2000 September 28:
Audi continued its practice of designing
striking motor cars, showing the Steppenwolfconcept car at the Mondial de l'Automobil 2000
(Paris Motor Show).
The car is a three door, four seater,
with a lot of the Audi
TT
look about it.
The car is powered by Audi's
3.2-litre V6 engine (165kW, 320Nm)
which is transversely mounted and
drives through a manual six-speed gearbox and
quattro full-time four wheel drive.
Electronic Differential Lock (EDL) and
Electronic Stability Program (ESP) help control the car.
An interesting touch is the absence of a mechanical
hand-brake (parking brake):
"An electronically controlled electrohydraulic system
performs the function [...]
the lines to the rear brake [disc] callipers [are] activated
via hydraulic valves in such a way that
the hydraulic circuit of the foot-operated brake is decoupled.
When the driver presses the button for the parking brake in the cockpit, an
80 bar hydraulic pump takes command of the rear
brake callipers."
Front suspension is by McPherson struts,
rear suspension by "a longitudinal double-wishbone axle".
Springing is by air-bags, as per the
Audi Allroad,
and four ride heights
can be selected over a range of 60mm (2.4"),
up to a maximum of 223mm (8.8") ground clearance.
Tyres are low profile 225/50R19 with a tread said to suitable
for on-road and off-road driving.
The spare wheel is kept in a drawer under the rear luggage compartment.
The weather is kept out by either a carbon fibre hard-top
or a removable soft-top.
Der Steppenwolf is the name of a 1927 novel
by Hermann Hesse.
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