A bestseller is celebrating its anniversary: With the first Audi 80, known internally as the “B1”, the Ingolstadt-based company hits the bull’s eye in 1972. It is intended to be “modern, but not trendy,” a reliable family car. On this, then Head of Technical Development at Audi Ludwig Kraus and Volkswagen AG, the new parent company, agree in the late 1960s. As in racecar construction, head developer Ludwig Kraus has his employees check every part to see where weight could still be reduced without compromising on long-term quality, solidity, and strength. The extremely lightweight Audi 80, which goes into production 50 years ago, impresses customers with its sporty handling and low consumption, making it, at the start of the 1973 oil crisis, exactly the right car at the right time. Winning “Car of the Year” the same year, the Audi 80 also wins over the international trade press.

Oliver Hoffmann, Member of the Board of Management of AUDI AG for Technical Development, still appreciates the achievement of his predecessor Ludwig Kraus and team: “In an impressive way, the Audi 80 demonstrates that Vorsprung durch Technik is a tradition at Audi.” The Audi 80 and its successor models have always been pioneers of major innovation. The four-cylinder TDI, the quattro drive with the self-locking center differential, the dual-clutch transmission, and the rear-axle sport differential – not to mention the five-cylinder turbo engines as in the first RS model – have repeatedly demonstrated Audi’s expertise in Vorsprung durch Technik. Designer Hartmut Warkuss helps shape the design of the first Audi 80 in the new objectivity style of the 1970s. In 1976, Warkuss is promoted to Head of Audi Stilistics, leaving a lasting impression on the design of several generations in Audi’s B, C, and D series. The Audi 80 rolls off the assembly line in four generations (B1 to B4) until 1994/95, when it is replaced by the Audi A4, known internally as the B5. With this model, the Ingolstadt-based company introduces a new nomenclature for its cars. The Audi A4 is now in its fifth edition; the B9 is available as a sedan and Avant, as an S and RS model, and as the Audi A5 in the Coupé, Sportback, and Cabriolet versions.

1972–1978: The Audi 80 B1 – Founder of a new segment

The Audi 80 celebrates its world premiere in the year the Summer Olympics are held in Munich: In July of 1972, the Ingolstadt-based company presents the car to the media, and in September – after the Olympics – to dealers. The B1 establishes a new market segment: the “compact sedan” or B series for short. The newly developed mid-size car rounds off the then model range of the brand with the four rings. The model’s technology introduces numerous new solutions and can soon be found in many Volkswagen Group models.

Consistent lightweight design and other technical innovations

The two-door base model weighs in at just 835 kilograms – strict lightweight construction is one of the specifications set by Head of Technical Development Kraus. With a wheelbase of 2.47 meters and a length of 4.18 meters, he develops the sedan to be highly compact. Suspension engineer Detlef Banholzer implements negative steering roll radius for the first time in a European mass-produced vehicle – a solution that greatly improves stability during braking. With the diagonal layout of the hydraulic braking system, Audi puts the safety of passengers and other road users front and center. A torsion crank axle with spring dampers serves as the rear suspension. The front wheels are controlled by McPherson struts and wishbones. The engine of the Audi 80 sits lengthwise in front of the driven front axle, the four-speed transmission behind it. Four engines are available at market launch; the displacement ranges from 1.3 to 1.6 liters, with power outputs ranging from 40 kW (55 PS) to 74 kW (100 PS). The design highlight of the lively, straightforward four-cylinder engine is the valve control by overhead camshaft with toothed-belt drive and maintenance-free hydraulic tappets. Head of Technical Development Ludwig Kraus comes up with the idea of a modular-design series, designing the four-cylinder overhead camshaft (OHC) engine. Developed by engineer Franz Hauk and team, the engine is known internally as the EA 827 and becomes the most widely built engine in the VW Group.

“Car of the Year 1973” and a real sales hit

With the new generation of OHC engines and its many technical highlights, the Audi 80 quickly becomes a sales success for the Ingolstadt-based company: By the end of production in the summer of 1978, more than one million B1 models will have rolled off the assembly line. With the production capacity at the Ingolstadt plant soon no longer sufficient to meet the high demand, the Volkswagen plants in Wolfsburg and Emden are involved in production.

The Asso di Picche, a coupé concept car styled by Giorgio Giugiaro and built by coachbuilder Karmann, demonstrates the sporty potential of the B1 as early as 1973. The Audi 80 GT goes to series production in 1973, before being replaced by the Audi 80 GTE in October of 1975: Its engine has a power output of 81 kW (110 PS). The driving performance of the new top model already hints at the dynamics that Audi would soon unleash. In 1976, the B1 receives a model update that gives the sedan large block headlights, visually aligning it more closely to the new generation of the Audi 100. Light and fuel-efficient, the Audi 80 becomes very popular, especially after the 1973 oil crisis; the car is also a hit in the USA, where it is sold as the “Fox”. 

The new Apple Music integration allows customers to access their personal Apple Music account directly from the Audi infotainment system, with no bluetooth or USB required. After linking an active subscription to the vehicle, Apple Music subscribers can access Apple Music’s full catalog of 90 million songs, and tens of thousands of playlists, including hundreds of new mood and activity playlists, personalized mixes, and genre stations – all ad-free. 

“Integrating Apple Music into the Audio infotainment system marks the next step in the collaboration between Audi and Apple,” said Christiane Zorn, Head of Product Marketing at Audi. “For our customers, it means that we are offering them direct access to their own personalized listening experience. This is our understanding of a premium digital in-car experience. At Audi we are systematically driving the digitalization of the vehicle and we are convinced that the interior is increasingly developing into a third living space”.

Over-the-air updates also available for vehicles already on the road

The Apple Music integration will be included in nearly all Audi vehicles in Europe, North America and Japan starting with the 2022 model year. The integration will be conveniently rolled out to vehicles already on the road via an automatic over-the-air update.

To activate Apple Music, customers simply need to open the app in their Audi’s infotainment system and follow the on-screen instructions to log in with the Apple ID they use for Apple Music. To finish the setup process, they simply need to enter a verification code that is sent to their phone. For Audi owners in Europe, cellular data streaming costs incurred are conveniently billed via a data package available from Cubic Telecom. The first three gigabytes are free of charge. Audi vehicles also come with Apple CarPlay support. Drivers can connect their iPhone wirelessly (or via USB) and get directions optimized for traffic, make calls, send and receive messages and listen to music simply by tapping the touchscreen display or using Siri voice control.

Apple Music turns an Audi into a concert hall on wheels

Thanks to the integration of Apple Music, the vehicle not only becomes a hub for streaming entertainment, but also a concert hall on wheels thanks to its sophisticated audio architecture ‒ and the passengers feel like they’re sitting right in the middle of it all. This is because Audi creates a tailor-made acoustic experience for each model, and digital signal processing delivers a well-balanced sound. For example, the signals from the speakers can be controlled with an individual time offset and thus reach the listener simultaneously. Sound design goes even further to create the ultimate acoustic experience. This is where the Audi sound developers adjust the frequency response to create the typical, but still subjective, Audi sound. Audi has been working with Bang & Olufsen in this context for many years, which has resulted in the development of some exceptional sound systems, such as the B&O Premium Sound System with 3D sound in the Audi e-tron GT1. Here, 16 speakers including 3D sound speakers, a center speaker, and a subwoofer deliver impressive audio.

Article source: https://www.audi-mediacenter.com/en/press-releases/audi-adds-apple-music-to-a-wide-range-of-its-models-14666

Audi will exhibit its brand essence of living progress at Piazza Cordusio in the heart of downtown Milan. There, the House of Progress in the historical Medelan building will set the stage on which Audi will present nothing less than its vision of the mobility of the future and society itself. The House of Progress will also be the venue for panel discussions and addresses during the week of the trade fair that explore ways to achieve sustainability.

More than pretty shapes: Design and the important issues of the day

After all, sustainability is of the most urgent tasks facing the world, a responsibility that Audi accepts. So, panel discussions at the House of Progress will discuss issues of, among other things, how people can live sustainably, what design has to do with it, and the role that Audi can play. Inspiring ideas, for example pertaining to materiality, will be presented by Tiziana Mauri, Head of Color & Trim at AUDI AG. So says Audi Head Designer Marc Lichte: “I can’t imagine a more suitable place than the Milan Design Week to show the diverse way that design impacts each and every area of our lives. Only here does modern design meet traditional craftsmanship – and Italian elegance, international influences.”

Two concept cars on display in Italy for the first time

Reduced design that speaks an aesthetic design language and an atmosphere focused on people are embodied by the two concept vehicles that Audi will present in Italy for the first time: the Audi grandsphere concept and the Audi A6 Avant e-tron concept. 

The spacious 5.35-meter-long Audi grandsphere concept sedan combines elegance, entertainment, and automated driving, while the A6 Avant e-tron concept opens a window onto Audi’s future electrically powered A6 Luxury Class.

Audi cooperates with furniture manufacturer Poliform

Hardly any other company on the design scene shares this philosophy as much as furniture manufacturer Poliform. Founded in Italy, the company sets uncompromisingly high standards in aesthetics and quality. As a result, it has risen to become one of the most influential companies in the industry worldwide – so it is only logical that Audi and Poliform should cooperate at Milan Design Week: Under the name “Audi x Poliform – Vision of a mobile private sphere”, the furniture manufacturer will offer a virtual presentation of its interior design for the Audi urbanspere concept. Featuring the most spacious interior of any Audi model to date, the concept car has been designed with the involvement of potential customers in China and their wishes for urban metropolitan centers around the globe.

Shuttle service in Basel and Weil am Rhein

Directly after the Milano Design Week Audi is providing the shuttle service to two additional events that will take place at the Rhine knee parallel to Milan Design Week, namely the international exhibition Design Miami in Basel from June 14 to 19 and Vitra Summer Night in Weil am Rhein on June 15. Thanks to the Audi shuttle service, VIP customers of Design Miami Basel can transfer easily between the two event locations. The renowned Vitra Design Museum is also slated to become an Audi cooperation partner for the strategic brand field of design.

Article source: www.audi-mediacenter.com

The OMR Festival is Europe’s largest event for digital marketing and technology, which is taking place again this year for the first time after a two-year break due to the pandemic. All of the hotel rooms in Hamburg are fully booked and the organizers expect around 70,000 visitors. New to the program is a congress on the future of mobility – a perfect stage for the Audi RS Q e-tron with its futuristic technology and absolute eye-catching appearance in the conference hall.

Mattias Ekström and Emil Bergkvist did not miss the opportunity to arrive in the Audi RS Q e-tron at the exhibition’s entrance at the foot of Hamburg’s TV tower. This was preceded by a much-noticed trip through the Hanseatic city that began at the container port and took the Audi duo past many hotspots and attractions on route to the exhibition center. Constant companions: an Audi film crew and countless cell phones from amazed pedestrians, which were pulled out wherever the innovative desert rally prototype appeared.

“I call it the e-tron mobile moments,” said Mattias Ekström after the tour in Hamburg. “Our car is simply made for campaigns like this. It inspires people and shows that electric cars are not only useful, but also fascinating and lots of fun. Even though it was a very exhausting day for us, I wish that days like today happened more often.”