Ivan Vicario Martin
First revealed on June 1, 2000, the Audi Rosemeyer is undoubtedly one of the concept car most striking in the history of the brand with the four rings. It couldn't be any other way in a car that had a polished aluminum body, at one time Audi was experimenting with this material. Just a year before, it had put the revolutionary A2 on the market with an aluminum chassis and body. The name paid tribute to the legendary driver Bern Rosemeyer, who lost his life in 1938 trying to break the road speed record.
Its body is a statement of intent, with aggressive and very marked lines, a forward cabin and a grill reminiscent of the mythical "Silver arrows". Let us remember that that appellative was shared by Self Union and Mercedes-Benz. The rear part is impressive with a soft fall and completely closed, as well as the faired headlights, covered with a molding. With almost two meters wide and very short overhangs, it is really aggressive. To improve aerodynamics, that rear view mirrors They have been replaced by two cameras in the ceiling.
Although if we want to know more about its inspiration, we have to look for a project that never came to fruition. We refer to the Auto Union Type 52, a design of Ferdinand Porsche and Erwin Komenda of a sports limousine of which a physical model was never built. At least the sketches of him allow us to see some of the design keys that we find in the Audi Rosemeyer, such as the cab forward or the rear drop.
THE INTERIOR OF THE AUDI ROSEMEYER
Regarding the cabin, It is covered with fire-retardant Nomex padding, a clear nod to his racing inspiration. The design is neat and simple, not simple, with aluminum seen on the dashboard. It has two seats instead of buckets, upholstered in leather and with four-point seat belts.
The four-spoke steering wheel that refers to the racing cars of the 30s, in front of which the rev counter is located with a white background. In the prominent central tunnel we find the gear lever that is guided by a grille with a classic aroma. Also has adjustable pedals, like the best supercars of the time. What cannot be seen in the only image of the interior distributed by Audi are the screens on which the images from the cameras that act as rearview mirrors would be shown.
AN 8 LITER, 16 CYLINDER ENGINE
The mechanics of the Audi Rosemeyer, located behind the cabin, lived up to its striking aesthetics. We talk about a 16 cylinder engine arranged in W with 8 liters of displacement that yielded 710 hp power. This engine would later go on to the spectacular Bugatti Veyron 16,4 from 2005, in this case with 1.001 HP of power, fulfilling the promise made by Ferdinand Piëch. By the way, it is assumed that, if it had been built, The Type 52 would also have been equipped with a W16 engine.
How could it be otherwise, The Rosemeyer had quattro all-wheel drive, in addition to a six-speed manual gearbox. Audi did not publish performance or consumption figures, since it is assumed that the car was not operational nor did it intend to overtake any production model.
Our protagonist remained a mere design exercise, despite the enormous expectation it aroused among potential buyers. Even seen 22 years later, His proposal continues to exude appeal and personality.. In any case, Audi, which had bought Lamborghini a couple of years ago, He did not want to put a competing product on the market.. He would do it later, with the R10, but with the Italian brand already completely healthy.
