Audi TechTalk quattro – the success story part 1
Audi is quattro and quattro is Audi. For more than 40 years, the permanent quattro all-wheel drive has been one of Audi’s key technologies.
Hispano Suiza and competition have gone hand in hand since its inception in 1904. Since those years, participation in some of the most prestigious races of the time has not only given the brand an important national and international visibility, but has also allowed the brand to learn about the behavior of its vehicles brought to the highest level of demand, a key task to continue offering its customers increasingly powerful, reliable and, ultimately, better cars. In its new stage, Hispano Suiza has maintained this philosophy. Both the Hispano Suiza Carmen, as well as its more powerful version, Carmen Boulogne - which honors its triumphs in the George Boillot Cup, in Boulogne, a century ago - have been designed by competition engineers, and their development is in charge of authentic pilots racing. Likewise, Hispano Suiza officially participates in the new 100% electric SUV championship, Extreme E, an innovative category that promotes values as important as sustainability, equality and electrification, and that will also provide valuable knowledge that the brand can apply in future models .
Audi is quattro and quattro is Audi. For more than 40 years, the permanent quattro all-wheel drive has been one of Audi’s key technologies.
Porsche presented the new-generation 911 Turbo S for unprecedented power, driving dynamics and comfort. The new range-topping 911 is being launched as a Coupé and Cabriolet, both powered by a new 3.8-litre boxer engine with two VTG turbochargers, which delivers 478 kW (650 PS), 51 kW (70 PS) more than its predecessor. Maximum torque is now 800 newton metres (an increase of 50 Nm). The Turbo-specific eight-speed Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) cuts the sprint from zero to 100 km/h to 2.7 seconds (0.2 seconds faster), while top speed is unchanged at 330 km/h. The dimensions of the Porsche 911 Turbo S have been increased significantly in line with the enhanced driving dynamics: the body is now 45 millimetres wider above the front axle (1,840 mm), and the overall width is 1,900 mm above the rear axle (an increase of 20 mm). Modified track widths, further developed aerodynamics and the new mixed-size tyres contribute to its agility and sportiness: the track is now 42 mm wider at the front axle and 10 mm wider at the rear axle. The adaptive aerodynamics now include controlled cooling air flaps at the front, while the larger rear wing has been designed for even more downforce. For the first time, the Porsche 911 Turbo S transfers its power to the road with mixed tyres in two different sizes: it has 20-inch tyres with their unique 255/35 dimensions at the front and 21-inch 315/30 tyres at the rear. New equipment options underline the much sportier image of the all-wheel drive 911. These include the Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) sports chassis that has been lowered by 10 mm and the sports exhaust system with adjustable flaps that guarantees a distinctive sound.
The New Range Rover Sport has made its global premiere with a dramatic world-first climb up a flooded dam spillway in Iceland. The epic ascent saw New Range Rover Sport resist the surging torrent of water flowing down the ramp of the Karahnjukar Dam – the biggest of its kind in the world – at a rate of 750 tonnes per minute. A loss of traction risked plunging down the perilous 90m drop at the base of the spillway to the valley floor below. The successful spillway ascent was screened for the first time at an exclusive launch event at Jaguar Land Rover’s Advanced Product Creation Centre at Gaydon, UK. Official James Bond stunt driver Jessica Hawkins was behind the wheel as the New Range Rover Sport demonstrated its grip, traction, performance and composure, completing the latest in a series of challenges for Land Rover’s luxury performance SUV. Previous feats include a record-setting hill-climb at Pikes Peak, a first recorded crossing of the ‘Empty Quarter’ desert in the Arabian Peninsula and a first ascent of the 999 steps to Heaven’s Gate in China, in 2018.
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