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View Full Version : Press release: Audi TT 3.2 quattro



Erik
August 28th, 2003, 15:21
Audi TT Coupé and Roadster 3.2 quattro
with sporty Direct Shift Gearbox DSG

Audi is now offering its TT Coupé and Roadster sports cars with a sporty six-cylinder engine and a highly innovative dynamic gearbox that permits an uninterrupted flow of power during gear changes. Combining this advanced sports gearbox with the high-torque 3.2-litre engine and quattro permanent all-wheel drive emphasises the Audi TT’s road dynamics in a uniquely effective manner.

With its 184 kW (250 bhp) engine, the Audi TT 3.2 quattro sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in only 6.5 seconds (Roadster: 6.6 seconds) and has a top speed of 250 km/h, the point at which the governor cuts in smoothly. Overall fuel consumption according to the standard test method is 9.8 litres per 100 kilometres for the Coupé and 9.9 l/100 km for the Roadster. These figures speak for themselves, even when compared with vehicles with a classic 6-speed manual gearbox. The differences compared with the conventional multi-ratio automatic transmission with torque converter are even more impressive, since the latter is prone to significantly higher transmission losses due to its fundamental concept.

The source of the power is the 3.2-litre V6 engine, already well established, with four valves per cylinder. This six-cylinder unit is particularly well suited to the sporty Audi TT by virtue of its outstanding torque and power characteristics, especially in combination with the new twin-clutch transmission. Power output is 184 kW (250 bhp), and the high, flat torque curve has a maximum value of 320 Nm between 2800 and 3200 rpm.

The V6, with an angle of only 15 degrees between the two rows of cylinders, is an extremely compact engine. This is essential for transverse installation in the car. The valve gear generates only a small amount of friction thanks to the use of roller cam followers with hydraulic adjustment. In order to reduce emissions and further improve efficiency, the inlet and exhaust camshafts are continuously adjustable. The compression ratio is 11.3:1.

Other technical details such as the variable intake manifold and the modified intake ports give the six-cylinder engine its superior torque and power output, coupled with low emissions. A great deal of detail work has once again been invested, particularly in the cylinder head and air intake areas, in order to increase peak power output and improve the torque characteristic still further for use in the TT. The version installed in the TT Coupé and TT Roadster complies with the tough exhaust emission limits applicable in the USA and Japan, and of course also outperforms the European EU4 standard.

Throttle valve actuation is designed for an exceptionally agile, spontaneous engine response to accelerator pedal movements. The way it interacts particularly with the ultra-rapid, precise control technology of the new Direct Shift Gearbox with double clutch opens up an entirely new dimension in propulsive power. The close connection between throttle and transmission control is made particularly apparent by active throttle blips during downshifts in selector lever position S and in the manual gear-lever gate.

The sound of the dual-branch variable exhaust system suitably reflects these sporting characteristics. A flap in the exhaust system is opened or shut depending on engine speed and the acoustics influenced accordingly. The sonorous sound never becomes over-assertive, even at high engine speeds, yet it unmistakably conjures up all the sentiments that sports-minded TT drivers appreciate.

The suspension

The sporty TT suspension with its firm but comfortable tuning has been refined and adapted to suit the more demanding requirements of the new engine/
transmission combination. The front suspension uses McPherson struts, whilst double wishbones with trailing arms are used at the rear.

The diameter of the anti-roll bars on the front and rear axles has been increased compared with the four-cylinder turbocharged versions. The spring/shock absorber settings have been modified to cope with the increased power and to achieve a further improvement in road performance. A special ESP/ASR and ABS application with integral brake assist function takes account of the car’s even more demanding handling and braking requirements.


Safe braking is assured by the 17-inch twin-piston brake system with floating callipers and ventilated discs. The front discs are 334 millimetres, the rear discs 265 mm in diameter. Both versions of the Audi TT 3.2 quattro run on 7.5J x 17-inch wheels of six-arm "Wing" design, with 225/45 tyres. Two other 17-inch and three 18-inch wheel styles are available as optional extras.

Audi TT 3.2 quattro: dynamic through and through

The two new top models in the Audi TT series have other ways of demonstrating their dynamic character too. The front apron has been aerodynamically optimised and incorporates side gills. It has enlarged inlet openings to satisfy the increased cooling air requirements. The modified rear spoiler and a honeycomb-pattern diffuser trim are the distinguishing features at the rear. The larger rear spoiler further reduces rear-end lift, in line with the even higher performance of the TT 3.2 quattro. The Coupé’s low aerodynamic drag coefficient of cD = 0.32 remains unchanged.

Audi TT 3.2 quattro and TT Roadster 3.2 quattro both have xenon headlights and titanium-coloured headlight surrounds as standard equipment.

Inside, the six-cylinder models can be distinguished from other versions of the TT by the aluminium gear lever gate and instrument cluster, which contains a speedometer reading up to 280 km/h. For an authentic motor-racing experience, there are shift paddles behind the steering wheel.

Like all versions of the TT, these new ones have an excellent safety equipment specification, with airbags and pyrotechnic-action seat belt tensioners for the driver and front passenger. Head and thorax airbags in the front seat backs protect the seat occupant’s upper body and head area in the event of a side-on impact.

The standard automatic climate control makes sure that occupants feel comfortable in the Audi TT, no matter what the outside temperature may be.
The TT Roadster 3.2 quattro also has an electro-hydraulic hood as standard.





Sports character in the premium compact class
The new Audi A3 3.2 quattro

Roll-out for a pedigree premium model with strong sports character: the Audi A3 3.2 quattro. Its powerful V6 engine develops 184 kW (250 bhp) and together with the standard quattro driveline and dynamic running gear, provides all the driving fun that the sporty outlines of the body imply.

The 3.2-litre V6 engine, with four valves per cylinder, is the most sporty power unit available for the new Audi A3. As in the Audi TT Coupé and TT Roadster sports cars, its exceptionally good torque and power-output curves make it equally ideal for the latest, sporty Audi A3 model. It complies with the EU4 exhaust emission limits, develops 184 kW (250 bhp) and has a high, flat torque curve with the maximum of 320 Nm available at engine speeds between 2500 and 3200 rpm.

Clearly, this is just perfect for powerful pulling force at all speeds as well as fast, nimble acceleration – regardless of whether the driver opts for a manual six-speed transmission or the new, highly dynamic Direct Shift Gearbox DSG.

The performance figures are as impressive as one would expect: the Audi A3 3.2 quattro needs only 6.5 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h, and has a (governed) top speed of 250 km/h, making this new six-cylinder model the sportiest A3 there has ever been.

The twin-branch exhaust system helps to keep emissions to a minimum, but is not ashamed of being heard. This most sporty of A3 models can probably be identified by its sonorous exhaust note even with your eyes shut. Audi’s acoustical experts have ‘composed’ it to match the engine’s sports potential, but without ever becoming objectionable.

The A3 3.2 has quattro permanent all-wheel drive as a standard feature, and can be supplied with a six-speed manual gearbox or the Direct Shift Gearbox DSG option.

The suspension

McPherson struts with triangulated lower wishbones are used at the front. The suspension subframe is bolted to the car’s front-end structure. The cross-member and wishbone pivot brackets are made of aluminium, which reduces their weight by 1.5 kilograms.

The anti-roll bar is pivoted directly on the suspension strut. This more direct connection improves its initial response, so that the dimensions of the anti-roll bar itself can be reduced which in turn reduces the weight of the front axle assembly by a further 1.6 kilograms.

The four-link rear suspension offers dynamic driving benefits on account of its compact construction and low weight. Longitudinal and lateral forces are absorbed separately: this permits high lateral rigidity for optimal sports-style handling and driving safety, but much greater longitudinal compliance so that rolling refinement is improved.

On each side the axle incorporates a wheel hub assembly with wheel bearing, two track control arms at the bottom, one track control arm at the top and a longitudinal control arm. The three lateral control arms are attached to the body via an aluminium subframe that also carries the rear-axle final drive. The body is supported on coil springs and shock absorbers with separate mountings.

The Audi A3 3.2 quattro has sports suspension, 17-inch cast aluminium wheels and 225/45 tyres.

ESP with early warning function

An Electronic Stabilisation Program (ESP) of the latest generation ensures active safety reserves at all times. This traction control system has the following functions: anti-lock braking system ABS, electronic brake-pressure distribution EBD, anti-slip regulation ASR and engine drag torque regulation MSR, an electronic differential lock EDL, a hydraulic brake assist device and the extended braking stability system ESBS.



The enhanced control algorithm in the electronic control unit now enables ESP to recognise potentially critical situations at an even earlier point in time and intervene preventively whenever necessary. With its self-learning capacity, ESP monitors the car continuously even in stable driving conditions, thus adjusting the intervention point to the current driving situation on the road. This has benefits in two areas – safety and journey comfort. In critical situations, ESP can take effect much earlier, but does not do so unnecessarily.

The steering

The Audi A3 3.2 quattro has servotronic power steering as standard. Sensors in the steering monitor steering forces and the speed at which the driver is turning the steering wheel; these values are used to calculate the power assistance required, which is then built up by an electric motor and transmitted via worm gearing to the pinion in the steering system. Another important value taken into account is the car’s actual road speed.

When parking, the steering is very easy to turn, but as the car’s speed builds up on the open road the driver feels the amount of effort increasing, to ensure that sensitive control is still possible. The system also makes it possible to absorb the effect of bumps on the road effectively. Another innovation is active return travel of the steering with intuitive zero point. As a result, sideways-sloping road surfaces or steady cross-winds no longer affect the car’s straight-line directional stability.

In contrast to conventional power-assisted steering systems, this electro-mechanical steering consumes no power unless the steering is actually being turned. Depending on driving conditions, it can therefore reduce fuel consumption by up to 0.2 litre/100 km.

The brakes

The 17-inch brake system on the Audi A3 3.2 quattro sets a new standard for this class of car. The front brake discs are of extremely large diameter: 345 millimetres.




The A3 3.2 quattro is also a pioneer in its class in the brake actuation area. Like the Audi S4 recently, the new compact premium sports model has a dual-rate brake servo. This makes sensitive control of braking effort possible in all normal brake applications, with a boost factor of 1 : 5. If a panic brake application is made, however, the servo switches to the higher boost value of 1 : 8.5 above a certain braking pressure.


The sporty Direct Shift Gearbox DSG

Audi has a long tradition in the development of innovative transmission technologies and their use in production vehicles. The tiptronic, for example, which enables very sporty gear changes and manual intervention at any time, was first introduced on the A8 in 1994.

Since 1999, the innovative continuously variable multitronic transmission has been setting new standards in terms of acceleration comfort and economy. Thanks to its ingenious design and control logic, it is a sporty alternative to the conventional geared automatic transmission.

Following the tiptronic and multitronic, Audi is now introducing the Direct Shift Gearbox – also with an automatic function – as a further landmark in its transmission technology.

This transmission principle is not new to Audi: the technology of the twin-clutch transmission has its roots in motor racing. Audi used it in the legendary Audi Sport quattro back in 1985, with Walter Röhrl behind the wheel. It also proved its worth in the Audi Sport quattro S1, a rally car that was victorious in many events, including the legendary Pikes Peak hillclimb.

The new Direct Shift Gearbox DSG

The revolutionary Direct-Shift Gearbox combines the advantages of a conventional 6-speed manual gearbox with the qualities of a modern automatic transmission. The driver thus benefits from enormous agility and driving enjoyment with acceleration that is as harmonious as it is dynamic and without any interruption in the power flow. This is combined with good economy thanks to low fuel consumption, and convenient operation.

The basis for this new development is a three-shaft 6-speed manual gearbox which offers considerable variability in the selection of the transmission ratios. Thanks to the use of a double multi-plate clutch with an ingenious electro-hydraulic control system, two gears can remain engaged at the same time.

Apart from its high efficiency and the ability to transmit high torque, the big advantage of this special kind of clutch is the various options it offers the driver when setting off. The driver is able to control the multi-plate clutch as he desires, varying from a particularly gentle acceleration process on slippery ground all the way to sporting, full-power acceleration, and with countless variants in between.

The gearshifts it produces feel spontaneous and decisive, as if executed at the push of a button. The electronically controlled throttle blip in the manual and S modes reinforces the impression of ultra-dynamic gearshifts.

When the car is on the move, one gear is engaged. When the next gearshift point is approached, the appropriate gear is pre-selected but its clutch kept disengaged. The gearshift process opens the clutch of the activated gear and closes the other clutch at the same time with a certain overlap. The gear change takes place under load, with the result that a permanent flow of power is maintained.

The control logic integrated into the transmission casing provides optimum gearshift strategies, with lightning-fast gearshifts that are nevertheless smooth and almost jolt-free. The driver can directly influence the gear selected and the gearshift timing at will, by means of the gear lever in the manual gate or, in the style of a racing driver, at the shift paddles on the steering wheel, which are standard equipment.


In the automatic mode, the driver can shift to the ultra-sporty S program in which upshifts are significantly delayed, downshifts occur more readily and the shift process is accelerated. An additional one-touch function accessed via the shift paddles on the steering wheel calls up the manual mode temporarily even in automatic modes D and S.

High overall efficiency is thus combined with superlative road performance and ease of operation to produce an exceptional drive concept.

High tech in very confined conditions

As in conventional manual gearboxes, the transmission ratios are present on input and auxiliary shafts in the form of pairs of toothed wheels. However, the input shaft is divided into two sections, comprising an outer hollow shaft and an inner shaft. 1st, 3rd, 5th and reverse gears are located on the inner shaft, 2nd, 4th and 6th gears on the hollow shaft.

Each shaft is selected by a separate multi-plate clutch running in oil. The two electronically controlled, hydraulically actuated multi-plate packages are housed one inside the other for maximum space economy.

A ‘shift-by-wire’ concept is used: there is an electronic connection between the selector lever and the transmission, like on modern engine management systems with drive-by-wire technology. The parking lock is actuated mechanically.

The control module and electro-hydraulic control unit are located in the upper part of the transmission casing. The signals from twelve individual sensors are processed centrally there, and the actuation values calculated using information on the momentary driving situation from the drive CAN bus. The contact pressure of the two clutches is regulated by special solenoid-operated valves and the gear selectors operated according to the actual operating situation.

The electronics also calculate which additional gear is to be pre-selected by the corresponding positioning cylinder and selector forks, and manage all actuators and the oil cooling circuit via six pressure regulation valves and five on/off valves.


The new Audi navigation system plus
Freedom for individual mobility

The new Audi radio navigation system plus will be added to the A3’s optional extras programme early in 2004. Its DVD drive not only permits almost complete navigation on Western European roads, but also plays audio and MP3 CDs. The controls use the same clear logic as the Audi MMI already familiar from the A8. The integral double FM tuner ensures optimal radio reception, a convenient choice of stations and provision for dynamic navigation, using the TMC Traffic Message Channel even while listening to a different programme.

Erik
August 28th, 2003, 15:21
The speech-output route recommendations have been greatly extended and are now even more detailed. Together with the clear pictograms for visual route information on the central driver information system display, they form the highly praised basis for the Audi satellite navigation system, which was first introduced in 1996.

The entire operating concept is new, and uses the same consistent logical principles as the Audi MMI in the new Audi A8, to guarantee rapid, easy access.

The system’s many new functions and possible settings can be selected intuitively in a most user-friendly way. This reduces the risk of being distracted during the journey, avoids adding to the driver’s workload and enables him or her to concentrate as much as possible of the primary task of driving the car safely. A further advantage is that the driver does not have to study a lengthy set of operating instructions before being able to reach all the systems’s varied functions.

The control panel, with the typical MMI square layout, is located to the right of the display screen. With its four control buttons and central control knob, it matches the display that is actually seen on the screen. Farther down, but equally easy to reach, is the large ‘Return’ button that returns the user to the previous menu level. Function keys below the screen provide direct access to the principal functions.



The 6.5-inch colour screen displays the road map and the visual route description; the Driver Information System converts this information into pictograms and combines it with further distance and time-of-arrival information.

The high-quality image on the large screen resembles a conventional road map: it not only shows the name of the road or street on which the car is currently being driven, but also the names of adjacent roads, towns and villages. If preferred, the new system can show the map in perspective, as a ‘bird’s eye view’.

The split-screen function is also new. It enables the map to be seen on the left half of the screen, with the right half devoted to useful additional information. For example, the realistic or schematic pattern of roads at a motorway junction, or – particularly important in city traffic – an enlarged view of the route the car is actually following. In addition, the system supplies information on the next three route recommendations, to make it easier to choose the correct traffic lane. The automatic multi-stage manoeuvre zoom also supplies the driver with precise, detailed information.

The new Audi navigation system plus offers the driver a selection of up to three different routes. The control knob can be used to select a short route, a fast route or an alternative route. These recommendations take traffic information messages, route length and estimated time of arrival into account. In addition to the final destination, up to three locations through the route should pass can be chosen. Traffic messages received by the twin tuner are displayed, automatically evaluated and taken into account when a route is recommended, with an alternative route being worked out if necessary. In addition, by pressing a button the TMC messages can be shown directly on the map in text form.

Other convenient functions are full scope for direct destination input from the map display by means of the cursor, address input starting with the street, use of the address book and even the input of destinations as telephone numbers or post codes.





In addition to the time of arrival at the chosen destination, the new navigation system plus can also display special destinations on motorways when the split-screen mode is in use, for example filling stations, leisure areas or parking lots on the next section of the route. In addition to the distance, the driver is also informed of the calculated time to reach these intermediate destinations.

As the new data storage element for the navigation system, DVD has a memory ten times larger than the conventional CD-ROM, and distinctly faster access times. Almost the entire Western European road network can be accommodated on a single DVD disc, so that irritation of having to change the CD when crossing a national border is avoided. Another bonus is that routes are calculated very much faster than with CD-based sysems. This will be seen when the map image is built up, and also when the zoom function is used.

The DVD is also capable of memorising many more special navigation destinations (points of interest). Locating a destination is therefore more convenient and quicker if the street name is not known. Among the generous range of special destinations in the new Audi navigation system plus are airports, parking lots, exhibition and event centres, museums, theatres, cinemas and shopping centres.

Behind the flat screen, which folds away electro-mechanically, there is the DVD drive and two additional memoorised memory card readers (MMC or SD format) with MP3 compatibility. Having these located directly at the system makes it easier and quicker to change from one data and music source to aanother.

The new Audi navigation system plus supports the Audi mobile phone preparation and the facilities provided on the multifunctional steering wheel, which is an optional extra. If required, the system can be upgraded by adding a CD changer, the BOSE sound system or an analog TV tuner.

Erik
August 28th, 2003, 15:25
Looking GOOD!

:ttaddict:

Erik
August 28th, 2003, 15:25
:incar: :cool2:

Erik
August 28th, 2003, 15:27
RS4-Style :D

Erik
August 28th, 2003, 15:28
Interioir with DSG :0:

Erik
August 28th, 2003, 17:06
Nice link

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road_tests/index.htm?id=91

This looks promising as well.

mp3 playback and a Navi system deluxe

http://www.imakenews.com/autospies/e_article000179012.cfm?x=a259p5V,aLy9plp