Ali and Sons brings the world tour of the renowned Audi Quattro to Abu Dhabi as part of activities celebrating the 25th anniversary of the pioneering technology. Car enthusiasts will have a chance to get a feel for the technology in a series of test drives of the Audi A6 to be hosted by Ali Sons.
“We are proud to be Audi’s long-time partners in bringing renowned Audi vehicles with the revolutionary Quattro technology to car consumers in Abu Dhabi,” said Andrew Hellyar, Audi Brand Manager, Ali and Sons. “The forthcoming test drive will be an exciting showcase of the Quattro technology and how it has revolutionized the way people look at vehicle performance.”
Audi was the first car manufacturer to introduce a permanent four-wheel drive specifically tailored to high performance on-road passenger cars. The pioneering technology was named “quattro” and has since its introduction 25 years ago written motorsport history and has been enjoying enormous success in production vehicles as well. The four-wheel drive technology is available for all Audi models and comes as a standard on models like the A8 W12 and new Audi Q7.
By early 2005 an estimated 1.8 million Audi quattro models had come off the production line, indicating the success of the technology. quattro ensures excellent traction and stable cornering, minimizing the effect of propulsive forces on the car's self-steering properties. This is a precondition for high cornering speeds and a high level of dynamic stability. What differentiates quattro from other four-wheel drives is the Torsen Differential. With its’ longitudinally installed engines it automatically ensures the optimum distribution of power between all four wheels. Normally the power is split 50:50 between the two pairs of wheels - 40:60 in the Q7 and RS4 - but in extreme cases up to 75 percent of propulsive power can be diverted to either pair.
The potential of all-wheel drive in normal production cars was first realized by Audi in 1977 during the testing of new developments - such as the utilitarian off-road vehicle Iltis - under the extreme conditions of Finland. A team of engineers was then assigned to the task and six months later the first prototype was ready for testing. With the first Audi with quattro four-wheel drive, the “Ur-quattro”, showcased at the Geneva Motorshow in 1980, Audi had breathed fresh inspiration into its maxim “Vorsprung durch Technik” (Advancement through Technology). The quattro principle brought the permanent all-wheel drive onto the road and in doing so redefined all-wheel drive itself. Greater traction and improved handling gave quattro a significant lead over conventional drivetrains, with simultaneous gains in safety and driver satisfaction.
Not only did the quattro technology achieve accolades in on-road production cars but it changed the rules of rallying forever. Between 1981 and 1984 Audi gained four world rally championship titles on loose-surfaced sand and gravel tracks with the Ur-quattro and subsequently concentrated on circuit racing, winning the most prestigious trophies in Europe and the USA. Now legendary drivers like Michele Mouton, Hannu Mikkola, Stig Blomqvist and Walter Rohrl, who won and set a new record at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in 1987, remain unforgotten.
One of the most dramatic quattro moments took place in Kaipola, Finland, in 1986, where an Audi with quattro drive proved capable of driving up an Olympic ski jump with a slope angle of 37.5 degrees – or to put it in another way, a gradient of 80 percent. In a dramatic run professional rally driver Harald Demuth drove the Audi effortlessly up the 78-metre long ski jump. To mark the 25th anniversary of quattro Audi has repeated the stunt with an Audi A6 4.2 in 2005.
After the launch of the Ur-quattro, Audi introduced further all-wheel drive variants to its production program and continued to optimize the technology. At present all Audi models are available with the legendary four-wheel drive and the reputation of quattro is today, at its 25th anniversary, stronger and more active then ever before. Quattro stands for better traction, better grip and more driving pleasure.
The latest additions to the legendary quattro four-wheel drive range are the Audi Shooting Brake concept car and the Q7, which was launched at the Dubai Motor Show in December 2005. Audi will continue the history of the quattro technology with further new models in 2006.
About Audi
Audi is a car manufacturer rich in tradition. The four rings symbolise the fusion of Audi, DKW, Horch and Wanderer in 1932. Today, Audi is one of the three big German automotive manufacturers in the premium segment. AUDI AG employs more than 50,000 employees and delivered around 780,000 Audi vehicles to customers in 2004.
As a global developer and manufacturer of high-quality cars and engines, Audi has major production sites in Germany, Hungary, Brazil and China. Within the Volkswagen Group, Audi is responsible for the sporty brand group which also includes the SEAT and Lamborghini brands.
The current model range is one of the youngest in premium segment and comprises the A3, A3 Sportback, A4 Saloon, Avant and Cabriolet, S4 Saloon, Avant and Cabriolet, RS 4, A6 Saloon and Avant, TT Coupe and Roadster, the A8, S8 and the Q7.
About Ali and Sons
Ali and Sons is the exlcusive distributor of Audi vehicles in Abu Dhabi. It is a member ofthe Ali & Sons Group which is engaged in the Automotive, Commercial Oil & Gas, Retailing, Contracting, Property Management, Manufacturing, Information Technology and Investments industries.
In addition to Audi, the Group has become synonymous with some of the leading brands in the region - Volkswagen, Porsche, Sulzer, Frette, to name a few. Some of the Group’s own brands have a remarkable equity as well - Amwaj Jewellery, Sidra Village, Eurostar and Rent-a-Car among others.
In the capable hands of the new generation of Al Dhahry family, Ali & Sons embarks on its future with more confidence and with exciting new ideas for growth and collaboration.
The Group’s Vice Chairman & Managing Director Ahmed Bin Ali Al Dhahry and Managing Director Shamis Bin Ali Al Dhahry, under the guidance of His Excellency Ali Bin Khalfan Al Mutawa Al Dhahry, are already
achieving significant strides in business through their bold and innovative decisions.
