Spain to Portugal in Audi TT Part 1

One of the greatest traits of Audi Sports cars is the fact that Audi Sports car is also a perfect daily driver. This TT Coupe lives up to that expectation. Despite its sporty stance and dynamic handling setup, the car is easy to drive. This is my first time driving in a bustling and crowded city of Madrid. Additionally, I have to rely on my GPS to know where I am going. And yet, with this TT, I feel confident in navigating through various one-way narrow cobblestone streets and busy intersections directed by Spanish policemen. In modern time, artists, designers, and engineers at Audi are making their own remarkable work of arts, design, and engineering. Since its dramatic first generation TT introduction in 1990's, TT has won varieties of design awards at global level. Recently, this second generation TT attained Drive Car of the Year, Top Gear Coupé of the Year 2006, Fifth Gear Car of the Year 2006, Autobild Most Beautiful Car, and World Design Car of the Year 2007. Additionally, it was a finalist for World Car of the Year...

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The sun is about to set and there is a perfect place to witness sunset in Madrid. We take a short drive but convoluted route to Parque del Oeste due to many one way streets. After finding a street parking space at the bottom of hill, we hike up to Temple of Debod. This temple, which originally was located not too far south of Aswan in southern Egypt, was dissembled piece by piece, transported extra carefully to this very spot via a ship to Valencia and a train to Madrid. Moving a master piece like Temple of Debod requires a very careful planning, packing, transportation, and unpacking. Audi had similar logistical challenges when they were planning to build TT at two different factories, 650 km apart separated by mountainous regions. They not only had to figure out how to do it once but they had to figure out how to do this daily. Furthermore, since the amount material to be transported daily was massive, the plan and the mechanism to transport had to be very efficient. Any disruption in logistics could lead to a supply chain issue that would affect production capacity, unnecessary energy waste, and finally customer satisfaction...

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Today, the body shell of Audi TT is built in Ingolstadt. Györ factory in Hungary is responsible for building the engine and assembling the various components into a ready-for-delivery car. The shells and other components are loaded to specially-designed-for-loading-and-unloading-efficiency train cargos. 10,000 hp Deutsche Bahn electric locomotive hauls the complete 650 meter train in 12 hour journey through Bavaria, Austria, and Hungary. The shells will come back two days later as completed cars. With just-in-time manufacturing, efficiency and reliability of shipment are the essence as part stocks are kept very low. While the first set of body shells make their way into the assembly line at Györ, the fully assembled TT's are loaded into the emptied cargos. Additionally, they are stacked in accordance to an integrated and intelligent plan for direct transport to end customers...

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We get up early because we have a long but exciting drive to Cordoba with a stop at a medieval town of Toledo, which is just 70 km south of Madrid. The drive to Toledo is far from exciting because we are part of the commuter traffic and the highways are mostly straight and flat. However, the comfort and the agile nature of TT make the trip fun. Audi metallurgists pioneered and perfected unique and advanced techniques to bond two different metals that have different characteristics. A8 and R8 have aluminum bodies while A4, A5, and Q7 have new high tech ultra strength steel bodies. Through the masterful metallurgy techniques, Audi brought the best of aluminum and steel together in TT. The TT front end and the cabin are made of aluminum, while the rear sub-assembly, the door and the rear fastback door are made of steel. The extra rearward mass from the use of steel gives balanced weight distribution between the front and the rear axle...

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There are two ways to get to Cordoba from Toledo. First option is to get to A-4 South freeway all the way to Cordoba. Second option is to take the undivided highway N-401, N-420, and then A-4 freeway just outside Cordoba.N-401 is mostly deserted, and pastoral landscape is the main theme. N-420 south of Almodóvar del Campo town starts to pick up elevation. We are entering the rocky Sierra de Alcúdia. The slow straight climb becomes fast bends. Soon, we are enjoying switch backs and occasionally hair pins. Shifting gear manually from second to third and fourth and then back to third and second never feels this great. This is the moment when I wish automatic transmission were never invented. Rolling peaks and valleys covered by green lush shrubs accentuate our driving enjoyment...

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Power-to-weight ratio is the key to efficiency in racing or spirited driving. Because TT Coupé only weighs about 1.3 tons, it doesn't need a mega horse power engine to give its driver a tingling sensation. The TT we are driving has the European 1.8 liter normally aspirated engine. It is the cleanest engine in TT line up producing only 149 g/km of CO2. But yet, it can still accelerate from 0 to 100 km in 7.2 seconds, which is about 1 second slower than the 2.0 TFSI version with the same 6 speed manual transmission...

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The next morning, after plenty of rest, we begin our tour of Cordoba. Because we stay in the center of the historic district, we leave our car beneath our hotel. Originally, the great Mosque-Cathedral was constructed in 600 AD as a Roman temple dedicated to Visigothic cathedral. In the 8th century after a new ruler arrived, a mosque was constructed and it took two centuries to complete. Finally, in the 13th century a cathedral was inserted into this immense structure by Christian conquerors. Because thousands of architects and builders from differing cultures had poured their passions over centuries of generations, the interior of this Mosque-Cathedral is impressive and yet odd at the same time...

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Cordoba is famous for its creamy Gazpacho. The rich flavors of ripe and fresh tomatoes, roasted red peppers, garlic, Spanish saffron, cumin, and virgin olive oil create delicious one-of-a-kind soup. While sipping this delicious soup, we are plotting our next destination: Lisbon, Portugal. The drive will take about six hours. With the car we have, we are looking forward to it...

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Luxembourg Weekend Getaway in A4 Avant TDI

Luxembourg is smaller than the State of Rhode Island, yet it has three official languages: French, German, and Luxembourgish. It also has the highest density of global financial institutions and foreign government officials. Despite the fact it is one of the smallest nations in Europe, this country has amazing landscapes. The tiny center, Luxembourg City, sits on a plateau surrounded by deep lush gorges, and the rest of the country features forested hills and vast valleys. All of these attributes make Luxembourg a perfect long weekend getaway. ng chic and trendy restaurants, coffee shops, galleries, and boutiques. This is now a lifestyle hangout where you can find Balinese and Burmese teak furniture, European painting, Italian espresso, American breakfast, and Asian designer clothing. The founding team members of Audi Club Singapore suggested this place to meet...

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To accentuate our exploration, we got an eco car that drinks gasoline in the manner cactus drinks water, and yet it was still capable to instill tingling sensations in our weekend driving vacation. We rented an A4 Avant TDI from Europecar rental car company at Frankfurt Airport. As soon as we reached the Autobahn heading towards Luxembourg, I knew immediately that this A4 was not our fathersí clunky diesel car. The quiet engine at idle, the deep sporty growl when the accelerator was pressed, the exhilarating feeling as we passed others on autobahn made us forgot that this 2.0 liter TDI engine has only 136 hp but rousing 236 lb-ft...

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After a few hours of rest, we started our exploration. For architecture students, Kirchberg is probably the best place to study the latest trend of eco friendly modern architectures.The purposeful and sophisticated urban planning with the emphasis on providing a sustainable living reminded me of the similar eco initiatives that Audi has pioneered for many years. The sportiness of this A4 may be easily recognizable. But its efficiency becomes evident upon driving it. It is not one or two things that Audi does to improve the efficiency of its cars, but rather an array of research and development in various areas covering aerodynamic, power plant, electrical system, body and mechanical construction, and manufacturing process and recyclability. It is worth noting that Audi is ahead of regulatory requirements with its recycling program...

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This A4 has only less than 0.28 coefficient of drag (Cd). The Audi AG Wind Tunnel Center in Ingolstadt has a lot to do with this impressive Cd. Here, in a facility covering 10,000 meter square and housing three giant wind tunnels, car models are evaluated and tuned for minimal drag. Hot spots under car models, along roof lines, and at corners are eliminated. Less resistance means less energy is required and less CO2 produces. According to EU standard cycle, the decrease of 0.04 Cd reduces the CO2 emission by 3 grams per kilometers...

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The eco features of this A4 that we experienced a lot during our Old Town exploration were the Start-Stop system and Energy Recovery System. A fast and smooth Start-Stop system shuts off the engine when the car is at standstill and the clutch is pressed. In less than a split of a second after I relaxed my left foot to release the clutch, the engine started again ready for my next command. The system worked so fast and so reliably, even in the hilly part of Luxembourg, as if it read my mind. In the extreme cold weather temperature, the Start-Stop system remains inactive till the engine reaches the optimal operating temperature to reduce the unnecessary CO2 emission. The system lowers fuel consumption by 0.2 liter per 100 km and reduces the CO2 emission by 5 grams per kilometer...

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Luxembourg is a home to about 130 Ch‚teaux. Some are fortified castles, others are lavish mansions. So, our weekend getaway would not be complete without visiting one of them. We entered Vianden into our A4 navigation system and let the car guided us to the famous and large medieval Ch‚teau de Vianden. On the way to the Ch‚teau, we had some fun with the efficiency program. This program shows all consumption-relevant data and actively provides recommendation on the ideal moment to change gear. Coupled with a TDI engine that produced abundant 236 lb-ft torque at as low as 1400 rpm, the gear change recommendation will maintain the most optimum engine speed over various driving conditions. This way the fuel consumption can be minimized by up to 30 percent depending on the driving style...

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In 2008, Audi performed a study on sold vehicles with LED lights. Since A4 LED DRL consumes only 15 watts, this translates to 0.2 liter per 100 km and 4 grams fewer CO2 emission per kilometer per car. Using the 2008 sales figure and average driving number based on dealer service records, ten million of fuels were saved and 25,000 tones of fewer CO2 emission was produced in one year. Since then, LED lights are extensively use not only for DRL but also for taillights, headlights, and interior lighting. Additionally, LED has a virtually unlimited life cycle. It can be turned on and off up to ten times faster than regular bulb. And this hundreds of millisecond advantage of seeing LED brake lights sooner in emergency situation can actually save lives and reduce trauma...

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As soon as we left the highly populated areas, the view opened up and we were greeted by autumn foliage colors covering the vast rolling hills. At this moment, there was nothing better to do than absorbing the mesmerizing continuous frames of perfect postcards. After passing a few more small towns, we finally arrived at Viandenís main street, Grand Rue. This street climbs up a forested steep hills from the tiny bridge over River Our at the city center. We eagerly drove up this street following the sign for Ch‚teau de Vianden. Mightily sits on a high ground, the eleventh century castle of Vianden glowed in the dusk. The mixture of Romanesque, Gothic, and Renaissance features of this castle made this castle a perfect place to have a Halloween party. Many kids and their parents dressed in scary, funny, and medieval customs were dancing in a very large, tall, and airy hall at the heart of the castle. Walking around the castle ground, we soaked the fairy-tale panoramic view of dark deep blue sky, orange band of sunset on the horizon, and rolling lush hills highlighted by lights from small towns below. It was a great place to end our weekend getaway...

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Driving Audi A5 Cabrio with a Car Designer in Beverly Hills

Beverly Hills Cop and 90210 brought dramas to this seemingly orderly, quiet, and opulent small town. In this 70 degree Southern California weather, Abeng Halim, a senior car designer at VW/Audi Design Center California at Santa Monica, and I are driving around in a 2010 A5 2.0T Quattro Cabrio...

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We turn onto N. Beverly Drive heading towards the famous Rodeo Drive. It takes about 16 seconds for Cabrio's roof to fold in an origami manner. Once the roof is tucked in, there is neither gaping holes nor protrusions that are usually found in other convertible cars. Despite the missing roof line, A5 Cabrio looks very sporty; thanks to curvy shoulder lines and slightly flared fenders...

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In addition to the already famous front daytime driving LED lights, this A5 has LED taillights. The design of this LED taillights gives the distinctive look that eclipses the design of LED taillights from other car manufacturers. The laborious time spent on the design details by Audi designers set this car apart from other new convertibles...

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We decide to cruise the famous strip, Rodeo Drive. Rodeo Drive is a large outdoor catwalk. Many people dress to be seen and they strut in and out of boutiques looking for the latest and greatest designs in fashion. This is where rarity is the norm. Most limited production cars can be seen driving by this strip. In a few minutes we are on the strip, we see several Aston Martin's, Audi R8's, Bentley's, Ferrari's, and Maserati's. To top that, we also see a very rare custom painted Bugatti Veyron...

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This trip will not be complete without taking this A5 Cabrio to Pacific Coast Highway. So, we head west towards Santa Monica Pier, where the historic Route 66 officially ends. For us to satisfy our craving for adrenaline, we rely on the 2.0T engine that produces 258 lb-ft and 211 hp. Mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox, this car zooms from 0 to 60 mph in about 6.4 seconds. The ventilated and heated leather seats allow us to drive briskly with top and windows down despite the chilly ocean breeze. The paddle shifters on the steering wheel allow us to maintain our firm grip on the steering wheel during gear shifts. This feature comes handy when we reach Tuna Canyon Road off Pacific Coast Highway. This narrow road is probably the best road to enjoy a sport car in Santa Monica Mountains region. It is secluded and residential traffic is absent. It features mostly sharp turns, zigzags, hairpins, and very few and short straight stretches. Turns after turns come at us in crescendo. No time for us to look at speedometer. At lower elevation, the lush vegetation creates canopies. As we go higher, the sight of sheer cliffs reminds us to watch our speed...

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By moving the engine farther toward the firewall, Audi engineers are able to improve front-to-rear weight distribution. The combination of 52.9/47.1 front and rear weight distribution, rear biased Quattro system, new reinforced steel construction, and Dynamic mode of Audi Drive Select gives us a sport-car driving experience. Audi Drive Select enables its driver to select different programs that govern car's adaptive suspension, dynamic steering, transmission shift characteristics and engine response. To top off our exhilarating drive, the turbo blow off valve and the sporty tuned exhaust resonator produce a very addictive soundtrack when the car is driven spiritedly on this hilly extremely twisty road; perfecting the enjoyment of Audi driving...

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A5 2.0T Quattro Cabrio is the perfect car for people who live in Los Angeles areas. On a nice day, with the roof down, the car allows us to enjoy the best California weather. It wakes up our inner child when it is driven on Pacific Coast Highway. The same car gives us an oasis during our long and challenging commute traffic so we can arrive at our destination with a smile. And, the elegant and sporty design of A5 makes us feel like celebrities when we arrive at a red carpet party...

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Weekend Drive in California: Audi V10 S6 and Supercharged V6 A6

To car enthusiasts, Monterey Bay is one of the special places in Northern California. In addition to mesmerizing coast line roads, blue ocean, temperate climate, and mouth watering seafood, this place hosts many high speed and historic racing events. Laguna Seca circuit is located just a few miles west of Monterey Bay's sand dunes off Highway 1...

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Due to the rolling hills and valleys that make up the region's landscape, Laguna Seca circuit features the highly respected and challenging high speed turns, switchbacks, and hairpins. The elevation changes on the turns give the continuous 3D racing experience that is rather unique to this circuit. The famous corkscrew turn pushes not only the limit of the drivers but also to the engineering teams that build and tune the chassis, suspension, and brake...

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5.2 V10 S6

More momentum is generated when a heavier body of mass accelerates than the momentum generated by a lighter body of mass accelerating at the same rate. More momentum means more effort required to change the direction of motion. Given S6 blistering acceleration rate, 0-60 mph in 5.1 seconds, and its total curb weight of about 4500 pounds, engineers at Ingolstadt equipped S6 with special treatments in the similar manner `Q' upgraded the 007 car...

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To shave off speed at equally fast rate, S6 is equipped with oversized 15.2-inch ventilated rotors up front and 13-inch ventilated rotors in the back. The transfer of energy during acceleration, braking, and turning is optimized by installing sticky 265/35 R19 Z-rated wide rubbers on the flared corners. The chassis features lightweight aluminum construction and the targeted use of sheet steel to create a balance between rigidity and weight saving, hence reducing the unsprung mass. To provide precise handling and steering, the refined four-link front suspension and the self-tracking trapezoidal-link rear suspension are designed and constructed to provide an extremely sporty kinematic behavior with superior directional stability and steering precision. Furthermore, Audi drive select systems offer three settings; automatic, comfort, and dynamic. This feature allows the driver to select the proper driving dynamic for different kinds of driving...

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3.0T V6 A6

The supercharged A6, on the other hand, I believe, is secretly designed so parents who do not want to give up their fun fast toys can still have a joyful grocery-getter family sedan. With 135 hp less power and 88 lbs-ft less torque than its brother, this A6, which is about 370 pound lighter, can still reach a well respected rate of acceleration. 0-60 mph is accomplished in 5.9 seconds; only less than a second slower than its big brother...

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The athletic performance of this A6 is brought by the combination of Fuel Stratified Injection (FSI) and Roots-style supercharger. The supercharger is mounted between cylinder banks. Two water-to-air intercoolers are utilized to chill the air before it enters the supercharger. This supercharger is equipped with free-running blades which coast under low engine loads when supercharging is unnecessary...

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At 2500 rpm, the potent technologies combination above produces the maximum torque of 310 lbs-ft. And, this flat torque band spans up to 5100 rpm. Despite the relatively close 0-60 mph acceleration number to its big brother's, this 3.0T A6 can do 26 mpg on highway. In the aesthetic department, 2010 A6 features the integrated daylight driving LED's and the LED taillights. The newly designed widened taillights of 2010 A6 make the car look smaller than it really is. Combined with its assertive stance, sweeping lines, and single frame grill, this A6 radiates agility and prowess...

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In today's world, when our awareness on earth ecosystem's health is at all time high, the days of car manufacturers producing relatively high-volume production 5.2 V10 family cars, such as this S6, are numbered. Demand for this kind of cars will drop significantly as people participate more in the global effort to reduce energy consumption and dependency on fossil fuel. And this makes S6 an endangered species...

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No doubt the car companies will still produce them, but only in limited volume, and this make them unaffordable to many of us. Instead, they will produce hybrid, electric, natural gas, or even hydrogen cars that can match the performance of the current S6. However, this current V10 has many addictive attributes that smaller or alternative engines will not have; the unique sonorous sound, the distinct burble, the ample torque at low RPM, the fast action revving, and a few more things that cannot be described in words but we feel them. Due to these addictive attributes, the V10 S6 will always be a distinct, memorable, very fast and agile family car in the history of automobile. Collect one if your heart desires before it becomes extinct...

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Winter Driving Vacation with the Audi RS4

For those of you considering getting an Audi RS 4, forget about making an appointment to test drive this race-bred automobile at your favorite Audi dealer. The best way to test drive this car is to spend serious time in the cockpit crossing three countries connected by twisty, picturesque country roads and of course the Autobahn. My RS4 test drive route covered central and southwest Germany, Austria and Switzerland. There is no better place to experience the RS4 than driving through the Altmuehltal Nature Park, the Bavarian Alps, the Black Forest, and of course the German, Austrian and Swiss Autobahnen. Thanks to a pilot program offered at Audi Forum, Ingolstadt, I was able to realize one of my childhood dreams: driving an Audi race car in its birth place.

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This program enables Audi enthusiasts or anyone interested in Audi to experiencing Audi's history, culture, technology, and of course ts products. The program starts with an exciting exploration of the brand at the Audi Forum Ingolstadt, Audi's worldwide headquarters. The Audi Driver's Day program offers different packages depending on the number of days you would like to drive your dream car and where in Germany you would like to drive. The latest information about the packages can be found at www.audi.com/driver. For my dream driving vacation, I signed up for the Driver's Day combined with the Audi Winter Driving Experience in Seefeld, Austria. I also asked for an extension of my German driving experience past the usual two-day Twists and Turns package.

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After only a few minutes behind the wheel, I was surprised to find how easy it was to drive this powerful automobile. The six-speed transmission and the clutch were very easy to operate. Acceleration was more than exhilarating: in fact, it was something that can't be described in words. Push the accelerator firmly and one is instantly compressed into the sport bucket Recaro seat, which, by the way, is a bit of a hassle to get in and out of in contrast to the U.S. version S4 Recaro seat, but in return the European-spec seat holds the driver very firmly in place. And as I discovered, once I was seated, I didn't want to get out. The engine note was another aspect of this car that I fully appreciated. Throughout the journey, I rarely turned on the radio because I enjoyed so much listening to the melody of the 4.2 FSI V8.

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In my RS 4, the Audi Navigation Plus incorporated the Traffic Monitoring Control system. I was surprised to hear the navigation system warning me about traffic congestion near downtown Zurich. It directed me to an alternative, less crowded route. Downtown Zurich during rush hour was the perfect place to validate the handling of this 414 hp four-door sedan in stop-and-go traffic. The Audi engineers didn't want to build a raw muscle car that would only perform well in drag races, but instead, aimed at creating a confidence-inspiring automobile that can actually be driven on city streets but also provides total stability in corners and an insane straight-line speed. Thus, the RS4 has a muted exhaust note when it is operated in the "detuned" mode. At low speeds the car is whisper quit. Nonetheless, the stance of this car drew many onlookers in downtown Zurich who were not quite sure why this particular A4 looked so menacing.

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This RS4 was also equipped with adaptive headlights. I found this feature very useful when navigating the Black Forest's twisty roads with blind crests and corners. This was the stuff of quattro dreams, even at 10 pm, in pitch darkness and a snow storm. with the On the way back to Ingolstadt, I decided to focus my attention to the "S" button that was in the middle console. As soon as I pressed the "S" button, the RS4 perked up like a startled Doberman. The gas pedal became very sensitive, responsive and fast; the sound of the engine became louder and deeper as, according to the car documentation, some valves in the exhaust system were opened up to release more of the engine's potential and the driver's seat closed in on me to provide better side, upper and lower support. Even in sixth gear, it was quite an experience to feel the G forces as the car accelerated from 120 km/h to 220 km/h. There was very little drama, except for the scenery flying past the window like the view from the Millennium Falcon reaching the speed of light, and the horizon apparently deciding to come and meet the car halfway. This car gathered momentum so quickly that looking at the speedometer became a shocking experience.

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After this RS 4 test drive I am not sure if I still dream of owning a Ferrari. This tame and understated four-door sedan doesn't have an obnoxious badge on the front, and the sleeping giant underneath the hood can be woken up to transform the car into a very ferocious race car by a touch of a button at anytime one desires. I am definitely going to the RS4 Barcelona Track Driving Event in August 2006 to get training on how to control this high performance, yet practical, car on an international race way.

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How to Win at American Le Mans Series

This is it! The grand finale. The last race of the 2007 American Le Mans Series. Smells from smoking tires and glowing-red brakes fill the afternoon air of the undulating rolling hills of Monterey, California. LMP2 Acura ARX-01, GT2 Ferrari F430 GT, LMP2 Porsche GT3 RS Spyder, and GT1 Corvette C6.R burble thunderously as they brake and downshift in a packed formation to make turn four near the Yokohama foot-bridge at Laguna Seca raceway. In the middle of this pack is the mysteriously quiet Audi R10. The only thing I can hear from this engineering masterpiece is the whizzing noise of the cross-drilled carbon disc brake and occasionally the soft burble of the 650 hp 811 ft-lb V12 TDI engine...

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The paddock is hiving with activities too. Rows of truck trailers that have transformed into sophisticated portable car shops are packed in grid formation. A boxy plain trailer once unpacked becomes a car shop complete with the enclosing tent. This scene reminds me of the 18-wheeler Optimus Prime of the Transformer movie. A metallic hospital-sterile drawer is next to each race car keeping the tools organized. The wide door on the trailer’s side provide a view into the transparent Plexiglas closets that store turbochargers, exhaust pipes, cylinder heads, pistons, gearboxes, struts, and many other parts. The mechanics have everything they need to rebuild a race car in a few hours. Every car nut is ogling and drooling over these impressive portable shops wishing they have similar setup at home...

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Most people only see the cheering, the victory hugs, the high fives, the flashing cameras, the champagne, the glamorous models, and the winning drivers at the podium waving their giant trophies at the end of the race. Many fans don’t really see the back breaking efforts that the people behind the scene do to win the podium spots. These people are the backbone of the racing team. There are more than four dozen men and women who provide Capello, McNish, Rockenfeller, and Werner two reliable R10’s.To the outsiders, they are the nameless faces in red Audi Sport uniform performing various mechanical tasks at the pit and the portable shops. But there is more. There are overseas logisticians who ensure that parts, oil, and fuel from Germany arrive on time. There are transporters who ensure that the multi-million dollars prototype cars get to the next race track in one piece. There are caterers who ensure that the whole team is well fed with nutritious meals to maintain their peak performance. There are mechanics, composite fabricators, telemetry engineers, engine specialists, tire engineers, and fuel engineers who keep the R10’s in ready-to-race condition...

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Earlier this morning during the practice session, Team-two telemetry engineer noticed that car two was losing oil pressure. It was not an alarming situation, but he informed the car-two crew chief. After a brief deliberation, the crew chief radioed Rockenfeller to bring the car in on the next lap. He also asked Rockenfeller to set his engine map program to safe mode. The safe mode lowers the rev limiter, shifts gear at lower RPM, and set many other engine program nuances to minimize the risk of low oil pressure. The crew chief instructed the team to prepare for tire change and refuel so they could skip the next scheduled pit stop. Without wasting any seconds, as soon as the R10 came to complete stop before the lollipop man, seven team members jumped over the concrete barrier. Four of them carried four new tires to the four corners of the car and then they waited. One examined the car front end. Another person examined the car rear end. The fuel engineer plugged the large diameter fuel hose onto the R10. The fuel cap locking mechanism and the diameter of the fuel line are optimized to deliver as much fuel per second safely into the fuel tank. The fire man was on stand by nearby. LeMans regulations require refueling to be completed before any other service can be performed on the car. Additionally, only 4 engineers are permitted to work concurrently on the car at any given instance. So, all of the tasks had to be staggered in such a way so the team would not get penalized by the eagle-eye pit judges...

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The afternoon sun is beaming radiantly between the passing clouds. The pit is buzzing with activities. Spare tires, carbon fiber body shells, and Shells oil and fuel are being placed at strategic locations around the Audi pit for easy and fast access to minimize pit time. The telemetry team is ensuring the wireless connection to the cars. More than a dozen flat screen monitors are featuring camera feeds and telemetry data dashboards. Each team is having a quick huddle to go over one last time the strategy they worked out last night to service the cars during the four hour race. The crew chiefs are going over the pit strategy the way the Captain of the Space Shuttle Endeavour is going through the final liftoff checklist with the ground command control and his shuttle crews. The number of planned pit stops, the tasks for each pit stop, refueling schedules, tire change schedules, driver schedules, and many other details are being mentally rehearsed by the team members.Capello, McNish, Rockenfeller, Werner, and Dr Wolfgang Ullrich, the president of Audi AG Motorsport, are having causal and relaxing conversation with the pit crews. It is just another day at the pit for them. They have done this a thousand times and they are still enjoying every moment. Despite the late night preparation activities, they all look calm and confident. Every single person in the team does his function in a clock work manner. They work together in the manner of Swiss watch precision...

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The team doesn’t exert any energy on worrying whether they will win on each race or whether the Porsche team completes the pit stop sooner than they do. Their minds are focus on the tasks at hand. They enjoy what they do and they do their best. They give their passion, love, and dedication to each other and the cars at every single second of the race. Getting the first position is definitely satisfying but they do this not because of the glamour of winning but because they just love what they do. And this how they win the races...

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After the last party light goes out and just before midnight, the team goes back to the portable shop. They go there not to continue the celebration. Instead, led by Rick and Jerome, the transportation logisticians, they meticulously organize the cars, the tools, and the spare parts such that, tomorrow, when they come back early, they can quickly prepare the cars for transport and they can pack their portable shop and pit in the similar way the Transformer Optimus Prime transforms itself back into an 18-wheeler truck. While the truck drivers are transporting the cars, the shops, and the kitchen to the next raceway, the race drivers, the mechanics, the engineers, the technical leads, the management team, the caterers have just a few days off to relax and spend time with their families before they go back to do what they love...

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A3 New Zealand Driving Experience

New Zealand is known as Middle Earth in many-Oscars-Academy-Awards-winning Lord of the Rings trilogy. The most captivating and magical settings for the world-class movie making are abundant here. Hobbiton, Mt. Doom, Eregion Hills and the pillars of Argonath were all filmed here. So, when I received an invitation to a wedding in Christchurch, New Zealand, I didn’t hesitate. I made the plan to attend the wedding and explore Middle Earth...

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As soon as I cleared Custom at Christchurch International Airport, I shopped for the suitable rental car. My eyes caught an advertisement in the Welcome to New Zealand brochure. There was a car rental company just outside the airport offering older European cars; Audi, Mercedes, and BMW. They happened to have only one European car left. It was a 2000 Audi A3. For relatively the same amount of money, I had to choose between a brand new Hyundai Accent and a 9-year old Audi A3. Slipping into the driver seat of this well maintained pre-sportback A3, I got a rush of De Ja Vu; the past memories of driving my 1990’s Audi 90S. The pneumatic door lock system, the large side-by-side red LED climate control displays, the Audi Symphony stereo system featuring the unique design of a single circular button in the center, and the scent of Audi interior from this generation transported me back into the 1990’s.This 20-valve engine idled smoothly as if it were brand new, despite the fact that the odometer glowed 155,700 km red digits. Putting the gear lever into D position, stepping on the accelerator slowly, and turning the 3 spoke steering wheel, I navigated my way out of the parking lot and began my Middle Earth driving. The inner child inside me woke up jubilantly...

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Christchurch, near the center of the east coast of the South Island, east of the Canterbury Plains, was the ideal place to start my exploration, not only because of its historic importance but also because of its attractive surroundings and activities for thrill-seeking tourists. Skiing and snowboarding on steepest mountains, whale watching, rafting, rock and ice climbing, and swimming with dolphins are all within a few hours drive from this English-style garden city with its many 19th century stone buildings. Christchurch has a special importance to car enthusiasts. Every February, Skope Classic, the Southern Festival of Speed, is held at Ruapuna Raceway. There won’t be any new lap record set at this race. Classic Allard’s, MG’s, Jaguar’s, and other vintage cars are raced to commemorate the glorious past and provide a family pass-time...

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Sitting on the Pacific Ring of Fire, New Zealand is a relatively active volcanic and seismic region. The mountains here may not be as high and colossal as the ones in the Himalayas. But the constant movement and collisions of Earth crustal plates create a very dynamic landscape. The peaks and valleys are intermingled in a fractal like formation, the bodies of water and the lands create mesmerizing collage. The changes in elevation were not dramatic, the twists and turns were not hair-raising. But this fit the sleepy morning ambience. The five speed Tiptronic transmission smoothly selected the appropriate gear for the different climb grade. The 1.8 engine provided more than ample thrust given that the relatively low weight of this subcompact car. It was a perfect morning drive...

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Arthur’s Pass is the highest pass over the Southern Alps. The Maori hunting parties used this route way before Arthur Dudley Dobson discovered it in 1864. In the old days, this pass was beyond treacherous. The only thing more dangerous than trying to cross this pass in the rain would be walking on a wire stretched from the top of two skyscrapers in Manhattan. Today, it is a spectacular sight of extreme civil engineering showcasing a giant viaduct, bridges, rock shelters, and man-guided waterfalls. The road beyond the entrance of Arthur’s Pass National Park climbed and wound at faster rate. This was where I unleashed the true spirit inside the 20-valve engine. How efficiently fuel could be burned in the cylinders was one of many obsessions possessed by Audi engineers...

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Audi is the first automobile manufacturer to bring the five valves per cylinder engine into the mass. With five valves, the engine can breathe better and faster resulting in an increase torque and power. Additionally, fuel consumption and exhaust emission are reduced. The ingenuity the engineers at Ingolstadt produced a remarkable cylinder head casting techniques and a very compact design of valve actuators. The performance of this smart design produced the subsequent more powerful turbo engine that earned, for the very first time in the world, the Ultra Light Emission Vehicle status (ULEV)...

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Looking outside through the window of the Air New Zealand flight heading to Melbourne, I could see the dynamic Middle Earth created by the Pacific Ring of Fire below. Remembering my Four Rings driving experience, I concluded that the place below me was definitely a world away from the hustle and bustle of modern daily chores. New Zealand, for me, was a place where the pace of life slowed down almost to a glacial pace, and yet everything felt just right. The beauties, the magic of nature, and the friendliness of the people I encountered gave me a splash of elixir of life...

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The A3 heightened my driving experience. This car was not a mega horsepower car that would require 10 computers to make it safe on the road. It was not even a flashy looker type. But yet, surprisingly, many brand new and sexy cars I had rented failed to instill the emotion and the thrill that this nine year old y Audi could. Despite the lack of mind bending specifications, this car made me aware of the family tree it came from. It gave the sense of man and machine in a perfect harmony. The engineering, the craftsmanship, and the quality control Audi had dedicated made this car a timeless driving machine that outperforms many brand new cars in its class...

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