History

Audi Heritage and Core Values:
Known today as Audi, AG was once four separate automotive manufactures: Audi, DKW, Horch and Wanderer. The four bound rings that now badge the Audi each represent a facet that make up the Audi Brand. As one of Germanys oldest established automotive manufactures, these four separate companies united as one in 1932 to become what is know today as Audi.

Audi Motorsport:
Audi has always used the race track to test their new ideas and upcoming technologies; such as the Quattro® system in rally racing also direct injection FSI engines in the Le Mans series and DTM. After being tested and proven with multiple podium victories many of the great advancements made in Audi motorsport have been put into production vehicles as standard equipment.

Audi Technical Advancements:

Advancement through technology has always been one of the cornerstones of Audi progressive philosophy. It has served the brand well, driving Audi to revolutionary flights of invention that include Quattro® All-Wheel Drive, the Audi Space Frame® (ASF), TDI®Technology and FSI® Direct Injection

Quattro®:

Audi’s Quattro® permanent all-wheel drive has had over a 25-year-long tradition. The idea was simple enough: transfer power from front to back and side to side as needed. After all, a wheel spinning is wasted motion. Along with better performance, Quattro® provides high levels of active safety and improved traction on virtually all surfaces. On cars with longitudinally installed engines, a differential distributes power and compensates for differences in wheel rotation when cornering; if the car has a transverse engine, these tasks are performed by a Haldex® clutch.

FSI®:

FSI® Direct Injection Technology increases the torque and power of spark-ignition engines, making them as much as 15 percent more economical and reducing exhaust emissions. In contrast to conventional intake manifold injection on conventional spark-ignition engines, FSI engines inject fuel directly into the combustion chambers. This technology dispenses with the throttle plate, “unthrottling” the engine, reducing heat loss, and thus increasing output while reducing fuel consumption.

The system uses two charge-air supply modes: stratified charge at partial load and homogeneous operation at full load. In the stratified charge mode, a combustible fuel-air mixture is only produced in a defined zone around the spark plug. The engine management electronics monitor engine load and adjust injection timing, pressure, quantity parameters as well as the air flow inside the cylinder via the air intake channel. At full load, FSI increases compression as well as engine efficiency and
performance.

TDI® Technology:

The latest generation Common Rail System has one high-pressure pump and one rail per cylinder bank. The maximum injection pressure is 1,600 bar, 250 bar more than previous common rail systems. When Piezo injectors are used for injection, a voltage is applied to ceramic, which changes its crystal structures. The result is a minimal geometric change, which mechanically triggers the opening of the injector needle. The use of Piezo injectors makes it possible to reduce the moving mass at the injector needle from 16 to 4 grams in each case. This enables considerably smaller and more precisely metered injection quantities. At the same time, Piezo Technology allows a higher injector needle
speed.

The number of injection processes per combustion cycles can thus be varied almost at will. The 3.0 V6 TDI engine, for example, has up to five injection processes: in addition to the main injection process, double pilot injection takes place at the lower end of the speed range and single pilot injection in the medium speed range. On top of this, single post-injection takes place up to around 2,500 rpm and at maximum part-load. This reduces emissions and ensures a smoother combustion process.

Audi Space Frame® (ASF):

The Audi A8 is the first North American car with an aluminum body built according to the Audi Space Frame® principle. ASF is a high-strength aluminum frame structure into which the panels are integrated so that they also perform a load-bearing function. In conjunction with high-strength aluminum sheet, the aluminum body is characterized by exceptional stiffness and above-average crash protection, yet at the same time with substantially lower weight. Advantages for the driver: greater safety, increased performance, improved handling, lower fuel consumption, and ease of repair.

Source:
Audi Technical Advancements taken directly from: audiusa.com
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