Saturday, January 24, 2009

Audi also reducing work hours for 25,000 workers in Germany

Audi Workers

Two days ago we wrote about BMW and Volkswagen planning on reducing work hours for a total of 86,000 workers, Germany. And now, even though last year was one of the best years in Audi's history, the German giant announced that they also plan on reducing work hours at their Ingolstadt and Neckarslum plants, between February 20 and 27. The decision, which affects around 25,000 employees from the divisions directly associated with the production of automobiles. However, Audi reassured its employees that they workplaces are secure, at least until 2011.

"The overall demand in some major markets has dropped so drastically, especially in the last few weeks, that we've been forced to act," said Dr. Werner Widuckel, Member of the Board of Management for Human Resources at AUDI AG. "This is our way of reacting to the downward trend in demand on worldwide car markets."

"In the agreement on reduced hours compensation allowance, we agreed with the Board of Management on a gross increase in the reduced hours compensation. Through this, remuneration should for the most part be equalized," said Peter Mosch, Chairman of the General Works Council of AUDI AG.

Source: Audi

 

Audi to advertise again in the Super Bowl, this time with Jason Statham

Audi Super Bowl Ad

It seems that Audi was pleased with last year's Super Bowl ad, because this year they've decided to go with another ad during one of every year's most anticipated sports events. This time, they've decided to go with an ad featuring Jason Statham (one of the coolest actors around, with movies like Crank, Snatch, Death Race), the actor who became famous after doing all sorts of stunts in a BMW 7 Series, an Audi A8 W12 and an Audi S8, in the Transporter movies (the first one was really good, but still, all three movies were fun to watch). In this year's ad Audi continues to send warnings to "old luxury", the spot featuring a high-speed journey through luxury automobiles in American history, sending the message that some things are best left in the past. The ad was created by Audi's advertising agency, San Francisco based Venables Bell & Partners and it was shot on-location in Los Angeles.

"After an exceptional last two years, the Audi brand has experienced unprecedented growth, not just in sales, but in awareness and excitement," said Scott Keogh, chief marketing officer, Audi of America. "Every new model we introduce is making more and more consumers stand up and take notice of the single best line-up in the market. Last year's spot sent the message that Audi was truly redefining luxury. This year's spot will ensure that everyone realizes that Audi is the best choice, period."

"In addition to having had the opportunity to drive Audi models in several of my films, I drive one in my personal life, as well. I have always loved the mix of style and performance they offer," said Statham. "I am thrilled to be affiliated with a company I so believe in on the biggest stage in American television."

Source: Audi

 

Audi signs partnership with Prada

Audi Prada

It looks like Prada, the Italian fashion giant, is really fond of the automotive market, because after last year we announced a partnership with Hyundai for a special edition of the Genesis Sedan, a couple of days ago Prada announced another deal with a very important car maker, Audi. So far there's no word about possible special editions of Audi models, instead, the two companies will work together this year for some high-profile events, the first one being the yacht "Luna Rossa" during the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series.

"Audi and Prada are strong brands," said Peter Schwarzenbauer, Audi AG board of management member for marketing and sales. "We aim to pool these strengths and build up a long-term partnership."

Source: Inside Line

 

Audi A7


Audi A7, originally uploaded by jarapet.

 

Jason Statham and A6 Facelift set to Star in Audi Superbowl Ad

Super Bowl ad will feature the "Transporter",Jason Statham, skipping through time looking for the perfect getaway car. The 60-second spot will air during the first quarter of the game, the most expensive ad time there is.

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Audi to feature redesigned A6 and Jason Statham in Super Bowl ad

Usually when you think of Audi in a high-speed chase scene you think of Jason Statham behind the wheel in Transporter. Well, that's exactly what Audi is going for with their 60-second Super Bowl XLIII ad for next month.

Audi's "Chase" ad will feature the new redesigned supercharged A6 and Transporter Jason Statham as he tries to find the perfect getaway car. After trying several luxury vehicles that fail to get the job done, Statham finds a supercharged A6.

We're just guessing if Statham will also overlook the BMW 7-Series he used in the first installment of Transporter.

Follow the jump for the press release.

Audi's new Super Bowl ad, "Chase," defines luxury for the new era

- 60-second creative will star Jason Statham
- Spot will include new supercharged Audi A6 luxury sedan
- Audi is advertising in the Super Bowl for the second year in a row

HERNDON, Va., Jan 21, 2009  -  Audi aims to create as much on-screen excitement in its second Super Bowl ad as the players create on the field. Inspired by iconic Hollywood chase scenes, actor Jason Statham, known for his action-packed roles in the "Transporter" series, "Snatch" and "The Bank Job," rushes from decade to decade to avoid capture, trying to find a vehicle to aid his getaway. He finds that several other luxury vehicles fail to get the job done. That is, until he finds the supercharged Audi A6, the company's redesigned, mid-sized luxury sedan. This ad will mark Jason Statham's first time doing a Super Bowl commercial.

In 2008, Audi placed old luxury on notice with its first Super Bowl ad in nearly 20 years. This year's spot is a high-speed journey through luxury automobiles in American history, sending the message that some things are best left in the past. Audi chose this trip through history as the theme for its Super Bowl ad to send the message that, in the luxury automotive marketplace, Audi is the most progressive choice.

The new supercharged A6 is the latest in the line of successful new products Audi has introduced in recent years, including the stunning R8 sports car, the A5, the A4 and the TTS, as well as the upcoming Audi Q5 crossover, which will be introduced in the spring of 2009. These models combine to form one of the industry's most complete and compelling product line-ups. Audi engineers its products to meet the needs of its consumers now and in the future, ensuring that while fads may come and go, Audi is here to stay.

"After an exceptional last two years, the Audi brand has experienced unprecedented growth, not just in sales, but in awareness and excitement," said Scott Keogh, chief marketing officer, Audi of America. "Every new model we introduce is making more and more consumers stand up and take notice of the single best line-up in the market. Last year's spot sent the message that Audi was truly redefining luxury. This year's spot will ensure that everyone realizes that Audi is the best choice, period."

"In addition to having had the opportunity to drive Audi models in several of my films, I drive one in my personal life, as well. I have always loved the mix of style and performance they offer," said Statham. "I am thrilled to be affiliated with a company I so believe in on the biggest stage in American television."

Audi's advertising agency, San Francisco-based Venables Bell & Partners, created the ad, which was shot on-location in Los Angeles. The agency painstakingly recreated different eras in American history with costuming, lighting, film stock and period-specific automobiles to create a stunning depiction of the different eras explored in the ad. 

 

Audi sold more A4’s than BMW 3 Series in Germany

Before I get into this debate, I have to say that, at the moment, I do not have the BMW sale numbers for their 3 Series sold in Germany in 2008. But I will give you the story briefly as I learned about it from our friends at Autoblog and an official Audi press release.

Over the last few months, I mentioned several times how in my conversations with BMW executives, I was reminded each time that the Audi is the new BMW competitor, despite the past history where everyone believed Mercedes-Benz is their biggest and most important competitor.

2009-bmw-a4

In the past years, BMW and Audi have competed head-to-head on almost all the market segments, from luxury sedans and roadsters, to Sport Activity Vehicles.

According to Audi and the German department of vehicle registration, in 2008, there were 98,714 A4 models registered, ahead of BMW 3 Series and behind the Volkswagen Golf.

2009 VW Golf

3series_sedan_wallpaper

But here is where the confusion starts. While Autoblog reports that the total number represents the new A4 models registered, in the Audi's press release, there is no mention of the registration numbers being based on new vehicles registered only.

Audi names their TT roadster one of the most successful models in their class, a statement that many might disagree with, but 2009 it's a whole new different game and the new BMW Z4 Roadster will most likely do very well.

Regardless of this, we have to hand it to them, they built some great cars lately and they closed the gap that separated the Ingolstadt based carmaker from BMW or Mercedes.

[Source: Autoblog ]

 

Audi A4 - Germany’s most successful premium model in 2008

The latest vehicle registration numbers verify that the Audi A4 is Germany's most successful premium automobile. No other model in the premium segment surpassed the 98,714 A4 models registered last year. The Audi A6 also topped its segment with 45,304 registrations. The second generation of the Audi TT design icon was registered 10,630 times in Germany – making it the most successful sports car in Germany in 2008.

Audi A4

 

AUDI AG was able to expand its market share on the domestic German market to 8.1 percent – an increase of 0.8 percent. In Western Europe, Audi boosted its market share by 0.4 points to 4.8 percent: No other premium brand succeeded in strengthening its market position this significantly. "Audi is presently experiencing stronger growth than any other premium brand in the region – and thanks to new models we will maintain this dynamism," says Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG. "In a difficult market environment, we want to further expand our market share in Germany and Western Europe."

The Audi A4 is presently undergoing further upgrading: The top versions of the model line – the S4 Sedan and Avant – are now arriving in Europe's showrooms. The new A4 Avant was just launched in April 2008. In addition to the fleet award from Auto-Flotte magazine, Audi's best-selling model has already won countless accolades and has beaten the competition in all relevant comparison tests.

The product improvement of the A6 was launched in September 2008. Also the winner of the fleet award in its class, today the A6 is Germany's most successful business sedan. With the Audi TTS, the top version of the TT line, Audi introduced the first S model in this class. The Audi TT TDI debuted as the first production sports car powered by a diesel engine.

© Source: automotoportal

 

2009 Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro

(from Audi press release) The Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro: breathtaking performance

The new 5.2-liter, ten-cylinder engine puts out 525 hp
Sprint to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds, top speed 316 km/h
High-performance sports car with striking design

2009 Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro-2

2009 Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro-1

 

Ingolstadt Audi is launching the next variant of its top-of-the-line model. With the R8, the brand has established itself at the forefront of high-end sports cars from the very start and now comes the R8 V10. Its 5.2-liter, ten-cylinder engine churns out 386 kW (525 hp) and 530 Nm (390.91 lb-ft) of torque, which makes for breathtaking performance. With superior Audi technologies such as quattro all-wheel drive, the lightweight aluminum body, the innovative all-LED headlights, and its striking design, the R8 V10 takes pole position against the competition.

The R8 V10 is the result of cumulative know-how from Audis string of Le Mans victories. Its naturally aspirated engine combines racing technology such as dry sump lubrication with FSI gasoline direct injection. The ten-cylinder design is the perfect synthesis for impressive top performance, mighty pulling power, and low weight. Starting in 2009, this engine will also prove its potential on the worlds racetracks in the new R8 racing car Audi is developing for customer teams in conformance with the GT3 rules.

The V10 engine in the production sports car will be almost identical in construction to the one in the racing version. Its displacement is 5,204 cc, at 6,500 rpm it delivers 530 Nm (390.91 lb-ft) of torque, at 8,000 rpm its power tops out at 386 kW (525 hp).

The specific power output is 100.9 hp per liter of displacement and each hp has to propel only 3.09 kilograms (6.91 lb) of weight, because the Audi R8 V10 in the version with the six-speed manual gearshift weighs only 1,620 kilograms (3571 lb). The engine accounts for 258 of these kilograms (569 lb) thats only 31 kilos (68 lb) more than the V8.

The 5.2-liter powerplant uses direct injection according to the FSI principle developed by Audi. A common rail system injects the fuel into the combustion chambers with up to 120 bar of pressure. Direct injection reduces the susceptibility to knocking and provides a certain amount of cooling through the evaporation of the fuel, which in turn supports a high compression ratio of 12.5:1. This in turn contributes to superior performance and improves fuel economy. The R8 V10 with R tronic gets by on an average of 13.7 liters per 100 km (17.17 US mpg).

© Source: seriouswheels

 

Spy Video: Audi RS5 Caught Undisguised at Nurburgring

The Audi RS5 is heard roaring around the Nürburgring during a high speed track testing session. Expected in 2010, the RS5 will use a 4.2-litre twin turbo V8 engine for its 450hp.


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Thinking Small: Audi A1, Q3 and VW Polo

Thinking Small: Audi A1, Q3 and VW Polo - VW, Audi Small Cars Could be Coming to the U.S. - Auto News - Motor Trend
More Small Cars Coming from Volkswagen and Audi, and They All Could be Coming Here

Volkswagen will unveil its new sub-Golf-size Polo small car at the Geneva show in March. Development chief Ulrich Hackenberg recently revealed that VW is considering selling the vehicle in the U.S. It would compete with the Ford Fiesta, which comes to the States in 2010. Hackenberg was eager to point out the growth in this segment in the U.S., although with recent oil price falls and the general economic crash, that growth is stalling temporarily. Hackenberg said it would be no small commitment to sell the car in America. "If we build it in Mexico, we could afford to sell it ."

 

New Toyota Cars

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