Have the 40 A4 Ultra Sport 6MT models already gone on sale?
10-13-2018, 04:42 AM
#21
AudiWorld Member
I don't think it's about the sales anymore. Sales of the manual A4 actually increased about 50% from 2017 to 2018.
It's more of a philosophical shift from the Audi leadership--manual transmissions don't fit into their planned future of electrification and autonomous driving.
It's more of a philosophical shift from the Audi leadership--manual transmissions don't fit into their planned future of electrification and autonomous driving.
10-13-2018, 10:37 AM
#22
I don't think it's about the sales anymore. Sales of the manual A4 actually increased about 50% from 2017 to 2018.
It's more of a philosophical shift from the Audi leadership--manual transmissions don't fit into their planned future of electrification and autonomous driving.
It's more of a philosophical shift from the Audi leadership--manual transmissions don't fit into their planned future of electrification and autonomous driving.
As for competitors, BMW 3 series (330i/340i in all markets) isn't supposed to offer a MT from 2019, but the M3 still will (especially due to the high demand from US based enthusiasts). Even the M6 still can be had with a MT just in the US I think. Would be nice if Audi let us at least have some of the S line up with a MT too again.
Apart from Cadillac ATS (which is set to be discontinued after 2019), the only other option in this class is the Genesis G70.
Last edited by robertdavidlee; 10-13-2018 at 10:49 AM.
10-13-2018, 11:02 AM
#23
AudiWorld Member
According to the Ultra Sport press release, the manual was not offered in Germany, and the US and UK had to get special permission to receive it.
10-13-2018, 01:22 PM
#24
Btw looking through Craigslist a lot of the used A4s listed in my area appear to be manual transmission.
Last edited by robertdavidlee; 10-13-2018 at 01:25 PM.
10-13-2018, 01:27 PM
#25
I do remember seeing that, but I just looked through the Audi German configurator and I was able to configure a 6 speed manual transmission on the A4. This is for the 2018 model. I was also able to configure A3 and A5 sedan/sportback/convertible with a 6 speed manual transmission. Let's see if the 2019 models offer a manual transmission too. If they don't, that means they did really cut it everywhere.
Btw looking through Craigslist a lot of the used A4s listed in my area appear to be manual transmission.
Btw looking through Craigslist a lot of the used A4s listed in my area appear to be manual transmission.
10-13-2018, 01:31 PM
#26
AudiWorld Member
I do remember seeing that, but I just looked through the Audi German configurator and I was able to configure a 6 speed manual transmission on the A4. This is for the 2018 model. I was also able to configure A3 and A5 sedan/sportback/convertible with a 6 speed manual transmission. Let's see if the 2019 models offer a manual transmission too. If they don't, that means they did really cut it everywhere.
Btw looking through Craigslist a lot of the used A4s listed in my area appear to be manual transmission.
Btw looking through Craigslist a lot of the used A4s listed in my area appear to be manual transmission.
10-13-2018, 01:43 PM
#27
If Audi is no longer interested in special configurations for US, It'd be nice if we can at least get the manual variants of Audis sold here that are automatic only but offer a manual transmission in that same configuration outside the US (ie S3, TT, etc). Wonder if a manual swap is possible if we can import those parts here. I've seen people do swaps on the B8 Avant.
10-13-2018, 04:15 PM
#28
AudiWorld Senior Member
I agree. It was a dumb decision to make only 40. They should have made a lot more. I know few others that tried to get their hands on one, but just couldn't. There is a lot of demand for one. Honestly, Audi shouldn't even discontinue the manuals. Rather, they should sell it in enthusiast oriented versions like the Ultra Sport, where they will actually sell pretty well.
10-13-2018, 04:25 PM
#29
AudiWorld Senior Member
I was just at audi.fr, they happily offer a FWD 1.4L gas and a 2.0L TDI 122 HP and 150HP variant in manual. If you want quattro or a more powerful engine, you're getting a S tronic (or, with the 3.0L TDI, a 'tiptronic', i.e. a torque converter automatic).
The problem is, there's no market for a FWD 1.4L 150HP A4 in North America - first, you'd bleed red ink by cutting the MSRP enough to try and make it appealing (North American 252HP cars are much, much cheaper than 252HP cars elsewhere, so there isn't going to be much margin to cut) and secondly, the enthusiast crowd that has the only interest for manuals in 'luxury' cars would never want that; what they really want would be a manual S4.
Some Audi of America executive convinced Germany that there was a significant market for a quattro ultra 252HP 2.0T MT car in North America. It sold at about 1/3rd of the volume that he used to convince them to make it in the first place. There's no market for it elsewhere. The end.
10-13-2018, 04:31 PM
#30
As someone wisely said sometime ago in this forum, in Europe, people buy manuals for money reasons, not enthusiastness/performance. Given fuel costs, taxes, etc. in many European countries, if you're concerned about cost, you'd get the smaller engine option (1.4L gas or the lower-power diesel) with a manual and FWD. If you've got the budget to afford a 252HP car (the base 1.4L gas is 150HP), you don't want a manual transmission when there's a lovely dual-clutch option available.
I was just at audi.fr, they happily offer a FWD 1.4L gas and a 2.0L TDI 122 HP and 150HP variant in manual. If you want quattro or a more powerful engine, you're getting a S tronic (or, with the 3.0L TDI, a 'tiptronic', i.e. a torque converter automatic).
The problem is, there's no market for a FWD 1.4L 150HP A4 in North America - first, you'd bleed red ink by cutting the MSRP enough to try and make it appealing (North American 252HP cars are much, much cheaper than 252HP cars elsewhere, so there isn't going to be much margin to cut) and secondly, the enthusiast crowd that has the only interest for manuals in 'luxury' cars would never want that; what they really want would be a manual S4.
Some Audi of America executive convinced Germany that there was a significant market for a quattro ultra 252HP 2.0T MT car in North America. It sold at about 1/3rd of the volume that he used to convince them to make it in the first place. There's no market for it elsewhere. The end.
I was just at audi.fr, they happily offer a FWD 1.4L gas and a 2.0L TDI 122 HP and 150HP variant in manual. If you want quattro or a more powerful engine, you're getting a S tronic (or, with the 3.0L TDI, a 'tiptronic', i.e. a torque converter automatic).
The problem is, there's no market for a FWD 1.4L 150HP A4 in North America - first, you'd bleed red ink by cutting the MSRP enough to try and make it appealing (North American 252HP cars are much, much cheaper than 252HP cars elsewhere, so there isn't going to be much margin to cut) and secondly, the enthusiast crowd that has the only interest for manuals in 'luxury' cars would never want that; what they really want would be a manual S4.
Some Audi of America executive convinced Germany that there was a significant market for a quattro ultra 252HP 2.0T MT car in North America. It sold at about 1/3rd of the volume that he used to convince them to make it in the first place. There's no market for it elsewhere. The end.