http://www.indiandrives.com/2011-toyota-avanza-in-india.html

Do:
- continue valuing total driving dynamics over discreet metrics
- making in-line six engines
- value light-weight over raw horsepower as a means to improved speed, handling, and effeciency.
- get back to pushing the design envelope
- continue offering RWD as primary drive layout
- reign in the amount of cheap plastic showing up in vehicles
- improve the quality of materials
- build the CS Concept

Don’t
- continue dumbing down offerings for US market (we hate this)
- continue to limit option choices for US customers
- ever go to 4WD only
- let the US Gov dictact the hybrid technology pursued
- stop specifying RF tires as standard
- continue relying on derivative design

Karim Habib: YOU SUCK!

sorry, but I have to get it out :)

I am not saying that Audi isn’t a threat for BMW (“BMW should take Audi very seriously”) I am just saying that copying Audi is not the best way to deal with that threat.

BMW bad numbers has little to do with Audi (maybe… the worst ECONOMIC CRISIS the world has seen in many years!)

And you will probably say “but Audi numbers are not that bad”.. yeap, but the crisis was particulary hard on the US, BMW biggest market. Audi´s numbers in the US still very small. Plus, Audi is under VW´s umbrella (the biggest european car maker) and they benefit a lot from the synergies with VW, Porsche, Lamborgini, etc. So I think is very unfair to compare “corporate BMW” to “corporate Audi” (we are not talking about cars here any more) If you compare BMW to Daimler (a much fair comparison) you will see that BMW is doing better.(http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/mar2009/gb20090310_118470.htm)

Well.. and that´s all I am going to say about Audi; because I am tired of this subject and because is really hard for me to write in english (40 min to write this little sh….)

Cheers!

http://www.leftlanenews.com/bmw-posts-worse-than-expected-2008-results.html

I can give many reasons why BMW is “better” than Audi (starting for: FWD vs RWD). But considering that many “fans” of BMW are insisting that BMW use Audi as a reference for their designs, I must say one thing: BMW does not want to be Audi (and that is pretty clear… thank God!).

Do you really think that the A4 looks better than the 3 Series? That the A6 looks better than the 5 series? That the A8 looks better than the 7 series? That the Q7 looks better than the X5?

OK, the A5 is a sexy car… but it is also the Audi that more uses BMW design language. In sum, Audi has a conservative design; BMW design is quite the opposite.

I think this paragraph of Kelley Blue Book Brand Image Awards expresses perfectly what I think about BMW design “Parking next to a BMW, fans of the brand’s styling will contend, is a sure way to make most any competitor look boring”. Exactly!!

BMW should take Audi very seriously, but never take it as a reference. BMW does not follow, BMW is always leading.

And to those who criticizes BMW investment in EfficientDynamics: BMW made an enormous investment in this technology, but it is unquestionable that they did the right thing. Today, BMW builds the most efficient premium cars worldwide. When everyone is talking about green vehicles, BMW is leading the way… again.

ps (sorry for my english!)

“a lot of young kids hate Mercedes”. m…. I think it’s not hate. Just not right!!! A kid or even me drive a Mercedes, my friends would think I drove my dad or my grandad’s car!!!

For example, put the newest E-class next to the current 5-series or A6. E-class still have the look and image for the old people….. Centainly, I would not like my friends seeing me behind the wheel of the Mercedes. I don’t want my friends think I am getting old!!!!

I think Audi has a nice design theme in their cars, but they just not creative enongh…… Eventually, they make all the models look the same. So their cars dated very quickly. See how frequent the A6 got facelifted…..

I actually do agree with you on the xDrive thing. Right now I believe xDrive can send 100% of power to the rear or the front axle “faster than the blink of an eye” and Quattro I think is only 80%.

As for diesel I agree also that BMW, although a think a bit newer to it than Audi, has made a name for itself especially with the 335d and the 123d (they really should bring that engine to the US in the current 1 series coupe/cabriolet).

And doing some more research (I find that you’re not always thinking optimally at 1am :) … I found that there are quite a few BMW models that are already lighter than their Audi counterpart. The A6 3.0T vs the 535i, the 535i is about 450lbs lighter! Also the A4 2.0T vs the 328i (non-AWD models) the 328i is about 190lbs lighter. Then going to the brand new 7 series vs the A8, you have to juggle the numbers a bit. The 750i is about 150lbs heavier than the A8 4.2, but it is packing 50hp and 125 ft/lb torque more than the A8 which helps it get to 60 0.8sec faster at 5.1sec and the fuel economy is 1mpg lower, both in city and highway, than the A8 at 15/22mpg. That to me is nothing, and well worth it to be in a faster car and having been at the launch party, one very sweet car, inside and out. It’d be interesting to see what the redesigned A8 will weight with their new gadgetry.

I read Audi’s A4 outsold the 3 series in Germany… it’d be interesting to find out exactly why. Maybe they had more engine choices, maybe they got all the taxi contracts (I hear that’s a big one that will boost numbers). Anyone know?