A car manufacturer with a long tradition of aluminum construction, which goes back even to its first years of existence, with the Type K from 1923 and the 3.6-litre engine with aluminum four-cylinder block, Audi now remembers, through an exhibition in his museum in Ingolstadt, all the way through these decades in this field.
On display until March 4, 2018, this unusual exhibition features, among other pieces, a rare and spectacular Avus Quattro, a prototype presented at the 1991 Tokyo Salon, which, weighing only 1250 kg and no less. Impressive 6.0 liter W12 block, sending 502 hp of power to all four wheels, it was, at the time, a true rocket on wheels!
Confirming these attributes, the 3.0 seconds it announced in the acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h, and the promised top speed of 338 km/h.
From the ASF Concept aluminum to the A2 supermini
The Avus never gave rise to a production model, but it was the first time that a model from the ring brand used the Audi Space Frame (ASF), the name given to the type of aluminum structure, which consisted mainly of aluminum extrusions. aluminum. This solution would be applied again in 1993. The new prototype, called precisely the ASF Concept, was nothing more than the first generation of the A8, which would become Audi's first all-aluminum production model.
A process that, even so, took 11 years and 40 patents to materialize into a production-ready bodywork.
More recent, the no less famous “supermini” Audi A2, which appeared in 2002, which, thanks to its aluminum frame, weighed, in its lightest configuration, no more than 895 kg. This weight, however, was not enough to turn the model into a success, which even ended up disappearing in the second half of 2005. To date, the A2 has not yet known any direct successor, despite successive rumors to that effect.
On display only until March 4th
Last but not least, an R8 5.2 FSI Quattro showcar, dated 2009, which, without any paint, shows all its forms, through the unique image of aluminum.
Whichever model or shapes you wish to see in loco, the best thing is not to leave your visit to this important exhibition too late. It's just that — we remember — the doors close in less than three months, on March 4th.
