O.W. Kenobi

I spent a week in Munich, Germany about one week ago. I found a good deal on airfare and a hotel, and just decided to go with no real plans on what to do other than visiting the Audi HQ. So, I set out on the 15th, spent the night on the plane, and arrived on the 16th in the morning, Germany time. Upon exiting the airport terminal, I was greeted with the following (a red B6 S4, which was part of an Audi Forum (that's what they call their museum) display at the airport (more on this later)). This was actually on airport property, immediately outside of the terminal:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/aaa.jpg">

Then, it was off to the hotel to check in and get situated. After doing so, we took a walk around the immediate area. Instantly, we noticed an abundance of these neat little city dwellers, the Smart car:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/aab.jpg">

Those things were everywhere! I even saw one BACK into a parallel parking spot and not stick out more than a foot past the other cars. Those things would be awesome in a congested city such as NYC, where parking is at a premium. I'm really surprised that we don't have them over here yet.

I saw this Alfa Romeo on the street and thought that it was interesting, but I don't have much else to say about it:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/aac.jpg">

On Wednesday, we took a self-guided walking tour of the city center area, and stumbled across the ONLY B5 S4 that we would see the entire trip. Yes, I know - that's pretty depressing, but FWIW, I didn't see many S cars, probably due to our being based primarily in the city center and not getting out on the roads ourselves.

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/aad.jpg">

For those in the know, this is right in front of the Residenz (I got some amazing pics of that place, BTW).

Strangely enough, as I was taking the picture of the S4, an S8 drives by!

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/aae.jpg">

This looked like some random 3-series, but I liked the body kit, so I snapped a photo for my Beemer buddies:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/aaf.jpg">

As we walked around the city, we noticed that virtually every taxicab was a Mercedes. It must be nice to travel in style, eh? I stumbled on this "taxi stand" of MBs, and snapped a pic as proof:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/aag.jpg">

When I went to Ingolstadt the next day (more on this later), I saw a bunch of Audi taxis, but I don't remember many in Munich proper.

Thursday - off to Ingolstadt to visit the birthplace of my beloved car. I overslept and almost missed the train from Munich to Ingolstadt, but just barely made it in time. The train ride was interesting. The U.S. could benefit from such an extensive passenger train system, but I doubt that it will ever happen. After about an hour, I arrived in Ingolstadt, hopped on a bus that took me directly from the train station to the Audi Forum, and was greeted with this upon disembarking the bus:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/aah.jpg">

I would later discover that I just photographed the front of the factory dealership &amp; offices (in the rear was the factory itself). Turning to my right, I saw the Audi Forum (museum):

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/aai.jpg">

What's that in the lower right corner of the preceding pic? A closer peek revealed Santa's choice mode of transportation - an S4, of course:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/aaj.jpg">

Then, I hooked up with my tourgroup for an all-German-speaking tour. No english-speaking tours were available at the time, even by appointment, so I was disappointed. I'm sure that I missed quite a bit, but I took good notes. The tour started with a 10 minute film about the complex grounds. Then, it was off to the factory itself. I had my camera in hand, intent upon snapping some cool pics for everyone, but alas, I was chastised (the only word I recognized was "verboten," with the tour guide pointing at my camera). I sheathed it and the tour began.

First stop was the Press Shop, where steel rolls were cut into rectangular sheets, and passed between a series of stamping &amp; cutting machines to be formed into a particular body panel. I was amazed at the speed of this process. In a matter of seconds, a blank sheet of steel was turned into a formed body panel, as it was placed over mold, the other half of the mold stamped down on top of it with tremendous force, and then it was transferred to the next mold, where a hole would be cut or an additional form would be done. All entirely automated, of course, and very cool to watch. It was way too early in the process for me to tell what type of car was being created at this point, and if the tourguide said anything, I surely missed it.

Next, we walked through the Body Shop, where we saw some parts being welded together to 1/10mm accuracy (how do I know this? They had some english-language placards scattered about).

Off to the paint shop, where a cut-away of a B6 A4 was on display. The car had 5 layers of paint displayed and labeled: (1) phosphate, (2) primer, (3) filler, (4) base coat, and (5) clear coat. Running your hands over each stage was pretty cool, as you could feel the different textures and thicknesses of each layer. They had every production color on display on a frisbee-like disk, and there were at least 40 options. I was able to hear the tourguide talk about custom colors being available in ANY color that you wanted, including pink if you were so inclined. I had a minute to locate the only two S4 colors that are really important, and saw that the Germans call nogaro "Nogaroblau - perleffekt" and imola "Imolagelb Uni." This would have made a great picture, unfortunately.

Off to the Assembly Line, where I saw a series of B6 A4 Avants being built at this point, which was evident from the master drawings hanging throughout, which illustrated every single spot weld. Again, everything was automated here, and the process was very rapid. I saw a bunch of side panels stacked up and being attached to the frame of the cars. It appears that an adhesive is used to first attach the panels, followed by three different welding options, depending on the need: spot, laser, or inert gas.

Next, it was off to final assembly, where I got to see some A3s being finished. I even saw two that were set up for U.S. license plates... I also saw several right-hand drive models. At the beginning of this stage, a protective coating is painted on top of the car (the car has already been painted at this point), and a protective panel is stuck on top of that, to protect against the workers or machinery, I suppose (this was later removed). There was lots of human attention at this point, with workers hopping in and out of the cars attending to various tasks. I saw the glass being fitted, which is done by machine, and even laser-aligned. I can see how replacement glass can often leak... By far the coolest thing I saw was the point at which the A3 body was attached to its drivetrain. The bodies are swung in from above, and the drivetrains materialize from below. The drivetrains are raised to meet the bodies, and the humans &amp; machines work to connect everything. The process took only 30 seconds or so per car, but it was so cool to see the entire drivetrain (including the engine) rise up out of the ground and be bolted up in a matter of seconds. The drivetrain even included the axles &amp; brake/rotor assemblies. It seemed like you could bolt on the wheels and drive them away at this point. At another point, I saw headlights being aimed. I also spotted an S-Line assembly manual laying around, and I should have stolen it to prevent Audi from producing those abominations, but I decided against it.

After that, the tour was over! Too bad I couldn't understand much, but even without dialogue, it was well worth it. I saw some pretty cool things and learned a lot about how our cars are made.

After the tour, I wandered around outside for a few minutes before visiting the museum, and saw this parked outside of the dealership showroom (an A8L 6.0 W12):

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/aak.jpg">

Inside the showroom was another car that we're unlikely to see anytime soon - an A2 1.6:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/aal.jpg">

Back across the plaza to the Audi Forum, where the Quattro GmbH area resided for some reason. I saw the selection of wheel options:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/aam.jpg">

and seat options:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/aan.jpg">

Eat your hearts out! Obviously, buying directly from the factory has its advantages...

Now to the museum itself. On the bottom floor was a neat history of the Audi companies and their cars. At the modern end, I of course looked for our car, but only found a stupid picture taped to a cardboard box! See the bottom car under 1998? Yep, that's us.

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/aao.jpg">

That told me not to expect to find any little S4 models, and when I looked in the shops, sure enough I didn't find any. I also didn't find much AudiSport stuff at all, so I didn't buy anything other than a frosted AudiSport coffee mug. Oh sure, there was plenty of RS6 swag, and even some S-Line stuff, but very little interesting AudiSport stuff. At least I saved money!

Next floor up was the Lamborghini exhibit (a subsidiary of Audi). Pardon the picture quality, but the lights were down so low for ambiance, and if I used a flash, the reflectors would catch the light. I forgot my tripod, so a longer exposure would have blurred the picture, so you're stuck with these. First up, a P400 Miura S:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/aap.jpg">

Not to be outdone by Porsche's Cayenne, Lambo has their own SUV, the LM002:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/aaq.jpg">

A Diablo 6.0 SE:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/aar.jpg">

And its engine (drool):

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/aas.jpg">

A Murcielago (that little sign said not to touch, but I was SOOOOOOO tempted to ignore it and sit inside, because nobody else was around):

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/aat.jpg">

Right beside the Murc was a Gallardo:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/aau.jpg">

Out of the Lambo exhibit and past the revolving concept car "elevator" to see a 1999 R8R concept:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/aav.jpg">

The paint scheme made it hard to photograph, so I took several:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/aaw.jpg">

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/aax.jpg">

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/aay.jpg">

This reminded me of the Nuvolari, but I never saw a description:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/aaz.jpg">

Onto the main Audi exhibit, and a trio of race cars. First, a 1967 NSO TTS (which weighed all of 720kg). Looks kinda like an old Beemer or SAAB, doesn't it? Decide for yourself:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/aba.jpg">

A 1981 Rallye Quattro:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/abb.jpg">

And Hans Stuck's 1990 V8 Quattro:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/abc.jpg">

I was disappointed to not find any more modern racers, such as an R8 or even one of the Champion S4s, but I suppose that they're all still being raced! Either way, an exhibit with some video or pictures would have been cool.

Anyway, next up was the Space Frame Concept Car:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/abd.jpg">

No, this isn't my attempt at making the cover of Import Car Weekly, but I had to hang over the railing to photograph this Avus Quattro concept:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/abe.jpg">

One of the coolest concepts, IMO, was this Quattro Spyder (another pic later):

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/abf.jpg">

And who says that Audi and VW share designs? Surely, this Audi 50 LS looks nothing like the old VW Rabbits:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/abg.jpg">

No VW resemblance in this Audi 80 (B1), either:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/abh.jpg">

This looks like a fun Sunday ride - an Auto Union 1000 Sp Roadster:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/abi.jpg">

I liked the lines of this NSU Ro80:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/abj.jpg">

Don't think that Audi was ever connected to motorcycles? How about these DKW motorbikes:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/abk.jpg">

Another shot of that Quattro Spyder:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/abl.jpg">

Motorcycles too "advanced" for you? How about this early 1920s DKW motorized bicycle:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/abm.jpg">

Here's a funky-looking Audi Gruppe S Mittelmotor Rallyesport concept, circa 1986:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/abn.jpg">

This DKW 1001 4=8 from 1933 had a wooden frame:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/abo.jpg">

What old-school pimp wouldn't want to be seen driving this Wanderer W25K:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/abp.jpg">

A few more race cars. First, the Auto Union V16, typ C-D, circa 1939:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/abq.jpg">

Next, the Auto Union V16, typ C, circa 1937:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/abr.jpg">

That was it for the Audi Forum. I headed home for the day on the bus &amp; train, and was pretty satisfied with what I saw.

Next day, we visited Dachau, the first concentration camp. We also explored the Residenz that day, where I got some amazing pictures. On the way to the Residenz, I spotted this parked Polizei car, which is a B5 A4:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/abs.jpg">

On Saturday, while waiting for the trolley to take us to Schloss Nymphenburg, I witnessed a Munchen (Munich) speed trap:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/abt.jpg">

This was right out front of the Hauptbanhof (the main train &amp; subway station), and these guys would just step out into the street with that red sign and motion the cars over. I tried for 10 minutes to figure out how they were measuring speed, but I didn't see another Polizei guy up the street, nor were these guys communicating with anyone via radio. But they were surely nabbing some speeders that day!

On the way home from Nymphenburg (which kinda sucks in the wintertime), we passed the new Mercedes dealership. I immediately hopped off of the trolley, leaving my girlfriend to find her way back to the hotel alone, and scrambled inside. I was greeted with this view:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/abu.jpg">

Yes, those are four floors of cars, and each floor was jam-packed with cars of every engine configuration, color, and style. On the bottom floor was the Maybach section, which was closed that day, unfortunately:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/abv.jpg">

Sucks, too. They had an entire mini-showfloor devoted just to Maybach. It would have been cool to sit in one of them (there were two in there).

A 1981 300 SL, which was sitting beside their little cafe:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/abw.jpg">

An awesome trio of AMGs (from left-to-right, a CL65 AMG, SL55 AMG, and E55 AMG):

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/abx.jpg">

All were open, and I snapped this interior shot of the SL55 AMG:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/aby.jpg">

And this front wheel shot (nice brakes):

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/abz.jpg">

AMG's custom wheel options:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/aca.jpg">

Lastly, another small city dweller that we'll never see, an A140:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/acb.jpg">

Sadly, I didn't see an SLR there, but it was an awesome place. They simply overwhelm you with options, cleanliness, etc. You'd be stupid to buy anywhere else, if for nothing else than the sheer testosterone rush that you get when you walk in the door.

Sunday brought a trip to the BMW museum:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/acc.jpg">

Which was a complete waste of time. Seriously. The interactive films were all ancient and grainy, reminding me of the 8mm films that we watched in 5th grade science class. The layout was cramped and also ancient (they said that the museum was built for the 72 Olympic games in Munich, which were right across the street), but it looked like it hadn't been updated much since then.

Here was James Bond's Z8:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/acd.jpg">

A 79-81 M1 Procar:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/ace.jpg">

A 77-81 320 Grup 5:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/acf.jpg">

The winner of the 1984 Paris-Dakar race, the R100 GS:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/acg.jpg">

Inspiration for the SLR's side vents? The 56-59 507:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/ach.jpg">

The first turbo'd BMW, the 73-74 2002 Turbo:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/aci.jpg">

An experimental 72 Turbo:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/acj.jpg">

A 1991 1:1 motorcycle study:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/ack.jpg">

A 1995 Z21 "Just 4/2" prototype:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/acl.jpg">

Thankfully, that was the end of that miserable experience. I spent no more than 45 minutes there, and felt that I wasted even that time. Although I got some cool pics, trust me, it's not worth it. You'll get much more enjoyment from the Audi museum or even the MB dealership.

Here's a random Alfa Romeo 2.0 T.Spark that I saw on the street while shopping on Monday:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/acm.jpg">

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/acn.jpg">

And lastly, on our way home, I stopped in the Audi forum area at the airport, and was greeted by this beautiful nogaro B6 S4 Avant:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/aco.jpg">

A cactus RS6 Avant:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/acp.jpg">

The lounge to sit down and read some magazines, munch on cookies, and drink beverages while killing time (they even had screens that listed all of the departure flights, so you could chill out there reading car mags until your flight was about to leave, which of course we did):

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/acq.jpg">

And finally, a shot of the S4's blue alcantara Recaro seats, which felt fabulous:

<img src="http://2k2s4.portfolioland.com/albums/album_01/acr.jpg">

After a few cookies and drinks, it was off to the gate for departure and 9 1/2 hours of rowdy and smelly kids. Parents, please don't "exercise" your children on long flights by walking them up and down the aisles. Those childless among us don't think that it's cute, and we hate their grubby hands on our legs as they pass, especially when their playmate in the seat in front of us is standing up, facing backwards, and trying to communicate something vitally important. I realize that I'm pretty intolerant, but it's never too early to start teaching them manners, is it? Needless to say, the return flight was miserable.

Once we hit Philly, the security measures slowed things down dramatically. And for good measure, I was seated in a center seat for the Philly to Baltimore flight next to a 300+ pound woman whose torso overflowed well past the armrest into my space. I just put up with it for the 20 minute flight and tried to think happy thoughts of wonderful German beer. Overall, I had a great time, and I can't wait to go back.

A huge thank you to 2k2S4 for hosting these pics.

chuangs4

Uh.....These pics remind me the good memories....

O.W. Kenobi

What a wonderful city.

OldSkewS4

That Cactus RS6 Avant is HOT!

O.W. Kenobi

The Audi Forum at the airport was definitely way cool. They had some hot cars and the hospitality there was unbelievable. I wish there were one in every airport.

UR-Idiot Savant-S6

Fantastic post, thanks for sharing.

Stealth4

was the eating portion open? they have huge mugs of beer and lots of wurst. plus sometimes there is live entertainment, but it could have been too cold I guess.

I liked everything about the audi tour except that 10 minute film with the stupid lasers and fog, how cheesy.

Notice how the vending machines on the work floor dispense beer? that explains the factory bumbles on some cars I guess. Also all the audi workers were staring at the women on the tour so I dont think they got any work done :-).

glad you had a nice trip. I hated the flight too. I felt like the pilgrims crossing in the santa maria except it only took me 8 hours.

SirCoryM

thanks so much for the writeup! It was like I got to go there too, w/o the 300 lb woman.

85-4kq-girl

Great pics and write up. Thanks!

chuangs4

I love Germany.so as my wife!