tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90301575134353049072024-03-07T21:01:19.824-06:00The Audi Blog SiteThe Audi Blog Audiblog Audiblogsite Audiworld Audi VW A1 A2 A3 A4 A6 A8 A8L S2 S8 R8 UP! UP R4 RS2 RS4 RS6 R8 R10 S3 TT TTS TTRS Nuvolari Avantissimo Audi Sport TDI Lemans Audi of America Audi Blog Site AudiWorldwide Audi World Wide Audi USA Audi of America Audi News Blog German Car Blog Audi Car AUDI AutoUnion NSU Auto Union Audi ConceptUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger164125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030157513435304907.post-82646141206240694812014-06-11T05:16:00.001-05:002014-06-11T05:21:18.822-05:00Audi RS1 to have 300bhp 2.0T <p dir="ltr">Artist Remo <u><u>Meulendijk</u></u></p>
<p dir="ltr">rendering of the Audi RS1 </p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-GaoQ7tnd3Gw/U5gtgOsdvhI/AAAAAAAAA18/263D1v566_M/s1600/14359640274_3c23fea1ac_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-GaoQ7tnd3Gw/U5gtgOsdvhI/AAAAAAAAA18/263D1v566_M/s640/14359640274_3c23fea1ac_o.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-sE2u0aZCuMY/U5gtiP7QdNI/AAAAAAAAA2E/gV-c0cBMRSQ/s1600/14173950650_42023889a4_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-sE2u0aZCuMY/U5gtiP7QdNI/AAAAAAAAA2E/gV-c0cBMRSQ/s640/14173950650_42023889a4_o.jpg"> </a> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030157513435304907.post-45341034819914800352012-02-27T17:27:00.000-06:002012-02-27T17:31:34.910-06:00Audi AG : Live from Ingolstadt: AUDI AG Annual Press Conference<ul><li> Thursday, March 1, 2012, 10.00 a.m. (CET): Live TV broadcast via satellite </li><li> Mobile portal for smartphones and tablets </li></ul><p> <a href="http://www.4-traders.com/AUDI-AG-436431/news/AUDI-AG-Live-from-Ingolstadt-AUDI-AG-Annual-Press-Conference-14044082/"> Link From 4-Traders</a><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030157513435304907.post-11372370487793686292012-02-27T17:21:00.002-06:002012-02-27T17:24:55.713-06:00Audi to build logistics center in Gönyű<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iUdLdJcebuA/T0wQp4GzQzI/AAAAAAAAArk/pndafdRX6ic/s1600/Budapest%2BHungary%2Blocation%2Bon%2BEurope%2Bmap%2Bby%2BBudapest%2BFAQ%2B.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 223px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iUdLdJcebuA/T0wQp4GzQzI/AAAAAAAAArk/pndafdRX6ic/s320/Budapest%2BHungary%2Blocation%2Bon%2BEurope%2Bmap%2Bby%2BBudapest%2BFAQ%2B.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713960338847908658" border="0" /></a><br /><div class="articleBody" id="62725"><p>German carmaker Audi will build a logistics center to service a capacity expansion at its base in the Hungarian city of Győr in nearby Gönyű, rather than at the plant itself, regional daily Kisalföld said on Saturday.</p> <p>“The government will ensure all conditions necessary for the construction of the Audi logistics park at the port of Gönyü,” government commission for foreign investment Zsolt Becsey told the paper.</p> <p> “We will establish such market conditions in Gönyű that make the port competitive,” he added.</p> <p>The choice of Gönyű for the logistics center – a choice that is most economic for the government – became clear after the company’s management spoke with the prime minister at an event organized by the German Economy Club on Thursday, the paper said, citing “officials”.</p></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.bbj.hu/business/audi-to-build-logistics-center-in-gonyu-not-gyor-_62725"><span style="font-size:85%;">Source - Budapest Business Journal</span></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030157513435304907.post-31994621815997994992012-02-27T17:15:00.003-06:002014-06-11T05:11:46.804-05:00New Audisport DTM Chassis?<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PCKaUynb5NQ/T0wPYvPvsJI/AAAAAAAAArY/3kl3Y6LC-rU/s1600/audi-rs5-international-superstar-2.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 141px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PCKaUynb5NQ/T0wPYvPvsJI/AAAAAAAAArY/3kl3Y6LC-rU/s320/audi-rs5-international-superstar-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713958944900100242" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The <span class="text main_content">International Superstars Series will get an Audi Italia version and with BMW entering the M3 coupe. DTM is changing rulings, so are saloons going bye bye?</span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oXC2ordO1Pc/T0wPV46ko0I/AAAAAAAAArM/pi1GtSiy6-w/s1600/audi-rs5-international-superstar-1.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oXC2ordO1Pc/T0wPV46ko0I/AAAAAAAAArM/pi1GtSiy6-w/s320/audi-rs5-international-superstar-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713958895956042562" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ULifecTKrzQ/T0wTe8h2DZI/AAAAAAAAArw/3auSyfWFkj0/s1600/2012-Audi-A5-DTM-Top-Front-Angle.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 144px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ULifecTKrzQ/T0wTe8h2DZI/AAAAAAAAArw/3auSyfWFkj0/s200/2012-Audi-A5-DTM-Top-Front-Angle.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713963449591401874" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030157513435304907.post-72710132297382257892012-02-27T17:06:00.008-06:002012-02-27T17:13:51.920-06:00Audi A3E<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fm8C716dr54/T0wM3g-GzJI/AAAAAAAAAqc/FtUlU3iRhNk/s1600/audi-a3-e-tron-6.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 142px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fm8C716dr54/T0wM3g-GzJI/AAAAAAAAAqc/FtUlU3iRhNk/s200/audi-a3-e-tron-6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713956175109082258" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Luxury automaker Audi announced a battery-electric A3 called the e-tron at TED2012 in Long Beach, CA. today - but you can’t get one, not yet, anyway. The A3 e-tron pilot program will take place in the San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and Denver markets, where Audi engineers and technical experts will explore EVs in a real world-</span><span style="font-family:arial;">setting and monitor how e-tron technology operates in everyday use.</span><br /><br style="font-family:arial;"> <br style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:arial;"> Carbuyers have increasingly become more receptive to electric vehicles as the Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf and other made their public debuts in recent years, and this is Audi’s first foray into the field. By studying e-tron use across multiple geographical regions, Audi will monitor the effect of climate conditions, driving patterns and energy performance and use insight gained in the final development of future EV technology applications, and base whatever, if any, electric vehicle it eventually produces partially on this data.</span><br style="font-family:arial;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2SRFgi9qqOU/T0wNHIFbbNI/AAAAAAAAAq0/8R3Ut7jdDJI/s1600/audi-a3-e-tron-1.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 142px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2SRFgi9qqOU/T0wNHIFbbNI/AAAAAAAAAq0/8R3Ut7jdDJI/s200/audi-a3-e-tron-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713956443306814674" border="0" /></a><br style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:arial;"> That’s when you can, in theory, think about buying one.</span><br style="font-family:arial;"> <br style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:arial;"> The pilot will run throughout the year, Audi says.</span><br style="font-family:arial;"> <br style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:arial;"> “As part of the long-range Audi corporate goal of moving toward CO2-neutral mobility, there will be e-tron plug-in vehicle products exhibiting all of the performance and design attributes Audi drivers have come to expect,” said Johann</span><span style="font-family:arial;">, President of Audi of America. “Audi is committed to refining Audi e-tron technology and we expect our plug-in vehicles to become a significant choice for our buyers within a growing line of advanced, efficient Audi powertrains over the coming years.”</span><br style="font-family:arial;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HQSeKC6b5CA/T0wNSyMRdiI/AAAAAAAAArA/M0DbE66WkDw/s1600/audi-a3-e-tron-5.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HQSeKC6b5CA/T0wNSyMRdiI/AAAAAAAAArA/M0DbE66WkDw/s200/audi-a3-e-tron-5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713956643588372002" border="0" /></a><br style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:arial;"> Based on the award-winning Audi A3, currently sold to U.S. consumers in gasoline-powered and clean diesel TDI configurations, the Audi A3 e-tron features a fully electric powertrain with a 26kw lithium-ion battery, and zero driving emissions. Providing a sporty driving dynamic, Audi A3 e-tron has 199 lb-ft torque, a battery range of approximately 90 miles and a top speed of 90 mph, all while retaining the full interior space and versatility of the A3. </span><br face="arial"> <br style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:arial;"> Audi also is working on standardizing peripheral technologies that have to be taken into consideration for wide spread EV adoption and use, including the setup and running of “stations” where you can charge up a car away from your home or office. Otherwise, long-range trips aren’t possible unless you buy two cars, one electric one and one hybrid or gas-only vehicles if you want to drive, say, cross-country.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/autos/audi-tosses-hat-electric-car-ring-a3-e-tron-article-1.1029240"><span style="font-size:85%;">Source - NY DailyNews</span></a><br /></span><div style="overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; text-decoration: none; border: medium none;"><br /><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030157513435304907.post-34075846283676237992012-02-27T16:54:00.005-06:002012-02-27T17:04:44.689-06:00Why Audi?!?What happened to the RS4? Seriously....<br />444Bhp?!? are you kidding me when there are B5 RS4's that have 800Bhp?!?!?<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CeNOqyaNR6c/T0wLPIrEj_I/AAAAAAAAAp4/6yaFXc4kzHs/s1600/Audi-RS4.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CeNOqyaNR6c/T0wLPIrEj_I/AAAAAAAAAp4/6yaFXc4kzHs/s320/Audi-RS4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713954381880397810" border="0" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1nFz62eQIL8/T0wLtu3bemI/AAAAAAAAAqQ/ldI_0bgL07E/s1600/mercedes_2007_c_class.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 204px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1nFz62eQIL8/T0wLtu3bemI/AAAAAAAAAqQ/ldI_0bgL07E/s320/mercedes_2007_c_class.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713954907528854114" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030157513435304907.post-35545167918571990152011-06-08T22:39:00.004-05:002011-06-09T21:59:47.793-05:00Thankyou Audi...er Porsche<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HdcKiQ2RVLs/TfBC0uX2s9I/AAAAAAAAAmk/RopsiY7pVWE/s1600/AudiRS3_dude.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 226px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HdcKiQ2RVLs/TfBC0uX2s9I/AAAAAAAAAmk/RopsiY7pVWE/s320/AudiRS3_dude.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616062208899724242" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I can already see 400bhp RS3's....<br />2.5 litres of Pain.<br />Sadly though once again the NorthAmerica market probably won't see this $60,000 vehicle. Atleast young Chinese millionaires will have something to goto work in.<br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030157513435304907.post-17165743358482416812011-05-08T00:29:00.006-05:002011-05-08T00:51:10.579-05:00Audi Quattro Concept<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RDMk3O2hbrg/TcYuOc4UumI/AAAAAAAAAmQ/9dZiI24TOZw/s1600/Audi_conc_reality.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 252px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RDMk3O2hbrg/TcYuOc4UumI/AAAAAAAAAmQ/9dZiI24TOZw/s400/Audi_conc_reality.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604217612114639458" border="0" /></a>I'm going to say what needs to be said...it's going to remain a concept.<br />Oil prices have stabilized for now but we will begin seeing fuel shortages in the near future.<br />As stunning as the AQC is, the Audi E-Tron would be a direct competitor for the Quattro concept(Also the RS5), and seeing as fuel will be the number one issue. Audi has been smart in the past with keeping concepts as just a glimmer of what is really going into production. The Audi E-Tron platform is a realistic view of the future.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030157513435304907.post-59221383878674047522010-12-31T16:51:00.003-06:002012-02-27T17:37:32.957-06:00It's set in stone DTM will be in the US..<span id="intelliTXT" name="intelliTxt">The DTM is officially headed for the United States.<br /><br />The 12-race US-based championship for the extreme DTM cars will begin in 2013 -- one year after GRAND-AM's flagship Daytona Prototype class undergoes a serious remodeling project -- that will serve as a sprint racing support show for GRAND-AM, NASCAR Sprint Cup and the NASCAR Nationwide Series.<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6NhTAY2AlQk/TR5it08PDwI/AAAAAAAAAiE/7osqRPYm5Es/s1600/us_dtm.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 197px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6NhTAY2AlQk/TR5it08PDwI/AAAAAAAAAiE/7osqRPYm5Es/s320/us_dtm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556987529666694914" border="0" /></a><br /><span id="intelliTXT" name="intelliTxt">“Only days after BMW officially announced its commitment to the DTM from 2012, this is more good news concerning the future of the DTM”, said Hans Werner Aufrecht, chairman of the ITR group that runs the DTM.<br /><br />“Internationalisation has been our goal, in order to ensure that cars to DTM regulations can be used in more countries all over the world. We have had very constructive talks with the GRAND-AM organisation and we are very excited with this new partnership.”<br /><br />GRAND-AM president Tom Bledsoe says he expects the new venture with the DTM to serve as a major boost for his series.<br /><br />“We are proud to forge these new relationships with the many manufacturers choosing to embrace the DTM vision, and we look forward to welcoming these exciting cars to the USA. With these announcements, we can begin planning with our media partners, race tracks and teams. The addition of a DTM-style sprint race will increase the attraction for our fans and help grow all GRAND-AM series.”<br /><br />Ekstrom on the future of DTM -<br /></span>"I am convinced that 2012 is going to be the start of an era for DTM not seen since the glory days of Super Touring. With Audi, Mercedes, BMW and perhaps one or two more manufacturers entering, plus the expansion to USA and Asia - that is the future of touring car racing. I am really looking forward to race the new cars with a lot more opponents."<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Sources - <a href="http://nascar.speedtv.com/article/grand-am-dtm-confirm-us-based-series/">Speedtv</a><br /><a href="http://www.touringcartimes.com/article.php?id=5650">TouringCarTimes</a></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030157513435304907.post-55624718471073350722010-12-28T18:42:00.002-06:002010-12-28T18:45:34.000-06:00VW's Audi to Beat Target for Mini-Rival A1 SubcompactAudi AG, Volkswagen AG’s luxury-car brand, will probably beat its target for A1 deliveries next year and may further increase production to meet demand for the subcompact, the unit’s sales chief said in an interview.<br /><br />Audi anticipates selling 120,000 A1s in 2011, compared with a previous projection of 100,000, and may boost the goal again, Peter Schwarzenbauer said by telephone. Audi plans to use about 20,000 of the 50,000 units built in 2010 to promote the model at dealerships and for demonstrations.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6NhTAY2AlQk/TRqEpboA2zI/AAAAAAAAAh0/wcOspo9-nBM/s1600/A1%2560.jpeg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6NhTAY2AlQk/TRqEpboA2zI/AAAAAAAAAh0/wcOspo9-nBM/s200/A1%2560.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555898937640016690" border="0" /></a><br /><br />“After getting feedback from our dealers, it’s clear that our production rates may need to be increased again to satisfy demand,” the executive said. “We are extremely confident that the A1 will be a huge success for us and are running far ahead of plan in some markets,” including the U.K. and France.<br /><br />Audi, which aims to topple Bayerische Motoren Werke AG as the luxury leader by 2015, is targeting record worldwide deliveries this year of more than 1.08 million cars and sport- utility vehicles, an increase of 14 percent from 2009. Eleven- month sales climbed 15 percent to 1 million vehicles, surpassing Audi’s previous full-year record set in 2008.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-20/audi-set-to-surpass-target-for-mini-rival-a1-next-year-sales-chief-says.html">Source - Bloomberg</a></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030157513435304907.post-44513160890281082532010-12-28T18:34:00.003-06:002010-12-28T18:38:38.085-06:00Reboot - Audi Motorsport Video STW/BTCC Saloon<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/65bCJgyCPAk?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="285" width="400"></embed><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0aJf0mtviL0?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="285" width="400"></embed>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030157513435304907.post-1396342623506627022010-12-23T00:19:00.005-06:002010-12-23T00:31:39.345-06:00Rob Austin Racing confirms Audi B8 Chassis BTCC Program<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6NhTAY2AlQk/TRLrO7CewHI/AAAAAAAAAho/WnLPApddtGU/s1600/btcc96_audi.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 126px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6NhTAY2AlQk/TRLrO7CewHI/AAAAAAAAAho/WnLPApddtGU/s200/btcc96_audi.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553759932100034674" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Rob Austin Racing has confirmed that it will be entering the Dunlop British Touring Car Championship in 2011 with the purchase of two new Audi A4 Next Generation Touring Cars (NGTC). The cars are on order with GPR Motorsport Ltd for delivery in early March 2011 in time for the start of the 2011 season. <p>Commenting on the move Rob Austin said, “This is a great step for us and a fantastic challenge. We are convinced that the NGTC concept is going to make the BTCC even more competitive and exciting and that the Audi will be a race winner.”<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6NhTAY2AlQk/TRLrH4p6q2I/AAAAAAAAAhg/wP1WLtJeNd0/s1600/audi-return-btcc.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6NhTAY2AlQk/TRLrH4p6q2I/AAAAAAAAAhg/wP1WLtJeNd0/s200/audi-return-btcc.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553759811201051490" border="0" /></a></p> <p>Commenting on the deal Gary Blackham of GPR Motorsport said, “We are pleased that Rob has made the decision to join the BTCC. We are delighted to be building the cars and are sure that they will be competitive from the outset.” </p> <p>Discussions are taking place with potential drivers and sponsors and the team hopes to be in a position to confirm the line up at the Autosport Show in January. However, the team will welcome enquiries from interested parties. Please note that it must be stressed that the picture included is merely a rough artist’s impression and not necessarily representative of how the car will appear under NGTC regulations.</p><p>Sidenote - It is unclear if they will use a NA BPY code derivative engine. The older Audisport engines were 2.0 litre NA High Rpm engines which made power from 4500k-9000k range. The current 2.0T engine is in the old BTCC Audisport format - 2.0 litre 16valves.<br /></p><p><a href="http://www.robaustin.com/news.html"><span style="font-size:78%;">Source - Rob Austin Racing</span></a><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030157513435304907.post-29446996743817501422010-12-15T12:53:00.003-06:002010-12-15T12:58:58.243-06:00VW the join F1 with 4-5 cylinder<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6NhTAY2AlQk/TQkPd0c6eTI/AAAAAAAAAg8/cdifh3KES64/s1600/f1_vw.jpeg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 275px; height: 183px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6NhTAY2AlQk/TQkPd0c6eTI/AAAAAAAAAg8/cdifh3KES64/s320/f1_vw.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550985020681386290" border="0" /></a><br />The engines will reduce fuel consumption by 35 percent, series ruling body Federation Internationale de l’Automobile said.<br />Formula One is courting auto companies with rules that are more relevant to road car research after Honda Motor Co., Bayerische Motoren Werke AG and Toyota Motor Corp. stopped funding teams in the last two years as the credit crunch reduced sales, said Mark Gallagher, general manager of engine-maker Cosworth Ltd.’s Formula One Operations.<br /><br />Volkswagen executives sat in on as many as 20 meetings at the FIA’s Paris headquarters in the last year to help come up with the engine rules, said Gallagher, who was also present. Volkswagen’s interest in the sport was confirmed by another meeting attendee, who declined to be identified because the company hasn’t made a final decision.<br /><br />With VW helping with the Rules its pretty much a big yes for their entry and the unamed Company could be GM.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-15/formula-one-is-said-to-court-volkswagen-with-sexy-energy-saving-engines.html"><span style="font-size:85%;">Source - Bloomberg </span></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030157513435304907.post-41720898410188772782010-12-08T22:01:00.002-06:002010-12-08T22:03:54.333-06:00Audi November Sales Up 5.2%Audi AG, a unit of German car maker Volkswagen AG (VOW.XE), said Wednesday global November sales were up 5.2% on year at 87,050 vehicles. <p> Global sales in the first 11 months of the year reached 1,003,900, surpassing the record of 1,003,469 for 2008 as a whole, and 15% above sales in the year-earlier period. </p> <p> November sales were primarily driven by growth in China and the U.S., as well as stronger demand in Germany, Audi said in a press statement. In China, sales were up 7.2% on the year, at 17,692 cars, while U.S. sales surged 38% to 9,365 cars. In Germany, Audi sold 22,055 cars in November, up 1.0% from a year earlier. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6NhTAY2AlQk/TQBVGxAlvII/AAAAAAAAAgw/P9J7CFm6nK8/s1600/images.jpeg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 271px; height: 186px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6NhTAY2AlQk/TQBVGxAlvII/AAAAAAAAAgw/P9J7CFm6nK8/s400/images.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548528315643837570" border="0" /></a></p> <p> "Despite the high growth of recent months in China, Germany will once again win the head-to-head race among our biggest markets in 2010," managing board member Peter Schwarzenbauer said in the statement. </p> <p> A high number of orders in recent weeks will help Audi finish the year strongly in December, he added.<br /></p><p><span style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20101208-706344.html">Source - WSJ</a></span><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030157513435304907.post-31325851192054691892010-12-08T21:57:00.003-06:002010-12-08T22:00:37.948-06:00Audi S4 Engine Wins Ward's Award for Second Year in a Row<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6NhTAY2AlQk/TQBUHbwqnlI/AAAAAAAAAgo/nKSYpZr6Iq0/s1600/supercharged_engine.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6NhTAY2AlQk/TQBUHbwqnlI/AAAAAAAAAgo/nKSYpZr6Iq0/s320/supercharged_engine.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548527227608145490" border="0" /></a><br />HERNDON, Va., Dec., 8, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- An Audi engine earned a spot on the prestigious Ward's 10 Best Engines Award for the ninth time in the past 11 years. The listing for 2011, just released by Ward's, named the 3.0 TFSI Supercharged DOHC V6 in the Audi S4 among the world's most advanced powertrains.<br /><br />This marks the second year in a row that the 3.0 TFSI engine in the Audi S4 made the Ward's list.<br /><br />"Audi distinguishes itself through excellence in engineering and there's no better example of that than the 3.0 TFSI Supercharged V6 engine, " said Johan de Nysschen, President, Audi of America. "It's an exceptional demonstration of how Audi pushes to maximize efficiency without reducing performance. We're gratified by this important recognition from the editors of Ward's."<br /><br />In its 17th year, the Ward's 10 Best Engines competition is designed to recognize powertrains that set new benchmarks in their respective vehicle segments.<br /><br />"The one thing they have in common is they all are stand-out performers in their own way and sell the value proposition of the vehicles they power," said Drew Winter, editor-in-chief of Ward's AutoWorld magazine.<br /><br />Tom Murphy, executive editor of Ward's Auto World magazine, speaking for the editors who selected the Ward's 10 Best Engines had this to say about the Audi S4 supercharged V6:<br /><br />The Audi 3.0 TFSI engine "muscles its way onto the list for a second straight year with a stealthy 333 hp and 325 lb.-ft. (440 Nm) of torque that peaks at 2,900 rpm and holds steady until 5,300 rpm. The effect is all-consuming, washing over the driver like waves on a beach.<br /><br />"Through it all, the TFSI V-6 manages better than 25 mpg (9.4 L/100 km) on the highway during Ward's evaluation. Having replaced a gas-guzzling 4.2L V-8, the forced-induction V-6 demonstrates how engine downsizing need not come with a performance penalty."<br /><br /><a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/audi-s4-engine-wins-influential-wards-10-best-engines-award-for-second-year-in-a-row-111542689.html"><span style="font-size:85%;">Source - PRNewswire</span></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030157513435304907.post-34073492390639676122010-12-08T21:51:00.004-06:002010-12-08T21:54:38.988-06:00Oh yes...it is pretty.<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/dXUKWEvFKAs?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="280"></embed>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030157513435304907.post-42188688680239040792010-12-06T21:39:00.007-06:002010-12-06T22:04:35.903-06:00A brief History of the Audi 5 Cylinder<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6NhTAY2AlQk/TP2wu_HzjQI/AAAAAAAAAgA/qVivFUfb6rA/s1600/5cyl.gif"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 234px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6NhTAY2AlQk/TP2wu_HzjQI/AAAAAAAAAgA/qVivFUfb6rA/s320/5cyl.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547784637254962434" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The Audi 100 C2 was the first chassis the receive the 5 cylinder petrol engine designed by Audi (a 5 cylinder Diesel Mercedes variant in 1974 was the Genesis).<br /><br /><br /><br />From here on the 5 cylinder was made in variants in S/RS form in the S2 Coupe, RS2 Avant, & S4/S6 Sedan.<br /><br /><br />The design was then used by VW in the Eurovan, <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6NhTAY2AlQk/TP2x7c8n1yI/AAAAAAAAAgQ/IL483C_Te1c/s1600/jetta_eng.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 219px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6NhTAY2AlQk/TP2x7c8n1yI/AAAAAAAAAgQ/IL483C_Te1c/s320/jetta_eng.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547785950931179298" border="0" /></a>Jetta, & Beetle in small displacement form to current day.<br />The design is being used again in the Audi TT-RS and the newer Audi Quattro Concept car.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6NhTAY2AlQk/TP2wU6r9UEI/AAAAAAAAAf4/W1YidlYrTqY/s1600/TTRS_Engine.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 246px; height: 155px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6NhTAY2AlQk/TP2wU6r9UEI/AAAAAAAAAf4/W1YidlYrTqY/s320/TTRS_Engine.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547784189387821122" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030157513435304907.post-11214421581448636422010-12-06T21:36:00.002-06:002010-12-06T21:38:55.719-06:00After a 7 month hiatus due to personal issues I will be back updatig this blog..Bringing everything back online knocking the dust off the keyboard. In the meantime I went back to the car that made me an Audiphile, I purchased a 2002 B5 S4. In chipped form its on par with the Porsche Caymann S, and slightly slower than Godzilla himself the GTR.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030157513435304907.post-15169858147882850622010-05-26T16:54:00.004-05:002010-05-26T17:02:49.813-05:00Audi to Offer Google GPS & Internet Access in 2011 A8 SedanThe A8 will be the first car worldwide to offer the <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6NhTAY2AlQk/S_2aVSYHpQI/AAAAAAAAAfc/99G3KqyZGYE/s1600/googleaudi.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 255px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6NhTAY2AlQk/S_2aVSYHpQI/AAAAAAAAAfc/99G3KqyZGYE/s320/googleaudi.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475702412453324034" border="0" /></a>WLAN/Hotspot option and surf the internet at speeds up to 7.2 Mbit/s. All the driver needs to do is insert a SIM card into the Bluetooth car phone and you are ready, The hotspot is assumed to connect up to eight Wi-Fi ready devices and reportedly even supports WPA2 encryption.Also by bringing a variety of Google services and information to the luxury sedan via the internet. The services will be available in selected markets.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030157513435304907.post-2245219724658025722010-05-26T16:27:00.002-05:002010-05-26T16:35:45.504-05:00Volkswagen Group takes majority shareholding in Italdesign Giugiaro<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6NhTAY2AlQk/S_2UJ7Q__0I/AAAAAAAAAfU/lovj70kCQq0/s1600/Lamborghini_logo.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 201px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6NhTAY2AlQk/S_2UJ7Q__0I/AAAAAAAAAfU/lovj70kCQq0/s320/Lamborghini_logo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475695620201119554" border="0" /></a><br />Wolfsburg/Turin, May 25, 2010 – The Volkswagen Group and Italdesign Giugiaro S.p.A.<br />(IDG), Turin, are to intensify their successful cooperation, putting it on a new footing.<br />This was announced by both companies at a joint press conference in Turin on<br />Tuesday. The Volkswagen Group will take a 90.1 percent stake in IDG, including the<br />brand name rights and patents. The shares are being acquired by AUDI's Italian<br />subsidiary Lamborghini Holding S.p.A. The remaining shares will stay in the<br />possession of the present owner family Giugiaro.<br />“With this shareholding in Italdesign, we are participating in one of the most renowned design<br />and development companies with one of the richest traditions in the automobile industry.<br />Italdesign is the flagship for creative Italian automobile design and has been instrumental in<br />shaping the face of the automobile industry worldwide. As the creator of the Golf I, Giorgetto<br />Giugiaro laid a new foundation for Volkswagen design in the 1970s,” Prof. Dr. Martin<br />Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft,<br />commented in Turin.<br />The Volkswagen Group has enjoyed successful cooperation with IDG for many decades.<br />Giugiaro made a name for himself not only with the Golf I, but also with concepts for<br />important models such as the first Volkswagen Passat, Scirocco or the Audi 80.<br />A comprehensive development framework agreement was concluded in 2008. Volkswagen<br />and IDG are also collaborating closely on ongoing projects such as the planned Volkswagen<br />Up! model family. Implementation of the agreement is also subject to the standard approval<br />by the relevant authorities.<br />“A new era in the strategic partnership between our companies begins today. Italdesign<br />becomes a permanent member of the global Volkswagen family,” Winterkorn said. “The<br />Volkswagen Group will be continuing its model initiative over the coming years and will<br />benefit from the capacity and competence of Italdesign. The company will therefore be<br />making an important contribution to our 2018 global growth strategy,” Winterkorn continued.<br /><br />IDG was founded in Turin by Giorgetto Giugiaro and Aldo Mantovani in 1968. Both founders<br />are considered pioneers of modern Italian automobile design. Italdesign has also acquired a<br />reputation worldwide as a highly-competent development center. Today, the company<br />generates sales of over €100 million and has a workforce of some 800 employees.<br />“Every drop becomes the sea when it flows oceanward. In the last few days I ran into this<br />sentence while I was reading Sophie`s World by the Norwegian novelist Jostein Gaardner.<br />We are the drop. Becoming part of the Volkswagen Group means revaluating ourselves and<br />our strength. Entering Volkswagen means to open up a promising perspective for the<br />company,” Giorgetto Giugiaro said.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://www.italdesign.it/teaser/inc/press_release.pdf">Source: italdesign.it</a></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030157513435304907.post-43141894761369804542010-05-26T16:16:00.003-05:002010-05-26T16:24:22.883-05:00Audi / Volkswagen new network ECU interface for diagnostics and car controls.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6NhTAY2AlQk/S_2Qu_dNu1I/AAAAAAAAAfM/3i8R4auENjw/s1600/Block-Diagram_f524.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 308px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6NhTAY2AlQk/S_2Qu_dNu1I/AAAAAAAAAfM/3i8R4auENjw/s400/Block-Diagram_f524.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475691858934741842" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.austriamicrosystems.com/eng/content/download/22655/401850">Data Sheet can be found by clicking here!</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030157513435304907.post-54613504501621390622009-08-21T07:19:00.002-05:002009-08-21T07:36:50.786-05:00AUDI / VW DSG TRANNY RECALL!! Please Read!!! 2008-2010<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6NhTAY2AlQk/So6U3a_SzFI/AAAAAAAAAeo/LbKvtVxz8M0/s1600-h/vw_dsg_cutaway_lg.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6NhTAY2AlQk/So6U3a_SzFI/AAAAAAAAAeo/LbKvtVxz8M0/s200/vw_dsg_cutaway_lg.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372395085358091346" border="0" /></a><br />“A small number of these may be affected by a faulty temperature sensor in the DSG transmission,” Volkswagen said Thursday. “Failure of the temperature sensor could result in illuminated warning lamps in the dashboard, and in rare instances the transmission may shift into neutral.”<br /><br />Volkswagen / Audi is recalling 2009 and 2010 vehicles with the DSG gearbox in the following Models.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">VW</span> - Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, GTI, Eos, R32<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">AUDI </span>- A4, A3, TT,<br /><br />This effects Vehicles with the DSG option mounted to 2.0T/VR6 engines, once again VW / Audi only started to issue recalls due to consumer complaints much like the 1.8T Timing belt tensioner problem. VW / Audi in some cases are refusing or making it difficult for owners once again to return/repair their DSG gearbox only having it fail again. A similiar issue arose due to Audi / VW fitting the AEB engine code 1.8T with a timing belt tensioner that has a bolt that comes loose around 75- 90,000 miles and bascially throws your timing off causing your pistons the come in contact with your valves and being their are 20 on the 1.8T its not good.<br /><br /><a href="http://forums.audiworld.com/showthread.php?t=2746834&highlight=DSG+problem"><span style="font-size:78%;">Source:AudiWorld</span></a><br /><a href="http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/21/vw-dsg-transmission-problem-leads-to-recall/"><span style="font-size:78%;">Source: NYT</span></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030157513435304907.post-52080421658477964332009-07-23T21:25:00.002-05:002009-07-23T22:03:33.048-05:00Qatar owns 17% of VAG, The death of Porsche.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6NhTAY2AlQk/SmkkdRSBFlI/AAAAAAAAAeg/8IYffdyYyRk/s1600-h/qatar.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 272px; height: 208px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6NhTAY2AlQk/SmkkdRSBFlI/AAAAAAAAAeg/8IYffdyYyRk/s320/qatar.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361856916635063890" border="0" /></a><br />Porsche SE yesterday agreed to combine with Volkswagen AG after a four-year attempt to take over the larger German rival left Porsche paralyzed with debt. Qatar will own 17 percent of VW with options accumulated from Porsche, making the Gulf kingdom the third-largest investor in Europe’s biggest carmaker.<br /><br />Qatar used its $63 billion sovereign wealth fund to give the world’s second-richest country behind Liechtenstein investment clout, snapping up stakes in established brands or troubled companies in need of cash. Four years after its inception, the fund has become the biggest shareholder in Barclays Plc, J. Sainsbury Plc and Credit Suisse AG.<br /><br />“There is an incentive to invest in these known, luxury- sort of top brands,” said Rachel Ziemba, a senior analyst at New York’s RGE Monitor, which researches sovereign wealth funds. “Rather than investing in a whole number of companies that might be harder to keep track of, Qatar’s investment strategy is more akin to a private equity model.”<br /><br />Hailed by Germany’s Manager Magazin as “The Saviors from the Orient,” Qatar Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani has transformed his country of about 1 million citizens into a center of education and research that include the Arabic television network Al Jazeera and local campuses of six U.S. universities.<br /><br />Sandhurst Education<br /><br />Born in 1952 and a graduate of the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst in the U.K., the emir has opened up his country to embrace freedom of press and improved education, and Qatar hosted municipal elections in which women and men participated.<br /><br />The emir’s wife, Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned, heads the Qatar Foundation that fosters education and research. Qatar’s interest in German engineering partly stems from her personal preference for Porsche cars, German newspapers Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung have reported.<br /><br />The sheikha wants to use Porsche’s engineering expertise to complement a science technology center that she helps oversee as chairman of the Qatar Foundation, she told Germany’s Focus magazine in June. She recently toured European countries including Germany and France to deepen ties. Spokespeople for the emir and the Qatari Investment Fund declined to comment.<br /><br />German Engineering<br /><br />Porsche sales in Qatar have more than tripled in three years to more than 600 units in the last 12 months, according to the company. Porsches typically adorn the entrances of luxury hotels or cruise down the six-lane cornice along the crescent- shaped seafront of Doha, the Qatari capital.<br /><br />“This also reflects our fantastic business development in the whole region over the last couple of years,” Porsche spokesman Michael Baumann said in an e-mail. Porsche Chairman Wolfgang Porsche told workers at a gathering in Stuttgart, Germany today that Porsche will seek to preserve its independence and that Porsche’s “myth will never die.”<br /><br />Qatar emerged as an investor after the carmaker’s unsuccessful bid for Volkswagen created a rift between CEO Wendelin Wiedeking and Wolfgang Porsche on the one side, and Volkswagen Chairman Ferdinand Piech on the other.<br /><br />Wiedeking agreed to step down yesterday, paving the way to integrate Porsche’s car manufacturing into Volkswagen alongside brands such as Audi and Bentley. The Porsche SE holding company will remain Volkswagen’s biggest shareholder with about 51 percent of the shares, while the federal state of Lower Saxony will own 20 percent. Michael Macht, Porsche’s head of production, will succeed Wiedeking.<br /><br />British Protectorate<br /><br />“Porsche appears to be now firmly stuck in the mud unable to have any control over its destiny,” said Howard Wheeldon, a senior strategist at BGC Partners LP in London.<br /><br />When Porsche was established in the 1930s, Qatar was an isolated British protectorate, without schools or a fully functioning hospital. The country, once dependent on its pearl industry, began exporting oil after World War II.<br /><br />By the 1960s, Qatar’s network of paved roads included one to the west coast oil fields and another south to Qatar’s Mesaieed industrial center, said Vahe Halajian, managing director of sign maker Qatar Neon Light Co.<br /><br />“Anywhere else you wanted to go, you had to have four- wheel drive,” said Halajian, a U.S. citizen who first visited Qatar in 1963 when his father opened the sign business in Doha. “I wouldn’t recommend driving a Porsche on the Qatar roads in the 60s.”<br /><br />Petroleum Wealth<br /><br />Gas exports have helped increase Qatar’s gross domestic product to $101 billion, or $101,000 for each of the about 1 million men, women and children on the thumb-shaped peninsula -- among the highest per-capita GDPs in the world.<br /><br />The Gulf has become a key investor in the German car industry as cash dwindles amid the worst automotive market in decades. Abu Dhabi’s Aabar Investments PJSC bought 9.1 percent of Daimler AG for 1.95 billion euros in March to become the largest shareholder in the maker of Mercedes-Benz cars. Kuwait is its second-largest owner with 6.9 percent.<br /><br />“Porsche has acquired the reputation of one of the most renowned and versatile providers of engineering services the world over,” Abdelali Haoudi, vice president of research for the Qatar Foundation, said in a July 21 e-mail. Porsche “is truly a remarkable and an outstanding piece of technology that Qatar as a whole can benefit from.”<br /><br />‘Significant Role’<br /><br />The sovereign wealth fund overseen by Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al-Thani was created in 2005 to spend Qatar’s surplus generated from petroleum exports. Smaller than neighboring Abu Dhabi’s $700 billion fund or Norway’s $350 billion oil fund, the Qatari fund’s strategy of taking large stakes may help the Gulf state become a more active shareholder.<br /><br />“I see them as being investors that want to take a significant role in the management of the companies they are taking stakes in,” said Ziemba, the RGE Monitor analyst.<br /><br />Qatar’s overtures haven’t always been welcome. In September 2007, the emirate bought 9.98 percent of Swedish stock-market operator OMX AB, threatening a bid by Nasdaq Stock Market Inc. and Borse Dubai for the exchange. OMX founder Olof Stenhammar said at the time that he didn’t know what Qatar wanted or understand its strategy. After forcing the other suitors to raise their price, Qatar left the battle and sold its holding.<br /><br />Today, Qatar can rely on its status as the world’s biggest liquefied natural gas producer to fuel its investment ambitions, as other sovereign wealth funds retrench. Norway’s fund had its worst return in its 18-year history in the third quarter, and Abu Dhabi’s fund also lost in value, Ziemba estimates.<br /><br />For Qatar, there’s no sign the development will slow, as the kingdom plans to more than double output of liquefied natural gas by the end of 2010.<br /><br />Qatar has “a favorable cash flow position because of the development of the gas fields,” said Brad Setser, an economist at the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations, an independent institute that studies geopolitics. “It’s in a position to continue to invest where some other funds are not.”<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=aobTTMoQc8rI"><span style="font-size:78%;">Source: Bloomberg</span></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030157513435304907.post-5441840155480867602009-07-16T17:28:00.003-05:002009-07-16T17:42:34.554-05:00Porsche CEO Says Sale ImminentPorsche SE, the sports-car maker that may merge with Volkswagen AG, is likely to reach an agreement on a stake sale in a few days, Chief Executive Officer Wendelin Wiedeking said in an interview.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6NhTAY2AlQk/Sl-spl9pMII/AAAAAAAAAeY/zabZGQ9slEE/s1600-h/cloudporsche.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 202px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6NhTAY2AlQk/Sl-spl9pMII/AAAAAAAAAeY/zabZGQ9slEE/s320/cloudporsche.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359191912159457410" border="0" /></a><br />“I think all the details will be solved within the next days,” Wiedeking told Bloomberg Television last night when asked whether Porsche will be sold to Volkswagen. A proposal “is already on the table,” he said in Ingolstadt, Germany, where he’s attending the 100th anniversary celebration for Volkswagen’s Audi division.<br /><br />Porsche is also considering an offer by the Qatar Investment Authority to buy a stake in Porsche’s holding company and options on Volkswagen stock. Stuttgart-based Porsche is considering ways to reduce more than 9 billion euros ($12.7 billion) in debt after amassing a 51 percent stake in VW as well as the options for 20 percent of the Wolfsburg-based carmaker, Europe’s largest.<br /><br />Porsche’s power struggle with Volkswagen appears to be “over,” Lower Saxony state Prime Minister Christian Wulff told reporters as he arrived at the Audi event. Wulff said he’s “very confident of good results” from meetings that Porsche’s and Volkswagen’s supervisory boards plan on July 23.<br /><br />The sports-car maker’s top labor leader said that Volkswagen must double its offer for a 49 percent stake in Porsche’s automotive unit.<br /><br />The “exact correct price” is 7 billion euros to 8 billion euros, Uwe Hueck, head of Porsche’s works council, said in an interview with Germany’s ZDF television July 15. “The 4 billion euros will not even suffice. We also need liquidity.”<br /><br />‘Against Raiding Coffers’<br /><br />Hueck, who is Porsche’s deputy chairman, said he’s “against raiding Volkswagen’s coffers” for the sake of erasing debt. He said the Porsche and Piech families, who control all voting rights on Porsche shares, should take part in a 5 billion-euro capital increase and pave the way for Qatar to buy a stake and the VW options.<br /><br />Wiedeking will remain at the helm “for as long as his contract permits, and that’s until 2012,” Hueck said. German weekly magazine WirtschaftsWoche has reported that the CEO will step down.<br /><br />Wiedeking transformed the manufacturer of the 911 and the Cayenne, almost bankrupt when he became CEO in 1993, into the automaker with the industry’s highest profit margins. In 2005, he began using cash from the luxury-vehicle business to acquire shares of Volkswagen, a company that builds more cars in a week than Porsche does in a year.<br /><br />Share Sale<br /><br />Qatar and the family owners have been asked to participate in a planned 5 billion-euro share sale at Porsche, people familiar with the talks said this week. Qatar may pay 2 billion euros for a stake, one of the people said.<br /><br />At the same time, Porsche may hand over the options that can be converted into a 20 percent stake in VW to Qatar for free, the people have said. Qatar would then pay about 5 billion euros to banks that sold Porsche the derivatives, they said.<br /><br />An investment by the Persian Gulf state may give Wiedeking, 56, leverage to negotiate a deal to merge with VW. The families agreed in May with VW to pursue a merger to create a 10-brand behemoth that would include the Audi luxury division of VW as well as its Seat and Skoda mass-market units.<br /><br />Wulff, the regional government leader, said July 14 that Lower Saxony would welcome Qatar as a “third strong shareholder” in VW. Lower Saxony is Volkswagen’s home state and the carmaker’s second-biggest shareholder, with a 20 percent stake and the power to veto decisions.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=aNsfzankfPEk"><span style="font-size:78%;">Source:Bloomberg</span></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9030157513435304907.post-30170846105488624622009-07-09T22:29:00.003-05:002009-07-09T22:34:34.359-05:00Porsche Chief Obstructs Merger With VW<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6NhTAY2AlQk/Sla2gYXRE8I/AAAAAAAAAeI/87MV5aYB5Vc/s1600-h/pvag.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 164px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6NhTAY2AlQk/Sla2gYXRE8I/AAAAAAAAAeI/87MV5aYB5Vc/s200/pvag.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356669474215891906" border="0" /></a><br />Chief Executive Officer Wendelin Wiedeking is obstructing a possible merger with Volkswagen AG, VW union chief Bernd Osterloh said, calling on the sports-car maker’s CEO “to end his ego trip.”<br /><br />“Wiedeking has not yet realized that he’s part of the problem and not part of the solution,” Osterloh said in an interview with Wolfsburger Allgemeine Zeitung. “Together, one could do a whole lot of more things if Wiedeking would end his ego trip at last.” Gunnar Kilian, a spokesman for Volkswagen’s works council, confirmed Osterloh’s remarks by telephone.<br /><br />Porsche, which started acquiring Volkswagen shares in 2005, has gone from the potential buyer of VW to the one struggling to remain independent in the eight-month-long battle between the German carmakers. Saddled with more than 9 billion euros ($12.6 billion) of debt, Stuttgart-based Porsche is in talks with Qatar about selling a stake as well as some options that can be converted into Wolfsburg-based Volkswagen’s stock.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601100&sid=abs6sHP6jD4M"><span style="font-size:78%;">MORE:>Source:Bloomberg</span></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0