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Volkswagen Group D platform | |
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Overview | |
Manufacturer | Volkswagen Group |
Production | 1988–2019 |
Body and chassis | |
Layout |
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Chronology | |
Successor | MLB platform (Longitudinal Front-engine, front-wheel-drive/four-wheel-drive) MSB platform (Longitudinal Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive/four-wheel-drive) |
The Volkswagen Group D platform is a series of automobile platforms from the German concern Volkswagen Group. It has been used for large luxury automobiles. Originally used by the Audi marque, it is also latterly used by the Volkswagen Passenger Cars, and Bentley marques.
The D1 (also known as the D11 [1] ) platform was based on a stretched version of the Volkswagen Group C3/C4 platform:
The D2 platform is an all aluminium monocoque, based on space frame principles, which helped to significantly reduce weight without being any less rigid. Audi AG refers to this type of construction as the "Audi Space Frame" (ASF). It is technically the first 'original' D platform.
The D3 platform, also employing an aluminium space frame, was used for the second generation Audi A8, A8L, and S8.
The D1 platform cars (not to be confused with the earlier Audi V8 platform) share some components with the D3 platform, but have conventional steel bodyshell construction.
The third generation Audi A8 launched in 2009 is sometimes referred to as the "D4" generation A8. This model combines an aluminium Audi Space Frame (ASF) structure but no longer uses the D platform, but the Audi-developed MLB component matrix. [2]
The Fourth generation Audi A8 launched in 2018 is sometimes referred to as the "D5" generation A8. This model combines an aluminium Audi Space Frame (ASF) structure but no longer uses the D platform, but the Audi-developed MLB Evo.
Audi AG is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. A subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, Audi produces vehicles in nine production facilities worldwide.
The Volkswagen Phaeton is a full-size sedan/saloon manufactured by the German automobile manufacturer Volkswagen, described by Volkswagen as their "premium class" vehicle. Introduced at the 2002 Geneva Motor Show, the Phaeton was marketed worldwide. Sales in North America ended in 2006 and global sales ended in 2016.
The Audi A8 is a full-size luxury sedan manufactured and marketed by the German automaker Audi since 1994. Succeeding the Audi V8, and now in its fourth generation, the A8 has been offered with either front- or permanent all-wheel drive and in short- and long-wheelbase variants. The first two generations employed the Volkswagen Group D platform, with the current generation deriving from the MLB platform. After the original model's 1994 release, Audi released the second generation in late 2002, the third in late 2009, and the fourth and current iteration in 2017. Noted as the first mass-market car with an aluminium chassis, all A8 models have used this construction method co-developed with Alcoa and marketed as the Audi Space Frame.
The Audi A5 is a series of compact executive / grand touring coupé cars produced by the German automobile manufacturer Audi since June 2007. The A5 range additionally comprises the coupe, cabriolet, and "Sportback" version of the Audi A4 saloon and estate models.
A W12 engine is a twelve-cylinder piston engine where either three banks of four cylinders, or four banks of three cylinders are arranged in a W configuration around a common crankshaft.
The Audi V8 is a four-door, full-size luxury sedan, designed, manufactured and marketed by Audi in Germany from 1988 to 1993, as the company's flagship. As the first car from Audi to use a V8 engine, also was the first Audi to combine a quattro system with an automatic transmission. Early cars used 3.6-litre V8s, while later cars featured a 4.2-litre version of the engine. The Audi V8 was replaced by the Audi A8 in 1994, although the A8 was not marketed in North America until 1996.
The Audi S8 is a full-size luxury car of the Audi S models produced by the German automaker Audi AG, manufactured by Audi Sport GmbH at the Neckarsulm plant. The S8 is the mechanically-upgraded, high-performance version of the Audi A8, fitted standard with Audi's quattro all-wheel drive system, and was only offered with a short-wheelbase for the first three generations, being joined by a long-wheelbase variant option for the fourth generation.
The Audi S6 is the performance variant of the Audi A6, an executive car produced by German automaker Audi. It went on sale in 1994, shortly after the "A6" designation was introduced, replacing the "100" nameplate.
The Volkswagen Group B platform is a mid-size automobile platform from the Volkswagen Group. It has been used for saloon cars/sedans, estate cars/station wagon, and coupés - under the Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Audi, SEAT and Škoda marques.
6HP is ZF Friedrichshafen AG's trademark name for its six-speed automatic transmission models for longitudinal engine applications, designed and built by ZF's subsidiary in Saarbrücken. Released as the 6HP 26 in 2000, it was the first six-speed automatic transmission in a production passenger car. Other variations of the first generation 6HP in addition to the 6HP 26, were 6HP19, and 6HP 32 having lower and higher torque capacity, respectively. In 2007, the second generation of the 6HP series was introduced, with models 6HP 21 and 6HP 28. A 6HP 34 was planned, but never went into production.
The Volkswagen Group C platform is a series of extended midsize automobile platforms from the German automotive concern Volkswagen Group. It has been used for luxury automobiles under the Audi marque. It is the Group's oldest platform, having started with the Audi 100 in 1969.
The Volkswagen Group A0 platform is a series of automobile platforms shared among superminis of various marques of the Volkswagen Group.
The Volkswagen Group MLB platform is the company's platform strategy, announced in 2012, for shared modular construction of its longitudinal, front-engined automobiles.
MTM – Motoren Technik Mayer GmbH, is a German car tuner and small manufacturer based in Wettstetten.
5HP is ZF Friedrichshafen AG's trademark name for its five-speed automatic transmission models for longitudinal engine applications, designed and built by ZF's subsidiary in Saarbrücken.
The Volkswagen Group MSB platform is the company's strategy for shared modular design construction of its longitudinal, front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout automobiles. It was developed by Porsche for vehicles with longitudinally mounted engines and gearboxes and four-wheel or rear-wheel drive. It has been in use since 2016 and was introduced with the second generation Porsche Panamera.
Volkswagen Group have produced a number of W12 internal combustion piston engines for their Volkswagen, Audi, and Bentley marques, since 2001.
The Volkswagen-Audi V8 engine family is a series of mechanically similar, gasoline-powered and diesel-powered, V-8, internal combustion piston engines, developed and produced by the Volkswagen Group, in partnership with Audi, since 1988. They have been used in various Volkswagen Group models, and by numerous Volkswagen-owned companies. The first spark-ignition gasoline V-8 engine configuration was used in the 1988 Audi V8 model; and the first compression-ignition diesel V8 engine configuration was used in the 1999 Audi A8 3.3 TDI Quattro. The V8 gasoline and diesel engines have been used in most Audi, Volkswagen, Porsche, Bentley, and Lamborghini models ever since. The larger-displacement diesel V8 engine configuration has also been used in various Scania commercial vehicles; such as in trucks, buses, and marine (boat) applications.