Ο Felix Baumgartner θα οδηγήσει ένα αγωνιστικό R8 στον 24-ωρο αγώνα του Ring

Ο Felix Baumgartner ο άνθρωπος που έκανε ελεύθερη πτώση από τη στρατόσφαιρα, λατρεύει και τους αγώνες ταχύτητας και έτσι όπως ανακοίνωσε η Audi, θα τρέξει στον φετινό 24-ωρο αγώνα του Nürburgring στα μέσα του Ιούνη με ένα Audi R8 GT3.

Στις σχετικές ειδήσεις, η Audi ανακοίνωσε

τις πωλήσεις του Φεβρουαρίου, όπου πούλησε 110.024 μονάδες (+6,8%), ενώ από την αρχή του έτους έχει πουλήσει 242.400 αυτοκίνητα (+9,3%). Περισσότερες λεπτομέρειες μπορείς να βρεις στο δελτίο τύπου που ακολουθεί.

[Πηγή: Audi]

Δελτίο ΤύπουFelix Baumgartner to drive Audi R8 at Nürburgring 24 HoursAustrian extreme athlete starts racing careerAudi race experience as seasoned campaign teamLe Mans winners as prominent team-mates

Ingolstadt, March 7, 2014 – Following his stratosphere jump in 2012, extreme athlete Felix Baumgartner is tackling his next big challenge on the Nordschleife of the Nürburgring. The Austrian will obtain a racing license and become a race driver with the Audi race experience team on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife.

The Audi race experience makes it possible for Audi’s customers with sporting ambitions to enter racing. But never before has the program, which the Audi driving experience has been running since 2010, had as prominent a driver as this one. “It’s fantastic that we’re cooperating with Felix Baumgartner this year,” says Klaus Demel, the head of the Audi driving experience. “As an extreme athlete, Felix Baumgartner has been thrilling millions of fans around the world with his daring actions that combine ingenuity and exceptional technical demands. Now we’re familiarizing him with our sport, offer him a professional environment with our team, and are very excited about this new, joint challenge.”

As a guest entrant, Baumgartner has been gathering some racing experience in recent years during occasional runs in the one-make cups of the Volkswagen Group. The big difference in the 2014 season: the Audi R8 LMS ultra provides him with a 419 kW (570 hp) ‘pure-bred’ GT3 race car. The 44-year-old is completing an extensive preparation program before competing in the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring on June 21/22, 2014. His team-mates are equally prominent: The five-time Le Mans winner Frank Biela (D), the three-time Le Mans winner Marco Werner (D) as well as the GT and sports car pro Pierre Kaffer (D) will be his colleagues in the cockpit.

“This task is totally exciting and I’m looking forward to driving races in an Audi,” says Felix Baumgartner. “During initial tests in the road-going Audi R8 I got to know the Nürburgring, and in the Audi R8 LMS ultra I’ve clocked a few kilometers on various tracks as well. I regard this task as one of the major projects in my life. The environment is perfect, the atmosphere is fantastic, and I feel really well taken care of by the Audi race experience. But it’s also clear that I’m basically starting from scratch because this sport is new for me.”

Former professional rally driver Josef ‘Sepp’ Haider, now the Audi race experience’s sporting director, is one of the instructors of his Austrian compatriot. “Felix is approaching his new task in exactly the manner that is the hallmark of a pro,” says Haider. “He’s eager to learn, has good judgment of the physical conditions, and is totally motivated. All team members have come to respect him in the initial tests. I’m very much looking forward to our joint journey.”

The team will be fielding another R8 LMS ultra in the 24-hour race. The drivers of this car have already been confirmed. Already last year, Dominique Bastien (USA), Rahel Frey (CH) and Christian Bollrath (D) formed a team. Christiaan Frankenhout (NL) will be supporting the Audi race experience as a driver for the first time.

Felix Baumgartner’s 2014 Nürburgring program: March 21–22 VLN, test and setup runs April 05–06 Qualification race, Nürburgring 24 Hours April 26 VLN, 56th ADAC ACAS H&R Cup May 17 VLN, Adenauer ADAC Simfy-Trophy June 21–22 Nürburgring 24 Hours

AUDI AG: global sales increase again in February

Around 117,500 deliveries worldwide, up 6.8 percentAudi growth surges in Brazil, Turkey and South KoreaSales chief Luca de Meo: “A3 Sedan* will launch in its core sales markets of China and the United States in spring”

In February, AUDI AG delivered around 117,500 cars to customers around the world, 6.8 percent more than one year ago. Since the beginning of the year, the company’s unit sales have thus increased by 9.3 percent year-on-year to around 242,400 deliveries. Audi sales figures once again climbed in all regions around the world last month. Around one third of the volume growth was achieved in Europe. With significant increases in Germany, the UK and Italy, there was a 5.3 percent increase for the region. In China, Audi completed the sales month – shortened considerably by the New Year holiday – with a 6.9 percent increase over the February 2013 level.

“Audi continued the positive start of the year in February despite noticeable non-recurring effects in important overseas markets,” says Luca de Meo, Member of the Board of Management for Sales at AUDI AG. “In Europe, several markets are gaining stability at what remains a low level. In this region we are already scoring with the new A3 Sedan*, which will also be launched in China and the United States, its two most important sales markets, in the upcoming weeks.”

The entire new A3 family* achieves continued high rates of growth, up 43.0 percent in February to 19,568 units worldwide. In the full-size category, demand rose in particular for the A7 Sportback* (+8.8%) and for the Q7*; sales of the SUV climbed by 31.8 percent to 4,589 cars.

Turkey is among the markets where Audi is particularly successful in attracting additional customers with new models like the A3 Sedan: in February, the company delivered 1,105 cars there, 29.2 percent more than one year ago. Since the beginning of the year, the cumulative sales increase is 34.2 percent. In many Southern European countries, Audi has also recently sold more cars than one year ago, such as in Spain where deliveries increased by 1.6 percent to 4,149 cars, and above all in Italy with an increase of 16.0 percent to 4,202 units. Germany(+10.1% to 21,806 cars) and the United Kingdom (+8.3% to 4,820 cars) showed significant growth as well and confirmed the positive month for Audi in Europe (+5.3%). Over the first two months, around 111,600 deliveries account for growth of 6.5 percent in the region.

In the Americas, Brazil maintained January’s enormous pace of growth in February too: with 1,115 deliveries, Audi do Brasil brought in over three times the sales of February 2013 (+260.8%). In the United States, Audi dealers are currently preparing for the market launch of the A3 Sedan. The model developed specifically with a view to the wishes of American and Chinese customers will be launched on the U.S. market in April. Meanwhile, despite the effects of extreme winter weather conditions, sales by Audi of America in February reached the level of the prior-year month with 10,881 deliveries.

Among the markets in Asia, South Korea is becoming increasingly important for Audi: for February, the sales statistics were up 61.8 percent to 2,187 units, an increase of 42.3 percent since January. In February, Audi achieved an increase in the high double digits in Japan as well (+19.3% to 2,731 cars). In contrast, the New Year holiday dominated last month in China. On the remaining sales days, 32,358 customers received their Audi, up 6.9 percent. From January through February, Audi sales in China went up by 13.2 percent to 76,884 cars.

Sales for AUDI AGIn February Cumulative 20142013Change from 201320142013Change from 2013World117,500110,024+6.8%242,400221,782+9.3%Europe57,80054,934+5.3%111,600104,809+6.5% – Germany21,80619,804+10.1%39,23234,415+14.0% – UK4,8204,451+8.3%15,60314,329+8.9% – France5,1095,368-4.8%9,1569,379-2.4% – Italy4,2023,622+16.0%8,0217,389+8.6% – Spain4,1494,082+1.6%7,4316,836+8.7% – Russia2,9052,800+3.8%4,5284,525+0.1%USA10,88110,877+0.0%20,98220,933+0.2%Mexico1,011889+13.7%2,0351,742+16.8%Brazil1,115309+260.8%2,224784+183.7%China (incl. Hong Kong)32,35830,268+6.9%76,88467,946+13.2%

Fuel consumption of the models named above Audi A3: Combined fuel consumption in l/100 km: 7 – 3,2; Combined CO2-emissions in g/km: 162 – 85

Audi A3 Sedan: Combined fuel consumption in l/100 km: 7 – 3,8; Combined CO2-emissions in g/km: 162 – 99

Audi A7 Sportback: Combined fuel consumption in l/100 km: 9,8 – 5,1; Combined CO2-emissions in g/km: 229 – 135

Audi Q7: Combined fuel consumption in l/100 km: 10,7 – 7,2; Combined CO2-emissions in g/km: 249 – 189