Audi Embraces Engineered Lightness Ethos
In an interview that dated back a few years, Gordon Murray (the creator of the immortal McLaren F1) predicted the move towards smaller, lighter cars in the face of the rising gas prices. Renouncing hybrids and other such alternative fuel vehicles as short-term solutions to a problem of overconsumption, he expounded the virtues of lighter automotive design as the best way to create an exciting and yet efficient vehicle capable of consuming exponentially less fuel while still providing the same thrills.
The longtime philosophy of various manufacturers, most notably Lotus, the idea isn’t new. But, in a modern world dominated by satnav, safety systems, and massive options lists, modern cars crush down upon the Earth’s crust with curb weights that saddle their powerplants with massive payloads; killing economy and responsiveness. And in this regard, few were worse than Audi. Preferring to keep an all-wheel drive layout, the complex (and heavy) powertrain’s large footprint forced very bow-heavy engine placements, and the result was numerous complaints about understeer. As is often the case, the squeakiest wheel has apparently received the grease, and according to reports, Audi is embracing an new ethos that puts engineered lightness at the top of the priority list. The first example of this new ethos will be a new S5 that is almost 900 pounds lighter. Powered by a comparably meagre 230 horsepower four-cylinder, the new model laps the Nurburgring a full an impressive eight seconds faster than the current 354 horsepower V8-powered model. Obviously sporting a ridiculous level of engineering, it may represent the first in what may hopefully be seen as a paradigm shift in automotive engineering by future historians.
