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Audi says fixing diesel emission problem is simple

Audi reportedly has a simple repair nearly ready to fix the emissions problem on 85,000 vehicles with the 3.0-liter TDI V6 in the US. "Swift, straightforward and customer-friendly solutions are in discussion," company exec Rupert Stadler told workers in Germany, according to Reuters. In late November, Audi announced that the 3.0 TDI had three previously undisclosed auxiliary emission control devices, including one that was potentially considered a defeat device under US law. At the time, the German automaker claimed it could repair the problem with just a software update. Stadler's statement indicates that just such a simple fix might be on the way. Even before Audi's disclosure of the emission control devices, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a notice of violation against the 3.0-liter TDI for allegedly having software to defeat emissions tests, and the agency later expanded the scope to any vehicle with the engine from 2009 through 2016. The affected models include the Audi A6, A7, A8, Q5, Q7, Volkswagen Touareg, and Porsche Cayenne. New diesel versions of these vehicles have a stop-sale. Audi offered owners of affected vehicles the same $1,000 Goodwill Package that parent company VW offered to its affected diesel owners. The money is split up into a $500 gift card and $500 to spend at the Audi dealer. The package also comes with extended roadside assistance. Audi needs to find a solution quickly because it's under a 45-day deadline from the California Air Resources Board to submit a recall plan for the 15,000 vehicles with the 3.0 TDI in the state. The automaker also must include a report on any effects to fuel economy and performance from the proposed repair. Related Video:

Audi A5 DTM diesel sport coupe thumbs nose at scandal

While the diesel emissions scandal is damaging the reputation of the four-cylinder TDI engines, the torquey, fuel-efficient 3.0-liter TDI V6 at the heart of this latest special edition from Audi is so far unsullied. However that doesn't mean the 3.0 couldn't face investigation at some point in the future before the issue is settled. In the meantime, those outside of North America can look forward to the Audi A5 DTM edition's enticing features. The A5 DTM edition is powered by the same 3.0-liter V6 TDI that we can already get in the A6, A7, and A8 sedans as well as the Q5 and Q7 crossovers. Here, it produces 245 horsepower and 427 pound-feet of torque (in the US-spec A6, the engine is quoted as making 240 hp and 428 lb-ft). The A5 DTM channels its power to all four wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. That's enough to propel it to 62 in a claimed 5.9 seconds and an electronically-governed top speed of 155 miles per hour. The sporty look is inspired by Ingolstadt's DTM touring car program. That includes a sportier front fascia, Misano red paint, gloss-black trim, 20-inch split-five-spoke alloys, and special badges inside and out. The interior packs the bucket seats from the RS5, Alcantara trim, stainless steel pedals, and more. Audi will only offer 50 examples, priced in Germany at ˆ74,540 – equivalent to about $85k at current exchange rates. Racing spirit – The Audi A5 DTM selection limited-edition model - Limited run going into production from October - 20-inch wheels, bucket seats and Misano red finish - Third DTM special edition from Audi Audi is taking the spirit of the DTM from the racetrack to the road – with the Audi A5 DTM selection* special edition. A powerful 3.0 TDI developing 180 kW (245 hp), 20-inch wheels, dynamic design and bucket seats reveal the two-door coupe's connections with the race version that has featured in the German Touring Car Masters (DTM). The Audi A5 DTM selection turns heads with its special racing design. The front lid, doors and rear window are emblazoned with dynamically designed DTM, quattro and Audi Sport logos. The Misano red paint finish contrasts with high-gloss black add-on parts on the front, sills and rear, giving added emphasis to the sports appeal of this limited-edition model. The front apron and the large air inlets with their rhombus-pattern grilles also contribute to its special looks. The cast aluminum wheels by Audi Sport embrace a five twin-spoke design in matt titanium look.

Audi revising own history in light of 'shocking' study of Nazi-era activities

Daimler opened up its archives for research into its Nazi affiliations for one book published in 1990 and another in 1998. The Quandt family behind BMW had its public catharsis in 2007. The ties between the National Socialists and the Porsche and Piech families have almost rendered the Volkswagen Beetle some kind of cult tchotchke of the Third Reich. And it's not just automakers called in for cleansing: Deutsche Bank credit helped build Auschwitz, Hugo Boss made Nazi uniforms, patriarch of food and frozen pizza giant Dr. Oetker volunteered for the Waffen-SS. As one historian said, for any business that wanted to stay in business during the war, "no company was really clean. Everyone had to resort to slave labor when their own workers were fighting at the front."
Audi is the latest to go public with findings from an in-depth study of the Nazi-affiliated past of Auto Union, its predecessor company, and the "Father of Auto Union" Dr. Richard Bruhn, the man who headed it pre- and post-war. Commissioned by Audi, written by Audi's history department head Martin Kukowski and University of Chemnitz historian Rudolf Boch, its findings are just as severe as those already heard so often over the past 20 years. Among other discoveries, the study found that not only did Brun manage the use of more than 3,700 forced labor camp workers from seven SS-run camps, 16,500 forced laborers that didn't live in camps worked in two more factories; Bruhn wanted even more laborers but couldn't get them because of the battlefield situation; and that Auto Union had "moral responsibility" for roughly 4,500 workers killed at the Flossenbürg concentration camp. The study found that disabled workers were routinely sent to the camp and executed there.
Audi works council head Peter Mosch said, "I'm very shocked by the scale of the involvement of the former Auto Union leadership in the system of forced and slave labor. I was not aware of the extent." The company is figuring out how it will respond to the findings, so far working on changing the online profile of Dr. Bruhn on its history pages on Audi sites around the world, and considering stripping Brun's name from the street that bears it and from company offerings like pension plans. If you can read German or can work Google Translate, Wirtschaftswoche has a long piece on the study and its conclusions.