Home > Audi A5 Lightweight
Prototype, 30th September 2009
Audi's engineers have produced a lightweight A5 coupe
prototype which offers superior performance and handling,
while simultaneously reducing fuel consumption.
The Audi A5 lightweight prototype is 100kgs (220 lbs)
lighter thanks to the extensive use of aluminium and carbon
fibre in place of steel. Audi calls their aluminium chassis
designs ASF (Audi Space Frame).
Use of the ASF principle reduces the weight of a car body
by at least 40 per cent compared with conventional steel
construction, and this shows in a kerb weight of 1,310kg
for the aluminium A5 prototype, versus a total of 1,420kg
for the equivalent steel-bodied series production model.
Thanks to the significant weight loss, achieved by mounting
aluminium and carbon fibre-reinforced plastics onto the
ASF, the A5 lightweight prototype is able to use a four-cylinder
engine in place of a V6 engine and achieve similar performance
levels.
With the 2.0-litre, 211 hp turbocharged 4-cylinder engine,
the A5 lightweight prototype achieves a power-to-weight
ratio of 161 hp per ton. For comparison, the standard
production A5 3.2 FSI V6 quattro with 265 hp has 172 hp
per ton.
While the Audi A8, R8 and TT all feature aluminium space
frames the technology is yet to be used on the A5. But
if Audi get round to producing the RS5 it's would be a
great way of loosing weight and adding performance. |
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