous side of the Alpine metropo- set within carefully tended gardens – hidden behind high lis that is also embroiled in an ongoing competitive battle fences and wires, access secured by electric gates. At work with its important neighbor, Milan – and not just when it With the design of the first VW Golf in 1974, Giorgetto here, in these secluded workshops and studios, are more comes to soccer. They vie for supremacy as the center of 1 Giugiaro and IDG achieved their breakthrough within than 800 people: creative minds, skilled draftsmen and fashion, as the cultural capital, as cities of economic pros- the international automotive industry – an unparalleled women and CAD experts, model makers and tool­makers, perity. Both cities are home to significant names on the design made its mark on a whole era and defined as well as automotive tradesmen – metalworkers and me- roster of of globally renowned Italian design – in Milano its own vehicle class. The style with uncluttered forms, razor-­sharp edges and powerful lines was defined chanics, electronic technicians, saddlers and carpenters. they tend toward haute couture and the furniture industry; in the business as a “one-box” or “folded-paper” design Specialists for everything that you need to build a com- in Torino, they come from the auto industry – Bertone, – unadorned objectivity. plete car. “We are like a small car factory,” says Gior­getto Pininfarina, Ghia – and Italdesign Giugiaro. Giugiaro, Chairman and founder of the Turin company. Turin becomes the focal point of life for Gior­ For Giorgetto Giugiaro, design is a means to an end. Above all, he sees himself as having an obligation IDG – Italdesign Giugiaro – is one of the most getto Giugiaro at an early stage. At the age of 14, he moves to the logic of the product – form follows function – the important and successful design houses in the interna- here from his home in the south of Piedmont and attends driver and passengers should not become slaves to tional automotive industry. In the 45 years of its exis- the School of Art – he also takes evening classes in tech­­­­nical­ their vehicle. To this extent, design is for him primarily tence, it has created more than 200 vehicle models for all drawing. Today, Turin is a city he is proud to stroll through, a mathematical vision that implements the demands laid down by functionality and convenience – clear di­ well-known car brands – as show and concept cars or as where he has his familiar routes, his special little corners, men­sions with clear proportions and a spatial logic series-production vehicles. If you count the combined pro- where people know, like and greet him – when he enjoys a 2 that always relates to the user. duction volumes of the manufacturers, Giugiaro has put cappuccino in the Caffè Torino on Piazza San Carlo, as a reg­ well over 50 million cars on the road – from two-seater ular at the neighboring gentlemen’s outfitter Olym­pic or “Design should not be a work of art,” explains Giugiaro. “In contrast to art, you do not go beyond the super sports cars, through fuel-efficient family cars to as a visitor to one of the many museums. He may not have con­fines of logic. Getting in and out, sitting down military off-roaders, minivans and exclusive luxury limou- been born in this city, but he most certainly grew up here. in a small space – the attraction is in reducing this to sines – under contract to manufacturers from Europe, Asia Giugiaro’s story is one of an ambitious career, its essence.” and the USA. characterized by lucky coincidences, by meetings with im- Italdesign has also styled many well-known industrial In spite of his 74 years, Giorgetto Giugiaro is in portant people and patrons and by disciplined work at his products outside of the auto industry. The company his office almost every day – because, although IDG was own success – in 1955, Dante Giacosa, who was Fiat's Chief has created designs for products like Pendolino trains acquired by Audi almost two years ago, since when the Designer at the time, discovers the young talent and brings for Fiat/Alstom, coffee machines for Faema and the load of running the company has been shared among sev- him to work at his company, aged just 17. This is a breath­ legendary camera bodies of the Nikon F and D ranges. Curiosities among the broad array of contract work eral individuals, the youthful grandesigneur remains the taking step for Giugiaro, who was never particularly inter- include the styling of a small single-portion bottle head and face of the company. Well-groomed white hair, ested in cars; as a child, he had preferred to spend time for Sanbitter lemonade by San Pellegrino and the blue suit trousers, a white long-sleeved shirt, brown de- with his pencils, sketchpad and paint box. He first comes “Marille” designer pasta created for Italian producer signer shoes – he has an aristocratic air as he meets us, into contact with automotive design in the design depart- Voiello/Barilla. every bit the Italian gentleman. “Benvenuto,” he says with ment of the major international automaker. “It was like a Design has to be appealing, has to meet current tastes: a friendly smile, welcoming us with a strong handshake. university for me.” As part of a large team, the young Gior­ “You can never take the risk that the product won’t We join Giugiaro on a sightseeing tour of his world – the getto is initially only permitted to draw components, and be understood,” stresses Giugiaro. “And it should make company with its studios and production halls, the seem- not yet to design his own cars. But the chance isn’t long in life easier.” Nevertheless, hedonistic temptations, the pursuit of enjoyment and sensual fulfillment are ingly endless gallery of dream cars created throughout the coming – just a few years later, under the wing of Giuseppe 3 not entirely lost on him: “Naturally, we want to show decades, the city of Turin, with a few of those locations and “Nuccio” Bertone. He makes the 22 year-old Giugiaro the off with our cars from time to time; naturally, it is places most important to him. head of his newly established design center after seeing always also a bit of a toy for our self-image.” And right Torino, this once modest little town on the the work of the young designer at an exhibition. Designs there lies an appealing conflict of objectives for the designer – one with which he enjoys playing around – River Po that the House of Savoy made its capital in 1563 penned by Giugiaro are then realized as show and concept pleasure and desire versus temperance in the interests and that subsequently developed to become a stately cars, and the first vehicles designed completely by him of reason. residence, was created on the drawing boards of the royal enter series production – Alfa Romeo 2600 Sprint, Simca architects and builders of the time – a Baroque city center 1000, Fiat 850 Spider, BMW 3200 CS and the Sprint ver- Together with his son Fabrizio (47), who has been with the company since 1990 and has been managing it with grand streets, colonnades and squares, with wonder- sion of the legendary Alfa Giulia. for the last 16 years, Giorgetto Giugiaro has shaped ful palaces, theaters and churches. Until well into the Following a further move, this time to Bertone IDG into a forward-looking development partner for 19th century, a dedicated city department guarded the competitor Ghia, the up-and-coming stylist finally takes the automotive industry. The 74 year-old remains the integrity of the ensemble, which is one reason why the city the step into independence in 1967. His dream is to estab- figure­head of IDG to this day – a highly decorated icon of international automotive design. In 1999, he center conveys to this day an almost textbook architec- lish his own design and development house, able and will- was voted Designer of the Century and inducted tural image. ing to do more than define the form of future car models into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 2002.

Perfezione We are like a small car factory; we have everything we need to build a complete vehicle.

Giorgetto Giugiaro

128 Encounter Technology 129 Encounter Technology Tireless – despite his 74 years, Giorgetto Giugiaro is still in the office almost Riduzione every day, working at his drawing board. Design should not be a work of art – the attraction is in reducing this to its essence.

Giorgetto Giugiaro

or vehicle generations in a studio. The objective and chal- production vehicles – the Fiat Panda from 1980. Even to lenge are to create a professional full-service provider for this day, there is little about it that he does not like. Seen the automotive industry – creative design from the first through the eyes of the time, this car is “like a pair of jeans” sketches through the engineering drawings to the building to him – a perfectly designed consumer product, minimal- of functional pre-production vehicles, complete with cost ist in form and appearance, with a particular aesthetic de­ calculations and proposals for manufacturing logistics. rived from its unconditional expression of functionality. He launches his venture in 1968, together with “With these dimensions,” smiles Giugiaro, “you really can’t his friend, engineer Aldo Mantovani. In retrospect, Gior­ achieve anything better.” getto Giugiaro sees this pairing as a stroke of genius. With For a lunchtime aperitivo, we sit on the central Mantovani, the very outward-looking creative finds an Piazza Castello in Barratti & Milano, one of the city’s ele- ideal and fruitful match in the shape of a great, yet unpre- gant coffee houses, where we are served small appetizers tentious and rather introspective technician and engineer. and a refreshing Prosecco. The sparkling drink loosens the This is the birth of Italdesign, to this day one of the world’s tongue – time also to chat about matters private. Giugiaro most out­standing design workshops, one of the most in- speaks of an exhibition of paintings he is working on in his fluential shapers of international automotive design. Many hometown of Garessio to honor his late father, tells of his of the more than 200 models and series that are created leisure pursuits and of his personal preferences. On study- there and take to the streets in the years and decades that ing the menu, the conversation turns to Italian cuisine, to follow be­­come classics or achieve cult status – think of the particular wines and local specialties. Fiat Panda, Lancia Delta, Saab 9000, BMW M1, Alfasud, Signor Giugiaro is an infrequent but enthusi- Fiat Punto or the Audi 80. astic amateur chef. He once travelled especially to the Of enormous importance to the young com- truffle town of Alba to take part in a cooking competition pany, however, are first the sizable contracts for the Volks­ – with “Penne Vodka” the Italian variant of what was orig- wagen brand. With the angular and sharply defined Golf inally a Russian pasta dish. Into the pot alongside the pasta 1, it is not just Italdesign that achieves its breakthrough go slices of cooked potato, tomato puree, cheese, butter onto the international scene, it also helps the VW Group and plenty of vodka, as well as small pieces of the delicious in its transition from the Beetle era into the new period of white fungus. It was with this that he attempted to im- automotive design. “The most important car of my career,” press the jury – albeit with little success, as he recounts recalls Giugiaro. With it, Volkswagen not only achieves a with amusement. Nevertheless, he succeeded in sparking vehicle concept that is completely new from a technolog- our interest in the recipe. He explains the ingredients and ical and economical standpoint, the successful replace- preparation in great detail and with plenty of gesticulation ment of the curvy icon by a distinctly edgy and remarkably – the master chops, stirs and shakes, moves around the spacious new contender secures the future of the com- pots and pans, fans away air and steam and very much pany and the brand. This fundamental reorientation is aug­ gives us the feeling of standing right next to him at the mented by the successful introduction of further new pro­ stove. The movements come from the wrist – with devo- duct lines that retain their relevance to this day – Passat tion and virtuosity, as if he were guiding a pencil at the and Scirocco originate from this era and come – like the drawing board. first Golf – from the studio of Italdesign in Torino. That was where we had watched him just a few “Every time I meet my ‘children’, it gives me hours beforehand, as he deftly conjured the contours of great pleasure to see what they have become,” says Gior­ a new vehicle onto paper with just a few strokes – some getto Giugiaro on a stroll along the Via Po. “But I usually strong, some delicate. It quickly comes together as a dis- also see right away the small shortcomings that arose dur- tinctive silhouette with characteristic features and style ing the creative process back then.” Giugiaro is a perfec- elements – a spontaneous creation, as he may have pro- tionist and ex­tremely hard to satisfy – especially critical of duced at the start of the design process for a Maserati himself. He knows all the strengths and weaknesses of his Bora, the Ferrari GG50 or an Alfa Romeo Brera. products, knows where concessions were made and com- However, Giugiaro seeks inspiration for new promises reached. A lack of time, costs too high, weight, creations from another world. The accomplished fine art- tech­nological necessities, safety aspects – all factors that ist and enthusiastic portrait painter, who has not a single impact a design and that seldom lead to a perfect form. automotive sketch in his home environment, finds stimu- “There is always some­thing that could have been done bet- lation primarily on visits to art exhibitions and museums. ter,” admits the designer. In the heart of Turin, he leads us through the world of In fact, his own standards appear to have per- Egyptian forms, in the Museo Egizio on the Via Accademia mitted him to truly bond with just one of his many series- delle Science. He likes to talk shop with director Eleni

Minimalismo Seen through the eyes of the time, the Panda is, for me, like a pair of jeans.

Giorgetto Giugiaro

130 Encounter Technology 4 Powerful – Giugiaro caused an uproar at the 2012 Geneva Auto Salon with the Brivido concept car.

5 Curious – under contract to San Pellegrino, IDG designed a small bottle for Sanbitter lemonade.

6 Classic – Nikon F and D cameras were also designed in Moncalieri.

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Visione Dialogue – Giugiaro likes to visit his 7 If you go through life with open eyes, you perceive so many things in your friend in Turin, auctioneer Alberto Bolaffi. subconscious – and some of it comes back in your work. Inspiration – the clarity of Pharaonic art fascinates the successful designer. 8 Giorgetto Giugiaro

132 Encounter Technology 9 Experts among themselves – in Turin’s Integrazione Egyptian Museum, Giugiaro enjoys talking shop with the director. We are now part of a large family. But, naturally, we will keep our 10 Misjudged Turin – a stately metropolis with independent, creative soul. magnificent buildings, streets and squares.

Giorgetto Giugiaro 11 Benvenuto Audi – the four rings have already arrived, even in the coffee house.

Vassilika on the clarity of art from the time of the Pha­ raohs. Perhaps he had the angular, geometric architecture of the pyramids in mind back then when he sketched the outlines of the VW Golf or the Fiat Panda. “If you go through life with open eyes, you perceive so many things in your subconscious – and some of it comes back while you are working at the drawing board,” explains Giugiaro, “an im­ 9 age, a quote, a vision.” He copies nothing, emulates noth- ing, but he registers what he sees and works it into his sketches. The same can be said for the sweeping lines of art nouveau and the harder forms of art deco. Alongside artworks from previous centuries, Giugiaro collects prints from this period. Every now and then, he rummages around 12 in the auction house of Alberto Bolaffi on the Via Cavour, Giorgetto Giugiaro looking for pieces by Toulouse-Lautrec or other influential artists from this era. And whenever the boss is available and Italdesign during his visits, the two friends always find time for an espresso and some animated conversation. Or indeed a 1938 Giorgetto Giugiaro is born in Garessio in south- moment to view the latest exhibits in Bolaffi’s lovingly east Piedmont. compiled private collection of phenomena of human com- munication. 1955 “Apprenticeship” in the design department of The free time found in the diary for our wander Fiat in Turin. 1959 Nuccio Bertone hires him as Chief Designer at his through this sunny Turin has obviously pleased the 74 year-­ new design center. old automotive designer. But it is not yet clear when the time will come that he can dedicate himself in full to such 1965 Move to Ghia as Head of Styling Center and things. In periods of change and upheaval, the “Senior” at Prototypes. 1967 Move into independence – Giugiaro founds the 10 IDG is still very much needed. He has to manage the tran- company Italy Styling. sition to being part of a corporate grouping and to drive 1968 Change of name to Italdesign – joined by partner, the integration into the Audi organization. “We are now engineer Aldo Mantovani. part of a big family,” stresses Giugiaro. We have to redefine 1974 The Golf 1 is created as the successor to the our own role – teamwork is the order of the day. Beetle under contract to Volkswagen. “Naturally, we will keep our independent, cre- ative soul,” the master designer assures us. As a world-re­ 1990 Son Fabrizio joins the company. He has been part nowned automotive service provider, IDG wants to function of the management team since 1996. 1999 Voted “Designer of the Century”. within the overall group as an engineering center – with the development and production of concept cars, drivable 2002 Induction into the Automotive Hall of Fame. prototypes and low-volume runs for all brands within Volks­ 2007 Die Mantovani family withdraws from the company. wagen AG. And also, as an Italian design studio with a rich 2010 Takeover of 90.1 percent of shares by Audi. history, to be involved in the advanced development of the 13 specific design languages of the individual brands. In the Product Design early phases of a vehicle’s creation, several design variants should also be on offer. Lagostina Atmosphere – pressure cooker “Funé” porcelain range – Richard Ginori The company still uses the Geneva Auto Salon “Marille” pasta – Voiello / Barilla as an international platform – a show at which IDG has Daiwa G2-EX – ski boot been consistently represented for more than 40 years. It Tecnica inline skates “Bright red soda” (Sanbitter / San Pellegrino) still wants to kick up a stir every year with its own concept 11 Okamura C /P Baron – ergonomic chair car, in order to test the market and current tastes. As it did Molten Official GL7 – world championship basketball this year with the highly acclaimed Brivido study, which Nikon Camera F3–6, D1–4, D800 was greeted by the industry with widespread approval. Fiat /Alstom Pedolino ETR 460 ff “Benvenuto Giugiaro,” was the motto for 2012 at the Minuetto regional train set Lamborghini Tractors Geneva Palexpo, “benvenuto” – a welcome for a truly at- Seiko Speedmaster tractive Audi subsidiary. Beretta CX4 Storm

Way of life – a cappuccino in Caffè Torino 12 is part of every day out in the city.

Model of success – the Golf 1 is the most 13 important design produced by IDG.

134 Encounter Technology 135 Encounter Technology -tasyland

24-Hour Race Every year, the endurance classic draws motorsport fans from across the globe. But why?

136 Encounter Technology 1 In good company – for three days, 1 Le Mans turns into a camping site for 2 Also a part of Le Mans top-drawer machinery. The true fan combines luxurious travel with Spartan lodgings. This is where 2 Up close – Jake Jacob’s tent is high-performance sports cars and two-man tents come together. separated from the race track by just a small spectator vantage point.

3 Appearances can be deceptive – it is seldom this peaceful on the camp- sites around the race track.

I don’t normally go camping, only here 3 in Le Mans. My tent is very minimalist, but you don’t need any more than that. Jake Jacobs

Text Photos You wouldn’t necessarily think that this is a good place Stefanie Kern Myrzik und Jarisch to pitch a tent. For Adrian Le Monnier, however, it’s the best spot in town. In “real life” the Brit with the French roots is a lawyer who lives in Birmingham and drives a matte grey Audi R8. But, for one weekend only, he is called simply Ade, is a motorsport fan and full- on camper. Amid colorful tents, he sits on his camping stool with a view of the road, a cool beer in his hand at all times. The English flag flies above him. The racing action is unfolding a few hundred meters away, but can be heard everywhere. Booming over large speakers is Radio Le Mans, the English-language radio station that provides fans with analysis and interviews round-the-clock. Ade has been coming to the legendary 24-Hour race since 2007, back then with six friends. There are now 23 people on the area marked out with red and white tape. “There are more of us every year,” he “That’s Le Mans!” A short sentence that says. “We come from all over England and meet once a year – here sounds very simple. A sentence that is pre- in Le Mans.” ceded by countless tales. But most of all, a sentence that you hear In the middle of this continually growing camp is a pro- again and again when people explain with eyes aglow why they visions tent that is remarkably well equipped for a weekend out- make the pilgrimage year-for-year in the their hundreds-of-thou- doors – a refrigerator, a portable cooking setup with large hotplates sands to a town 200 kilometers southwest of Paris. Why they, for and a huge table with room for everyone. The group shares every- one weekend in June, dispense with all human comforts. And why thing during the race weekend – the sleeping space in the tents, they try to stay awake for 24 hours – all because of a car race. food, beer and, above all, the passion for racing. Ade looks forward In order to understand it, you have to meet people like to the race all year – this “real men’s holiday” as he calls it. It starts Adrian Le Monnier. You find him on the road that connects the main as soon as he heads south in his R8 – in convoy with all the other Le grandstand opposite the pit lane directly with the track’s largest Mans enthusiasts. “Cars and friendship”, this combination is the camping site. This place is buzzing day and night – chanting groups special appeal that Le Mans holds for him. Months in advance, he of fans wander past, throwing their empty beer cans into the road- is thinking up a theme for the evening before the race, better known side ditches, the Gendarmerie makes regular patrols and proud by motorsport fans as “mad Friday”. Ade and his friends, who are all owners of high-performance cars jockey their treasured rides up and wearing colorful Hawaii shirts, barely register among fans dressed down the straight with engines howling. Seeing and being seen – up as Walt Disney characters, Super Marios and stuffed rabbits. that, too, is Le Mans. Seeing and being seen.

139 Encounter Technology Le Mans is a true Mecca for photographers. Motorsport The true professionals therefore opt to make the trek 4 Well dressed – a real “men’s holiday” 4 fans like Adrian Le Monnier and their camps already offer a pleth- to Arnage, several kilometers away. This is an area of Le Mans that at the race track should also have the right outfit. ora of crazy subject matter. Add to that the many expensive cars is home to several large properties with pools and double garages that you might rather expect to see under the spotlights of a deal- and where, for the rest of the year, not much happens. The hard- 5 Well disguised – thick pullovers er showroom instead of in the mud next to the tents. Nowhere else ened pho­tographers make it here by road – people like Jean-Charles keep the cold out in the early hours of can Aston Martins, Ferraris and Porsches be admired in such large Colombier. The Frenchman is continually in search of photo sub- the morning. numbers and such close proximity as in Le Mans. jects. For him, the view of the track is more perfect here on the 6 Well positioned – brake lights And then there’s the race itself, of course. All of them small, secluded hill of Arnage than anywhere else – the race cars look their best at twilight and dawn. want to snatch the best view of the race cars powering around the come catapulting out of the Indianapolis curve with a big long 5 13.629 kilometer course lap after lap. All of them want to capture straight ahead of them. This is where the drivers send the needle the best shot, that moment in which everything is right – the light, as far round the dial as it goes, before they brake for the next curve the car in the bend, the background. In these 24 hours, you have and the red brake lights come on. 378 opportunities to do that – at least for the victorious Audi R18 Jean-Charles Colombier loves this interplay of accelera- e-tron quattro, which completed the most laps. Naturally, you can tion and deceleration. The trainer at a mechanics’ school in Rouen, watch the race from the comfort of the main grandstand. Under France has gasoline coursing through his veins and was born on May the roof, it is dry in the rain and cool in the heat, and the stands 26, 1963 – 40 years to the day from the very first Le Mans race. One roundabout can supply the motorsport fans with drinks and snacks. of his best friends is also a driver in the race – Raymond Narac, in a But you are never alone here, thousands of fans are crowded onto Porsche 911 competing in the GT2 category. Colombier lives and the tiered rows – you really have to fight for a good photography breathes Le Mans. He came here for the first time in 1985. All year spot here. long he collects every available book and magazine on the subject. His dream is someday to publish a book of his own – featuring his own images of drivers and their cars. “Of the true champions,” as 6 Colombier says. Although the 49 year-old is realistic: “I know that publishing a book is very expensive.”

Don’t feign fatigue Stay awake is the motto of Le Mans – even when it’s really tough. Those who hang in there are rewarded with great shots.

140 Encounter Technology 7 8 9 7 Grandstand space – a good view of the race cars is worth a king’s ransom.

8 Victory celebration – following the triple victory, Audi fans make their way to the podium.

9 Color display – before the start, the French flag appears in the sky above the track.

Colombier has travelled to the endurance classic with A lap at Le Mans his pals. They are staying at the campsite and want to experience Le Mans the same way they always do – staying awake for 24 hours, although they can virtually no longer stand from sheer exhaustion, Virage in order not to miss a single second of action on the track – or the “S” du Tertre Rouge du Tertre Rouge perfect photo. That is Le Mans for Jean-Charles Colombier. 150 km/h 190 km/h 3rd gear Another nice subject for the paparazzi is Jake Jacob’s 4th gear Courbe Dunlop Audi R8. The car is just three weeks old and also unmistakably a real 290 km/h 100 km/h Le Mans racer. It is stealing the show on the campsite right next to 5th gear 2nd gear the Porsche curve – its hood and doors are adorned with brightly colored stickers emblazoned with “24 Heures du Mans”. Less of an Start/Finish ↑ eye-catcher, however, is the tiny tent from which Jake Jacobs crawls. Ligne droite “It is very minimalist, but you don’t need any more than that,” he Virage Ford des Hunaudières says. Camping isn’t really his thing. The Brit owns three large fitness 112 km/h 315 km/h studios in Cheltenham and normally prefers luxury vacations on 3rd gear 6th gear Barbados, an island in the Lesser Antilles. But once a year, the mo- 275 km/h Ralentisseur torsport fan, who is himself an amateur racing driver, shoots down 5th gear Playstation to Le Mans in an Audi R8, Ferrari or Maserati. He does it to pitch his 105 km/h tent less than ten meters from the race track and then to lose him- 2nd gear self in the rush of speed, to hear the sounds of engines throbbing in his ears and to feel the vibration of the ground beneath him.

Yes, that’s Le Mans. Virage Ligne droite Porsche des Hunaudières 210 km/h 320 km/h 4th gear 6th gear

“S” d’Indianapolis Ralentisseur At the track 106 km/h Michelin 2nd gear 105 km/h Once a year, hundreds-of-thousands make their way to Le Mans – 2nd gear motorsport fans from around the world. Virage d’Arnage 75 km/h 1st gear 310 km/h 6th gear Virage 305 km/h de Mulsanne 6th gear 87 km/h 2nd gear

Follow the Audi R18 e-tron quattro on a lap of Le Mans! www.encounter.audi.com

143 Encounter Technology Innovation 2012 – the Audi R18 e-tron quattro combines a highly efficient V6 TDI at the rear axle with an electrically driven front axle.

Follow the Audi R18 e-tron quattro on a lap at Le Mans! www.encounter.audi.com

le-ence

Ax Audi R18 e-tron quattro A vehicle with hybrid drive triumphed for the

first time at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Audi celebrated the victory – Dynamic and the return of quattro on the race track. 145 Encounter Technology Acceleration – up to 120 km/h, Boost mode – the electrically driven the 3.7 liter V6 TDI drives the vehicle via front axle is activated. the rear axle alone.

Energy recuperation – the flywheel stores energy recovered from braking. 1 Text Illustrations Thomas Voigt sxces

2 Audi and Le Mans – the success story con­ tinues. Again and again, the brand with the four rings manages to bring new technologies to the world’s most important endurance race – and to win with it, too. The first victory by a vehicle with TFSI (2001), the first success of a diesel sports car (2006) and the first triumph with variable turbine geometry (VTG) at the record-breaking race in 2010 are just a few outstand­ ing examples. Now 2012 brings the next technological milestone – the first victory of a hybrid vehicle at the 80th running of the en­ durance classic. Around 200,000 spectators watched a spectacular race packed with the kind of drama seen only in the French motorsport Mecca. The chance for the brand’s eleventh Le Mans victory was within reach for all four Audi R18s on the starting grid, and the result emerged 378 laps later – at the wheel of the Audi R18 e-tron quattro with the starting number 1, last year’s winner was once again out in front. 1 LED technology – the R18 e-tron “The car is driving like it’s on rails,” winner André Lotterer quattro brings LED light from the road had enthused earlier after securing pole position with the brand- to the race track. new hybrid race car. During the race, the Audi R18 e-tron quattro 2 Characteristic – the long fin between was able to take full advantage of all its benefits – first and second the cockpit and the rear spoiler. place for the hybrid vehicle, at its Le Mans debut.

146 Encounter Technology 147 Encounter Technology Aerodynamics – lower drag raises 3 The race organizers, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest dynamic efficiency. (ACO), intentionally leave the vehicle makers’ engineers plenty of room for creativity. And Audi uses that to the full – the victorious Audi R18 e-tron quattro from Le Mans, affectionately dubbed “Elec­ tra” by the mechanics, combines a highly efficient 3.7 liter V6 TDI at the rear axle with an electrically powered front axle. “e-tron quattro” is the name of the technology that Audi is already testing for series-production applications and that is unique in a sports prototype. A whole host of further innovations successfully with- stood the Le Mans endurance test. The digital rear view mirror used 4 could one day find its way into series production – a tiny rearward- pointing camera on the roof of the sports car captures the events going on behind it and sends its signal to a new kind of screen. In place of LCD is an active matrix OLED (AMOLED) display. The or- ganic materials used are self-illuminating making back-lighting superfluous. The extremely thin displays have an exceptionally high contrast, very good color reproduction and switching times of just a few milliseconds. Even at 330 km/h, the image sequence in real- time transmission is absolutely fluid. The so-called motor-generator unit (MGU) is a real tech- nical revolution and sits at the front of the monocoque. It is acti- 5 vated by braking and converts the rotation of the front wheels, transmitted to the inside of the MGU via two drive shafts on the front axle, into electricity. This electrical power is used to turn a flywheel in the cockpit – at up to 45,000 rpm. The stored energy can then be used to feed two electric motors in the MGU. Under acceleration, they send up to 150 kW (204 hp) to the front wheels. Nevertheless, as is often the case in motorsport – there are regulatory restrictions: only a maximum of 0.5 Megajoules can be used – seven times per lap in Le Mans – on precisely defined track sections. And in the case of the R18 e-tron quattro, only at speeds higher than 120 km/h. In 2014, the cards will be reshuffled once more in Le 6 Mans. The new, innovative regulations specify an amount of energy per lap from which everyone must extract the absolute maximum. In terms of power units and hybrid systems, manufacturers will Lift and downforce – aerodynamic forces are precisely distributed for have even more freedom than before. At the same time, fuel con- optimized dynamics. sumption should fall by a further 30 percent. “The regulations, on which we have participated inten- sively, are a major step in the right direction,” says Audi motorsport boss Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich with conviction. “It promotes the devel- opment of new technologies that are first and foremost also rele- vant for series-production application. This is why Audi participates in Le Mans.” 7

3 Rear view camera – the tiny rearward-pointing camera on the roof captures the events going on behind the R18 e-tron quattro.

4 Digital rear view mirror – what is seen by the rear view camera is shown on an active matrix OLED display (AMOLED).

5 Iron deficiency – the transmission casing in the R18 e-tron quattro is made from CFRP.

6 Miniature powerhouse – the V6 TDI with 3.7 liter displacement produces 375 kW (510 hp).

7 VTG turbocharger – the variable turbine geometry (VTG) improves responsiveness.

148 Encounter Technology 149 Encounter Technology Audi Classic Owners Behind the private garage doors of some Audi employees lies unimagin­ able treasure – vintage and classic vehicles: 425 cars, 14 tractors and 176 motorbikes from all eras of automotive history. A total of 295 fans and owners have come together to form Audi Classic Owners (ACO). All brands are permitted – the tally is up to 51 so far. Every car has its history, and we have compiled a few of them.

(T)rusty Companions

Text Photos Pure passion – for many “Audianers” classic cars Agnes Happich Myrzik und Jarisch are more than just a hobby.

150 Encounter Technology 151 Encounter Technology 1 Mother, father, car – for the But the 1000 SP was not conceived as a family car. The 1 Wildes, the classic car is part of A two-stroke Wildes had to be creative. When they wanted to go on vacation in the family. love story the car, they simply hung a small luggage trailer on the back. The 2 Red parlor – the artificial leather lug­gage for the whole family – by now the Wildes had two sons – interior of the DKW Monza is a would never have fitted into the car. And so Sputnik grew with real eye-catcher. the family. In the 70s and 80s the 1000 SP became old fashioned 3 Futuristic – for Walter Wilde, the rear lights are the highlight and thus – once again – attracted attention. However, this did not on his “Sputnik”. in any way move the Wildes to sell it. Sputnik evolved into a modern classic before finally, after 30 years in the loving care of the family, being officially designated as a classic car – at least as far as its license plate is concerned. “I don’t see it as a classic car,” says Albine Wilde. “For me, it is a part of my memories, part of my youth.” Classic cars are simply old cars. For some Albine recalls well the first classic car rally in which she people, however, they mean a lot more – took part as co-driver with her husband and the now graciously Auto Union 1000 SP mem­ories, first love, life stories. Walter Wilde fell in love with an aged Sputnik. It was 1988. “I had envisaged that kind of rally com- Auto Union 1000 SP 51 years ago and fulfilled a dream when he pletely differently, as something far more glamorous. The drive Build period: 1958 to 1965 bought himself a new one. Then he fell in love with his wife and turned out to be nothing but stress from start to finish, a true test Engine: three-cylinder, two-stroke Displacement: 981 cm³ started a family. Time changed a great deal, but the car remained of our relationship.” Difficult beginnings notwithstanding, the ambi­ Power: 55 hp the same. tious Albine Wilde did not give up. She went on training courses for Original price: 10,950 DM The romance had a somewhat rocky start. Walter Wilde rally co-drivers. She learnt to operate six watches at the same time Roadsters built: 1,640 had actually already decided against his dream car, the Auto Union and to provide professional navigation for her husband. And she Coupes built: 5,004 1000 SP. The “sensible car”, the solid DKW Junior had already been was successful. In 1993, the couple won the European classic rally ordered. In the early 60s, the DKW was the standard mode of trans- championship, the Mitropa Cup. And not least thanks to the fight-

3 port owned by employees of the Auto Union and in no way a status ing spirit of “Biene” (Bee), as Walter affectionately calls his wife. symbol; unlike the 1000 SP. She had definitely caught the bug. It was she who, in the But, as a young bachelor, Wilde followed his heart. He early 90s, was the driving force behind buying a classic car specif­ had a spontaneous change of mind and paid a deposit on a racy ically for rallying. It had to be something nippy, something sporty, 1000 SP. The decision was far from sensible. Walter Wilde had a true rarity – a DKW Monza. His wife’s high expectations spurred switched from the least expensive car in the lineup to the most Walter Wilde into action. A Monza is incredibly rare. There are expensive. “For the price of the 1000 SP, I could have bought two barely more than 50 left. Following an extensive search, they fi- DKW Juniors,” explains Wilde, who is now 75 years old. By choosing nally found such a gem. And Sputnik had some sporty company in this car, he was also opting for a certain image; the 1000 SP was an the garage. “American Dream” car. Like a US road cruiser, fins adorn the rear of The family now owns eight classic cars of varying ages the car. The combination of white paint and an interior upholstered and one DKW motorbike. They had never intended to become col- in red artificial leather was another eye-catcher. The 1000 SP, known lectors. Walter Wilde had simply bought a car and taken care of it as “Sputnik”, is a real beauty and – in spite or because of its two- over the years. From the very start, he spent a lot of time with his stroke engine – a pretty fast mover. Not exactly a car for plain old Sputnik, knows every screw, every part. Sometimes, when the two- Auto Union engineers like Walter Wilde. stroke rattles into life, he hears a slight whistle. “That’s the V-belt,” “It was a flashy car,” says Albine Wilde. The bank clerk explains Albine Wilde. “He calls it his witch.” For Albine Wilde, who knew the 1000 SP owned by her future husband before she knew was far from being a car fan in the early days, Walter’s passion for the driver. In her hometown near Ingolstadt, word had quickly his rocket was not always easy. “I love my car a lot,” admits Walter spread that a newcomer from Düsseldorf – an engineer – was the Wilde. “But I love my wife more.” driver of the fancy white car. By coincidence, Walter and Albine nevertheless met and – despite the flashy car – fell in love. Albine quickly noticed that she was not alone in her relationship with 2 Walter – Sputnik was always there. Even on their wedding day, Walter Wilde insisted on driving the wedding car – his 1000 SP – himself. “That was highly unusual back then,” says the 71 year-old Albine. The Wildes then drove off in Sputnik on their honeymoon through Switzerland, Austria and South Tyrol. When little Gerhard was born, Sputnik brought him home from the hospital. Gerhard grew up with and in the rocket car. On long drives to friends and relatives, his parents warmed his baby bottle on the engine block. “That must have left its mark on Gerhard,” says Albine Wilde with a smile. Her son is now a classic car fan and Audi employee himself. From the very beginning, Sputnik has played a supporting – and driving – role in the family.

Experience the classic car crazy Wilde family on video! www.encounter.audi.com Images courtesy of the Wilde family Images courtesy of the

152 Encounter Technology 153 Encounter Technology You have bought a car on eBay. Can you recommend 4 Worth its weight in gold – the Audi 100 4 The hunter this as a source? Coupe S is extremely rare and therefore a worthwhile investment. of lost treasure eBay is one of the world’s biggest trading platforms for classic cars and also includes international sellers. I bought my 5 Not with kid gloves – Thomas Frank believes Porsche 944 S2 Cabrio on eBay. It was the middle of winter at that classic cars are there to be driven. minus 24 degrees; I was the only bidder. At those kinds of tem- 6 The hunter and his catch – Thomas Frank is peratures, nobody wanted to bid on a cabrio. always on the look-out for bargains.

What are the most important rules to follow when buying a classic car? First, you should look at the overall condition of the car and then, of course, the person selling it. Then comes the test drive. Buying a car is a matter of trust. You notice quickly if a car has been Thomas Frank loves classic cars. As Head of warmed up, for instance. As a point of principle, you should always Audi Tradition and founder of Audi Classic set yourself an upper price limit. Experience says that there are Owners, he knows all about the magic of old metal. He is constantly always subsequent repairs that have to be taken into account. on the lookout for the perfect bargain and knows what to look for when buying a classic car. It sounds like an expensive hobby. Audi 100 Coupe S

Not at all. The insurance premiums are very low now. Build period: 1970 to 1976 You just arrived in an 1973 Audi 100 Coupé S. Is that your Then you have the reduced road tax of 191 Euros per year with a his­ Engine: four-cylinder, in-line everyday car? toric license plate. The main issue is making sure you have enough Displacement: 1,871 cm³ I drive my old cars as often as I can, even to work. That’s room for this hobby. You need to have a place to store the car. The Power: 112 to 115 hp Original price: 14,400 DM my best way to relax on the drive into work. side of the road is no place for a classic. Number built: 30,676

So, for you, a classic car is something that should be used? In times of financial crisis, more and more people are buying I don’t think any car should be allowed to rot in the ga­ classic cars as an investment. Is there a “sure thing” rage, and certainly not a classic car. At the end of the day, it was when it comes to classic cars? A brand or a model that you built for driving, not for standing around. A car like that can handle can recommend as an investment? the odd shower of rain. If only it were that simple! You can, of course, buy the well-known models of the major brands, such as a Mercedes SL Nevertheless, the Coupé S is a very rare car. Gullwing. But they are unaffordable these days. The situation is a It would bring you a place at any classic rally in Ger­ bit more complicated for Audi. There are expensive and extremely many. By comparison, Mercedes Gullwings, Porsche Spyders and rare pre-war cars like Horch, Wanderer, DKW and Audi. The post-war Jaguar XKs are mass-produced goods. There are considerably more DKWs are harder to sell, quite simply because young people these expensive than a Coupé S, but also far more commonplace. days are more interested in modern classics. It starts getting inter- esting again as of the 70s. I would advise anybody who can to buy You are not only the founder of Audi Classic Owners, but also the extremely rare Audi 100 Coupé S. Also a good buy are the Audi Head of Audi Tradition. You go out hunting on behalf 50, the NSU TT and the Ur quattro. of Audi for vintage and classic cars. What sources do you recommend in the search for the perfect classic? You have bought many cars in your time, both profes­- The specialist magazines like Motor Klassik, Oldtimer sionally and privately. What classic car dream do you still Markt and Auto Bild Klassik are a good starting point. Another key want to fulfill? factor is always contacts. That’s also the idea behind Audi Classic I have owned ten 2CVs in my life. Right now, I don’t have Owners. We bring people together; people who perhaps want to any. So I could well imagine another 2CV. buy a car can chew the fat with owners of classics. An extremely Watch the Thomas Frank interview! important source is also the Internet. I look almost every day in the www.encounter.audi.com Internet, at what’s on mobile.de, Autoscout24 and eBay, for in- 5 stance. I am always on the search for bargains. That’s by far the worst thing about being a classic car fan – you are constantly hunting. 6

Is there still such a thing as the ultimate bargain, the hidden treasure? Oh yes, it’s out there. These treasures are often the so- called “granddad cars”, which have been hidden away for years in garages with just a few miles on the clock and barely a scratch on them. From that point of view, I’m a modern-day treasure hunter.

154 Encounter Technology 155 Encounter Technology A project of this size demands skill, attention to detail 7 The 1600-piece puzzle and, first and foremost, patience. Mielich went through highs and lows with the Espada. The power windows – a rarity in the 70s – drove him to the brink of insanity. The tiny motor no longer worked, the cable winch had to be readjusted. The cable that raises and lowers the windows runs in the door through a maze of hidden, convoluted twists and turns – a game of enormous patience. After days of trying, and following the advice of an expert, Mielich man- aged to thread the cable back into the correct conduits, and the restoration could move on to the next stage. Wolfgang Mielich has always enjoyed tinkering with things – earlier on motorcycles and then tuning his cars. Today he is tinkering in the engine compartment of the silver Espada. He no It smells of oil, car wax and rubber in Wolf­ longer knows exactly how many parts he has disassembled and re­ gang Mielich’s garage. On a rolling gurney – assembled. Although he does have one point of reference – Mielich an operating table of sorts – lie carefully arranged nuts, screws, has photographed every part that he has disassembled. After work- seals, tools, a toothbrush. The patient’s heart – an imposing 12-cyl- ing on it, he takes a second photo – the “after” picture. He now has inder – is ready for surgery. 3,300 photos, which equates to around 1,600 parts taken out and It is a mammoth task that Wolfgang Mielich has set put back in again. himself. By day, he develops driver assistance systems at Audi; in If all goes well, the Espada will be finished by the end his free time, the engineer is restoring a Lamborghini Espada, model of the year. After seven years of disassembling, cleaning and pho- year 1971, part by part. He bought the car in 2005, and there was tographing, the wedge-shaped sports car should be back on the a lot wrong with it. Time had left a distinct patina on this aging road. And then? “Then comes the next project, for sure,” says Wolf­ beauty. The brakes didn’t work, which made the first drive in the gang Mielich with a smile. Espada quite an adventure. Mielich began his operation in the interior. He dedicated the first three years entirely to the car’s passenger cell. He cleaned every single part, bought a new old radio. He cut the foam for the seats to size himself. Mielich traveled to Italy in search of a suitable saddler – Bruno Paratelli, who has worked for Lamborghini from the very start. The seats of the Espada are covered with a fine pat- tern of holes and there is virtually nobody who can master the com- plex perforation technology. However, the Italian’s books were so full that it would have taken years for Mielich to get the seats. In the end, a German saddler did the job, to the amazement of the Italian master. “You meet new people with every job – experts and collectors.” That is what Wolfgang Mielich likes so much about clas- sic cars. Today, the inside of the Lamborghini Espada smells like a new car. That comes from the deep red carpet and from the black leather seats. A total of 14 “half cows” were crafted into the car. The interior stage is complete.

7 Attention to detail – Wolfgang Mielich Lamborghini Espada 8 9 knows every screw on his Espada. Build period: 1968 to 1978 8 Razor sharp – the rear of the Espada Engine: twelve-cylinder, V engine is shaped like the blade of a sword Displacement: 3,929 cm³ (Spanish: Espada). Power: 325 to 350 hp Original price: 69,375 DM 9 A job well done – after three years Number built: 1,217 of work, the interior is fully restored.

→ Before and after – the blood, sweat and tears of Wolfgang Mielich. The Espada footwell is once again resplendent in deep red. Images courtesy of Wolgang Mielich Wolgang Images courtesy of

156 Encounter Technology 157 Encounter Technology

Italian SUVenir

Power SUV from Lamborghini Even as a concept car, the Urus cuts an impressive figure with its unique look. The design work carried out at Lamborghini is just as dynamic as the high-performance SUV.

Text Photos The Urus, too possesses this ability to im- Hermann Reil Myrzik und Jarisch press. Here in the hall of the Centro Stile Lamborghini, the Urus shows its enormous presence. And this is not a function of its size – at a length of around 5 meters, it is well within the scope of well-known performance SUVs. With a breadth of almost two meters, it is some- what wider than its future competitors. Its height of 1.66 meters, however, makes it around 15 centimeters lower. “The right proportions are crucial,” says Chief Designer Perini, “and they are perfect for a high-perfor- mance model like this.” Lamborghini Design is unique. What are cre­ ated here in the Centro Stile are technical sculptures moving at high speed. They look purist and minimalist “Possente” is the word that says – with a clear focus on the essence. The surfaces are it all. “Mighty”, “powerful” or even clean and taut, interrupted many times by extremely “puissant” are the words suggested by the English dic- precise, razor-sharp lines. “A Lamborghini is simply a tionary, but, for Filippo Perini, “possente” means more beautiful automobile,” says Filippo Perini with convic- – a refined superiority, a virtually infinite source of pow­ tion. “It is, of course, a highly specific, deeply technical er, but one that appears playful rather than aggressive, beauty – but one that is combined with great vibrancy and that can be controlled with perfect precision. For and lightness.” the Chief Designer of Automobili Lamborghini, this is an exact description of the new Urus. The name also refers to the most ancient ancestor of the bull, the Aurochs. Lamborghini is entering new territory with this sports utility vehicle concept. The super sports cars from Sant’Agata Bolognese – the Aventador and Gallardo models – are surely among the most fascinating known to the automotive world. Yet they are always something for special occasions, for the enjoyment of extreme dy- namics on the right kind of roads, or for making a grand entrance in front of the right audience. “The Urus, on the other hand, is a Lambor­ ghini for everyday use,” states Maurizio Reggiani. “It unites exceptional performance and unique design with versatility and everyday usability,” sums up Lambor­ ghini’s Director of Research and Development. The Urus is intended as a family car – for leisure pursuits with friends. Above all, however, it is a true Lamborghini – unique, extreme, fast, condensed technology. Permanent all-wheel drive is also part of the DNA of the super sports cars from Lamborghini. And the brand with the bull is no stranger to the SUV seg- ment. Lamborghini founded the super-luxury SUV seg- ment in the 80s with the now legendary LM002. The Lone wolf – the Urus proudly defends its territory in the Centro Stile Lamborghini. The concept off-­roader with a twelve-cylinder drive was revolution- car is still alone. Its series-production siblings ary; its appearance impressive. could follow in 2016.

161 Encounter Technology 163 Encounter Technology “A Lamborghini is simply a beautiful automobile. It is, of course, a highly specific, deeply tech- nical beauty – but one that is combined with vibrancy and lightness.” Filippo Perini

A stroke of the hand – despite the enthusiasm Perini sees the computer systems of the for virtual work on the computer, Filippo Perini still Cen­tro Stile as partners in the creative process. “Once uses a pencil to sketch. you have learned the right way to work with the digital model, you can also make a very good evaluation of the subsequent outcome.” Physical models are only required when it comes to making presentations to decision makers – or when the new idea is to be shown to the public as a concept car. This was how the Urus made its world premiere this year at the Beijing Motor Show. It was subsequently shown to groups of potential cus- tomers for evaluation in so-called car clinics. And the reactions were amazing, according to Technical Director Maurizio Reggiani. Just a few days after its presentation at the show, Google had counted From the very first glance, the relationship around twelve million hits on the World Wide Web. Some between the Urus and the Aventador – the brand’s new participants in the clinics in China would have liked to twelve-cylinder icon – is clear. The sharpened arrow point buy the Urus on the spot – regardless of the price tag. of the front end, the large air intakes to the left and right, However, it will be at least the start of 2016 before the the Y form in the LED headlamps and the cen­tral line first production models will make it into the gener- that runs from the hood over the roof to the rear end are ously proportioned garages of their new owners. typical features of the Lamborghini design language – yet completely reinterpreted in every single detail. Extremely modern and highly dynamic is also the manner in which this design was created. The Centro Stile has a comparably small team of designers working on its projects. “We have two secrets,” explains Perini. “The first is called ‘Alessandro, Michele, Luca, Ales­sandro, Marc, Nelson and Biagio’. These are my highly motivated and dedicated colleagues. The second is our virtual process. From the first stroke of the pen to production sign-off, we work in digital 3D models. This makes us very fast and guarantees a consistently high level of quality.” This is how the extremely light- weight super sports car Sesto Elemento, which will soon enter low-volume production, was created in the space of just three months. The Aventador – another CFRP monocoque construction* – was also created using a purely virtual design process.

The designer – Filippo Perini runs the Centro Stile Lamborghini.

→ Innovative – cameras as exterior mirrors, center console and bucket seats made from new carbon materials, start button with a cover flap – just in case …

164 Encounter Technology * see glossary, pp. 168 –169 The vital technical statistics have, neverthe- less, long been established by Reggiani and his team. Now, it is time for the detail work. The power plant in the Urus will produce around 440 kW (600 hp), while its outstanding performance and handling are guar­ anteed to be as razor sharp as its design. “However, we also want to achieve the lowest fuel consumption among our comparable competitors,” stresses Maurizio Reggiani. Alongside a highly efficient power unit, this will be helped by systematic lightweight design and a very low cd figure. A plug-in hybrid system* is also con- Driving legend – the LM002 with ceivable, enabling the Urus to run on zero-emissions its twelve-cylinder was revolutionary, electric drive in urban areas. its appearance impressive. At Lamborghini, lightweight design means an intelligent material mix in the structure and body­ shell, as well as consistent and intensive use of carbon- fiber technologies. The brand from Terra di Motori between Bo­ logna and Modena possesses expertise in the develop- strated by a glance into the interior of the Urus. The cen­ ment and production of specific carbon-fiber technolo- ter tunnel, for instance, is formed by an open, skeletal gies that is unique in the world. Forged COMPOSITE* is carbon structure made from Forged COMPOSITE. The one of them – in contrast to conventional CFRP materi- bucket seats are also made using this technology, com- als, based on long, interwoven fibers, this Lamborghini- bined with another new and flexible carbon material patented material is made from short fibers measuring that delivers optimum seat suspension and damping 2.5 to 5 centimeters. More than 500,000 intermeshed together with extremely low weight. fibers per square inch deliver a material that has just A Lamborghini is a Lamborghini – the eye- one third of the density of titanium, but a higher load catcher inside is, and remains, the release button – the rating. Thanks to an innovative forging process, Forged button that starts the engine. A red cover flap secures COMPOSITE can be formed very efficiently and with it from unintentional activation, because “Possente” is extremely high precision. Just how precisely is demon- the word that says it all …

SUVs stand for freedom and emotion. The Urus is surely the most extreme interpretation of this concept – it is quite simply the Lamborghini among SUVs. Maurizio Reggiani

The engineer – Maurizio Reggiani runs Research and Development at Lamborghini and is also responsible for the Aventador twelve-cylinder super sports car.

← Possente – the diffuser and the mighty exhaust system stand for the performance of the Urus, the large tailgate for its everyday usability.

166 Encounter Technology 167 Encounter Technology * see glossary, pp. 168 –169 Technical terms explained CFRP Modular Infotainment Platform (MIB) Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) RTM Process CFRP is the acronym for “carbon-fiber reinforced poly­ Known in German as the Modulare Infotainmentbau- A plug-in hybrid is a vehicle with hybrid drive whereby The acronym RTM stands for Resin Transfer Molding, Brief definitions of the terms used in this issue. mer”, whereby carbon fibers are embedded into a kasten, it is part of the Modular Transverse Platform the battery can also be charged externally by plug- a process that Audi will use in future for the produc- polymer in several layers for reinforcement. (MQB) (see below) and transfers the platform princi­ ging it into the electricity grid. tion of many of its CFRP components because it is ple to in-car infotainment. Hard and software can be more efficient than previous processes. The dry fiber updated independently of the vehicle lifecycle, al- matting is pre-formed then laid into sealed, heated lowing them to keep pace with the innovation cycles tools into which epoxy resin is injected under pres- of the IT sector, which are often just a few months. sure. The resin completely soaks the matting before curing under pressure and temperature. Modular Transverse Platform (MQB) Known in German as the Modulare Querbaukasten, TCNG it is a Volkswagen Group development for the Audi, TCNG is the abbreviation for the future generation ALZ Seat, Skoda and Volkswagen brands. The first vehicle of Audi cars that will run on fossil fuel compressed The Aluminum and Lightweight Design Center (ALZ) to be built on the MQB is the new Audi A3. The plat- natural gas (CNG), as well as the renewably produced Glossary at Audi in Neckarsulm serves the development, pro­ form principle uses synergies that transcend vehicle Audi e-gas. duc­tion planning and quality assurance of light- class and brand. It increases efficiency, safety, com- weight materials like aluminum and fiber-reinforced fort and driving fun. Technologies from higher vehi- plastics. cle segments are also now making it into the compact Light – alongside aluminum, CFRP plays an class thanks to the MQB. Audi Electronics Venture (AEV) important role in Audi’s lightweight design concept. A one-hundred percent subsidiary of AUDI AG. It func­tions as a link between cars and electronics. Its Composite Solutions objective is to work on behalf of Audi to implement Composite is the term used for fiberreinforced poly­ in­­­novations within vehicles on the basis of new tech­ mers (see below). ­nologies. Its tasks include function and software de­ velopment, alone and in cooperation with partner Fiber Reinforced Polymers (FRP) companies. Fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) are materials in which fibers, such as carbon fibers, are embedded into a Audi Space Frame (ASF) poly­mer in several layers for reinforcement. Audi Space Frame refers to an extremely stiff alumi- Filling up with gas – the Audi A3 TCNG uses CNG num framework structure for the vehicle bodyshell. LTE Filling up with electricity – Audi is testing the and Audi e-gas. The use of aluminum delivers a considerable weight The acronym LTE stands for Long Term Evolution and everyday usability of plug-in hybrid technology. reduction that improves fuel economy and efficiency. refers to a new mobile communication standard that UMTS Audi is also making increasing use of other light- transmits data five to six times faster than the cur- Innovative – the new A3 is the first model Scanning Electron Microscopy UMTS is the acronym for Universal Mobile Telecom­ ­ weight materials in bodyshell design. The simulta- rent UMTS network. Transmission rates of up to 100 to be based on the Modular Transverse Platform. Scanning electron microscopy is a microscopy pro- mu­nications System, a standard for the wireless neous application of various high-end materials such Mbit/s make data-intensive infotainment functions cess that creates an image via line-by-line sampling trans­­mission of data. as aluminum, magnesium, carbon and high-strength like HD television or video conferencing possible OLED Technology (scanning) of a surface with an electron beam. The steels is making an increasing number of Audi com- while on the move. Audi aims to be the first provider The abbreviation OLED stands for “Organic Light interaction of the electrons with the surface delivers WLAN ponents lighter – this route leads to the Multi-Material to offer LTE in a car. Emitting Diode”. It refers to a thin-film lighting ele- information about its properties and condition that WLAN is the abbreviation for Wireless Local Area Space Frame. ment that, in contrast to conventional LEDs, contains are displayed in parallel with the scanning process Net­work, a localized network system that enables Microscopic X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis an organic semi-conducting material. The material as a very high-resolution image. The maximum mag­ computers and phones to access the Internet wire- Audi uses this form of analysis for investigating ma- characteristics enable the construction of flat and nification is around 500,000 to 1. lessly. terials with the scanning electron microscope. The flexible lighting elements. interaction between the electron beam on the mi­cro­ scope and the sample generates a characteristic x-ray, Piloted Parking captured in a colored graphic and on an element dis­ At Audi, piloted parking refers to the use of techno- tribution image. Both provide important information. logies that enable the autonomous driving of the car without input from the driver. Audi is developing one MIT application example for this technology with the The acronym for Massachusetts Institute of Tech­ Park­hauspilot. It steers the driverless car from the nology,­ a private university in the city of Cambridge in car park entrance to a free parking space. the US state of Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT is a globally renowned institution for research and teaching. MIT has produced no less than 77 Nobel 210 kilograms – the ASF bodyshell of the Audi R8 Prize winners. is made entirely from aluminum. Microcosm – Alcantara fibers magnified 20,000 Car-to-X-Communication times. Car-to-X communication refers to a communications technology whereby vehicles can communicate with Recuperation each other, with their owners and with the traffic Recuperation means the recovery of kinetic energy in­frastructure via wireless networks. This benefits derived from deceleration. Under trailing throttle or fuel efficiency and safety and enables services such during braking, the generator converts the kinetic as cash-free refueling. energy into electrical energy, which is then stored temporarily in the battery. Recuperation reduces the Minus driver – the car orientates itself with the fuel consumption of internal combustion engines aid of sensors. and is an important element in all hybrid and electric drives. Plasmatron soldering Plasmatron soldering is a procedure for bonding to­ gether steel components that enables an extremely high degree of precision. It is used in a number of dif­ ­ferent areas of the bodyshell. On the Audi A7 Sport­ back, for example, it creates a very precise splitline between the roof and side panel; the permitted to- lerances are less than 0.1 millimeter.

Networked – Audi car-to-x systems create entirely new communication structures.

168 Encounter Technology 169 Encounter Technology Impressum

AUDI AG 85045 Ingolstadt

Responsible for Content: Toni Melfi, Head of Communication, I/GP

Editor: Uwe Hans Werner

Concept and Realization: reilmedia

Graphic Concept and Layout: stapelberg&fritz

Organization: Stefan Kotschenreuther Britta Schmidt (Video)

Authors: Eva Backes Regina Brand Klaus Thomas Edelmann Paul-Janosch Ersing Melanie Goldmann Christian Günthner Agnes Happich Annika Jochheim Stefanie Kern Lena Kiening Johannes Köbler Stefan Kotschenreuther Anja Nerreter Hermann Reil Thomas Tacke Hanna van der Velden Thomas Voigt Uwe Hans Werner

Translation from German: Elaine Catton

Photography: Myrzik und Jarisch Stefan Warter Alexander Herbold

Illustrations: Andreas Nicolas Fischer Cedric Kiefer Steven Pope Barbara Stehle sxces

Post Production: RAWKOST

Printing: Pinsker Druck und Medien