The new Audi: more performance, less weight
by Jonathon Ramsey on Jun 8th 2009 at 7:27PM 
Audi is developing the groundwork for an entirely new way of building its cars. The future for the four rings is light weight, giving it the proper base to support the best hybrid and electric cars, as well as extract the most from its traditional offerings.
As previously reported, the first example from the test lab is an S5 that is 400 kg -- yes, 880 pounds -- lighter than a traditional S5. Whereas the conventional S5 uses a 354 hp V8, the experimental utilizes a 230 hp four-cylinder, yet laps the 'Ring a humongous eight seconds faster than the V8. The test, of course, is to make such technology cost feasible to consumers and safe to boot.
The reduced calorie S5 is a hybrid steel and aluminum body built over a spaceframe, but Audi didn't say what the spaceframe was composed of. One hopes that they haven't started off with something unobtanium, and that given time, VW group scale could keep the price within a single-digit percent of the current car. If Audi does manage to get the light weight, safety, and affordability equation correct, that could make them... Lotus.
[Source: Autocar]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
waiownsyou 7:33PM (6/08/2009)
Imagine what the performance would be if you put that V8 in that new 880lb lighter body...
I JUST CAME
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Brian 8:05PM (6/08/2009)
Well it would probably weigh about 200lb more, but yeah whoop
tekd 8:05PM (6/08/2009)
I suspect it would no longer be 880 pounds lighter since most of the weight savings is from dumping half the engine...
Chase 8:11PM (6/08/2009)
The extra 200 lbs from the V8 might actually slow it down. -- The difference in acceleration on a race track isn't all that big from 230 to 350 hp, especially if there is a weight penalty. Long story short, the lighter/less powerful car will come on to straights at higher speeds, so the heavier/more powerful car has to catch up first in velocity and then in distance.
tump 10:12PM (6/08/2009)
But what if I took all the dead bodies out of the trunk!?
hashiryu 12:44AM (6/09/2009)
How about a twin charged V6, a nice happy median?
cFoo 12:48AM (6/09/2009)
This is the same thinking that got the Americans into troubles. Bigger engine doesn't always translate to faster and lighter. There's a reason why they went back to the 4 banger. Smaller engine, less vibration, less reinforcement on the frame, less weight, etc... the minute you stuff a V8 into it you go back to where you started.
Tim 2:03AM (6/09/2009)
Lightness is THE ANSWER. There is NOTHING like a light car for all around performance goodness. NOTHING.
Weight is the ENEMY, it ruins EVERYTHING about performance and fun.
This coming from a Lotus Elise owner. Once you taste light, it is all you want.
Colin was right. Light is right.
Al 2:14AM (6/09/2009)
How much less does the supercharged V6 that coming out weight vs the current V8? I wonder if they were using the 2.0T or maybe even the 2.5? Imaging the TT-S or even TT-RS motor in there.
zamafir 7:33PM (6/08/2009)
Sounds good. This and the news that BMW's looking to build a light FI M3 again (maybe they'll recapture the E30 magic that's been lost since) can only mean good things.
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Sandeep 7:34PM (6/08/2009)
Impressive. It'll take a lot of marketing, but it's a huge step towards CAFE goals and provides plenty of material to deride your competitors on (MPG, excess, efficiency, etc).
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intthis 7:41PM (6/08/2009)
wait a minute! you drop 120 HP... and then lose 8 seconds on the ring?! once again my love of audi is justified... now if they would just put the v12 TDI in the R8... *drools*.
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JZeke 10:30AM (6/09/2009)
But that would be exactly the wrong way, again.
Awesome engine, sure. But its large and heavy, and would end up making the car heavier overall.
More compelling would be a tweaked V6 TDI, or the 4.2V8 TDI, putting out 350+hp, but 500lbs ft... combine that to that a diet of 3-400lbs and watch out!
Harley Cook 7:42PM (6/08/2009)
Nobody does it like Audi, their cars are bullerproof and I own one!
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Motor_Yakuza 7:44PM (6/08/2009)
Audi design starts to look dated.
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Larry in Miami 9:24PM (6/08/2009)
Yes, most Audis look like a week old bar of soap.
Rev 2:00AM (6/09/2009)
I dunno. I think the car pic above looks like an old Accord coupe with an audi grille.
David Z. 7:51PM (6/08/2009)
Good to hear. This is what all car manufacturers should be doing. Audi's cars needed a diet more than most though.
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zamafir 9:10PM (6/08/2009)
they're heavier than bimmers and on par (if not lighter) than Merc's offerings. When u start talking awd they're some of the lightest (go spec/drive a 328xi, *shudder*). When talking about the big cars, they're unrivaled by BMW or Mercedes in terms of lightness thanks to the aluminum chassis on the A8. Hell, even look at the Z4 vs tt, no contest between the Z4 35whatever-the-hell-marketing-cooked-up-this-week and the TT-S or TT-RS in terms of weight or power to weight.
They're not that bad. They could be lighter, but it could be worse. they could handle like crap as most of Merc's non AMG models.
Dondonel 7:58PM (6/08/2009)
Pipe dream! by the time it reaches production it will weight only 50 pounds less, it will be noisier inside and it will perform worse. Been there, done that.
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