REPORT: Audi twists e-tron concept's 3319 lb-ft torque rating

Michael Harley — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 21:27:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Technology, Audi, Electric

Audi e-tron concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

When introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, Audi boasted its all-electric e-tron was fitted with four electric motors producing "230 kW (313 horsepower) and 4,500 Nm (3,319.03 pound-feet) of torque." While the e-tron's styling may have raised a few eyebrows, we were notably moved by the quoted torque figure - especially when we considered that the twin-turbocharged Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG, one of the most powerful vehicles on the road, makes 738 lb-ft in comparison. We were stupefied by the number, and it set off more than a few debates among our group, but Audi made no attempt to clarify...

The team at Automobile Magazine, initially duped like everyone else, has recognized that Audi was quoting torque measured at the wheels, not at the output shaft - the industry standard. Measuring torque at the wheels takes the multiplication effect of the transmission and final drive gears into account. The resulting figures are generally ten-fold of what they would be at the crank (meaning cars like a 3.6-liter Chevrolet Malibu packs a similar 3,115 lb-ft of torque). Audi's e-tron torque figures are not exactly dishonest, but they are using a completely different evaluation without making mention of it in the press release. Long story short, Automobile estimates the e-tron makes about 252 lb-ft of torque, or a bit less than the Tesla Roadster's 273 lb-ft.

Gallery: LA 2009: Orange Audi e-tron

Gallery: Frankfurt 2009: Audi e-tron concept

[Source: Automobile]

REPORT: Audi twists e-tron concept's 3319 lb-ft torque rating originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 21:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tokyo Motor Show: Audi metroproject quattro concept

Siddharth Raja — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 23:37:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Tokyo Motor Show, Hatchback, Audi

click above image to view more high-res images of the Audi A1 Concept

Audi's new city car concept might look OK in the official press images, but it looks even better in person with its imposing grille and sleek yet muscular lines. There's also a lot of attention paid to the details of the concept such as LED headlights, aluminum roof arches and those stunning rear lights. One detail the concept could do without, however, are those garish chrome wheels. The metroproject quattro doesn't look significantly smaller than the A3, but it's likely this show car is a little larger than the production model will be anyway.

Underneath, Audi has developed a hybrid drivetrain for the metroproject. A TSI (turbocharger + supercharger) engine drives the front wheels, while the electric motor sends all of its juice to the rear, making it a pseudo-AWD car. Also of note is the mobile electronic device that's embedded in its dash. It's basically Audi's version of an iPhone that actually does more than Apple's own Crackberry, including allowing the owners to access some of the car's systems remotely.

When we asked Audi CEO Rupert Stadler whether the production model would come to the U.S., he simply replied "Why not?", so there's a good chance we'll see this come Stateside at the A1 soon after it begins production in 2009.

Check out the full press release from Audi on the metroproject quattro concept after the jump and our complete gallery of official and live images from Tokyo below.

[Lead photo by Koichi Kamoshida/Getty Images]

Gallery: Audi metroproject quattro concept

Continue reading Tokyo Motor Show: Audi metroproject quattro concept

Tokyo Motor Show: Audi metroproject quattro concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Oct 2007 23:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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