Audi 2009 Annual Report Download - page 94

… essential. It has been more than 15 years since we
developed the first Audi A8. Its aluminum body based
on the Audi Space Frame (ASF) was a revolutionary
project. We took the long route of the pioneers, but we
reached our destination. Audi is the leading brand
worldwide in lightweight automotive construction. To
date we have produced roughly 600,000 cars based on
the ASF, far more than any other manufacturer. These
bodies are up to 40 percent lighter than a comparable
body made of steel, allowing us to reverse the weight
spiral. Audi currently produces five models whose bod-
ies are made entirely or primarily of aluminum: the R8,
the R8 Spyder, the TT, the TT Roadster and naturally
our flagship, the new A8.* Lightweight construction
plays an important role in the efficiency of these cars.
We reduced the fuel consumption of the soon-to-be-
available 3.0 TDI with front-wheel drive to an average
of only six liters of diesel fuel per 100 kilometers –
a sensational value for a sporty sedan that impresses
with its exceptional quality and craftsmanship.
Lightweight construction remains a comprehensive
task and a strategic project for Audi. Even though our
efficient TDI and TFSI engines will continue to play a
major role for a long time to come, we are trusting in
electrification in the long term. For instance, we are
currently hard at work on hybrid versions of the A8 and
Q5, and also our fully electric Audi e-tron. However, an
electric drive system comes at the cost of substantial
additional weight. In order to nevertheless provide the
dynamics and efficiency typical of Audi, we cut this
weight from other areas. Our expertise in lightweight
construction already gives us a huge lead today, and we
will continue to extend this lead.”
Michael Dick, Member of the Board of Management for
Technical Development, AUDI AG
““Lightness to me is ……
LOOKING AHEAD
Rethinking the car –
more design sketches at:
www.audi.com/ar2009/
e-performance
More time
Farewell to the engine block, trans-
mission and fuel tank: Stefan Sielaff,
chief designer of the Audi brand, is de-
veloping the first ideas for an electric
design language.
Discovery phase: Stefan Sielaff sees
the opportunity for a design revolution.
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* Fuel consumption and emission figures at the end of the Annual Report
Important: Electri-
cal energy can best
be visualized as
light. What solu-
tions do the techni-
cians still have in
the pipeline?