Audi Quattro Archives - Exhibit Tech

Wished Spy Kids was real? Meet the Audi AI: RACE.

We were barely breaking in our teens when we were introduced to the Spy Kids franchise. The cool, futuristic setting of the movies was only complemented by the fast and furious vehicles in the movie. Perhaps taking inspiration from them or out of sheer automotive genius, German automobile manufacturer Audi has created the AI: RACE.

First introduced in 2018, the car is a symbol of futuristic technology, as it supports wireless charging that can juice up the battery in just 15 minutes! It is expected to be offered with a solid-state 95kWh capacity battery that will give the AI: RACE a range of 500 kilometres. It also offers a segment-first transforming cockpit.

No, the car does not transform into a talking robot, unfortunately. However, the cockpit can be adjusted to suit the racetrack or the road. This is possible as the driver’s seat and the cockpit are integrated into an inner monocoque shell that can be slid laterally. This allows the driver to position the steering wheel in the centre of the car- a perfect setup for the racetrack. Naturally, the pedals can be shifted as well, while all of this is made possible by the by-wire design that eliminates the need of a mechanical connection.

Gael Buzyn is Head of the Audi Design Loft in Malibu – where the Audi AI:RACE was born. He describes the most important item in the specifications: “We want to offer the driver an experience that is otherwise available only in a racing car like the Audi R18. That’s why we developed the interior around the ideal driver’s position in the center. Nevertheless, our aim was to also give the AI:RACE a high degree of everyday usability, not just for the driver, but also for a potential passenger.”

The AI:RACE is 4.53 meters long, 2 meters wide and just 1.15 meters tall (14.5 x 6.4 x 4.6 ft). These dimensions alone speak of a classical sports car. The wheelbase is 2.70 meters (8.9 ft) and the overhangs are compact. Wide and flat light units with integrated digital matrix technology and laser high-beam headlights complete the face of the AI:RACE.

Powering the futuristic concept are three electric motors – one in the front and two at the back. Audi, sticking to its quattro roots, divides the output of the AI: RACE accordingly. Though the maximum power output stands at 500kW, the driver can temporarily churn out an additional 70kW with boosting. The AI: RACE makes a combined peak torque of 830Nm, that propels the car from a standstill to 100kmph in barely more than 2 seconds.

As mentioned earlier, the AI: RACE supports wireless charging and is designed to charge with 800 volts. The Audi Wireless Charging (AWC) works by placing a charging pad with integral coil on the floor where the car is to be parked, and connecting it to the power supply. The alternating magnetic field induces an alternating voltage in the secondary coil fitted in the floor of the car, across the air gap.

The German luxury carmaker will be manufacturing the AI: RACE in a limited production run. There are 50 units expected to be produced in total and will be sold to exclusive customers.

Quattro – Audi’s Icebreaker

There was a time when Audi used to make cars that dominated the Group B rally in the early 80s. It was dangerous. Pure adrenaline. Something that did the round was that WRC was meant for boys and Group B was for men, that was the word. And quite rightly so. For Audi, however, there was a woman, too, more on that later. In those times the oil crisis had amputated the world of motorsports, and once it was over, Group B happened with revised rules.

The Sport Quattro had phenomenal power figures and reportedly produced 591bhp in those times

Only a genius could have thought of pitching the Quattro in rally racing. It was Audi engineer Jörg Bensinger’s idea to get the Quattro technology in a high-performance four-wheel-drive car when he found that the Volkswagen Iltis could outperform any car in the snowy terrain. That was in 1977, and a few years later, in 1980 in co-operation with Walter Treser, he developed the B2 that would later be used in the rallies. Anyone who followed rallying back in the days would recall Audi’s revolutionary Quattro technology. It is safe to say that Audi’s foothold in motorsport began with the introduction of Quattro. Well, and the rest is history. Let’s catch up on that bit, shall we?

In autumn 1981, Michéle Mouton created history for being the first woman to win a World Championship run at the Rally San Remo

Quattro Domination

Audi brought out the Group B versions of the car, first the A1 and the A2 and then the revolutionary Sport Quattro. At the Monte Carlo Rally in 1981, Audi celebrated a sensational debut with Hannu Mikkola, as he overtook a Lancia Stratos within 10 kilometres of the first special stage who had actually started one minute ahead of him. Such was the dominance of the Quattro technology. Still, the WRC manufacturers weren’t convinced as they thought the extra weight and the complex system would eventually be a burden. But when the original non-Group B Quattro debuted in 1980, it immediately showed that a well-sorted four-wheel-drive system was the business. Oh well, better late than never.

The dominance wasn’t restricted to just rallying. From 1984 to 1987, Audi won thrice at the traditional Pikes Peak mountain race. Also, in 1987, Walter Röhrl became the first driver to record a time under 11-minute mark with the Audi Sport Quattro S1. They were quite good on the circuits as well. For instance, the Audi 200 Quattro won the championship at the 1988 Tran-Am series and so did the Audi 90 Quattro at the 1989 IMSA GTO in the USA. At the German Touring Car Championship in 1990 and 1991, it won two championship titles with the Audi V8 Quattro and also with the A4 Quattro in the near-series super touring cars. In 1996, the Audi A4 Quattro won championships in seven countries. Between 2012 and 2016, all-wheel-drive returned to the racetrack as the E-Tron Quattro hybrid drive system in the Audi R18 LMP1 racing car.

In Modern Times

In 1986, Audi replaced the manually lockable first-generation centre differential with the Torsen differential, which could variably distribute the drive torques. The epicyclic gear with an asymmetrical-dynamic basic distribution of forces followed in 2005. To this day, the self-locking centre differentials at Audi are continuously being further developed and are regarded as the benchmark for traction and driving dynamics with, at the same time, very low weight. If it wasn’t for Audi’s remarkable Quattro technology, we would not have gotten cars with all-wheel drive. All the credit goes to the legendary ur-Quattro car from 1980.

Audi Q8 – Review | Quarter to 8

On 3rd March, it will be exactly 40 years for Audi since it first showcased the Quattro at the Geneva Motor Show. Till date, the Quattro remains to be an inspiration for the Ingolstadt brand. And in these four decades, a lot has changed in terms of design and technology. Call it great timing or a coincidence. In India, Audi will kickstart their 40 years of Quattro celebration with the launch of its flagship SUV, the Q8. Now, what could be better than the Q7, you would think? That depends on what aspect you are judging it on. Well, the Q8 is one class above and below. Is that even possible? Technically, yes.

The Q7 is longer and taller than the Q8 but falls short of Q8’s hunky wide-body and scooched stance. This also means that your extended family will have to trail in the less appealing family car on that road trip. Also, the Q8 like the Q7 does not get the space for your pets or kids when your extended family tags along. That’s where the Q7 scores big, it is both practical and easy on the pocket. Well, I think when Marc Lichte thought of designing Audi’s flagship SUV, he was looking for something more extravagant than the Q7. You can see it in the Q8’s coupé design that there’s some DNA present from the ancestral Quattro rally legend.

At the front, it’s got a wide-mouthed single-frame grille that proudly features the Quattro moniker, which is surrounded by the Mexican wave performing HD Matrix LED Headlights – when you unlock or lock the car, the indicators perform the Mexican wave dance. At the rear, it’s a bit different, a single uninterrupted line that will run from one taillight to another. It lights up beautifully when you tap on the brake pedal. And finally giving the Q8 a wholesome stance are the humongous 21-inch optional rims and wider tyre profiles. That’s a mighty upgrade from the Q7, but there’s more.

For a car weighing over 2,000 kilograms, it is fairly quick. Very much in the Sportscar territory. Now, Audi claims the Q8 racks up to the 100 km/h mark in 5.9 seconds. We tested it and recorded 6.05 seconds. That’s still quick to round up an overtake in the city. But that’s not what it’s meant for. Of course, you do get a lot of driving modes to explore. But it is more of a sedate cruiser, gradually building up speed. And if you still want to go fast then the dynamic mode is where the power surge is quicker but lacks a little in that mid-range. You still manage to have fun shifting gears from the paddle shifters and to break it to you if you were expecting the V6 to crack up a roar, all you would hear is a mechanical burble. Before taking the Q8 on unpaved roads, we sent it around the bend to experience the Quattro all-wheel drive. It did help the rear wheels to steer in sync with the front wheels, generating more grip in and out of the cornet. With that, there was body roll but controlled. Now came the time to drive it on unpaved roads, carefully treading without scratching the 21-inch rims, it was comfortable at cruising speeds. In the city though, the 48V hybrid-assist system improves the Q8’s efficiency by aiding the stop-start operation. The process always seemed natural and was smoothly carried out every time the car idled for a long time. Also, driving it for long periods isn’t a problem as the seats have massage functions for your back, shoulder, but some customizations you can only change from one of the two screens in the centre. There’s a lot to talk about the screens inside the Q8.

When you sit inside the Q8, the infotainment setup looks familiar to the A6, but everything around it is a whole lot more premium. For instance, the luxurious bits like the soft-touch finishes, piano black treatment on the panels, inlays, the leather-wrapped seats, among many others. Right from the beginning, Audi has been very specific on their approach with the Q8, every unit that they sell in the country will be different than the other. And they are also going to sell only 200 of them. Talk about standing out from the crowd. This is one Audi that will grab all kinds of attention. Again, shifting focus on the two giant screens that Audi has mastered for a really long time. One — the virtual cockpit which is phenomenal and it is exceptionally uncomplicated. Also now you have a head-up display. Two — the infotainment touch screens that can control the Q8’s climate control, navigation, cooling and heating effect on the seats, select drive modes, adjust air suspension, change ambient lightings and a ton of features that you might not even use on a daily basis. But it’s there anyway. Personally, I didn’t enjoy the haptic feedback touch on the screen, and I’m glad that you get an option to turn it off.

For passengers at the back, there are button controlled sunblinds, a huge panoramic sunroof, four-zone climate control, manually adjustable seats for recline angle, and of course a good amount of legroom and headroom. That’s after considering the fact it’s a coupé. It’s also practically possible to seat three at the back comfortably. And with the omission of the third row, you get a sizable boot size of 605 litres that’s wide and deep but isn’t tall to accommodate a large trolley bag. Again blame the coupé design. But you do get folding rear seats that fold almost flat making up for the short boot height.

It’s becoming a thing, ridiculously fast SUV coupés. Lamborghini nailed it with the Urus. And slowly everyone is catching up. Soon Audi will get the RS Q8 to India. It’s the fastest SUV in the world. Fastest 8th dimension in Audi’s words. To me though, the Q8 is still a quarter to 8. As the best is yet to come in some other form. And who would that might be? Keep guessing.

Verdict: While the Q8 isn’t a record-breaker as compared to its wickedly faster RS cousin, its enchanting sight will, however, set you apart from the million others on the street. What it does is that it delivers exclusivity in your already extravagant backyard.

Specifications:

Engine: 3.0-litre, 48V mild-hybrid, V6 turbo-petrol
Power: 340 HP
Torque: 500 Nm
Transmission: 8-speed tiptronic/automatic

Price: ₹1.33 crore (ex-showroom, India)