Erik
April 28th, 2003, 18:28
I got this posted anonomously by someone. I guess it's the Milestones for the US Customers.
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During pre-production, Audi staff members in Neckarsulm process your order. What this means, more specifically, is that you are assigned a vehicle production sequence number and we move all parts and components for your RS 6 onto the factory floor.
This includes, most notably, your RS 6 engine. During the past several months, shipments of RS 6 engines have been arriving at our Neckarsulm plant from Wellingborough, England. As you probably know, Wellingborough is the home of the celebrated high-performance engine manufacturer Cosworth Technology, a subsidiary of Audi since 1998.
Working closely with quattro GmbH engineers, CosworthTechnology assembled and rigorously tested the RS 6's 4.2-liter, biturbo V8 engine. During one of the most demanding endurance tests, the RS 6 was driven more than 5,000-miles around the 73-bend Nordschleife circuit at Nürburgring. “After Nürburgring,” recalls one of the chief quattro GmbH engine designers, Michael G., “we were confident that the engine was stable even under the most extreme conditions.”
When the RS 6 engine arrives in Neckarsulm, our engineers mate it with Audi's five-speed Tiptronic® transmission, which includes a mighty gearbox borrowed from the W12 in the European A8, Audi's previous top performer in terms of output and torque. Finally, after pairing these two critical components for your RS 6
the entire engine and transmission assembly is safely stored until your vehicle production sequence number calls it out onto the factory floor.
On the horizon: In the next Milestone, your order passes out of our pre-production queue and into actual production. The first stage of production: assembling the body of your RS 6.
If you could join us in Neckarsulm for a plant tour, we'd start by taking you to the beginning of the RS 6 body assembly process. Here, in the press shop, two-story high hydraulic presses shape sheet metal for RS 6 components, notably the roof (which includes a sunroof opening, an exclusive feature for the U.S. market), doors, side panels, and floor assembly.
We would then take you into the welding area, where hundreds of robots in concert with skilled technicians use a range of welding techniques—including laser welding—to join components together. The body of the RS 6 also benefits from Audi's own patented self-piercing, high-strength riveting process. Sparks, as they say, do indeed fly. Stephan Reil, head of technical development at quattro GmbH, explains the process: “On the RS 6 we retained the steel body, doors and roof of the S6, and then we added additional structural support, secondary welding and completely modified the transmission tunnel to accept the V8 with its two turbos, two intercoolers, and twin branch exhaust system.“
After assembly inspection, the RS 6 shell emerges from the body shop. While unadorned with color, the shell already displays the RS 6's discreetly sleek lines and curves.
On the horizon: Mugello Blue or Avus Silver? Daytona Gray or Goodwood Green? Ebony or Misano Red? In Milestone 3, your RS 6 is painted with your exterior color. By the way, if you are in fact planning a trip to Germany this year—more precisely, a trip in the vicinity of Neckarsulm—we invite you to join one of our regularly scheduled Neckarsulm plant tours. If you call ahead, we will also try to arrange a special tour for you of the RS 6 assembly process. To place a request for an RS 6 tour, please call 011.49. 713231.86081.
During this stage of production, the body of your RS 6 is protected, primed, and painted.
At Audi, we have long been respected in the automotive world for our high-quality paints and exterior finishes. Attention is paid to every detail, from the chemical composition of our paints and lacquers to our innovative application technology to our comprehensive inspection techniques.
After your RS 6 moves out of the body assembly area and into the paintshop, we apply layers of protective material and paint to the shell, beginning with a virtually solvent-free cataphoretic dip-priming process. Additional layers of protection include: a zinc phosphate to help prevent corrosion, a sealant and underseal, an elastic filler to protect against stone damage, a base coat, and transparent lacquer.
Later, during the final stages of production, your RS 6 will be subjected to an intensive quality control paint check when we examine the body under a battery of harsh daylight neon tubes, which reveal the slightest imperfection. And Audi provides this additional assurance: We guarantee your RS 6 for 12 years against corrosion. We are confident that the exterior of your RS 6 will withstand the elements and look fresh for many years to come. With our extensive guarantee, you'll feel confident too.
On the horizon: A marriage made in automotive heaven: the body of your RS 6 is united with its drivetrain.
After the body of your RS 6 assumed its shape and color in Milestone 3, virtually all interior features were meticulously installed, including the suede-like Alcantara® headliner, premium leather seats, dashboard components, three-spoke perforated-leather Sport steering wheel, 200-watt Bose® sound system, windshield and side windows. Meanwhile, on a separate production line, your RS 6's drivetrain components—the mighty engine and transmission, axle drive shafts, Brembo® brakes, suspension systems, and 18-inch wheels—were fitted together.
In automotive parlance, the moment the body is joined to the drivetrain is known as “the Wedding,” which is what happens during this stage of the RS 6 assembly process. By precisely coordinating the separate assembly lines, all RS 6 components arrive at the installation station at the same time. As with human relationships, timing is everything when it comes to creating a perfect union. An integrated hydraulic system then lifts the drivetrain assembly up and into the shell of your RS 6, and the marriage is official.
On the horizon: During Milestone 5, your RS 6 heads into our exclusive RS 6 production facility. Here, a dedicated team of high-performance specialists, part of the quattro GmbH group, will complete the assembly of your vehicle, attending to all aspects of performance tuning, customized interior and exterior design details, and final testing and inspection.
During this final stretch of production, your RS 6 is hand-finished inside our special RS 6 production hall. Your RS 6's journey between the main Audi AG assembly line and our high-performance RS 6 facility is made possible by a closed-loop induction system. This system ensures that the powerful RS 6 engine—not yet outfitted with its intercoolers—doesn't overheat when it is driven at a walking pace between the two buildings.
Once inside our high-performance production hall, your RS 6 undergoes a series of intensive quality inspections and tests. In the high-pressure rain test, for example, cars are blasted with 400 gallons of water a minute to ensure the integrity of all seals. After meeting Audi's stringent quality standards, cars are allowed to proceed into the final assembly area.
Here, each car is escorted through a series of finishing stations. At one station, engineers fit and fill the valves and connection pipes for the new Dynamic Ride Control (DRC™) suspension feature. At another, the twin intercoolers are installed, their intakes and exhaust systems fitted. “There's very limited space under the hood,” says Helmut S., who oversees RS 6 production, “so we call our mechanics midwives because the work they do is so tricky.”
At still other finishing stations, front and rear bumpers are attached, along with the RS 6's distinctive exterior badging; standard wheels are removed and replaced with your uniquely designed RS 6 18-inch alloy wheels; the hood with its diamond- pattern upper grill is installed; and, finally, all electronic systems are interfaced with one another.
After passing through roughly a dozen stations, your RS 6 concludes its journey inside our special production hall the same way it started: with a series of intensive quality inspections and tests. In this final stage, each and every RS 6 is put through the demanding paces—nearly a dozen inspections in all, including a 110 mph four-wheel rolling test bed, where the camber and toe-in rates for all four wheels are laser checked and recorded, an Electrical Check-Out System (ECOS) examination, and frequency tests on hundreds values.
After that, we take your RS 6 out for a test drive—a 30-mile gauntlet of public roads of all kinds, just to make sure your car is performing precisely as we intended. It's all about proving for one last time that great is never good enough.
On the horizon: Your RS 6 leaves the northern German port town of Emden.
The reliability that you expect from Audi is ensured through our series of systematic and rigorous tests in Milestone 5. Prior to transporting your RS 6 by rail to the port city of Emden, in the north of Germany, we double and triple-check everything from the integrity of all safety and electrical components to the execution of every design detail.
While the transatlantic journey usually takes about two weeks, the complexity of shipping operations and the sheer volume at the Emden port sometimes causes delays. To protect your RS 6 from the elements during transport, it is wrapped in plastic and special care is taken to keep it safe and secure for the entire ocean journey.
On the horizon: Your RS 6 arrives on North American shores.
Finally, your RS 6 is stateside. And that much closer to you. Depending on the location of your dealer, your RS 6 was shipped to one of a number of U.S. ports.
Before loading your car into a covered transport, your RS 6 is washed, fueled, and checked to ensure it is in pristine shape when it arrives at your dealer. And when it does, your dealer's team of RS 6-certified technicians conduct a series of checks and tests (the checklist is more than 100 items long).
Then, to be doubly sure, they submit your RS 6 to a special road test, checking transmission operation, the performance and acceleration of the engine, the responsiveness of the steering and brake systems, and balance of your tires and wheels. They also conduct a series of acoustic tests to ensure that the 200-watt Bose® system sounds as impressive as your RS 6 performs.
On the horizon: Your dealer will contact you when your RS 6 has arrived at your dealership. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact them; you'll find contact information displayed in your personalization window below. Also, shortly after you assume ownership of your RS 6, we'd like to help you stay connected to Audi by signing you up for My Audi on audiusa.com. If you've provided us with your email, registration happens automatically, and we'll send you an email to let you know when you've become a My Audi member. As a member, you can sign up for additional email updates and receive the Audi news that's of interest to you direct to your inbox. We look forward to seeing you there.
:addict:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
During pre-production, Audi staff members in Neckarsulm process your order. What this means, more specifically, is that you are assigned a vehicle production sequence number and we move all parts and components for your RS 6 onto the factory floor.
This includes, most notably, your RS 6 engine. During the past several months, shipments of RS 6 engines have been arriving at our Neckarsulm plant from Wellingborough, England. As you probably know, Wellingborough is the home of the celebrated high-performance engine manufacturer Cosworth Technology, a subsidiary of Audi since 1998.
Working closely with quattro GmbH engineers, CosworthTechnology assembled and rigorously tested the RS 6's 4.2-liter, biturbo V8 engine. During one of the most demanding endurance tests, the RS 6 was driven more than 5,000-miles around the 73-bend Nordschleife circuit at Nürburgring. “After Nürburgring,” recalls one of the chief quattro GmbH engine designers, Michael G., “we were confident that the engine was stable even under the most extreme conditions.”
When the RS 6 engine arrives in Neckarsulm, our engineers mate it with Audi's five-speed Tiptronic® transmission, which includes a mighty gearbox borrowed from the W12 in the European A8, Audi's previous top performer in terms of output and torque. Finally, after pairing these two critical components for your RS 6
the entire engine and transmission assembly is safely stored until your vehicle production sequence number calls it out onto the factory floor.
On the horizon: In the next Milestone, your order passes out of our pre-production queue and into actual production. The first stage of production: assembling the body of your RS 6.
If you could join us in Neckarsulm for a plant tour, we'd start by taking you to the beginning of the RS 6 body assembly process. Here, in the press shop, two-story high hydraulic presses shape sheet metal for RS 6 components, notably the roof (which includes a sunroof opening, an exclusive feature for the U.S. market), doors, side panels, and floor assembly.
We would then take you into the welding area, where hundreds of robots in concert with skilled technicians use a range of welding techniques—including laser welding—to join components together. The body of the RS 6 also benefits from Audi's own patented self-piercing, high-strength riveting process. Sparks, as they say, do indeed fly. Stephan Reil, head of technical development at quattro GmbH, explains the process: “On the RS 6 we retained the steel body, doors and roof of the S6, and then we added additional structural support, secondary welding and completely modified the transmission tunnel to accept the V8 with its two turbos, two intercoolers, and twin branch exhaust system.“
After assembly inspection, the RS 6 shell emerges from the body shop. While unadorned with color, the shell already displays the RS 6's discreetly sleek lines and curves.
On the horizon: Mugello Blue or Avus Silver? Daytona Gray or Goodwood Green? Ebony or Misano Red? In Milestone 3, your RS 6 is painted with your exterior color. By the way, if you are in fact planning a trip to Germany this year—more precisely, a trip in the vicinity of Neckarsulm—we invite you to join one of our regularly scheduled Neckarsulm plant tours. If you call ahead, we will also try to arrange a special tour for you of the RS 6 assembly process. To place a request for an RS 6 tour, please call 011.49. 713231.86081.
During this stage of production, the body of your RS 6 is protected, primed, and painted.
At Audi, we have long been respected in the automotive world for our high-quality paints and exterior finishes. Attention is paid to every detail, from the chemical composition of our paints and lacquers to our innovative application technology to our comprehensive inspection techniques.
After your RS 6 moves out of the body assembly area and into the paintshop, we apply layers of protective material and paint to the shell, beginning with a virtually solvent-free cataphoretic dip-priming process. Additional layers of protection include: a zinc phosphate to help prevent corrosion, a sealant and underseal, an elastic filler to protect against stone damage, a base coat, and transparent lacquer.
Later, during the final stages of production, your RS 6 will be subjected to an intensive quality control paint check when we examine the body under a battery of harsh daylight neon tubes, which reveal the slightest imperfection. And Audi provides this additional assurance: We guarantee your RS 6 for 12 years against corrosion. We are confident that the exterior of your RS 6 will withstand the elements and look fresh for many years to come. With our extensive guarantee, you'll feel confident too.
On the horizon: A marriage made in automotive heaven: the body of your RS 6 is united with its drivetrain.
After the body of your RS 6 assumed its shape and color in Milestone 3, virtually all interior features were meticulously installed, including the suede-like Alcantara® headliner, premium leather seats, dashboard components, three-spoke perforated-leather Sport steering wheel, 200-watt Bose® sound system, windshield and side windows. Meanwhile, on a separate production line, your RS 6's drivetrain components—the mighty engine and transmission, axle drive shafts, Brembo® brakes, suspension systems, and 18-inch wheels—were fitted together.
In automotive parlance, the moment the body is joined to the drivetrain is known as “the Wedding,” which is what happens during this stage of the RS 6 assembly process. By precisely coordinating the separate assembly lines, all RS 6 components arrive at the installation station at the same time. As with human relationships, timing is everything when it comes to creating a perfect union. An integrated hydraulic system then lifts the drivetrain assembly up and into the shell of your RS 6, and the marriage is official.
On the horizon: During Milestone 5, your RS 6 heads into our exclusive RS 6 production facility. Here, a dedicated team of high-performance specialists, part of the quattro GmbH group, will complete the assembly of your vehicle, attending to all aspects of performance tuning, customized interior and exterior design details, and final testing and inspection.
During this final stretch of production, your RS 6 is hand-finished inside our special RS 6 production hall. Your RS 6's journey between the main Audi AG assembly line and our high-performance RS 6 facility is made possible by a closed-loop induction system. This system ensures that the powerful RS 6 engine—not yet outfitted with its intercoolers—doesn't overheat when it is driven at a walking pace between the two buildings.
Once inside our high-performance production hall, your RS 6 undergoes a series of intensive quality inspections and tests. In the high-pressure rain test, for example, cars are blasted with 400 gallons of water a minute to ensure the integrity of all seals. After meeting Audi's stringent quality standards, cars are allowed to proceed into the final assembly area.
Here, each car is escorted through a series of finishing stations. At one station, engineers fit and fill the valves and connection pipes for the new Dynamic Ride Control (DRC™) suspension feature. At another, the twin intercoolers are installed, their intakes and exhaust systems fitted. “There's very limited space under the hood,” says Helmut S., who oversees RS 6 production, “so we call our mechanics midwives because the work they do is so tricky.”
At still other finishing stations, front and rear bumpers are attached, along with the RS 6's distinctive exterior badging; standard wheels are removed and replaced with your uniquely designed RS 6 18-inch alloy wheels; the hood with its diamond- pattern upper grill is installed; and, finally, all electronic systems are interfaced with one another.
After passing through roughly a dozen stations, your RS 6 concludes its journey inside our special production hall the same way it started: with a series of intensive quality inspections and tests. In this final stage, each and every RS 6 is put through the demanding paces—nearly a dozen inspections in all, including a 110 mph four-wheel rolling test bed, where the camber and toe-in rates for all four wheels are laser checked and recorded, an Electrical Check-Out System (ECOS) examination, and frequency tests on hundreds values.
After that, we take your RS 6 out for a test drive—a 30-mile gauntlet of public roads of all kinds, just to make sure your car is performing precisely as we intended. It's all about proving for one last time that great is never good enough.
On the horizon: Your RS 6 leaves the northern German port town of Emden.
The reliability that you expect from Audi is ensured through our series of systematic and rigorous tests in Milestone 5. Prior to transporting your RS 6 by rail to the port city of Emden, in the north of Germany, we double and triple-check everything from the integrity of all safety and electrical components to the execution of every design detail.
While the transatlantic journey usually takes about two weeks, the complexity of shipping operations and the sheer volume at the Emden port sometimes causes delays. To protect your RS 6 from the elements during transport, it is wrapped in plastic and special care is taken to keep it safe and secure for the entire ocean journey.
On the horizon: Your RS 6 arrives on North American shores.
Finally, your RS 6 is stateside. And that much closer to you. Depending on the location of your dealer, your RS 6 was shipped to one of a number of U.S. ports.
Before loading your car into a covered transport, your RS 6 is washed, fueled, and checked to ensure it is in pristine shape when it arrives at your dealer. And when it does, your dealer's team of RS 6-certified technicians conduct a series of checks and tests (the checklist is more than 100 items long).
Then, to be doubly sure, they submit your RS 6 to a special road test, checking transmission operation, the performance and acceleration of the engine, the responsiveness of the steering and brake systems, and balance of your tires and wheels. They also conduct a series of acoustic tests to ensure that the 200-watt Bose® system sounds as impressive as your RS 6 performs.
On the horizon: Your dealer will contact you when your RS 6 has arrived at your dealership. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact them; you'll find contact information displayed in your personalization window below. Also, shortly after you assume ownership of your RS 6, we'd like to help you stay connected to Audi by signing you up for My Audi on audiusa.com. If you've provided us with your email, registration happens automatically, and we'll send you an email to let you know when you've become a My Audi member. As a member, you can sign up for additional email updates and receive the Audi news that's of interest to you direct to your inbox. We look forward to seeing you there.
:addict: