The Vienna engine symposium used to be one of the better-kept secrets in our business. It’s now in its 36th year , and it is the top event where engineers and executives mingle and discuss current and future topics freely and openly. It’s an event where many conversations are assumed to be off the record—and it’s one of my favorite events in the automotive calendar.
-This year, Volkswagen hosted a passel of journalists, so I don’t think I’m breaching etiquette by reporting specifically on what they are sharing at the sprawling Hofburg palace complex—part of which has been a conference center since the 1950s—in the center of Vienna this week.
-For the VW Group alone, it was worth coming. Audi, Porsche, and Volkswagen’s respective board members for Research and Development—Ulrich Hackenberg, Wolfgang Hatz, and Heinz-Jakob Neußer [left to right, above]—all showed up. But CEO Martin Winterkorn, who was to speak about “challenges and solutions from a Volkswagen perspective,” pulled out because of the “circumstances,” as the symposium’s leader, Hans-Peter Lenz, put it diplomatically.
-The speech he was supposed to deliver was given by Heinz-Jakob Neußer instead, and it included a number of interesting announcements. Lambasted by the former head of the supervisory board, Ferdinand Piëch, for a lack of vision, Winterkorn’s speech draft aimed to prove that VW is well-prepared for the future.
-The speech mentioned Tesla’s battery factory in Nevada, Apple’s hiring spree of automotive experts, and a robot car by the Chinese IT company Baidu. “We at Volkswagen are not afraid of these new players in our business,” said Neußer.
-That’s great news, and even better news are the powertrains that VW is working on. TDI and TSI engines will remain indispensable for the foreseeable future, Neußer said, “preferably combined with a dual-clutch transmission.”
-An incredible glimpse into the future comes in the form of a 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine [above] that is fitted with a large single turbo and an electric supercharger for a stunning 272 horsepower and 199 lb-ft of torque.
-Neußer also detailed the 2.0-liter, four-cylinder TDI [above] that was first announced two years ago. Thanks to an ultra-high-pressure injection system, dual turbocharging with variable turbine geometry, and an electric charger, it makes 300 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque. That’s within spitting distance of some V-8 turbo-diesels.
-In fact, Neußer is passionate about diesels: “As you all know, this engine [type] has been criticized for allegedly contributing to poor air quality in cities. Frankly, as a sweeping statement, this is rubbish.” And he went on: “Demonizing the diesel engine means working against the goals of climate protection.”
-Even the monsters get efficient: The VW Group showcased its next-gen W-12 engine [above and at top], which combines turbocharging and direct injection for the first time. It’s rated at 600 horsepower, served up at at 6000 rpm, and 664 lb-ft of torque from 1500 to 4500 rpm. The W-12 TSI is fitted with Bosch-Mahle–supplied turbochargers, and it comes with cylinder deactivation, which means it can operate as a VR6.
-The W-12 TSI will be offered in several upcoming VW Group models. VW says that the engine will be optimized for off-road applications, but it will also be fitted in vehicles that can exceed 186 mph. Think Bentley Bentayga and next-gen Continental. The W-12 TSI will be offered in the next-gen Audi A8 as well, and we expect to see it in the next VW Phaeton, too. In the sedans, it’ll be rated at, VW says, 22 mpg on the European cycle. And, as an aside, VW added that every vehicle fitted with the new engine will have electric power steering.
-Some engines, of course, are not all about power, and in the interest of fuel efficiency, Audi will launch a new 2.0-liter TFSI engine that will replace the current 1.8 TFSI; it will offer similar output of 170 to 200 horsepower but with far better efficiency. Look for it in the next-gen Audi A4; that combo was certified this month.
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Both Hackenberg’s and Neußer’s speeches pointedly praised former supervisory board head Ferdinand Piëch for his pioneering role in diesel technology. Like Winterkorn, Piëch didn’t show up in Vienna.
-But was as present as ever.
-from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/1JUwJPS
via Agya
