Audi Urban Concept (produção em série a partir de 2013)

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VW 1-Liter Lives On As Audi ‘E1’ e-tron Concept: Spy Shots
Audi has developed a brand new eco-focused concept car falling under its e-tron umbrella of electrified vehicles; this compact two-seater pod car that was spotted recently on the streets of Berlin, Germany.

The new concept, which is believed to preview the smallest of Audi’s future e-tron electrified vehicles, the rumored ‘E1’, is scheduled to appear next month at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show but we have these spy shots of it today.

Its silent drivetrain confirms this is in fact an electric vehicle, most likely with its electric motor mounted on the rear axle and its battery array mounted under the floor.

What’s most interesting is its tandem-style two-seater arrangement that we first saw on the Volkswagen 1-Liter concept car of 2002. Essentially, the passenger sits directly behind the driver. The original Volkswagen concept, however, was powered by a super-efficient diesel engine that promised fuel economy as high as 235 mpg.

The 1-Liter was followed by a more advanced version in 2009 dubbed the L1. This later version combined the diesel engine with a small electric motor for improved performance. Now, it appears that Audi is advancing the game even further with its new concept.

As mentioned, this latest concept is believed to be a preview of the smallest vehicle from a new range of eco-focused models that will include both e-tron electrified vehicles as well as gasoline and diesel models. Like BMW’s own i sub-brand, Audi’s subdivision will be called E and will include everything from this E1 right up to the E8 electric supercar based on the R8 e-tron concept car.

More information should be revealed following the reveal of this latest concept car in Frankfurt next month. Press days for the show kick off on September 13 but in the meantime, follow our complete coverage of the event by clicking here.
Image: Audi E1 e-tron Concept spy shots, size: 1024 x 663, type: gif, posted on: August 8, 2011, 12:05 am - MotorAuthority

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[NissanNavara25]

Oficial: Audi Urban Concept

O carro mistério da Audi… já foi revelado!

[crash]

Following Autocar's scoop pics of an all-new Audi city car on Monday, Audi has released a series of official sketches depicting an urban concept car that is set to be unveiled at next month’s Frankfurt motor show as part of a new city mobility project.

The new two-seater, referred to simply as the Audi Urban Concept, brings together contemporary design, construction, packaging and driveline ideas on a compact city runabout reminiscent of the Messerschmitt Kabinenroller.

The Urban Concept is based around a central carbonfibre monocoque, which supports four individual 21-inch wheels mounted outboard and covered by complex cycle guards. But in a move aimed at quashing rumours that it is based around the same structure as parent company Volkswagen’s similarly conceived XL1, Audi says the new car is “not based on any previous model”.

The exterior styling combines various elements of Audi’s current design language, including a prominent single-frame grille, trapezoidal-shaped headlamps and a ‘tornado’ line beneath the glasshouse, with new aero industry-inspired cues, including a pillarless wraparound windscreen.

Entry is via a jet fighter-like canopy that slides towards the rear. The canopy forms part of the body sides, but Audi’s official sketches reveal that there is a high sill to negotiate.

Inside, there is space for two on low-set, slightly staggered seats in a layout that Audi describes as 1+1. Although spartan in appearance, the interior is constructed from high-quality materials, including carbonfibre and aluminium.

The dashboard, shaped like an aeroplane wing, appears to form an integral part of the structure and supports a square steering wheel and pedals that can be adjusted to suit.

Audi is not revealing much about the concept’s driveline or performance prior to its unveiling in Frankfurt, saying only that it uses two electric motors and a lithium ion battery.

Further details remain scarce, but Autocar can reveal that Audi is preparing other, less extravagant versions of its new Urban Concept, which it also plans to put on display in Frankfurt in a bid to gauge public reaction before deciding whether it should progress them further.

Recent rumours in the German automotive industry have linked Audi to a new city car brand in the mould of Mercedes-run Smart. Suggestions are that it could resurrect the NSU nameplate on a new range of urban-based models hinted at by its latest concept. NSU, purchased by then Audi parent Auto Union in 1969, was once the world’s leading producer of motorcycles.

[xeLa]

[xeLa]

Audi Urban Concept Spyder

Aí estão os sketches do Urban Concept Spyder:


Press release:

Ingolstadt, 2011-08-17
The Audi urban concept - a completely new kind of concept car
* An innovative urban concept car with 1+1 seats
* Spyder variant with doors that open to the top
* Sleek cockpit made from CFRP, free-standing wheels with protective plates
* Elaborate suspension, compact electric drive system for sporty performance
Audi is once again opening up new horizons: the Audi urban concept is a 1+1-seat, ultra-light car for congested urban spaces. The technical study being presented at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt does not fit under any of the conventional categories - the Audi urban concept combines elements of a racing car, a fun car and an urban car into one radical new concept. In addition to a Sportback model, Audi is also presenting a Spyder variant.
The Audi urban concept is not based on any previous model - its development is solely oriented on the strict principles of lightweight construction, efficiency and reduction. The result is a concept car with no unnecessary weight, and one that concentrates on the pure essence of sporty motion.
The Audi urban concept has a sleek body. The wheels are free-standing, their surrounding protective plates feature blinking strips of LED lights. The highly concentrated look of the technical study, with its forward-urging lines, is dynamic and emotional - it lends Audi's design language a completely new impetus.
On board there is room for two people, their position slightly staggered and at a sporty, low level. All controls and materials are subject to the dictates of ultra-lightweight construction in order to ensure that the sensory experience they convey is unique and compelling. The driver can adjust the steering wheel and pedals to his own body measurements. Characteristic features of the Spyder include its low, continuous window area and its doors that open diagonally to the top.
The technology in the Audi urban concept reflects the full capabilities of the brand, especially when it comes to ultra-lightweight construction. The cockpit consists of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer, which integrates the undercarriage of both seats. The Audi urban concept rolls on wheels with a 21-inch diameter.
Two e-tron electric motors provide the propulsion - providing the ultra-light Audi urban concept with the ability to accelerate powerfully. A lithium-ion battery supplies the energy - ideal for extended city tours.

Fonte: WorldCarFans

[xeLa]

Novas imagens

Com 3200 mm de comprimento, 1700 mm de largura e 1200 mm de altura são assim apresentados os Urban Concept da Audi. Passando à frente os dotes estilísticos, os carros são movidos por um motor eléctrico de 15 kW montados na traseira, dando tracção às rodas também traseiras. A energia é armazenada em baterias de lítio, atribuindo aos carros uma autonomia de 50 km a 60 km. Como o monocoque dos carros é em fibra de carbono, o peso é bastante contido, não chegando aos 500 kg. Os 60 km/h são atingidos em 6,3 s e a velocidade máxima é limitada a 100 km/h.

Audi's radical new urban concepts are taking shape, as these computer-enhanced photographs of the compact two-seat city cars show.

Constructed in both coupe and spyder guises, the urban concept is described by Audi as a developmental study that is being used by a team of in-house designers, engineers and electrical experts to explore new avenues in styling, small car packaging, ultra lightweight construction and driveline efficiency.

Combining cues from basic German bubble cars such as the Messerschmitt Kabinenroller and more contemporary aerospace design, the two urban concepts use a common central tub to which Audi has attached a race car style pushrod suspension that supports outboard mounted 21-inch wheels.

In coupe form it receives a canopy that automatically retracts back to reveal a snug two seat cabin featuring staggered seating. The spyder receives a cut down windscreen and partial side windows in a move reminiscent of Audi’s E-Tron spyder concept. Various details, including the triangular shape of the headlamps, is said to mirror that of future Audi models.
At 3200mm in length, 1700mm in width and 1200mm in height, the plug in electric city cars are 505mm longer, 140mm wider and 340mm lower than the Smart Fortwo Electric Drive. Based around a carbon fibre monocoque, they are also claimed to weigh under 500kg – or less than half that of Audi’s current entry level model, the A1 1.2 TFSI.

Powering the low slung urban concepts is a 15kW brushless electric motor mounted at the rear and providing drive to the rear wheels. It draws energy from an lithium ion battery pack, providing each of the urban concepts with a range that Audi officially puts at between 31 miles (50km) and 37 miles (60km) – sufficient, claims the German car maker, to meet the needs of most city commuters.

Performance is described as being equal to that of existing superminis, with 0-37mph (60km/h) in 6.3sec. To protect battery charge, top speed is limited to 62mph (100km/h).
Although Audi has already denied claims it is pursuing a car along the lines of the urban concept for series production, it says lessons learnt in its construction will have a positive rub off effect on its more traditional models. "Just as our earlier Avus concept led to the creation of our first aluminium space frame model, the urban concept is forging the way forward for carbon fibre in volume production," an insider revealed.

The finished concepts will be unveiled by Audi at next month's Frankfurt motor show.

Fonte: Autocar

Audi is once again opening up new horizons: the Audi Urban Concept is a 1+1-seat, ultra-light car for congested urban spaces. The technical study being presented at the 2011 International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt does not fit under any of the conventional categories - the Audi urban concept combines elements of a racing car, a fun car and an urban car into one radical new concept. In addition to a Sportback model, Audi is also presenting a Spyder variant.

The Audi urban concept is not based on any previous model - its development is solely oriented on the strict principles of lightweight construction, efficiency and reduction. The result is a concept car with no unnecessary weight, and one that concentrates on the pure essence of sporty motion.

The Audi urban concept has a sleek body. The wheels are free-standing, their surrounding protective plates feature blinking strips of LED lights. The highly concentrated look of the technical study, with its forward-urging lines, is dynamic and emotional - it lends Audi's design language a completely new impetus.

On board there is room for two people, their position slightly staggered and at a sporty, low level. All controls and materials are subject to the dictates of ultra-lightweight construction in order to ensure that the sensory experience they convey is unique and compelling. The driver can adjust the steering wheel and pedals to his own body measurements. Characteristic features of the Spyder include its low, continuous window area and its doors that open diagonally to the top.

The technology in the Audi urban concept reflects the full capabilities of the brand, especially when it comes to ultra-lightweight construction. The cockpit consists of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer, which integrates the undercarriage of both seats. The Audi urban concept rolls on wheels with a 21-inch diameter.

Two e-tron electric motors provide the propulsion - providing the ultra-light Audi urban concept with the ability to accelerate powerfully. A lithium-ion battery supplies the energy - ideal for extended city tours.

Fonte: NetCarShow

Urban Concept:




















(mais imagens)

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Spyder





















(mais fotos)

[pcg2001]

Sinceramente que não percebo a utilidade deste tipo de veículos (a renault tem um parecido). São maiores que segmentos A (ex. c1, 107, aygo), quase do tamanho de segmentos B (ex. Jazz) e apenas com dois lugares, com a vantagem dos primeiros levarem mais pessoas e terem normalmente maior capacidade de mala. A não ser pessoas que queiram usar este carro como um statement, não resolve me nada o problema de mobilidade dentro das cidades. A grande característica é que são eléctricos, mas de resto não trazem mais nada. A Honda já mostrou que conseguem fazer um híbrido com um jazz (carro que sempre tem mais utilidade) e com alguma facilidade que o colocavam totalmente eléctrico: perdia mala (uma da maiores no segmento), ou pelo menos parte, para colocarem mais baterias, tiravam o motor a gasolina e pronto, tinham um carro com uma autonomia próxima dos 50kms como este da Audi, sem comprometer a habitabilidade....

[Fahrenheit]

Parece uns carrinhos de rolamentos que eu vi aqui na zona

[crash]

Sinceramente que não percebo a utilidade deste tipo de veículos (a renault tem um parecido). São maiores que segmentos A (ex. c1, 107, aygo), quase do tamanho de segmentos B (ex. Jazz) e apenas com dois lugares, com a vantagem dos primeiros levarem mais pessoas e terem normalmente maior capacidade de mala. A não ser pessoas que queiram usar este carro como um statement, não resolve me nada o problema de mobilidade dentro das cidades. A grande característica é que são eléctricos, mas de resto não trazem mais nada. A Honda já mostrou que conseguem fazer um híbrido com um jazz (carro que sempre tem mais utilidade) e com alguma facilidade que o colocavam totalmente eléctrico: perdia mala (uma da maiores no segmento), ou pelo menos parte, para colocarem mais baterias, tiravam o motor a gasolina e pronto, tinham um carro com uma autonomia próxima dos 50kms como este da Audi, sem comprometer a habitabilidade....

Acho que estás a ver a coisa ao contrário.
3.20m de comprimento são à volta de 25cm menos que os trigemeos Toyota/PSA. A única medida que destoa é a largura, que está ao nivel dos segmentos B actuais e a dimensão das rodas. Mas este Urban Concept é mesmo isso, um concept, no sentido mais literal da palavra.
Como os textos dizem, serve mais de plataforma de exploração de novas soluções de packaging e materiais do que propriamente a antecipação realista de um novo modelo.

Coisas como esta poderão ser um valioso contributo para a resolução da mobilidade urbana, e não depende apenas das specs e dimensões do veículo, mas até do modelo de negócio que o preside.
No que toca às dimensões, o caminho escolhido pela Renault com o Twizi parece-me mais útil, no sentido que, com apenas 1.2m de largura (-35cm que um Smart), pode duplicar o número de vias nas principais vias da cidade
Enquanto continuarem a olhar para estes carros como substitutos do automóvel convencional nunca os irão compreender. Também olham para uma maxi-scooter como o substituto de um automóvel para todas as necessidades?

Claro que não.
Mas para muito boa gente uma maxi-scooter serve perfeitamente para as necessidades do dia-a-dia. E estamos a falar de um veículo que causa um impacto bastante inferior a vários niveis, seja na redução de consumo de combustivel, como na área que ocupa na estrada (mesmo ficando parada maior parte do dia num parque de estacionamento).
Esta nova geração de "carrinhos", permite colmatar algumas das desvantagens e receios dos veículos de duas rodas, seja os niveis de segurança superiores, perceptiveis e reais, como maior protecção dos elementos (apesar de no Twizi faltar umas portas dignas desse nome).

O único problema que colocaria é a questão da performance. No caso da Renault, o Twizi está homologado como quadriciclo, pelo que a performance também revela essa vertente, tendo até uma versão disponivel para se poder circular sem carta como qualquer papa-reformas. Seria interessante ter objectos com performance mais adequada à realidade, como se pode observar, ainda que de forma excepcional, pelo Tango, americano, também eléctrico, 1m de largura, mas estupidamente oneroso e com performances capazes de rivalizar com desportivos de raíz. Se o conceito destes objectos móveis pegar, talvez permita o aparecimento de propostas diversas, adaptadas aos mais variados públicos e só ficamos a ganhar. Precisamos de mais soluções para nos deslocarmos, optimizadas para o tipo de percursos habituais que fazemos, de impacto mais reduzido no meio envolvente.
Ficamos todos a ganhar.

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Resumo:
Autonomia: 73 km
Peso: 480 Kg
Comprimento: 3,21m
Largura: 1,67m
Altura: 1,19m
Jantes: 21”
Bateria: 7,1kW
20cv de motores elétricos nas rodas traseiras
1 hora para recarregar a bateria
0 a 100 km/h: 16,9s

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A sessão completa de apresentação oficial à imprensa que aconteceu há pouco.

1ª foto "ao vivo"

[DIG]

Tem a frente do A1 e a traseira do Q7.






Gostei.

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Ao vivo da apresentação em Frankfurt.

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[crash]

teste da CAR ao protótipo de testes do Urban Concept

Audi Urban Concept (2011) CAR review
By Georg Kacher

First Drives
28 October 2011 07:00


The Audi Urban Concept is a frantic fusion of home-made soapbox racer, bubble car, quad bike, go-kart and electric runabout, creating something all-new to tempt environmentally-conscious urbanites. CAR was granted rare access to road test (okay, scoot around a closed-off car park) this plug-in 21st century quadricycle.

And guess what? We've found out that Audi will soon okay the Urban Concept for low-volume production.

The Audi Urban Concept Car looks kinda... weird

Isn't it cute? Add a few yards of black sticky tape to the golden yellow eye-catcher and the Audi Urban Concept would pass as a kind of reinvented German Waspa, a two-seater scooterette, with four open wheels, exposed suspension and a striking low-drag passenger cabin. But this thing will fly even without insect-inspired cosmetics.

Better still, the Audi Urban Concept is for real and will no doubt steal some of the thunder generated by the forthcoming BMW i family. For a change, even the official press kit leaves little doubt about the show car´s true intentions. ´The Urban Concept rounds off... Audi´s range of future electric vehicles. It has the potential to set the trend for an all-new type of mobility.´ Refreshingly unambiguous.

Such definite intentions make it all the more important to take this early opportunity to check out whether this is an over-styled and under-powered wannabe or a serious attempt to rewrite the zero-emission city car rulebook.

It looks very basic for an Audi. Is the Urban Concept production-ready?
The yellow Urban Concept pictured here is dubbed Engineering Experience Module. It looks less flash in its details than the fully finished electro-white crowd-stopper displayed at Frankfurt too, utlising a conventional spring-strut suspension arrangement instead of the show car´s more elaborate pushrod design. The interior too has been stripped bare: its barren blackness was evidently conceived for function, not form.

In addition, its aluminium and carbonfibre tub is stronger, stiffer and heavier than that of the more refined stage II version, and the drivetrain doubles the power output to demonstrate the dynamic potential of the brand-new chassis.

Although the proportions and the packaging have been developed from scratch by the design team under Stefan Sielaff, the model that was once called Audi Neo (until they found out at the eleventh hour that someone else already owns the copyright to that name), does share certain elements with the VW XL1, introduced earlier in 2011. Amongst the common componentry is the front suspension, nearly identical rear suspension (minus the VW’s steering function), brakes co-developed with Continental, alloy wheels and parts of the driven rear axle.

Do you have to be a contortionist to get in and out of the Audi Urban Concept?
Thomas Kräuter, Audi´s specialist for the development and the assembly of concept cars, makes getting in and out of the Urban Cruiser looks conspicuously easy:

Act One: push the cabin roof back, grab the chrome handle that runs along the upper windscreen frame with your right hand and place your right foot in the cut-out in the cushion of the driver seat.

Act Two: shift your body-weight from the pavement to the car, allow your torso to glide into the seat, pull your left leg in and thread it past the steering-wheel into the footwell.

Act Three: buckle up, pull the cabin roof forward and tie it down electrically by pushing a button in the side panel. Alternatively, the canopy can be fixed in a half-open ventilation position, which ain´t bad considering the absence of air conditioning and opening windows.

Elasticman Kacher needed extra coordination and concerted effort to wheedle his 2.04m frame in behind the two-spoke sports wheel, which moves out of the way (by a generous 140mm) to make room for long legs and the pouch. The two thinly upholstered seats are firmly attached to the floor and the rear firewall. The occasional pillion passenger (this is a one plus one-seater, rather than a conventional two-seater) would need to crouch behind the driver in an oddly off-set and slightly claustrophobic cranny.

Since both the steering wheel and the pedals are fully adjustable by a clever lever and linkage system, finding a comfortable driving position is a doddle. The prototype Urban Cruiser’s cockpit is an object lesson in functional minimalism. All it contains are a push-button P-R-N-D gear-selector panel, two TT-derived air vents, a hazard button and a small digital instrument display panel depicting speed, distance traveled, range, battery charge status and recuperation activity. There is not a lot happening in the latter department since any serious deceleration effort is almost automatically neutralized by the electronic stability measures kicking in.

So, another electric car that's bound to be dull to drive...
It's not! I hit D, plant my right foor, and we´re off. Not like greased lightning, but briskly enough to brake hard for the first 90 degree kink in this vast parking complex. By the end of the day, I’d clocked almost six miles, not bad for roaming such a strangely slippery and concrete-lined habitat.

It takes all of about 10 seconds to get used to driving the Urban Concept. The accelerator response is linear and prompt and the four disc brakes strike a perfect balance between input and effect. Those skinny 125/80R16 all-season tyres don´t offer enough grip to dissuade the slightly tail-happy handling, and surprisingly the well-tuned suspension is neither overly firm nor discouragingly wayward. The only aspect which requires extra attention is the unassisted rack-and-pinion steering, which is super-quick at one and a half turns from lock to lock.

Through the fast sections of the empty and unobstructed upper deck, this instant-turn-in calibration is so much fun that I am secretly timing each run, trying to gain a tenth here and there. But through tight corners and in the wake of rapid changes of direction, the box hardens and loads up in a way that suggests the need for some more fine tuning.

Visibility is good except to the rear where one big panoramic blind spot threatens. How come? Because the Urban Concept has a small lidded cargo compartment where other vehicles have a rear window.

What's the techie lowdown on this electric Audi?
The Frankfurt show car was equipped with a remarkably unambitious 20bhp electric motor so that it can be operated without a full driving licence by 16-year-olds in certain EU countries. Our Engineering Experience Module has a more substantial 40bhp between its hind wheels where 71lb ft of torque is still not quite enough to make the tyres squeal. Unless it rains, when it becomes possible to induce a little bit of sideways attitude. [Only Kacher could write that about a priceless concept car - Ed!]

Audi claims that the 480kg lightweight runabout can accelerate to 40mph in about six second and whoosh on to a top speed in the region of 60mph. The Urban Concept’s range is likely to be in excess of 30 miles. These numbers are not definite yet because Audi is still using experimental hardware borrowed from the Q5 hybrid, Sanyo and its own e-tron thinktank. To recharge the lithium ion energy cells on 240V mains takes about two hours, but if you have access to a high-voltage power line, the same job can be done in under 20 minutes.

The diminutive 3.21m long prototype certainly whetted our appetite. Especially in higher-performance form, it makes a compelling alternative to a scooter or even a Smart. Audi seems to agree. To test the water, the Ingolstadt car maker intends to sign off a batch of 999 units sold at €9999 each, sources say. The Urban Concept could either be built in-house by the Quattro division, or by an outside specialist supplier.

Verdict

There is no doubt about it: at long last, here comes a new Audi which does not try to impress with the size of its grille or through the intensity of its LED day running lights. Instead, this conceptual mould-breaker is potentially more meaningful to the e-tron movement than the plug-in R8.

Young, simple, alternative, affordable and fun to drive, the Urban Concept sends a promising message from a brand which has taken itself too serious for far too long.

[BLADERUNNER]

Passará a ser produzido em série a partir de 2013.

El Audi Urban Concept se convertirá en realidad en 2013

Me ha resultado curioso ver que Audi anda dejando a algunos medios un prototipo funcional de su Urban Concept del Salón de Frankfurt, menos elaborado estéticamente que aquel, pero capacitado para cumplir con las promesas de autonomía y prestaciones del coche concepto. CAR, por ejemplo, ya ha publicado su "análisis" , que remata diciendo que Audi podría autorizar una serie limitada a 999 coches con un precio de 9.999 euros cada uno.

Indagando sobre el tema, y preguntando a quien tocaba preguntar, hemos descubierto que, en efecto, Audi se está planteando muy seriamente convertir al Urban Concept en una realidad comercial para... ¡2013! Eso es año y medio, y podría ser la respuesta chic al Twizy y compañía.

Si el R8 es la manera de Audi de mostrar lo deportiva que es, de manera muy exitosa, el Urban Concept debería ser el escalón de acceso de la futura familia e-tron. A mí me gusta la idea, ¿a ti?

[Minas]

Novidades sobre este veículo? Foi cancelado o projecto?

[crash]

o director de R&D que foi demitido recentemente, Wolfgang Dürheimer, cancelou praticamente todo o programa de veículos eléctricos da Audi (sendo uma das razões apontadas pra o seu despedimento), onde se inclui esta pequena criatura.

Agora que o homem já não está lá, não sei se vão recuperar este projecto.
Tenho as minhas dúvidas, porque não existe muita partilha de componentes com outros modelos da marca, tem plataforma própria, pelo que os custos devem ser avultados.
A não ser que façam um quadriciclo como o Twizy, o que seria uma pena, dada as limitações regulamentares aplicadas a essa classe.