World Auto News & Reviews

Audi delivered a thrilling premiere of two new vehicle models: Romain Dumas/Loïc Duval/Marc Gené won the Spa 6 Hours, the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship WEC, in an open battle of the vehicle concepts. Crossing the finish line behind the Audi R18 ultra of the trio were last year’s Le Mans winners Marcel Fässler/André Lotterer/Benoît Tréluyer. They had dominated the race in the early phase with the Audi R18 e-tron quattro, the first diesel hybrid sports car in history. In the end, they had to admit defeat though. The other two Audi driver teams completed the perfect 1-2-3-4 victory of the brand.

The successful racing debut of the Audi R18 ultra and the R18 e-tron quattro marked an important milestone for Audi. In their first competition, the two vehicle concepts, in addition to their reliability, demonstrated a very balanced overall performance. The sporting results confirmed a basic agenda set by Audi – the decision in favor of two vehicle concepts – right on the cars’ first race. Major technical advantages of individual concepts can be offset by the LMP sports prototype regulations in a way that allows a thrilling competition to unfold – even though this question will have to be answered anew on each of the race tracks under highly different general conditions.

The decision has been made: AUDI AG Board of Management and Supervisory Board of AUDI AG approved plans to build a North American plant in Mexico. The exact location for the new plant, which will manufacture an SUV model starting in 2016, will be chosen by AUDI AG later this year.

“As an established carmaking location, Mexico offers an excellent economic basis for Audi production operations,” declared Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG. Mexico is one of the world’s top ten automotive locations and offers a blend of tradition and experience. The group parent Volkswagen already has an automotive plant in Puebla and an engine plant in Silao. “Good infrastructure, competitive cost structures and existing free trade agreements played a significant role in the choice of Mexico,” emphasized Stadler. “This trailblazing move will help us safeguard our position in the world market. Our German locations, too, stand to benefit from it.”

Audi has selected a new strategy for the 2012 24-hour race at the Nürburgring (May 19/20). After three consecutive class victories the factory line-up this year is concentrated on Audi Sport Team Phoenix that will be putting two Audi R8 LMS ultra cars with seven seasoned endurance racers on the grid. In addition, four customer teams are relying on Audi’s updated GT3 sports car at Germany’s major endurance race.

Exclusive appearance at the home race: For the first time, Audi Sport Team Phoenix will be representing Audi’s colors at the 24-hour race in the Eifel as the only factory team. Ernst Moser’s squad based in Meuspath in the immediate vicinity of the Nürburgring is fielding two new Audi R8 LMS ultra cars. One of the vehicles will be driven by the Germans Marc Basseng, Christopher Haase, Frank Stippler and Markus Winkelhock. The second GT3 sports car will be shared by the Le Mans winner and Audi factory driver Marcel Fässler (CH), and the two Germans Christopher Mies and René Rast plus Frank Stippler, who has been nominated for both cars.

25 years after Walter Röhrl drifted up Pikes Peak in the Audi Sport quattro S1 and set a record that still stands today, the two greats will be reuniting in 2012. On July 8, Röhrl will be driving in the famous hill climb, also known as the Race to the Clouds, for the second time. Spectators in the U.S. state of Colorado will be able to relive a milestone in the history of Audi Sport when the Rally Driver of the Century takes the wheel of the original Audi Sport quattro S1. Beginning today, Audi Tradition is providing a foretaste of the famous hill climb at Techno Classica, the world’s largest trade show for classic cars, in Essen. Walter Röhrl will also be on hand for an autograph session.

On July 11, 1987, rally legend Walter Röhrl stepped on the accelerator of the nearly 600 hp Audi Sport quattro S1 and climbed the mountain in just 10 minutes and 48 seconds. No driver had ever been faster up the unpaved dirt road. It was a milestone in the history of the oldest hill climb in the United States and also a milestone for Audi. Faster times were recorded later, but only after paving of the course, which has now been completed, had begun.

Audi and its U.S. dealers showed the greatest improvement among luxury car brands in the influential J.D. Power and Associates Customer Service Index (CSI) StudySM for 2012.

The J.D. Power CSI study polled owners or lessees of 2007- to 2011-model vehicles on their overall satisfaction with their vehicle service experience. In the new study released today, the Audi score jumped 34 points from its 2011 score, enough to push the brand into sixth place overall from 13th place a year earlier. Audi also achieved the greatest year-over-year improvements among all luxury brands.