Audi CEO says no A1 for the U.S.

omarrana submitted on 07/11/2008 Official AutoSpies Timestamp: 11:00 AM
from: www.egmcartech.com

Tags: Audi

Audi

Audi CEO says no A1 for the U.S.

Volkswagen has been reported to favor Huntsville, Alabama for its new U.S. pant. According to Automobilwoche, the Chattanooga, Tennessee location (102 miles north of Huntsville), is the German automakers second choice.

Volkswagen’s premium unit, Audi, will also decide on its own U.S. plant in spring 2009 said CEO Rupert Stadler. “But of course it is also imaginable that we build cars together with Volkswagen in its planned U.S. factory,” said Stadler.

Sadly enough, and the comment we’re most concerned with, Stadler said that Audi has no plans to launch the compact Audi A1 in the U.S. He said that Audi will rather... Read Article

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mlevere1992 - 7/11/2008 2:16:35 PM

+9 Boost

That sucks. We need more premium small effecient cars here in the US. I am tired of all of the tin can offerings that we have.

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AgentOrange - 7/11/2008 2:26:03 PMView My AgentSpace

+5 Boost

"The Americans still want big cars, but with increasing fuel efficiency"

Bullshit!!!!!
At $6 - $8 a gallon, A1 sized cars are all that Americans will be driving (at least the 40% who aren't morbidly obese)...

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michal1980 - 7/11/2008 2:49:38 PM

0 Boost

lol, right, because americans will all go from full size tanks, to clown size tin cans. please the vast middle is where everyone will end up in

AlexTx - 7/11/2008 4:46:37 PM

+5 Boost

You kidding right.......
Like Lexus offers NO FWD cars/ SUV at all...
You're a joke...

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audirevolution - 7/11/2008 5:53:31 PM

+4 Boost

And the ES isn't a Camry...

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Audiphile - 7/11/2008 9:17:12 PM

+6 Boost

I thought the Nazis and Communists were good at brainwashing people! Toyota and Lexus put those guys to shame! Get some help, kid.

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AlexTx - 7/12/2008 10:35:50 AM

+5 Boost

The ES350 pprobably offers the worse value for the money as it is the Lexus that resemble a Toyota the most!!!
You are a joke MT...... thanks for the laugh.

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bulldogz - 7/11/2008 4:05:52 PM

-4 Boost

America says "thank you!"

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Carboy - 7/11/2008 4:42:55 PMView My AgentSpace

+3 Boost

America misses everything!

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MercedesBenz00Z - 7/11/2008 4:45:44 PM

0 Boost

Who needs America these days? A corrupted nation with a dying economy...no one needs it.

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audirevolution - 7/11/2008 5:54:03 PM

+6 Boost

And you like Acura...

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atomicbri - 7/11/2008 6:13:06 PMView My AgentSpace

+4 Boost

WHAT??? Damn Audi, dumb move.... At a time people are starting to want small, cool and efficient cars... look at how MINI is tops of sales each month.... with all gains and no losses.... stupid Audi.

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MeanVulcan - 7/11/2008 8:06:01 PM

+1 Boost

Common Herr Stadler! I'm waiting for the A1/S1 (my going to work car)... I was hoping for a sporty and fuel efficient version of a supped up A1... and a Q5 3.0 TDI for the family.

THere's not much I dislike about Audi, but their model/engine strategy for the US is definitely one of those I dislike (their limited and mostly boring color selection is another).

Back to my point... BIG mistake in not bringing the A1 to the US. Clearly there is a HUGE market for this kind of vehicle. The Mini is a clear example. Many people downsizing for the sake of fuel efficiency want the same luxury features in their smaller cars.

I no longer need a medium sized sedan for work (that used to be my family car but now its been replaced by a XC90) so now I'm looking for a small fun, sporty, efficient, luxury car ... A1/S1.

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Audiphile - 7/11/2008 9:40:20 PM

+2 Boost

Shucks.

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MattB - 7/11/2008 10:37:56 PM

+2 Boost

I'd guess it has something to do with brand image. Audi is likely wary of what happened to Acura-the Integra/RSX is a big part of the reason Acura isn't regarded as a luxury brand. A small hatchback doesn't fit with the image Audi is trying to present in the US.

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Homer007 - 7/12/2008 9:15:56 AM

0 Boost

No matter how hard you try to embrace Audiwagons..you just can't.

Its a mistake, simple as that!

Eurabians are driven by making profits in a short term and the way its going...they are going to lose even more loyal or whatever fans they had.

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amazinBimmer - 7/12/2008 9:52:34 AM

-2 Boost

thank god.. this fwd abomination would suck and screw up the landscape even more..... does audi get it?? or is selling cheap,fwd cars to the chinese and indians the way forward??

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AlexTx - 7/12/2008 10:33:06 AM

+4 Boost

Yeah right... since that car would compete against... Oooh i don't know.... the MINI perhaps... oh yeah.. it is FWD too..
Another dumb argument on your part...

jpighetti - 7/12/2008 1:34:19 PM

+3 Boost

You're such a loser.

Cheap cars? Ok, you win. the base price on most Audis is less than the comparable BMW. Whatever. It's still an insignificant amount at the end of the day. When the car are built the way they are usually sold, with comparable equipment the difference is A COUPLE THOUSAND DOLLARS. And the only real difference is, in most cases, that the BMW has a more powerful engine than the Audi, which doesn't matter for most people.

Oh right, BMW has "free" maintenance. You buy into that too you moron? Like that's not built into their business model anywhere. That eats up the majority of the cost difference. Free maintenance isn't free, douchebag, because nothing is free. You pay for it one way or another. Got that, stupid?

Nevermind that Audi has the best all wheel drive system ever produced, why does FWD architecture make the Audi less of a car? Under what circumstances is RWD superior to FWD or AWD? Extreme handling ability at the limits of the car? Sorry dumbass, nobody (meaning the majority of buyers) cares. How else?

Convince us that the cost difference between Audi and BMW makes the BMW unaffordable, but the Audi affordable. How is a $37,000 A4 2.0T Quattro affordable, but a 328xi at $41,000 with the same options is on a different level? Have you seen what you can lease a 3 series for? It's C-H-E-A-P!! $10,000 off the 2008 7-series of your choice and there's plenty of them available.

How can you say that Audi is the affordable alternative to BMW? How does a FWD architecture alone make a car less luxurious?

Alas, you won't respond with a mildy thought out comment. You don't engage in discussion. You don't elaborate or substantiate. You fire out an ignorant comment and disappear like some electronic sniper with a full magazine of stupidity.

Let me proactively respond to what we all know you're going to write, so maybe you'll be forced to come up with an intelligent response or, more likely, say nothing at all.

- I'm not gay
- I'm not an Audi fanboy. I respect them all.
- I'm not 12 years old

Go ahead, loser.

jpighetti - 7/12/2008 1:34:20 PM

+3 Boost

amazinBimmer - 7/12/2008 11:47:44 AM

-3 Boost

mini is not branded a BMW dumbass

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AlexTx - 7/12/2008 6:16:56 PM

+3 Boost

And yet..in the sales report it is part of BMW.....

bulldogz - 7/13/2008 8:47:52 AM

+1 Boost

the Mini backseat is IDENTICAL to a 3-series cabrio.

amazinBimmer - 7/12/2008 3:07:16 PM

-3 Boost

dear spaghetti

its truly amazing that you call me a loser while you are the one extoling the virtues of a third tier brand, fundamentlaly becasue you cant afford a BMW. 4,000 dollars (the gap is much wider as you move up the line) is actually a huge brand premium that BMW commands.. But then why would i expect you to know the the terms brand equity, premium quality, and price elasticities.

these are terms and concepts you learn in a accredited 4 year college not community college or the phoenix univeristy that mails degrees to your house (i assume you live in an apartment, given you cant probably affor a house). Wha tis also interesting that you anchored to the lowly a4, which is nothing more than a gussied up vw.. keep believing different, but look under the head.

and yes, audi makes horrible engines, amongst the worst in the business (maybe a notch above Chrysler), but it is good that you pointed that out.

Lastly, it is laughable that you hav no idea of the virtues of RWD. Ever heard of physics? weight distribution? and the fact that separting the steering input from the driven wheels give you the best handling.. OOOPS.. turns out nobody told, MB, Ferrari, Maserati, Aston, Jag, BMW, Rolls, etc.(i wouldnt include the crappy Bently that rides on a POS phaeton platform) that all use a rwd set up. Shit!!.. that memo only went to POS skoda, vw, audi and other shit car companies like Ford kia etc. Even lexus has moved over for the most part as have the upper end of GM and even lowly chrylser... but audi mus tknow something here. yes that a 57/43 fw bias is especailly leveraged by shit FWD, torque steer induced, set up.

so.. answer this.. how old really are you? what do you drive? and what do you do? where did you go to college.? what degree(s) ?

answer honestly and I will prove my point, jackass!!

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chewy - 7/12/2008 4:28:34 PMView My AgentSpace

+2 Boost

ever heard of cars such as the Nissan GTR and Porsche 911 Turbo. Both use AWD for perfromance.

saying that Audi makes horrible engines is really funny also.

VISO - 7/12/2008 10:13:35 PM

+3 Boost

Hey Amazing douche bag, looks jpighetti proved your point - you are a complete tool. Nice points jpighetti! Also, anyone that owns an A8L W12, which I do by the way, along with an S6 and A6 4.2 and hopefully adding an RS6 next year can afford any dumbass BMW on the market. Furthermore, the R8 commands pricing higher than any BMW on the market today, so I guess those are all poor people.Though critizing and deaming someone less fortunate as oneself show very poor character. And in many respects S/RS Audis are command higher prices than equivalent BMWs and M BMWs. A 760iL doesn't even compare to a loaded A8L W12 last time I checked or an S600. That is way BMW cannot win comparisons where it really counts - the top bracket of the luxury premium market. BMW is defined by the 3-Series and that's it. So, amazingbimmer, what do you drive, what do you do, where are your degrees from? Hmm....very quiet out there.

audirevolution - 7/13/2008 1:48:41 AM

+4 Boost

amazingidiot drives a certified pre-owned BMW 95' 318ti.

jpighetti - 7/12/2008 4:04:12 PM

+4 Boost

I call you a loser because that's the best possible description. You're a joke, dude. A joke. The automotive blog version of the kid picked last for the football team. You're a loser.

Love the Spaghetti thing too. Funny and original. Kids were cracking that joke in kindergarden.

Real quick. A $4000 gap (as you go up the line) between an A8 and a 7 series is peanuts. Not even worth talking about. A few percent, moron, is not significant, You think that's the difference between affordable and unaffordable? That seems, well, just stupid.

Audi doesn't make "horrible" engines, BMW makes better ones in some cases. Equivalent in others. I'll give you that anyday. As I've said before, I'm a huge BWM fan, but I'm truly a car enthusiastbeyond that. I respect them all versus your closed-minded, jaded, and largely inaccurate perspective.

I certainly understand the value of RWD from a performance perspective. If you'd like someone to talk circles around you about cars, I'd be delighted. The point is that a vehicle is not defined by this, as you insist it is, and it doesn't make the car less luxurious. It simply means it won't handle as well as a similar RWD vehicle at the limits.

What if that's not important to you as a buyer, as it is not for most people? RWD is not a primary buying motivation for most premuim segment shoppers. Nobody buys a BMW because it's RWD. They buy them because they are good, rather great, cars that HAPPEN to be RWD. Do you think a history of making RWD cars, long before FWD was in existence, has anything to do with why they still build RWD cars? Just a thought...

Lets answer a few typically shallow questions from an expectedly shallow individual. I can't believe I'm even dignifying this with a response.

Well here goes douche.

I'm 26 years old
I drive (daily) an Lincoln Aviator that does a great job towing my 26 foot Baja Outlaw. I also have a Boxster S when I feel like moving a little quicker.
My bachelors in Criminal Justice and I'm currently gettting my masters in Business Administration. I have a nice house on just over an acre with a nice view. Decent starter home, you know?

I manage a high-end, multi point car dealership for my 9-5. I also own a bar and restaurant management and consulting company with 8 employees and one partner. You know, just a little something on the side. For the record there is currently not a BMW in production that i couldn't "afford", though a 760 would require me to shuffle some funds around and probably get rid of the boat or the Porsche. Is that what you meant? That I can't afford an SUV, boat, sports car, and mortgage AND the most expensive BMW available? I guess that's not really that embarassing...

Want to know what kind of watch I wear, or brand of shoes I'm currently rocking too? Where I went on vacation or how my 401k is doing? Because those are really important things too in determining whether or not I know about cars and stuff...

Unlike you, I don't def

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jpighetti - 7/12/2008 4:07:50 PM

+3 Boost

*define myself with materialism. I work hard and I've been fortunate, especially coming from a very humble background. You're the kind of shallow, vapid shell that gives BMW owners a bad image.

Now, what point were you trying to prove? Other than the fact that you're still a complete tool?

amazinBimmer - 7/13/2008 8:27:35 AM

-2 Boost

pales in cmparison to my new 750iL, m5 and wifes 530xi and my MBA from wharton. ibanker. not good days but the good ones do well in whatever market. I think my guest house would compare with you"acre lot'.. hahah. the boat you own is about as low end as the audis you like/ can afford.

i do agree with another jerkoff (maybe your friend?) that says that the 911t and the GTR are AWD cars, but the moron doesnt point out that they are engineered off a RWD platform and not merely made awd, becasue the alternative configuration would be unacceptable from a enthusiast's POV. a BOXTER S?.. dude.. couldnt afford the 911 huh??. Might want to think harder about your consulting company. and i could buy 6 BAJA boats EVERY year with my bonus. So give it a rest. you maybe doing ok by kansas standards, but in NY, you are on par with most construction workers (unionized of course).

also, if you have a copy of the "FWD- how to not invest in your core products and fool the stupid public" memo tha twas circulated to Audi, VW, Kia and Hyundai, please forward... as i said, was not copied on that memo.

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bulldogz - 7/13/2008 8:58:45 AM

+2 Boost

obviously Wharton glazed over spelling and grammar while you were there...

funny that you mock someone for not getting a 911, yet your wife drives a 530 not a 545/550...oh wait it's AWD right, just like your 750...oops.

chewy - 7/13/2008 2:43:53 PMView My AgentSpace

+3 Boost

you are a joke if you think the A8 W12 pales in comparison to the 7501i.

VISO - 7/13/2008 8:37:26 PM

+4 Boost

Your making all this up to disguise your inferiority complex. If you were intelligent and actually received a degree for so-called Wharton (big whoopie on that actually). Try to get a doctorate next time, then you would act and write with more objectivity and respect. Not to mention stop putting down so-called poor people. You seem at best some kind of wannabe who wants people to think he is special - oh yes, a BMW owner.

VISO - 7/13/2008 8:43:00 PM

+3 Boost

xi = imitiation Quattro. That's about it.

VISO - 7/13/2008 10:30:47 PM

+2 Boost

As they say if you have to brag....

budfrogS4 - 7/14/2008 10:21:46 AMView My AgentSpace

+3 Boost

There's no way in hell that an ibanker has the time to be posting as much as you do. Oh...except wannabe ibankers.

amazinBimmer - 7/13/2008 8:30:44 AM

-2 Boost

alex.. you must have same iq as spaghetti.. Mini sales are reported becasue they are part of the company as in "BMW group sales". they are always broken out additonally as a separate subsection as are BMW sales. go read the reports, idiot. oh wait...before you go.. tell me what you do, and drive. make spaghetti look good.

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amazinBimmer - 7/13/2008 10:25:19 AM

-2 Boost

bullshit.

530 is awd OFF a RWD platform.. and second its a bimmer, not a POS vw.. so get that straight.. 750Li not offered ina 4 wheel drive.. i wish it was.. but that still doesnt make me want a VW a8...whoch shares the stillborn Phaeton platform... so, i will wait for the newly released 7 which supposedly gets a Bimmer version (obviously better than vw) of true awd.

any other stupid observations?.. and spare me the spelling thing.. hard to do on blackberry, especially considering the audience. you get the point.

or do you, Mr. community college?

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jpighetti - 7/13/2008 11:05:02 AM

+1 Boost

Uh..uh..well...uh...my dad can beat up your dad!

As they say, you can't polish a turd.

VISO - 7/13/2008 8:41:31 PM

+1 Boost

Yada...Yada...Yada. Is that the crusp of your pathetic argument?

bulldogz - 7/15/2008 8:54:53 PM

+1 Boost

EXACTLY my point! Your wife could've jumped up to the better 550i but that's not AWD, and I knew you'd bite because we all know that the 7 doesn't even offer it.

You should've opted for the best in class A8L.

...and you've been soundly OWNED yet again, doesn't it get old?

amazinBimmer - 7/13/2008 11:36:56 AM

-2 Boost

but you could swallow one.. whole!!.

moron,, 26 year working as a car sales manager.. hahaha... is there a lower form of life?

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VISO - 7/13/2008 10:33:04 PM

+1 Boost

Now that is an intelligent response. What a comeback! Just shows you have no substance to your points.

jpighetti - 7/14/2008 11:40:26 AM

+2 Boost

AAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! OH MY GOD!! *whooooo* AHAHAHAHA!!

Wait! No more! Give me a second to recover! My sides have actually split open! HA HA HA HA HA! Ouch! I'm bleeeeding!!

+1, sir. Your words cut to the core of me. Well said. Well said indeed.

You have to be kidding. I can swallow a whole turd? That's all you got? That's a (small) notch above calling someone a doo-doo face. Is that what you're feeble arguement that devolved into? Calling me a turd-eater? You've been pretty solid in the insult department so far, but this is just unacceptable, even for a tool like you. I think we would have at least expected something like:

Me: As they say you can't polish a turd.
You: Then why do people wax their POS Audis?

HAHA! That would have been pretty funny, but no, we get "turd-swallower".

You truly are a clown. We thank you for the endless entertainment.

On a side note, what was the movie where the one guy says "I eat pieces of sh!t like you for breakfast", and the opther guy says "you eat pieces of sh!t for breakfast?". Was it Happy Gilmore with Adam Sandler?

Can't you guys see AmazinBimmer saying something like that?

AmazinBimmer: I eat pieces of sh!t like you for breakfast!
Random person: You eat pieces of sh!t for breakfast?
AmazinBimmer: Er...well...uh...that's not what i...uh,um...MY HOUSE IS BIGGER THAN YOURS!!

bulldogz - 7/15/2008 8:51:27 PM

+1 Boost

"...moron,, 26 year working as a car sales manager.. hahaha... is there a lower form of life?"

ahhhh, let's see...internet troll?

theoptimisticpessimist - 7/13/2008 11:59:54 AM

0 Boost

Another classic example of Audi underestimating the U.S. market. While worldwide Audi continues to soar They struggle with their U.S. sales. Their latest modest sales improvement in the U.S. speak to great products but their great products should be selling a lot better in here in the states.

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amazinBimmer - 7/13/2008 4:44:12 PM

-4 Boost

turns out we are smarter and dont buy stupid fwd cars...

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audirevolution - 7/13/2008 10:57:25 PM

+2 Boost

So you wouldn't buy a Bentley because its PLATFORM is based off of the Phaeton? What about a Lamborghini?
Those share lots of parts with Audi.

cipry - 7/14/2008 6:12:29 AM

+2 Boost

hey guys ! what you don't know it is that quattro (for beginners quattro means awd) is available at more than 35 % of all Audi cars, it means more than 350.000 new cars is equipped with quattro each year. quattro is the most succesfull awd system in the world, all other premium brands mercedes, lexus, bmw didn't sell as much cars with awd as Audi ! Reflect about that !

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