Audi Launches Campaign to Celebrate Revolutionary quattro™ All-Wheel Drive Technology

Posted on 13 January 2012 by

  • New :60 TV spot to debut nationally during NFL division playoffs
  • Spot entitled “Ahab” takes inspiration from classic Herman Melville novel
  • Campaign centered around Audi quattro with digital content, Facebook app and YouTube playlist

Audi today announced a new advertising and marketing campaign to celebrate its innovative all-wheel drive technology, quattro™. Audi quattro is the top-selling luxury all-wheel drive system in the world, providing superior traction and handling and a balanced drive no matter the road condition. Audi is the only premium manufacturer to offer all-wheel drive on every one of its models.

The new campaign, with the tagline “the legendary Audi quattro,” consists of a :60 television spot that will kick off during the National Football League division playoffs on Jan. 14. The ad will also air nationally as a :30 spot. Entitled “Ahab,” the spot turns to one of the all-time classics in American literature for inspiration to help demonstrate the superiority of the Audi quattro all-wheel drive system on the toughest winter roads. The spot re-imagines Herman Melville’s epic struggle between obsessed sea captain and the elusive white whale, but in Audi’s modern incarnation, Ahab is a tow truck driver battling snowdrifts and whiteout conditions and his nemesis, the Audi quattro.

“Audi quattro has been a part of the brand’s DNA for over 30 years and is core to the performance and design of Audi vehicles,” said Scott Keogh, Chief Marketing Officer, Audi of America. “With this new campaign, Audi aims to celebrate its pioneer technology and continual commitment to its development, while increasing Audi’s brand image and awareness, particularly of our all-wheel drive experience.”

In addition to the “Ahab” broadcast spots, the campaign utilizes multiple platforms to bring to life the Audi quattro story, including display and mobile banners on weather and ski sites, online video placements and banners in enthusiast communities, refreshed content on Audi’s “30+ Years of quattro” Facebook app and a new quattro playlist on YouTube.

As the first manufacturer to develop all-wheel drive technology for production sedans, Audi introduced quattro over three decades ago, setting the benchmark for driver confidence and performance. The advantage of all-wheel drive was most apparent when Audi introduced quattro to the World Rally Championship in 1981, resulting in an astounding 24 wins and a number of World Championships. The technology was so superior that it was later deemed an “unfair advantage” and banned from road racing altogether after repeatedly dominating the field.

Today, in that same competitive spirit, quattro all-wheel drive continues to be refined. In Audi vehicles with a longitudinal engine configuration, quattro is essentially a mechanical system with a self-locking center differential and continuously variable torque distribution. Audi quattro instantly responds to wheel speed differences and dynamically adjusts power to the wheels with the best traction. It is supported by advanced electronic control systems that together offer numerous benefits over other all-wheel drive systems. Featuring a 40:60 rear torque bias, the latest version of quattro offers sports car-like performance and handling, distributing traction to all four wheels for quicker off-the-line power and the ability to take on a 37.5 degree incline.

Audi quattro all-wheel drive is available on all models, including the new 2012 Audi A6, one of Audi’s most innovative and technologically-advanced models to date. The A6 boasts an all-aluminum Audi 3.0 L TFSI® supercharged V6 engine with 310 horsepower, and makes up to 2,000 decisions per second to assist the driver. Safety in the all-new Audi A6 is enhanced by a thermal imaging camera with Night Vision Assistant as well as the Audi Pre-Sense Plus safety system. Other intelligent features include head-up display and a MMI® Touch pad that recognizes handwriting in multiple languages. Audi is the first company worldwide to feature factory-installed wireless internet, enabling features such as Audi connect™ for real-time weather, traffic news and live fuel prices, and MMI Navigation with 3-D Google Earth™ images.

ABOUT AUDI
Audi of America, Inc. and its U.S. dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury vehicles. AUDI AG is among the most successful luxury automotive brands globally. Audi was a top-performing luxury brand in Europe during 2011, and broke all-time company sales records in the U.S. Through 2016, AUDI AG will invest about $17 billion on new products and technologies. Visit www.audiusa.com or www.audiusanews.com for more information regarding Audi vehicle and business issues.

ABOUT BOARDWALK AUDI
With its distinctive 42,000 square foot dealership–the largest in the Audi USA dealer portfolio–Boardwalk Audi is committed to interlacing Audi’s unparalleled engineering prowess with exceptional service performance. As a member of Boardwalk Auto Group, Boardwalk Audi cultivates a focus on top-flight performance.

Boardwalk Auto Group is one of the premier auto groups in the nation representing Audi, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Porsche, and Volkswagen. Learn more about Boardwalk Auto Group at http://www.BoardwalkAutoGroup.com.

The Audi Q5 Hybrid quattro

Posted on 25 February 2011 by

The Audi Q5 hybrid quattro is the first full hybrid in the premium mid-sized class. Power like a V6, fuel consumption like a four-cylinder TDI, after three generations of the Audi duo, the Q5 hybrid quattro is the first hybrid model from Audi with two drive systems. Visit Boardwalk Audi Q5 for more information regarding the Audi Q5 and Boardwalk Audi.

With its distinctive 42,000 square foot dealership–the largest in the Audi USA dealer portfolio–Boardwalk Audi is committed to interlacing Audi’s unparalleled engineering prowess with exceptional service performance.  As a member of Boardwalk Auto Group we cultivate a focus on top-flight performance. It’s the driving force behind every nameplate we represent, every car we maintain, and every customer we have the privilege to serve. Performance. It’s what we do.

Audi R8 Spyder chosen as Best Dream Machine by MotorWeek

Posted on 11 February 2011 by

The Audi R8 Spyder won the MotorWeek 2011 Drivers’ Choice Award for Best Dream Machine. In its 30th year, the annual MotorWeek Drivers’ Choice Awards look at vehicles from a buyer’s point of view to judge the best new cars and trucks of the year.

As a winner of a 2011 MotorWeek Drivers’ Choice Award, the Audi R8 Spyder will be featured in an upcoming episode of MotorWeek, currently scheduled to air on Feb. 12 (check local listings) on PBS and on Discovery’s HD Theater, Feb. 22.

The MotorWeek award adds to a long list of international consumer and media honors bestowed on the high-performance Audi R8 lineup. The R8 5.2 FSI quattro is the reigning World Performance Car of the Year, for just one example.

The same designers who created the Le Mans-winning prototypes also designed the R8 Spyder. From its wide stance, to its powerful wheels to the artful integration of exclusive materials like carbon fiber, the R8 Spyder is as unmistakable parked as it is in motion.

At the heart of the R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro is the soul stirring 525 hp 5.2 FSI V10 engine. Displayed under a transparent panel and nestled within a Carbon Fiber Sigma engine bay, the V10 screams to an astronomical 8700 rpm and propels the R8 Spyder 5.2 to 60 mph in only 3.7 seconds on the way up to a top track speed of 196.4 mph. As part of a race-bred mid-engine design that contributes to superb handling dynamics, the 5.2 V10 produces 101hp/liter and features race winning technology such as FSI direct injection and a dry sump lubrication system that assures engine lubrication under the most demanding driving situations. It is no wonder then, that this same engine is used in the R8 LMS GT3 race car

Although the R8 Spyder 5.2 is a convertible, it’s still very much designed for speed. In fact, the specially designed Acoustic top incorporates three-layers of insulation comparable to a traditional hard top. This means the R8 Spyder 5.2 is capable of reaching the 195 MPH top speed without hesitation. In addition, the top is capable of retracting in 19 seconds at speeds up to 31 MPH. To learn more, please visit http://models.audiusa.com/r8-spyder.

ABOUT AUDI

Audi of America, Inc. and its 276 U.S. dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury vehicles. AUDI AG is among the most successful luxury automotive brands globally. During 2009 Audi outsold all other luxury brands in Europe, while in the U.S. market Audi posted the largest market share gain of any luxury automotive brand. Over the next few years, AUDI AG expects to spend nearly $2 billion annually on new products and technology. Visit www.audiusa.com or www.audiusanews.com for more information regarding Audi vehicle and business issues.

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Introducing the New Audi RS5

Posted on 05 February 2011 by

Introducing new Audi RS5, the classically elegant, high performance coupe. Audi has confirmed that it intends to sell the Audi RS5 in the U.S. market starting in 2012. The high-revving 4.2-liter V8 engine in the Audi RS 5 Coupe generates 450 horsepower. Like all Audi RS models sold in Europe and other markets, the RS 5 Coupe applies its power to the road with quattro permanent all-wheel drive.

With its distinctive 42,000 square foot dealership–the largest in the Audi USA dealer portfolio–Boardwalk Audi is committed to interlacing Audi’s unparalleled engineering prowess with exceptional service performance.  As a member of Boardwalk Auto Group we cultivate a focus on top-flight performance. It’s the driving force behind every nameplate we represent, every car we maintain, and every customer we have the privilege to serve. Performance. It’s what we do.

Commercial celebrating the 25 years of Quattro

Posted on 12 January 2011 by

Commercial celebrating the 25 years of Quattro, recreating the Classic 1986 Audi commercial. Learn more about quattro technology.