56 the efficiency revolution 64 ickx against ickx 68

THE EFFICIENCY REVOLUTION Audi faces the climate offensivewith innovative technology

ICKX AGAINST ICKXAn eco-duel for two racers

INQUIRING MINDSIn every engineer there’s a GyroGearloose

EVERY DAWN BRINGS ANEW FUTUREWriter Frank Schätzing on tomorrow’s world

INSPIRED BY NATUREHow car engineers use evolution’s blueprints

PANORAMAAudi supports “Formula Student”engineering competition

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The efficiency revolution

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44gb_GB07_056_063_Effizienz 25.02.2008 14:39 Uhr Seite 56

Low consumption, high performance: With state-of-the-art powertrain systems, intelligent onboard electronics and innovative energy management, Audi combines respect for the environment with sports-car performance. COPY Thomas Ramge

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point of view. “The driver’s foot is still the most important fac-tor in saving fuel,” says this engineer, adding: “Correct gearshifts can lead to fuel savings of around 30 percent in the urban cycle.” Training for environmentally aware driving can alsohelp, as can onboard electronics that provide suggestions onhow to reduce consumption.

The Audi e models of the future are being designed for ef-ficiency and will provide their drivers with a whole package ofenvironmentally compatible digital technology. The onboardcomputer calculates whether closing the window and turningon the air conditioning can be a way of saving fuel. It tells youthe extent to which rear-window heating affects fuel consump-tion, and whether it needs to be turned on at all. It also sup-plies the driver with some interesting figures – such as howmuch sooner he would reach his destination by driving an av-erage of ten kilometers per hour faster – and how much morefuel he would need. An electronic “Eco Trainer” rates the dri-ver’s overall on-road performance. The navigation system isalso based on the concept of fuel efficiency. Not only does itshow the shortest and the fastest route, but also what is likelyto be the most fuel-efficient one, which might be a differentroad entirely. “We’re not trying to tell drivers what to do, orpatronize them with annoying and invasive technology. Whatwe give our customers are the tools they need so that they cantake their own decisions on how to reduce fuel consumption,”explains Gebhard.

Energy in the car, whether it is electrical, thermal or me-chanical, should be used as efficiently as possible. However,fuel economy is not incompatible with high performance. To-day, harmonizing efficiency and sportiness is not only a tech-nical challenge but also an ecological and political necessity.Because high-performance cars will only be socially accept-able if they learn to get by on less fuel.

Modular efficiency. The question Audi are asking them-selves is this: How can we make a sporty car even more fuel-efficient without losing dynamic performance? Motor vehi-cles, particularly in the premium segment, are already veryefficient in comparison with other energy consumers. Roadtraffic contributes a share of just twelve percent to Germany’stotal CO2 output. The combined output from other areas suchas energy and heat generation, industry, and households addsup to more than 80 percent.“We need to think of a car as a total energy system, then makeadjustments in all the areas we can reach,” is Gebhard’s suc-cinct analysis. In the past, this has worked well: A current A6consumes 35 percent less fuel to generate one kilowatt ofpower than its 1990s counterpart. In terms of consumptionfigures – which are essentially proportional to CO2 emissions– a present-day Audi A4 can easily compete with mass pro-duced cars from a lower vehicle category. The target for thenear future is clear: By 2012, AUDI AG intends to reduce theCO2 emissions of its fleet by a further 20 percent.


eter Gebhard knows exactly when to change gear. It’spart of his job. At the Audi test circuit just outside Ingol-

stadt, the Head of Vehicle Testing has great fun demonstratingjust how the new electronic shift recommendation works. If theengine is straining slightly too hard in a lower gear, the bluelight on the display (known as the “power glow”) turns yellow.An arrow tells you to shift up. Gebhard follows the system’s ad-vice, and the power glow turns blue again. The size of the lightshows you how much power is demanded from the car, andhow long you should accelerate in this gear, from an efficiency

01Instant advice: Should I open the window? Or turn on the air con-ditioning?

03The eco trainer: Thisawards points for over-all on-road behavior.Full throttle meanspoints are deducted.

02Comfort requirements:How much fuel is used just for well-being?

04Electronic shift indica-tor: If the engine isstraining too hard, theyellow light warns youto shift up.

Electronic “environment assistant”

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“We are working hard on all aspects of our cars to reduce consumption and emissions even further. On engines,natu-rally, but also on weight, aerodynamics, transmissions,energy management and so on,” says Audi Chairman RupertStadler. The successful trend toward downsized engines withhigher boost pressure is continuing. Thanks to direct injection,turbocharging, high torque, reduced cylinder capacity andlower friction losses, many of Audi’s TFSI (turbocharged fuel-stratified injection) gasoline engines and TDI (turbochargeddirect injection) diesel powerplants are already the best intheir class. Engine optimization is still key, but the laymantends to overestimate the fuel-saving potential achievable viathis route. In this context, it helps to look at how the energycontained in fuel is translated in the vehicle. In other words:Which parts use how much fuel?

Just under one-third of the energy is lost as the engineconverts chemical into mechanical energy. This is a law ofphysics that not even the best engineer in the world canchange. A further 19 percent disappears due to friction, gasexchange inside the cylinder and combustion method. Effi-ciency gains can still be made in these areas, but the effortsmade in the engine department need to be combined with oth-er measures, because 19 percent of energy is eaten up by thepowertrain, i.e. transmission, tires, wheel bearings and powersteering pump. Air conditioning and electrics demand a fur-ther eight percent. Weight and aerodynamic resistance countfor just under one-quarter of the consumed energy. “In the

future, we’ll be taking our modular efficiency system even further,” says Gebhard. Specifically, this means that manyAudi models with efficient TDI and TFSI powertrain systemswill be fitted with an innovative energy management systemthat exploits coasting and braking phases to generate electric-ity. This will be stored in new high-performance accumulators,among others, to be used when the car stops or when it is ac-celerating, relieving the burden on the alternator and onboard

electrical system, thus saving fuel. Another benefactor of the new accumulator is the new start-stop system, which sig-nificantly reduces consumption in city centers with intersec-tions. An extremely economical air conditioning system,transmission heating to improve gearbox efficiency, tires withreduced roll resistance and a further reduction in air drag are a few of the other tools available with the modular effi-ciency system.

The world’s cleanest diesel. Audi will continue to payspecial attention to clean diesel technology. This is because

Continued on page 62

Like hydrogen, second-generation biofuels are seento have a particularly promis-ing future. Large-scale pro-duction methods are underdevelopment. This secondgeneration will not competewith the production of food-stuffs, and will graduallyreplace fossil fuels. Today,SunFuel and SunDiesel canalready be mixed with regu-lar diesel, and in the future,they will reduce CO2 outputby up to 90 percent.

The future of fuel

Gasoline/diesel

Combustion engines, hybrids

today 10 years 20 years >20 years

Gasoline/diesel10 % biogenSynFuels

Optimized combustion engines, hybrids

Gasoline/diesel20 % biogenSynFuelsSunFuelsHydrogen

Optimized combustion engines, hybrids,fuel cells (small series)

Gasoline/diesel>20 % biogenSynFuelsSunFuelsHydrogen

Optimized combustion engines, hybrids, fuelcells

FOSSIL FUELSCrude oil/natural gas/coal CO2

REGENERATIVE FUELSWind/sun/water/biomass/waste

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“We need to think of a car as a total energy system.” Peter Gebhard, Head of Vehicle Testing, AUDI AG

Audi A5 2.0 T CNGconcept car: The 4-cylinder enginehas been designedto run on gasolineand natural gas. TheCompressed NaturalGas (CNG) is held bylightweight pressuretanks. The gasolinetank holds 14 liters.



For the foreseeable future, it isdiesel technology that can makethe largest contribution toward reducing CO2 emissions.The world’scleanest diesel technology, to beintroduced by Audi from mid-2008,will combine TDI engines withwhat is known as an ultra lowemission system. It raises thetried-and-tested TDI principle ofturbocharged direct injection to anew level, and already meets fu-ture emissions standards. Thebrand-new TDI generation’s status(see engine diagram, right) as theultimate clean-running, hi-techdiesel is assured by significant reductions in emissions thanks to the DeNOx catalytic converterand particulate filter. Nitrogen ox-ide emissions can be cut by up to 90 percent. The catalytic con-verter transforms nitrous oxidesinto harmless nitrogen and watervapor with the assistance of a bio-degradable additive.

OPTIMIZEDTURBOCHARGING

Turbocharged direct-injec-tion diesels provide highperformance in combina-tion with low fuel con-sumption.

THE WORLD’S CLEANEST DIESEL

COMMON RAILINJECTION

SYSTEM

The new piezo commonrail injection system en-ables an exceptionallyhigh injection pressure of2,000 bar.

Aiming foreco-balance:

Audi is launching its epochal

TDI strategywith an “ultra lowemission system”

in the Audi Q7, among others,

in 2008


ENHANCED EXHAUSTGAS RECIRCULATIONSYSTEM

The advanced exhaust gasrecirculation system sig-nificantly lowers exhaustgas emissions.

COMBUSTION CHAMBERPRESSURE SENSOR

The world’s first sensor ofits kind allows even moreprecise control of enginecombustion processes.

CHARGE-AIR DUCTSWITH BYPASS VALVE

These connect engine andturbocharger. Turbocharg-ers compress air for com-bustion, increasing effi-ciency. A bypass valve allows intelligent controlof the intake temperature.


Almost 20 years ago, Audi made waves with the hybrid AudiDuo, although this model did not attract widespread interestfrom customers. The car was clearly well ahead of its time. Today, by contrast, there is widespread discussion about thepros and cons of hybrid engines. Hybrid technology is just oneof many technical options, and its advantages are particularlyapparent in stop-and-go traffic.2008 will see the launch of the Audi Q7 with its full hybridsystem which lowers CO2 emissions by up to 23 percent asmeasured under the New European Driving Cycle. This SUVwill also boast acceleration values that compare very favorablyto those of a sports car. A hybrid engine makes sense for cus-tomers who mainly drive in cities, and Audi will be makingadditional hybrid variants available in the coming years forthese drivers. But it is important to remember one thing: Froma green perspective, economical diesels are clearly superiorwhen it comes to driving long distances. In the debate on car-generated CO2 emissions, one thing stands out, and that is thatattention centers on a car’s fuel economy and driver behavior.Immanuel Kutschera adds another crucial factor: “Of coursewe need to build efficient cars. But fuel also offers enormouspotential for reducing CO2 emissions.”At Audi, Kutschera isresponsible for investigating the potential of alternative fuels.He is a mechanical engineer, but as terms such as E100, Sun-Fuel or CNG crop up in Kutschera’s conversation, you mightbe forgiven for thinking you were talking to a chemist. Achemist armed with a map of the world, that is, one which he uses to show where alternative fuels are already being used. Brazil, for instance, uses pure bioethanol, while China

for the foreseeable future, it is the diesel which can make the largest contribution toward reducing CO2 emissions.“From mid-2008, we will be introducing the world’s cleanestdiesel technology as standard,” is how Georg Middelhauveand Zaccheo Giovanni Pamio proudly put it. The two develop-

ment engineers have played a significant part in ensuring thatTDI engines will be combined with an “ultra low emission system,” thereby setting a new global standard. Especiallyefficient combustion methods and the sophisticated treatmentof exhaust gases with catalytic converters and particulate fil-ters helped the development engineers to achieve the desiredresult: The reduction of CO2 exhaust gas and nitrogen oxideemissions to a level that falls well below all current worldwidelegal limits. This diesel technology has excellent potential forlarge growth markets such as the U.S., China and India.

Hybrids with a boost. All this means that development ofgasoline and diesel engines is evolving in the right direction.Yet Audi is not only a technical trailblazer with its TDI andTFSI technologies, but also in the field of hybrid engines.

Cars were made for driving, not for standing in trafficjams. No form of driving is more harmful to the environ-ment than backups at traffic lights. This is not a new dis-covery, yet municipal traffic planners have for the mostpart failed to ensure a good flow of traffic in their cities upto now. There are technical reasons for this: Modern trafficlight systems are rather inflexible. Also, progressive signalsystems that let traffic flow on thoroughfares thanks to se-rialized green lights create no overall benefit if they maketoo many cars wait at red lights on neighboring roads. Ajoint project between Audi, the Technical University of Mu-nich and Munich-based IT development company GevasSoftware aims to change all that using “Travolution.” Thename is a contraction of traffic and evolution.

Travolution promises intelligent green light for all. Induc-tion loops at traffic lights send traffic data to a centralcomputer. This calculates how heavy the traffic will be infive minutes’ time, and switches the traffic lights accord-ingly. Data processing is the biggest technical challenge.The mass of traffic information is unscrambled using ahighly complex computing model from the field of genet-ics (the genetic algorithm). Efforts seem to be paying off,as pilot schemes implemented have shown that Travolu-tion can considerably reduce travel times. Travolution combines intelligent traffic light control withdriver information systems. For this, traffic lights will befitted with wireless radio circuits that broadcast informa-tion directly to the vehicles, where an in-car display will


No more waiting at red lights

“Of course we need to build efficient cars. But fuel also offersenormous potential for reducingCO2 emissions.”Immanuel Kutschera, Head of Pre-Development,Diesel Engines and Fuel Cells, AUDI AG

inform the driver about 200 meters ahead of the junctionof when he can expect the lights to turn to green, so thathe can adjust his speed accordingly.

“In city centers, this means achievable fuel savings of upto 15 percent,” says Cornelius Menig, Audi’s project man-ager. A consortium of European car manufacturers has al-ready been formed. One of its tasks will be to draw upcommunications standards for intelligent traffic light sys-tems. Introducing intelligent traffic management will ben-efit drivers and the environment alike. After all, cars weremade for driving, not for standing in traffic jams.

The Travolution pilot scheme: Intelligent traffic signals telldrivers when the light will change to green.


seems to prefer compressed natural gas. Canadian researchersare working on the first large-scale solution for a second-generation substitute, known as SunFuel, while their Germancounterparts are working on SunDiesel. Unlike first-genera-tion biodiesels or ethanol, second-generation biofuels are notobtained from fruit (something that raises the cost of food indeveloping countries), but from straw or wood. During com-bustion, SunFuel and SunDiesel emit approximately the sameamount of CO2 into the atmosphere as the plants extractedfrom the air beforehand.

Kutschera foresees a clear diversification in the fuel indus-try over the next ten years. More and more countries will relyon those fuels that they find are convenient and reliably avail-able. Ethanol will be the fuel of choice in tropical countries,while SunDiesel will prevail in densely forested regions, andcompressed natural gas in countries with supplies of naturalgas. And so on. Conversely, for a premium manufacturer witha global presence, this means needing to be able to offer theright engines for all fuels. “We can call on extensive experi-ence in this area,” says Kutschera. And neither will the new fuels pose any problem for the development engineers in Ingolstadt. There may, however, be difficulties arising fromother factors. “Governments need to be clear and consistentabout how they deal with this issue. We need to have a solidbase for our decisions regarding the necessary investments,”says Kutschera. •Economics journalist Thomas Ramge writes for German business

monthly brand eins and weeklies Die Zeit and The Economist.

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WATCH THE MOVIE

Find out more about AUDI AG’s efficiency strategies atwww.audi.com/ar2007/efficiency.

Economically sporty. Efficiency marksAudi’s development effort.

Michael Dick,Member of theBoard for TechnicalDevelopment ofAUDI AG

Quality – Audi being a premium manufacturer, this isthe top priority for us. On the one hand, it means build-ing cars that provide the ultimate in ride comfort, relia-bility and sporty performance. From another perspec-tive, we think of quality as offering technical solutionswith an emphasis on efficiency. This is particularly truewhen it comes to fuel consumption. Audi has alreadygiven ample proof of its leading role in this field, intro-ducing the world’s most successful efficiency technol-ogy into a car with the TDI.

We are convinced that diesel has a very promising fu-ture, and is also set to make a breakthrough in the USA.Billions of liters of fuel could be saved there each yearif diesel were used more widely – this is something thatwill play an important role in the future as against thebackground of rising raw material prices. Nor has thepotential in our home country been fully explored yet:Every one percent increase in the proportion of dieselengines used in Germany reduces total fuel consump-tion by 90 million liters each year. Audi intends to exploit these opportunities by launch-ing the world’s cleanest diesel technology in produc-tion vehicles from mid-2008. New TDI models will be fitted with what is known as an ultra low emission system. This will combine the hallmark engine powerwith even more impressive consumption figures andextremely low emissions.

But when we talk about increased efficiency, weare certainly not just talking about engines. After all,the engine accounts for just 50 percent of a car’s ener-gy requirement. We are just as interested in the otherhalf. That’s why we have put together a modular effi-ciency system that provides solutions for every aspectof the car. It is designed to probe all possible ways ofreducing fuel consumption and emissions, and to im-plement technical innovations that will reduce weight,optimize road resistance and friction, and promote theintelligent management of heat and energy. We willalso be involving drivers themselves, supplying themwith electronic aids that provide tips on fuel-efficientdriving, for example.

Low consumption, high performance – that’s thetechnical challenge we will rise up to again and again. Audi will continue to demonstrate that har-monizing efficiency and sports-car performance really is possible.

CAR ENERGY CONSUMPTION

Only part of the energy contained in fuel is actually used for locomotion.

19% powertrain:

Transmission, tires, wheel bearings, power

steering pump

11% aerody-namic drag

12 % weight31% engine:

Chemical en-ergy is trans-formed intomechanicalenergy

19% engine:

Friction, gas exchange andcombustion

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TECHNOLOGY & RESEARCH64

A versatile duo: Profes-sional racing drivers Jacky and Vanina Ickx

44gb_GB07_064-067_Ickx 25.02.2008 11:40 Uhr Seite 64

s the two Audi A3 cars drive into the court-yard of Abbaye de la Chambre, the mist has just lifted. It is a beautiful fall day. Great condi-tions for a sporting encounter with a “green”

feel. One of the world’s best-known racing drivers, six-timeLe Mans champion Jacky Ickx, competes against his daughter,who has also caught the motor racing bug. But today is notabout speed and seconds, but efficiency and fuel consumption– during a city tour in everyday conditions, complete with rushhour, the battle for parking spaces, and stop-and-go traffic.

The scene of the eco-duel: Brussels. The destination isAudi’s new plant in the district of Forest, where thousands ofA3 models have rolled off the line since May 2007, and wherethe forthcoming Audi A1 will be built from the end of 2009. “I often used to play near Abbaye de la Chambre,” remembersJacky. As a child, the Brussels-born driver lived just a stone’sthrow away. The wooded area and parkland surrounding theabbey is now part of the “green lung” of Brussels.

The test cars are two extremely energy-efficient Audi A3models. Under the hood purrs a 1.9 liter four-cylinder dieselengine, turbocharged to offer high torque even at low revs.The power plant is optimized with a specially configured manual transmission system, with a slightly longer ratio forthird to fifth gears. The A3 1.9 TDI e* with 77 kW (105 hp) is also the perfect partner if you want to get the most out ofevery last drop of fuel.

The Ickx family now prepare their efficiency cars for thestart, and set the fuel consumption gauge to zero. Over the

TEST ROUTE

01 ABBAYE DE LACHAMBREStart: The formerCistercian monas-tery in the greenlung of Brussels.

02 PLACE DU GRANDSABLONShopping: Thechocolates for thewinner will bebought in the his-toric downtown.Looking for a park-ing space costs fuel.

03 PLACE JOURDANLunch break: Thebest French fries inBelgium can befound just behindthe European Par-liament.

04 BOTANIQUEStop and gothrough downtownBrussels.

05 ATOMIUMA pause for sight-seeing, then on tothe ring road. Awayfrom the city trafficat last.

06 AUDI PLANTFORESTFinish: And the winner is?

Efficiency test:Through Brusselsin an Audi A3 1.9TDI e. The tank isfull, and all in-struments are zeroed.

BRUSSELSRoute: 40 km

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Ickx against IckxTwo professionals in an ecological head-to-head, battling to see whocan use less fuel. Racing legend Jacky Ickx and his daughter Vanina, alsoa racing driver, line up against each other in their home city of Brussels,behind the wheel of an Audi efficiency car – the Audi A3 1.9 TDI e.COPY Gert Verhoeven PHOTOGRAPHY Enver Hirsch

*Fuel consumption and emission figures at the end of the annual report.


01Jacky and Vanina want toknow: Who’s the most ef-ficient driver? They startoff at Abbaye de la Cham-bre, where Jacky used toplay as a child.

02Brimming with ambition.Vanina’s sights are firmlyset on victory. She drivessmoothly and prudently.

03The agony of choice: Atfamous chocolatier Wit-tamer, Jacky Ickx selectsthe winner’s prize: Bel-gian chocolates.

next 40 kilometers, they will both be depending on their ownpersonal fuel-saving tricks, though they will receive supportfrom the new electronic shift indicator which tells them themost fuel-efficient gear to drive in. A gear shift indicator in-forms the driver when he needs to change up or down, en-abling him to utilize the car’s full potential. The aim is to keepthe engine rotating at the ideal speed at all times. Once famil-iar with the system, combined consumption can be held downto 4.5 liters of diesel per 100 kilometers.

Through Avenue de l’Hippodrome, the pair head out ontoAvenue Louise. Vanina is not only competitive on the race-track, today she is determined to go home as the champion offuel economy. She takes it easy on the gas pedal, quicklychanging up, to keep the needle within the lower regions ofthe rev counter, while displaying a very sleek, smooth drivingstyle at the same time. “Environmentally aware driving is notthe same as real racing,” she says. “Here, it’s all about fore-sight and keeping things fluid.”

Ickx against Ickx. They will soon have to cross the Brusselsring road; their first stop has been arranged in the historicdistrict of Sablon. A winner deserves a gift: What better in

Brussels, the home of the world’s best chocolatiers, than Belgian chocolates? At the Place du Grand Sablon, one of themost beautiful squares in the old city, they both pay a short visit to the famous chocolatier Wittamer.

By now it is almost noon, and both cars turn into PlaceJourdan in the center of Brussels. In the middle of the squareis the capital’s oldest French fries stand. You need a little patience, because for over 50 years, “Chez Antoine” has beenthe place to go for original Belgian “pommes frites.” Here youcan find rich and poor, young and old – a real melting pot oflanguages and cultures. Among them many a Eurocrat whostrolled over especially through Parc Léopold – the EU quarteris just a short hop away.

After a cornet of frietjes, our rivals blend into traffic oncemore. The next stage, “Botanique,” has been chosen with bio-logy graduate Vanina in mind. The Botanic Gardens in the heart of Brussels are a haven of tranquility. In springtime, youcan for instance admire the magnificent display of irises.

Back in the car, both drivers head toward the Atomium, anabsolute must for anyone visiting Brussels. The aluminum casing has just been replaced, and the world-famous balls aregleaming like never before.On the way, I ask Jacky Ickx whether his racing experiencewill come in handy for this contest. “You know,” says the former runner-up in the Formula One drivers’ world champi-

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WATCH THE MOVIE

At www.audi.com/ar2007/ickx you can see Jacky and Vanina Ickx on their “tour de ville” through Brussels.

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04Jacky’s counting on vic-tory – after all, he knowseverything there is toknow about fuel saving.

05On the city expressway,it is possible to drive efficiently by keeping aconstant speed.

06Biology lesson: At theBotanic Gardens, VaninaIckx teaches her dadabout photosynthesisand how plants trans-form carbon dioxide intoorganic compounds.

onship, “many things work differently in the world of motorsport. You take the engine to its maximum, and that meansdriving at the limits of its performance.” But fuel consumptionis more important in motor racing than you might think. In en-durance racing in particular, economical driving can give youa crucial advantage. “If you can go for one or two laps furtheron the same amount of fuel, you gain precious time,” says Jacky.

After a superb view over Brussels from Salon 58, a res-taurant in the highest ball of the Atomium, the diesel enginesstart up again. The green duo are now homing in on the Audiplant in Forest. Jacky takes a glance at his fuel consumptiongauge: Much too high! Little wonder – after all it has beenpretty much city traffic all the way. But the ring road offers anopportunity to push the average consumption down. Jacky isno stranger to the tricks of fuel-saving. Once again, he provesthat constant speed is a recipe for economical driving.

Jacky is the first to reach the gates of the new Audiplant. But less than a minute later, Vanina’s A3* also rolls intothe parking lot. Although Jacky initially claims victory, thefuel consumption gauge clearly shows that his daughter had abetter grasp of what the race was about. Her onboard compu-ter shows that her fuel consumption, at 4.7 liters, was betterthan Jacky’s 4.9. Obviously, even an old hand can learn some-thing from a youngster when it comes to efficiency. •Belgian motoring journalist Gert Verhoeven writes for the Belgian

Automobile Club’s Uit Magazine, Het Laatste Nieuws and AutoMax.

The winner’ssmile: At theAudi plant inForest, JackyIckx has to admitthat his daugh-ter has a couplemore fuel-economy tricksup her sleevethan he has. Perhaps Vaninawill still let himhave a few ofthose deliciouschocolates shejust won.

A close run: Vanina Ickx snatches victory in the

eco-duel, using an average of 0.2 liters less fuel than her

father. She consistentlyfollowed the advice of the electronic shift indicator.

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*Fuel consumption and emission figures at the end of the annual report.

67TECHNOLOGY & RESEARCH



A born engineer: Cederic Schäferfrom Aachen builds machines andsmall robots.

44gb_GB07_068_071_Ingenieur 25.02.2008 14:52 Uhr Seite 68

lying carpets, noise nullifiers, goblin foilers andfirefly catchers? All perfectly feasible, at least ifyou are Gyro Gearloose. After all, the dauntless

tinkerer from Ducksburg also came up with “black light,”which creates darkness in broad daylight. Another innova-tion of his were “super worms” for more effective fishing,intelligence waves and an apparatus that allowed dogs tospeak. “I’ll invent anything!” is his motto.

Gyro Gearloose is the original engineering genius, buthe’s also famously out of this world. Another such exampleis Professor Calculus, the highly intelligent, hard-of-hear-ing inventor from the Tintin comics, who can also appearstrangely out of place in the real world. When Gyro Gear-loose is short of ideas, he hits himself on the head with awooden hammer until inspiration dawns upon him. Cederic Schäfer from Aachen does not have a yellow beak,though the 12-year-old is fascinated by the technical talentof the Ducksburg genius. Cederic reads Mickey Mousebooks, but also tomes on physics and Albert Einstein. In his free time, he constructs machines, cars and robots frombuilding blocks. At school, he is part of a project in whichchildren build robots cooperatively, which then enter intocompetitions against other robots. And it dawned on Cederic very early on, without the use of a wooden ham-mer, that he liked solving technical problems. And that’sone of the best qualities for later going on to become an engineer. Until he does, perhaps MacGyver can continue to feed hisimagination. This supercool action hero is probably theonly special agent who would rather wield his technicalskills and knowledge acquired from his studies than aweapon. In the American TV show of the same name, MacGyver shows children (and adults) that science can befun. While many of his classmates aspire to becoming pop

stars or professional sportsmen, Cederic’s vision of his fu-ture career involves “something to do with technology andcomputers.” More and more young people are beginning to think thesame way. In Germany, engineers are ranked as one of thetop five most respectable professions, far ahead of journal-ists or politicians. Doctors may remain in first place, butteachers, architects and lawyers are only just ahead of engineers these days. The reasons for engineering’s highesteem, and this is shown time and again in surveys, are themultitude of challenging tasks, engineers’ increasing im-portance for industry, and their excellent prospects. Engi-neers themselves also describe their jobs as being creativeand full of variety. Certainly, not all engineers become

famous, but the “Q”s of today are more in demand thanever. Q, as any high-tech buff will tell you, is the pseudo-nym of Major Geoffrey Boothroyd, who devises spy equip-ment and hi-tech toys for James Bond at the top secret R&D department of the British secret service MI6. Whatwould Bond do without Q?

Today, an engineer will often work on interdisciplinaryprojects, regularly travel abroad and ideally speak severalforeign languages. One example is Petra Kim-Reschke,head of Audi’s dual-clutch transmission mechanical testingdepartment in Ingolstadt. She has a degree in engineeringand used to work for an Asian car manufacturer. She speaks

Inquiring mindsMany children and youngsters dream of becoming engineers.Hardly surprising, keen as they are to ask questions, investigateand build things. In addition, their imagination is stirred byhi-tech heroes from comic books, movies and television.COPY Titus Arnu PHOTOGRAPHY Stefan Pielow

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“Technology fascinates me. I used to make films with my toys, now I build robots.” Cederic Schäfer, 12-year-old schoolboy



The ability to com-promise: EngineerPetra Kim-Reschkeneeds to work in ateam to find viablesolutions.

German, English and Korean. In something resembling theingenious spirit of Q, her team is working on a brand-newtransmission system for series production.Kim-Reschke does a lot of her work in the workshop, onthe test bench and in the car, she explains. But being an en-gineer involves far more than inventing and tinkering. It ismainly about working as a team to find viable solutions,and coordinating different testing schedules. “A willingnessto compromise usually helps more than a differential equa-tion,” says the 37-year-old.

Compromise? Would Batman, another highly talented tech-nological wizard, settle for compromises? Does MacGyvercare about cooperation? The fact is, mavericks like GyroGearloose would have no chance in today’s professionallife. These days, the decision-makers among engineers areinitiators versed in technology. They work as team players,and see themselves as executives or process facilitators.

But hero inventors from the small or large screen will always provide a source of inspiration. For example, TonyStark (alias Iron Man) acquired superhuman strengththanks to the hi-tech metal armor he designed. In the Hollywood movie starring Robert Downey Jr., scheduledfor cinema release this year, the superhero appropriatelydrives a mid-engined Audi R8 sportscar.In reality, the life of an engineer is not quite as spectacular,although Petra Kim-Reschke does travel a lot. “Personalcontact is an important part of my job,” she says.

“Young people shouldn’t go into engi-neering just because of career pros-pects, but mostly because they arecurious and enjoy meticulous work.”Petra Kim-Reschke, Head of Mechanical Testing of Dual-clutch Transmissions, AUDI AG


Premium-class HR work means makingAudi the most attractive employer.

Dr. Werner Widuckel,Member of the Boardfor Human Resourcesof AUDI AG

Audi can only live up to its premium reputation by em-ploying extremely well-qualified men and women. With-out a motivated, committed and healthy workforce, oursuccess as a company would be unimaginable. That iswhy HR holds such an important place in our businessstrategy: We invest heavily in hiring new staff, and alsoin ensuring first-rate, integrated personnel develop-ment. To support Audi’s worldwide growth, we will infuture be offering more and more job rotation betweenour national and international locations, for instance.

Equally important, if not more so, is our employees’contribution to the company’s success. The success of AUDI AG is what our employees make it – that iswhat we firmly believe. Premium-class HR work there-fore means making the Company the most attractiveemployer. After all, our employees aspire to perform,and they need the best possible conditions in which to do so.

This is why we give special attention to learning – life-long learning. We are committed to providing employ-ees of all ages with the skills they need, in every area ofthe business, from manufacturing through to technicaldevelopment. We also take into account that the way aperson learns will change in the course of his life. Com-panies who let the know-how of experienced employ-ees go to waste are merely jeopardizing their own com-petitiveness.

Demographic change, then, which so many seem toview as a catastrophe in the making, instead should beseen much more as the basis for a pact between gener-ations, opening up new opportunities. This is why, forexample, Audi relies on mixed-age teams, so that triedand tested know-how is not lost. The old idea that workmakes you ill and that you should strive to retire as early as possible has never been less true than todayand should finally be laid to rest. Instead, let us all recognize that trusting people to perform a wide rangeof tasks is the best way to get them to contribute to acompany’s well-being, whatever their age.

Lifelong learning is an opportunity: This way of thinkingrepresents a paradigm shift. Mastering this is a job notjust for HR but for the Company as a whole.

“Initially, I thought I’d embark on a career in technology be-cause everything is so clear-cut,” she explains. “Technology isobviously the foundation, but it involves much more humaninteraction than you might think.”Cederic Schäfer’s school project is rather similar. None of thechildren work on their projects by themselves. Rather, the robots are developed, assembled, tested and then fine-tunedby teams of ten. The children meet up once or twice a week towork on their projects. The aim is not just to program the robots so they reach their targets as quickly and independentlyas possible. The students also have to be able to give a shortpresentation. Also, in addition to the contest between the robots they have built on their project, a special prize will alsobe awarded for the best teamwork.

National competitions like “Schüler experimentieren”(High-school students conduct experiments) are designed toencourage children to see engineering in a positive light, andto get a real feeling for technology. Conventional physics andtechnology lessons, presented in an overly theoretical manner,often discourage students from conducting their own practicalexperiments. Their curiosity and innate inquisitiveness is oftenstifled as a result. The consequence is that student numbers inengineering and other technical subjects are falling. Eventhough Germany is a technologically advanced nation, thereare companies lacking in new scientific talent. According tostatistics issued by the Federation of German Industries, tensof thousands of specialist staff are required, particularly inGermany’s flagship industries such as automobile manufactur-ing and engineering.

Cederic Schäfer needed no external encouragement.He began his creative experiments all by himself, just becausehe enjoyed them. “I used to make films with my toys,” ex-plains the 12-year-old. “I got a small video camera and actedout scenes with the figures.” He first experimented with modeling clay and used it to makeanimated cartoons. Now he builds small machines and cars,which he programs and mechanizes. Audi engineer Petra Kim-Reschke believes this is exactly the right way to go. Heradvice to young people is that they should not choose engi-neering as a profession just because of career prospects, butmostly because they are curious and enjoy meticulous work.To this day, she enjoys the practical side of her job: “I lovehardware!” she says.Perhaps one day Cederic will also become a hero inventor,better than Q, MacGyver, Iron Man, Professor Calculus andGyro Gearloose put together. Although the famous duck in-ventor is perhaps not the perfect role model, as Cederic criti-cally remarks: “Those things that Gearloose does – nowthey’re really over the top!” •Titus Arnu, a specialist in culture and media, is a reporter for

Süddeutsche Zeitung, one of Germany’s leading daily newspapers.

In addition, he also writes for science and travel magazines.

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Novelist Frank Schätzing livesand works in Cologne. His motto:Creative people must always beprepared to accept failure.

Every dawn brings a new futureFrank Schätzing is one of Germany’s most successfulcontemporary writers. He rose to fame with his thriller“The Swarm,” set to hit the screens in 2009 as aHollywood movie. In this interview, Schätzing talksabout responsibility, fear and the world of tomorrow.INTERVIEW Marlis Prinzing PHOTOGRAPHY Paul Schmitz

44gb_GB07_072_075_Schaetzing 25.02.2008 14:54 Uhr Seite 72

using fact and fiction in a novel can have a tan-gible impact: A survivor of the South East

Asian tsunami owes his life to the accurate descrip-tion of a sea swell in your novel “The Swarm.” Doesthat ever cross your mind as you write?Not at first. I’m not trying to write a “User’s Guide to PlanetEarth.” My job is to tell stories. I make my money by wri-ting about monsters, mass murderers and psychopaths.That’s entertainment. I relish toying with the esthetics offear. The question of educating the public only comes inwhen I transport horror into the real world. Although at thispoint, you do start to take on a certain responsibility. Afterall, if I want to write about natural disasters in a credibleway, I know I will need to do a lot of research on my ownbecause what I write will be influencing the public’s opi-nion and even society’s code of values.

But some of your characters really do exist. Sam in your novel is actually called Jill Tartar; she’s a researcher with SETI, an organization that searchesspace for signs of intelligent life. Do you believe inalien life forms?Of course. There are masses of them. Life has developed oncountless planets, and intelligent civilizations have evolvedon a lot of them. To think anything else would be arrogantand naive.

What do you trust in?In my own power of judgment, my intellect, my clear vision.

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Some people believe that modern times are too bleakto consider having children.That’s humbug! People had it far worse in past centuries. Today some dangers may appear larger than those faced byour ancestors, but let’s face it: For the people concerned it makes no difference whether they die in a crusade or becauseof a nuclear explosion. People have in fact never had such high prospects of quality of life before.

What about the future?The future is not something abstract that is lurking in wait forus ten years from now. There is no reason to be afraid of it. Instead, we should be asking ourselves what kind of future we want, and start building it here and now. Every dawn brings a new future. We should always take a long hard look at the past, so we can learn from it and improve.

In your stories, you play with fear and horror. What are you actually afraid of?It’s funny, but I hardly have any fears. My only real vision offear is of losing my powers of reason, that I might start goingcrazy. That the specters hidden deep within me will somehowtake control. But even this fear is something you can learn tolive with. What you need to do is to accept this dark side ofpower, because it ultimately makes us better able to recognizewhat is good.

For nine years, you haven’t taken a plane. Is that because you are afraid of flying? Oh, that’s not a real fear, it’s a state of mind. Silly things, real-ly. The older I become, the more I try to confront what it isthat is disturbing me at a given moment, because I don’t wantto let myself be dominated by such things. That’s why a shorttime ago, I decided to take the plane after all and simply goton a flight to Oslo. Luckily the weather was good that day.

Are you afraid of missing out on something?Very much so. There’s still so much that I still want to do – travel into space, dive to the bottom of the sea. But to be honest, if I were to be struck by lightning today, my finalthought would probably be that I can actually look back at fifty wonderful years.

Are you afraid of death and dying?What I am afraid of is long-term suffering, wasting away,


People say you’re a bon vivant. What do you take real pleasure in?Small things. Good conversation, good wine, or half an hoursitting in the sun to recharge my batteries. I don’t need yachtsor private jets.

Is indulgence irresponsible while others are living in poverty?You don’t make the world a better place by denying yourselfas much as possible, but by accepting social responsibility, onthe basis of give and take: If we feel responsible for others’conditions, the whole world will be a better place to live in.Anyone can do that, either by themselves or collectively.

What’s the essential factor, in your opinion? Sustainability. Many unsound approaches are based on utopianecology. I try to question every potential influence over ourworld, and ask myself whether our children and our children’schildren will live better because of it. To do that, I have tothink in a way that humans are not genetically equipped to do:Humans live for the moment. They can hardly imagine whatwill happen to the world after they are gone. We really need to think about that a bit more often.

What is particularly valuable for you? Harmony among people. Consensus. Overcoming differences.

In “The Swarm” there are two methods: The armedforces and the politicians choose war, while the scien-tists seek to be reconciled with a rebellious Nature. In the book reconciliation prevails. In the real world, a happy ending and global peace seem to be im-possible. Why are we failing?Human beings are not peaceful. We are creatures that alwayswill be fighting for space – spiritual and geographical – for resources and for dominance. We are not cut out for peace.But I still hope that over time, we will learn to control ourselves and move towards peace. Not because we are all be-coming do-gooders, but because we are beginning to see thatmore can be gained from peace than from war. As a result of globalization, ownership of land and amassing material goods are beginning to lose value. Knowledge is the resource of the future. There will be wars about that, too, but they are more likely to be fought on the internet than onthe battlefield.

“The future is not something abstract that is lurking in wait for us ten years fromnow. There is no reason to be afraid of it. Instead, we should be asking ourselveswhat kind of future we want, and start building it here and now.“ Frank Schätzing


Alzheimer’s and dementia, definitely. But not of death itself.Think of it: It’s actually fascinating! To me, this is going to bethe ultimate experience. I can’t escape death, so I try to lookat it in a positive light. It will be my final adventure, I want toenjoy it.

You’re writing a new book. What’s it about?Ssshh.

Is the sea still your subject?As a habitat yes, but not as material for a book. I’ve said everything I want to say about the sea, and now my thoughtshave turned elsewhere.

How does a truly brilliant creation come about – a brilliant book, for example? Anyone who really wants to be creative has to follow one ruleof thumb: You need to be wholeheartedly prepared to fail, tofall flat on your face, to flop. If you can accept that, you willbe able to go wherever your own ideas take you. You will try toget most things right, instead of striving to get as few thingswrong as possible. That’s the only way innovation can develop.But today, that specter of fear looms everywhere – in politics,in business, in the media. It whispers in the ears of decision-makers, telling them to do anything rather than make any mis-takes that might hurt their job, their share of the audience ortheir share of the vote. That’s why they pre-test everything, tomake sure that nothing can go wrong afterwards. That’s ab-surd. What these people are trying to do is to rid every idea ofits last little bit of originality, individuality, polarity. Never beunpopular, never ruffle any feathers. The results are halfhear-ted solutions.

To what extent should we allow public opinion to influence our work? Obviously, in order to be successful, you need to keep an eyeon the market, and develop some intuition. But the public willonly ever be interested in tried-and-tested formulas, which iswhy many people never dare to present the public with an un-usual idea. I think that the American movie producer SamuelGoldwyn got it right when he said: “The public only knowswhat it wants when it sees it.”

How important is marketing in generating success?Marketing helps to sell. It can help to make products and ideas

successful, by creating attention, conveying their strengths in agripping, convincing way. The product itself is a question ofbelief. No marketing department in the world can sell some-thing that its own people don’t believe in. I could put the 20th new kind of butter onto the shelves. But only if I am trulyconvinced that the world needs this butter. That’s the only wayI can be successful.

As the host of the three-part TV documentary “2057 –unser Leben in der Zukunft,” you presented 500 scien-tists’ ideas of the future. Can you tell us what yourown vision is?We can only develop scenarios on the basis of probabilities.But there’s one thing I do believe in, and that is that we aremerging more and more with technology. We are heading to-wards the cyborg era, that is to say we will become mechani-cal beings, joined to our machines. Technology is the naturalcontinuation of evolution. •

Frank Schätzing, writer, record producer,advertising expert and connoisseur.

Born in Cologne (1957), graduated in communicationscience and went on to work as a creative director inthe advertising industry for many years. In 1990 hefounded the Cologne-based advertising agency “Intevi”with a partner, as well as the music production compa-ny “Sounds Fiction.” Schätzing’s first novel, “Death andthe Devil,” was published in 1995. It was followed bymysteries and thrillers, all set in his home city of Cologne.He achieved international fame with “The Swarm” inwhich a tormented nature rebels against mankind. Todate, his books have sold about seven million copiesand have been translated into 20 languages.

BIBLIOGRAPHY (among others): “The Swarm,”“Nachrichten aus einem unbekannten Universum”(News from an Unknown Universe), “Death and the Devil,” “Lautlos” (Silent), “Mordshunger” (Starving to Death).

Digging deeply: Journalist MarlisPrinzing interviewsFrank Schätzing.



44gb_GB07_076_081_Bionik 26.02.2008 9:07 Uhr Seite 76

Inspired by natureThe car industry has long seen nature as a source of inspiration for functional and design ideas. Engineers are now looking to nature for two things especially: Saving weight and saving energy.COPY Klaus Jopp


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The penguin principle. When it comes to optimizingaero- and hydrodynamics, nature is truly amazing.Take the penguin for example. Its body is perfectlydesigned for efficiency. Thanks to its streamlinedshape, this supreme swimmer has an extremely low

drag coefficient of just 0.03. If we translate this intonotional fuel efficiency, a penguin could travelbetween 1,500 and 2,000 kilometers under water onone liter of fuel. “Penguin design” thus promisessignificant fuel savings.

The beetle principle. Evolution has also given thebeetle cutting-edge technology. Its stable dorsalprotection has been used by car manufacturers,among others, as a source of inspiration in theirquest for a seat that is ergonomically perfect, but

crash-safe at the same time. Taking a cue from thebeetle, manufacturers made the frame for a new hi-tech polyamide seat from a one-piece molding. Oneadvantage of this is that plastic weighs much lessthan metal, used conventionally, but is just as solid.


79TECHNOLOGY & RESEARCH

owes part of its appeal to the world of flora and fauna: Thetransmission supports, inspired by the design of the giant water lily, or radar sensors that were inspired by the orienta-tion system found in bats.

This principle presents a particular technical challengefor the creation of sensitive characteristics. In order to feeltheir way around, these nocturnal animals emit ultrasonicsqueaks inaudible to the human ear 170 times a second, usingthe returning echo to differentiate between potential preyand their own kind and recognize obstacles. They can even decode chaotic background noise. Ultrasound is also used bywhales and dolphins – and now in cars, too, for example inparking sensors. The newly introduced Audi side assist helps drivers whenchanging lanes. Radar sensors built into the rear bumper, mon-itor blind spot areas. If the sensor spots a vehicle, the driver isinformed via an LED integrated into the wing mirror.

For the development of new tires, the tire industry haslooked at what amounts to half a zoo. Cats, polar bears, spi-ders and frogs all act as models for tire construction, com-pounds and profiles. Big cats are a good example. Despitetheir incredible speed, they can change direction or come to a halt in a split second. The secret? Their paws broaden on impact. Tires incorporating this technology are now on themarket. Although narrow, they bring additional rubber intocontact with the road surface on braking, thus shortening the stopping distance. The beauty of nature can also be inspiring. For example, thelighting functions in the Audi R8 are performed by LEDs. Naturally, this also requires corresponding advances in design.Consequently, the R8’s headlights, for instance, are modeledalong the lines of an open pine cone – a series of reflectorshells arranged concentrically one behind the other. The distinctive shape of the lights is also reminiscent of the mes-merizing eyes of a panther.

Sharkskin is another example of evolution at its best. Itdisproves the obvious principle that the smoother a surface, thefaster it can move. A shark’s body is completely covered withminiscule plates which form microscopic longitudinal grooves.This structure ensures that the water glides over the shark’sbody with less resistance. Professional swimmers now wearbody suits made from imitation sharkskin, in order to swimeach length of the pool a few hundredths of a second faster. Thegrooves on ships are also a clever strategy to help prevent bar-nacle and mussel growths. The same principle has also beenadopted to laminate aircraft on an experimental basis. The

he Gentoo penguin can swim underwater at a topspeed of seven meters per second. In terms of airspeed, this translates into over 100 meters per second –

the force of a hurricane. Thanks to their streamlined shape,these creatures are able to swim up to 100 kilometers per day.All they need as fuel for this remarkable daily performance isa stomach full of small shrimp. “Expressed in notional fossilfuel, this means that on one liter of fuel, a penguin could swimbetween 1,500 to 2,000 kilometers,” explains Werner Nachti-gall, Germany’s leading bionics expert and director of theBIOKON competence center at Saarland University.

Faced with this wonder of fuel efficiency, it is all too easyto see why a car manufacturer like Audi would look long andhard at bionics. This field of research, whose name has beencoined from biology and technology, deals with applying thestructural, operational and developmental principles of bio-logical systems in a technical context. “But it’s not aboutstraightforward copying. The idea that nature has preparedblueprints for technology will get you nowhere,” says Nachti-gall. “In nature, bionic principles have been able to developmore or less unrestricted,” comments Dr. Klaus Koglin, Headof Technology Development at Audi. All of Audi’s engineers,however, need to achieve a delicate balance between design,lightweight construction, safety, vehicle handling, comfort andprofitability in their creative solutions. Consequently, it is noeasy task to transpose a structural design found in nature into atechnical solution. “In reality, transferring an active bionicprinciple is far harder than just recognizing it, as it requiresthe cooperation of almost all partners within the processchain, that means designers, engineers, planners, processmanagers and technology developers,” says Koglin.

One of the most popular examples of bionics is the so-called lotus effect. A microscopically small structure on theleaf of a lotus flower prevents the adhesion of droplets of water or dust particles. The transfer of this effect to industrialresearch has given us self-cleaning roof tiles and marquees, as well as washstands that always stay clean. Needless to say,Audi is working on dirt-repellent nanopaint. At Audi’s head-quarters in Ingolstadt, construction methods have been enhanced by bionic concepts since the 1970s. Take the devel-opment of the innovative Audi Space Frame, for example.“Every engineer knows the importance of firm knots and thesupporting effect of light tensile surfaces between them,” saysDr. Claus Haverkamp, Head of Car Body Structure Develop-ment at Audi. “Researchers have copied a great deal from nature, such as the structure of the bamboo plant, the dragon-fly or the water lily.” Here, high rigidity and solidity, maxi-mum flexibility and low weight combine to form the perfectmix of characteristics.Bionics stimulates creativity and the drive to innovate. “Bionicprinciples often open up new perspectives, other than the traditional approaches adopted by engineers,” explainsHaverkamp. The advantage here is that nature has honed itstechnological prowess over millions of years. The Audi A8

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“Transferring an active bionic principleis far harder than just recognizing it.”Dr. Klaus Koglin, Head of Technology Development, AUDI AG



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The dragonfly principle. The gossamer-thin wings ofa dragonfly are crisscrossed with a dense networkof veins. These combine high solidity, maximum flexibility and low weight to form the perfect mix ofcharacteristics. Despite their relatively large size,

the weight of the dragonfly’s wings makes up just two percent of its total body weight at most. Audiengineers used this principle of firm knots and sta-bilizing lightweight tensile surfaces to develop theAudi Space Frame.


A steady drive for perfection: Audi’s successful production system

Frank Dreves,Member of the Boardfor Production of AUDI AG

What is it that makes car manufacturing sustainable?It’s impossible to identify just one aspect. Rather, it’sabout the complex interaction of several factors. Thecrucial goal is to manufacture and offer the customeran attractive, premium-quality product at a competitiveprice. This requires not only an attractive product de-sign and superior features, but also optimal utilizationof the available manufacturing capabilities and the establishment of efficient, supported manufacturingmethods, based on clear standards.

With the new A4, we have successfully implementedthe “turntable concept” between Ingolstadt andNeckarsulm. This means that, for the first time, we cancompletely produce a high-volume model at two loca-tions, from the sheet metal deep-drawing stage rightthrough to filling up the tank for the first time. This allows for a flexible response to changes in demand.The integration of the Brussels plant into Audi’s pro-duction network is another important step towardachieving our strategic objectives. It provides us withadditional capacity and more flexibility in the produc-tion of the A segment. In 2008, 84,000 vehicles will rolloff the production line at our fourth European site. The small, compact Audi A1 will also be manufacturedexclusively at the Brussels plant, which could amountto a production volume of as many as 100,000 units per annum.

The Audi Production System is vitally important forperfection – in terms of both quality and productivity.To ensure a better response to growing requirements interms of ergonomics, productivity and flexibility, wehave systematically enhanced our Audi Production Sys-tem. The key principles have been and remain consis-tently making production processes worker-friendlyand clearly focusing on minimizing throughput time.This allows us to establish clear standards as a basisfor developing a synchronized company that’s focusedon value creation. I firmly believe that when it comes toexpanding our product range, standardization is crucialfor success. This applies to processes and productionequipment, but also to the products themselves. Prod-uct standards help us to develop our cars in such a waythat our colleagues on the lines can assemble them ef-ficiently. They also help us to deal with the increasingcomplexity caused by derivatization, and to meet ourcustomers’ demands for a varied product range whilemaintaining premium quality.

result: Kerosene savings of up to three percent are possible –which corresponds to 2.5 tonnes on a long-distance flight.

Spiders’ webs are a great example of the efficiency pres-ent in evolution. Finer than human hair and stronger than steelfilaments, they are also more elastic than rubber. This is theonly way a spider’s web can withstand the impact of a beetlein full flight, for example. This makes spider’s silk far superiorto any synthetic fiber such as nylon or kevlar. Its strength isdue to the long protein chains which the spider produces in order to hold the web firm. Only recently have scientists man-aged to create genetically engineered spider silk. The potentialof this high-performance material is limitless. Fireproof cloth-ing is one possibility, as are bullet-proof vests. Hopes for themedical field include extremely fine suture material for oph-thalmic or neurological surgery, artificial tendons and replace-ments for bandages, band-aid and casts.

At Audi, lessons learned from nature are not just appliedto the vehicles themselves – but also to the whole productionprocess. “We think in terms of improved functionality at ourplants and production facilities, but also in terms of workfloworganization,” says Koglin. Already in use are grips, clamps,manipulators and tactile sensors able to detect the presence ofcomponents. Vacuum grippers, for example, work on thegecko principle. These lizards have billions of tiny hairs on thesoles of their feet, which gives them such perfect grip that theycan even walk hanging down vertically from flat surfaces. The larger the animal, the finer the hair structure. The bestthing is that this adhesion can be loosened easily and withoutleaving a trace, something that makes it extremely interestingfor industrial use. Gecko gloves could be useful for moun-taineers or window cleaners. Researchers are also busy work-ing on “gecko tape,” which should provide excellent adhesion.

Penguins and bats, geckos and spiders, bamboo and waterlilies – we are far from having discovered all the potentialMother Earth has to offer. “Nature is like a magic fountain,”says American biologist Edward Osborne Wilson, who lasttaught at Harvard and was presented with the U.S.’s highestscientific award. “The more we draw from the reservoir ofknowledge and opportunities that Nature has given us, thedeeper it becomes.”

Industry is certainly not the only area to benefit from bionicresearch. It will also benefit the environment, since manyof the innovative solutions from the hi-tech laboratory that isnature embody the principle of sustainability: After all, theonly solutions that have survived during the course of evolu-tion are those that require minimal utilization of energyand materials. •Klaus Jopp, chemist and author, writes for Financial Times Deutschland,

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TECHNOLOGY & RESEARCH

Panorama

Audi celebrates its thirdconsecutive “Engine ofthe Year”award. A panelof over 60 renowned mo-toring journalists from 30different countries be-stowed the covetedaward on the 2.0 literTFSI engine. The four-cylinder unit dominatedits class and favorablyimpressed the jury, lead-ing the experts again torecognize Audi for thebest work in engine de-velopment.

“Engine of the Year”

Audi comes 1st

Audi drive select givesyou three cars in one: Atthe touch of a button thecustomer can switch be-tween “automatic,” “dy-namic” or “comfort”modes. This makes itpossible to drive the carwith very balanced, ex-tremely sporty or particu-larly comfortable settingsand also to create a per-sonalized profile.

Audi drive select

Three in one

Audi secures progress through science thanks to itspartnerships with many universities, colleges and re-search facilities. The first such project began in 2003with the Technical University in Munich. By the end of2007 there were no fewer than nine university partner-ships. New partners include among others Munich’sLudwig-Maximilians-Universität since November 2007and the University of Dortmund. The aim of the part-nerships is to transfer knowledge between industryand the field of academic research. The projects aregeared towards meeting AUDI AG’s new requirementsin the field of research and development. Project par-ticipants work with Audi to provide possible solutionsto issues in the fields of powertrain and lightweightconstruction, production technology, IT, engineeringand business and social sciences. Over the past year,researchers worked on approximately 100 doctorateprojects of which 63 were part of the research partner-ship. Apart from the universities already listed, Audialso works with Ingolstadt University of Applied Sci-ences and the universities of Karlsruhe, Stuttgart, Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany as well as with Bu-dapest’s University of Technology and the SZE Gyorin Hungary.

Partnerships with universities in 2007

University meets industry

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03Audi drive select: The driving style can be changed at the touch of a button.

01Simply the best:The 2.0 liter TFSI engine.

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Sporty, progressive and sophisticated – these are theproperties a racing car needs in order to compete atthe top level in Formula Student, an international de-sign competition in which elite teams from all over theworld develop prototypes for a single-seater racing carwhich then race against each other. The Audi Contest was initially established in order toactively support young engineers. 19 teams competedfor scientific and financial sponsorship from Audiahead of their potential participation in Formula Stu-dent. The teams from the Technical University of Mu-nich, Joanneum Graz in Austria and Hamburg Universi-ty of Applied Sciences eventually won over the jurywith their technical and business concepts for build-ing a prototype. Audi provided the winning teams witha total sum of 30,000 euros. Formula Student waslaunched in 2006 by the German Engineers’ Associa-tion (VDI), under the slogan “For the future of youngengineers.”

Audi supports “Formula Student”

30,000 euros for young engineers

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Audi and the Apple iPhone, in other words, hi-tech and innovative design. It has been possible to use theApple iPhone in any Audi model ever since its launchin November 2007. Thanks to Audi’s close cooperationwith Apple, drivers can enjoy the iPhone’s full func-tionality. The only requirement is a cell phone adapterwith Bluetooth interface, available as an option for allAudi model lines.

Cell phone

iPhone now Audi compatible

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04Cult objectfor all mo-dels: The Apple iPhonecan be usedin any Audi.

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05Promoting young talent: The team from the Technical University of Munich won the Audi Contest Formula Student.

Pictured here with Dr. Werner Widuckel (center), Member of the Board for Human Resources of AUDI AG.

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