32 Super Interesting Facts About Audi That You Should Know

An Audi in a fiery red color or in a jet black color frequents the dream of the followers of this luxurious brand. Starting from the stunning look to the great performance of these classy cars, makes this German automobile manufacturer a much-coveted one, amongst the population.

Here we present 32 super interesting facts about Audi that you should know. Read on to know more:

1. First name: Audi was first named as “Horch Automobile Works.” But the founder, August Horch had to change the name of his company following a copyright infringement lawsuit.
2. The story behind the name: August Horch wanted to name his company “Horsch” which is the Greek term for the word listen. But since he could not use the Greek version, he settled for the Latin term “Audi” which also means to listen.
3. Significance of the four rings in the logo: The four rings in the logo of the company signifies the collaboration between four automobile makers that led to the creation of the Audi Union. The four-car maker companies are Audi, DKW, Horch, and Wanderer.
4. Way ahead with speed: Back in 1938, the Audi Union developed a race car whose speed was over 268 mph.
5. The sequence of the rings in the logo: The four rings in the company’s logo represents each company that entered the collaboration. Like, the first ring represents Audi, the second ring represents DKW, the third one is for Horch and the lats ring represents Wanderer.
6. Mistaken interpretation: The significance of the four rings in the logo of Audi signifies collaboration, but often it is mistaken to be the logo of the Olympics.
7. Lawsuit for logo: The Olympics committee had sued Audi for its logo. Its close resemblance to the Olympics logo saw the company facing charges of trademark infringement. But, the case was won by Audi and the Olympics committee lost the case.
8. Turning point: Post the creation of Audi Union, Daimler-Benz’s Volkswagen showcased an interest in the union and in the year 1960, the company acquired the Audi Union. This was the turning point for Audi.
9. Focus on research: The avatar of Audi that is so popular today took shape post the acquisition of the Audi Union by Volkswagen as it shifted the focus to research and development fo more classy and luxurious cares.
10. First crash test for cars: Audi is the first automobile maker to perform the crash test. The company performed the first crash test for its car, back in 1938. But today this procedure has become a standard procedure for all carmakers.
11. Introduced the left-hand drive: The luxurious car maker, Audi is the first company to introduce the left-hand drive in 1921. This special feature was introduced with the launch of the model, Type K. The model went on to be a trendsetter of that time and gained immense popularity.
12. Collaboration with Porsche: Audi collaborated with Porsche for the manufacture of RS Model. Notably, this car model’s tailgate, grille, and the brake bear the logo of Porsche.
13. Impact of World War II: The manufacturing plants of Audi were converted to hardware production facility during World War II. This led the Russians to target the company’s production plants which caused great havoc.
14. World Rally Championship: Audi created a place for itself in the work of motor racing and its success at the World Rally Championship further strengthened its foothold in the car racing segment.
15. Engine power in the name: The car model Audi 100 is the largest car from this carmaker. The figure “100” in the model name signifies the horsepower of the engine of the car.
16. Three versions of the largest cars: Audi 100 is the largest car from the company and three versions of the car is available, which includes the four-door and the two-door sedan and also the 100 Coupé S.
17. The most successful car model: The most successful car model from the house of Audi is the Audi 100. By 1971, more than half a million cars were produced. Within 1976, the production touched the 2 million mark. On the sales front, more than 800,000 units of the Audi 100 were sold.
18. Launch of the Quattro system: Back in 1980, Audi launched the Quattro system. The much ahead of its time technology gave the company a competitive edge.
19. Quit international racing: Following an accident in the year 1986, Audi withdrew from international rally racing. The accident that shook the company had Joaquim Santos driving the car. To save some spectators on the road, he drove into the crowd, which led to the death of three spectators.
20. First hybrid car: The year 1989 saw Audi launching its first hybrid car, the Audi Duo. The company was the first European company to sell hybrid cars in 1997. However, the sales figure were much lower.
21. Collaboration for hybrid cars: Audi and the Japanese company, Sanyo collaborated for the development of hybrid and electric cars.
22. The RennSport (RS) badge: The company’s model, RS3 sedan sported the RennSport (RS) badge in the history of Audi.
23. The trademark for the beating heart sound: The year 1996 saw the German automobile maker initiate the process to obtain a trademark for the beating heart sound. And it was in 2010 that the commercial for Audi A8 featured the beating heart sound for the first time.
24. Concept cars for racing: For participating at the Le Mans 24 hour, the company developed two concept cars in 1999.
25. Debut at the American Le Mans Series: Just after the development of the concept cars, Audi made a debut at the American Le Mans Series in the year 2000 with the name Audi Sports North America.
26. Computer-controlled car for Pikes Peak Hillclimb: The company participated in the Pikes Peak Hillclimb in 2010. The computer-controlled Audi TT S did not require a driver to steer the wheel while the car was climbing a hill.
27. Foray into the sound concept: Audi made an entry into the Corporate sound concept with the Audi Sound Studio. The Brand Voice and the Brand Music Pool are some components that were a part of the sound concept.
28. A scandal about emissions testing: Audi was in the middle of emissions testing in the year 2015. This scandal forced the company to change its slogan from “Truth in Engineering” to “It’s not that easy being green.”
29. Lightweight engines: Audi uses much lighter materials like aluminum and carbon fibers for its cylinders, which makes the car lighter. Audi RS3’s cylinder turbo engine, as well as Audi R8, has very light engines which it lighter by around 26 kgs.
30. The entry of RS3 in the Australian market: The Australian market saw the entry of the Audi model RS3 in the year 2015. It was a much late entry for the model as it had been available in the European market since 2011.
31. Synthetic diesel: The company assisted in the development of technology which will help in manufacturing synthetic diesel using materials like water and carbon dioxide.
32. The hands behind Audi R8 V10: The halo car, Audi R8 V10 is built by only the most experienced and the best factory workers.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys6XTSoufyg