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Audi 3D-printed this tiny Type C racer, we want to drive it

See this little guy? No, not the one driving – that's Professor Hubert Waltl, Audi's head of production and Volkswagen's chief toolmaker. The thing he's driving, though, is a 1:2 scale replica of the 1936 Auto Union Type C. And it was 3D-printed entirely in house. Not in one piece, mind you. It's too big for that. But the Audi Toolmaking division employed metal printing technology to fabricate all the parts that went into this replica of one of the most dominant of the Silver Arrow grand prix racers of the pre-war era. It's essentially like the pedal car Audi rolled out nine years ago, or the E-Tron concept it showed us nearly five years ago. Only this one uses more advanced manufacturing techniques. Aside from making us want to drive it like nobody's business, the half-sized vehicle serves to showcase the advancements which Audi and the VW Group are making in manufacturing – particularly in the area of 3D printing. The German automaker presently has the technology to print laser-melted layers of metallic powder – either steel or aluminum – with grains measuring half the diameter of a human hair. The equipment can handle objects as large as 7.9 inches high by 9.5 inches wide – which, as small as this little car looks, is still a bit too large to simply print out in one piece. Audi Toolmaking prints "Auto Union Typ C" - Exact model of the "Silver Arrow" from a 3D printer - Audi Board of Management Member for Production Prof. Dr. Hubert Waltl: "This underscores our pioneering role in toolmaking." From powder to a component: With a 3D printer, Audi Toolmaking has produced a model of the historical Grand Prix sports car "Auto Union Typ C" from the year 1936. The company is now examining further possible applications of metal printers for the production of complex components. At the same time, Audi is creating important synergies with toolmaking in other parts of the Volkswagen Group. "We are pushing forward with new manufacturing technologies at Audi Toolmaking and at the Volkswagen Group," stated Prof. Dr. Hubert Waltl, Audi's Board of Management Member for Production and Head of Toolmaking at the Volkswagen Group. "Together with partners in the area of research, we are constantly exploring the boundaries of new processes. One of our goals is to apply metal printers in series production." The Volkswagen Group has a total of 14 toolmaking units in nine countries. Under the leadership of Prof. Dr.

Audi Quattro tech shoots for the moon

Most automakers seem satisfied building vehicles to drive on the Earth's surface. But not Audi. The German automaker is quite literally shooting for the moon with the vehicle you see here. Called the Audi Lunar Quattro, it forms what promises to be an integral part of one team's campaign for the Google Lunar Xprize. That team calls itself Part-Time Scientists, and is the only German contingent of the 25 that originally entered from around the world and the 15 that are still in the race. Sponsored and technically assisted by Audi, the Lunar Quattro is a solar-powered moon rover. It packs an adjustable solar panel and a lithium-ion battery powering four individual hub motors – one in each wheel. It can only travel at a theoretical maximum of 2.2 miles per hour, but outright speed isn't the point here. It's been designed to traverse the difficult terrain of the moon's finely dusted and craggy surface. It'll need to travel at least 500 meters (1,640 feet) and will transmit high-definition video footage from the twin stereoscopic camera on its swiveling head back to Earth. The lunar rover is scheduled to be launched aboard a rocket from Earth to the moon by the end of 2017. The 240,000-mile trip will take five days and is targeted to land north of the moon's equator – close to the place where Apollo 17 (NASA's last manned lunar mission) landed back in 1972. Before that, though, it'll be presented by Audi sales chief Luca de Meo (who's since been named the head of Seat) at the Cannes Innovations Days forum. You can check it out in the gallery and extensive press release below, but first, we suggest you watch the video playlist above while preparing to check out tonight's red moon eclipse. Related Video: Moon landing mission: AUDI AG supports the German Team at Google Lunar XPRIZE Audi is taking off for the moon – together with the Part-Time Scientists team. The group of German engineers are working within the framework of the Google Lunar XPRIZE competition to transport an unmanned rover onto Earth's natural satellite. Audi is supporting the Part-Time Scientists with its know-how in several fields of technology – from quattro drive and lightweight construction to electric mobility and piloted driving. The moon rover will be named the "Audi lunar quattro." "The concept of a privately financed mission to the moon is fascinating," says Luca de Meo, Audi Board Member for Sales and Marketing. "And innovative ideas need supporters that promote them.

J.D. Power study identifies top seats for your tush

File under News your fanny can use: The seating systems in the Ford Escape and Edge, the Audi A3, Chevrolet Cruze, Kia Cadenza, Porsche Cayenne and Toyota Tundra received top marks in a new J.D. Power study on seating and seat belt quality and satisfaction. The J.D. Power 2017 Seat Quality and Satisfaction Study asked more than 77,000 new owners and lessees of 2017 model-year cars and light trucks to rate their vehicle's seats and seat belts within the first 90 days of taking ownership. The survey is broken up into seven vehicle segments and scored on total seat problems per 100 within each segment, with awards presented to the seating system supplier. Canadian auto supplier Magna won three of seven first-place awards for its seating systems in the A3, Escape and Edge. Ireland-based Adient got top marks for its seats in the Cadenza and Cayenne. Lear Corp. won for the Cruze, and Avanzar Interior Technologies scored highest for seats in the Tundra. J.D. Power says its study is intended for automakers and suppliers with quality and satisfaction information to be used in developing and marketing seating systems. "But the results are just as interesting to a consumer audience," the company says. "After all, some drivers spend a considerable amount of time behind the wheel, and it's helpful to know which vehicles offer the most comfortable seats for those long commutes." Ain't that the truth. Ford was the only automaker whose seat systems, both manufactured by Magna, received top honors in two segments: the Escape for mass-market compact SUV and the Edge for mass-market midsize/large SUV. J.D. Power says it used 22 attributes to measure seat quality, three measures of seat belt quality and 12 to measure satisfaction. Awards were presented to the seating suppliers. Related Video: Image Credit: Audi Auto News Design/Style Audi Chevrolet Ford Kia Porsche Toyota Safety JD Power seats