text:
Title: Audi
Subject: List of Audi concept cars, 2007 American Le Mans Series season, 2006 American Le Mans Series season, Quattro GmbH, 2001 American Le Mans Series season
Collection: Audi, Baden-Württemberg, Car Manufacturers of Germany, Companies Based in Bavaria, Companies Disestablished in 1939, Companies Established in 1909, Companies Established in 1965, German Brands, Ingolstadt, Luxury Motor Vehicle Manufacturers, Motor Vehicle Manufacturers of Germany, Saxony, Sports Car Manufacturers, Volkswagen Group
Audi AG[1]
Audi head office in Ingolstadt
Public, Aktiengesellschaft
Traded as
FWB: NSU
(29 June 1932 (1932-06-29))[2]
August Horch[2]
Ingolstadt, Germany
11 production facilities in 9 countries[3]
Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management
Marc Lichte, Head of Design
Ulrich Hackenberg, Head of Technical Development
Production output
1,741,100 units (2014)[4]
€48.771 billion (2012) [5][6]
Operating income
€5.380 billion (2012)[6]
€16.832 billion (2009)
€3.451 billion (2009)
Volkswagen Group (99.55%)[8]
Audi Brussels
Audi Hungaria Motor Kft.
quattro GmbH
Vorsprung Durch Technik
.html/index.com.audiwww
Footnotes / references
Audi History: Chronicle,[9] 2011 Annual Financial Report[10]
Audi AG[1] (pronounced ) is a German automobile manufacturer that designs, engineers, produces, markets and distributes luxury automobiles. Audi oversees worldwide operations from its headquarters in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. Audi-branded vehicles are produced in nine production facilities worldwide.
Audi has been a majority owned (99.55%) subsidiary of Volkswagen Group since 1966, following a phased purchase of Audi AG's predecessor, Auto Union, from Daimler-Benz.[11] Volkswagen relaunched the Audi brand with the 1965 introduction of the Audi F103 series.
The company name is based on the Latin translation of the surname of the founder, August Horch. "Horch", meaning "listen" in German, becomes "audi" in Latin. The four rings of the Audi logo each represent one of four car companies that banded together to create Audi's predecessor company, Auto Union. Audi's slogan is Vorsprung durch Technik, meaning "Advancement through Technology". However, since 2007 Audi USA has used the slogan "Truth in Engineering".[12] Audi is among the best-selling luxury automobiles in the world.[13]
Birth of the company and its name 1.1
The merger of the four companies under the logo of four rings 1.2
Post-World War II 1.3
New Auto Union unit 1.4
Modern era 1.5
Audi 5000 unintended acceleration allegations 1.6
Model introductions 1.7
Audi AG today 1.8
Bodyshells 2.1
Space frame 2.2
Drivetrains 2.3
Layout 2.3.1
Engines 2.3.2
Fuel Stratified Injection 2.3.3
Direct-Shift Gearbox 2.3.4
LED daytime running lights 2.4
Multi Media Interface 2.5
Synthetic Diesel 2.6
Current model range 3.1
S and RS models 3.2
Electric vehicles 3.3
Production figures 4
Motorsport 5
Rallying 5.1
In the USA 5.2
Touring cars 5.3
24 Hours of Le Mans 5.4
Results 5.4.1
American Le Mans Series 5.5
European Le Mans Series 5.6
World Endurance Championship 5.7
2012 5.7.1
Formula E 5.8
Formula One 5.9
Slogans 6.1.1
Typography 6.1.2
Sponsorships 6.2
Multitronic campaign 6.3
Audi TDI 6.4
Audi e-tron 6.5
In video games 6.6
Birth of the company and its name
Originally in 1885, automobile company Wanderer was established, later becoming a branch of Audi AG. Another company, NSU, which also later merged into Audi, was founded during this time, and later supplied the chassis for Gottlieb Daimler's four-wheeler.[14]
On 14 November 1899, August Horch (1868–1951) established the company A. Horch & Cie. in the Ehrenfeld district of Cologne. Three years later in 1902 he moved with his company to Reichenbach im Vogtland. On May, 10th, 1904 he founded the August Horch & Cie. Motorwagenwerke AG, a joint-stock company in Zwickau (State of Saxony).
After troubles with Horch chief financial officer, August Horch left Motorwagenwerke and founded in Zwickau on 16 July 1909, his second company, the August Horch Automobilwerke GmbH. His former partners sued him for trademark infringement. The German Reichsgericht (Supreme Court) in Leipzig,[15] eventually determined that the Horch brand belonged to his former company.[16]
Audi Type E
Since August Horch was banned from using "Horch" as a trade name in his new car business, he called a meeting with close business friends, Paul and Franz Fikentscher from Zwickau, Germany. At the apartment of Franz Fikentscher, they discussed how to come up with a new name for the company. During this meeting, Franz's son was quietly studying Latin in a corner of the room. Several times he looked like he was on the verge of saying something but would just swallow his words and continue working, until he finally blurted out, "Father – audiatur et altera pars... wouldn't it be a good idea to call it audi instead of horch?"[17] "Horch!" in German means "Hark!" or "hear", which is "Audi" in the singular imperative form of "audire" – "to listen" – in Latin. The idea was enthusiastically accepted by everyone attending the meeting.[18] On 25 April 1910 the Audi Automobilwerke GmbH Zwickau (from 1915 on Audiwerke AG Zwickau) was entered in the company's register of Zwickau registration court.
The first Audi automobile, the Audi Type A 10/22 hp (16 kW) Sport-Phaeton, was produced in the same year,[19] followed by the successor Type B 10/28PS in the same year.[20]
Audi started with a 2,612 cc inline-four engine model Type A, followed by a 3,564 cc model, as well as 4,680 cc and 5,720 cc models. These cars were successful even in sporting events. The first six-cylinder model Type M, 4,655 cc appeared in 1924.[21]
August Horch left the Audiwerke in 1920 for a high position at the ministry of transport, but he was still involved with Audi as a member of the board of trustees. In September 1921, Audi became the first German car manufacturer to present a production car, the Audi Type K, with left-handed drive.[22] Left-hand drive spread and established dominance during the 1920s because it provided a better view of oncoming traffic, making overtaking safer.[22]
The merger of the four companies under the logo of four rings
In August 1928, Jørgen Rasmussen, the owner of Dampf-Kraft-Wagen (DKW), acquired the majority of shares in Audiwerke AG.[23] In the same year, Rasmussen bought the remains of the U.S. automobile manufacturer Rickenbacker, including the manufacturing equipment for eight-cylinder engines. These engines were used in Audi Zwickau and Audi Dresden models that were launched in 1929. At the same time, six-cylinder and four-cylinder (the "four" with a Peugeot engine) models were manufactured. Audi cars of that era were luxurious cars equipped with special bodywork.
In 1932, Audi merged with Horch, DKW, and Wanderer, to form Auto Union AG, Chemnitz. It was during this period that the company offered the Audi Front that became the first European car to combine a six-cylinder engine with front-wheel drive. It used a powertrain shared with the Wanderer, but turned 180-degrees, so that the drive shaft faced the front.
Before World War II, Auto Union used the four interlinked rings that make up the Audi badge today, representing these four brands. This badge was used, however, only on Auto Union racing cars in that period while the member companies used their own names and emblems. The technological development became more and more concentrated and some Audi models were propelled by Horch or Wanderer built engines.
Reflecting the economic pressures of the time, Auto Union concentrated increasingly on smaller cars through the 1930s, so that by 1938 the company's DKW brand accounted for 17.9% of the German car market, while Audi held only 0.1%. After the final few Audis were delivered in 1939 the "Audi" name disappeared completely from the new car market for more than two decades.
Post-World War II
Like most German manufacturing, at the onset of World War II the Auto Union plants were retooled for military production, and were a target for allied bombing during the war which left them damaged.
Overrun by the Soviet Army in 1945, on the orders of the Soviet Union military administration the factories were dismantled as part of war reparations.[24] Following this, the company's entire assets were expropriated without compensation.[24] On 17 August 1948, Auto Union AG of Chemnitz was deleted from the commercial register.[23] These actions had the effect of liquidating Germany's Auto Union AG. The remains of the Audi plant of Zwickau became the VEB (for "People Owned Enterprise") Automobilwerk Zwickau or AWZ (in English: Automobile Works Zwickau).
The former Audi factory in Zwickau restarted assembly of the pre-war-models in 1949. These DKW models were renamed to IFA F8 and IFA F9 and were similar to the West German versions. West and East German models were equipped with the traditional and renowned DKW two-stroke engines. The Zwickau plant manufactured the infamous Trabant until 1991, when it came under Volkswagen control—effectively bringing it under the same umbrella as Audi since 1945.
New Auto Union unit
A new West German headquartered Auto Union was launched in Ingolstadt, Bavaria with loans from the Bavarian state government and Marshall Plan aid.[24] The reformed company was launched 3 September 1949 and continued DKW's tradition of producing front-wheel drive vehicles with two-stroke engines.[24] This included production of a small but sturdy 125 cc motorcycle and a DKW delivery van, the DKW F 89 L at Ingolstadt. The Ingolstadt site was large, consisting of an extensive complex of formerly military buildings which was suitable for administration as well as vehicle warehousing and distribution, but at this stage there was at Ingolstadt no dedicated plant suitable for mass production of automobiles: for manufacturing the company's first post-war mass-market passenger car plant capacity in Düsseldorf was rented from Rheinmetall-Borsig. It was only ten years later, after the company had attracted an investor that funds became available for construction of major car plant at the Ingolstadt head office site.
In 1958, in response to pressure from Friedrich Flick, then their largest single shareholder,[25] Daimler-Benz took an 87% holding in the Auto Union company, and this was increased to a 100% holding in 1959. However, small two-stroke cars were not the focus of Daimler-Benz's interests, and while the early 1960s saw major investment in new Mercedes models and in a state of the art factory for Auto Union's, the company's aging model range at this time did not benefit from the economic boom of the early 1960s to the same extent as competitor manufacturers such as Volkswagen and Opel. The decision to dispose of the Auto Union business was based on its lack of profitability.[26] Ironically, by the time they sold the business, it also included a large new factory and near production-ready modern four-stroke engine, which would enable the Auto Union business, under a new owner, to embark on a period of profitable growth, now producing not Auto Unions or DKWs, but using the "Audi" name, resurrected in 1965 after a 25-year gap. Under the terms of the sale, Daimler-Benz retained the old Düsseldorf plant, which survives to the present day as a centre for Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicle assembly.
In 1964, Volkswagen acquired a 50% holding in the business, which included the new factory in Ingolstadt and the trademark rights of the Auto Union. Eighteen months later, Volkswagen bought complete control of Ingolstadt, and by 1966 were using the spare capacity of the Ingolstadt plant to assemble an additional 60,000 Volkswagen Beetles per year.[27] Two-stroke engines became less popular during the 1960s as customers were more attracted to the smoother four-stroke engines. In September 1965, the DKW F102 was fitted with a four-stroke engine and a facelift for the car's front and rear. Volkswagen dumped the DKW brand because of its associations with two-stroke technology, and having classified the model internally as the F103, sold it simply as the "Audi." Later developments of the model were named after their horsepower ratings and sold as the Audi 60, 75, 80, and Super 90, selling until 1972. Initially, Volkswagen was hostile to the idea of Auto Union as a standalone entity producing its own models having acquired the company merely to boost its own production capacity through the Ingolstadt assembly plant. Then VW chief Heinz Nordhoff explicitly forbade Auto Union from any further product development. Fearing that the company's heritage would disappear underneath VW badge engineering, Auto Union engineers under the leadership of Ludwig Kraus developed the first Audi 100 in secret, without Nordhoff's knowledge. When presented with a finished prototype, Nordhoff was so impressed he authorised the car for production, which when launched in 1968, went on to be a huge success. With this, the resurrection of the Audi brand was now complete, this being followed by the first generation Audi 80 in 1972, which would in turn provide a template for VW's new front-wheel-drive water-cooled range which debuted from the mid-1970s onward.
Audi 80 assembly line in Wolfsburg, 1973
In 1969, Auto Union merged with NSU, based in Neckarsulm, near Stuttgart. In the 1950s, NSU had been the world's largest manufacturer of motorcycles, but had moved on to produce small cars like the NSU Prinz, the TT and TTS versions of which are still popular as vintage race cars. NSU then focused on new rotary engines based on the ideas of Felix Wankel. In 1967, the new NSU Ro 80 was a car well ahead of its time in technical details such as aerodynamics, light weight, and safety. However, teething problems with the rotary engines put an end to the independence of NSU. The Neckarsulm plant is now used to produce the larger Audi models A6 and A8. The Neckarsulm factory is also home of the quattro GmbH, a subsidiary responsible for development and production of Audi high-performance models: the R8 and the "RS" model range.
The mid-sized car that NSU had been working on, the K70, was intended to slot between the rear-engined Prinz models and the futuristic NSU Ro 80. However, Volkswagen took the K70 for its own range, spelling the end of NSU as a separate brand.
The new merged company was known as Audi NSU Auto Union AG, and saw the emergence of Audi as a separate brand for the first time since the pre-war era. Volkswagen introduced the Audi brand to the United States for the 1970 model year.
The first new car of this regime was the Audi 100 of 1968. This was soon joined by the Audi 80/Fox (which formed the basis for the 1973 Volkswagen Passat) in 1972 and the Audi 50 (later rebadged as the Volkswagen Polo) in 1974. The Audi 50 was a seminal design because it was the first incarnation of the Golf/Polo concept, one that led to a hugely successful world car.
The Audi image at this time was a conservative one, and so, a proposal from chassis engineer Jörg Bensinger[28] was accepted to develop the four-wheel drive technology in Volkswagen's Iltis military vehicle for an Audi performance car and rally racing car. The performance car, introduced in 1980, was named the "Audi Quattro", a turbocharged coupé which was also the first German large-scale production vehicle to feature permanent all-wheel drive through a centre differential. Commonly referred to as the "Ur-Quattro" (the "Ur-" prefix is a German augmentative used, in this case, to mean "original" and is also applied to the first generation of Audi's S4 and S6 Sport Saloons, as in "UrS4" and "UrS6"), few of these vehicles were produced (all hand-built by a single team), but the model was a great success in rallying. Prominent wins proved the viability of all-wheel drive racecars, and the Audi name became associated with advances in automotive technology.
In 1985, with the Auto Union and NSU brands effectively dead, the company's official name was now shortened to simply Audi AG. At the same time the company's headquarters moved back to Ingolstadt and two new wholly owned subsidiaries; Auto Union GmbH and NSU GmbH, were formed to own and manage the historical trademarks and intellectual property of the original constituent companies (the exception being Horch, which had been retained by Daimler-Benz after the VW takeover), and to operate Audi's heritage operations.
In 1986, as the Passat-based Audi 80 was beginning to develop a kind of "grandfather's car" image, the type 89 was introduced. This completely new development sold extremely well. However, its modern and dynamic exterior belied the low performance of its base engine, and its base package was quite spartan (even the passenger-side mirror was an option.) In 1987, Audi put forward a new and very elegant Audi 90, which had a much superior set of standard features. In the early 1990s, sales began to slump for the Audi 80 series, and some basic construction problems started to surface.
In the early part of the 21st century, Audi set forth on a German racetrack to claim and maintain several world records, such as top speed endurance. This effort was in-line with the company's heritage from the 1930s racing era Silver Arrows.
Through the early 1990s, Audi began to shift its target market upscale to compete against German automakers Mercedes-Benz and BMW. This began with the release of the Audi V8 in 1990. It was essentially a new engine fitted to the Audi 100/200, but with noticeable bodywork differences. Most obvious was the new grille that was now incorporated in the bonnet.
By 1991, Audi had the four-cylinder Audi 80, the 5-cylinder Audi 90 and Audi 100, the turbocharged Audi 200 and the Audi V8. There was also a coupe version of the 80/90 with both 4- and 5-cylinder engines.
Although the five-cylinder engine was a successful and robust powerplant, it was still a little too different for the target market. With the introduction of an all-new Audi 100 in 1992, Audi introduced a 2.8L V6 engine. This engine was also fitted to a face-lifted Audi 80 (all 80 and 90 models were now badged 80 except for the USA), giving this model a choice of four-, five-, and six-cylinder engines, in Saloon, Coupé and Cabriolet body styles.
The five-cylinder was soon dropped as a major engine choice; however, a turbocharged 230 hp (170 kW) version remained. The engine, initially fitted to the 200 quattro 20V of 1991, was a derivative of the engine fitted to the Sport Quattro. It was fitted to the Audi Coupé, and named the S2 and also to the Audi 100 body, and named the S4. These two models were the beginning of the mass-produced S series of performance cars.
Audi 5000 unintended acceleration allegations
Sales in the United States fell after a series of recalls from 1982 to 1987 of Audi 5000 models[29] associated with reported incidents of sudden unintended acceleration linked to six deaths and 700 accidents.[29] At the time, NHTSA was investigating 50 car models from 20 manufacturers for sudden surges of power.[30]
A 60 Minutes report aired 23 November 1986,[31] featuring interviews with six people who had sued Audi after reporting unintended acceleration, showing an Audi 5000 ostensibly suffering a problem when the brake pedal was pushed.[32][33] Subsequent investigation revealed that 60 Minutes had engineered the failure – fitting a canister of compressed air on the passenger-side floor, linked via a hose to a hole drilled into the transmission.[31]
Audi 100 C3, sold as the Audi 5000 in the U.S.
Audi contended, prior to findings by outside investigators,[30] that the problems were caused by driver error, specifically pedal misapplication.[30] Subsequently, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) concluded that the majority of unintended acceleration cases, including all the ones that prompted the 60 Minutes report, were caused by driver error such as confusion of pedals.[34] CBS did not acknowledge the test results of involved government agencies, but did acknowledge the similar results of another study.[32]
In a review study published in 2012, NHTSA summarized its past findings about the Audi unintended acceleration problems: "Once an unintended acceleration had begun, in the Audi 5000, due to a failure in the idle-stabilizer system (producing an initial acceleration of 0.3g), pedal misapplication resulting from panic, confusion, or unfamiliarity with the Audi 5000 contributed to the severity of the incident."[35]
This summary is consistent with the conclusions of NHTSA's most technical analysis at the time: "Audi idle-stabilization systems were prone to defects which resulted in excessive idle speeds and brief unanticipated accelerations of up to 0.3g [which is similar in magnitude to an emergency stop in a subway car]. These accelerations could not be the sole cause of [(long-duration) sudden acceleration incidents (SAI)], but might have triggered some SAIs by startling the driver.[36] The defective idle-stabilization system performed a type of electronic throttle control. Significantly: multiple "intermittent malfunctions of the electronic control unit were observed and recorded ... and [were also observed and] reported by Transport Canada."[36]
With a series of recall campaigns, Audi made several modifications; the first adjusted the distance between the brake and accelerator pedal on automatic-transmission models.[29] Later repairs, of 250,000 cars dating back to 1978, added a device requiring the driver to press the brake pedal before shifting out of park.[29] A legacy of the Audi 5000 and other reported cases of sudden unintended acceleration are intricate gear stick patterns and brake interlock mechanisms to prevent inadvertent shifting into forward or reverse. It is unclear how the defects in the idle-stabilization system were addressed.
Audi's U.S. sales, which had reached 74,061 in 1985, dropped to 12,283 in 1991 and remained level for three years.[29] – with resale values falling dramatically.[37] Audi subsequently offered increased warranty protection[37] and renamed the affected models – with the 5000 becoming the 100 and 200 in 1989[30] – and only reached the same sales levels again by model year 2000.[29]
A 2010 BusinessWeek article – outlining possible parallels between Audi's experience and 2009–2010 Toyota vehicle recalls – noted a class-action lawsuit filed in 1987 by about 7,500 Audi 5000-model owners remains unsettled and is currently being contested in county court in Chicago after appeals at the Illinois state and U.S. federal levels.[29]
Model introductions
In the mid-to-late 1990s, Audi introduced new technologies including the use of aluminum construction. Produced from 1999 to 2005, the Audi A2 was a futuristic super mini, born from the Al2 concept, with many features that helped regain consumer confidence, like the aluminium space frame, which was a first in production car design. In the A2 Audi further expanded their TDI technology through the use of frugal three-cylinder engines. The A2 was extremely aerodynamic and was designed around a wind tunnel. The Audi A2 was criticised for its high price and was never really a sales success but it planted Audi as a cutting-edge manufacturer. The model, a Mercedes-Benz A-Class competitor, sold relatively well in Europe. However, the A2 was discontinued in 2005 and Audi decided not to develop an immediate replacement.
The next major model change came in 1995 when the Audi A4 replaced the Audi 80. The new nomenclature scheme was applied to the Audi 100 to become the Audi A6 (with a minor facelift). This also meant the S4 became the S6 and a new S4 was introduced in the A4 body. The S2 was discontinued. The Audi Cabriolet continued on (based on the Audi 80 platform) until 1999, gaining the engine upgrades along the way. A new A3 hatchback model (sharing the Volkswagen Golf Mk4's platform) was introduced to the range in 1996, and the radical Audi TT coupé and roadster were debuted in 1998 based on the same underpinnings.
The engines available throughout the range were now a 1.4 L, 1.6 L and 1.8 L four-cylinder, 1.8 L four-cylinder turbo, 2.6 L and 2.8 L V6, 2.2 L turbo-charged five-cylinder and the 4.2 L V8 engine. The V6s were replaced by new 2.4 L and 2.8 L 30V V6s in 1998, with marked improvement in power, torque and smoothness. Further engines were added along the way, including a 3.7 L V8 and 6.0 L W12 engine for the A8.
Audi AG today
Audi's sales grew strongly in the 2000s, with deliveries to customers increasing from 653,000 in 2000 to 1,003,000 in 2008. The largest sales increases came from Eastern Europe (+19.3%), Africa (+17.2%) and the Middle East (+58.5%). China in particular has become a key market, representing 108,000 out of 705,000 cars delivered in the first three quarters of 2009. One factor for its popularity in China is that Audis have become the car of choice for purchase by the Chinese government for officials, and purchases by the government are responsible for 20% of its sales in China.[38] As of late 2009, Audi's operating profit of €1.17-billion ($1.85-billion) made it the biggest contributor to parent Volkswagen Group's nine-month operating profit of €1.5-billion, while the other marques in Group such as Bentley and SEAT had suffered considerable losses.[39] May 2011 saw record sales for Audi of America with the new Audi A7 and Audi A3 TDI Clean Diesel.[40] In May 2012, Audi reported a 10% increase in its sales—from 408 units to 480 in the last year alone.[41]
Audi manufactures vehicles in seven plants around the world, some of which are shared with other VW Group marques[42] although many sub-assemblies such as engines and transmissions are manufactured within other Volkswagen Group plants.
Audi's two principal assembly plants are:
Ingolstadt, Opened by Auto Union in 1964, (A3, A4, A5, Q5)
Neckarsulm, Acquired from NSU in 1969 (A4, A6, A7, A8, R8 & all RS variants)
Outside of Germany, Audi produces vehicles at:
Aurangabad, India since 2006
Bratislava, Slovakia, shared with Volkswagen, SEAT, Škoda and Porsche (Q7)
Brussels, Belgium, acquired from Volkswagen in 2007 (A1)
Changchun, China since 1995
Győr, Hungary, (TT and some A3 variants)
Jakarta, Indonesia since 2011
Martorell, Spain shared with SEAT and Volkswagen (Q3)
In September 2012, Audi announced the construction of its first North American manufacturing plant in Puebla, Mexico. This plant is expected to be operative in 2016 and produce the second generation Q5.[43]
From 2002 up to 2003, Audi headed the Audi Brand Group, a subdivision of the Volkswagen Group's Automotive Division consisting of Audi, Lamborghini and SEAT, that was focused on sporty values, with the marques' product vehicles and performance being under the higher responsibility of the Audi brand.
In 2014, most of the Audi dealers in UK falsely claimed that the Audi A7, A8, and R8 were Euro NCAP safety tested, all achieving five out of five stars. In fact none were tested.[44]
In 2015, Audi admitted that at least 2.1 million Audi cars had been involved in the Volkswagen emissions testing scandal in which software installed in the cars manipulated emissions data to fool regulators and allow the cars to pollute at higher than government-mandated levels. The A1, A3, A4, A5, A6, TT, Q3 and Q5 models were implicated in the scandal.[45] Audi promised to quickly find a technical solution and upgrade the cars so they can function within emissions regulations.[46] Ulrich Hackenberg, the head of research and development at Audi, was suspended in relation to the scandal.[47] Despite widespread media coverage about the scandal through the month of September, Audi reported that U.S. sales for the month had increased by 16.2%.[48]
Audi produces 100% galvanised cars to prevent corrosion,[49] and was the first mass-market vehicle to do so, following introduction of the process by Porsche, c. 1975. Along with other precautionary measures, the full-body zinc coating has proved to be very effective in preventing rust. The body's resulting durability even surpassed Audi's own expectations, causing the manufacturer to extend its original 10-year warranty against corrosion perforation to currently 12 years (except for aluminium bodies which do not rust).[50]
Space frame
The Audi R8 uses Audi Space Frame technology
Audi introduced a new series of vehicles in the mid-1990s and continues to pursue new technology and high performance. An all-aluminium car was brought forward by Audi, and in 1994 the Audi A8 was launched, which introduced aluminium space frame technology (called Audi Space Frame or ASF) which saves weight and improves torsion rigidity compared to a conventional steel frame. Prior to that effort, Audi used examples of the Type 44 chassis fabricated out of aluminium as test-beds for the technique. The disadvantage of the aluminium frame is that it is very expensive to repair and requires a specialized aluminium bodyshop.[51] The weight reduction is somewhat offset by the quattro four-wheel drive system which is standard in most markets. Nonetheless, the A8 is usually the lightest all-wheel drive car in the full-size luxury segment, also having best-in-class fuel economy.[52] The Audi A2, Audi TT and Audi R8 also use Audi Space Frame designs.
For most of its lineup (excluding the A3, A1, and TT models), Audi has not adopted the transverse engine layout which is typically found in economy cars (such as Peugeot and Citroën), since that would limit the type and power of engines that can be installed. To be able to mount powerful engines (such as a V8 engine in the Audi S4 and Audi RS4, as well as the W12 engine in the Audi A8L W12), Audi has usually engineered its more expensive cars with a longitudinally front-mounted engine, in an "overhung" position, over the front wheels in front of the axle line. While this allows for the easy adoption of all-wheel drive, it goes against the ideal 50:50 weight distribution.
In all its post Volkswagen-era models, Audi has firmly refused to adopt the traditional rear-wheel drive layout favored by its two arch rivals Mercedes-Benz and BMW, favoring either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The majority of Audi's lineup in the United States features all-wheel drive standard on most of its expensive vehicles (only the entry-level trims of the A4 and A6 are available with front-wheel drive), in contrast to Mercedes-Benz and BMW whose lineup treats all-wheel drive as an option. BMW did not offer all-wheel drive on its V8-powered cars (as opposed to crossover SUVs) until the 2010 BMW 7 Series and 2011 BMW 5 Series, while the Audi A8 has had all-wheel drive available/standard since the 1990s. Regarding high-performance variants, Audi S and RS models have always had all-wheel drive, unlike their direct rivals from BMW M and Mercedes-AMG whose cars are rear-wheel drive only (although their performance crossover SUVs are all-wheel drive).
Audi has recently applied the quattro badge to models such as the A3 and TT which do not use the Torsen-based system as in prior years with a mechanical center differential, but with the Haldex Traction electro-mechanical clutch AWD system.
Volkswagen Group W12 engine from the Volkswagen Phaeton W12
Prior to the introduction of the Audi 80 and Audi 50 in 1972 and 1974, respectively, Audi had led the development of the EA111 and EA827 inline-four engine families. These new power units underpinned the water-cooled revival of parent company Volkswagen (in the Polo, Golf, Passat and Scirocco), whilst the many derivatives and descendants of these two basic engine designs have appeared in every generation of VW Group vehicles right up to the present day.
In the 1980s, Audi, along with Volvo, was the champion of the inline-five cylinder, 2.1/2.2 L engine as a longer-lasting alternative to more traditional six-cylinder engines. This engine was used not only in production cars but also in their race cars. The 2.1 L inline five-cylinder engine was used as a base for the rally cars in the 1980s, providing well over 400 horsepower (300 kilowatts) after modification. Before 1990, there were engines produced with a displacement between 2.0 L and 2.3 L. This range of engine capacity allowed for both fuel economy and power.
For the ultra-luxury version of its Audi A8 fullsize luxury flagship sedan, the Audi A8L W12, Audi uses the Volkswagen Group W12 engine instead of the conventional V12 engine favored by rivals Mercedes-Benz and BMW. The W12 engine configuration (also known as a "WR12") is created by forming two imaginary narrow-angle 15° VR6 engines at an angle of 72°, and the narrow angle of each set of cylinders allows just two overhead camshafts to drive each pair of banks, so just four are needed in total.[53] The advantage of the W12 engine is its compact packaging, allowing Audi to build a 12-cylinder sedan with all-wheel drive, whereas a conventional V12 engine could only have a rear-wheel drive configuration as it would have no space in the engine bay for a differential and other components required to power the front wheels. In fact, the 6.0 L W12 in the Audi A8L W12 is smaller in overall dimensions than the 4.2 L V8 that powers the Audi A8 4.2 variants.[54] The 2011 Audi A8 debuted a revised 6.3-litre version of the W12 (WR12) engine with 500 PS (370 kW; 490 hp).
Fuel Stratified Injection
New models of the A3, A4, A6 and A8 have been introduced, with the ageing 1.8-litre engine now having been replaced by new Fuel Stratified Injection (FSI) engines. Nearly every petroleum burning model in the range now incorporates this fuel-saving technology.
V8 FSI engine
Direct-Shift Gearbox
At the turn of the century, Volkswagen introduced the Direct-Shift Gearbox (DSG), a type of dual clutch transmission. It is an automated semi-automatic transmission, drivable like a conventional automatic transmission. Based on the gearbox found in the Group B S1, the system includes dual electrohydraulically controlled clutches instead of a torque converter. This is implemented in some VW Golfs, Audi A3, Audi A4 and TT models where DSG is called S-tronic.
Beginning in 2005, Audi has implemented white LED technology as daytime running lights (DRL) in their products. The distinctive shape of the DRLs has become a trademark of sorts. LEDs were first introduced on the Audi A8 W12, the world's first production car to have LED DRLs,[55][56][57] and have since spread throughout the entire model range. The LEDs are present on some Audi billboards.
Since 2010, Audi has also offered the LED technology in low- and high-beam headlights.[58]
The DRL in an Audi A4 B8
Multi Media Interface
Multi Media Interface-Menu on Audi virtual cockpit, Audi TT Mk3
Starting with the 2003 Audi A8, Audi has used a centralised control interface for its on-board infotainment systems, called Multi Media Interface (MMI). This came amid criticism of BMW's iDrive control. It is essentially a rotating control knob and 'segment' buttons – designed to control all in-car entertainment devices (radio, CD changer, iPod, TV tuner), satellite navigation, heating and ventilation, and other car controls with a screen. MMI was widely reported to be a considerable improvement on BMW's iDrive, although BMW has since made their iDrive more user-friendly.
The availability of MMI has gradually filtered down the Audi lineup, and following its introduction on the third generation A3 in 2011, MMI is now available across the entire range. It has been generally well received, as it requires less menu-surfing with its segment buttons around a central knob, along with 'main function' direct access buttons – with shortcuts to the radio or phone functions. The colour screen is mounted on the upright dashboard, and on the A4 (new), A5, A6, A8, and Q7, the controls are mounted horizontally.
Synthetic Diesel
Audi has come out with technology to produce synthetic diesel from water and carbon dioxide.[59]
The following tables list Audi production vehicles that are sold as of 2014:
A1 Supermini
3-door Hatchback
Sportback (5-door Hatchback)
A3 Compact Executive Car
Saloon (Sedan)
Avant (Estate/Wagon)
Allroad (Crossover Estate/Wagon)
Cabriolet (Convertible)
A6 Executive Car
A8 Full-size Luxury Car
Audi coupés and SUVs
TT Compact Sports Car
Roadster (Convertible)
R8 Sports Car
Spyder (Convertible)
Q3 Compact Crossover SUV
Q7 Full-size Crossover SUV
S and RS models
S (Sport) models
S3 Small Family Car
S4 Compact Executive Car
S6[60] Executive Car
S8[62] Full-size Luxury Car
TTS Compact Sports Car
RS (RennSport/Racing Sport) models
RS4 Compact Executive Car
RS7 Executive Car
TT RS Compact Sports Car
Audi is planning an alliance with the Japanese electronics giant Sanyo to develop a pilot hybrid electric project for the Volkswagen Group. The alliance could result in Sanyo batteries and other electronic components being used in future models of the Volkswagen Group.[63] Concept electric vehicles unveiled to date include the Audi A1 Sportback Concept,[64] Audi A4 TDI Concept E,[65] and the fully electric Audi e-tron Concept Supercar.[66]
— — 143,974 271,152 — 174,867 — 15,355 — — — 13,682 —
— 32,164 136,141 231,869 — 180,715 — 12,894 — — — 56,776 —
— 10,026 224,961 337,705 — 215,437 — 21,515 — — 1,185 12,307 —
— — 231,752 341,110 487 229,021 — 22,468 — — 72,169 23,675 164
— — 231,117 289,806 25,549 243,842 — 22,182 — 162 77,395 56,766 4,125
— — 222,164 378,885 57,650 214,074 — 20,140 — 20,324 59,008 41,789 5,656
— — 206,747 282,033 84,883 182,090 — 8,599 — 105,074 27,929 22,821 2,101
51,937 — 198,974 306,291 111,270 211,256 8,496 22,435 — 154,604 48,937 26,217 3,485
117,566 — 189,068 321,045 111,758 241,862 37,301 38,542 19,613 183,678 53,703 25,508 3,551
123,111 — 164,666 329,759 103,357 284,888 28,950 35,932 106,918 209,799 54,558 21,880 2,241
Data from 1998 to 2010. Figures for different body types/versions of models have been merged to create overall figures for each model.
Audi has competed in various forms of motorsports. Audi's tradition in motorsport began with their former company Auto Union in the 1930s. In the 1990s, Audi found success in the Touring and Super Touring categories of motor racing after success in circuit racing in North America.
Walter Röhrl with his Quattro A2 during the 1984 Rally Portugal
In 1980, Audi released the Quattro, a four-wheel drive (4WD) turbocharged car that went on to win rallies and races worldwide. It is considered one of the most significant rally cars of all time, because it was one of the first to take advantage of the then-recently changed rules which allowed the use of four-wheel drive in competition racing. Many critics doubted the viability of four-wheel drive racers, thinking them to be too heavy and complex, yet the Quattro was to become a successful car. Leading its first rally it went off the road, however the rally world had been served notice 4WD was the future. The Quattro went on to achieve much success in the World Rally Championship. It won the 1983 (Hannu Mikkola) and the 1984 (Stig Blomqvist) drivers' titles,[80] and brought Audi the manufacturers' title in 1982 and 1984.[81]
Audi Quattro S1 driven at the 2007 Rallye Deutschland
In 1984, Audi launched the short-wheelbase Sport Quattro which dominated rally races in Monte Carlo and Sweden, with Audi taking all podium places, but succumbed to problems further into WRC contention. In 1985, after another season mired in mediocre finishes, Walter Röhrl finished the season in his Sport Quattro S1, and helped place Audi second in the manufacturers' points. Audi also received rally honours in the Hong Kong to Beijing rally in that same year. Michèle Mouton, the only female driver to win a round of the World Rally Championship and a driver for Audi, took the Sport Quattro S1, now simply called the "S1", and raced in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The 1,439-metre (4,721 ft) climb race pits a driver and car to drive to the summit of the 4,302-metre (14,114 ft) Pikes Peak mountain in Colorado, and in 1985, Michèle Mouton set a new record of 11:25.39, and being the first woman to set a Pikes Peak record. In 1986, Audi formally left international rally racing following an accident in Portugal involving driver Joaquim Santos in his Ford RS200. Santos swerved to avoid hitting spectators in the road, and left the track into the crowd of spectators on the side, killing three and injuring 30. Bobby Unser used an Audi in that same year to claim a new record for the Pikes Peak Hill Climb at 11:09.22.
In 1987, Walter Röhrl claimed the title for Audi setting a new Pikes Peak International Hill Climb record of 10:47.85 in his Audi S1, which he had retired from the WRC two years earlier. The Audi S1 employed Audi's time-tested inline-five-cylinder turbocharged engine, with the final version generating 441 kW (600 PS; 591 bhp).[82] The engine was mated to a six-speed gearbox and ran on Audi's famous four-wheel drive system. All of Audi's top drivers drove this car; Hannu Mikkola, Stig Blomqvist, Walter Röhrl and Michèle Mouton. This Audi S1 started the range of Audi 'S' cars, which now represents an increased level of sports-performance equipment within the mainstream Audi model range.
As Audi moved away from rallying and into circuit racing, they chose to move first into America with the Trans-Am in 1988.
In 1989, Audi moved to International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) GTO with the Audi 90, however as they avoided the two major endurance events (Daytona and Sebring) despite winning on a regular basis, they would lose out on the title.
In 1990, having completed their objective to market cars in North America, Audi returned to Europe, turning first to the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (DTM) series with the Audi V8, and then in 1993, being unwilling to build cars for the new formula, they turned their attention to the fast-growing Super Touring series, which are a series of national championships. Audi first entered in the French Supertourisme and Italian Superturismo. In the following year, Audi would switch to the German Super Tourenwagen Cup (known as STW), and then to British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) the year after that.
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), having difficulty regulating the quattro four-wheel drive system, and the impact it had on the competitors, would eventually ban all four-wheel drive cars from competing in 1998,[83] but by then, Audi switched all their works efforts to sports car racing.
By 2000, Audi would still compete in the US with their RS4 for the SCCA Speed World GT Challenge, through dealer/team Champion Racing competing against Corvettes, Vipers, and smaller BMWs (where it is one of the few series to permit 4WD cars). In 2003, Champion Racing entered an RS6. Once again, the quattro four-wheel drive was superior, and Champion Audi won the championship. They returned in 2004 to defend their title, but a newcomer, Cadillac with the new Omega Chassis CTS-V, gave them a run for their money. After four victories in a row, the Audis were sanctioned with several negative changes that deeply affected the car's performance. Namely, added ballast weights, and Champion Audi deciding to go with different tyres, and reducing the boost pressure of the turbocharger.
In 2004, after years of competing with the TT-R in the revitalised DTM series, with privateer team Abt Racing/Christian Abt taking the 2002 title with Laurent Aïello, Audi returned as a full factory effort to touring car racing by entering two factory supported Joest Racing A4 DTM cars.
Audi R10 TDI
Audi began racing prototype sportscars in 1999, debuting at the Le Mans 24 hour. Two car concepts were developed and raced in their first season - the Audi R8R (open-cockpit 'roadster' prototype) and the Audi R8C (closed-cockpit 'coupé' GT-prototype). The R8R scored a credible podium on its racing debut at Le Mans and was the concept which Audi continued to develop into the 2000 season due to favourable rules for open-cockpit prototypes.
However, most of the competitors (such as BMW, Toyota, Mercedes and Nissan) retired at the end of 1999. The factory-supported Joest Racing team won at Le Mans three times in a row with the Audi R8 (2000–2002), as well as winning every race in the American Le Mans Series in its first year. Audi also sold the car to customer teams such as Champion Racing.
In 2003, two Bentley Speed 8s, with engines designed by Audi, and driven by Joest drivers loaned to the fellow Volkswagen Group company, competed in the GTP class, and finished the race in the top two positions, while the Champion Racing R8 finished third overall, and first in the LMP900 class. Audi returned to the winner's podium at the 2004 race, with the top three finishers all driving R8s: Audi Sport Japan Team Goh finished first, Audi Sport UK Veloqx second, and Champion Racing third.
At the 2005 24 Hours of Le Mans, Champion Racing entered two R8s, along with an R8 from the Audi PlayStation Team Oreca. The R8s (which were built to old LMP900 regulations) received a narrower air inlet restrictor, reducing power, and an additional 50 kg (110 lb) of weight compared to the newer LMP1 chassis. On average, the R8s were about 2–3 seconds off pace compared to the Pescarolo–Judd. But with a team of excellent drivers and experience, both Champion R8s were able to take first and third, while the Oreca team took fourth. The Champion team was also the first American team to win Le Mans since the Gulf Ford GTs in 1967. This also ends the long era of the R8; however, its replacement for 2006, called the Audi R10 TDI, was unveiled on 13 December 2005.
The R10 TDI employed many new and innovative features, the most notable being the twin-turbocharged direct injection diesel engine. It was first raced in the 2006 12 Hours of Sebring as a race-test in preparation for the 2006 24 Hours of Le Mans, which it later went on to win. Audi has been on the forefront of sports car racing, claiming a historic win in the first diesel sports car at 12 Hours of Sebring (the car was developed with a Diesel engine due to ACO regulations that favor diesel engines). As well as winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2006 making history, the R10 TDI has also shown its capabilities by beating the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP in 2007, and beating Peugeot again in 2008, (however Peugeot won the 24h in 2009) and, in a podium clean-sweep by proving its reliability throughout the race (compared to all four 908 entries retired before the end of the race) while breaking a new distance record (set way back by the Porsche 917K of Martini Racing in 1971), in 2010 with the R15 TDI Plus.[84]
Audi's sports car racing success would continue with the Audi R18's victory at the 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans. Audi Sport Team Joest's Benoît Tréluyer earned Audi their first pole position in five years while the team's sister car locked out the front row.[85] Early accidents eliminated two of Audi's three entries, but the sole remaining Audi R18 TDI of Tréluyer, Marcel Fässler, and André Lotterer held off the trio of Peugeot 908s to claim victory by a margin of 13.8 seconds.
4 3 1 1 4 3 3 3 1 6 3 3 Ret 1 5 2
3 1 2 2 3 1 1 1 Ret 1 Ret 2 1 2 1 1
Ret 2 Ret 3 Ret 5 4 Ret 4 17 1 Ret 5 3 Ret
Ret Ret 7 2 3
Audi entered a factory racing team run by Joest Racing into the American Le Mans Series under the Audi Sport North America name in 2000. This was a successful operation with the team winning on its debut in the series at the 2000 12 Hours of Sebring. Factory backed Audi R8s were the dominant car in ALMS taking 25 victories between 2000 and the end of the 2002 season. In 2003 Audi sold customer cars to Champion Racing as well as continuing to race the factory Audi Sport North America team. Champion Racing won many races as a private team running Audi R8s and eventually replaced Team Joest as the Audi Sport North America between 2006 and 2008. Since 2009 Audi has not taken part in full American Le Mans Series Championships, but has competed in the series opening races at Sebring, using the 12-hour race as a test for Le Mans, and also as part of the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship season calendar.
Audi Sport North America 2 20 3 Ret 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 1
1 6 4 3 2 Ret 1 4 2 2 1 15
Audi R8 Audi Sport North America 1 1 1 1 1 5 Ret 2 Ret Ret
Audi R8 Audi Sport North America 5 14 1 2 3 2 Ret 1 1 6
Audi R8 Audi Sport North America 1 2 2 1 1 7 1 2 3
Champion Racing 2 1 3 2 20 1 4 1 1
Audi R8 Audi Sport UK 1
Champion Racing 3 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1
Audi R8 Champion Racing 1 1 18 1 3 Ret 3 2 7 4
Audi R8 Audi Sport North America 1 3 1
R10 Ret 1 2 1 4 7 2
Audi R10 Audi Sport North America 4 1 7 3 2 5 5 2 2 3 1 1
1 2 12 6 23 3 3 4 2 17 3
Audi R10 Audi Sport North America 3 Ret 2 Ret 21 2 2 2 DSQ 1 2
6 1 1 7 4 1 1 1 Ret 3 1
Audi R15 Audi Sport North America 5
Audi R18 Audi Sport Team Joest 16
Audi R18 Audi Sport Team Joest 1
Audi participated in the 2003 1000km of Le Mans which was a one-off sports car race in preparation for the 2004 European Le Mans Series. The factory team Audi Sport UK won races and the championship in the 2004 season but Audi was unable to match their sweeping success of Audi Sport North America in the American Le Mans Series, partly due to the arrival of a factory competitor in LMP1, Peugeot. The French manufacturer's 908 HDi FAP became the car to beat in the series from 2008 onwards with 20 LMP wins. However, Audi were able to secure the championship in 2008 even though Peugeot scored more race victories in the season.[86]
Audi R8 Audi Sport Japan 1
Audi R8 Audi Sport UK 2 1 1 Ret
Audi Sport Japan 3 4 2 2
Audi R8 Team Oreca Ret 1 2 2
Audi R10 Audi Sport Team Joest 5 6 4 4 1
Audi R15 Audi Sport Team Joest 1 3 Ret
In 2012, the FIA sanctioned a 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans. Audi scored a final 5th victory in the 2012 WEC in Bahrain and were able to win the inaugural WEC Manufacturers' Championship.
As defending champions, Audi once again entered the Audi R18 e-tron quattro chassis into the 2013 WEC and the team won the first five consecutive races, including the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans. The victory at Round 5, Circuit of the Americas, was of particular significance as it marked the 100th win for Audi in Le Mans prototypes.[87] Audi secured their second consecutive WEC Manufacturers' Championship at Round 6 after taking second place and half points in the red-flagged Fuji race.[88]
For the 2014 season Audi entered a redesigned and upgraded R18 e-tron quattro which featured a 2 MJ energy recovery system. As defending champions, Audi would once again face a challenge in LMP1 from Toyota, and additionally from Porsche who returned to endurance racing after a 16-year absence. The season opening 6hrs of Silverstone was a disaster for Audi who saw both cars retire from the race, marking the first time that an Audi car has failed to score a podium in a World Endurance Championship race.
Audi R18 e-tron quattro 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 2 173 (209) 1st
SÃU
R18 e-tron quattro
1 Ret 2 1 1 5 4 4 3
Audi will provide factory support to Abt Sportsline in the FIA Formula E Championship, The team will compete under the title of Audi Sport Abt Formula E Team in the inaugural 2014-15 Formula E season.[89] On 13 February 2014 the team announced its driver line up as Daniel Abt and World Endurance Championship driver Lucas di Grassi.[90]
Audi Sport Abt Formula E Team Spark-Renault SRT 01E
Audi has been linked to Formula One in recent years but has always resisted due to the company's opinion that it is not relevant to road cars, but hybrid power unit technology has been adopted into the sport, swaying the company's view and encouraging research into the program by former Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali.
The old logo used by Audi (1985–2009)
The typeface Audi Sans (used 1997-2009)
The typeface Audi Type (used since 2009)
The Audi emblem is four overlapping rings that represent the four marques of Auto Union. The Audi emblem symbolises the amalgamation of Audi with DKW, Horch and Wanderer: the first ring from the left represents Audi, the second represents DKW, third is Horch, and the fourth and last ring Wanderer.[91][92] Its similarity to the Olympic rings caused the International Olympic Committee to sue Audi in International Trademark Court in 1995, to which they lost.[93]
As part of Audi's centennial celebration in 2009, the company updated the logo, changing the font to left-aligned Audi Type, and altering the shading for the overlapping rings.[94] The revised logo was designed by Rayan Abdullah.[95]
Audi developed a Corporate Sound concept, with Audi Sound Studio designed for producing the Corporate Sound.[96] The Corporate Sound project began with sound agency Klangerfinder GmbH & Co KG and s12 GmbH. Audio samples were created in Klangerfinder's sound studio in Stuttgart, becoming part of Audi Sound Studio collection. Other Audi Sound Studio components include The Brand Music Pool, The Brand Voice.[97] Audi also developed Sound Branding Toolkit including certain instruments, sound themes, rhythm and car sounds which all are supposed to reflect the AUDI sound character.[98]
Audi started using a beating heart sound trademark beginning in 1996. An updated heartbeat sound logo, developed by agencies KLANGERFINDER GmbH & Co KG of Stuttgart and S12 GmbH of Munich, was first used in 2010 in an Audi A8 commercial with the slogan "The Art of Progress."[99][100]
Audi's corporate tagline is Vorsprung durch Technik, meaning "Progress through Technology".[101] The German-language tagline is used in many European countries, including the United Kingdom, and in other markets, such as Latin America, Oceania and parts of Asia including Japan. A few years ago, the North American tagline was "Innovation through technology", but in Canada the German tagline Vorsprung durch Technik was used in advertising. Since 2007, Audi has used the slogan "Truth in Engineering" in the U.S.[102] However, since the Audi emissions testing scandal came to light in September 2015, this slogan was lambasted for being discordant with reality.[103] In fact, just hours after disgraced Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn admitted to cheating on emissions data, an advertisement during the 2015 Primetime Emmy Awards promoted Audi's latest advances in low emissions technology with Kermit the Frog stating, "It's not that easy being green."[104]
Audi Sans (based on Univers Extended) was originally created in 1997 by Ole Schäfer for MetaDesign. MetaDesign was later commissioned for a new corporate typeface called Audi Type, designed by Paul van der Laan and Pieter van Rosmalen of Bold Monday. The font began to appear in Audi's 2009 products and marketing materials.[105]
Audi sponsors Bundesliga club Bayern Munich
Audi is a strong partner of different kinds of sports. In Audi Cup for the first time.[107] Audi also sponsor the New York Yankees as well. In October 2010 they agreed to a three sponsorship year-deal with Everton.[108] Audi also sponsors the England Polo Team and holds the Audi Polo Awards.[109][110]
Multitronic campaign
Audi Centre Sydney, Zetland, New South Wales, Australia
In 2001, Audi promoted the new multitronic continuously variable transmission with television commercials throughout Europe, featuring an impersonator of musician and actor Elvis Presley.[111][112] A prototypical dashboard figure – later named "Wackel-Elvis" ("Wobble Elvis" or "Wobbly Elvis") – appeared in the commercials to demonstrate the smooth ride in an Audi equipped with the multitronic transmission. The dashboard figure was originally intended for use in the commercials only, but after they aired the demand for Wackel-Elvis fans grew among fans and the figure was mass-produced in China and marketed by Audi in their factory outlet store.[113]
As part of Audi's attempt to promote its Diesel technology in 2009, the company began Audi Mileage Marathon. The driving tour featured a fleet of 23 Audi TDI vehicles from 4 models (Audi Q7 3.0 TDI, Audi Q5 3.0 TDI, Audi A4 3.0 TDI, Audi A3 Sportback 2.0 TDI with S tronic transmission) travelling across the American continent from New York to Los Angeles, passing major cities like Chicago, Dallas and Las Vegas during the 13 daily stages, as well as natural wonders including the Rocky Mountains, Death Valley and the Grand Canyon.[114]
As part of 2014 model year Audi TDI vehicles launch in the US, 3 television commercials ("The Station", "Future", "Range") were produced. In the 60-second 'The Station' ad, a woman at a fueling station reaches for the diesel pump to fill up her Audi A6. In a dramatic fashion, unsuspecting onlookers race towards her and they can't imagine the luxury vehicle is in fact a diesel. The spot ends with the tagline "It's time to rethink diesel – join the club." "The Station" appeared on primetime network and cable 2013 fall programming including Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Modern Family, The Big Bang Theory, Hostages, Sons of Anarchy and NBC NFL Sunday Night Football. The 15-second "Range" ad demonstrates the potential to drive from New York to Chicago on a single tank of gas, covering a range of approximately 790 miles. In the 15-second "Future" ad, viewers see the potential for clean diesel as today's leading alternative fuel solution and an intelligent choice for those on the leading-edge. Audi TDI provides drivers with 30% better fuel economy and range without compromises on performance and design. In addition to the three new television spots, Audi also tried to dispel the most common myths of diesel – gas station availability, the smell and perception associated with an older generation of diesel vehicles, weak performance – in a series of four online video shorts that would roll out over the next two months on the Audi YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/audiusa . The spots also will appear on The Washington Post and Slate.com in a custom user-generated content hub through 2013-10-31. In addition to standard and high-impact ads, the content hub features custom videos, articles and infographics, along with relevant social conversations. The Audi TDI clean diesel campaign also features print ads that reinforce the message "the future of fuel is here now." Print ads would roll out in select automotive buff books in fall 2013.[115][116] 'The Station' ad was premiered in Canada in September 2013.[117] 'The Station' (also called 'The Moment of Truth') ad was produced by Venables Bell & Partners, Biscuit Filmworks, Final Cut.[118][119][120]
As part of 2014 model year Audi TDI vehicles launch in the US, the 'Truth in 48' driving challenge took place from Audi Pacific dealership at Los Angeles to New York in 48 hours or less, began at 9 a.m. PDT on 2013-09-07. The Coast-to-coast attempt used 2014 Audi A6 TDI and Audi A7 TDI and a 2014 Audi Q5 TDI crossover as the support vehicle, with teams of eight noted hypermilers and four journalists.[121][122]
The next phase of technology Audi is developing is the e-tron electric drive powertrain system. They have shown several concept cars as of March 2010, each with different levels of size and performance. The original e-tron concept shown at the 2009 Frankfurt motor show is based on the platform of the R8 and has been scheduled for limited production. Power is provided by electric motors at all four wheels. The second concept was shown at the 2010 Detroit Motor Show. Power is provided by two electric motors at the rear axle. This concept is also considered to be the direction for a future mid-engined gas-powered 2-seat performance coupe. The Audi A1 e-tron concept, based on the Audi A1 production model, is a hybrid vehicle with a range extending Wankel rotary engine to provide power after the initial charge of the battery is depleted. It is the only concept of the three to have range extending capability. The car is powered through the front wheels, always using electric power.
It is all set to be displayed at the Auto Expo 2012 in New Delhi, India, from 5 January. Powered by a 1.4 litre engine, and can cover a distance up to 54 km s on a single charge. The e-tron was also shown in the 2013 blockbuster film Iron Man 3 and was driven by Tony Stark (Iron Man).
In PlayStation Home, the PlayStation 3's online community-based service, Audi has supported Home by releasing a dedicated Home space in the European version of Home. Audi is the first carmaker to develop a space for Home. On 17 December 2009, Audi released the Audi Space as two spaces; the Audi Home Terminal and the Audi Vertical Run.[123] The Audi Home Terminal features an Audi TV channel delivering video content, an Internet Browser feature, and a view of a city. The Audi Vertical Run is where users can access the mini-game Vertical Run, a futuristic mini-game featuring Audi's e-tron concept. Players collect energy and race for the highest possible speeds and the fastest players earn a place in the Audi apartments located in a large tower in the centre of the Audi Space. In both the Home Terminal and Vertical Run spaces, there are teleports where users can teleport back and forth between the two spaces. Audi has stated that additional content will be added in 2010.[124]
Wanderer (car)
^ AUDI AG 2012, p. 188.
^ Audi AG motion picture 1994: "The Silver Arrows from Zwickau", running time approx. 49 mins.
^ Audi History audiusa.com
^ August Horch: "Ich baute Autos – Vom Schmiedelehrling zum Autoindustriellen", Schützen-Verlag Berlin 1937
^ a b Audi chronicle 1915–1929. audi.com
^ Oswald, p 263
^ a b c d e f g
^ http://www.newsweek.com/audi-germany-volkswagen-scandal-378184
^ Corrosion protection. audiusa.com
^ http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mellor.nsf/story2/5753C7B50C3435D6CA257053001CB9E4
^ Audi Plans To Run On Sanyo Hybrid Batteries. lexisnexis.com (1 June 2008).
^ a b Volkswagen AG Annual Report 1999 (Including 1998) p. 50 volkswagenag.com
^ Volkswagen AG Annual Report 2000. p. 53 volkswagenag.com
^ Volkswagen AG Annual Report 2010. p. 111 volkswagenag.com
^ http://www.fiaformulae.com/news/abt-reveal-drivers-line-up
^ Lavrinc, Damon. Audi planning TT and R8 lightweight "Sport" models. Autoblog. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
^ Audi reinforces the future of fuel is here today in new campaign introducing the all-new 2014 TDI clean diesel model lineup
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Audi, a marque of the Volkswagen Group, car timeline, European market, 1965–present
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Supermini 50 (86) A2 (8Z) A1 (8X)
Small family car A3 (8L) A3 (8P) A3 (8V)
S3 (8L) S3 (8P) S3 (8V)
Compact executive car F103 series 80 (82) 80 / 90 (81) 80 / 90 (89) 80 (8C) A4 (8D) A4 (8E) A4 (8K)
S2 S4 (8D) S4 (8E) S4 (8K)
Mid-size luxury car 100 (F104/43/44/4A) / 200 (44) A6 (4A) A6 (4B) A6 (4F) A6 (4G)
S4 (4A) S6 (4A) S6 (4B) S6 (4F) S6 (4G)
Full-size luxury car V8 (4C) A8 (4D) A8 (4E) A8 (4H)
S8 (4D) S8 (4E) S8 (4H)
Sports car TT (8N) TT (8J) TT (8S)
Coupé 100 Coupé Coupé (81) Coupé (89) A5 (8T)
S5 (8T)
Full-size luxury fastback A7 (4G)
S7 (4G)
RS RS3 Sportback (8P) RS3 Sportback (8V)
RS2 Avant RS4 (8D) RS4 (8E/8H) RS4 (8K)
RS6 (4B) RS6 (4F) RS6 (4G)
Quattro (Ur-Quattro) RS5 (8T)
RS Q3 (8U)
Supercar R8 (42)
Crossover utility vehicle A4 allroad quattro (8K)
allroad quattro (4Z) A6 allroad quattro (4F) A6 allroad quattro (4G)
Compact SUV Q3 (8U)
Mid-size SUV Q5 (8R)
Full-size SUV Q7 (4L)
Homologation road / rally car Quattro A1 & A2 Sport Quattro Sport Quattro S1
Audi corporate website
Audi Centre of Excellence
Audi, a marque of the Volkswagen Group, car timeline, North American market, 1980–present
Type 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s
Compact car A3 (8P)
4000 (81) 80 / 90 (89) 90 (8C) A4 (8D/8E/8H/8K)
4000 CS quattro S4 (8D/8E/8H/8K)
Mid-size car 5000 (43) 5000 (44) 100 / 200 (44) 100 (4A) A6 (4A) A6 (4B) A6 (4F)
Ur-S4 Ur-S6 S6 (4B) S6 (4F)
Full-size car V8 (4C) A8 (4D/4E/4H) / S8 (4D/4E)
Coupé Coupé (81) Coupe Quattro (89) A5 / S5 (8T)
TT Coupé (8N) TT Coupé (8J)
Roadster TT Roadster (8N) TT Roadster (8J)
Convertible Cabriolet (8G) A4 Cabriolet / S4 Cabriolet (8H) A5 / S5 (8F)
Sports car Quattro (Ur-Quattro) RS6 (4B) RS4 (8E/8H)
Crossover allroad quattro (4Z)
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Volkswagen Group of America corporate website
Electronics Research Laboratory
Automotive industry in Germany
Economy of Germany
Transport in Germany
Active vehicle producers
Setra/EvoBus
Krauss-Maffei
Rheinmetall
Foreign owned
Iveco Magirus
Defunct vehicle producers
North German Automobile and Engine
Artega Automobile
ETAS Group
Dräxlmaier Group
Getrag
Hermann Peters
KSPG
Löwe Automobil
Motorsport and
Je Design
Opel Performance Center
PPI Automotive Design
Rieger Tuning
Ruf Automobile
Steinmetz Opel Tuning
Daimler Financial Services
Foreign companies
with operations
Hyundai Europe
AMI Leipzig
German Association of the Automotive Industry
Defunct companies and marques above are shown in italics
WorldHeritage protected pages without expiry
Use dmy dates from March 2013
Articles containing potentially dated statements from March 2010
Car manufacturers of Germany
Companies based in Bavaria
Companies established in 1909
Companies disestablished in 1939
German brands
Luxury motor vehicle manufacturers
Motor vehicle manufacturers of Germany
Sports car manufacturers
Berlin, North Rhine-Westphalia, Hamburg, France, United Kingdom
New York City, United States, American Civil War, Hawaii, Western United States
Porsche, Seat, Lower Saxony, Audi, Man Se
Audi, Volkswagen Group, Austria, Audi A3, Audi TT
List of Audi concept cars
Audi, Volkswagen Group, Ducati, Pininfarina, Seat
2007 American Le Mans Series season
United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Audi
United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy
Audi, Volkswagen Group, Audi 80, Germany, Audi A3
United States, Germany, United Kingdom, Canada, Porsche


« Upper Devonian acritarchs and miospores from the Geirud Formation in Central Alborz Range, northern Iran.
Biostratigraphy and Paleo-biogeography of some Paleozoic rocks at Zagros and Alborz mountains.Geological Survey of Iran With cooperation of Deputy Ministry of project & planning, No.18,168 p.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 13th, 2006 at 6:38 am	and is filed under Books. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.


A Companion to Franklin D. Roosevelt presents a collection of historiographical essays by leading scholars that provides a comprehensive review of the scholarship on the president who led the United States through the tumultuous period from the Great Depression to the waning days of World War II.
William D. Pederson is the American Studies Endowed Chair, Professor, and Director of the International Lincoln Center for American Studies at Louisiana State University in Shreveport. His most recent publications include James Madison (2008) and Lincoln Lessons (2009).


text:
Limpopo Roads Dominate SA's 10 Most Dangerous Roads According to the Road Accident Fund
Bail for Twelve Truck Drivers Who Blockaded the N3
Dangerous roads,
Road Accident Fund
The Road Accident Fund (RFA) has released a list of 10 of the most dangerous roads in South Africa and Limpopo roads dominate the list appearing four times.
Eastern Cape and Gauteng roads follow with two appearances each while KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga appear once each.
Topping the list is the N2 between East London and Umtata.
Second is the N2 from Umtata to Kokstad.
The N1 between Mokopane and Polokwane takes third spot. Three other stretches on the N1 in Limpopo also appear on the list.
With four routes falling in the Limpopo province, the DA is calling on the MEC to ensure her department is out in full force and with increased visibility on all our main roads during the festive season.
Source: Road Accident Fund
"During the December holidays in 2020, Limpopo's fatalities on the roads declined with 8.3 percentage points to 188 compared to 205 in 2019," said DA spokesperson on transport and community safety, Katlego Phala.
"We call on all motorists to make road safety their number one priority by sticking to the speed limit at all times, not to drink and drive or use phones whilst driving and to exercise patience.
Read also: Man killed in truck vs fortuner crash on N1 north collision outside Polokwane
"Most accidents can be avoided by obeying the rules of the road and an increased vigilance by drivers," Phala said.
Meanwhile, Road Traffic Management Corporations spokesperson, Simon Zwane, said it is part of the law enforcement operations to deploy officers on all identified hazardous route segments to ensure safety of pedestrians, passengers and drivers.
Transport Minister, Fikile Mbalula, is expected to launch the department's festive season road safety campaign early this week.
The festive season road safety awareness campaign is a government programme that aims to prioritise and promote safer road usage during the high peak season on South African roads.
The objective of the campaign is not only to ensure smooth flows of traffic, but also to prevent negligent and reckless driving which could result in road crashes, injuries and fatalities. The road safety launch is a collaboration between different levels of government, transport entities led by CEOs, private sector organisations, NGOs and key stakeholders and role players.
Sick Kelrn Vervoer truck driver neglected, made to sleep on the floor by his company
Social media has been ablaze for the past few days after images…
Motorists Follow PMB Runaway Truck, Rescue Drivers As It Crashes And Burn
A brave teenager and his grandmother saved the day for two truckers…
Bad Luck Strikes Twice As Broken Down Truck On Tow, Crash Together With The Tow Truck
You are in the middle of nowhere and your truck develops a…
Home Affairs moots Namibian style job reservation for local truck drivers
Just like in Namibia where truck driving jobs are reserved for local…

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Anopheles daciae is a species of mosquito that belongs to the same species complex as Anopheles messeae, from which it can only be distinguished by DNA analysis.

Distribution
The species was first described from Romania, but has since been found in Croatia, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, Poland, Russia, Serbia, and Sweden.

Taxonomic placement
Ever since it was described, An. daciae was the subject of scientific debate about its existence due to the very small differences between An. daciae and An. messeae. While results from Romania and Great Britain supported the two-species hypothesis, studies from Italy and Russia disputed this. Two studies from Russia and Sweden, which analyzed the DNA with more advanced methods, could finally determine that An. daciae is indeed a species on its own.

References

daciae
Insects described in 2004

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Главная страница » Modi interacts with Rashtriya Bal Puraskar recipients
Modi interacts with Rashtriya Bal Puraskar recipients
NEW DELHI : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday interacted with Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar (PMRBP) awardees at his residence, and presented souvenirs to them.
The prime minister also discussed their achievements on a one-to-one basis, which was followed by interaction with the entire group.
"He engaged in an open-hearted interaction in an informal setting. The children asked him various questions about the challenges they face and sought his guidance on a variety of topics,» the Prime Minister's Office said.
The prime minister suggested the awardees to start by solving small problems, gradually build capacity, enhance capability and develop confidence to solve bigger problems as they go ahead in life.
Discussing the issue of mental health and problems faced by children, he talked about tackling stigma around the issue and the important role of family in tackling such issues.
Several other topics were also taken up by the prime minister during the interaction, including the benefits of playing Chess, taking up art & culture as a career, research & innovation, spirituality, among others, the PMO said.
The government has been conferring the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar to children for their exceptional achievement in six categories namely Innovation, Social Service, Scholastic, Sports, Art & Culture and Bravery. Each awardee is given a medal, a cash prize of ₹1 lakh and certificate.
This year, 11 children from across the country, under different categories of Bal Shakti Puraskar, have been selected for PMRBP-2023.
The awardees, belonging to 11 States and UTs, include 6 boys and 5 girls, namely: Aadithya Suresh, M. Gauravi Reddy, Shreya Bhattacharjee, Sambhab Mishra, Rohan Ramchandra Bahir, Aditya Pratap Singh Chauhan, Rishi Shiv Prasanna, Anoushka Jolly, Hanaya Nisar, Kolagatla Alana Meenakshi and Shauryajit Ranjitkumar Khaire.
Priscilla Presley And Riley Keough Could Be Headed Toward Legal Battle Against Each Other
On January 26, Priscilla Presley began court proceedings
Economic Survey: Its importance and what to expect
New Delhi: Ahead of the Union budget on 1 February


We apply a number of decision "principles" to help guide our clients' wealth management success.
Many are based on research from the fields of economics, psychology and decision making analysis. Others, however, reflect how we look at things, driven by both our values and experience. While these principles are focused on wealth management issues, most of them have much broader application.
Opportunity cost is an important concept in economics. It says that the cost of any action is not the direct cost incurred in taking that action but the highest value alternative action you choose (perhaps, unknowingly) to forego. The decision rule that applies is that you should only choose actions that have benefits in excess of their opportunity cost.
Let's make that a little more concrete with an example.
Assume a surgeon wishes to have a brick wall built at his residence. A bricklayer, costing $50/hour, could build the wall in one hundred hours for $5,000.
However, the surgeon is a capable bricklayer – he could do the work in one hundred and fifty hours. So he takes three weeks off work, builds the wall and saves himself $5,000. But has he really?
In his medical practice, the surgeon can earn a net $300 per hour or, say, a total of $45,000 over three weeks. The surgeon's opportunity cost is therefore $40,000 in excess of the benefit of building the wall himself. He should choose to hire the bricklayer, rather than give up his day job!
Application of this principle implies that it does not usually make economic sense for most people to become amateur financial planners or wealth managers. This does not mean that you abrogate responsibility for your financial affairs but rather that you should focus on what you are best at to increase the likelihood you will achieve what is really important to you in life.
The opportunity cost concept is also relevant to effectively using leisure time. Too many people notionally undervalue their leisure time, resulting in them choosing to do things they would be better off paying someone else to do.
For example, consider the situation of a self employed lawyer who could work 80 hours a week, earning a net $250 an hour, but chooses to work 50 hours a week to have more leisure time. We can therefore say that his leisure time is worth at least $250 an hour, as that is what he is prepared to give up (i.e. it is his opportunity cost).
However, each weekend he spends 7-8 hours and his wife a further 4-5 hours doing chores - gardening, washing cars, completing various maintenance jobs, washing, ironing and tidying up the house. All these jobs could be done by third parties at no more than $50 an hour.
Unless our lawyer and his wife get such intrinsic satisfaction out of doing these "chores", he would be better off working a couple more hours a week as a lawyer and hiring the necessary domestic help. He and his wife would then be able to enjoy (and, perhaps, find) things that are far better uses of their leisure time.
Whenever you find yourself queuing, chasing the "best price", doing things that you don't enjoy, you need to ask yourself whether you have properly taken account of the value of your leisure time. Although the monetary value you require to commit your time may vary depending on what you are giving it up for (e.g. helping a charitable cause versus working additional hours), if you don't think of it as a valuable resource you can end up doing some things that are counterproductive to what's really important to you.
Good decision makers don't waste effort on or aren't distracted by things they cannot control or effectively influence. They focus on the inputs that drive outcomes, rather than the outcomes themselves.
In a wealth management or financial planning context, we encourage clients to focus on costs (both personal and investment), risk (both personal and investment) and taxes as these are aspects of their financial affairs they can do something about. We do not directly focus on investment market returns as these are out of our control.
How often do we hear champion athletes respond to interview questions like "Did you ever think you could win tonight?" with responses like "Aw, gee mate, I just thought about doing everything we practised and practised at training". The focus is on the inputs – other than luck, that is the only way you have any chance of achieving desired outcomes.
As in all walks of life, when it comes to their financial affairs people often confuse means with ends. For example, they want to reduce tax, they want higher investment returns, they want less risk, they want a holiday house, they want income earning investments so they have cash to live off etc. etc.
The list is long – you could say endless. But the question is, is that what they really want? Are any of these things ultimate aims or are they only potential means to what may not be well considered or well articulated goals. When challenged, most people admit their aim is not to pay zero tax or to maximise their wealth but to achieve their version of a good life.
The problem is that a focus on the means for their own sake rather than on their contribution to achieving the desired ends could do you more harm than good. Often there needs to be compromises made between the means in order to give you the best chance of getting where you really want to go.
For example, it is unrealistic to expect higher investment returns and at the same time demand lower risk. Or, while considered in isolation a holiday house may sit well with your idea of "a good life", it may involve unacceptable sacrifices or trade-offs in other areas of your life.
Smart decisions require a clear understanding of what is of most importance to you and where you want to go. Without an understanding of these primary objectives, decisions made regarding the pursuit of any secondary objectives (i.e. means) are likely to be less than optimal and, often, counterproductive.
David Henderson and Charles Hooper in "Making Great Decisions in Business and Life" warn of what they call the "I must" trap as a hindrance to clear thinking and sound decision making. The reality is that there is very little you must or are obligated to do. Nearly everything we do by choice, because we "want" to do it.
Some of these choices may not be that palatable. You may not be overjoyed to work all next weekend to finish that already overdue report. But the alternative is possibly less palatable to you - you will not be able to buy that new car, you will not be able to go on the holiday you were planning etc.
It is often helpful to remind yourself that when you choose goals for yourself, you also choose to do things necessary to achieve those goals. They are not obligations, but a consequence of your goals. If you find yourself burdened with apparent obligations, it is a good time to review the goals you are trying to achieve in meeting those obligations. You may find they are no longer of importance to you, if they ever were.
Not all decisions are of equal importance and, remember, your time is valuable.
If a decision is unlikely to have significant financial consequences or can be easily reversed, it is not worth giving significant time to. Even for a major decision, if, after having gone through a robust decision making process you cannot choose between two alternatives because they appear as good as each other do not continue to agonise. Adopt some simple, time efficient process to make a choice – flip a coin if necessary.
"You should spend approximately one percent of the value of a decision analyzing the decision".
This should not be taken too literally, but used to provide some sense of the relationship between the effort in making the decision and the expected value of the outcome (in terms of dollars, hours or some other relevant measure).
You are always able to make better decisions. With more time and more information, better solutions usually reveal themselves. But the reality is that perfection costs too much – you would never make any decisions.
However, except for very minor decisions, the other extreme of accepting the first solution that offers the prospect of improving on the current situation is almost certain to short change you. Too often people want to "move away" from where they are now and jump to the next thing that comes along, rather than "move towards" potentially better, well considered futures.
Good decision making looks at all the obvious alternatives and, where the importance of the decision warrants it, seeks to create new ones as well. The more alternatives, the more likely you are to make a better decision.
When it comes to how you want to live the rest of your life, it seems to us that you should "open your eyes" as wide as possible to the alternatives available. With the help of a robust framework to compare and evaluate them, you are in a position to make smart decisions, confident that they will move you toward a better future rather than just away from where you are now.
In making decisions, many people focus too heavily on what they are going to have to outlay in terms of money or time to provide them with the potential to achieve their desired outcome. However, what they should be looking at is the expected return of that outlay. If the expected return is greater than the outlay then it makes sense to proceed, regardless of the size of the outlay.
If becoming a Wealth Foundations' client is expected to improve your expected lifetime financial position by $2 million (in today's dollars), it is not a smart decision to reject the service because it may cost you $200,000 (in today's dollars) over your lifetime. In fact, you should not care if it cost you $1.9 million – unless, of course, there was a cheaper alternative available offering a higher net benefit.
In a similar vein, a lack of patience or a short term focus results in confusing the notion of investment and expense. For example, seeing regular servicing of your car as an easily avoided expense rather than essential maintenance of a valuable asset could ultimately cost you dearly, perhaps your life, if there is a resulting major mechanical failure.
Often during economic downturns, short sighted businesses abandon an objective for long term profits and see all outlays as expenses rather than investments in the future. Skilled employees are retrenched, research is abandoned, and training budgets are slashed to achieve instant bottom line gratification. When the recovery comes, such firms are poorly placed to take advantage of the upturn.
Similar short sightedness is often revealed in the area of personal wealth management. To reduce a current tax expense people may enter into dubious "structured" or "tax-advantaged" investments that are unlikely to be consistent with their long term lifestyle objectives. Short term gain for long term pain.
Smart decision making aims to make expected positive returns on outlays. While the amount of the outlay is an input to a decision, it should not drive it.
We are in the "information age". If you want to know anything about anything, just "Google" it and up will come links to more information than you probably ever need. In the area of personal finance, we probably have information overload.
But the problem is, how do you sort the "wheat from the chaff". Can you make "smart financial decisions" or any other major decisions if all you have is lots of information? We don't think so.
Knowledge is the ability to turn information into some sort of order and meaning and provides a base for making decisions. But wisdom goes beyond knowledge and suggests deeper insights that may come from intuition or experience.
The smartest financial decisions are most likely when relevant knowledge and, ideally wisdom, are brought to bear on particular situations. Unfortunately, much of what is served up as financial expertise or advice is simply information, designed to bamboozle and obscure.
However, we also admit that it is difficult for someone initially seeking financial advice to distinguish genuine expertise from claimed expertise. A purpose in providing our "Foundations" on this website is to provide readers with a robust resource (unfortunately, more information!) to help them successfully make that distinction.
This principle really is an attitude that we think goes hand in hand with effective decision making. It is closely related to hindsight bias discussed under Foundations of Behavioural Science and the "It's about goals, not obligations" principle discussed earlier.
It proposes that a prerequisite for effective decision making is to accept the reality of where you are now. Of course, that does not mean you have to like it. There is learning from the past but no regrets or recriminations.
Also, our observations suggest that wealthy people, in terms of the holistic rather than necessarily the monetary sense of the word "wealthy", take responsibility for their choices and actions. They do not look for someone or something to blame when outcomes are adverse.
They get on with life recognising there are things they can control and things they can't. They are comfortable embracing the uncertainty of the latter and concentrating their efforts and acting decisively with respect to the former.
The old adage states that "people don't plan to fail, they just fail to plan". For many, their destination in life is wherever they happen to end up. Some may be happy with this approach.
Particularly in a financial planning or wealth management context, others go a little further. They think that planning is a once off event, as a precursor to making some investments. It is like a company doing a strategic plan prior to a major capital raising and never again revisiting the strategy.
Our view is that for those who are serious about articulating and achieving a desired lifestyle on purpose, rather than by accident, planning is an ongoing process. Circumstances, needs and objectives and the world around us are constantly changing, requiring regular reviews and updates of your plan to keep it relevant. Ideally, plans should be documented detailing intentions and specific actions to achieve those intentions.
Successful wealth management is about "iterating" your way to your desired future, rather than a mad dash to the line. It is not about quick fixes or "get rich schemes". It is about decisiveness, discipline and commitment to agreed strategies over extended periods. It requires an urgency with respect to decisions and actions and patience with respect to results.
We think the best solutions are invariably the simplest solutions. That does not mean they are simple minded, but rather that they are no more complex than needed to solve the problem at hand.
Particularly in the area of personal wealth management, complexity usually reflects either an unstructured mind and/or a purposeful attempt to mystify that is unlikely to be in your best interests. The current financial crisis provides powerful evidence of the wealth destruction capability of complex financial products. However, this is nothing new. It has always been the case and will continue to be so in the future. Although we don't usually get into forecasting, next time won't be different.
We recommend that when making personal wealth management decisions you look for solutions that have an inherent logic and consistency, rather than a reliance on "smoke and mirrors". If anything is too complicated, too difficult to explain or lacks transparency (a "black box"), run away as fast as you can!
Until a decision is acted upon, it is only a good intention. Unless there is commitment to effective implementation the best decision making and planning are a waste of time and effort.
Too many financial plans are thrown into bottom draws, with well conceived and agreed strategies only partially or never implemented. In fact, many individuals and organisations find implementation the hardest part of the decision making process.
There is a process to regularly review implementation progress.
Of course, changing circumstances may warrant adjustments to action plans but progress toward your goals will be made. Inaction almost guarantees that your goals will not be achieved.
We have the knowledge and wisdom to help you apply the principles of smart financial decision making to achieve the financial future you want. Please contact us to discuss further.


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text:
Q: Macro in mandatory argument of tblr of tabularray does not work Minimal working example:
%! TeX program = lualatex
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{pyluatex}
\usepackage{tabularray}
\usepackage{xcolor}

\begin{document}

\let\rows\relax
\begin{python}
print("\\global\\def\\rows{Alpha & Beta & Gamma & Delta \\\\  Epsilon & Zeta  & Eta & Theta \\\\ Iota & Kappa & Lambda  & Mu \\\\  Nu & Xi & Omicron & Pi \\\\}")
\end{python}

\let\trivgroups\relax
\begin{python}
mystr = ""
for i in range(1,5):
  mystr += 'cell{'+str(i)+'}{'+str(i)+'} = {red4},'
print("\\global\\def\\trivgroups{"+mystr+"}")
\end{python}

\ExplSyntaxOff
% This works
% \begin{tblr}[expand=\rows]{colspec={|c|c|c|c|},
%     cell{1}{1}={red4},
%     cell{2}{2}={red4},
%     cell{3}{3}={red4},
%     cell{4}{4}={red4}
% }
\begin{tblr}[expand=\rows]{colspec={|c|c|c|c|},\trivgroups}
\rows
\end{tblr}

\end{document}

Compilation still works
> lualatex --output-format=pdf --shell-escape pythontex-tabularray.tex

However, no colour in the output:

The commented version gives

Follow-up question of Generate rows for tabularray with pyluatex with possible related questions:

*

*tabularray: Expand multiple macros

*tabularray: Reading a table stored in a macro by catchfile

*Misplaced alignment tab character &. with tabularray and expl3

*What is the best way to expand macros inside keyval input in expl3
UPDATE
Before I used the new environment  exptblr from the answer by egreg, I could rotate the text in the header row as following:
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{pyluatex}
\usepackage{tabularray}
\usepackage{xcolor}

\usepackage{rotating}
\usepackage{makecell}
\UseTblrLibrary{diagbox}
\setlength\rotheadsize{5cm}
\renewcommand\theadfont{}

\ExplSyntaxOn
\NewDocumentEnvironment{exptblr}{O{}m}
 {
  \use:x
   {
    \exp_not:N \begin{tblr}
    [\exp_not:n{#1}]
    {#2}
   }
 }
 {
  \end{tblr}
 }
\ExplSyntaxOff

\begin{document}

\let\rows\relax
\begin{python}
print("\\global\\def\\rows{Alpha & Beta & Gamma & Delta \\\\ Epsilon & Zeta  & Eta & Theta \\\\ Iota & Kappa & Lambda  & Mu \\\\ Nu & Xi & Omicron & Pi \\\\}")
\end{python}

\begin{python}
mystr = ""
for i in range(2,5):
  mystr += 'cell{'+str(i)+'}{'+str(i)+'} = {red4},'
\end{python}

\begin{tblr}[expand=\rows]{
  colspec={|c|c|c|c|},
  cell{1}{2-Z} = {halign=c,cmd=\rothead},
  hlines,vlines,
  % \py{mystr},
}
\diagbox[height=4cm,width=4cm]{subgroups $H$}{supergroups $G$} &
G1 Very Long & G2 Very Long & G3 Very Long \\
\rows
\end{tblr}

\end{document}

But when I now use the new environment exptblr, I get following error:
! Use of \@gape doesn't match its definition.
\@ifnextchar ...eserved@d =#1\def \reserved@a {#2}
                                                  \def \reserved@b {#3}\futu...

l.45 }

?

A: tblr doesn't expand macros in its mandatory argument.
You can define a new environment:
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{pyluatex}
\usepackage{tabularray}
\usepackage{xcolor}

\ExplSyntaxOn
\NewDocumentEnvironment{exptblr}{O{}m}
 {
  \use:x
   {
    \exp_not:N \begin{tblr}
    [\exp_not:n{#1}]
    {#2}
   }
 }
 {
  \end{tblr}
 }
\ExplSyntaxOff

\begin{document}

\let\rows\relax
\begin{python}
print("\\global\\def\\rows{Alpha & Beta & Gamma & Delta \\\\ Epsilon & Zeta  & Eta & Theta \\\\ Iota & Kappa & Lambda  & Mu \\\\ Nu & Xi & Omicron & Pi \\\\}")
\end{python}

\let\trivgroups\relax
\begin{python}
mystr = ""
for i in range(1,5):
  mystr += 'cell{'+str(i)+'}{'+str(i)+'} = {red4},'
print("\\global\\def\\trivgroups{"+mystr+"}")
\end{python}

\begin{exptblr}[expand=\rows]{colspec={|c|c|c|c|},\trivgroups}
\rows
\end{exptblr}

\end{document}

As user187803 points out in comments this can be simplified with \py{mystr}. I added also a couple of changes: \let\rows\relax is not needed and \global\def can be \gdef.
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{pyluatex}
\usepackage{tabularray}
\usepackage{xcolor}

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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
The 1959 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Circuit de Monaco on 10 May 1959. It was race 1 of 9 in the 1959 World Championship of Drivers and race 1 of 8 in the 1959 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. It was also the 17th Monaco Grand Prix. The race was held over 100 laps of the three kilometre circuit for a race distance of 315 kilometres.

The race was won by Australian racer Jack Brabham driving a Cooper T51 for the factory Cooper Car Company team. It was the first win for Brabham, a future three-time world champion. It was the first World Championship Grand Prix victory by an Australian driver. It was also the first win for the factory Cooper team. Coopers had won races previously in the hands of Rob Walker Racing Team. Brabham finished 20 seconds ahead of British driver Tony Brooks driving a Ferrari 246. A lap down in third was the Cooper T51 of French driver and 1958 Monaco Grand Prix winner Maurice Trintignant of the Rob Walker Racing Team.

Classification

Qualifying

Race

Notes
 – Includes 1 point for fastest lap

Championship standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings

Constructors' Championship standings

 Notes: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.

References

Monaco Grand Prix
Monaco Grand Prix
Grand Prix
Monaco Grand Prix


What do I need to graduate with a C&J major?
Graduation is the process of being awarded a degree. You must have applied for graduation by attending your A&S graduation workshop and selecting the term in which you plan to graduate. If you find that you will be meeting all degree requirements before or after the term you selected for graduation, contact A&S advisement to either move your graduation date forward or back.
Commencement is the ceremony in which you walk across the stage. The ceremony is recognition by the University community, family, and friends of the degree achievement. Actual degrees are not awarded at the commencement ceremony and "walking" does not constitute graduation.
You can access more information regarding graduation and commencement by visiting UNM's Graduation website.