Known as the Audi ‘Trans-Continental Crossing’, this three week journey sees 17 Audi Q7 and A6 allroad quattro vehicles undertake an extraordinary east-to-west coast crossing of the continent.

Now in its second year, the Audi Trans-Continental Crossing will play host to around 100 international media groups and VIP guests from eight nations including Germany, France, USA, Japan and Korea.

Departing from Sydney, this 7,500 km journey will be undertaken in five stages, concluding in Broome and will travel via Broken Hill, Birdsville, Coober Pedy, Uluru, the Kimberleys and then onto Broome.

As the creator of quattro, one of the foremost all-wheel drive systems in the world, the Audi Q7 SUV and Audi A6 allroad quattro vehicles are ideal for the journey, which will showcase the tremendous performance capabilities of Audi’s leading Torsen differential system. All equipped with Audi’s modern 3.0 TDI engines, the 17-strong vehicle fleet will make an impressive convoy travelling along the hard-baked outback tracks.

The company has also flown two of its brand new Q7 4.2 TDI vehicles to Australia for the event, ahead of the local market launch in November.

Add a 7,500 km journey across the world-renowned Australian outback and the result is an unparalleled demonstration of the company’s commitment to the performance of its all-wheel drive system.

Traversing famous outback tracks including the Birdsville, Oodnadatta and Tanami Tracks and the Mereenie Loop, the Trans-Continental Crossing takes in a mix of legendary routes, iconic stopovers such Birdsville, Innamincka and Emma Gorge, inspiring natural formations including ‘Big Red’, Simpson’s Gorge, Uluru and Kings Canyon, inspirational man-made markings including the Bradshaw Rock Art, and numerous Aussie characters, as well as ‘outback’ luxury and bush camping.

Conceived in 2006, on a flight to Germany, Audi Australia’s managing director, Joerg Hofmann, says the idea came to him from a book he was reading at the time about the Outback while flying for hours over the continent.

Hofmann believes that Audi’s Trans-Continental Crossing is the ideal way to showcase the capabilities of the brand, and the extraordinary beauty and vastness of Australia.

“Most people find it hard to comprehend quite how large and empty the Australian continent is, especially if you have never experienced it for yourself. With our Q7 performance SUV, we are able to enjoy the country in a way that is truly ‘Audi’, making the most of its strong combination of sportiness, luxury, and endurance. Our new A6 allroad quattro is similarly sporty, premium and capable, even for the toughest roads and tracks,” Mr Hofmann said.

“To bring international guests to a country like Australia, with its wide open spaces and harsh climate, we were able to create an unbeatable experience to demonstrate just how capable our vehicles are across this huge continent on a ‘trip of a lifetime’.”

“Audi is a company known for its pioneering heritage and this event reflects our high-performance, innovative approach to building our brand,” he added.

The event will be the first time that Audi’s new Q7 4.2 TDI will hit the road in Australia – in true outback Audi-style.

The journey across Australia:

30 August – 1 September 2007
The Harbour City (Sydney) to the Silver City (Broken Hill)

1 – 5 September 2007
The Silver City to the Red Desert (Birdsville)

5 – 9 September 2007
The Red Desert to the Red Centre (Uluru)

15 - 20 September 2007
The Red Centre to the Kimberley (Emma Gorge)

20 – 24 September 2007
The Kimberley to the Pearl Coast (Broome)

Our event partners
Audi wishes to thank its event partners Castrol, for the supply of all fuels and oils throughout the journey, Goodyear for the ATR tyres and HEMA Maps for the supply of road atlases.