Month: July 2019

Big names, a fabulous atmosphere and football matches in which not a single ball was given away: The Audi Cup more than lived up to its reputation as one of the major international preparatory tournaments right on day one: Some 65,000 spectators at the nearly sold-out Allianz Arena first saw a narrow 1-0 opening victory by Tottenham Hotspur over the star ensemble of Real Madrid before in the second semi-final host FC Bayern München scored a dominant 6-1 win against the team of Fenerbahçe Istanbul.

Before the first match kicked off, 220 apprentices of AUDI AG delivered a sophisticated, carefully choreographed performance that made for an emotive opening ceremony. The Audi Cup debuted in 2009 on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Audi brand and is held for the sixth time this year. FC Bayern has won the trophy three times to date. The awards for the “most electrifying moment” on the pitch went to Harry Kane for his winning goal against Real Madrid and to Thomas Müller for his dream goal in the 58th minute that scored an intermediate 6-0.

Electric has gone Audi: On the perimeter advertising boards and off the pitch, the Audi Cup this year is fully focused on the Audi e-tron, the brand’s first all-electric model. Four e-tron cars sporting the team’s colors in the streets of the city are eye-catchers and around the arena and on the esplanade featuring an e-tron course and an e-scooter track everything revolves around the brand’s electrification offensive as well. The way in which the stadium will present itself during the closing ceremony after the final on Wednesday night is now eagerly awaited. 

On Wednesday at 6 PM, Madrid and Istanbul will initially play for third place before Bayern and Tottenham start battling for victory at 8.30 PM. 

Audi R8 LMS GT3

Three successes in Croatia: The Audi R8 LMS was the measure of all things in round four of the Eset V4 Cup in Croatia. On the circuit at Grobnik, the driver pairing of Marcin Jedlinski/Mateusz Lisowski with Olimp Racing won the one-hour endurance race with a 23-second advantage. In the first heat, Marcin Jedliński from Poland secured another winners’ trophy while second place went to Richard Chlad jr. in an Audi R8 LMS ultra. Subsequently, the Czech won the second heat. 

Audi RS 3 LMS (TCR)

Second victory this season in Brazil: In the fourth round of the Endurance Brasil racing series, Henry Visconde achieved his second class victory in an Audi RS 3 LMS. The Brazilian contested the race at Velopark in the south of the country together with his compatriot Rafael Biancini. After three hours of racing, the two privateers had a 16-lap advantage in their class. 

Success at home round: Team T3 Motorsport from Radebeul near Dresden celebrated a home victory in the DMV NES 500 at the Lausitzring. Team manager Jens Feucht shared the cockpit of the Audi RS 3 LMS with Rick Hartmann and Roberto Nale. The trio won the NES 8 class in round four of the season with a 37-second advantage after three hours of racing. At the same time, the squad finished the overall classification runners-up in a field of 38 entrants.

At the front in Croatia: Radim Adamek and Miro Hornak were successful in the fourth endurance round of the Eset V4 Cup. The Czech driver duo won their class with an Audi RS 3 LMS in the one-hour race on the Grobnik circuit. 

Victory in China: An Audi customer team in China scored a class victory in the second round of the China Endurance Championship. Wang Jie/Lin Li Feng in an Audi RS 3 LMS of the Guangdong Racing team won the TCR class at Tianjin after the touring car from Audi had previously been at the very front in the season opener of the series.

Audi Sport customer racing

All four race cars at one event for the first time: Racing fans had the opportunity to see the entire model range of Audi Sport customer racing at the 24 Hours of Spa. While the Audi R8 LMS GT3 competed in the 24-hour race the GT4 version was successful in the GT4 Franc series. The audience got to see the new Audi R8 LMS GT2 during the parade, at the paddock and on the warm-up lap. In addition, Team WRT deployed an Audi RS 3 LMS in which regular driver Santiago Urrutia from the TCR Europe chauffeured guests for taxi rides. 

Coming up next week

02–03/08 Oschersleben (D), rounds 11 and 12, DMV GTC

02–04/08 Road America (USA), round 9, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship

02–04/08 Road America (USA), round 7, IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge

02–04/08 Queensland (AUS), rounds 10 to 12, TCR Australia

03/08 Nürburgring (D), round 5, VLN Endurance Championship Nürburgring

03–04/08 Oschersleben (D), rounds 9 and 10, TCR Europe

03–04/08 ADM Raceway (RUS), rounds 9 and 10, TCR Russia

03–04/08 Yeongam (ROK), rounds 9 and 10, Blancpain GT World Challenge Asia

03–04/08 Fuji (J), round 5, Super GT

03–04/08 Brands Hatch (GB), rounds 11 and 12, British GT Championship

03–04/08 Sydney (AUS), rounds 5 and 6, CAMS NSW Production Sports Car Championship

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The 4.04 meter (13.3 ft) Audi A1 citycarver is based on the A1 Sportback with respect to technology and design. It features powerful and taut, sporty body lines while also offering around four centimeters (2.0 in) of additional ground clearance. This provides for easier entry and better visibility. The new suspension with a higher ride height accounts for 35 millimeters (1.4 in). The rest is due to the larger wheels compared with the A1 Sportback, starting at 16 inches in diameter.

The exterior sports a robust, off-road look. The large, octagonal Singleframe is reminiscent of the Audi Q models. The strongly sculpted honeycomb insert is painted matt black. Two characteristic slots above the grille differentiate it from the A1 Sportback. Underbody protection painted in stainless steel hints at the off-road capability of the A1 citycarver. The wheel arches and the redesigned side sills sport add-on parts in a contrasting color. The redesigned rear bumper echoes the robust look of the front end.

The color palette for the A1 citycarver includes nine exterior colors. Audi offers a contrast roof in either Mythos black metallic or Manhattan gray metallic. The black styling package bathes the attachments in the lower section of the body, which come standard in shades of gray and a stainless steel paint finish, in deep black.

In the interior, the design and the driver-oriented control panels enter into a perfect symbiosis. The digital instrument cluster, for example, forms a compact unit with the air vents. The vents, the center tunnel console and the doors sport accent surfaces in mint, copper, orange or silver-gray. The S line also offers structured gray as a color.

In addition to the basic interior equipment, there are three equipment lines to choose from: advanced, design selection and S line. The S line offers customers the choice between seat covers in cloth/synthetic leather or Alcantara/synthetic leather. The interior design selection includes the contour/ambient lighting package.

The Audi A1 citycarver mirrors the A1 Sportback with a generous interior and a luggage compartment holding 335 liters (12.5 cu ft). The same applies with respect to the standard and optional equipment, including full-LED headlights with dynamic rear turn signals. With the A1 citycarver, however, customers also get the S line roof edge spoiler and standard larger wheels, starting at 16 inches. The assist systems, which include adaptive cruise control and park assist, are taken from the full-size class. Audi pre sense front (pedestrian and cyclist detection) and lane departure warning are standard.

At the center of the digital world: infotainment and Audi connect

Attractive infotainment components and extensive connectivity make the Audi A1 citycarver a clever companion for young drivers in particular. A fully digital instrument cluster comes standard, with the Audi virtual cockpit and MMI navigation plus topping the range. Drivers control the top-of-the-line infotainment system via the 10.1-inch touch display or simply via voice control. Navigation destinations are found quickly via free text search. Maps and navigation service provider HERE computes the route online with consideration of traffic conditions in a wide area.

Audi offers additional functions, such as navigation with Google Earth, traffic information online, parking information, hybrid radio and a Wi-Fi hotspot for mobile devices with Audi connect navigation & infotainment, which is included in MMI navigation plus, and the supplemental plus package. The Audi phone box perfectly integrates the smartphone into the car. The Bang & Olufsen 3D Premium Sound System packs 560 watts of power.

Dynamic package for an enhanced driving experience: the suspension

The suspension of the most progressive Audi A1 is harmonious and precise. The A1 citycarver is even nimbler thanks to the optional Dynamic package. It includes brake disks with sporty red calipers, the Audi drive select dynamic handling system, a sound actuator and a suspension with adjustable dampers. Audi drive select, which offers four modes – auto, dynamic, efficiency and individual – is also available separately. Audi also offers wheels up to 18 inches in diameter with the dynamic package.

The Audi A1 citycarver can be ordered beginning in August 2019 and will arrive at European dealerships in fall 2019. At market launch, Audi will also introduce the edition one, a special edition finished in arrow gray or pulse orange with 18-inch wheels. The frames of the front side air inlets, the radiator protective grille, the Audi rings in the Singleframe and the rear labeling are black. Headlights and rear lights are tinted; the roof and exterior mirror housings are contrasting colors. A decal with the edition one logo in a matt silver shade adorns the flanks. The exclusive interior equipment is based on the S line interior line and features accents in a choice of orange or silver. 

Already in the early stage, Audi Sport Team WRT was among the front runners in the record field of 72 entrants as well. In the fourth and fifth hour of the race, the three Audi factory drivers from the DTM – Robin Frijns, Nico Müller and René Rast – were leading the field. After the race was stopped, the trio was again among the front runners and in the final stage was leading for several laps. However, a few minutes before the end of the race, René Rast had to avoid a group of cars across the wet grass and in the process slid into the track barrier.

A remarkable performance was achieved by a privateer driver team of Belgian Audi Club Team WRT. Rik Breukers, Norman Nato and Charles Weerts on seeing the checkered flag celebrated twelfth place among clearly more experienced competitors. A year ago, Team Montaplast by Land-Motorsport in third place had still been the best Audi team. This year, following three drive-through penalties, the squad with Ricardo Feller, Jamie Green and Christopher Mies had to settle for position 14. Audi Sport Team WRT with car number 2 that was also nominated for the Intercontinental GT Challenge was chanceless this year. Dries Vanthoor became the innocent victim of an accident and following repairs achieved the 24th spot together with his teammates Alex Riberas and Frank Stippler. Teams Attempto Racing and Phoenix Racing set the pace in the early stage in the Silver Cup classification, but both driver teams retired. Fifth place in this class went to Belgian Audi Club Team WRT with Shae Davies/Alex MacDowall/Paul Petit. The best result of Attempto Racing was 29th place by Milan Dontje/Kelvin van der Linde/Clemens Schmid.

Proud of their arrival at the finish as well were the participants competing under the Audi Sport R8 LMS Cup entry. The four best drivers from last year in the one-make cup of Audi Sport customer racing Asia shared a cockpit at Spa as a reward. Andrew Haryanto, Jeffrey Lee, Yasser Shahin and Sun Jingzu defied all adversities and finished in 49th place – two positions behind the privateer driver team Michael Blanchemain/Simon Gachet/Steven Palette/Pierre Yves Paque from Saintéloc Racing. As a result, eight of the eleven Audi R8 LMS that had started the race saw the checkered flag. 

Following the 24-hour race at Spa, round four of the Intercontinental GT Challenge is coming up in Japan in just four weeks’ time. In the Suzuka 10 Hours, three Audi R8 LMS will be on the grid.

Additional information
Photo album 24h Spa 2019
Press Kit 24h Spa 2019

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“Following its much-noticed debut at Goodwood, Spa was the perfect second appearance for the Audi R8 LMS GT2 in front of many fans and numerous potential customers,” said Chris Reinke, Head of Audi Sport customer racing. “Other appearances at major public events in and outside of Europe such as at Concours d’Elegance in Pebble Beach are already being planned.” Starting next year, the new GT2 category will open up an attractive new field of activity exclusively for gentleman drivers. Stéphane Ratel Organisation (SRO) as the organizer already announced the future calendars for three continents on the race weekend at Spa. The GT Sports Club Europe for GT2 models will be racing in five European countries in 2020 while the GT2 Sports Club America in the United States encompasses five events as well. The GT2 Sports Club Asia completes the global platform with three events to be held in Malaysia, Japan and China. In addition to these three central fielding opportunities, Track Days and the increasingly popular events at Race Resorts provide other attractive stages for the new GT2 sports cars. Audi is among the pioneers in this category. In 2020, SRO expects up to six manufacturers to compete in the GT2 class with their high-performance sports cars. 

Additional information: 
Audi R8 LMS GT2 press kit
The Audi R8 LMS GT2

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