Steve Q

Semiconductor shortage throttled output but strong pricing and record Lamborghini sales helped mitigate the impact The Audi Group was able to boost revenues by 6.2% year on year in 2021, despite a drop in global deliveries as a result of the semiconductor shortage. The group – which comprises Audi, Lamborghini, Ducati and (as of January 2022) Bentley – posted revenues of €53.1 billion (£44.51bn), with a record operating profit of €5.5 billion (£4.61bn). That's despite global deliveries dipping by 5.0% in light of reduced production capacity. The record margins are attributed by the group to "the good residual value situation, cost discipline and momentum from raw material hedges and currency effects", as well as a 10.4% return on sales stemming from "strong pricing" strategies. Strong sales from Lamborghini and Ducati were important contributors to the financial results. Lamborghini delivered a record 8405 cars last year – up 13.1% over 2020 – of which 5021 were the Lamborghini Urus SUV, while motorbike manufacturer Ducati had its best year on record, with 59,214 bikes sold. Lamborghini's revenues soared by 19% to €1.95bn last year (£1.65bn) and an operating margin of 20.2% represents a more than a 100% increase over 2018. Bentley's record 2021 results have already been announced and are not included in Audi AG's 2021 report because the British company was integrated at the beginning of 2022. The Audi Group acknowledged that the semiconductor shortage had wide-reaching impacts on its global production and retail operations. The four brands produced a total of 1,688,978 vehicles in 2021, down from 1,700,258 in 2020. Audi itself accounted for the vast majority of these deliveries but reported a decline of 0.7%. Production across the group in the first six months ramped up by 35.2% in the wake of a succession of pandemic-induced lockdowns, but as the chip shortage took hold in the second half of the year, volumes fell by 32.6%. "The persistent semiconductor scarcity led to production downtime despite intensive control measures, so the continued high demand in the second half of the year wasn’t able to be fully met," the brand said. The Audi Q5 SUV remains the group's best-selling car globally, accounting for 293,069 units (a 5.3% rise), followed closely by the Audi Q3, Audi A6, Audi A4 and Audi A3. Its two slowest-selling cars were the Audi TT and Audi R8 sports cars, with 8714 and 1887 units sold respectively. This year is expected to be the final year of sales for each of these models in their current forms. Audi also revealed that deliveries of pure-electric models climbed by 57.5% in 2021, with 81,894 sold globally to account for 4.9% of the company's overall sales. Looking ahead to 2022, the group has expressed confidence in strong results on the basis that it has "well-filled" order books and "continued high demand". It also cites a predicted improvement in the supply chain shortages, which should help to boost deliveries by 100,000-200,000 units and revenues to €62bn-€65bn (£52bn-£54bn) – a substantial increase. However, the firm also said: "The concrete effects of the war in Ukraine cannot yet conclusively be estimated with regard to the global economy, the industry's growth and the Audi Group's earnings, finances and assets." The company forecasted its 2022 performance on 21 February, so its predictions do not take into account the potential effects of the war. The group is on course to rapidly expand its electrified product offering in the coming years. Audi itself will launch its final combustion-engined car in 2026, while Lamborghini has committed to hybridising its line-up in 2024 and launching its first pure-EV in the second half of the decade. The company's CEO, Markus Duesmann, said: "“This year, we’ll focus more strongly on the topics of sustainability, electrification and digitalisation, and we’ll start the next stage of our transformational course to 2030, which entails the phasing out of combustion technology, a comprehensive roadmap for electromobility and the establishment of new digital business models and services in collaboration with Cariad, the software unit owned by the VW Group." https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/business-finance-and-corporate/audi-group-posts-record-profits-despite-global-sales-dip

The Bratislava factory stopped production for two days on parts shortages. Volkswagen Group has resumed production at its factory in Bratislava, Slovakia, after a two-day stoppage because of the chip shortage and supply constraints caused by the war in Ukraine. The disruption affected all parts of production at Slovakia's largest car factory on Monday and Tuesday, a company spokeswoman told Automotive News Europe in an emailed statement. "Since this morning the production is running again according to the plan," VW said on Wednesday. VW Group builds the VW Touareg, Porsche Cayenne, Audi Q7 and Q8 SUVs, as well as the VW Up, Seat Mii and Skoda Citigo minicars. VW Group, so far, has bounced back quickly from parts shortages caused by the Ukraine war. It restarted production faster than planned at its Wolfsburg plant. However, the automaker factories in Zwickau and Dresden, which build ID electric cars, will take longer to get back to normal. The ongoing crisis in Ukraine has caused disruptions at some auto assembly plants and prompted companies to suspend shipments to Russia, affecting virtually all automakers across Europe. https://europe.autonews.com/automakers/vw-resumes-output-slovakia-plant-builds-porsche-vw-and-audi-large-suvs

The modern car comes with a cacophony of warnings. New vehicles are outfitted with a wide range of sensors and safety features that can warn drivers when they’re veering from a lane, when a car is in their blind spot, or when they’re about to rear-end the car in front of them. These safety features have been found to reduce the risk of death for car occupants by more than 60% compared to cars from the 1980s, according to one study. But for those outside a vehicle—like people riding bikes, walking to school, or working on roadside construction sites—cars are deadlier than ever. Audi is hoping to change that. The company is adding yet another warning system to its vehicle dashboards that will help drivers avoid hitting so-called vulnerable road users. In partnership with the mobility safety company Spoke, wireless technology company Qualcomm, and vehicle communication company Commsignia, Audi is focusing specifically on a system that warns drivers when they get too close to cyclists. Crucially, however, this system will work only when cyclists also have the technology on their bikes—making this a hard sell for widespread adoption and prevention. "The driver will see if there’s a bicyclist behind them, on the left or right side of the road, in front of them, and the vehicle will also warn if there’s an impending incident,” says Anupam Malhotra, Audi’s senior director of connected services. “So if you’re suddenly going to change lanes or make a turn and there’s a bicyclist who will get hit as a result of that, it will create a warning.” Using what’s known as cellular vehicle-to-everything technology, or C-V2X, the system will automatically enable communication between cars and non-vehicle road users, providing warnings directly on drivers’ dashboards. For example, drivers would see a large yellow emblem showing a bicycle and its pathway in relation to the car. If cyclists have the corresponding technology, they will also be warned when a car is coming into their path. Audi isn’t the first to tackle this challenge. In 2020, Volvo announced its own effort to improve the way its vehicles detect and avoid cyclists, pedestrians, and motorcyclists. The need is clearly growing. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s most recent data, from 2019, showed 49,000 on-road cycling injuries, a 4.3% increase from the year before. Nearly 850 of those accidents were fatal, a 36% increase from 2010. And the National Roadway Safety Strategy report released by the Department of Transportation in January showed that compared to fatalities among car occupants, pedestrian and cyclist fatalities have been increasing at a faster rate over the past decade. The big wrinkle in Audi’s system is the fact that it relies on radio-like technology to be embedded in both its cars and with cyclists or pedestrians. Malhotra says many bicycle manufacturers are already starting to build this technology into their products. In one test project Audi conducted with the Virginia Department of Transportation, these radio-like devices were implanted in the vests worn by road workers, helping to provide warning beacons to drivers passing by. “By 2030, there will be 65 million radios that cars can communicate with outside of other cars,” Malhotra says, citing internal research. The bet at Audi is that many of those will be on vulnerable road users like cyclists. But with more than 43 million recreational bicycle riders in the U.S., there are a lot of radios to implant. For the most common vulnerable road user, the pedestrian, this type of device seems unlikely to ever be a solution. Malhotra says the partnership with Spoke aims to bring this technology to more people, with a device cyclists can add to their bikes that will communicate with Audi’s safety system as well as those being implemented by other car manufacturers, which all operate on similar and compatible communications channels. How many of the 43 million cyclists will go out of their way to buy one of these devices is unclear. Malhotra says creating these warning systems can help get at least some of them on board, but concedes these are early days for what is still novel technology, noting, “It’s a stepping stone.” https://www.fastcompany.com/90738815/audis-newest-sensors-are-designed-to-save-cyclists-lives

A handful of Audi R8 and Lamborghini Huracan supercars might be out there running around with less transmission fluid than they should have. In response, both brands are recalling affected cars so that they can top the fluids off properly. Thankfully, less than 20 total cars were affected by this strange misstep caused by a faulty scale. When most of us get an oil change completed at a shop, the tech often uses a large container that gets filled with new oil to the exact level required for the vehicle in question. In an automotive manufacturing plant, people are taken out of the equation, and instead of a person watching to see exactly how much fluid is added, a scale is used to accurately measure fluid. In the case of this recall, the scale used to determine the correct amount of transmission fluid for nine Lamborghini Huracans and eight Audi R8s was faulty. As a result, those cars ended up with less fluid in their gearbox than is required. To fix it, both brands’ technicians will check the cars in question and correct the level if necessary. Aside from simply not lubricating the parts properly and damaging the clutch, both recalls mention the possibility that due to the low oil level, a transmission fluid leak could take place and increase the risk of fire. Sounds weird that less fluid could result in a leak, right? Well, according to the recall documents “when operating the vehicle in a racetrack environment, this issue can possibly lead to generation of oil foam that could exit through the breather valve and create the risk of a fire.” So yes, a lack of oil could end up leaking as it could get so hot, since there’s not enough of it, that it foams and spills out. Lamborghini does note that this would be an extreme case though. The recall includes 2020-2022 Huracan EVO and 2022 Huracan STO models, the 2021-2022 R8 Coupe and the 2022 R8 Spyder, so if you own one of those, maybe you should check with your local dealer to see if you’re affected. Lamborghini reports that a warning should pop up in the dash if your clutch slips, while letters will be mailed to all affected parties by June 3rd, 2022 at the latest. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.carscoops.com/2022/04/audi-and-lamborghini-recall-some-r8s-and-huracans-because-a-scale-at-the-transmission-shop-lied/amp/ more info here: https://www.autoevolution.com/news/audi-recalls-r8-due-to-insufficient-dual-clutch-transmission-fluid-186348.html

The inspiration for the seminal Quattro came from a four-wheel-drive off-roader Audi built for the German army. I should confess: I’m a massive motorsports nerd. I find it addicting to watch the best racing drivers in the world go head to head. But aside from the spectacle, motorsport is intriguing for how it’s essentially a proving ground for automotive engineering and tech developments, some of which then trickle down to road-legal vehicles. Such was the case with all-wheel drive, a story that involves the Audi Quattro—and one of the best rallying battles in history. It began in 1977, when Audi was tasked with building an all-terrain vehicle for the German military. Referred to as the Volkswagen Iltis, it featured a four-wheel-drive system built from the underpinnings of the Audi 100 sedan. After testing the machine in the depths of winter on an off-road test track, the German automaker realized that the Iltis could jostle through the terrain much faster than any of its much more powerful front-wheel-drive sedans. Jörg Bensinger, one of the engineers who had worked on the Iltis, figured that having four driven wheels could be a great catalyst to fulfill Audi’s goal of building sophisticated road cars that could be modified to go rallying. He pitched the idea to the company’s head of research and development, Ferdinand Piëch, who agreed to the idea. Having two driven axles wasn’t necessarily a new idea, but it had never been applied to a small vehicle like a sedan. In doing so, Audi created what we now refer to as all-wheel drive. Instead of a clunky transfer case, which wouldn’t really fit within the small confines of a passenger car, the first proper Audi Quattro utilized a center differential with a clutch pack to split the torque between the front and rear wheels. The central diff was a much neater solution that the driver could manually lock with a switch in the cabin, allowing for a 50/50 torque split between the front and rear wheels. Later versions of the Quattro featured a much more advanced Torsen diff that could sense which wheels were losing traction and alter the torque split to optimize forward drive. The clever innovation that made the system possible was utilizing a hollow output shaft coming from the transmission, which allowed Audi to run another shaft straight through the middle of it to drive the front wheels. The culmination of Audi’s efforts was the Ur Quattro, which made its debut at the 1980 Geneva Motorshow. “Ur” isn’t a misprint; it’s German for “original.” This Ur Quattro was one of the most advanced parts-bin cars that the automotive industry had ever seen. Its state-of-the-art AWD system allowed drivers to enjoy the inherent traction advantages on pavement. This was unheard of, as conventional four-wheel-drive systems are only usable off road. Shortly thereafter, the brand started Audi Sport, its racing division that would build the Quattro rally car, which was more powerful and sported a roll cage. Proving the capabilities of permanent AWD, the first Quattro race car went on to finish first in the 1981 Algarve rally by 30 minutes—but couldn’t officially be declared the winner, as it hadn’t been homologated yet. (The World Rally Championship, or WRC, requires each manufacturer to build 400 individual road-legal vehicles based on the race car to be eligible for competition.) Audi would go on to win the championship in 1982, a victory that would be overshadowed in 1983 thanks to its titanic battle with Lancia and the rear-wheel-drive 037. Audi was a determined team (funded by Volkswagen), with Roland Gumpert at the helm and one of the best driver lineups that the WRC had ever seen. Meanwhile, Lancia was an Italian team run on a tight budget by Cesare Fiorio, who was famously a bit of a playboy who also had a vested interest in powerboat racing. Still, Lancia’s driver lineup, led by Walter Rohl, was equally sublime. While Rohl was one of the most skilled drivers to ever grace the WRC, he didn’t want to compete in all of the rounds of the championship, and also didn’t want to be world champion—making the Italian team’s campaign all the more difficult. While Audi may have had an advantage on pace, the Italians at Lancia had been rallying for decades, and they were infamously creative in their interpretation of the rules. One of my favorite and most talked-about “cheats” that they employed in the Monte Carlo rally that year was swapping the studded winter tires mid-stage for standard rally tires that would better suit the upcoming conditions. There was nothing in the rulebook that said you could do it, but also nothing that said you couldn’t. At the end of the season, Lancia won the championship, making it the last team to win the WRC outright with a rear-wheel-drive vehicle. Audi ported the brilliance of the Quattro into other road vehicles in its lineup. And in the years that followed, automakers around the world caught on to the benefits of the all-wheel-drive system that started it all. https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/car-technology/a39691216/audi-quattro-all-wheel-drive/

Audi's new rival to the Mercedes-Benz EQE has been snapped testing, with a new look that departs from what we've come to expect from Ingolstadt. Audi has been snapped testing its new rival to the Mercedes-Benz EQE, complete with a set of split headlights. Along with the sedan version pictured here, the A6 e-tron range will grow to include a wagon… hopefully. Like the 2021 concept preceding it, the production of the A6 e-tron seems to feature a soft, flowing shape punctuated by some sharp creases, primarily along the flanks and at the rear. Gone are the slim, one-piece headlights from the concept though, replaced by a set of very on-trend split headlights. The upper section appears to house LED daytime running lights, the lower houses the low- and high-beam units. The same treatment has been applied to the A6 Avant e-tron concept, which followed the A6 e-tron sedan. Casting our eyes along the side, we can see the doors are flatter than on the concept. Additionally, there are traditional wing mirrors instead of camera pods, and lift-up door handles. At the rear the concept’s short rear deck has been carried over, but the scalloping has been toned down and the tail lights are thicker than before. Under the skin the A6 e-tron will use the PPE (Platform Premium Electric) architecture being jointly developed by Audi and Porsche. The first PPE-based vehicles to be released with the next-generation Porsche Macan and the Q6 e-tron. Car Finder HOME/CAR NEWS/AUDI/A6 2023 Audi A6 e-tron spied Audi's new rival to the Mercedes-Benz EQE has been snapped testing, with a new look that departs from what we've come to expect from Ingolstadt. 2 DAYS AGO 2 COMMENTS PREVIOUS NEWS Volvo XC40 Recharge PHEV axed in favour of EV Single Motor 2 DAYS AGO Scott Collie DEPUTY EDITOR PUBLISHED April 15, 2022, 9:00 AM Audi has been snapped testing its new rival to the Mercedes-Benz EQE, complete with a set of split headlights. Along with the sedan version pictured here, the A6 e-tron range will grow to include a wagon… hopefully. Like the 2021 concept preceding it, the production of the A6 e-tron seems to feature a soft, flowing shape punctuated by some sharp creases, primarily along the flanks and at the rear. Gone are the slim, one-piece headlights from the concept though, replaced by a set of very on-trend split headlights. The upper section appears to house LED daytime running lights, the lower houses the low- and high-beam units. The same treatment has been applied to the A6 Avant e-tron concept, which followed the A6 e-tron sedan. Casting our eyes along the side, we can see the doors are flatter than on the concept. Additionally, there are traditional wing mirrors instead of camera pods, and lift-up door handles. At the rear the concept’s short rear deck has been carried over, but the scalloping has been toned down and the tail lights are thicker than before. Under the skin the A6 e-tron will use the PPE (Platform Premium Electric) architecture being jointly developed by Audi and Porsche. The first PPE-based vehicles to be released with the next-generation Porsche Macan and the Q6 e-tron. The 2021 concept featured a 100kWh battery pack, and was said to have support for fast charging at up to 270kW plus 700km of range under the WLTP test cycle. At the time of the concept’s launch, Audi said the production A6 e-tron will be available in both rear- and all-wheel drive formats, with one variant said to have 350kW and 800Nm at its disposal. Given the concept looked almost production-ready, and measured 4.96m long, 1.96m wide and 1.44m tall, we expect this prototype and the showroom-ready car to be around the same size. Audi has committed to becoming an all-electric brand by 2033 in every market except China, while rules proposed by the European Commission will make it impossible for automakers to sell new cars with internal combustion engines within the EU by 2035. https://www.carexpert.com.au/car-news/2023-audi-a6-e-tron-spied

Audi's best-selling car gears up for a third generation with a bold new look and an evolved platform Audi is readying an all-new third-generation version of its best-selling global model, the Q5 SUV, which will be one of its final ICE cars. In 2021, global sales of the Audi Q5 soared by 5.3% to 293,069, representing nearly a sixth of the four-brand Audi Group's total deliveries. It remains vitally important for the German brand five years on from being launched in its current form. The next iteration, which has started winter testing ahead of an anticipated 2023 unveiling and 2024 market launch, will look to maintain that sales momentum by providing a conventional ICE alternative to the similarly sized Audi Q6 E-tron electric SUV, which will arrive next year. The new Q5 is expected to use the same evolution of the Volkswagen Group's MLB architecture that will underpin the next-generation Audi A4 saloon and estate. That means it will offer both front and four-wheel-drive drivetrain layouts and is likely to continue with a familiar powertrain line-up comprising mild-hybrid petrol and diesel options alongside a choice of plug-in hybrids. The engines will be re-engineered to meet new Euro 7 emissions regulations, expected to be implemented in the coming years. One of these will be the fifth version of the Volkswagen Group's 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol EA888, which will receive a revamped fuel-injection system and new particulate filters. The modified platform also introduces capacity for the Q5 to use the four-wheel steering system featured on the Audi A8 and Audi Q8, as well as level two autonomous driving functions and a raft of new connectivity features. At this stage, the most obvious differentiator between this new Q5 and the current car is a completely new look that brings it into line with its newer stablemates, including the electric E-tron models. Details visible through the camouflage on this prototype include a totally overhauled front end with a clamshell-style bonnet, a shorter grille, sleek new headlights and new air-intake designs. At the rear, meanwhile, the Q5 looks to have been modelled on the Audi Q4 E-tron, although the brake lights in situ here look to be temporary items for the purposes of testing. As with the current Audi Q3, Q4 E-tron, Q5 and E-tron SUVs, the new Q5 is expected to be sold in straight-backed standard and rakish-roofed Sportback guises. Audi will use the new PPE platform – which it's co-developing with Porsche - for new electric versions of the A4 and A6, but given the new Q6 E-tron will essentially serve as an electric alternative to the Q5, the latter is unlikely to get an EV option. Audi has committed to only launching EVs from 2026 and will stop selling ICE cars completely in 2033, meaning the Q5 is likely to be among the final ICE cars the brand sells. However, Audi has also said that it plans to keep an ICE version of the Audi A6 on sale alongside the new electric A6 E-tron, hinting at a gradual shift towards all-out electrification for all models. https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/all-new-2024-audi-q5-bring-total-redesign-and-enhanced-tech

The Abt organisation is forming plans to return to Formula E next season as the 12th team on the grid. Abt was a major operational part of Audi’s entry until the works team’s final campaign last year, having also run under its own name in Formula E’s founding seasons – winning the series’ inaugural race and 2016/17 title with Lucas di Grassi – before Audi fully committed as a factory. Surprisingly, Abt proved unable to acquire the Audi-owned team licence, which was returned to Formula E. But now the series is believed to be enabling the conditions for one of the championship’s founding teams to make a return next season. Abt was seriously looking at entering in its own right for 2022 until a commercial deal collapsed last summer. An agreement had been believed to have been reached with the creator of the SEGI.TV streaming service Edward Sylvain. On that occasion, the commercial undertakings were not delivered and now Abt, led by CEO, Thomas Biermaier, is forming a plan to re-enter for the Gen3 period as a customer of a manufacturer. Biermaier, who was present at the Rome E-Prix last weekend, remained relatively tight-lipped on the prospects of an Abt return but did tell The Race that “we want to come back and if we can then it would be for the start of Gen3”. He added: “Talks are ongoing, but we have strong relationships with Formula E and some manufacturers for possible powertrain supply.” Realistic powertrain options for Abt are believed to be reasonably limited because DS, Jaguar, Porsche and Nissan are already committed to deals with Dragon Penske, Envision, Andretti and the soon to be former Mercedes EQ team respectively. Mahindra or NIO 333 appear to be main possibilities for Abt, with the former being the most likely to supply Gen3 tech. Biermaier has recently visited several manufacturers, and Mahindra is believed to be one of them. Abt was believed to be set to run Lucas di Grassi this season had the SEGI.TV deal gone through. However, the Brazilian is not likely to be in the frame for a drive should Abt’s new plans come to fruition because he is widely rumoured to already have an agreed deal for 2023 elsewhere. Robin Frijns, who drove for Abt in three seasons of the DTM between 2018 and 2020, is believed to have several options in Formula E beyond a possible extension at Envision Racing and could be a natural fit for a new-look Abt squad. Frijns, who also has close business connections with Abt through his Frijns Unlimited automotive company, was set to drive the Audi LMDh car before it was put on hold last month. Now the Dutch ace has much more scope to extend his Formula E career. He’s been on the grid for all but the series’ first and fourth seasons in his deals with Andretti and what’s now Envision. “I still am an Audi driver but now the LMDh project has gone, so it’s not likely I will stay here because there’s not much happening there anymore,” Frijns told The Race in Rome last week. “I’m free to do whatever [in Formula E] but I don’t have very long to decide what I’m going to do. It’s not weeks, it’s actually days or hours.” specifics of his contract situation, his comments could refer to an option to continuing with Envision Racing. Frijns’ team-mate Nick Cassidy has a third season confirmed in his deal with the British based, Chinese owned team for 2023. Other Abt-linked drivers include Rene Rast and Kelvin van der Linde. Like Frijns, Rast was set to be an Audi LMDh driver from 2023 onwards, while van der Linde was a development driver for Audi Abt in Formula E, completing private test days and making an appearance at the 2020 rookie test in Marrakech. However, it is likely that another driver with close Abt links – Nico Mueller – will be offered a seat should Abt’s plans to return to Formula E come off. The Swiss is competing in the DTM, GT3 and World Endurance Championship this season but does have Formula E experience after a season and a half with the Dragon Penske operation between 2019 and 2021. https://the-race.com/formula-e/former-audi-partner-abt-lining-up-formula-e-return-for-2023/

Production stoppages will lengthen delivery times for models including the Q7 and Q8 SUVs. BERLIN – Parts shortages caused by Russian invasion of Ukraine are hitting Audi hard, leading to weeks of production downtime. "In some cases, we have had to and will stop production at some locations for days or weeks," Audi wrote in a letter to its dealers that has been seen by Automotive News Europe sister publication Automobilwoche. The letter said the Q4 e-tron, A4/A5, A6/A7, TT and Q7/Q8 model series are particularly affected. The automaker told its dealers to prepare for "significantly longer delivery times" for these models. In an email to Automotive News Europe, an Audi spokesperson confirmed that there are currently production stoppages at several Audi locations, although other lines are producing according to planned schedules. For the TT, Q8 and Q4 e-tron models, production restarts are planned for mid-April, but only at a reduced level. Things are looking better for other models: The A1, A3, Q2 e-tron, Q5 and A8 models are only affected to a minor extent, Audi said. However, not all engine variants are available. Audi expects to resume production for the A4/A5 at its factory in Neckarsulm, Germany, starting March 30, and the A6/A7 model series starting April 4. At Boellinger Hoefe, production of the e-tron GT and R8 will resume regular production on two shifts starting from March 28. At the Ingolstadt site, production of the A4 and A5 will resume on a single shift starting April 4, and on a double shift the following week. The line that produces the A3, A4 and A5 will restart the week of April 4 on a single shift and move to a double shift the following week. Like many other automakers, Audi has suppliers in Ukraine. At some suppliers, production has collapsed completely due to the war, while at other companies it has been severely restricted. In particular, the supply situation with customer-specific cable harnesses poses a major challenge, Audi said. Audi said it works with more 14,000 suppliers from whom the company sources cable harnesses or preliminary products for them, among other things. The war in Ukraine has thrown the European auto industry into fresh tumult as the conflict continues without any clear resolution. It has caused disruptions at multiple car plants and prompted companies to suspend shipments to Russia. Leoni is ramping up production of wire harnesses at its two plants in Ukraine -- with workers operating under a nighttime curfew and the risk of rocket attacks. https://europe.autonews.com/automakers/audi-will-halt-production-weeks-ukraine-parts-shortages

Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto says it would be beneficial for Formula 1 if Porsche and Audi joined the sport. Both manufacturers, which are part of the Volkswagen Group, are poised to enter F1 from 2026, when new engine regulations are set to be introduced. However, it is set to wait until the regulations are finalised to make a decision over a potential entry. Binotto hailed the interest, stating having more major brands to compete against is “great” for F1. “I think we are very happy for Porsche and Audi to join F1,” he said. “It’s great for the sport and it’s great for F1. "It’s great for us to compete with such brands. Overall, it’s good news in which we have to be very happy with. “On the regulations themselves, we know that the objective is to try and finalise them by June and get them voted by June. It’s not something new. “All the discussions we had at the time that we are still having right now, are still considering the fact that Audi and Porsche could have joined. “It’s not something new in that respect and there are no new discussions relative to that.” However, ahead of the June vote, Binotto says that there are a number of matters that need to be clarified regarding newcomers and Intellectual Property. “There are still open points overall. There are open points which are on financial regulations,” he said. “They have to finalised and re-formulise and in the financial regulations, we know that framework we have been working since last December with the World Council there is all the matters to considering what is a newcomer? "How do we define a newcomer? What is the benefits of a newcomer? All that needs to be clarified and defined. “On top of that, there’s all the IP transfer because IP transfer should not be possible – that was agreed on how we translate that into wording is difficult to know. “There are points on the technical [side] which are open discussions so there are many things that need to be moved forward and finalised so from now until June, time is certainly short so we need to work on it as a high priority.” https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/04/17/porsche-audi-joining-f1-would-be-great-for-the-sport-ferrari/

Lewis Hamilton has backed Audi and Porsche in their bids to join F1 after the manufacturers confirmed plans for a possible entry. After confirming plans "for a possible entry", it is understood that Porsche will partner Red Bull with Audi to link up with Sauber and not McLaren as had been expected. Asked for his reaction to the news, Hamilton said: "I mean I knew about it a long time ago already. "So I think it's great that we're going to get new manufacturers within the sport, especially as you see there are a lot of teams that have the potential to be top teams but are our customer teams and so I think it's going to be great moving forward and so we welcome them in." Audi Porsche move "great news" Since 2010, four new teams have joined the F1 grid with Haas the only outfit remaining on the grid after HRT, Lotus and Virgin - all of which went through a number of name changes - fell by the wayside without ever troubling their more established rivals. For Alfa Romeo driver Valtteri Bottas, expanding the grid beyond 10 teams is a priority although he welcomed the intentions of Audi and Porsche. "I think it's great news," said Bottas. "I think it would actually be nice to see more teams in Formula 1 at the moment. "There's obviously still only 10. I remember, as a kid watching Formula 1, and the grid was much bigger and I think this makes it even more exciting. So yeah, more than welcome." https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.gpfans.com/amp/article.php%3fid=79755

A more affordable electric Audi is on the cards for Australia, but an official confirmation is still facing delays due to demand in other countries where incentives to buy EVs are more prevalent. Audi currently has three e-Tron models on offer, or coming soon, for Australia: the original e-tron SUV range, the e-tron S SUV and Sportback and the e-tron GT. Starting list price for the cheapest of these is just under $126,000 for the e-tron 50 quattro, putting the entry-level e-tron just above $150,000 after additions like the luxury car tax, state registration fees and stamp duty (if there is no waiver) and dealer delivery. So when we had the chance to ask Audi corporate communications manager Shaun Cleary recently if there was a chance a sub-$100,000 e-tron would ever make it to Australia, we jumped at it. Official word is that the Q4 e-tron that would fit this remit is still not confirmed for Australia, but with a little caveat in the form of an “all but”. That “all-but confirmed” status was clarified in a recent note from Cleary, who describes the Q4 e-tron as an “exciting next step in Audi’s product line-up.” "As a zero-emission SUV in a popular segment of the premium market, we’re convinced there would be strong appetite for the Q4 e-tron in Australia and are working closely with our headquarters in Germany to confirm local arrival,” he said. But he added there is still a job to be done convincing Audi’s overseas HQ, and the reason behind this is that same old chestnut: very simply, the carrots available to drivers overseas to switch to electric, coupled with sticks for carmakers should they not reduce fleet emissions, are more generous and stricter respectively, meaning that Audi has to satisfy demand elsewhere first. “However, there is still some work ahead of us, given the high volume of customer demand for the Q4 e-tron in Europe and other markets around the world,” says Cleary. “As you know, Australia lacks some of the EV incentives that exist in other parts of the world, such as legislated CO2 emissions targets and federal tax concessions. “This makes it harder to justify the prioritisation of Australia, ahead of other countries that have more advanced electric vehicle market conditions.” Australia’s lack supporting, in particular bans of new petrol and diesel car sales (by 2025 in the case of Norway and 2030 in the case of the UK) mean that carmakers have a much larger focus on overseas markets to ensure their customers keep buying their cars, and are ready to accept their all-electric offerings. Norway is an excellent example, not least because the Q4 e-tron was its best selling EV in January. Most cars sold in Norway now are all-electric: in March, almost 14,000 new EVs hit the road accounting for 86% of all car sales. More recently, the Audi Q4 e-tron, which sits between the compact Q3 SUV and the mid-sized Q5 in terms of size, has lost that title to the Tesla Model Y, an interesting statistic that brings us to price. Cleary noted that it is far too early to comment on pricing and specifications for Australia, particularly in light of the changing market due to supply chain issues and other factors like battery materials prices. But we will note that in Norway, the entry-level Q4 e-tron is a 35 quattro that starts at NOK389,100 (about $A60,000), whereas the Model Y Long range – the cheapest Tesla electric crossover available currently – is priced from NOK549,990 before on-roads (about $A84,410). With Audi typically introducing the 50 and 55 quattro – the first of which starts at NOK 476,000, or around $A73,000 – in Australia, it means the Q4 e-tron would be a strong competitor to the Model Y, which is sure to be popular when it finally does go on sale locally. That’s yet another hurdle for Audi, whose parent group Volkswagen has aspirations of becoming the “biggest source of electric vehicles in this country.” https://www.google.com/amp/s/thedriven.io/2022/04/14/audi-q4-e-tron-all-but-confirmed-but-policy-still-a-hurdle/amp/

It’s the biggest will they/won’t they question on the grid right now – will Audi and Porsche finally decide to join F1 in time for the next new era of cars? And if so, how would it work? Both brands are part of the Volkswagen Group and although they’ve yet to fully commit to entering F1 in 2026, the plan appeared to be that Audi and Porsche would team up with already existing engine manufacturers, such as Red Bull’s new powertrains division. However, this saga seems to have taken another turn as according to The Race, Audi aren’t in the mood to collaborate – they want their own team. Well that’s gonna be expensive! Unlike Honda’s F1 return, Audi don’t just want to be engine supplier, but also are unwilling to fork out lots of money to create their own team. Instead, they’ve been considering buying one of the 10 teams already on the grid. However, that’s proving not to be as easy as they thought. Being linked to the likes of McLaren, Williams, Sauber and Aston Martin, they’ve got several options available. McLaren and Williams could be a challenge with their owners not happy to hand over control and if they did, it wouldn’t come cheaply. Aston Martin are also debating building their own engine. Given how badly their season has gone so far, Audi might be able to team up with them, especially with oil company sponsors Aramco to help with fuel development and funding. Sauber is another attractive option and aren’t too precious about holding on to their name. The Alfa Romeo team previously ran as BMW during the mid-2000s. However, we’ll probably be waiting a while longer for Audi and Porsche to confirm their plans as VW are still waiting for the 2026 Technical Regulations to be finalised, which is expected to happen in June. This will see the V6 engines simplified by scrapping the MGU-H, increasing the electrical elements of the power unit and swapping to 100% sustainable fuels. Would you like to see Audi and Porsche in F1? Let us know in the comments below. https://www.wtf1.com/post/audis-potential-f1-move-has-taken-yet-another-new-turn/

Lol I've no intention to grow up, my philosophy if I can make one person laugh or smile in a day then my day isn't wasted. As such I spend a lot of my days pratting about! 😁

Don't worry, feel free to mention recalls as much as you like. But it's surprising how many times dealers try to wriggle out of doing warranty work. Yes changing the sensor is a good preventative measure.

Thank you Gareth, and to you too 🙂 and you're welcome, your insight/knowledge is invaluable on here 👍

From all the admin team we want to wish all our members a happy Easter 🙂 hope you all have a great day 😊

You'll need to get the modules coded so they'll talk to the rest of the central locking. Does everything else work on the doors or electric windows/mirrors etc. I ask as it could be a loom issue. If looms are different?

If it's leaking then yes I'd say it's on the way out. However I'd strongly recommend you buy both rear shocks off the breaker car as those shocks will have worn differently to yours. Ie mileage, road conditions, the speed over those road conditions. I'd also recommend getting the fronts too to have as spares but that's just me. I've done a bit of research and discovered that the magride communicates with the instrument cluster, CAN gateway, ABS and headlight range. So you will need to get it coded I suspect.

Do t even go there with recalls. They are obliged to fix it.

Glad you got sorted 🙂

I've never heard such nonsense from a tech ever. Makes me question the credibility of the garage to be honest.

Glad this thread helped 🙂

There's a product called liquid moly on this thread that a couple of people have tried to clean the egr. Might be worth considering: https://forums.ross-tech.com/index.php?threads/27259/ Dunno.if.this link might help either: https://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php/193422-2-0-TDi-Ultra-CNHA-EGR-and-cooler-removal-and-cleaning/page3

Thanks for the useful links 🙂