Stormhammer
09-09-2008, 07:19 AM
As we were leaving I caught site of a garage where some of them were parked, and just had to take a photo of the A4's we drove.
http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/679/audi051zy6.jpg
The car lineup as they were going. From furthest to closet, Audi A4, BMW 328i ( I think if I recall right ), Lexus IS250, and the empty lane held the Mercedes 4Matic. All the cars were AWD equipped and were as closely match as possible in both power and price ( the Lexus was almost 50hp less than the avg though and they acknowledged it ).
http://img375.imageshack.us/img375/8536/audi008hw4.jpg
My friend Kurt. I got him into this by signing him up, and then telling him that he was going :lol: He has never once been on a racetrack or raced a car before ( save for some quick spurts with some friends against cars on the road etc ). He called driver first. My heart was LITERALLY pounding in fear and nervousness. Did he understeer? Oh hell yes. But I'm proud of the fact that he didn't take out any cones. Nay, he almost put both of us through the windshield ( the BMW braking was ridiculous, half an inch of soft pedal and then WHAM! you're kissing the dash ). Also, due to how some cars had 3 people in them, we got to drive each car 3 times ( so my friend Kurt drove the BMW and Merc twice, I did the Audi and Lexus ).
http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/9877/audi011rs7.jpg
Quick snap of the beginning of the Auto-X
http://img354.imageshack.us/img354/4411/audi012eo1.jpg
This little button changed a lot about the Audi. On Dynamic, the car's suspension stiffened up, the transmission shifted later ( higher up to the end of teh poweband ) and the steering ratio became quicker. Comfort is self-explanatory, and automatic if you're cruising the car would go comfort but say you had to suddenly swerve it'd switch to Dynamic in milliseconds. I of course had to test it out. It indeed does respond fast ( I didn't flip it so it counts! ). The individual setting allows you to custom tune/refine all the settings via the LCD screen and buttons and knobs. We weren't allowed to fiddle with that aspect. Sorry for the blurry photo.
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/6967/audi013xo2.jpg
A few action and staged shots.
http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/7263/audi014ke5.jpg
http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/7610/audi016vk0.jpg
http://img128.imageshack.us/img128/6725/audi018kr4.jpg
You can tell from these pictures just how badly the Lexus would understeer ( we had the steering at full lock to turn almost all the time ).
http://img362.imageshack.us/img362/2815/audi021jk3.jpg
This picture was RIGHT before I pitched the Lexus IS250 sideways ( I love the man who invented paddle shifters. I HATE the man who decided that when you loose traction front traction its one beep. Rear traction is another beep. Ebrake is a 3rd beep. Bouncing off the rev limiter is a 4th beep. You can only imagine the sweet cacophony that was in that car when I pitched it sideways :D ) - after parking the car I got a little chit chat about how this wasn't the qualifying round for the Monaco Grand Prix :D Speaking of e-brakes, it's interesting to note that the A4 does not have a lever or a pedal. Nay! It's a freaking button.
http://img362.imageshack.us/img362/2815/audi021jk3.jpg
I also found me a doo-rag headsock in the center console of one car. Found out later we get new ones when we put on helmets for teh track run <_<
http://img229c.imageshack.us/img229/9544/audi025eg4.jpg
Speaking of the track racing...
Hellllooooo ladies in red dresses ;)
http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/2156/audi029ek2.jpg
The none red cars were Audi S5's, and they were the pace/lead cars. Leaders determined the pace based off of how well we kept together and how close we could get to the apex of cones laid out in corners ( they wanted us to get within 6" of them. I had my friend yelling at my I was going to hit the cones :lol: )
My friend was excited haha.
http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/93/audi030ch4.jpg
We were doing about 120-130 in the first picture, to ultimately end up slamming on the brakes and turning in the 2nd to punch it and pull off a triple S that we were in the middle of in the 3rd.
http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/5279/audi033kn8.jpg
http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/3840/audi034pq4.jpg
http://img367.imageshack.us/img367/27/audi036cr8.jpg
We had to slow down for these guys to catch up :lol:
http://img388.imageshack.us/img388/2035/audi036hq5.jpg
My friend was in all honesty thoroughly amused and surprised at how concentrated I really was while driving. Hey, I was sticking to the other cars like a fly on a hippopotamuses a**. And I wanted to see if I could brush a cone :lol: I never even noticed the camera for the 2nd picture ( hell I didn't even know he was taking photos! )
http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/8855/audi044ae0.jpg
http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/6494/audi047dd6.jpg
In this photo, I took it of my friend, while driving. It speaks for itself ( he was reaching for the dash when he noticed the camera LOL )
http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/3691/audi049cp3.jpg
After that was all said and done, the day, sadly was over :( But it was a blast!
And oh course, I know everyone is going to ask if I took a picture of it. And yes, I did. Not a fan of how it shifts personally.
http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/9941/audi005jc2.jpg
http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/2636/audi004gp5.jpg
http://img127.imageshack.us/img127/4877/audi003be1.jpg
But we DID manage to con the salesman that had the key to it within 30ft of it. Got him almost next to it and I hit the START! button :lol: The engine in that thing has a wicked tone :)
http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/679/audi051zy6.jpg
The car lineup as they were going. From furthest to closet, Audi A4, BMW 328i ( I think if I recall right ), Lexus IS250, and the empty lane held the Mercedes 4Matic. All the cars were AWD equipped and were as closely match as possible in both power and price ( the Lexus was almost 50hp less than the avg though and they acknowledged it ).
http://img375.imageshack.us/img375/8536/audi008hw4.jpg
My friend Kurt. I got him into this by signing him up, and then telling him that he was going :lol: He has never once been on a racetrack or raced a car before ( save for some quick spurts with some friends against cars on the road etc ). He called driver first. My heart was LITERALLY pounding in fear and nervousness. Did he understeer? Oh hell yes. But I'm proud of the fact that he didn't take out any cones. Nay, he almost put both of us through the windshield ( the BMW braking was ridiculous, half an inch of soft pedal and then WHAM! you're kissing the dash ). Also, due to how some cars had 3 people in them, we got to drive each car 3 times ( so my friend Kurt drove the BMW and Merc twice, I did the Audi and Lexus ).
http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/9877/audi011rs7.jpg
Quick snap of the beginning of the Auto-X
http://img354.imageshack.us/img354/4411/audi012eo1.jpg
This little button changed a lot about the Audi. On Dynamic, the car's suspension stiffened up, the transmission shifted later ( higher up to the end of teh poweband ) and the steering ratio became quicker. Comfort is self-explanatory, and automatic if you're cruising the car would go comfort but say you had to suddenly swerve it'd switch to Dynamic in milliseconds. I of course had to test it out. It indeed does respond fast ( I didn't flip it so it counts! ). The individual setting allows you to custom tune/refine all the settings via the LCD screen and buttons and knobs. We weren't allowed to fiddle with that aspect. Sorry for the blurry photo.
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/6967/audi013xo2.jpg
A few action and staged shots.
http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/7263/audi014ke5.jpg
http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/7610/audi016vk0.jpg
http://img128.imageshack.us/img128/6725/audi018kr4.jpg
You can tell from these pictures just how badly the Lexus would understeer ( we had the steering at full lock to turn almost all the time ).
http://img362.imageshack.us/img362/2815/audi021jk3.jpg
This picture was RIGHT before I pitched the Lexus IS250 sideways ( I love the man who invented paddle shifters. I HATE the man who decided that when you loose traction front traction its one beep. Rear traction is another beep. Ebrake is a 3rd beep. Bouncing off the rev limiter is a 4th beep. You can only imagine the sweet cacophony that was in that car when I pitched it sideways :D ) - after parking the car I got a little chit chat about how this wasn't the qualifying round for the Monaco Grand Prix :D Speaking of e-brakes, it's interesting to note that the A4 does not have a lever or a pedal. Nay! It's a freaking button.
http://img362.imageshack.us/img362/2815/audi021jk3.jpg
I also found me a doo-rag headsock in the center console of one car. Found out later we get new ones when we put on helmets for teh track run <_<
http://img229c.imageshack.us/img229/9544/audi025eg4.jpg
Speaking of the track racing...
Hellllooooo ladies in red dresses ;)
http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/2156/audi029ek2.jpg
The none red cars were Audi S5's, and they were the pace/lead cars. Leaders determined the pace based off of how well we kept together and how close we could get to the apex of cones laid out in corners ( they wanted us to get within 6" of them. I had my friend yelling at my I was going to hit the cones :lol: )
My friend was excited haha.
http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/93/audi030ch4.jpg
We were doing about 120-130 in the first picture, to ultimately end up slamming on the brakes and turning in the 2nd to punch it and pull off a triple S that we were in the middle of in the 3rd.
http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/5279/audi033kn8.jpg
http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/3840/audi034pq4.jpg
http://img367.imageshack.us/img367/27/audi036cr8.jpg
We had to slow down for these guys to catch up :lol:
http://img388.imageshack.us/img388/2035/audi036hq5.jpg
My friend was in all honesty thoroughly amused and surprised at how concentrated I really was while driving. Hey, I was sticking to the other cars like a fly on a hippopotamuses a**. And I wanted to see if I could brush a cone :lol: I never even noticed the camera for the 2nd picture ( hell I didn't even know he was taking photos! )
http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/8855/audi044ae0.jpg
http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/6494/audi047dd6.jpg
In this photo, I took it of my friend, while driving. It speaks for itself ( he was reaching for the dash when he noticed the camera LOL )
http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/3691/audi049cp3.jpg
After that was all said and done, the day, sadly was over :( But it was a blast!
And oh course, I know everyone is going to ask if I took a picture of it. And yes, I did. Not a fan of how it shifts personally.
http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/9941/audi005jc2.jpg
http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/2636/audi004gp5.jpg
http://img127.imageshack.us/img127/4877/audi003be1.jpg
But we DID manage to con the salesman that had the key to it within 30ft of it. Got him almost next to it and I hit the START! button :lol: The engine in that thing has a wicked tone :)