INGOLSTADT (July 24, 2024) – Audi wrote engineering history in 1982 with the Audi 100. With its drag coefficient of 0.30, the third-generation Audi 100 was the world’s most aerodynamically efficient production saloon at the time, making it an essential part of the new special exhibition “Form vollendet”. The new special exhibition will be at the Audi museum mobile in Ingolstadt until March 2, 2025, where Audi Tradition will present aerodynamic concepts from 1945 to the present day.

The aerodynamics research that flourished before the Second World War and which was the subject of Audi Tradition’s “Windschnittig” exhibition (German for “streamlined”) that ran until the end of June received little attention after 1945. Europe’s automotive industry was busy getting back on its feet. During this period, pre-war developments were still in use and improved upon. It wasn’t until the rising cost of fuel during the 1973 oil crisis prompted a shift in thinking that automotive engineers began focusing on reducing fuel consumption. One of the dials used to achieve this was aerodynamic drag. In 1982, Audi made a splash with the Audi 100; its drag coefficient of 0.30 set a world record for production sedans, a value that would become the benchmark for years to come.

The new Audi Tradition special exhibition “Form vollendet” (German for “form perfected”) showcases the Cd world champion Audi 100 alongside other models such as the NSU Ro 80, the Porsche 356, the Lamborghini Countach, and the Ducati Paso 950. Visitors will also have the opportunity to see concept cars and race cars from Audi’s history, such as the Audi 90 IMSA GTO from 1989, the 2012 Audi R18 e-tron quattro Le Mans race car, the 2013 “Audi Skorpion” concept car, and the 1984 Audi 80 Cd concept car, which the developers used to test the limits of what was feasible. Their goal was to achieve a drag coefficient of less than 0.2 – a goal which they ultimately achieved. The Audi A2 represents another milestone in aerodynamics. At its debut at the IAA in 1999, its design, geared towards optimum streamlining and unusual proportions at the time, polarized public opinion. The basic model with an aluminum

Audi Space Frame body achieved a drag coefficient of 0.28. The Audi engineers continued to tighten the aerodynamic screw with many individual measures and, in this way, reduced the drag coefficient of the Audi A2 1.2 TDI even further. The Audi A2 1.2 TDI is the world’s first four-door, three-liter car and will be part of the special exhibition “Form vollendet”; it has a drag coefficient of 0.25 and an average fuel consumption of 2.99 liters per 100 kilometers.

Curator Stefan Felber reveals his favorite inclusion in the upcoming exhibition: “The DKW F9 has a special meaning for me – it is the link between the two exhibitions, Windschnittig and Form vollendet. What’s more, this streamlined and seemingly plain car represents the new beginning of Auto Union in West Germany and IFA in East Germany.”