Audi’s Middle earth
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Horch
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contacted namesake
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When commenting on Audi’s edgier new design language, he hinted “it is just a taste of what’s to come, stay tuned”.
Located within the same area, the “Market and Customer” building was certainly an interesting place.
Here is where owners of new Audi cars come to pick up their rides.
They are able to look around the car, try it out and have any shortcomings sorted out.
Buschmann explained that picking up an Audi is such a big deal to Germans, that even customers from the other end of the country would make the trip just to drive their beloved new car home.
We then visited Audi Tradition, where Audi stores significant and rare models, many of which that aren’t fit for public viewing – the Holy Grail of Audi’s collection if you will.
It was clear that the guys who work here know the history of Audi by heart.
From saloons to race- worn track cars, seeing so many beauties in such pristine condition in the multi- storey complex was certainly a sight to behold.
Racing blood truly runs through the veins of this company, so the lovely folks at Audi decided to let us experience it first- hand – via the Audi R8 V10.
Clad in gorgeous Sepang Blue, the row of R8s awaiting our arrival saw many jaw- drops.
Despite being a first- generation, the supercar was certainly still a thing of beauty.
Upon pushing the start button and revving up the V10 engine, it was noticeable that the sound was a little softer than expected.
Neuberg’s proximity to a nearby town required them to have noise- reducing mufflers installed.
It was nevertheless still music to the ears, so despite having a 12- speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system, I switched off the radio.
Harald Büttner, our fun- loving driving instructor, taught us a number of useful defensive driving manoeuvres, which were really white knuckling intense, given the car we were in.
Our cars were intentionally driven out of control, and we had to learn to counter the effects.
Surprisingly, it did not take long to get a hold of the car’s mighty handling, with the R8’ s excellent weight distribution and stupendous brakes.
Büttner later led us to the circuit, where we did progressively faster laps with position changes after each round.
Despite a number of driver swaps, I was fortunate to get the beast to myself for most of the run.
The full- time quattro all- wheel drive system made its presence felt, ensuring surreal grip around each bend.
The bellowing from the V10 block ( which sits directly behind you) during gear- changes, combined with the screaming rubber of the tyres was indescribable ( and grin- inducing).
Although a powerful beast, the R8 was surprisingly easy to handle and was certainly a showcase of Audi’s technical prowess.
After our exciting run, Büttner asked if any of us were interested in a taxi ride.
Then he grinned, “A really FAST taxi ride”. I was not one to back down on such an opportunity, so I accepted.
What he did was to drive like Michael Schumacher around the same circuit, with me strapped on the passenger seat.
Needless to say it was a hair- raising adrenalin rush, with high- speed cornering and hard braking at hairpin turns – honestly it felt more like riding a rollercoaster on tarmac.
The final stop of our journey required us to drive to Munich via the autobahn.
Our three Ingolstadt- registered Audis – an A6 2.0, A6 Avant 2.0 and a Q5 2.0 diesel – were a joy to drive.
While the A6s were excellent ( honestly, not many cars can cruise that smoothly at 160- 170kph), it was the Q5 that really caught my fancy.
Driving on the autobahn makes you realise one thing – most Germans have excellent discipline on the road, something I believe many Malaysians can learn from.
Despite their significantly higher speed limits, never did we ever feel unsafe. Drivers stuck to their lanes, and signal before overtaking.
The most fun was when the speed limit signs go off – technically meaning no speed limit.
Audi’s Active Lane Assist certainly did an amazing job in helping inform us if the coast was clear to switch lanes, and our Audis handled like a dream at speeds of excess 200kph.
Another feature I particularly loved was the on- board navigation system, which can be configured to display even on the dashboard, allowing the driver to focus more on the road.
On some models like the A6, it covers almost the entire dash unit!
The dynamic turn signals on our cars were also a refreshing sight and very cool to see in action.
Upon reaching Munich a surprise was revealed to us – as Audi has a partnership with popular team Bayern Munich, we were given an opportunity to experience them play live against Borussia Mönchengladbach at the Allianz Arena.
As the roads to the match were expected to be packed, we were chauffeured in the flagship Audi A8.
My unit was chauffeured by Franz Bartosch, who has 33 years of experience driving for Audi.
His car is entrusted to him alone, and he is the guy they’d call when they need Büttner giving us a briefing on the r8 V10. to ferry the board of directors.
Being in the A8 made me feel like a president, surrounded by numerous top- notch material and amazing gizmos.
One feature in particular that got us all staring up front is the night vision assistant, which uses thermal imaging that enables the driver to practically see in the dark – a true marvel of engineering.
Seeing Audi’s seriousness in giving their all in everything they do – from making cars to racing and even football, it is very clear that this is a forward- facing company powered by passionate folks, and I believe that is precisely what they wish to bring over here to Malaysia.