Audi A5

PRESS RELEASE
INGOLSTADT, Germany - Audi achieved new record figures for production, vehicle sales, revenue and profit before tax in the 2006 financial year. "Our excellent accounts for 2006 once again demonstrate how to achieve profitable growth. We are the fastest-growing premium brand in the world. This puts us well on our way to becoming the most successful premium car manufacturer in the world by 2015," remarked Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG, at today's Annual Press Conference in Ingolstadt.

Over proportional growth in revenue and earnings
The revenue of the Audi Group rose by 17.1 percent in the 2006 financial year to the all-time record level of EUR 31.1 billion. This rate of increase is significantly higher than the growth rate for vehicle sales (up 9.2 percent). The brand with the four rings enjoyed an even steeper rise of 43.2 percent in the operating result, to EUR 2,015 million.
This huge success is attributable in particular to the steady improvement in the model mix that has been brought about by selling higher-value vehicles. Meanwhile the measures to cut costs, boost productivity and optimize processes exercised a positive impact on earnings.
Profit before tax reached EUR 1,946 million and therefore showed a rise of 48.5 percent. This is its highest ever level in the history of the company. "The disproportionately high increase in revenue and earnings when compared with vehicle sales provides us with an excellent basis, and is the best possible evidence of our long-term drive for qualitative growth," emphasized Stadler. Profit after tax was EUR 1,343 million, representing a rise of 63 percent.
The Audi Group achieved significant growth of 4.5 percentage points in the return on investment, to 14.2 (9.7) percent. This places Audi among the leaders in the car industry. The disproportionately sharp rise in earnings compared with revenue is also reflected by the increase in the rate of return from 4.9 to 6.2 percent.

Record vehicle sales for eleventh year in succession
The Audi brand established a new record for vehicle sales for the eleventh year in succession in 2006: it delivered 905,188 vehicles to customers worldwide, representing a rise of 9.2 percent or 76,079 vehicles (2005: 829,109*). Record numbers of vehicles were sold in 41 markets.
The company achieved its best sales figure ever in Germany: 257,792 (247,125) vehicles were handed over to their new owners in 2006, equivalent to a rise of 4.3 percent. Audi has consequently achieved a market share of 7.6 percent in its home market of Germany, its highest in 26 years.
"Audi is a successful company that operates increasingly on a global scale. The ten biggest markets account for around 80 percent of our unit sales," explained Ralph Weyler, Member of the Board of Management of AUDI AG for Marketing and Sales, today in Ingolstadt. The biggest export market remains the USA with a record total of 90,116 units (83,066, up 8.5 percent), followed by UK on 86,003 (81,374, up 5.7 percent) and China (excluding Hong Kong) on 80,808 (58,128, up 39.0 percent). In China including Hong Kong, Audi increased its sales by 38.8 percent to 81,708 vehicles. "China is well on the way to becoming a second home market for Audi. That is where we believe our biggest potential for growth lies, so we are striving to build on our long-standing market lead for premium vehicles."
In Europe excluding Germany, the company enjoyed growth of 7.7 percent to 400,671 (371,995) units. The biggest rises in unit sales in absolute terms were achieved in Spain, France, Belgium, Italy and the UK.
The positive trend in Eastern Europe is continuing: the number of vehicles sold there rose by 31.7 percent to 27,083 (20,559) units. The most notable of these is Russia, where Audi is market leader in the premium segment with growth of 64.3 percent.
The subsidiary Lamborghini improved on the previous sales record from 2005 (1,600 units), selling 2,087 vehicles (up 30.4 percent).

Vehicle and engine production reaches record level
Car production (including Lamborghini) climbed by 14.1 percent in 2006 to the record level of 926,180 vehicles. With quattro versions accounting for 33.1 percent of this total, the Ingolstadt-based car manufacturer is now the market leader for four-wheel-drive vehicles in the premium segment. Engine production by the Audi Group climbed 11.8 percent to 1,895,695 units.

Quantitative and qualitative growth safeguarding jobs
Audi's recent choices of production locations have reaffirmed its faith in Germany as an industrial base. "Whenever we need to identify a production location for a new model, all the venues being considered naturally have to prove that they can build it on internationally competitive terms," explained Stadler.
The number of employees at December 31, 2006 was 52,463, and thus remained at the previous year's high level (52,430). 44,719 (44,970) people were employed at AUDI AG, including 31,304 (31,337) in Ingolstadt and 13,415 (13,633) in Neckarsulm. AUDI HUNGARIA MOTOR Kft. employed a workforce of 5,373 (5,022) employees, the Lamborghini Group had 672 (681) and Volkswagen Group Italia S.p.A. (formerly AUTOGERMA S.p.A.) 875 (845) employees. With 2,231 (2,236) apprentices in 20 different trades, Audi has maintained the number of those in training at the Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm plants at the previous year's high level.
The additional share of profits that the company paid out to employees for the first time last year will be even higher this time round, thanks to the record earnings: a total amount of EUR 81.5 million will be paid out to the workforce. On average this means EUR 1,959 per employee, virtually four times the payment of the previous year. It will be paid on top of the existing profit-sharing arrangements for employees.

Outlook for 2007: safeguarding sustainability
"Our strategy focuses on growth – in unit sales, revenue and earnings. You can see from our record figures that our corporate strategy is working. However, we will not be resting on our laurels. Our task for this and subsequent years is now to safeguard the sustainability of the sales, revenue and earnings figures that we have achieved, and to secure their steady growth," added Stadler. "Audi has got off to an excellent start to 2007. With unit sales of around 75,150, we can already look back on the best January in the company's history." This figure meant that Audi's vehicle sales worldwide were 8.0 percent up on the same month of the previous year.
In view of the above-average qualitative and quantitative growth it has enjoyed in recent years, the company expects the key figures for 2007 to be on a par with the previous year. "According to the principle of "Progressive Performance", which we also took as the title for this year's Annual Report, we will be adopting a variety of measures to secure further significant cuts in fuel consumption, and push ahead with the development of alternative fuels and drive principles," declared Stadler. The group will exploit growth potential in existing and new markets, further optimize corporate processes and systematically push forward with its product initiative: the new Audi A5 car line will be launched in the first half of the year with the appearance of the Audi A5 Coupé. Audi has furthermore just decided to build a compact, sporty small car. "Because we have ambitious objectives even if we will be taking the opportunity to catch our breath this year. We aim to push our unit sales beyond the one million barrier by the end of 2008. And we have set ourselves the sales target of 1.5 million vehicles by 2015," concluded Stadler at this year's Annual Press Conference.

Pagani Zonda R Revealed

Pagani's new Zonda R clubsport , official word has come from the Italian supercar builder on its newest model. The track-only Zonda R will get a 750-hp (523 ft-lbs of torque) version of the Mercedes AMG-sourced, 7.3-liter V12 that produces 680 hp in the Zonda F clubsport (594 hp in the street model). It'll be 40 cm longer nose to tail, with a slightly longer wheelbase. More pics to come from the land of the midnight cheese products.

jalopnik.com

EDAG LUV concept

Fulda/Geneva “Cast off!”
The new concept car from EDAG Engineering + Design AG will be making its first appearance on March 6, 2007, in Geneva – the “EDAG LUV”. The design concept of the “LUV” is based on an luxury-class SUV and incorporates a maritime look from bow to stern: oiled teakwood on the hood, as the flooring on the interior, and on the elegant cargo area conveys a maritime flair. But the “EDAG LUV” is a real eye-catcher in other respects as well: the cargo area, behind the two rows of seats with plenty of room for 5 passengers, has been outfitted with teakwood and distinctly resembles a quarterdeck – in keeping with the maritime look of the concept car.

The Module Concept of the “EDAG LUV” – An Economical Approach to Vehicle Derivatives But the maritime design of the “EDAG LUV” is just the covering for a modular concept which makes it possible to turn vehicles into derivatives or niche vehicles at reasonable expenditures of time and money. In coming up with their shell concept, the EDAG team of engineers, headed by project manager Andreas Funk, set themselves the goal of using the greatest possible number of carry-over parts. The group can certainly be proud of the results of the intelligent module concept: 90% of the parts required to perform the metamorphosis of a luxury-class SUV into the “EDAG LUV” come off the parts shelf of the basic vehicle. For example, the extension of the floor pan by 512 mm was realized using original parts. The wheelhouses were also used without any modifications, as were the parts for the rear-end finish, which includes integration of the standard power-lift system from the sedan. “In addition to our efforts to use a maximum number of identical parts, we were especially careful to keep the existing production concept of the basic vehicle in mind during the development of the ‘EDAG LUV’,” explains Andreas Funk. “The self-supporting body can be completely welded using standard tongs. It goes without saying that we used simulation models during the development of the entire body concept to test crash behavior and rigidity so that we could guarantee the highest level of quality and safety.” The advantages of the EDAG module concept are obvious. Thanks to the use of identical parts and taking into account the production concept, a vehicle concept which is visually completely new can be realized under economically interesting conditions. “More and more end customers are asking for niche vehicles, and this type of design turns the production of such cars into a ‘business case’ for the manufacturers,” points out Johannes Barckmann, Head of Design at EDAG, in describing the concept.

The “EDAG LUV” – A New Vehicle Segment
“LUV”, the name of the concept car, is not only a term used by sailors (it is German for “luff”, the windward side of a vessel), but also defines a new vehicle segment – the luxury utility vehicle. “In taking the maritime world as a leitmotif for the design of the ‘EDAG LUV’, we deliberately selected a niche theme. We wanted to demonstrate in exemplary fashion that it is possible to create a distinctive vehicle class and not only to give a vehicle a new look. And to do that with as little technical effort as possible,” is how Johannes Barckmann explains the intentions behind the design concept. So the cargo area of the “EDAG LUV” is elegantly tied in with the passenger cell by the harmonious lines of the body design. The utility vehicle character so often evident in pick-up models is no longer discernible in the “EDAG LUV”. On the contrary, the “EDAG LUV” radiates elegance and autonomy and cannot be classified by any of the vehicle segments existing today. Yet the luxury image which has been created is only one example for the idea of a versatile vehicle concept. Speaking of versatile: the pick-up module can be exchanged for a convertible or coupe module simply by releasing a catch mechanism integrated into the body of the “EDAG LUV”. A clever move by the EDAG developers so that additional derivative variants can be realized flexibly and at low cost.

Innovation in the Interior – The PC Takes Its Place in the Vehicle
The “EDAG LUV” has innovative solutions on the inside as well. The EDAG development team has integrated two UMPCs (UltraMobile PCs) into the headrests, bringing the PC world into the vehicle. The user can use a specially developed mechanism to insert the fully operational PCs easily into the headrests. Passengers in the rear seat can use their Office applications such as PowerPoint, Excel, and Word in the vehicle, plus WLAN and UMTS provide them with Internet access, enabling them to download and answer their e-mails during the trip. Furthermore, integrated Webcams even make it possible to hold Net meetings during the trip. Users can also access their music or DVD collection from the car. The trick: The UMPCs are connected to the vehicle’s audio system so that the MP3 files or videos stored on the computer can also be used in the vehicle. The integration of the computer keyboards into the interior of the “EDAG LUV” has also been handled elegantly: modern form-fitting foil keyboards have been embedded in the folding tables available for use by rear-seat passengers. Background lighting makes it possible to work even while traveling at night and is yet another futuristic design element in the interior.
“The integration of so-called consumer devices into the vehicle architecture is a highly interesting topic for the manufacturers. This can result in a genuine additional value for the end customers by making the functionality of the PC world usable in the vehicle as well,” notes Dr. Robert Hentschel, Director of EDAG Electrics/Electronics. “Being a full-range developer of vehicles and an integrator in the field of electrics/electronics, we are determined to develop solutions in this area which are stylish, geometrically and functionally high-quality, and practical." EDAG is currently pursuing two solution approaches:
1. A second integration stage will tie the UMPCs into the vehicle architecture for luxury-class vehicles. The advantage: the driver can use operating elements – e.g., on the steering wheel – to access directly the functions or data of the UMPC.
2. The EDAG developers are planning the UMPC as an after-market product for compact and midsize cars. The aim here is to develop concepts for various models produced by car-makers so that the devices can be integrated ergonomically and geometrically into the interior without a jarring visual effect. What makes this especially enticing is the possibility of utilizing the UMPC as an on-board computer and high-quality display device by connecting it to the vehicle architecture, providing yet another service, as well as making the complete functionality of a PC available in the car. With this as a goal, EDAG is working closely with the Intel Corporation on the development of solutions for the electrical and electronic connection as well as on the integration of “nomadic devices” in the vehicle interior. EDAG will rely on the latest in Intel technology, processors, and chip sets. Especially small dimensions for the chips and low energy consumption are only some of the criteria for their use in cars. The Company is planning to present the “EDAG LUV” at the upcoming IAA in Frankfurt in the second integration stage, i.e., with access to the UMPCs via operating elements of the car.

Innovative Development Competence by EDAG
EDAG will be presenting the “EDAG LUV” in Geneva as proof of its competence, underscoring the capabilities of the world’s largest independent development partner to develop economically sound innovative vehicle concepts optimized for production. The project has been realized in only three months, from definition of the concept and design process to the development to the ready-to-roll prototypes, and is on the verge of being realized as a Premium Edition.
BRABUS is one of the partners in this project. The tuner from Bottrop contributed not only the 462 hp / 340 kW high-performance BRABUS 6.1 displacement engine for the EDAG LUV that allows this all-wheel-drive vehicle to accelerate to 100 km/h in a little more than six seconds for a speed of 250 km/h.
BRABUS also provides the classy 10Jx22 monoblock S wheels fitted with 295/35 ZR 22 YOKOHAMA tires, the air suspension module as well as the high-performance brake system from its product line-up. The 12-piston aluminum fixed calipers and ventilated, perforated 380 x 36 millimeter front brake disks and the 6-piston fixed calipers and 355 x 28 mm rear brake disks reach a braking performance typically achieved only by genuine sports cars.
Exclusive all-leather appointments and attractive interior accessories are an additional BRABUS specialty. The BRABUS saddlery combined the finest white leather with black seams and cords for a superior interior finish of the EDAG LUV that leaves nothing to be desired.