Five Million Audi quattro Drive Systems - Victory Lap for a Superior Technology

• Five millionth Audi with permanent all-wheel drive rolls off the assembly line
• A successful 33 years for quattro on the road and in motorsport

NECKARSULM, Germany, Feb. 25, 2013 /CNW/ - AUDI AG celebrates a very special event today - the five millionth Audi with a quattro drive system. The car is a white Audi A6 allroad 3.0 TDI; it rolled off the assembly line at the Neckarsulm plant. The record is a testament to the leading role played by the pioneering all-wheel drive - no other premium brand in the world can claim such high sales figures for a four-wheel drive or a comparable range of models boasting more than 140 quattro variants.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130225/597025 )

quattro technology debuted in 1980 in the legendary,  original quattro car. Adding together all of the available body types, engines and drive systems amounts to more than 140 different models. Audi offers the widest range of cars by far with all-wheel drive:  the Audi Q7, R8, A4 allroad, A6 allroad as well as all S and RS models are available exclusively with quattro drives; Audi offers it as an option in all other model lines.

"quattro is one of the key pillars of our brand and has been a critical factor in our successful history," said Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG. "The quattro permanent all-wheel drive makes it possible to directly experience our 'Vorsprung durch Technik.' We are committed to our pioneering role and will continue to develop this advantage with new technologies."

quattro is more than a technology - it is an icon. The name represents driving safety and sportiness, technical competence and a dynamic attitude that doesn't let even adverse road conditions hold it back. The success of the quattro models on the road and in motorsport have contributed, as did a legendary series of TV commercials - beginning with the ski jump in Kaipola, Finnland, which the Audi 100 CS quattro climbed in 1986 on its own power.

"quattro" means "Audi," and "Audi" often means "quattro": in 2012 more than 43 percent of Audi customers selected a quattro model - a new record. The Audi Q5 tops the list with about 205,600 units.  But it's not just SUV drivers who rely on the all-wheel drive from the carmaker with the four rings: nearly one in four customers for the other model lines selected a quattro drive in 2012. The quattro models sell particularly well in the United States, Canada, Russia and in the markets of the Middle East. Statistics for 2012 show around 99,800 new registrations for all-wheel drive Audi models in Germany as well - considerably more than the company's competitors.

The quattro is especially important for the Neckarsulm site, where the record-setting car rolled off of the assembly line: more than one of every two cars Audi produces there features all-wheel drive.

The special Audi character takes on an exclusive form in the models offered by quattro GmbH, a subsidiary of AUDI AG responsible for developing and building Audi's high-performance RS and R8 models. The customer can have his car customized by the company and order special accessories. Demand for this is increasing:the 800 employees of quattro GmbH represent dynamic growth over the company's 30 years of existence.

More information about the history of the quattro can be found at:

http://www.audi-quattro-highlighhts.de as well as at

http://www.audi-mediaservices.de

The Audi Group delivered around 1,455,100 cars of the Audi brand to customers in 2012. From January through the end of September 2012 the Company posted revenue of € 37.7 billion and an operating profit of € 4.2 billion. Audi produces vehicles in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm (Germany), Gyor (Hungary), Changchun (China) and Brussels (Belgium). The Audi Q7 is built in Bratislava (Slovakia). In November 2012, CKD production of the Audi Q7 was added to the existing Audi A4, A6 and Q5 manufacturing operations in Aurangabad (India). At the Brussels plant, production of the Audi A1 has been running since 2010, while production of the new A1 Sportback began in 2012. The Audi Q3 has been built in Martorell (Spain) since June 2011. The Company is active in more than 100 markets worldwide. AUDI AG's wholly owned subsidiaries include amongst others AUDI HUNGARIA MOTOR Kft. (Gyor/Hungary), Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. (Sant'Agata Bolognese/Italy), AUDI BRUSSELS S.A./N.V. (Brussels/Belgium), quattro GmbH in Neckarsulm and the sports bike manufacturer Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. (Bologna/Italy). Audi currently employs more than 68,000 people worldwide, including around 50,000 in Germany. From 2012 until 2016 the brand with the four rings is planning to invest a total of €13 billion - mainly in new products and the extension of production capacities - in order to sustain the Company's technological lead embodied in its "Vorsprung durch Technik" claim. Audi is currently expanding its site in Gyor (Hungary) and will start production in Foshan (China) in late 2013 and in San José Chiapa (Mexico) from 2016.

SOURCE: Audi AG

Ingolstadt Communications
Michael Baumann
Head of Technology Communications
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Neckarsulm Communications
Holger Kirsch
Press Spokesperson for Neckarsulm Site
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http://www.audi-mediaservices.com