Here is another article from him
Road test
Audi - A2 1.6 FSi
[May 01 2002]
Having road car engines that bear some relation to racing versions is nothing new. In the Fifties, a variant of the motors that took Jaguar to five Le Mans wins was fitted to the E-Type, while the BMW turbocharged F1 engines of the Eighties were based on the four-cylinder road engines. Yet it’s rare that the first car to bear the fruits of a company’s racing activities is the baby of the family – it would be a little like Fiat sticking the Ferrari V10 into the Seicento (now there’s an idea).
But the forward-thinking, rimless-spectacled boffins at Audi are bucking the trend. The first car to benefit from the company’s FSI technology that helped the Audi R8 dominate last year’s Le Mans is the humble A2 and, although there are some differences (like having less cylinders for instance), the basic FSI principles are the same.
The FSI is a brand new, very fuel-efficient engine. It works by injecting the fuel directly into the combustion chamber under 110 bars of pressure, as opposed to indirect injection which works under about eight bars. The FSI engine also has a tumble-flap (as opposed to a cat flap) which electronically controls the amount of air entering the combustion chamber, thus controlling power and efficiency. Audi claims the 1.6 FSI engine will produce 81bhp and give 47.9mpg.
But let’s face it, most consumers don’t give a monkey’s what’s under the bonnet – a new state-of-the-art engine or a gerbil on a treadmill – as long as it drives well and gives good performance. So, unfortunately, the first thing that will strike A2 1.6 FSI buyers is the noise. On tickover, there’s a loud diesel-like knocking noise. Thankfully, it disappears on the move, although the engine still has a loud, throaty note under acceleration.
The 1.6 FSI is a tad underpowered and a lot of throttle is needed to get it moving. I didn’t stall it in front of Audi’s PR person, but it was close. On the move, the car still feels as if it could do with an injection of power, although it’s a comfortable enough cruiser on the motorways. But on B-roads it needs to be worked hard and whatever gear the car is in never seems to be the right one. It’s here that the motor really needs to be grabbed by the scruff of its neck to get the best out of it. The FSI engine may give excellent mpg, but I imagine it could become hard to live with. Audi’s Le Mans boys must have had a terrible ride if the racing engines were the same.
The rest of the package will be familiar – spacious accommodation with Audi’s excellent build quality, especially the rock-solid dashboard. Half leather/half Alcantara trim is a new option for the FSI model and there are new interior colours available. No prices are finalised as yet, but Audi UK reckons it should start at below the £15,000 mark.
If what Audi says is true about the car’s mpg, this already well-conceived car will no doubt be popular with anybody wanting to save money. But ultimately the firm will have to sort out the engine’s refinement before it makes as big an impression on the road as it did on the track.
Verdict
The new engine needs some more refining, but it is very efficient
Paul Walton
Thomas Giblin