Würzburg/Germany, October 12, 2007
The Audi S4 which is due to be launched in the autumn of 2008 will be the first Audi with a new type of rear-axle differential which can send torque to the individual rear wheels. With this sport differential, it is intended that drivers of the S4 will have even better control on bends.
The sport differential, supplied by Magna Powertrain and weighing almost 20 kilos, will be available at an extra charge, as sources within the business have revealed to the German car sector magazine, "Automobil Industrie". At a later date, Audi plans to use the system in the Coupé S5 and in the forthcoming SUV Q5, among other vehicles. BMW will be bringing out a similar system developed by ZF in its X5 in mid-2008.
An Audi engineer confirmed to "Automobil Industrie" that Audi will be switching from the current 4.2 liter V8 engine in its S4 to a supercharged V6 engine. According to Henner Lehne from the consultancy firm, CSM Worldwide, the latter is to be a 3.0 liter V6 engine with a compressor. A combination of compressor and turbocharger is also conceivable, such as in the case of Volkswagen's twincharger engine.
When it is launched in the autumn of 2008, the Audi S4 will round off the top end of Audi's newly presented A4 model range. At a later date, an even more powerful RS4 will come onto the market.
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, which has a circulation of some 15,000 copies. "Automobil Industrie" is aimed at managers in the automobile industry: automobile manufacturers, suppliers, outfitters and service providers. For more than 50 years now, the magazine has been an essential read within the German car sector. Current daily news from the entire automotive sector is available at www.automobilindustrie.de and also in the newsletter issued on a regular basis.
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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97082 Würzburg/Germany
Phone: +49 (0)931 418-29 26
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