Ulrich Hackenberg with the Audi Sport Quattro concept - Car and Driver (blog)
After the R&D chief position changing hands twice within one year , and the departure of the chief designer , the dust at Audi is settling and the brand can refocus. Audi’s former and current board member for R&D, Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, speaks with our German correspondent about the past and his future plans. Hackenberg knows Audi inside and out, having joined the company in 1985 before moving on to several jobs within the Volkswagen Group. UH: As you have more components or vehicles of one kind, the risk is not entirely avoidable. Having every brand develop its own part is not a viable alternative because the investment would be much larger. There are two kinds of six-cylinder engines, the Volkswagen VR-6 and the Audi V-6. What is your strategy here. UH: We have the two worlds of transverse- and longitudinal-mounted engines. Our four-cylinder engines can be mounted both transversely and longitudinally, but this is not possible with our V-engines. UH: The demand is limited right now, but if we had a large SUV or something heavier than the Passat with a transversely mounted engine, this concept could have a future in markets that demand it. A turbocharged 3. 0-liter VR-6 would work well, but... Source: blog.caranddriver.com
