Audi 2006 Annual Report Download - page 51

“Nothing is more exciting than technology,
especially for cars,” says Fred Wagner.
The 48-year-old native of Berlin first studied
Mechanical Engineering, subsequently
spending many years working as a development engi-
neer. Wagner has spent the past few years working
as a freelance journalist, writing regular articles on
innovations in the automotive world for various media
including Handelsblatt.
Leading lights
The Spaniard Andreu Sola
Gomfaus (left) is respon-
sible for the design of
lights and wheels at Audi.
Within Technical Develop-
ment, Dr. Wolfgang Huhn
is Head of the “Light and
Visibility” Department.
49AUDI 2006 ANNUAL REPORT
become a prominent distinguishing feature.
Lighting expert Huhn is convinced that light-
emitting diodes will become the principal light
source for vehicles over the next few years. Not
just because they are smaller, more robust, more
durable and operate more efficiently than halo-
gen and xenon lights. The new light sources are
also exceptionally useful for automotive design
purposes. “LEDs open up unprecedented scope
for design,” explains Andreu Sola Gomfaus,
Head of Lighting Design at Audi. Because the
LED light no longer comes from a single light
source, the LED arrays are very flat and compact
and occupy much less space than conventional
headlights, it will in future be possible to trans-
form the face of a car much more easily. Several
LEDs can moreover be combined in all manner of
shapes, for a striking look.
The design challenges nevertheless remain.
“The designer must give the vehicle a soul, with
emotions and virtues,” explains Sola Gomfaus.
New technologies alone – which every vehicle
manufacturer has access to – will not do the
trick. “The key to success is creativity, a half-way
house between fantasy and logic,” is the guiding
principle of the Audi designer who is playing an
instrumental role in the development of the LED
headlight for the Audi R8. It is always important
for a designer to start considering issues that
might only assume real relevance in a few years’
time. “We already need to start preparing to
meet the future requirements of our customers.
Even if they themselves have no idea yet what
they will want in a few years’ time,” muses Sola
Gomfaus.
Innovative LED vehicle lights will undoubtedly
be one of the items on the wish list. “LEDs are set
to become a typical feature of all premium vehi-
cles. And we are the trendsetter,” enthuses his
colleague Huhn, from Technical Development,
who is convinced of the abundant promise of
LED technology. Huhn continues: “I’m sure we
will discover many future uses for LED technol-
ogy that we can’t yet begin to imagine.”
rear lights. At the start of 2004, Audi became the
first manufacturer to integrate LED technology
at the front of a production model.
On the 12-cylinder Audi A8*, the daytime run-
ning lights and the sidelights are produced
by five-pointed star-shaped high-performance
LEDs that come on automatically as soon as the
engine is started. The new Audi S6* features
daytime running lights in the form of an eye-
catching LED strip that distinguishes it even
from afar.
Light-emitting diodes have also already made
their appearance on the vehicle’s tail end. Red
LEDs are now standard in the raised brake lights
on all models. Audi has applied this technology
for the tail, brake and even indicator lights at
the rear of the A8. On the Audi A6, the LED tail
light signature specifically for the A6 Avant has