Photo: CarPix
Despite what you might think, this is a testing mule for the next generation Audi A7, due to come out in 2017. The car was working its way down some Alpine roads, carrying a trailer, when flames suddenly emerged from under the hood.
The driver quickly got out and was able to get his thins to safety. The roadside service employee, seen wearing orange jumpers, tried to put the flames out with a hand extinguisher, but it was too late. Soon, the interior of the prototype also caught fire and flames dramatically belched out the windows for 15 to 20 minutes, our spy photographer says.
Firefighters eventually arrived on the scene. But by that time, there was nothing left of the prototype, which resembles the victim of a mafia arson attempt. We're not exactly sure how, but some major components like the doors trunk and hood were missing after the fire was put out.
Sure, firefighters sometimes remove them, but in that case, they would still be visible in the shots. Instead, we think the fire raged at over 660 degrees Celsius, the temperature at which aluminum melts.
We believe that due to increased strain of towing, the high-pressure injection system that likely belongs to a 3.0 TFSI engine leaked fuel. This then caught fire on the hot exhaust manifold, based on where the flames started. There will be an internal investigation. However, Audi probably won't come clean about the details surrounding this fire.
These sorts of things sometimes happen to prototypes. For example, an Acura NSX famously caught fire on the Nurburgring track in 2014. The first generation Audi R8 also burned down while testing its V8 engine back in 2007. The SLS Black Series was also a victim of its 6.3-liter V8 five years ago.
The A7 needs not just chassis and engine testing. Nvidia is making a Level 3 autonomous driving system which could be what we see here.
Firefighters eventually arrived on the scene. But by that time, there was nothing left of the prototype, which resembles the victim of a mafia arson attempt. We're not exactly sure how, but some major components like the doors trunk and hood were missing after the fire was put out.
Sure, firefighters sometimes remove them, but in that case, they would still be visible in the shots. Instead, we think the fire raged at over 660 degrees Celsius, the temperature at which aluminum melts.
We believe that due to increased strain of towing, the high-pressure injection system that likely belongs to a 3.0 TFSI engine leaked fuel. This then caught fire on the hot exhaust manifold, based on where the flames started. There will be an internal investigation. However, Audi probably won't come clean about the details surrounding this fire.
These sorts of things sometimes happen to prototypes. For example, an Acura NSX famously caught fire on the Nurburgring track in 2014. The first generation Audi R8 also burned down while testing its V8 engine back in 2007. The SLS Black Series was also a victim of its 6.3-liter V8 five years ago.
The A7 needs not just chassis and engine testing. Nvidia is making a Level 3 autonomous driving system which could be what we see here.
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