It's AboutTime: Audi Shows Off Two Ethanol Test Mules
In just a few months, Audi’s A5 coupe will hit the market in the United States, with its more powerful S5 sibling already here. The first new Audi to be produced on the company's B8 chassis, the coupe will be followed next fall by the next-generation A4 sedan. Those watching the latest Audi offerings with interest have probably noted a distinct lack of 4-cylinder carryover. Of course there’s the FSI 4.2-liter V8 in the S5 and the A5/A4 ranges have been confirmed to have the 3.2l V6 FSI with valvelift, but those on a budget or looking for even more efficiency in the North American range are already asking for something to slot below the 3.2. Audi knows the demand is there, with several executives having confirmed that an all-new 2.0T-FSI is on the way. That in mind, Fourtitude recently had a chance to sample prototype versions of the A5 with experimental versions of the all-new engine.
This wasn’t the typical test drive of a new model as we typically report. There wasn’t an extended drive with well-researched, driver-oriented routes or several days to spend in a car and learn its nuances. These weren’t made-for-prime-time production models, but engineering test mules built to show off new technologies. Those attending were invited to try out new, fuel-saving technologies from Volkswagen and Audi. Among them, there was an Audi A5 that ran on ethanol and another that made use of engine start-stop technology with a ‘micro-hybrid’ system using energy regeneration during braking and free wheeling for improved efficiency.
Thanks in part to the use of bio-derived fuel in the ethanol A5, the first coupe was good for 75% better CO2 emissions than a typical A5 road car. Even more applicable in daily use, the start-stop equipped A5 with its regenerative brake system is good for 40 mpg. Sources at Audi say the ethanol variant was more a show of what can be done, but hardware such as the regenerative braking and start-stop technology are more likely to see near-term production.
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