Audi Aicon

 Aicon: Audi technology demonstrator

Design study, technology demonstrator, mobility concept: The Audi Aicon exploits every possibility offered by a autonomous luxury sedan of the future with unprecedented consistency. As a design study, the four-door 2+2 boldly leaps ahead to show the exterior and interior design of the next decades. The technology demonstrator combines innovations relating to the drivetrain, suspension, digitalization and sustainability in a visionary manner. And as a mobility concept, the Audi Aicon shows the world of tomorrow, in which the advantages of door-to-door individual transportation are combined with the luxurious ambiance of a first-class airline cabin.
Pure presence – the exterior

Design

The Audi Aicon looks spectacular from any angle. Its sheer size – an exterior length of 5,444 millimeters (17.9 ft), a width of 2,100 millimeters (6.9 ft) and a height of 1,506 millimeters (4.9 ft) – places it in the automotive top tier, the D segment.The designers reduced the front and rear ends to a minimum of lines and focused on large, uninterrupted surfaces. As with the Audi e-tron Sportback concept, the Aicon front features the inverted hexagonal Singleframe, a typical feature of the upcoming generation of electric cars from Audi. The sharply inclined silhouette of the entire front end evokes a sense of forging ahead – this, too, is a typical sports car body line.

 

Emotion and information – the LED lighting technology

Conventional headlights and lighting units are absent from both the front and rear of this car. Instead there are fully digital display surfaces comprising hundreds of triangular pixel segments. They are three-dimensional recreations of the Audi AI symbol. Grouped around the Singleframe are large light fields, in which – as at the rear – more than 600 3D pixels are arranged in space. The large surfaces and high pixel count enable versatile graphics, animations and information visualizations in any color. The Audi Aicon is thus no longer bound to a daytime running lights look, but rather can adapt to the driving situation and even its passengers. The customization is boundless. Horizontally cut lighting segments to the left and right of the Singleframe look like eyes and can be expanded to resemble wide pupils or squinted for an aggressive look. If the car detects passers-by or other road users, it literally makes eye contact with them and follows them with its “eyes.”

Accommodating – operation and communication

The oft-cited paradigm change in the automotive world – it shows in the Audi Aicon. One glance is all it takes to realize that all of the controls and displays are missing. Steering wheel, pedals, groups of buttons and instruments – nothing. Instead just wide, uninterrupted surfaces. The interior quickly comes to life once passengers enter. Illuminated lines of LEDs set colorful accents in the area of the doors. The front display lights up with a welcome message. PIA, the empathetic electronic vehicle assistant, recognizes the passenger by his phone and activates all of his personal settings. There are custom settings for the air conditioning and seating position, interior light color and the layout of the infotainment system. The navigation system awaits entry of a destination, and all accessible channels of communication are ready for use, connected via the fastest available standard.

New are the variably positionable control interfaces in the encircling door rail. Depending on the position of the seats, which can be shifted by up to 50 centimeters (19.7 in), ergonomically perfectly positioned touch and display elements are available in the digitized wrap-around. Your hand instinctively finds its way to the touch-sensitive control panels.

There are multiple input modes available for engaging with the car. Besides the haptic-manual layer, there are also voice control and eye tracking, in which sensors in the front end of the interior track where the passenger is looking.

The full range of services offered by modern communications electronics are available at all times in the Audi Aicon. Travelers can relax and watch a film or surf the web. Video conferences are another option, as is interaction on social media. Depending on the seating position, the passengers can use the large front display as the output surface or a virtual head-up image displayed above it in the windshield.

The glass roof panels can block out the sunlight, if desired. Their transparency level changes upon application of an electric voltage. Integrated OLED lighting elements allow for precise mood lighting or the even illumination of the interior when getting in or out of the car, for instance.

The Audi Aicon opens up a new world of mobility to its passengers. Freed from the tasks of driving, they can choose how to spend their time in the car. Working, communicating or simply just relaxing and even napping: Anything is possible while the car autonomously and safely finds its way.

Power unit

A highly efficient electric drive provides for the dynamics of the Audi Aicon. A total of four electric motors are located in the area of the front and rear axles. The energy storage units are integrated into the area below the floor. The four electric motors produce a total of 260 kW and 550 Newtonmeters (405.7 lb-ft). Each drives one wheel, enabling electronically controlled, variable quattro all-wheel drive. Maximum acceleration played a less important role in the specification than maximum efficiency and thus also range.

This operating strategy is also pursued by the powertrain and electric brake units, which use recuperation to recover energy. Targeted lightweight construction of the multimaterial body and optimized aerodynamics also help the Audi Aicon to achieve ranges between 700 and 800 kilometers (435.0 - 497.1 mi) on a single charge.

Even charging has been reduced to a minimum. Thanks to a high-voltage system with 800 volts, the Aicon’s battery unit can be charged to 80 percent of capacity in less than 30 minutes. The car is also equipped with a unit of inductive, i.e. wireless, charging. The Aicon manages both without a driver. In an AI Zone, it can pull up to a charging station on its own and charge its battery without any human assistance.

As a true quattro, the Audi Aicon offers ample performance and even autonomously always reaches its destination safely regardless of the weather or road surface. The suspension is designed for maximum comfort. Pneumatic spring and damper units smooth out any road surface irregularities.

The Audi Aicon is an all-arounder well prepared for its primary task: to offer a maximum of comfort, communications technology and freedom for its occupants during a long journey. It combines the scopes for autonomous driving in an urban environment and on the highway with an unprecedented range for an electric drive. The Aicon will be followed by further multitalented Audi models, each with their own specialized discipline, ensuring that the vehicle range of the brand with the four rings remains as diverse as it is fascinating.

The Interior

Source: http://www.audi.com/en/models/showcars/aicon.html

Audi e-tron Sportback concept

Gran Turismo Audi e-tron Sportback

Design study and technology demonstrator, electric car and power pack in the guise of a coupé: Audi presents a versatile concept car at the Auto Shanghai this spring. The four-door Gran Turismo Audi e-tron Sportback concept comes with a 320 kW electric drive. The formal idiom combines classic Audi elements with an array of trendsetting details: an electrifying architecture, tailored consistently to the technology and the package of the electric drive.

Emotional and powerful: Audi coupé design

In an initial encounter with new forms, the eye seeks out familiar elements. The design of the Audi e-tron Sportback offers these from every perspective – yet it also springs surprises with radically new lines and solutions. One example is the front end of the electric automobile. It still sports the Singleframe, which has been the distinguishing feature of every Audi since 2003.
Now, however, its design acknowledges that the function of a classic radiator grille has become obsolete: The electric motor at the front needs nothing like the amount of air that a combustion engine does – so the large opening at the front of the car is no longer required.

Behind the familiar octagon of the Singleframe, with its overtly wide, horizontal cut, there is a large-area panel painted in the body color. Its sculptural surface has a structured pattern emblazoned with the four rings logo – just like the grille of the classic Audi Singleframe.
The edges of the central surface are drawn back, allowing air to flow through at the top. The air inlet is bracketed again by an octagonal, black-painted frame that structures almost the entire width of the front end. Between the front lid extending low down, the front apron and the wheel arches, it combines with the light units to give this Audi an unmistakable face.

The four wheel arches with pointedly horizontal top edges extend well out from the cabin. They shape the conspicuous quattro architecture – not just by providing visual evidence of a wide track and dynamic potential, but also by binding the e-tron Sportback into the brand’s DNA. Large 23-inch wheels in a technical 6-spoke design highlight the confident presence of the imposingly dimensioned coupé. An exterior length of 4.90 meters (16.1 ft), a width of 1.98 meters (6.5 ft) and a height of 1.53 meters (5.0 ft) with a wheelbase of 2.93 meters (9.6 ft) position the e-tron Sportback in the C segment, close to the Audi A7.

Small cameras replace the exterior mirrors. This technology offers other advantages besides improved air flow and reduced wind noise. The blind spot of the physical exterior mirror is virtually eliminated, as is the obstruction to the diagonal forward view. The camera images are shown on separate displays in the doors. Audi is showing this technology as a concrete foretaste of the production version.

The rear section is kept very neat, with a wide light strip and a prominent separating edge. Here again, the determined horizontality of the quattro wheel arches dominates the proportions. The rear diffuser is visible below the bumper.
 

Power Unit and Performance

The Audi e-tron Sportback concept technology study uses three powerful electric motors – one on the front axle and two on the rear axle. Total output is 320 kW, with boosting enabling the driver to temporarily mobilize up to 370 kW.

The electric motors are highly efficient over a wide engine speed range, including at low and intermediate load. They thus combine emotional driving pleasure above all with a high range. The electric motors are liquid-cooled, as are the compact power electronics.

320 kilowatts of power – which can even reach 370 kW in the boost mode – provide a fitting level of propulsion, with the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) a done deal in just 4.5 seconds. With the battery’s energy content of 95 kilowatt-hours, its range is in excess of 500 kilometers (310.7 miles) (NEDC). More than 800 Nm (590.0 lb-ft) of torque are available in the boost mode. The sprint from zero to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) is completed in 4.5 seconds; the electronically limited top speed of 210 km/h (130.5 mph) is quickly reached. In the standard D driving program, the e-tron Sportback musters 320 kW.

The concept with the two electric motors on the rear axle offers major advantages when it comes to sporty handling. The Torque Control Manager, which works together with the Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC), actively and variably distributes the power between the wheels as necessary. This torque control provides for maximum dynamics and stability. Thanks to the virtually instantaneous response of the electric motors, the control actions are lightning-quick. The drive concept of the Audi e-tron Sportback concept adapts perfectly to every situation, whether involving transverse or longitudinal dynamics.

Interior

In its consciously light-colored interior the Audi e-tron Sportback concept offers a blend of functional clarity and reductive controls as a formal principle. Expansive touch-sensitive screens below the central display, on the center console and in the door trims supply information and interact with the on-board systems. Horizontal surfaces on the dashboard and the seemingly floating center console convey a sense of open perspectives for the occupants of the four individual seats.

The entire interior is focused on the driving area and controls. The large black-panel display surfaces behind the steering wheel and on the center console appear black when inactive, and turn live together with their display elements as soon as the car is started – a design that is reminiscent of the minimalist screen-based cockpits of modern commercial aircraft.

Price and Release Date

The production version of this pioneering electric SUV will appear on the market in 2018. The Audi e-tron Sportback concept will be followed by its production version in 2019.

Source: https://www.audi-mediacenter.com/en/audi-e-tron-sportback-concept-7638

New Audi R8 LMS GT4

Audi Sport customer racing headed for growth

Before the New York International Auto Show the Audi R8 LMS premiered in its GT4 version. Audi Sport GmbH’s customer racing program has been experiencing rapid growth. Audi has been offering the Audi R8 LMS GT3 race car since 2009, followed by the second generation of this success model in 2015, and the RS 3 LMS for the TCR category in 2016. Now Audi Sport’s portfolio of models has been extended once again.

The Audi R8 LMS GT4 stands for production-based racing. It has directly been derived from the road-approved Audi R8 Coupé V10, is powerful and offers a high level of safety. At the same time, it is an affordable choice in terms of purchasing price and cost of ownership. It is the ideal race car for amateur campaigners, in line with the spirit of the GT4 regulations that continue a great sports car tradition, as fascinating road-going sports cars were a popular base in GT racing around the world more than half a century ago.

In racing, the audience will be able to see the production-based Audi R8 LMS GT4 for the first time in the Nürburgring 24 Hours from May 25 to 28. With that, the brand fills another growth category in international motorsport. The GT4 class, which originated in Europe, will be intensively marketed on an international scale starting in 2017, with fielding opportunities in North America, Asia, Australia and Europe. “13 racing series in which GT4 models can compete worldwide already exist today worldwide,” says Stephan Winkelmann, Managing Director of Audi Sport GmbH. “Audi Sport GmbH is one of the leading manufacturers offering cars in the GT3 and TCR customer sport categories.

 Now we’re targeting the GT4 class at exactly the right time. These fast-growing business segments and the DNA shared by our race cars and production vehicles underscore our ambition to become a true global player in the high-performance league.”

The Audi R8 LMS GT4 shares more than 60 percent of its assembly components with the road-approved Audi R8 Coupé and is produced at the Böllinger Höfe site as well. The customers of the new race car benefit from these synergies in terms of purchasing price and cost of ownership.
Audi Sport is developing the GT4 model, which delivers up to 364 kW (495 HP) depending on its rating, during the course of the 2017 season before a final homologation level has been achieved and approval for racing is requested.

During the second half of the year, the team of Chris Reinke, Head of Audi Sport customer racing, will be preparing the production of the race car. Consequently, the first customers will be able to receive the new Audi R8 LMS GT4 before the end of the year. Around the globe, Audi Sport draws on an extensive network of service, spare parts logistics and professional support for the R8 LMS GT4. Audi Sport customer racing has established this infrastructure for the GT3 project on four continents and, like for the RS 3 LMS, uses this proven network for the GT4 model range as well.

Technical Data

 Engine

Type 90° V 10 gasoline engine with combined multi-point and gasoline direct
injection, 4 valves per cylinder, four double overhead camshafts,
longitudinally mounted in front of the rear axle
Emission control system Upstream oxygen sensor, metal catalytic converters
Engine management 2 x Bosch MED 17 (master-slave concept)
Engine lubrication Dry sump
Cubic capacity 5,200 cc
Power output Up to 364 kW (495 HP) *
Torque Over 550 Nm *

Drivetrain/transmission

Type of drive Rear-wheel drive
Clutch Two electrohydraulically operated wet-type multi-plate clutches
Transmission 7-speed double-clutch S tronic transmission with paddle shifters
Differential Mechanical limited-slip differential
Drive shafts Constant-velocity joint shafts

Suspension/steering/brakes

Steering Electrohydraulic rack-and pinion steering, height and length adjustable
steering wheel
Suspension Double wishbones front and rear, 2-way gas pressure dampers, ride
height, toe, camber and stabilizers adjustable
Brakes Hydraulic dual-circuit braking system, steel brake discs front
(380 x 34 mm) and rear (365 x 32 mm)
Wheels 5-hole cast aluminum wheels,
front: 11” x 18” ET 63; rear: 12” x 18” ET 56
Tires Front: 305/645 R18; rear: 325/705 R18

Weight/dimensions

Length/width/height 4,467 mm/1,940 or 2,037 mm **/1.240 mm
Wheelbase 2,650 mm
Dry weight/minimum weight 1,460 kg + X *
Fuel cell capacity 118 l (FT3 safety fuel cell)

Performance

0–100 km/h Under 4 seconds *
Top speed Over 250 km/h *

* depending on BOP (SRO Balance of Performance)

Source: https://www.audi-mediacenter.com/en/press-releases/new-audi-r8-lms-gt4-audi-sport-customer-racing-headed-for-growth-7612

Envisioning the new Audi R10 for 2019

Audi to a new hybrid level

Up until a few years ago, Audi’s cars were executive sedans aimed at people looking for comfort. A few years ago the R8 was released with performance levels similar to a supercar but with the easiness to drive a regular car. It now seems that they might want to tackle a completely new market segment with the 2019 Audi R10. So far the car is nothing more than just a concept which has been designed by an industrial automotive designer from Spain. The car has been heavily inspired by the R10 LeMans racer but it seems to be taking from other current Audi cars as well.

Is it really possible?

Well, Audi showcased their interest to build a true hypercar ever since the R8 was released. This would give them a lot more presence on the market and it would make for a great flagship. If the car will actually be released, we expect a concept as early as 2019 while a production version of it will likely come quite a few years after. Even though nothing is official so far, it is quite likely that Audi will turn once again to Lamborghini, so the upcoming R10 might share its underpinnings with the Aventador or the future Lamborghini hyper-car. This would basically mean that it will cost well over $300,000 which is still fine considering the R8 would perfectly fit under it.

 
The 2019 Audi R10 concept has been heavily inspired by the LeMans race-car and that’s clear from the proportions which look like nothing else out there. The cabin has been moved forward in order to make room for the engine. In size, though it seems to be quite similar to the ongoing R8. The front end looks like nothing else in Audi’s roster but it is safe to assume that it will change for the production model. The sides feature similar flying buttresses to those on the Ford GT but slightly more subtle. The back, on the other hand, features a large center-mounted exhaust and a similar layout to that found on the Lamborghini Murcielago.

 
This is the Audi R10, a new hypercar concept for Audi which goes a step above the R8. Inspired by LMP cars, old F1 cars and jet fighters, with the very advanced position of the cockpit and its characteristic arrow-shaped body. In the front, this new R10 features a smaller and crisper futuristic Audi grille, embraced by sharp-edged LED headlights, whilst the rear has a neat and tidy tail section.
 

Following the Audi’s philosophy “vorsprung durch technik,” this two-seater hypercar, rear mid-engine layout, is a perfect sports machine, capable to hold a TFSI twin-turbo V8 engine combined with an electrical engine, giving a combined power of more than 900 hp, all wheel drive and advanced aerodynamics, with the front wings integrated in the radiator ducts and the rear wings in the stretched and elongated sideblades, which are formed from bare carbon fiber which provide a contrast against the bright white paintwork.

Interior

So far there is nothing available on the car’s cabin but considering this is an Audi, it is safe to assume that it will feature some design cues from their other models. We do expect some influences from the 918 Porsche as well with a slimmer center console and a new digital dashboard recently released for their range.


Sources:http://carnewmodels.com/2019-audi-r10/ and  http://www.newfoxy.com/2016/07/27/2019-audi-r10-new-hypercar-concept-audi/

Audi Q8 Sport Concept

Dynamic, highly efficient and extremely comfortable

It combines the spaciousness typical of an SUV with the emotional lines of a coupe. Audi presents the Audi Q8 concept at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) 2017. With this model the premium manufacturer is tapping into a new segment for the full-size class – an elegant alternative to the robust presence of a classic sport utility vehicle. The Q8 concept stands for maximum prestige.

At 5.02 meters (16.5 ft) long, the Audi Q8 concept is an impressive presence in the full-size class. Thanks to a wheelbase of three meters (9.8 ft), the show car offers plenty of space for passengers and luggage. Despite the sloping, coupe-like roofline, even the rear-seat passengers enjoy ample head and shoulder room. The control concept uses large touchscreens in the cockpit and is rounded out by an expanded version of the Audi virtual cockpit and a contact-analogue head-up display. The latter uses intelligent augmented reality technology that merges the real and the virtual worlds.

According to Audi, the Q8 is said to offer a combined peak power of 330kW and peak torque of 700Nm, with a top speed of 250km/h and a 0-100km/h time of 5.4 seconds. Its fuel consumption is claimed to be pretty low – just 2.3 litres per 100 kilometres – but that’s partly because of the car’s electric range of 60km. The range of the car is 1000km, the brand claims, and charging takes 2.5 hours on a 7.2kW charger.

Inside there are four seats – it’s supposed to be sporty, after all – and Audi reckons there’s enough head and shoulder room for full-sized adults, and the boot is a fairly handy 630 litres.
But the bigger talking point is up front, where there’s a new type of “contact analogue” head-up display system that is an application of augmented reality, the brand claims. It will display important information in front of the driver in their field of view, “seemingly placing them in the real environment”.

Audi’s virtual cockpit remains at 12.3 inches in size, but the resolution is now higher (1920 x 720 pixels), and there’s also a new type of touchscreen media system across the dashboard, with the number of buttons, switches and levers reduced to make it look cleaner and neater.
“The MMI monitor in the centre of the dashboard is used to control the infotainment system and for vehicle settings,” the company claims. “A display for the climate control system is integrated into the diagonal section of the centre console.

“If the sensors in the seat detect a front-seat passenger, the touchscreen displays their climate control settings. This function is not available when the driver is traveling alone. Another touchscreen is reserved for the lighting functions.”


Sources: http://www.caradvice.com.au/512080/audi-q8-concept-revealed/ and  http://www.audi.com/en/innovation/design/audi_q8_concept.html