Audi's Future

Zonda999

http://www.autocar.co.uk/CarReviews/FirstDrives/Audi-A5-2.0T-Lightweight-Prototype/242969/

Makes for an interesting read and certainly would put audi at the forefront of the Big Three in terms of R&D

140g co2/km is remarkable form a 2.0 210bhp TSi, and remember this is a current engine, not some futuristic thing. The same engine as the MK6 GTi

In terms of drivability too, it would appear to banish those who say that audi's are not true drivers cars

Question though is whether audi would be brave and actually put this into the next generation working down, possibly starting with the next A8 and A6? To mass produce this would be considerably more expensive than steel and could only be offset with engines that are cheaper to produce, possibly rendering V8s and even V6's redundant.

Any thoughts on this?

EPM

Pity they didn't do the A5 like this to begin with. It seems to be a car thats slated left, right and centre in it's current guise. Def a step in the right direction though to lose weight. Mazda are doing a similar thing with their new models, although not to the extremes (probably very costly ones too) that Audi do

peasant

Audi were there already ...with the A2. Lightweight alumium space frame, alu body, etc
All that needed was a dedicated fuel saving petrol engine (it had the diesel) and then the same concept could have filtered upwards in the range.
Also the A8 has the alu space frame.

But the A2 was too expensive and came at the wrong time ...it just didn't sell well enough with the whole SUV / bigger is better craze going on.

In my mind this lightweight A5 is not new but rather back to the roots for Audi.