Test Drive U.S.A. (excerpt)

While Germany is home to many Audi AG model test-drives, the company conducts millions of miles of testing in the United States each year, constantly scrutinizing current and future models with an eye towards consistent improvement in the North American environment.

Indeed, long before the new Audi 100 models hit showroom floors in October, they were subjected to climate tests throughout the continental United States. The tests were varied based on the locale, whether it was cold-weather testing in Bemidji, Minn., or hot-weather testing in Tampa, Fla. But the reasoning behind the tests was a constant: the necessity to provide Audi drivers with the utmost in quality and durability.

The rigorous testing of an upcoming line is nothing new for Audi, which regularly tests all models before they enter the market. “Audi is very active in terms of testing in the United States,” says Audi Products Support Manager Eric Johnson.

The U.S. provides Audi with a veritable potpourri of driving conditions that can be matched only by considerable globe-trotting. For example, while there are no giraffes or rhinoceroses in Florida, the heat can reach temperatures similar to those in Africa, providing as intense a test for air-conditioning as can be found anywhere.

And Bemidji may not lie north of the Arctic circle, but it can be as cold and snowy as Finland, providing tough testing situations for handling poor road conditions and starting in low temperatures. While most Audi drivers will never confront either extreme, the cars themselves must be prepared.