The VW-Kaluga plant was built in November 2007 (Technopark Grabtsevo, Kaluga). In addition to Audi models, the production of VW and Skoda cars was launched at this enterprise.
German brand Audi was founded in 1909. But the history of this auto giant began in the 19th century, more precisely in November 1899, when August Horch founded the A.Horch company. In 1909, Horch left A.Horch and founded another brand of his own - Audi. In 1958, Daimler-Benz AG acquired a controlling interest in Auto Union (which included Audi), but then sold it to Volkswagen. Currently, the Audi brand is widely known. The profile of the company is the production of expensive luxury cars. Despite the fact that this company is a subsidiary of VW, Audi has long been on a par with such giants of the executive segment as Mercedes and BMW.
The whole history of Audi
After disagreements with the board of directors of A.Horch, August Horch in 1909 left the factory he had created and created another brand - Audi Automobil-Werke. The first Audi car appeared in 1910 and had a 2.6 liter 4-cylinder engine with 22 hp. August Horch's persistence in entering various competitions was rewarded in 1911 when his Audi B with a 2.6-liter engine went the whole distance without penalty points in the Alps Cup race in Austria. In 1932, 4 German firms DKW, Audi, Horch and Wanderer merged into the automobile concern Auto Union. This is how the famous four rings appeared. The first collaboration for Audi was the front-wheel drive Front series with a 6-cylinder OHV Wanderer engine of 2257 cm3, followed by the rear-wheel drive Audi 920 with a 6-cylinder Horch engine of 3281 cm3. After the war, the territory of Germany, where the city of Zwickau was located, became part of the GDR. The former Audi factory was nationalized and no less famous Trabant cars were produced there. The Audi brand temporarily disappeared, as after the war Auto Union only produced DKW cars. Only in 1957, a single model called Auto Union 1000 appeared. The following year, Auto Union came under the control of Daimler Benz, and in 1964, when the transition to the production of front-wheel drive cars began to be planned, it became the property of the Volkswagen concern. In 1965, the Audi brand was revived. At the Frankfurt Motor Show, a front-wheel drive Audi 1700 was shown with a highly economical Daimler Benz engine with a compression ratio of 11.2 and a power of 72 hp. In 1969, Auto Union and NSU merged - the new company became known as NSU Auto Union. The last organizational change came in 1984 when NSU Auto Union was renamed simply Audi. After 1965, the Audi model family began to expand - by the beginning of the 70s, the 60, 75, 80 and 100 series appeared. Created in 1980, the quattro all-wheel drive modifications have repeatedly achieved success in international rallies, which has brought high prestige to the Audi brand. Audi's all-wheel-drive passenger car was pioneered by engineer Ferdinand Piech, who considered the process as natural as moving from rear-wheel brakes to all-wheel brakes. The appearance of mass all-wheel drive Audi is considered a revolutionary stage in the development of the automotive industry. The basis for all-wheel drive modifications were standard cars with front-wheel drive. In the block with the gearbox, a transfer case with a differential was installed, which distributed the torque almost equally on both axles. In the same place, at first, there was a mechanism for turning on or off the rear-wheel drive. The first all-wheel drive Audis were designed primarily for sports competitions, where the reliability of new designs could be tested. They were powerful 5-cylinder turbocharged engines. Under the influence of all-wheel drive Audi, a new direction was laid in the creation of mass-produced cars for both sports and normal use.
This will surprise you, but not all.Identification number (VIN) of the AUDI car.
Like any other car, the Audi identification system is constantly changing. So, until 1970, the VIN of all Audi models was 9-digit, then until August 1980, one more digit was added to it. In the identification code of the old Audi, the first two digits indicated a specific car model, then came the year of manufacture, the next digit indicated the manufacturing plant, and finally, the last group of digits indicated the serial number of the manufactured product. Starting in August 1980 (in fact, this refers to the cars of the 1981 model range), the 17-digit Audi VIN code takes on a "pan-European" form. It is knocked out, as a rule, on the panel in front of the windshield inside the engine compartment (in the Audi TT it is closed with a transparent plastic strip), duplicated with a magnetic tape glued on the shock absorber cup, or on the inner surface of the wing. There are differences in the structure of the numbers for vehicles produced for the European market and vehicles produced for North America (USA and Canada).
…if the car is made for Europe
Approximate VIN code - WAUZZZ8AZMA123456
1 - 3 position number (WMI) (world manufacturer index)
WAU.....Audi
WAC.....Audi
TRU.....Audi TT1st position of the number - Country of manufacture
W - Germany2nd and 3rd position of the number - Manufacturer
AU.....Audi4th - 6th position of the number (section WDS) (free positions)
Z Z Z indicate that the car is made for Europe
Positions 4-6 are indicated only on vehicles supplied to the American market. In European cars, three letters Z are written in this place, which do not carry any information in the VIN, but which can be used in the future. By the way, manufacturers have the right to fill free positions with any characters they like. However, some unscrupulous sellers sometimes try to present this designation as a designation for a triple galvanized body.
7 - 8 position number (section WDS) (model range)
81.....80
82.....80
85.....80/Coupé/Quattro
89.....80 (1990 - 92)
8A.....80/B3 (1986-91)
8B.....Coupe Quattro
8C.....80/B4 (1991 - 94)
81.....90
85.....90/Coupe/Quattro
89.....90/B3 (1989 - 91)
8A.....90/B3 (1986-91)
8C.....90 (1993 - 94)
8G.....90 Cabriolet (1994)
43.....100 (..- 82)
44.....100 (82 - 91)
4A.....100 / С4 (90 - 94)
43.....200 (..- 82)
44.....200 (82 - 91)
44.....V8 Quattro (1990 - 94)
8X.....A1 (since 2010 ->)
8Z.....A2 (1999 - 2005)
8C.....S2/B4 (1993 - 95)
8L.....A3 (1996 - 2003)
8L.....S3
8P.....A3 (since 2003 ->)
8P.....A3 Cabriolet (from 2008 ->)
8PA.....A3 (since 2004 ->)
8P.....S3
8D.....A4/B5 (1994 - 11/00)
8E.....A4/B6 (2000 - 2004)
8E.....A4/B7 (2004 - 2007)
8E.....S4/B6 (2003 - 2007)
8E.....S4/B7 (2003 - 2007)
8E.....RS4/B7 (2005 - 2008)
8G.....A4 Cabriolet (1991 - 2000)
8H.....A4/B6 Cabriolet (2002 - 2006)
8H.....A4/B7 Cabriolet (2006 - 2009)
8H.....S4/RS4/B7 Cabriolet (2006 - 2009)
8K.....A4/B8 (since 2007 ->)
8K.....S4/B8 (from 2009 ->)
8K.....A4/B8 allroad quattro (from 2009 ->)
8F.....A5 Cabriolet (from 2009 ->)
8T.....A5 (since 2007 ->)
8T.....S5 (since 2007 ->)
8T.....RS5 (from 2010 ->)
4A.....A6/C4 (1994 - 97)
4B.....A6/C5 (1997 - 2004)
4B.....S6/C5 (1999 - 2004)
4B.....Audi/C5 allroad quattro (1999 - 2006)
4B.....RS6/C5 (2002 - 2004)
4C.....V8 Quattro (1989 - 94)
4F.....A6/C6 (since 2004 ->)
4F.....S6/C6 (since 2006 ->)
4F.....RS6/C6 (from 2009 ->)
4F.....A6/C6 allroad quattro (from 2006 ->)
4D.....A8/D2 (1994 - 2002)
4D.....S8/D2 (1996 - 2003)
4E.....A8/D3 (2003 - 2010)
4E.....S8/D3 (2006 - 2010)
4H.....A8/D4 (from 2010 ->)
42.....Audi R8 (since 2006 ->)
42.....Audi R8 Spyder (from 2009 ->)
8N.....TT (1998 - 2006)
8J.....TT (since 2006 ->)
8J.....TTS (since 2008 ->)
8J.....TTRS (since 2009 ->)
8R.....Q5 (since 2008 ->)
4L.....Q7 (since 2006 ->)9 position number (section WDS) (free position) Z
10 position number (WIS section) (model year)
Audi's model year starts on July 1st. Those. the car may be released on July 2, 1990, but the model year will be 1991.
The designation complies with the ISO 3779-1983 Standard, see the table "Recommended Marks of Production Years" on the All About VINs page. Recommended signs of years of issue
11 position number (section WIS) (assembly plant)
A.....Ingolstadt / Germany
B.....Brussels / Belgium
C.....CCM-Tajpeh
D.....Barcelona / Spain
E.....Emden / Germany
G.....Graz / Austria
H.....Hannover / Germany
K.....Osnabrück / Germany
M.....Pueblo / Mexico
N.....Neckarsulm / Germany
P.....Mosel / Germany
R.....Martorell / Spain
S.....Salzgitter / Germany
T.....Sarajevo / Bosnia
V.....West Moreland / USA and Palmela / Portugal
W.....Wolfsburg / Germany
X.....Poznan / Poland
Y.....Barcelona, Pamplona / Spain until 1991 inclusive, Pamplona12 - 17 position number (section WIS) (production number of the product)
.
(c) ripped from here:
This now world famous company was born in 1910 by a court decision. There was a case of accusation of August Horch by his former colleagues from the Horch company. As a result of disagreements with partners, the wayward Horch was forced to leave his own company, which he founded in Zwickau in 1899. Some time later, he created a new company in the same city, naturally giving it his name. For a short time, two firms with the same name existed in one small town: by a court decision, the second was given the new name Audi, which in Latin means the same as Horch in German - "listen".
The first Audi was equipped with a 2612 cc 4-cylinder engine similar to Horch's previous designs for Horch. But soon it was followed by new engines with a working volume of 3562, 4680 and 5720 cm3. All had the so-called symmetrical valves: the intake was at the bottom, and the exhaust was strictly above it "upside down".
The persistence with which August Horch entered his cars in various competitions was only rewarded in 1911, when his Audi B with a 2.6-liter engine in the Alps Cup race in Austria went the whole distance without penalty points. Taking into account all the shortcomings of the "B" series, in 1913 a new Audi C model was developed, equipped with a 4-cylinder 3.5-liter engine, in which the crankshaft rotated on three bearings and was slightly shifted to the side of the cylinder axes. A conventional cone clutch had a leather friction surface. The wooden body on a chassis with a 2900 or 3200 mm wheelbase was open with an elongated and pointed rear, which, according to its creators, provided better streamlining and gave a swift appearance. In the years 1912-1914, this car achieved serious success in the competition for the Alpine Cup. Therefore, he is known as Alpensieger - "Conqueror of the Alps".
Before the war, another small car of the "8/28" type was created with a 2071 cm3 engine, which continued to be produced after the establishment of peace. But the most popular in the 20s was the 50-horsepower "Audi-K" with a 3.5-liter overhead valve engine. The first 6-cylinder was "Audi-M", released in 1924. Its working volume was 4655 cm3, and the camshaft was moved up for the first time. The crankshaft had 7 bearings, and the cylinder block was made of aluminum alloy, although the cylinder liners remained steel. The overhead camshaft acted directly on the valve stems. The brakes of all wheels were supplied with a vacuum booster. The maximum speed of the car reached 120 km / h.
The first 4872 cm3 8-cylinder engine appeared in 1928 on the car of the "R" series, which received the big name Imperator. It turned out to be Audi's last own design, which was soon taken over by another automotive company, DKW.
DKW in Audi history
Jorgen Skafte Rasmussen, the founder of DKW, decided not to create his own engines for the new range of Audi, but purchased all its equipment and developments from the bankrupt American company Rickenbacker. The next Audi models appeared in 1929. These were 6-cylinder Dresden and 8-cylinder Zwickau. In 1931, the light model "P" on the DKW chassis with a 4-cylinder Peugeot engine of 1122 cm3 entered the Audi range.
In 1932, 4 German firms DKW, Audi, Horch and Wanderer merged into the automobile concern Auto Union. The first collaboration for Audi was the front-wheel drive Front series with a 6-cylinder OHV Wanderer engine of 2257 cm3, followed by the rear-wheel drive Audi 920 with a 6-cylinder Horch engine of 3281 cm3.
History of the Audi Front
The front-wheel drive Audi Front became a "collective product" of all Auto Union companies: the idea of front-wheel drive for mass-produced cars belonged to the founder of DKW Rasmussen, its 6-cylinder engine was developed by Wanderer and produced by Horch, and the finished car was branded Audi. Despite the difficulties of mastering the new design, the car proved itself well and was produced until 1938. The front suspension was wishbone and transverse leaf spring, and in many ways resembled the Alvis design. Unlike most front-wheel-drive small cars, the Front belonged to the middle class. The cars were equipped with various multi-seat bodies and developed a speed of over 105 km / h. In 1937, an elegant three-seat sports version of the Front was presented at the Berlin Motor Show.
After the war, the territory of Germany, where the city of Zwickau was located, became part of the GDR. The former Audi factory was nationalized and no less famous Trabant cars were produced there. The Audi brand temporarily disappeared, as after the war Auto Union only produced DKW cars. Only in 1957, a single model called Auto Union 1000 appeared. The following year, Auto Union came under the control of Daimler Benz, and in 1964, when the transition to the production of front-wheel drive cars began to be planned, it became the property of the Volkswagen concern. In 1965, the Audi brand was revived. At the Frankfurt Motor Show, a front-wheel drive Audi 1700 was shown with a highly economical Daimler Benz engine with a compression ratio of 11.2 and a power of 72 hp.
History of the merger of Auto Union and NSU. Renaming to Audi
In 1969, Auto Union and NSU merged - the new company became known as NSU Auto Union. The last organizational change came in 1984 when NSU Auto Union was renamed simply Audi.
Curious things have happened throughout the firm's 104-year history. So, after its absorption by the Volkswagen concern in the mid-60s, the brand almost disappeared altogether: they decided to throw the full potential of Audi into the mass production of "beetles". And only the successful development of its own model - secretly from the management of the concern - allowed to preserve the originality of Audi.
Recent history of Audi
The latest period in the history of the company covers the last quarter of a century. After becoming part of Volkswagen, for many years Audi was perceived in Germany as an ordinary folk brand. This continued until the early 80s, when cars with four rings on the radiator again began to stand out with innovative solutions. Created in 1980, the quattro all-wheel drive modifications have repeatedly achieved success in international rallies, which has brought high prestige to the Audi brand.
Audi's all-wheel-drive passenger car was pioneered by engineer Ferdinand Piech, who considered the process as natural as moving from rear-wheel brakes to all-wheel brakes. The appearance of mass all-wheel drive Audi is considered a revolutionary stage in the development of the automotive industry. The basis for all-wheel drive modifications were standard cars with front-wheel drive. In the block with the gearbox, a transfer case with a differential was installed, which distributed the torque almost equally on both axles. In the same place, at first, there was a mechanism for turning on or off the rear-wheel drive. The first all-wheel drive Audis were designed primarily for sports competitions, where the reliability of new designs could be tested. They were powerful 5-cylinder turbocharged engines. Under the influence of all-wheel drive Audi, a new direction was laid in the creation of mass-produced cars for both sports and normal use.
Since then, the creation of a new image of the brand began, which became even more relevant by the beginning of the 90s - the fall of the European market forced Volkswagen management to reconsider their business approaches. Three options were considered: to leave the Audi brand in the mass segment, simply transfer it to the "premium" segment, or aim at "premium-progressive". They chose the latter and began to build their own marketing strategy for Audi - after all, until then the brand did not even have its own showrooms, cars were sold along with Volkswagen models. Moreover, until 1994, the brand's lineup amazed everyone with its scarcity: it had only two cars - the Audi 80 and Audi 100, which caused obvious dissatisfaction among customers and criticism from specialists.
Today's brand image rests on four principles: the use of high technology, emotionality, sportiness and global claims. Each performs a specific task, and all together pursue the main goal: in the next five to six years, at least double sales, catch up in global sales and perception with the main competitors - BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
However, at the headquarters of Audi AG, these principles are also called tools with the help of which quite specific tasks of capturing markets are solved. So, the company was the first to make a four-wheel drive in a sedan, and this attracted new customers: if in 1995 about 50 thousand such models were sold, then in 2002 - four times more. For almost seven years, Audi was the only one to use direct fuel injection on diesel engines. This allowed to reduce the noise of the engine, increased environmental friendliness and speed of cars. As a result, the sales of such machines grew from 100,000 to 300,000 a year in the same seven years. And the production of large series of cars with aluminum bodies generally influenced the development of the entire global automotive industry.
They relied on the emotionality of the brand when they were moving away from the image of a mass machine. "In the premium segment, the very atmosphere surrounding the customer is very important," says Grame Liesl, Head of Global Communications Strategies at Audi AG. should be done to the highest standard."
First of all, the product itself must correspond to this level: its quality, technical characteristics, design. How seriously the company takes this can be judged by today's development of the lineup. Since 1995, one or two new models began to appear annually. Starting with the A4, the Germans produced the A3 and A4 Avant, the A6 business model, the A6 Avant station wagon and the TT Coupe within three years. In the next four years, the TT Roadster and the all-terrain Audi allroad quattro, the compact A2 and the new A4, the A8 limousine and the new A4 Avant, the A4 convertible and the second generation of the A8 appeared on the market. Finally, in 2003, a new version of the A3 model appeared and three completely innovative concepts - Pikes Peak, Nuvolari and Le Mans, presented between January and September. Such a "rate of fire" is especially impressive, given that the creation of each model takes about five years and up to two billion euros.
Following the general concept of the brand, the company endows all new items with a sporty character. This is expressed in excellent dynamic performance, powerful engines, suspensions, in the appearance of cars and interior design. Moreover, in addition to the basic models, sports modifications with the S index and supersport RS are produced. The RS6, for example, is impressive: its 450 horsepower literally provokes rapid throws and lane changes, and on the autobahn only an electronic speed limiter did not allow it to jump beyond the mark of 250 km / h. But the marketing policy requires an even more aggressive sporting spirit, and Audi actively sponsors competitions in alpine skiing, golf, sailing, and supports two famous football clubs in Europe.
All this works for the fourth postulate of the company, which sounds like this: Audi is one of the largest players in the global market. To do this, dealer networks are expanding in various regions of the world, joint ventures are being created to work in the promising Chinese market, and the share in Europe is expanding, where the German brand now owns 3.6% of the market. Jürgen De Grave, a business and finance specialist, tried to explain the general level of the company's claims with a specific example: "In the USA we sell eighty-five thousand cars a year, and BMW - a quarter of a million. We intend to first equalize our sales figures, and then drive out competitors ".
Audi production
In order to implement such ambitious plans, the company's business must be debugged like clockwork. Audi AG believes that this is the case, and boldly introduces the various divisions and industries. First of all, this is the plant itself, more precisely, one of the plants, since the company produces cars at three European enterprises. One is located in Hungary, where the TT model is partly manufactured. The company's engine plant also operates in Hungary, where 1.3 million engines are produced annually, of which one half goes to Audi, and the other to other brands, including Skoda and Seat. In the German city of Neckarsulm, solid models with aluminum bodies are produced - A8, A6, Allroad, as well as the "baby" A2. The Audi Security division is also based there, which assembles A6 armored business sedans and A8 limousines. But the company's largest plant is located in the town of Ingolstadt, an hour's drive from Munich. Working in three shifts, he produces daily up to 780 A3s, almost as many A4s and about two hundred more TT models.
However, Audi's ownership in Ingolstadt is not limited to one production: they occupy almost 2 million hectares here, and this is more than the territory of the Principality of Monaco. It is here that the headquarters of Audi AG is based, designers and constructors work, the main marketing department, a large tool production and the company's technical center are located. By the way, the latter is considered one of the most advanced in the world: its aerodynamic complex allows you to "develop" speed up to 320 km / h, and lower the temperature to -60C. Other members of the parent concern, the Volkswagen and Seat brands, use this free of charge, German bobsledders receive the complex in the form of sponsorship for training, but it is rented to other customers for 2,700 euros per hour.
The plant is also crammed with all sorts of electronics. For example, the automation ratio of the workshop for the production of the A4 model was brought to 83% back in 2000. To do this, we had to solve a lot of problems, including the control of robots. Different modifications of cars move along the conveyor one after another, and each requires its own set of technological operations. Therefore, a sensor with a task is attached to the body, and the electronics reads the data and controls the equipment without human intervention.
On the other hand, the final assembly area is crowded: human eyes and hands are indispensable here. Moreover, each employee also becomes a kind of controller, checking the quality of previous operations. If he notices a colleague's mistake, he gives a signal, and the defect is instantly corrected. Every second counts - in the event of a complete stop of the conveyor, a minute of downtime will cost the company 13,000 euros.
However, the company also cares about its workers. For example, not so long ago, bodies were hung over the assembly line at an angle of 45 degrees - it was believed that it was more convenient for assemblers. However, the company ordered a study, and it turned out that working with a horizontally hanging body is less harmful for the spine, after which all the lines were redone at the factories. Another example: excellent parquet is laid under the entire assembly line. Noticing my surprised look, the escort explained: "Wood is not as hard and cold as concrete, and this is very important for people's health."
Creativity on schedule
The work of Audi designers for years to come is scheduled literally by weeks. Until recently, Audi had 60 months to create a new model, but due to fierce competition, it has now had to switch to a shorter cycle of 50 months (a little over four years). In this cycle, the work schedule of all departments, including designers, is scheduled.
Work on the machine begins with a document prepared by the product planning team. In accordance with the prospects of the market, it issues a technical task, which indicates the dimensions of the future car, body type, number of seats, basic dynamic parameters, cost level. After that, within eight months, artists can offer almost anything. But with the condition: firstly, it must meet the basic principles of the brand (innovation, sportiness, emotionality), and secondly, it must comply with the age-old traditions and style of the brand. The fact is that Audi firmly adheres to the principle that there should be an evolution in the design of the lineup, not a revolution.
Subsequently, only two projects will be selected from the mass of ideas, and work will be carried out on them at the next stage. Here, three divisions should present their sketches - for the exterior, interior and color schemes. Moreover, they have their own specialization inside: designers for seats, upholstery, instrument panels, controls. And about 25 months after the start, the final one is selected from the two options, and somewhere in the 33rd month a plasticine model is made on a 1:1 scale.
At this point, the designers should prepare accurate images of all the details, including small details such as buttons, instrument arrows, joints and seams. Moreover, each stroke should carry a semantic or functional load. Florian Gulden, one of the designers at Audi, explains how certain decisions can influence people's associations. Some lines and details emphasize the stability and power of the car, others - its swiftness, others give a sense of security and peace.
If everything is done correctly, then 15-18 months before the start of production, an almost final version is created, which is agreed with the technologists and exhibited at one of the international car dealerships. This version is so close to the production model that they even make stamps for many components and tools. However, some amendments can be made after the exhibition: the responses of the press, dealers, and the public play a big role.
Audi Forum - retail holidays
The huge complex of Audi AG in Ingolstadt is an excellent example of business development in accordance with the planned strategy. Deciding to promote a prestigious brand, the company did its best to ensure that customers "buy" those same positive emotions here. And next to the factory floors, she built the Audi Forum - a special client center. In 1992, it was opened by the legendary Ferdinand Piech, who then headed the Volkswagen concern, but who clearly remembered the beginning of his automotive career in Audi AG.
Now the Audi Forum includes a company museum, a restaurant, offices, auto accessories stores and company merchandise. However, its main part is a huge, stadium-sized branded hangar, which has become the prototype of modern Audi dealerships. It was in it that such standards of the showrooms of the brand were laid as a large amount of light and air, the use of special anti-reflective mirrors and spotlights, and the creation of comfortable areas for customers. "All this pursues one goal - to create an atmosphere of a holiday, a memorable event," says Günter Gerlich, an employee of the center. "Each client should feel its significance and exclusivity. Every day, we release up to two hundred and eighty new cars of all models of the company from this center. And they come for them not only Germans, but also residents of other European countries."
The most curious thing is that the Audi Forum does not sell cars - orders for them and payments are accepted by dealers. And in Ingolstadt you can only get the car itself. But how is it done! On the appointed day, buyers arrive at the company. And while the car is being prepared for delivery, customers get acquainted with the museum, they are driven around the factory floors, fed at the expense of the company in a restaurant. You can also buy souvenirs, accessories and even order additional equipment - sports seats, an exclusive steering wheel or alloy wheels.
And when the time comes to receive the keys, the client will be informed about this over the speakerphone, and they will also display information on the light board. It shows that every quarter of an hour another five to ten people or companies become owners of a new car, which also often want to turn the buying process into a pleasure. After that - a short briefing by the consultant, a solemn start-up of the engine, a photo for memory - and go. Obviously, all this is actually attractive: according to the center's employees, many clients come here for the second, or even third time, taking their wives, children, and friends with them. In general, almost a quarter of all cars of this brand sold in Germany are sold annually from the Audi Forum.
Audi history. Based on materials: "Encyclopedia of Automobiles", "Expert-Avto" #12(55) dated December 15, 2003.
Hi all! Many experts agreed that the 2018 Audi A8 with autopilot, specifically wiped its nose to its competitors. And some even claim that this is the smartest car in its class ... But where does such confidence come from? What bombs did engineers from Ingolstadt plant under the hood of the novelty? In the meantime, GeekBrains is the largest IT community, which unites more than two million people and is part of the Mail.Ru Group. Here everyone can learn to program! In honor of the new year, GeekBrains gives all users a course "how to become a programmer" and a discount on training - as much as FORTY percent. All you need to do is leave your contact information at the link below the video. The salon of the new G8 has already been compared to a miniature room in a luxury hotel, where everything is provided - from wireless charging for a smartphone and comfortable leather hammock chairs - to a movie projector and a floor massager with support for "hot care" programs for fins of any size. The interior is literally stuffed with comfort options like a Christmas burgher goose. Now, instead of a lot of mechanical retro buttons, the driver has two full hd touchscreens at his disposal, on which all the climate control and multimedia controls are placed. For passengers in the rear who prefer larger screens, 10-inch detachable Android tablets are available with the ability to access the network inside and outside the car. However, you can control the multimedia complex and seat settings using a small detachable remote control. For sensitive ears of fans of high-quality 3D sound, the salon was equipped with an audio complex with two dozen speakers. Well, the cherry in the beak of our goose was a perfume ionizer with a choice of options for the aroma of a sea breeze or alpine mountains. Listen, well, this is already a clear bust! In general, guys are mad with fat! Leave a like if you think so too! Of course, the interior of the AUDI A8 is not only the place in the universe where the concept of "comfort" is elevated to the absolute, but also one of the most advanced technological centers for driving a car. The operating system supports the voice control function. 12 sonars, 5 radars and a four-beam laser scanner ensure the coordinated work of the 41 assistants. Already in the basic version, all representatives of the line are equipped with all-wheel drive, air suspension and an 8-speed automatic transmission. Well, having paid extra for an active electromechanical suspension, the owner will have at his disposal a system of four independent electric motors for each wheel. With it, the car will roll less and will be able to scan the topography of the coating to correct bumps. And all this so that the sensitive fifth point of the owner, God forbid, does not feel slight shocks while driving. The company positions the Audi A8 as a robo-car with self-learning algorithms and artificial intelligence of the 3rd level of autonomy. It can't fly yet, but it can start, move, maneuver, control traffic, stop and park without driver assistance. But alas, the full range of autopilot functions in most countries will become available only after the settlement of local laws. And of course, for driving on a road with deep potholes, no artificial intelligence will help. All representatives of the Audi A8 2018 line have engines from 340 to 585 horsepower. Also "moderate" hybrids, supplemented by a 48-volt installation. In order to save money, the system automatically turns off the engine not only in traffic jams, but also when driving at speeds from 55 to 160 km/h, where the car is put into overrun mode for as much as 40 seconds. The price of the question It seems that, apart from questions about the autopilot, which is still inaccessible, the novelty has only one problem - the price, which in its class clearly pulls on another record. The probable cost of the basic configuration of the junior model with an engine of 340 liters. With. will amount to at least 90,600 euros. But friends, on the other hand, those who can pay this amount for comfort and safety will immediately after the purchase receive a unique opportunity to save one euro on fuel.)) We recommend the Apelsin channel! Incredible facts, mysterious incidents and funny stories from life. In general, everything for your good mood! Subscribe right now! Link on the screen and in the description... And that's all for today! Like, comment and see you soon!
Audi was founded in 1910 by a young engineer, August Horch. This was his second attempt to start his own business: the first company, Horch & Co, was created back in 1899. However, in 1909 he was forced to leave Horch & Co by court order. The reason was disagreements with partner creditors.
Horch's new company, founded in the town of Chemnitz, at first, like the previous one, bore his name. When the city authorities found out about this, the court assigned a different name to the new company, "Audi". Some sources claim that one of Horch's business partners came up with it. He simply suggested using the same word, "Horch" (which means "listen" in German), but in the Latin version - "Audi".
The Audi logo is four silver rings. They symbolize the 1932 merger of four companies - DKW, Audi, Horch and Wanderer - into the Auto Union automobile concern. At first, the Audi emblem was installed only on cars designed for racing, and on production models there were nameplates - specially made plates.
The main milestones of the company's development
In 1911, the debut car - Audi B, first took part in the Alpine Cup race in Austria, and in 1912-1914 an improved version of this model again participated in the Alpine Cup and has already achieved very solid success. Thanks to this, the car was named Alpensieger - "conqueror of the Alps".
In 1921, Audi introduced the first left-hand drive car - at that time it was a kind of breakthrough. Innovation was also the production of front-wheel drive cars: in 1931, Audi showed the world the DKW F1, an inexpensive and compact car.
By the mid-1930s, after the merger of four companies, Audi became the second largest automaker in Germany. In 1934, in order to increase the authority and recognition of the brand, Audi took part in the most prestigious Grand Prix motor racing. Over the following years, Silver Arrow cars won prizes in races and championships around the world, setting a huge number of records.
In 1945, the company's factories, which were located in the zone occupied by Soviet troops, were dismantled, and the company itself was subject to removal from the Chemnitz Commercial Register. Shortly before the end of the war, the leadership of Audi evacuated to Bavaria. There, the first attempts to restore the concern began to be made. At the end of 1945, the Auto Unuion auto parts warehouse was built. It took four years before the company's production was restored. In the late 1950s, the revived concern was again registered in the city register.
In 1964, the company became part of the Volkswagen Group. Initially, Volkswagen did not want Audi to produce its own car models. But Ludwig Kraus, head of the design department, decided to secretly develop a new model of Audi. As a result, the legendary appeared, which was a great success. So the company retained its right to individuality.
In 1974, the design department was headed by Ferdinand Piech. Under him, the company reached unprecedented heights. Audi was the first company in the world to start producing cars with permanent four-wheel drive. In 1985, the head office of Audi was again moved to Bavaria. Audi's subsequent success was driven by a number of technical innovations. Among them - a full galvanized body, the use of turbocharged gasoline engines and economical diesel engines with direct injection technology, hybrid drive, heavy-duty eight- and twelve-cylinder engines.
Interesting facts, technology and motorsport
Audi was the first company to conduct (beginning in 1938).
The Audi 80 was first sold in North America as the Audi Fox and later as the Audi 4000.
Audi has become the first automaker to create its own virtual world on the PlayStation Home resource. At the service of visitors are tours of the virtual space Audi Space and the opportunity to participate in the Vertical Run racing race.
Audi cars have won the prestigious Le Mans 24 race three times in a row - in 2000, 2001 and 2002. To celebrate this great success, the Audi Le Mans quattro sports concept was presented in Frankfurt in 2003.
Key models in the history of the brand
- one of the most popular cars of the XX century. The total volume of produced machines has more than 4 million copies. The model was produced for 30 years - from 1966 to 1996. Initially, the car was manufactured on the same platform as the Volkswagen Passat. In 1987, a new generation of the Audi 80 appeared on the B3 platform, which no longer had anything in common with Volkswagen. The body of the B3 was completely galvanized, which provided such high protection against corrosion that Audi extended the warranty period from 8 to 12 years. Galvanized bodies are also used to build current Audi models.
The Audi Quattro is the company's first rally car. Thanks to innovations in the rules that allowed the use of four-wheel drive cars in competition, Quattro was able to participate in the races. The car won two competitions in a row.
The development of the famous began in September 1994 in California. The first concept car was shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1995. The next modification of the model, the Audi TT Coupe, was demonstrated by the developers to the visitors of the Tokyo Motor Show in 2005. The new TT was much lighter than the previous one thanks to the use of a combination of aluminum and steel materials.
The company started producing the crossover in 2005. The first instance of criticism was seen at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The "E" platform model is based on the 2003 Audi Pikes Peak quattro concept.
Audi A3 – family hatchback. In 1996 - 2003, the first generation was produced, from 2003 to 2012 - the second. More recently, the third generation of a compact car has appeared, which quickly became popular in European countries. Audi A3 has many different awards.
Audiin Russia
One of the first Audis to appear in Russia was the Audi 80 B3. The famous "barrel" with the 89th body quickly became popular due to its simple design: motorists who were well versed in front-wheel drive VAZs could easily change parts for Audi. Some even modernized their foreign cars, replacing parts with domestic counterparts. The Audi 80 was also loved in Russia for its high suspension strength - the car conquered domestic roads with unprecedented agility for a foreign car.
Today, Audi does not give up its position as a sales leader among premium cars in the domestic market. From January to August 2012, 22,292 copies were sold, up 41% from 2011 figures. But these cars are not stolen so often: according to statistics for Russia for 2010-2011, the Audi brand did not even make it into the top twenty. Our most popular models today are the Audi A3 Sportback, Audi A4, Audi A6, Audi Q3, Audi Q5 and Audi Q7.
In 2001, Audi opened the Quattro Driving School in Russia. This is the first school established by a foreign car manufacturer in Russia. Throughout its existence, the Quattro School has been very popular among our compatriots: in 11 years, more than 16 thousand private and corporate clients have been trained.
Audi was the official sponsor of the Russian national team at the XXX Summer Olympic Games 2012 in London. The concern provided 129 cars as prizes for Russian athletes. The executive A8 models received gold medalists, the silver medalists were given the keys to the A7 Sportback, and the bronze medalists became the owners of the elegant A6. Also, Audi was chosen as the official partner of the Olympic Games in Sochi in 2014.
