Month: September 2017

Achim Heinfling was born in Burgau (Bavaria) on May 6, 1963.

He has been Managing Director of AUDI HUNGARIA Zrt. since October 1, 2017.

After completing his studies of mechanical engineering at the Technical University of Munich, he started his career at Audi in Ingolstadt in 1990. He then held several managerial positions in various departments, including the areas of suspension production, planning and engine production.

Shortly after Audi Hungaria was founded, he successfully supported the development of the new Audi plant in Győr from 1996 until 1998. Between 2007 and 2014, Mr. Heinfling was Director for Engine Production at Audi Hungaria.

In 2014, he returned to AUDI AG in Ingolstadt as Head of Planning Engines/Suspension. In this function, he was also responsible for Audi plants outside Germany.

Achim Heinfling transferred to AUDI HUNGARIA Zrt. and took over the position of Managing Director there with effect as of October 1, 2017.

Achim Heinfling is married. 

The Audi A8 starts out in the German market with two V6 turbo engines: a 3.0 TDI and a 3.0 TFSI. The diesel unit with a displacement of 2,967 cc produces 210 kW (286 hp) and develops 600 Nm (442.5 lb-ft) of torque. It propels the A8 with its standard-fit quattro drive from zero to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 5.9 seconds and on up to an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h (155.3 mph). Its NEDC fuel consumption is just 5.8 to 5.6 liters* per 100 kilometers (40.6-42.0 US mpg). This corresponds to CO₂ emissions of 152 to 145* grams per kilometer (244.6-233.4 g/mi). The 3.0-liter turbocharged direct injection gasoline engine delivers output of 250 kW (340 hp) with torque of 500 Nm (368.8 lb-ft). As a result, the A8 takes 5.6 seconds to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph), and the A8 L takes 5.7 seconds. Fuel consumption per 100 kilometers is between 7.8 and 7.5 liters* (30.2-31.4 US mpg) for both body variants; CO₂ emissions are between 178 and 171* grams per kilometer (286.5-275.2 g/mi.

Both engines use a belt alternator starter, which lies at the heart of the 48-volt main electrical system. This mild-hybrid technology enables coasting with the engine switched off and a smooth restart. It also has an extended start/stop function and a high recuperation output of up to 12 kW thanks to energy recovered during braking. The combined effect of these measures is to bring down the fuel consumption of the efficient engines even further – by as much as 0.7 liters (0.2 US gal) per 100 kilometers (62.1 mi) in real driving conditions.

The luxury sedan comes with a three-liter diesel unit in the Audi A8 50 TDI quattro, while the Audi A8 55 TFSI quattro features a V6 gasoline engine. The A8 is the first production model to feature the brand’s new type designation clearly at the rear. The reference value for the double-digit number combination is the power output of the individual model in kilowatts. The numeral combinations increase in increments comprising five designations each, and they represent the hierarchy within both the respective model ranges and the brand’s overall model portfolio. Thus the numeral combination “50” will in future appear on the back of those models which deliver between 210 and 230 kW of power; “55” stands for the power output range between 245 and 275 kW. This new system will allow Audi to standardize the type designations for its worldwide range of automobiles.

The Audi A8 signals the dawning of a new design era for the entire brand. It stands for sporty elegance, progressive status and sophistication. The front-end with its broad, upright Singleframe grille, the fluidly muscular vehicle body, and the rear with the continuous light strip exude a strong presence. The interior has a deliberate minimalist feel. Audi carries its high quality standards into the digital age with a revolutionary operating concept. Two touch displays located in the center slot almost seamlessly into the high-gloss black surface thanks to black-panel technology. When the driver activates a function on these displays with a finger, they hear and feel a click by way of confirmation. The combination of acoustic and haptic feedback along with common touch gestures such as swiping make the new MMI touch response safe, intuitive and quick to use.

With more than 40 driver assistance systems, the A8 becomes the new gold standard among the competition. It is the world’s first production automobile to have been developed specially for conditional automated driving. The Audi AI traffic jam pilot will take charge of driving in slow-moving traffic at up to 60 km/h (37.3 mph) on highways and multi-lane motorways with a physical barrier separating the two directions of traffic. From 2018, Audi will gradually be taking piloted driving functions such as parking pilot, garage pilot and traffic jam pilot into production, depending on the legal situation in the particular country. During piloted driving, a central driver assistance controller now permanently computes an image of the surroundings by merging the sensor data. In addition to the radar sensors, a front camera and the ultrasonic sensors, Audi is the first car manufacturer also to use a laser scanner.

The new Audi A8 will be produced at the Neckarsulm plant in purpose-built production facilities and will be launched onto the German market at the end of November 2017. Customers can order the luxury sedan from Thursday, October 5. 

Three customer teams in total are competing in the California 8 Hours in the Audi R8 LMS. Factory-supported are Audi Sport Team Land and Audi Sport Team Magnus. The squad of Wolfgang Land from Niederdreisbach, Germany, will be racing with Californian driver Connor De Phillippi and the two Germans Christopher Haase and Christopher Mies. Audi Sport Team Magnus from Salt Lake City, Utah, is factory-supported for the first time and relies on the two Germans Pierre Kaffer and Markus Winkelhock, plus the South African Kelvin van der Linde. Winkelhock, van der Linde, De Phillippi and Mies in the Audi R8 LMS jointly won the 24 Hours of Nürburgring and Winkelhock and Haase the 24 Hours of Spa this year.

One privateer team completes the lineup. Belgian Audi Club Team WRT is putting an Audi R8 LMS on the grid for Dutchman Robin Frijns and Britons Jake Dennis and Stuart Leonard. In September, Frijns and Leonard with the team of Vincent Vosse won the Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup, the most important GT sprint racing series in Europe. 

“We look forward to the first visit of the Intercontinental GT Challenge to the United States,” says Chris Reinke, Head of Audi Sport customer racing. “With three teams and our driver lineup we’re in a very good position. Our aim is to maintain the lead of the standings on this legendary track.” Audi is the title defender in the Intercontinental GT Challenge and after two of four rounds is leading the GT3 manufacturers’ classification with a nine-point advantage. Christopher Haase in the top spot of the drivers’ standings is one point ahead of five drivers tied on points in position two – including Jules Gounon and Audi Sport driver Markus Winkelhock. Following two free practice, a pre-qualifying and a qualifying session, plus a Super Pole shootout, the race will be run on Sunday, October 15, from 9.30 AM to 5.30 PM local time. 

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“After nearly 40 years of being successfully active in motorsport on the highest level, Audi now becomes the first German automobile manufacturer to compete in Formula E in order to test and advance the development of new technologies for production,” says Peter Mertens, Member of the Board of Management, Technical Development, AUDI AG. “Following quattro, TFSI, TDI, hybrid drive and many other innovations, our first single-seater race car is a portent of our product offensive in the field of electric mobility that we are ringing in with the Audi e-tron in 2018.” At the IAA, Audi announced having more than 20 electrified models in its range even before 2025 including Plug-in-hybrids and fully electric cars.

In Formula E, the teams and manufacturers are allowed to develop the powertrain consisting of the motor, transmission, parts of the suspension and the respective software. The combination of the motor and transmission is the centerpiece of the Audi e-tron FE04. The engineers primarily focus on designing the motor-generator unit for ever greater efficiency. To transmit the power to the wheels, Team Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler will be using a high-efficiency transmission with only one gear in the 2017/2018 season.

“Together with our technology partner Schaeffler, we have developed a completely new powertrain,” says Head of Audi Motorsport Dieter Gass. “You can immediately tell this by looking at the new carbon housing of the powertrain. The car also sounds different because we’re pursuing new avenues in technology.”

A progressive new livery featuring white, metallic green and black as the basic colors visually distinguishes the Audi e-tron FE04 at first glance clearly from the car in which Lucas di Grassi won the Formula E championship title in July. For the first time in his career, the 33-year-old Brazilian is entering a new season in car number “1” of the title defender and on the occasion of the world premiere in Neuburg he did not let the opportunity pass by of driving the softly whirring new electric race car onto the stage.