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From YourSITE.com Miscellaneous Features Though they’re both German, the approach and philosophy behind Audi and parent company Volkswagen are not all that similar to each other. Take a look at their heritage and customer reception approaches and you might spot some of those differences. While the Audi Forum in Ingolstadt may contain some of the same elements as Wolfsburg’s Autostadt, there are distinct cues that are quite unique. As part of our recent world travel series, we explored the Northern German headquarters of Volkswagen and in particular their Autostadt “theme park” to see those differences, and to find out what there is to see specifically for the Audi owner.
Park your car outside of Autostadt and walk in along a large terrace area with river and factory on one side and the large glass entrance building of Autostadt on the other. Walk in and you’ll find a reception, ticket sales, gift shop and two trendy looking restaraunts run by Movenpick - the same company that manages those at the Audi Forum in Ingostadt. Once inside, its large, rolling, well manicured lawns seem a more nature-oriented background compared to Audi’s more steel and concrete industrial feel. Also, Autostadt is simply much larger, encompassing the whole company. Delivery center and large car-holding towers that supply it are all Volkswagen-oriented, though no brand, save partially-owned Scania, is excluded from the brand pavilions. Each brand pavilion is designed to emphasize the cores of the brand it represents. With some such as Bentley, this can be fairly direct with a car on exhibit as well as swatches of leathers and an education of how the hand-finished burled wood items are completed. Others, like Skoda, are much more avantgarde - you won’t find a single vehicle by the Czech manufacturer in the building. Designers chose the main emphasis of sharing the Audi brand identity through a short trip through the life of a “typical” Audi owner. After walking up stairs with walls covered in Audi-feel adornments, you then flow through the ficticious couples' workspace, home and even into their garage where, amidst bikes and other activity gear, was parked an Audi A8. Going into the basement, visitors are instructed to sit in a small row of chairs. After a brief audio presentation, curtains were raised and another car was on display. At the time, as during the opening week of Autostadt, the car on display was Audi’s Project Rosemeyer. Since that visit, we spotted the concept in Audi’s own Museum Mobile, so we’re unaware what is currently “behind the curtain”. SEAT’s pavilion, much like Skoda, is much more interpretive. We spotted no SEATs in the building. The display was purely to portray the Mediterranean flair that the Spanish brand is supposed to represent. That it did, though we came to Wolfsburg to see cars and were a bit disappointed that in this pavilion we saw nary a SEAT. Approach Lamborghini’s building and it might be the most obviously representative of the badge it is set to portray, based on architecture alone. The building is not large, but its bold black stone is block shaped, brash and in-your-face. Loud sound effects emanate from inside, foreboding but inpiriring curiousness just the same. Inside, a loud presentation which includes the use of fog culminates in a wall-mounted full-size Lamborghini swung around, literally to the outside of the building, then with darkness and the clap of thunder, back again - interesting to see from both inside and outside the building.
Enter the large glass Zeithaus museum building and you’ll find the remainder of what there is to see for Audi enthusiasts. The museum tells the history of its brands, with particular emphasis on Audi and Volkswagen. Some seriously significant automobiles are on display, including: a “silver arrow” Auto Union Type X? Grand Prix Racecar, an NSU Porsche Typ 32 people’s car prototype that predates the Volkswagen pre-war effort, DKW F-1 Roadster, NSU Prima III Scooter, a red road-going Audi Sport Quattro, Horch 870 Roadster, DKW Luxus 200 Motorcycle, Wanderer W24, Audi Dresden Typ S, Horch 930V, Horch 303 sedan, Audi 60L, Audi 100 Coupe S, Audi 100GL, and NSU Ro80. Tucked in a corner we found a cool cutaway display for how Rotary engines work. Turn a crank and the rotary cylinder would simulate operation. NSU, owned by Auto Union when Volkswagen acquired it, was one of the first producers of the Wankel Rotary. Also within the walls of the Zeithaus were many examples of other significant products made by Volkswagen Group brands, from Beetle to Bentley. Other vehicles significant in the history of the automobile were also displayed, such as examples by Rolls-Royce and, of all things, a 1970s Oldsmobile Toronado Coupe.
The entrance hall to Autostadt also houses a shop and several restaraunts run by MovenPick, just as the eateries in Ingolstadt. If you want some sort of Audi souvenir from Autostadt, check the small shop just inside the Zeithaus where you’ll find a small collection of things. Not surprisingly, this being a theme park, Volkswagen has provided plenty of activities for children. In the main reception building, they can walk through a giant model of an internal combustion engine or drive in miniature Volkswagen New Beetles. A slick computer is there for children to accessorize and modify various VAG products, after which a printed photograph of the car can be obtained.
More educational displays can also be found for adults. Of note, the frame of an Audi A2 was suspended from a scale in a display that examined aluminum and the Audi Space Frame technology. Okay, plain and simple, without the Zeithaus, there simply aren’t that many cars for those who came to Autostadt looking for them. Sure, there’s the delivery center for those who might be curious about the latest Volkswagen products, and the two cars in the Audi pavillion, but we'd really hoped to find a showroom that included all of the VAG offerings and simply didn’t find one. If we can accuse Autostadt of not having enough cars on display, we can’t blame the parking lot outside. Yes, the certifiable car-geek test will be passed with flying colors if you find yourself walking the parking lot. I scored an A+, finding myself walking for a fair share of time around the area, spotting all sorts of cars, many of which were modified.
In total, we found Autostadt to be an impressive display for the automotive enthusiast. If you find yourself uninterested in Volkswagen and brands other than Audi, there’s definitely less to see, however the general significance of the work that the Volkswagen Group has put into building this destination in the shadow of the original Wolfsburg factory is still something to behold. Other Trip Notes: If you do find yourself curious about the Volkswagen brand, make sure to also hit the Volkswagen Museum, separate from Autostadt, though only about a mile or two away. If you’re looking for lodging, check out the Ritz Carlton, located on the grounds of Autostadt or the Park Hotel, a clean and somewhat more affordable lodging located in the older postwar neighborhoods, about 5-minutes drive from Autostadt. Factory Tours can also be arranged, and leave from Autostadt via tram with regularity throughout the day. If you have access to a car and are staying a little longer, the trip to Hannover and a visit to Volkswagen Racing might be fun. It’s a relatively small, nondescript building in a commercial complex on the outskirts of Hanover. In the lobby we found a New Beetle Cup racecar painted a custom blue color for a Middle Eastern customer as well as a small display and store of Volkswagen Racing paraphernalia. It’s not a large facility by any means, but for the VW enthusiast, it’s hallowed ground.
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