audi and kaipola ski jump advertisiement - climbing an icy hill

Well Christ, it's a fraud!!

"The Audi A6 4.2 quattro with 6-speed tiptronic that drove up the ski jump was otherwise a perfectly normal production version. Two minor exceptions: the automatic transmission was kept in first gear - the slight power loss that occurs when changing gear would have made it impossible to climb such a steep gradient - and the tyres' six-millimetre spikes. Tyres of this kind are also used in rallying."

"Minor Exceptions"?? 6mm spikes??? My Vette could make it up that hill with freakin' spikes!

My experience with a hill nearby, (about 25 to 30 degrees) grassland. Easy to climb with 4wd engaged, no spinning wheels. In 2wd mode the car won't move an inch, the rear wheels were spinning though (LSD). Kind regards, Erik-Jan.

You forgot it was whinched up.......so yes it is a fraud... as most commercials are. Kind regards, Erik-Jan.

According to the "making of" pictures in another post it is the whinch cable that pulled the car up. Kind regards, Erik-Jan.

Alan Baker writes in article dated Wed, 18 Jan 2006

03:58:44 GMT:

I get arctan(.8)=38.66

Even 4WD with open diffs might do that.

Suppose the wheelbase is 12' and the center of gravity is 2' from the road surface and in the center of the wheelbase.

The 80% grade brings the rear wheels closer to the c.g. -- a ratio of (6-2*.8)/(6+2*.8), which still leaves 37% of the weight on the front wheels and therefore 37% of the potential traction.

The answer is YES, AWD is still important at that angle, if my guesses about the relative location of the center of gravity are right.

-- spud_demon -at- thundermaker.net The above may not (yet) represent the opinions of my employer.

Erik-Jan, Actually, it had a safety line attached in case it did slip and fall off the ramp. Similar to that used by mountain climbers - it's slack, but there as a precaution. If it's the same as the commercial for the 1987-vintage Audi

100/5000 quattro, then you'll see the tether in the film below the centreline of the car. It was not winched up, though, it drove up: the spiked tires.....that's grip, baby! Too bad spikes are illegal here in Canada. BTW, the ad with the Audi climbing the Andes in Chile with no rubber on the rims: no spikes there! There are many other films on the Nordic Audi web site (under "Filmer") - there's probably the test that the German TV show did on the different SUV's climbing the ski slope. Of course, they're essentially commercials, caricaturing the selling points of the vehicle (hence, the use of spiked tires). In my work I've driven my quattro-equipped sedan off-road (in fields and various construction sites), but I'd never drive off-road like the guy in our office that owns a Jeep. Of course, some say the difference between 2 wheel drive and 4 wheel drive is the distance you drive in before you're stuck.....and it holds true for our Jeep guy, who needed an excavator to drag him out this past summer. ;-) Cheers! Steve Sears 1987 Audi 5kTQ - never tried to climb a ski jump, no spiked tires, though 1980 Audi 5k - could negotiate the parking lot of the ski resort. 1962 and '64 Auto Union DKW Junior deLuxes - 36 Hp - gets stuck contemplating climbing hills (SPAM Blocker NOTE: Remove SHOES to reply)

Steve, Nice ad, but that's just it, advertising... How many people need/have to do that in a car? My old landie could probably do it too (slower tho') No tires? I reckon the rim sides with the asphalt/macadam? after having worn down in the first few metres, would be probably be more effective than spikes. I wouldn't advocate doing this yourself, unless you were desperate to get to the top, or if you had a spare set of rims...

PS I live in Switzerland, 4x4 is useful!... but, braking is like any other car... Spikes are allowed here, but you are limited to 80kmh. My best car ever on the snow was my '69 Beetle equiped with snow tyres.

-- ...tone LR90 "Emma" SRX6 - hibernating

Apologies for having crossposted...

-- ...tone LR90 "Emma" SRX6 - hibernating

The article claims "back then and this time, both Audi models drove up the ski jump under their own power; they were not pulled." I believe it; I just don't see any use for being able to climb ski jumps in first gear with special tires.

Me neither.....do not have a crane or chopper to put me there in the first place.....;-( Kind regards, Erik-Jan.

I seriously doubt that the hill is 25 to 30 degrees. Use an inclinometer and tell us the results...

Two inclinometers mounted. One to prevent me from rolling sideways and the other one for the driving direction or rolling backwards if you like ;-( Here they are:

regards, Erik-Jan.

And the round goes to Erik-Jan. Really Alan, I have climbed 45 degree slopes in my Jeep, and for sure my front wheels were actually on the ground and contributed to the climb. I don't bother trying it in 2WD, lol. It is just not that big of a problem with a capable vehicle. Tomes

"Erik-Jan Geniets" wrote

Interesting picture. I've never seen an clinometer of this kind, but I can explain how it works: Outer upper scale means up hill in percent (not grade), outer lower scale down hill, inner upper scale acceleration, inner lower scale negative acc. (braking).

I.e. calculate what slope is equivalent to 3m/s^2:

3/9.8 (1g=9.8m/s^2) = 0.306 (the sinus of the angle) gradient (in percent) is the tangens =0.32.

The words "gut - schwach - schlecht" (good-week-bad) are for indicating braking performance (on flat terrain). But of course not applicable for modern cars

Cheers,

Thomas

Yes, thanks. The questions on that old page are as old. 2002 I Guess. In the mean time I figured out how it works. The up and downhill percentages are very accurate compared to roadsigns as long as you do not accelerate or brake. Kind regards, Erik-Jan.

So I'm betting you were climbing a hill with a 20 - 30 *percent* grade...

Yes, also. Turacher Höhe in Austria, old Vulcano in Kärnten. Tarmac in the winter. Some snow/ice here and there. 23 percent. At the base off the mountain there is a road sign in German which reads "4 wheel drive car's only" Kind regards, Erik-Jan.

And on a 20 *percent* grade, your vehicle's weight is going to be pretty equally distributed on both axles.

On an 80% grade, the Audi's weight is going to be almost entirely on its

*rear* wheels.

I guess so with the engine in front. Erik-Jan.