Audi
June 13th, 2011 by NZ Classic Car
When it comes to the top echelons of endurance racing Audi rules the roost, so long as its cars can stay on the track. At last weekend’s Le Mans 24 hour endurance race the Audi LMP cars were firm favourites – but it all didn’t go to plan.
After dominating qualifying to put two Audi R18 TDIs in pole and second spot on the grid, Audi was looking flash. But just one hour into the race, two-time winning driver Allan McNish found himself in all sorts of strife and completely smashed his pretty prototype racer. McNish was trying to work his way round his teammate when he encountered traffic and got connected with a GTE Class Ferrari 458 Italia. McNish and his Audi crossed rapidly through the sand trap and hit the barrier at a high speed, the R18 disintegrated sending carbonfibre, metal and tyres everywhere. Photographers and marshals scattered to get out of the way of the debris and amazingly no one was hurt – not even McNish who walked away.
McNish’s racing day was over, but Audi did still go on to take Le Mans victory through Andre Lotterer in the #2 R18 TDI.
Check out a clip of McNish’s high-speed crash below. Read the rest of this entry »
May 27th, 2011 by NZ Classic Car
It’s not called endurance racing because it’s easy. But exactly how hard it is on both driver and machine is something few of us really realise. To educate the masses Audi has created a visually fantastic animated short film.
Called A Day in the Life of an Audi Driver the film features narration by the Audi Le Mans team driver Alan McNish who takes the viewer through some interesting facts about the famous 24 hours race. Winning Le Mans certainly looks like a tough task and Audi would know, its had victory 9 times in the past 11 years in both petrol and diesel-powered cars.
Check out the short film below. Read the rest of this entry »
January 24th, 2011 by NZ Classic Car
Audi is at it again, it’s no enough for the German carmaker to dominate the luxury segment it has to be the best pedal car maker as well. This latest creation is an electric toy car that Audi plans to take to the upcoming International Toy Fair in Nuremberg, Germany. The car is called the Auto Union Type C e-tron and while it is still more a toy than a serious vehicle it car reach speeds of up to 30kph.
Vintage race car enthusiasts will recognise that the toy is based on the Auto Union Silver Arrow Type C race car. This miniature electric vehicle uses a lithium-ion battery that can spins a 1.5-hp rear-wheel-drive electric motor to generate 29.5 pound-feet of torque and has a range of around 24kms. It also has a reverse gear and takes two hours to recharge from a 230-volt European socket. But the best feature of the e-tron toy car is that adults up to 5’11″ in height can fit inside and go for a spin.
Unfortunately the Auto Union Type C e-tron is a prototype toy car at this stage so pricing and availability details have not been announced. That’s assuming it’s given the green-light for full production.
January 12th, 2011 by NZ Classic Car
Modern cars are being developed at a cracking pace with innovative gadgets, advanced safety features and powerful engines all featuring in the latest vehicles. But as we know, once in a while, you just want to spend some time checking out older models. This isn’t always easy, as information about certain cars can be pretty scarce and not always accurate when appearing online. That’s Audi’s decision to launch a virtual heritage showroom on its UK site is a great idea.
The new web-page are naturally dedicated to Audi models but would appeal to more than just Audi fans, all enthusiasts can appreciate this well presented blast from the past. The virtual tour showcases a range of historic models, ranging from the 1913 Audi Type C to the latest R8 sportscar, as well as the brand’s trademark innovations, such the quattro all-wheel drive system, and glorious motorsport moments.
It’s worth a look so click here to visit the Audi Heritage Showroom.
December 13th, 2010 by NZ Classic Car
Audi has just pulled the covers off its latest LMP1 Le Mans prototype racer, the R18. The new machine looks suitably hardcore and has abandoned the open-top design of its predecessors — the R8, R10 and R15 Plus — for a closed roof to improve aerodynamics and reduce driver fatigue. Audi has been very successful at the Le Mans 24 Hours race in recent years winning it nine times since 1999 with the R8, R10 TDI and R15 TDI. The R18 looks set to continue the legacy.
Unlike the earlier R15, which used a 5.5-litre V10 diesel engine, the new model generates power from a much smaller, 3.7-litre TDI V6 engine, mated to a modified six-speed transmission.
The R18 uses a single-piece carbon fibre monocoque, which keeps weight down and increases stiffness.
In terms of exterior design the headlights are the most eye-catching parts of the R18. The headlights make use of “optimised” LED technology, they incorporate Audi light designers’ personal touch: daytime running lights shaped like a “1″.
The Audi R18 was first approved in mid 2009, while engine testing began in summer 2010. The first track test took place at the end of November and Audi is now planning to enter three cars into next years Le Mans 24 hour endurance race.
Check out more images of the Audi R18 in the gallery below. Read the rest of this entry »
November 29th, 2010 by NZ Classic Car
Audi has just released a Quattro concept promo video which offers insights into the birth of the retro-inspired concept car.
The already-popular Quattro concept was unveiled this year at the Paris auto show as a celebration of the famous rally car that introduced all-wheel-drive to the sport. The concept is in essence a shorter A5 that has been stiffened, lightened and received various updates.
Power comes from a 2.5-litre engine producing 408 hp and 480 Nm of torque. Official 0 to 100 km/h acceleration time for the concept is quoted at 3.9 seconds.
While Audi has not officially announced that it will put the Quattro concept into production, it’s received massive interest and various inside sources have confirmed that it will reach the streets in the future.
Check out the promotional video below. Read the rest of this entry »
June 7th, 2010 by NZ Classic Car
Directed by Sam Brown from Rogue Films it uses 24 precision drivers, 22 heavily modified ‘beast cars’, 2 R8 Spyders (just in case) and two pieces of music.
March 1st, 2010 by NZ Classic Car
Audi R8 vs Bugatti Veyron.
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