German manufacturer Audi produced its 100 000th A8 vehicle at the Neckarsulm plant this week. Meanwhile, the next generation A8 will be launched at the end of the year.
German manufacturer Audi produced its 100 000th A8 vehicle at the Neckarsulm plant this week. It was a silver L 6,0 quattro (long-wheelbase limousine).
The 100 000th car is the flagship model in the Audi range. It is powered by an aluminium 12-cylinder engine, with a displacement of six litres and an output of 309 kW. "It is one of the most powerful production saloons in the world," said production board member Heizmann when addressing staff at the event celebrating the landmark.
"The Audi A8 is the only high-performance luxury-class car with quattro drive, and it is still the only luxury-class car in the world to have successfully adopted lightweight aluminium design principles," said Heizmann.
Two years ago Audi extended its long-standing aluminium expertise to large-scale production. The Audi A2 compact car has been built in Neckarsulm since mid-2000.
Around 80 000 of this model have been built to date, including some 3 600 of the Audi A2 1,2 TDI with the outstandingly low fuel consumption of three litres per 100 km.
"Taking the Audi A8 and Audi A2 together, this means we have already built more than 180 000 aluminium-bodied cars for our customers," said plant manager Otto Lindner.
The Audi A8 and A2 consist of the Audi Space Frame (ASF). This a high-strength aluminium frame structure into which the large aluminium panels are integrated, thus assuming a supporting function. Aluminium extruded sections are connected by means of die-cast node elements.
The systematic reduction in body weight of approximately 40 per cent achieved with the ASF principle, compared to a conventional steel body, improves performance and contributes towards a positive ecological balance.
"Since it first appeared in 1994, our pioneering ASF technology has opened up unprecedented perspectives for a responsible form of mobility in the luxury class," commented Dr Wolfgang Ruch, head of the Aluminium Centre at the Audi Neckarsulm plant.
Audi is set to launch the new-generation Audi A8 at the end of the year. The ASF concept has been further refined for this model. "New techniques and our experience from Audi A2 production will help us to make the next quantum leap," said Heizmann.