Audi Middle East Invite Customers and Fans to a Virtual Preview of the new RS6 Avant, RS 7, R8 and RS Q8

Dubai – On July 9^th 2020, Audi Middle East is hosting a virtual preview of the latest RS models from Audi Sport GmbH. The RS 6 Avant, RS 7, R8 and RS Q8 are the dynamic spearheads of their respective product lines and are now available to order in the Middle East. They have a strong character that consists of distinct design differentiation, full everyday usability, effortless top performance and a thrilling driving experience. Customers and fans are invited to register on www.audi-me.com/RS to join a live presentation of each model from the team at Audi Sport in Germany as well as local personalities in Dubai and Carsten Bender, Managing Director of Audi Middle East.

At 11.00 am Gulf Standard Time (GMT+4) on Thursday July 9^th, the RS Q8 will be introduced via live stream on Audi Middle East official social media channels followed by the RS 6 and RS 7 models and building suspense for the reveal of the iconic Audi R8. Carsten Bender, Managing Director of Audi Middle East will then summarise his expectations of the market and the future for Audi in the region, with an official LinkedIn only exclusive broadcast, viewable only on LinkedIn Audi Middle East.

The RS initiative is underway

The event will be also be joined live by Rolf Michl, Head of Marketing and Sales, at Audi Sport GmbH and by Chris Reinke, Managing Director of Audi Sport Customer Racing GmbH, who will give his insights into what “Born on the track, built for the road” truly means. The RS model offensive is in full swing: The sporty subsidiary of AUDI AG already has six RS models in its portfolio scheduled for the Middle East: the RS 4 Avant, the RS 5 Sportback, the RS 6 Avant, the RS 7 Sportback as well as the RS Q8. Later this year the RS Q3 Sportback will also join the league of performance.

Future RS models will enhance the range relatively soon after the launch of the respective base product lines. That means that their characteristics will be defined at a very early stage and that their development will run alongside work on the corresponding product line upon which they are based. In addition to design, this work will focus on powertrain and suspension. After all, the aim is to bring the sporty DNA that every Audi carries to the fore as much as possible.

Modern efficiency is one of the fundamental goals here. With the RS 6 Avant, RS 7 Sportback, and RS Q8, the list of ingredients already includes a sophisticated mild hybrid system based on the 48-volt on-board electrical system as well as cylinder deactivation (COD) in the V8 TFSI engine under partial load. Needless to say, these functions must also be implemented in an RS-typical way. “Fine-tuning” is the magic word when it comes to the long road that is the development of a spectacular RS model. “A unique character will only evolve if we work consistently and with great precision. A lot of experience and a clear vision are the keys to creating a coherent overall concept,” says Reinke with certainty. 

Inspired by the racing car: the design of RS models

The RS models are the dynamic spearheads in Audi’s model portfolio, as is already indicated by their particularly striking exterior design. It is very much inspired by motorsports, combining cool understatement with a dynamic edge. Top performance in motorsports requires more extreme component shapes. According to the principle of “form follows function,” it is therefore natural that the use of high-performance technologies from motorsports is also reflected in the visual appearance of RS models.

In many RS models, the proportion and position of the Singleframe are based on the R8 sports car: It is both wider and lower than on its sister models and dominated by a puristic, sporty black instead of chrome elements. Some RS models have horizontal slits between the grille and the hood that are reminiscent of the iconic Audi Sport quattro from 1984. Mighty air inlets and large elliptical tailpipes symbolize the power of the turbocharged engines.

The body also features an exclusive look, which is particularly striking in the Audi RS 6 Avant. It is 80 millimeters wider than the base model, and the design of the fenders is just as RS-typical as that of the rear doors, the side panel frames, the front section, and the engine hood. Only the front doors, the roof, and the tailgate are unchanged. The wheel arches of the high-performance Avant accommodate wheels with a diameter of up to 22 inches – or even 23 inches in the case of the RS Q8. 

Workshops and master jig: Top-of-the-line quality even during development

The Audi maxim of uncompromising quality applies to each of the many exclusive solutions. “Our customers demand the best products on the market,” says the Managing Director of Audi Sport, Oliver Hoffmann. “We have the best specialists and teams to meet their high expectations.” The RS workshops, where the first cars are assembled by hand, play an important part during the development phase.

The Audi Quality Assurance department has a great influence on the later series production vehicle even during this phase. The employees assemble the complete RS body on highly precise aluminum measuring fixtures known as the master jig. They use state-of-the-art measuring methods such as laser scanners, which record several million measuring points on the surface of the part, to adjust all surfaces, joints, and radii down to the tenth of a millimeter. This benefits both the aerodynamics and the appeal of each individual RS. 

Three locations: production of the RS models

The RS models built for the Middle East are produced in three locations. The RS 3 Sedan, the RS 4 Avant, the RS 5 Coupé, and the RS 5 Sportback roll off the line in the German plant in Ingolstadt. The RS 6 Avant and the RS 7 Sportback are produced at the Neckarsulm site and the RS Q8 is produced at the Slovakian plant in Bratislava. All RS models are processed on shared systems with their sister models. The Audi press shops supply the specific sheet metal parts made of steel or, in many cases, aluminum that are then assembled in the body shop.

The marriage, that is the assembly station where the suspension and drivetrain are joined with the body, is very challenging in the case of the models with a V8 engine in particular.

RS-specific parts such as the exhaust system, bumpers, rear aprons, and wheels complete the RS models. A two-digit number of RS 6 Avants and RS 7 Sportbacks are built in Neckarsulm every working day. Each one of them is checked on a road course before being handed over to the customer.

The “Böllinger Höfe” factory is located close to the Neckarsulm plant, the headquarters of Audi Sport GmbH. This is where the sports and racing cars of the R8 family are built, in large part by hand, and the fully electric Audi e-tron GT will soon be built here, too. 

Starting from 9^th of July interested customers from the Middle East can buy, order and reserve their RS 6 Avant, RS 7, R8 and RS Q8 models.

Livestream Channels on 9^th of July starting at 11am Gulf Standard Time (GMT+4):

Register: www.audi-me.com/RS

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© Press Release 2020