Still The Benchmark? Audi Unveils Next Generation Electro-Mechanical Ultra quattro Drive System

Audi has unveiled a new version of its quattro four-wheel drive system that it claims provides a critical improvement in efficiency.

The new quattro system uses an electro-mechanically operated multi-plate clutch and rear gear set that combine to eliminate mechanical drag by completely cutting drive to the rear differential, and with it the rear wheels, when the driver only requires front-wheel drive.

To be marketed under the name quattro ultra, the new system abandons the widely used Torsen torque sensing system, as well as the central differential and rear differential hardware used by Audi in one form or the other since the inception of its original quattro four-wheel drive system back in 1980.
 

ricks0me - 2/16/2016 5:12:17 PM

+5 Boost

Still The Benchmark? ... who gave Audi the trophy for All Wheel Drive?

W208 - 2/16/2016 7:52:13 PM

+4 Boost

So basically, they've decided on a slightly fancier sounding version of an on-demand AWD which basically means all of their cars are FWD, a la the majority of AWD cars on the road.

MDarringer - 2/16/2016 8:03:20 PM

+4 Boost

quattro is just AWD and EVERYONE does AWD as well as Audi. I utterly HATE Subaru, but I'd go with them for the AWD crown.

gkearns56 - 2/17/2016 6:24:01 PM

+1 Boost

Here here @ BobM:

I said that about a couple of weeks ago when ole "Darringer" made his stupid comment then about Audi's Quattro. Some crazy duma@@ comment about the numb feel.

I told him I took a European deliver where Audi takes you to their factory, puts you up for 3 days in a gorgeous resort and gives a $250 gift certificate to buy any souvenirs in their merchandise store. You can take it on the autobahn and Audi will make arrangements to ship to US when your travel is over.

He's a wannabe auto enthusiast who knows crap about German cars. He probably driving one of those Ford Pinto's

carsnyc - 2/17/2016 11:06:17 PM

+4 Boost

Audi / benchmark... Lol!

7msynthetic - 2/18/2016 3:56:39 PM

+2 Boost

There should be a new saying "Save the Differentials!" Guess Subaru's STI system and 911 Turbo are the only cars that I can think of with a real AWD system (real diffs on both corners).