Celebrating on ice
Audi New Zealand is marking the 45-year milestone for Audi quattro at its signature event.
The company’s ice experience is being held from August 10-17 at the Southern Hemisphere Proving Grounds (SHPG) in Queenstown.
The marque was the first to deliver such an event 16 years ago and 2025 will see a new programme – New Zealand’s first night-drive experience.
Richard Moore, general manager of Downforce Auto Events & Training, says it will allow customers to make the most of colder temperatures, making for ideal driving conditions.
“The night drive is an exciting initiative, which will take part over two days and offer more driving than we’ve ever had before,” enthuses Moore.
“I’ve always found the most incredible part of the day up the mountain is the golden hour, just before and just after sunrise. It reminds me of training in Finland and Sweden where we start and finish driving in the dark with shorter days.
“The night drive will give guests the chance to experience the sunrise and the thrill of driving until dusk when temperatures reach their coldest. It truly is the best conditions for driving on ice.”
Participants will be taken by helicopter to and from SHPG where they will stay there overnight, something that’s now only available to commercial entities using the facility as testing grounds.
For those attending the standard general and pro experiences, they don’t miss out on the fun. At the end of each of day, they will battle it out in a time trial. Winners will go into a draw for an all-inclusive trip to Audi’s ice experience in Finland next year.
Customers will experience a new fleet of Audis including the all-new S5 Avant, Q6 e-tron, and facelifted S3 and RS 3 Sportbacks.
For the first time, Audi will also offer use of the RS 6 performance on the pro and night drives, which will take place across new exercises on new proving ground flats.
As for Audi quattro, its story starts with the manually lockable centre differential founded in 1980s. This technology – later coined “quattro” – revolutionised rally racing with the first all-wheel-drive system, leading to multiple championship wins.
Founded through this passion for motorsport, quattro technology now makes up eight out of 10 Audis sold in this country. It includes the e-tron range, which uses two electric motors on the rear axle to enable electric torque vectoring.
Greg Leet, general manager of Audi NZ, says: “Vorsprung durch Technik – progress through technology – is more than a brand claim. It is how Audi quattro came to be and it’s the foundation that put Audi on the map.
“It is also what guides the brand today. We’re driven by progress and are constantly searching new ways to improve. That is why we want to celebrate this milestone by delivering an experience to customers that has never been done before.”
