Audi AG is a German automobile manufacturer with headquarters in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, and has been an almost wholly owned (99.7%) subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group since 1964. The company evolved from Auto Union, NSU, Horch and DKW, the former having incorporated the historic Audi company which was founded in 1910. Audi's German tagline is "Vorsprung durch Technik", meaning "Advancement Through Technology". The German language tagline is also used in other European countries, such as the UK, and in other markets, such as Latin America, Oceania and parts of Asia including Japan. The American and Canadian tagline is "Truth in Engineering". Pronunciation: The correct German and Latin form rhymes with "Howdy". Audi Cars Models A3, A4, A5, A6, A8, Allroad, Classics, Cross, Dynamic Space Frame, Metroproject, Motorsports, Nero, Nuvolari, Q7, R-Zero, R8, Roadjet, RSQ Concept, Shooting Brake, TT.
Currently, Audi's sales are growing strongly in Europe. 2004 marked the 11th straight increase in sales, selling 779,441 vehicles worldwide. Record figures were recorded from 21 out of about 50 major sales markets. The largest sales increases came from Eastern Europe (+19.3%), Africa (+17.2%) and the Middle East (+58.5%). In March of 2005, Audi is building its first two dealerships in India following its high increase in sales in the region. Audi has recently started offering a computerised control system for its cars called Multi Media Interface (MMI). This comes amid criticism of BMW's iDrive control, essentially a rotating control knob designed to control radio, satellite navigation, TV, heating and car controls with a screen.
MMI has been generally well-received, as it requires less menu-surfing with its mass of buttons around a central knob, with shortcuts to the radio or phone functions. The screen, either colour or monochrome, is mounted on the upright dashboard, and on the A6 and A8, the controls are mounted horizontally. However, an "MMI Like" system is also available on the Audi A3 and A4 models when equipped with the optional Navigation System. Audi has competed in numerous forms of auto racing. Audi's rich tradition in motorsport began with the Auto Union in the 1930s. In the 1990s Audi dominated the Touring and Super Touring categories of motor racing after success in circuit racing Stateside.
The Audi A8 replaced the V8 in 1994, with a revolutionary Aluminium Space Frame (ASF) to save weight. The weight reduction was offset by the quattro all-wheel drive system. It meant the car had similar performance to its rivals, but superior roadholding. The next major model change was in 1995 when the Audi A4 replaced the Audi 80. The new nomenclature scheme was applied to the Audi 100 to become the Audi A6 (with a minor facelift). This also meant the S4 became the S6 and a new S4 was introduced in the A4 body. The S2 was discontinued. The Audi Cabriolet continued on (based on the Audi 80 platform) until 1999, gaining the engine upgrades along the way.
At the turn of the century, Audi introduced the direct-shift gearbox, or DSG, a manual transmission drivable like an automatic transmission. The system includes dual electrohydraulically controlled clutches instead of a torque converter. This is implemented in some Volkswagen Golf, Audi A3 and TT models. The engine range was continually upgraded, with a 2.7L twin turbo V6 being offered in the Audi S4, A6 and allroad, while the 2.8L V6 was replaced by a 3.0L unit. In 2001, Audi released a high performance version of the A8, dubbed S8. It featured a 360 horsepower (268 kW) 4.2L V8 with 317 torque.New models of the A3, A4, A6 and A8 have been introduced, with the aging 1.8 litre engine now having been replaced by new FSI (Fuel Stratified Injection) engines. Nearly every petrol model in the range now incorporates this fuel-saving technology.
