s4wood

Ok...now...follow me on this....the Allroad Quattro will be close to head-to-head competition to the VW Colorado (with a 3.2 liter V6 engine...or possibly the A8 4.2 V8 engine) And then, the Jetta is to possibly get the W8 engine...and going upstream. Isn't Audi upstream? I am in Marketing/Product Development myself...so I think about these things..and I can't seem to get the nuances of this arrangement that justify Audi and VW going head-to-head against each other. Why is VW and Audi doing this. Do they like cannabalizing their own client base?

And then on top of this...did you guys read the recent Car & Driver...the one where VW is considering a low cost alternative to the TT Roadster...what is it you ask? Well...it looks sorta similar to the TT...but it is a new VW Polo Roadster...equipped with a 1.6liter 16valve 4 cylinder engine. On this one I think Audi got a taste of the tremendous growth of the TT sales...and said...well, how about a more base model offered by VW.

Is VW going to go upstream...more luxurious...and Audi more sporty? That is the only reason that I can see this happening.

Enough venting...any comments?

Oh...btw, the S4 content in this post? ....my signature :-)<p><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/AudiWorldPics/2000/steveshsig1.gif" border="0">

mpm

and VW is moving up market against MB. I'm not sure what he is going to do with Lambo, Bently, and Bugatti...

If only he would get Porsche back into the family, then I'd almost have it covered...

mpm
'00 silver/onyx
'95 C4 black/cash
'97 Passat GLX "Avant" red/black

NASA racer

I agree the pot of parts they have to choose from seems pretty clear cut but the rumors have them mixing in the strangest ways. It seems to me that, rumors aside, Audi MUST move more upstream in order to allow VW to move in to the mid range. I was thinking that if they made the TT with a 300hp engine (as was rumored)...isn’t that beginning to compete with a Porsche 911? I wonder what the politics at THAT company are like! I’d bet when it all shakes down that all the models fit neatly together. It is also possible that they are going to have the same mechanicals but offer higher levels of trim and equipment ala Maxima/Infiniti I30.<p><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/AudiWorldPics/2000/carssmall4.jpg">
00 S4 tip
Silver/Black
GIAC ECU/tip chips
V1

mpm

The Pieche's and the Porsche's are Germany's version of the Hatfield's and the McCoy's

Baiano

This is more aristocratic German posturing between MB, BMW, and VW at the expense of Audi.

Bad marketing mojo for both VW and Audi in my view ... tisk, tisk, and to think that VW/Audi have come so far to only shoot themselves in the foot. Typical German arrogance on Piech's behave ... if we wish it to happen strong enough it will happen, regardless of what anyone else thinks ... yah, right! WWI anyone?

That's the difference between American marketing and German marketing -- Americans sell what the people want, Germans sell what the company wants the people to want ...<p>Baiano
'00 S4 6Spd [Canuck] (8200 km)
- Euro Xenons / UUC SS (40%) / MTM springs / V1 hardwired
- MTM ECU (...maybe...)

Geza

Piech got pissed that they were moving into VW market and decided VW was going to move into MBs market. Latest plan is for VW to go head to head with MB (up-market luxury segment) and for Audi to go head to head with BMW (up market sporty segment). If they are successful, I think it will be the Japanese up-market brands that will feel the effects most.

Mark Dean 2

Pieche has publicly stated that he thinks he is going to compete with Mercedes using VW. His reasoning went something like this "In Germany, the wife of a man may have a Polo or Golf. She likes it and thinks it's cute. It will be easy for her to migrate to a more expensive VW that is on par with Mercedes. But Audi, on the other hand, Audi means nothing to people in Germany. It has no meaning and can't compete." Doesn't bode well for Audi, does it? Also shows his arrogance - he kinda forgot that in the largest car market in the world (the U.S.), Audi is viewed in the same light as BMW, while VW is that company that made those cheap-*** beetles. I can't see anyone in the U.S. ever viewing VW as competition for Mercedes / BMW.

Longwolf (Christian)

<p>Christian J. Long
President - Quattro Club of Florida
Orlando, FL
-----------------------------------
'00 A4 1.8tqsm
'97 A4 1.8tqm
'87 944S
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Past Audis:
84 CGT, 85 CGT, 87.5 CGT, 90 CQ
98.5 A4 1.8tsm

matthewk

Actually i think that it is interesting and should be kept, but i just felt like being an ***. my head hurts today.<p>matthew(most moderated)k
00 Porsche Boxster S
(Previous S4 Owner)
Grand PooBah of the HIG World Wide Consortium

GRocky

Sorry, couldn't resist.