Concept cars


Models Racing Special
New start Small Medium: B Large: C Extra large: D Concept_cars
Concept car Auto 2000 Al2 Project Rosemeyer Steppenwolf Avantissimo

The presentation of concept cars to demonstrate the optical and technical possibilities has a long tradition. Just think of the future cars in the US during the 50s! Even back then some of these saw production, for example the Chevrolet station wagon concept car later became the Chevy Nomad, one of the prettiest (or even the prettiest at all) station wagons of all times.
This successes should not lead to the impression that most project cars see production. Many projects die without anyone seeing them outside the company. And there are some concept cars that are thought for production from beginning on or that show details that will be introduced with the next generation. And there are the group of concept cars that are impossible to mass produce. And the smallest number of concept cars are those, were the customers invoke the decision to build the car.

One of the first concept cars ever from Audi was the fuel efficiency car "Auto 2000" that already had many styling and construction elements of the Audi 100 Type44.

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If you want to know more about the fuel efficiency concept car "Auto 2000", click here.

It is a pitty that the overwhelming concept cars Avus and Spyder were not built. However they helped to test customers' reactions and study new technologies.

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On the left the Avus with its W12 (only an dummy) that relates in appearance and name to the legendary world record racer of Auto Union, and on the left the milder quattro Spyder on the right. While the Avus was never meant to see production, the Spyder really should be built. Pretty late Audi realized that the projected price tag of under 50.000 Euro could not be reached. Perhaps this was a mistake, today such an sportscar would fit into Audi line up really well. Positioned clearly above the TT with a price tag of around 60.000Euro it could threaten Porsche and BMW. But in 1991 this was utopian.

Also, it was pretty surely planned from the beginning to make a mass production Convertible when the Cabrio concept car was introduced on the 89 IAA. The concept car, however, was based on the Coupe, presented to the public one year ago, while the final convertible consisted of many specially constructed areas.

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The TT, too, derived from a concept car that was very close to the actual production car. Above the TT Studie and on the right the production TT. You can see that except from the rear roof area virtually everything was carried over.

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Above left the Audi Space Frame Studie that became the A8 (right). In 1993 this technology carrier was presented on the IAA in Frankfurt. It fascinated not only by its technic, the polished aluminium body alone would have been enough to make it a show winner. The V8 TDI showed even back then, that the Diesel engine would continue its road to success in the luxury class. The A8 on the right has the 3.3 litre V8 TDI.
Today S8 (followed by the other S-modells) wears aluminium rear view mirrors to commemorate the polished body of the concept car.

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As well, the production A2 is very close to the concept car. More about the Al2 concept car can be found here.

The Audi allroad quattro is now being produced. Only a bit softer than the concept car.

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Ferdinand Piech has built the "Autostadt" in Wolfsburg: A huge spectacle between fun and information. All brands of the VW family are presented. In the Audi building, the guys from AutoBild found a very special concept car, that was then without a name: If you want to know more about "Project Rosemeyer", go here.
After "Project Rosemeyer" earned some very bad criticism, Audi presented a much more "civil" concept car at the "Paris Auto Saloon". Check out the detailed page of the Steppenwolf. Steppenwolf
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Avantissimo
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The Avantissimo was presented at the 2001 Frankfurt Motor Show and raised the question if the next A8 will be available as an Avant. Read more here.

Models Racing Special
New start Small Medium: B Large: C Extra large: D Concept_cars
Concept car Auto 2000 Al2 Project Rosemeyer Steppenwolf Avantissimo

Origin of the pics:
(1) These pics are to my knowledge official Audi photos.
(2) Tom Nas
(3) AutoBild issue 17, April 28th, 2000; scanned by me
(4) "Zukunftsautos der 80er Jahre" Hallwag Verlag Bern und Stuttgart, 1991 ISBN 3-444-10385-9; scanned by me
(5) AutoBild issue 24, June 16th, 2000; scanned by me
(6) AutoBild issue 39, September 29th, 2000; scanned and processed by me
(7) My pic
(?) unknown
Copyright 2000 Jens
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