Race for Glory: Audi vs. Lancia

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The World Rally Championship

has grown in popularity in recent years

to become the number one TV sport in the world.

Drivers like Walter Roöhrl and the Queen of Speed,

Michele Mouton, have become household names.

This week we turn our attention

to the key players off the track, the team managers.

We're joined by team manager, Cesare Fiorio,

hailing from Turin, Italy.

Fiorio has led both Fiat and Lancia to victory.

Mr. Fiorio, pleased to meet you.

My pleasure. But please, call me Cesare.

Cesare, I'd like to start by asking you

what drew you to rallying?

Well, probably because I love the speed and the risk.

Is that not true of any other motor sport?

Oh, rallying is very different.

Rallying belongs to everyone.

Let's say it's a democratic sport.

What do you mean by that?

It's very difficult to explain rally.

You have to live it.

You see, the spectators, they feel the same speed as the drivers,

because you know, you race in your own town.

The cars hurtle past your children's school,

the cafe where you used to have your coffee, normal places.

Rallying isn't as well known in the US.

Could you tell our listeners what your role is?

Let's say rallying is like a war, and I'm the commander of an army.

The world championship is made up of 13 trials

divided into grueling stages,

long transfers, by day, by night, in dust, sand, snow, rain, you know.

But what is it exactly that you do?

What I do is to make decisions in the shortest possible time.

So if we look at the results of last year's championship,

we could say that your rival,

Roland Gumpert, made better decisions than you.

What does Audi have that you don't?

Well, an entire industrial and financial sector

that supports research and development.

Do you know the four-wheel drive is derived

from military technology?

They really did bring the army.

Rallying is a dangerous sport. Does anything frighten you?

Yeah.

One thing.

Losing.

Audi is leading in Portugal.

They're ahead of everyone on the overall constructor standings.

In the cold Finnish night,

the German Audi is humiliating Italy

in terms of technological development.

THE REVOLUTIONARY

The Audi team lead by Roland Gumpert is unstoppable.

Lancia shows all its limits.

Audi beats Lancia on all tracks.

It's a pleasure to see them racing at full speed.

Once again, Audi is racing towards a new victory.

As the new world rally season begins there are many reasons to believe

that this is going to be an amazing contest.

Audi, Lancia, Opel, and the other manufacturers

will be fighting a new sort of battle.

Fans around the world cannot wait.

The contest opens with the legendary Monte Carlo as it does every year.

Now over to the traffic news.

Yes, Mr Gumpert, immediately.

Stop!

Again!

Stop!

- It's running better than last year. - Perfect!

Almost perfect.

Start again!

Sir, they've dismantled the Audi.

Look how wonderful this joint is.

The transmission has a differential that splits the pair at 50%.

And it does so using two axles, one below and one above...

with two coaxial shafts, one inside the other.

When the Germans do things, they definitely do them well, eh?

Not always.

Do you know how to tell German wine from vinegar?

- No. - Read the labels.

We need to develop four-wheel drive technology as well.

But we don't have the time.

We need something like that.

Short wheelbase, very light, mid-engine.

The Stratos could fly.

Sir,

- they're waiting at the meeting. - I'll be right there.

- Ennio, take this. - Yes.

- You come up with me. - Sir, like this, I'm...

Yes, like that! I'll wait for you upstairs. Hurry up!

- Good morning, Avvocato. - Good morning.

Do you want to know a curious thing, Mr. Fiorio?

Do you know what my grandson asked me for as a birthday present?

An Audi Quattro.

These Germans are good.

Work hard!

And good luck.

It's impossible to beat them now.

We don't have this winning car.

We're too far behind on the all-wheel drive.

The technological gap with the Germans is frightening.

Even if we started work tomorrow

and doubled the R&D budget,

we wouldn't get a competitive car.

It'll take at least two, three years.

Forgive me, sir. With the money for the racing department,

we could run a powerful advertising campaign.

If you want to reconsider our proposal, it's on page three.

Excuse me, but we can't do anything with happy families

leaving for their summer vacation in a Lancia.

The only possible advert is to win.

No one wants to buy a car that loses.

Fiorio, I'm not asking you to win, but to lose well.

But you can't lose well.

You can only lose badly.

I want to win this world championship, whatever it takes.

Ennio.

This is a plan of the Audi Quattro.

Longitudinal, five-cylinder engine.

Maximum torque of 285 Newton/meters.

Central differential, rear axle identical to the front,

except it's rotated 180 degrees

so it can interface with the transmission shaft.

Incredible road holding.

It sticks to the ground.

You have to scrape the asphalt off the wheels.

Apparently unbeatable, but...

2,900 lbs.

They're heavy. Very heavy.

- They'll see this in Greece. - One thing still isn't clear.

Which car are we taking to Greece?

The Monte Carlo Beta project.

Mid-engine.

Two-wheel drive.

Rear-wheel drive.

A racing car.

Of course...

on snow and dirt roads, we'll lose.

But on asphalt we'll be light.

Very light. We'll be flying.

And who's going to drive this car? Will you drive it, Fiorio?

No.

The best driver will.

Morning.

Walter,

it's Cesare.

Ah, Cesare.

Nice to see you.

Can I take off this?

Take it off, yeah.

Sorry if I didn't tell you that I was coming,

but you know. What happened to your face?

Ah, I spent a lifetime telling people

not to walk in the mountains

with their hand in their pockets.

And then I.

You did it.

- What are you doing here? - Nothing.

I, I came to visit this young pilot.

Very good driver, very talented.

And then I said to myself,

well, I'm very close to Walter's house,

and why don't you go to say hello? And here I am,

My bees.

- I see. - They're strange, huh?

I mean, they're not domesticated and they're not wild.

They're a mix.

They're creatures capable of maintaining relationships

with humans without losing their freedom.

Isn't that wonderful?

Incredible creatures.

So did you, did you sign up with someone yet?

I've had lots of offers, I'm weighing them up.

And you, how's the development coming along?

You've got a competitive car this year?

Yeah. Special car. Very incredible car.

Central engine, very powerful,

light car using very special materials, yeah.

You'll see.

Four wheel drive?

No, no, no, no. Two wheel drive.

You can't beat them with a normal car.

Yes we can.

No you can't.

You wanna try the honey?

No. No actually I have to go.

I'm very late, I have to to drive back to Turin.

- Nice to see you. - Good to see you.

Cesare, the young driver, what's his name?

Oh, it's a German name.

I forgot, it's very difficult name, can't remember. See you.

See you.

What did he want from you?

Guess.

- Excuse me. - Yes?