Würzburg/Germany, August 3, 2007
Audi is intending to beat BMW in the race between Germany's premium car manufacturers to launch the first automatic car with 8 gears. "You can safely assume that we will be selling 8-gear automatic cars before anyone else is," a high-ranking Audi Group manager told the German car trade magazine, "Automobil Industrie".
While Audi's third-generation A8 model - to be launched at the end of 2009 - will already be fitted at the very outset with an 8-gear automatic gearbox supplied by ZF, the BMW 7 model which is already due to go on sale in the summer of 2008 will initially be fitted with the familiar 6-gear automatic gearbox. Almost at the same time as the A8 launch, BMW will then also be heralding the 8-gear automatic gearbox - also supplied by ZF.
Audi and BMW are thus following on from Luxus, a classy Japanese car which has already presented an 8-gear automatic gearbox supplied by Aisin in its LS series. Mercedes-Benz, meanwhile, intends to stick with the 7-gear automatic gearbox which it developed and built itself and which was already launched on the market at the end of 2003.
Audi is additionally working on an 8-gear double-clutch gearbox which it intends to launch in about 2010 in its A4, A5 and A6 models. This is a fluid-coupling gearbox for longitudinal engine installation. Ahead of this date, Audi will already be offering a 7-gear fluid-coupling gearbox which it has developed in conjunction with BorgWarner.
Audi will already be presenting an active steering system for its A4 and A5 models at the IAA 2007 in Frankfurt. The system, supplied by ZF, adapts a car's steering transmission to the speed at which it is traveling and - in contrast to the system offered by BMW - should engage without any backlash at all. Audi is also working on a so-called "torque vectoring system" with which drive momentum can be distributed individually in order to stabilize the car. BMW is offering this system with its X5 model; Audi is intending to also fit its conventional models with it.
Over the past years a battle has broken out between Audi and BMW over their positioning as manufacturer of the most sporty premium car model. Thus, the Audi RS4's high-revolution concept was aimed directly at the BMW M3, and BMW has so far not come up with anything to equal the Audi R8 sports car. Audi would also like to distinguish itself further with the new 8-gear automatic gearboxes.
If the above facts are re-published, please name "Automobil Industrie" as the source when doing so.
"Automobil Industrie" is a monthly specialist magazine published by Vogel Business Media, Würzburg/Germany. It has a circulation of some 15,000 copies, aimed at automobile manufacturers, suppliers, outfitters and service providers at the decision-making level. The magazine celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2005.y
If you have any queries, please feel free to contact:
Jens Meiners
"Automotive Industry"
Chief reporter/member of the senior editorship
Vogel Auto Medien GmbH & Co. KG
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Germany
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