First fielding of three Audi R18 e-tron quattro cars
Premiere of a new aerodynamic variant
Last race preparation for the Le Mans 24 Hours
Audi is pursuing ambitious aims at round 2 of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) on May 4 at Spa. The version of the Audi R18 e-tron quattro that was victorious at the season opener is to extend Championship leader Audi’s points advantage. At the same time, a new long-tail variant of the hybrid sports car will be tested in Belgium. Audi Sport Team Joest thus wants to optimally prepare for the Le Mans 24 Hours, the pinnacle of the season for the sports prototypes held on June 22 and 23.
Coming off a promising Roar Before the 24 Test early in the month the No. 24 WeatherTech Audi R8 GRAND-AM team is poised for a strong 51st running of the GRAND-AM Rolex 24 Hour at Daytona, Jan. 26-27.
Audi factory drivers, Edoardo Mortara (Italy), Filipe Alburquerque (Portugal), Oliver Jarvis (England) and American Dion von Moltke (Coral Gables, Flor.) are ready to make a run for the coveted Rolex Daytona watches awarded to the winners of the race.
New 2.0 TFSI with turbocharging and gasoline direct injection
Ample power and minimal consumption: 221 kW (300 hp) and 380 Nm (280.27 lb-ft) torque, but just 6.9 liters per 100 km (34.09 US mpg)
From zero to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 5.1 seconds
221 kW (300 hp) of power and 380 Nm (280.27 lb-ft) of torque – the third-generation Audi S3 raises the bar once again. Scheduled to launch in early 2013, the lightweight premium compact model combines its dynamic performance with groundbreaking efficiency and comes packed with all the high-tech Audi has to offer in every field of technology.
Audi Board of Management and VW Group Management decide on location
CEO Rupert Stadler: “Important for the American market and for our global growth”
Construction work to start in mid-2013 – start of production 2016
More than a dozen locations were looked at, compared and evaluated. Now the decision has been made: Audi will build its new plant on the American continent in San José Chiapa, in the State of Puebla, Central Mexico. This was decided today by the Audi Board of Management and the Group Management of Volkswagen. The new plant marks a major milestone in the growth required in Audi’s Strategy 2020.
Le Mans winning trio on grid in Audi R18 e-tron quattro
Allan McNish shares R18 ultra with Tom Kristensen at home round
Competition of the concepts at Silverstone
Audi is entering the crucial phase of the season with the momentum of three victories achieved by the R18. At Silverstone (Great Britain), the fourth of eight rounds of the FIA World Endurance Championship will be held on August 26.
Boston.com reports that Red Sox slugger David Ortiz was involved in a minor traffic accident in his R8. Ortiz somehow managed to deactivate the traction control system on his White R8 V10 Spyder sending it spiraling into the street after he pressed the accelerator pedal presumably a bit too hard. Nobody was hurt and Ortiz schedule to play tonight.
We are excited to throw our support behind two really great petitions aimed at lowering barriers to bringing in cars from overseas. As someone who has been through the NHTSA process of federalization (I brought in the 2001 RS4 shown above several years ago) I can tell you first hand that it is a overly bureaucratic process that is a complete waste of taxpayer money and time. All this to prevent us from getting cars in that are perfectly safe and crash tested at HIGHER STANDARDS then the NHTSA.
Enable NHTSA to accept crash testing by foreign nations that is equal to or better than US Standards.
Dickie Meaden from EVO recently had the chance to learn how to tackle the Italian Misano Circuit from no other than Allan McNish. It wasn’t just about learning to tackle The Misano Circuit in a street car. It’s about learning how to tackle The Misano Circuit in an Audi R18. Dickie was allowed to complete 5 laps in the R18 in the completely untouched Le Mans winning car. There’s all sorts of debris embedded in the car as Audi has a tradition of leaving the cars in the condition that they win the race in.
