Head Of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich: In His Own Words

No, it wasn't a perfect week for Audi at the 56th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida. But there were plenty of positives to be had including a ninth consecutive LMP1 victory at Sebring International Raceway. Chief among them were the news that the German marque will be part of the American Le Mans Series grid for the full season with two diesel-powered R10 TDIs and Audi's induction into the Sebring Hall of Fame. Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich used that platform to reflect on Audi's record at the 12 Hours and what the Series means to Audi as one of its leading manufacturers.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's a great honor for Audi being inducted into the Hall of Fame at Sebring. In the name of AUDI AG I would like to thank you very much for this honor.

"Sebring is a very special race, especially for Audi. Back in 1999, we competed in our first ever sports car race at Sebring after racing touring cars for various years. Doing this at Sebring, on one of the toughest race tracks of the world, was a big task for Audi Sport and our team. We were not the fastest in 1999, but we were able to finish the race and even achieved a podium result.

"We learned a lot at Sebring in 1999, and one year later we came back with the new Audi R8. As you all know, it was the start of an incredible career for this car. I remember Don Panoz saying 'This car will be a winner' when he saw the Audi R8 for the first time.

"He was right.

"The R8 became the most successful Le Mans prototype in history with 63 overall victories in just 80 races. It has won the Le Mans 24 Hours five times and remained undefeated at Sebring from 2000 to 2005 before we introduced the revolutionary R10 TDI, our diesel-powered sports car.

"For sure, the winning streak of the Audi R8 was the key factor for being admitted to Sebring's Hall of Fame. We know that Sebring is one of the most prestigious races of the world and the victories Audi has achieved here make us proud. But we've seen Sebring also always as an important test for the Le Mans 24 Hours. If you finish the 12 Hours of Sebring, you can be quite sure you will not face too many unexpected technical problems at Le Mans. ..."

"The American Le Mans Series is an excellent platform in America for an automobile manufacturer to compete in motorsport at a high level with innovative technology. We want to continue to use this platform and to support Audi's diesel campaign in the USA. We will show fighting spirit and try to win as many races as possible.

"Audi has helped the American Le Mans Series to become one of the most popular racing series in the world. And Audi has also been the technological pioneers for the Green Racing initiative in the American Le Mans Series, which Audi very much welcomes.

"We have created the basis for Green Racing with racing our R10 TDI in the American Le Mans Series and proving that you can win Le Mans with a diesel-powered sports car. The ACO and IMSA have made it possible for Audi to showcase this technology at Le Mans and in the American Le Mans Series successfully.

"In 2008, AUDI AG will deliver more than 1 million cars worldwide for the first time in its history. Almost half of them will be equipped with a TDI engine, which, in the meantime, has established itself in almost every world market - with the exception of the USA.

"The TDI engine has enormous potential - specifically in the USA. The American Environmental Protection Agency has determined that the United States of America could save 1.4 million barrels of crude oil every day if just every third car and light commercial vehicle was fitted with a modern diesel engine like the Audi TDI.

"Audi will start a TDI offensive later this year introducing the world's cleanest diesel with low emission system on the US markets. The R10 TDI helps to explain the advantages of the TDI technology to the public and the customers.

"And all this started where...? Exactly: Here at Sebring International Raceway.

"Audi is proud it has made history at Sebring. With the induction in the Hall of Fame, Audi has a place in Sebring's history for ever.

"Thank you very much for giving us this opportunity. Sebring will always remain a special place for Audi and for myself."

Audi R8 2008 World Performance Car

The 2008 World Performance Car award has gone to the Audi R8 as announced today during the awards press conference the New York International Auto Show.

The Audi R8 was chosen from an initial entry list of twelve (12) contenders nominated by forty-seven (47) World Car jurors from twenty-four (24) countries throughout the world. Padraic Deane from Automotive Publications represents Ireland on the jury.
While the winner of the overall World Car of the Year award must excel in a broad range of attributes, there is a segment of the car-buying public for whom performance – in its broadest sense – overrides all other priorities. Vehicles appealing to that clientele may be too narrowly focused to appeal to the masses, but it is an important element in the overall automotive mix. It is for that reason that the World Performance Car award was created in 2005.

Candidates for the World Performance Car award must demonstrate a specific and overt Sports/Performance orientation. They must also satisfy the same availability criteria as for the overall World Car award and may be chosen from that list of eligible vehicles.

Additional entrants may include newly introduced variants that satisfy the same criteria, but are derived from existing rather than brand-new models. In all cases, they must have a minimum annual production rate of five-hundred (500) vehicles.

The jurors voted in January 2008 in order to establish a top ten shortlist. The 2008 World Performance Car was chosen from those finalists as tabulated by the international accounting firm KPMG.

WCOTY's jurors observed that the Audi R8 has solid credentials on paper thanks to its mid-mounted 420-horsepower, 4.2-liter V8 engine and aluminum construction. But where it excels is in the exceptional balance, refinement and control that grant the driver the confidence to push to the limit without fear of unintended consequences. That limit is high, with 0-100 KPH (62 MPH) acceleration of 4.4 seconds and a top speed of 187 MPH. The R8’s dramatic visible carbon fiber side panels make a traffic-stopping visual statement, one that it backs up on the test track with astonishing precision for a car of its size category. The R8 is a surprisingly good value for its class.

The top three contenders for the third annual World Performance Car in addition to the Audi R8 were the BMW M3 and the Audi S5 Coupé.

“Last year, the Audi RS 4 won the World Performance Car award and we are thrilled to have retained the title with the Audi R8,” said Johan De Nysschen, Executive Vice President of Audi of America.

“This award is recognition for the superb work done by the engineers and designers who worked on the R8. It has immediately taken up a leadership position in the super sports car segment. We are also delighted that the World Car of the Year jurors voted the Audi S5 into the top three."

Mobil 1 announced its sponsorship of the World Performance Car award in November 2007. Nancy Carlson, strategic global alliances - sales director, ExxonMobil Lubricants & Petroleum Specialties. "The Mobil 1 team was pleased to sponsor the 2008 Performance Car of the Year award and congratulates the Audi R8 on the achievement of being named the 2008 world’s top performance car by the global panel of renowned automotive journalists serving on the Car of the Year jury."

Previous World Performance Car winners were the Audi RS4 in 2007 and the Porsche Cayman S in 2006.

From Easier Motoring

Audi to invest Rs 192 cr in India

Aminah Sheikh / Mumbai March 19, 2008 @ The Business Standard


German luxury car maker Audi has grand plans in India and is going to invest ¤ 30 million (Rs 192 crore) by 2015 in production alone. Audi India, Audi’s national sales office, was set up in Mumbai last year. Currently, Audi’s India portfolio has a limited range on offer: TT, A8, A6, A4 and Q7. Local assembly of the A6 has started from the company’s plant in Aurangabad and the same will begin for A4 by this year end. Rupert Stadler, Chairman, Board of Management, AUDI AG, spoke to Aminah Sheikh on the sidelines of the Germany car makers’ annual press conference in Ingolstadt.

How important is the Indian market for Audi?

Currently, the premium car segment in India is very small. Things are changing with an increasing number of people travelling abroad and rising purchasing power. For instance, when NRIs return to India, they prefer using the brand they owned during they stay abroad.

The market for premium cars is gaining momentum and it makes sense for us to make our presence felt at the onset because it takes time for a brand to build. We decided on an exclusive Audi production line in the group factory in Aurangabad and set up a national sales office in Mumbai last year.

However, the challenge lies in developing infrastructure. Compared to other Asian markets, India still has a lot of work left on the infrastructural front. Once the infrastructure is better, the demand for premier cars will also rise from around 4,000 cars to 10,000-20,000 cars in the next 5-10 years.

What is Audi’s plan for the Indian market?

The growth story in India will take time. We need to ramp up dealership networks. Until the end of 2007, we had three dealers in India — Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore.

In the first quarter of 2008, we inaugurated exclusive Audi showrooms in Gurgaon and Hyderabad; Pune and Chandigarh will follow in the next few weeks.

At the end of 2008, we will have 10 new Audi dealerships across India. Possible cities are Chennai, Ludhiana, Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Jaipur.

Will Audi consider another production plant in India?

We don’t have any plans to open up a new plant at the moment. Our focus is on the Aurangabad plant where we plan to produce 6,000 units per year by 2015. In the starting phase in 2008, around 300 new Audi A6 will leave the production line there.

Another production plant does not make economic sense as of now. Of the ¤ 30 million (Rs 192 crore) to be invested by 2015, ¤ 10 million (Rs 64 crore) has already been invested in the company’s first year in India.

What is the potential of outsourcing components from India? Will Audi use local components for manufacturing in India?

We constantly assess possible suppliers in India. At the moment, our production volume is too small to offer an attractive business case to the local industry. But I am confident that we can source parts from India in the long run.

How will Audi fight the TATA challenge in India? Will Audi get into the small car segment?

No, we do not plan to tap the small car segment. Audi will remain a premium brand. We will wait for TATA customers to graduate to premium cars.

What innovations is Audi working on?

Audi is pressing ahead with car-to-car communication and intelligent traffic guidance systems. This is another area in which we can achieve a great deal in terms of safety, traffic flow and climate protection.

We are also working on another innovation that will help us achieve our aim of enhancing vehicle safety. A system we call Driver Monitoring, that detects the driver’s eyelids and provides a warning if the driver starts to suffer from fatigue or falls asleep momentarily.

What is Audi’s plan for the global market?

We make sporty, high-quality, progressive cars that have enthusiastic followers throughout the world. Our portfolio of products is going to grow. We plan to expand our model range to 40 vehicles (nearly double the current figure) by 2015.

Each year we invest roughly ¤ 2 billion in our products, which I think will provide a number of interesting surprises. Our sales strategy will include setting up exclusive dealerships in large metropolitan areas around the globe. Our new Audi terminal concept is setting standards in architecture.

Given the current value of the dollar, we stand to benefit tremendously from having our own local production facilities.

Until now, the growth that we have seen throughout the world has not translated into growth we would like to see in the US market.

We remain committed to our intent of clearing the 1,00,000 mark this year in the US. By 2015 we hope to double our current sales figures.

Audi loses to Peugeot for fastest lap @ Sebring

Despite the frustration of not being able to start from pole position after the results of the qualifying session were scrubbed, Nicolas Minassian started the race for Peugeot intent on being first into the opening corner.
Watched closely by the entire Team Peugeot Total squad, he achieved his goal and the car went on to pull out an assertive lead as Portugal’s Pedro Lamy and fellow Frenchman Stéphane Sarrazin took over at the wheel of the 908 HDi FAP. Its lead was practically 35 seconds after the first two hours of racing. However, 52 minutes later, a hydraulic leak forced Stéphane Sarrazin to make a lengthy pit stop. Despite losing nine laps, the Frenchman rejoined the race and soon came out on top of his ensuing duel with Allan McNish before having to make another stop, this time for 45 minutes, again because of a hydraulic problem.

The incident saw the 908 HDi FAP drop to 22nd place, 25 laps behind the leader, but the three drivers and the team’s engineers then worked closely together to put in a string of fastest race laps which culminated in Pedro Lamy bagging the best time of the day with a 1m 44.536s (an average of more than 207kph) after eight hours of racing. This impressive run was interrupted two hours before the chequared flag when the rear left wheel-bearing had to be changed, and then by another stop to repair a leak in the air intake system. Determlined not to give up despite these difficult conditions, the team continued to give its all and Pedro Lamy eventually crossed the line in 12th place.

Dr Wolfgang Ullrich (Audi Motorsport Head): “The race was very disappointing for us. We had many technical issues we now have to sort out. These problems did not allow us to run at the pace we wanted. Also the drivers and the team were not faultless today which caused some penalties. We’ve simply been not on the level we wanted to be here. We need and will work immediately on that.”

Although Audi finished with top positions it looks as if Peugeot is definately going to be on Audis heels at LeMans. Both team suffered setbacks but Peugeot only entered 1 car at Sebring for testing and to let Audi know we are coming for you.

Audi DTM on top in first test at Mugello

By Steven English

Friday, March 14th 2008

Markus Winklehock's Audi set the fastest lap of the first DTM test of the season at Mugello this week.

The German set his best time on the final afternoon of the three-day test, beating Jamie Green's Mercedes by 0.166 seconds.

Paul Di Resta was third overall for Mercedes, but Audi was the stronger car over the three days, despite Tom Kristensen and Mike Rockenfeller leaving the test on the second morning to head to Sebring to contest the ALMS opener for Audi.

Alexandre Premat and Mattias Ekstrom also topped sessions on each day of the test and Premat is happy with the progress made by the team, and believes Audi will be in a strong position for the first race.

"These were some great days of testing for us," he said. "We were at the front of the field in all conditions and that's a tremendous feeling. It inspires even more enthusiasm in the team for the new season."

In addition to the 18 works drivers at the test, Christijan Albers made his series comeback, testing a 2006-spec Audi for Team Futurecom. The Dutchman previously finished runner-up in the DTM with Mercedes in 2003.

There was a huge difference between the quickest and slowest times across the three days at Mugello, but several drivers didn't complete a lap on the final day when conditions were much faster than earlier in the week.

Combined times:

Pos Driver              Team          Time        Laps
1. Markus Winkelhock   Audi          1:42.132     138
2. Jamie Green         Mercedes      1:42.298     103
3. Alexandre Premat    Audi          1:42.764     140
4. Paul Di Resta       Mercedes      1:42.986      97
5. Gary Paffett        Mercedes      1:43.121     105
6. Mattias Ekström     Audi          1:43.192     174
7. Ralf Schumacher     Mercedes      1:43.506     111
8. Christijan Albers   Audi          1:43.638      98
9. Timo Scheider       Audi          1:43.952      98
10. Susie Stoddart      Mercedes      1:43.988     139
11. Martin Tomczyk      Audi          1:44.409      95
12. Oliver Jarvis       Audi          1:47.811      98
13. Katherine Legge     Audi          1:49.565     105
14. Maro Engel          Mercedes      1:56.358     118
15. Mathias Lauda       Mercedes      1:57.974     101
16. Mike Rockenfeller   Audi          1:58.268      86
17. Tom Kristensen      Audi          1:58.451      31
18. Bruno Spengler      Mercedes      1:58.513      84
19. Bernd Schneider     Mercedes      1:58.617      68

Audi remains with two R10 TDIs for title defense

By Nancy Knapp Schilke - Motorsport.com

Audi Sport North America is prepared to defend their LM P1 championship, the German marquee landed their eighth consecutive title last year in the hands of Allan McNish and Rinaldo Capello. Audi earned the manufacturers' bragging rights in the top category in the American Le Mans Series under three team organizations: Team Joest, Champion Racing (privateer) and the current Audi Sport North America.

Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich, head of Audi Motorsport, was hesitant in announce the 2008 program even though they had admitted to running in the American Le Mans Series, they had not confirmed if for a full-season or selected races; nor had the drivers been named. At the Sebring Winter Test, they did commit to the Le Mans Series.

It was a known factor that the manufacturer was not pleased with the changes made that they felt hindered their team after breaking ground with the first diesel-powered engine which in itself was the first move to a cleaner environment -- the use of diesel is common in Europe -- in sportscar racing. Per the Audi AG press release, "In spite of regulations that further penalize the most powerful cars, Audi AG once again will compete in the American Le Mans Series as a factory team in the 2008 season".

While McNish and Capello will not be here to defend their co-drivers' championship (2006, '07). The Scot leaves the series with three crowns (2000) but he and his Italian teammate will still have opportunities to earn further titles in their new adventure. The duo will competed this year in the Le Mans Series with Audi Sport Team Joest, taking on the Peugeot Sport champions. They will be joined by Mike Rockenfeller and Alexandre Premat in Audi AG's new campaign.

Ullrich brought up the simulations which Audi claims show that the LM P2 cars are "lighter and have an advantage over the 'bigger' LM P1 class on seven circuits" on the 2008 calendar.

He continued to stress that Audi will face the challenge: "The American Le Mans Series is an excellent platform in America for an automobile manufacture to complete in motorsport at a high-level with innovative technology," commented Ullrich. "We want to continue to use this platform and, more specifically, to support the diesel campaign in the USA.

"We will show fighting spirit and in spite of the situation with the regulations try to win!"

Dave Maraj, Team Director for Audi Sport North America, will had an all-star lineup this season in the American version of the Le Mans-style of sportscar endurance racing. His Champion Racing team will form the core of the team plus the factory technicians in Audi's goal to repeat their titles, manufacturer and team.

Lucas Luhr returns to the series where he has won three championships, two in GT2 and one in LM P2. He will share one of the two R10 TDIs with two-time P1 champion Marco Werner ('03 and '04). In his first season as a Audi works driver, Luhr raced in the German Touring Car Masters Championship (DTM) and as the third driver at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Petit Le Mans as the sub for Emanuele Pirro.

Werner earned his first title for Audi with Frank Biela, his second came with JJ Lehto. The German spent the first year for the new R10 TDI doing the majority of the development testing in 2006. He returned to the American series in 2007 as Pirro's teammate; the duo notched three victories while their teammates McNish and Capello dominated with nine.

Biela sat out 2007 except for Sebring where he, Werner and Pirro landed the win -- Biela's fourth, tying teammate Kristensen in the record book. The German who resides in Czech Republic, has two ALMS championships -- both with Audi -- his first P1 title was with Werner and the second two years later with Pirro.

This year Pirro and Biela will see if they can repeat their magic from the 2005 season. The two will run the second Audi R10 TDI. Pirro, from Italy, has two P1 titles, the one with Biela and his solo one in 2001 when the ALMS gave the qualifying driver points for grabbing the pole. In his 59 starts, the Italian has taken 18 race wins,

Audi has already notched 61 overall race wins and are now aiming to take the victory at the Twelve Hours of Sebring tomorrow. The 2008 drivers will start the full-season competition at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg the first weekend of April.

At the 56th running of Sebring, the six drivers chasing for the win are McNish, Capello, Kristensen in the No. 1 Audi and Luhr, Rockenfeller and Werner are in the No. 2 Audi. This year's challenge for the top-step of podium includes the addition of one of the Peugeot Sport 908 HDi FAPs in their debut at the historic race event.

Clans, Executives Sharpen Knives Backstage at Porsche and VW

By Dietmar Hawranek

In the new Volkswagen empire, Ferdinand Piëch appears to be pulling the strings. Behind the scenes, though, everyone is fighting everyone at Porsche and VW: board members, senior executives and the two powerful family clans.

Ferdinand Piëch hasn't seemed this relaxed and pleased in a long time. It's the VW Group's evening at the Geneva Auto Show, and Piëch is sitting in the first row as the cars roll in on the stage in front of him. They include a 200-horsepower VW Scirocco, a 500-horsepower Audi R8 V12 TDI, a 530-horsepower Bentley Brooklands, a 560-horsepower Lamborghini Gallardo and a 1,001-horsepower Bugatti Veyron. Piëch is beaming, almost as if his 12 children were marching across the stage.

This is his world, and these are his cars. Most of all, this is his company, or at least part of it is. And this Monday, March 3, is his day.

Just that morning in Stockholm, VW had acquired the majority of voting rights in Swedish truck manufacturer Scania. The VW Group now has something that Piëch has been pursuing for close to a decade: a product line ranging from small cars to luxury sedans to 40-ton trucks. That afternoon, Porsche announced in Stuttgart that it was acquiring the majority of the VW Group.

Piëch is pleasant and friendly, even to those with the most annoying questions. He remains at the event until midnight, making one thing clear to everyone: that the deal is done.

A new automotive giant has been created. It includes eight car brands (Porsche, SEAT, Skoda, VW, Audi, Lamborghini, Bentley and Bugatti) and holdings in Scania and German truckmaker MAN. It is now the world's fourth-largest automotive group. And all of this is now headed by the Porsche and Piëch families, which hold all common stock in Porsche and thus control the new empire.

But it isn't easy to keep up this façade of domestic bliss, not even for an evening. It quickly becomes obvious that the new horsepower empire is more like a warzone than a cozy family living room at the moment. Piëch's supposed one-man show is everything but a solo effort. In fact, it's a place where everyone is fighting everyone else. The situation on the battlefield is confusing, and the outcome of the power struggle is completely open.

First, labor representatives at VW and Porsche are arguing over how many seats they should hold on the supervisory board and works council of the new auto company. Meanwhile, Bernd Osterloh, the chairman of the VW works council, is firing off shots at Porsche CEO Wendelin Wiedeking. Porsche co-owner Piëch has also taken up a position against Wiedeking. Insiders say that Piëch is even considering ousting Wiedeking as head of the Porsche unit.

Piëch's cousin Wolfgang Porsche and his family, for their part, are defending the Porsche CEO, leading to clashes between the two families of owners, the Porsches and Piëchs. At VW, it seems, there is trouble at every level: among employees, in management and in the two clans.

The disputes revolve around animosities, influence and power, but also around the direction which the new auto giant will take in the future.

Should it focus on building exciting cars and make profits a secondary concern? This would be roughly the approach favored by the company's works council (which represents the interests of employees), Chairman Ferdinand Piëch, who is an enthusiastic automobile engineer and VW CEO Martin Winterkorn.

Or should the group seek high returns and, to this end, build decent cars? This is the position taken by Porsche CEO Wiedeking and the Porsche family.

Piëch and Winterkorn set the tone at the VW reception in Geneva. The VW CEO had flown to Sweden that morning to inform senior executives and employee representatives at Scania that VW had bought the majority of shares in the Swedish truckmaker. In several meetings prior to that, Winterkorn had managed to convince the Swedes that they would be driving into a safe future with VW.

That evening in Geneva, Winterkorn reiterated: "The people are what's important in a takeover," and that losing the people means losing the company. "It's all about the people," he said.

He was talking about VW and Scania, but it sounded like an attack on Porsche. If there is anything that can be held against the sports car maker based in Stuttgart's Zuffenhausen district, it is that Porsche, when it acquired a major stake in VW, did not take people sufficiently into account -- from labor representatives to senior executives.

The manner in which Porsche CEO Wiedeking began firing off questions at VW managers after becoming a member of its supervisory board was far from appreciated at VW headquarters in the north central German city of Wolfsburg. According to one member of the VW board, Wiedeking treated them like schoolboys at board meetings.

Although Winterkorn has not criticized Wiedeking openly, the head of VW has made no secret of his conviction that things will have to change within the new group's top management board. Wiedeking heads the Porsche division and Chief Financial Officer Holger Härter is his deputy. But Winterkorn and another executive, who runs the truck business, ought to be represented on the Porsche board. Ought to be.

Arrangements like this are a source of friction within VW management. To Wolfburg executives, it seems obsious that VW should assume the leadership role -- with Porsche serving as its eighth car brand. But the VW-Porsche deal isn't even a merger between equals, like the former alliance between Daimler and Chrysler. From the standpoint of executives in Wolfsburg, things are far worse: Porsche, a small company, has taken over the big VW Group. The tail has the audacity to wag the dog.

In this situation, the Porsche CEO would be well advised to exercise discretion. Wiedeking has many strengths, but sensitivity in dealing with managers is not one of them.

Meanwhile, VW board members have a tendency to overlook the fact that the deal was only possible because VW, as a company with sagging profits, was a cheap buy, while Porsche, as the world's most profitable carmaker, had no difficulty securing the financing for the takeover. VW management itself is responsible for the situation in which it now finds itself. Nevertheless, everyone in Wolfsburg has bristled at the new pecking order.

AUDI delivers new record gain for 2007

Ingolstadt - With AUDI targets that did not deal ever so reservedly. Success was given however right to the Ingolstadt company. Also for 2007 again a record conversion stands in the books - to the joy of investors and coworkers. Ingolstadt - which is not a recordholder yet by any means remains determind. The Volkswagen daughter company focuses new record marks after the paramount record in the past year in the current year. And experts see a good chance that they intend to fullfill even more. "In the comparison to the previous year the VAT gain rose in 2007 around nearly 50 per cent to 2.915 billion euros", Audi AG said on Tuesday in Ingolstadt.
Proceeds climbed by 7.9 per cent on 33.617 billion euro.
The yield on turnover pre-tax rose thereby from 6.2 to 8.7 per cent. The operational profit added from 2.0-2.7 billion euro. With it Audi contributed 44 per cent to the Volkswagen company result of 6.15 billion euro. Profits gained AUDI a result of 1.692 billion euro, 26 per cent more than in the previous year. Analysts had counted on average on an operational profit of 2.5 billion euro with 34.2 billion euro conversion. AUDI ranks today among the strongest yield enterprises in the international automobile business, said finance executive committee Axel Strotbek according to report. From it the companies own coworkers are to profit. On average AUDI will offer a profit sharing of 5300 euro to them - more than the Wolfsburger company owners (3700 euro) or the Volkswagen large shareholder Porsche (last 5200 euro).

Audi North American Plant

Audi to add a North American assembly facility to support the brand's ambitious goal of doubling its U.S. sales to 180,000 by 2015, company Chairman Rupert Stadler said Tuesday.

The brand will also add many new models as it works to boost worldwide annual sales from 964,151 in 2007 to 1.5 million in 2015.

Stadler also said in a conference call that Audi plans U.S. sales of a diesel-powered version of its new A4 sedan at some point. Diesels account for 60% of Audi's European sales. It will offer its first diesel in the United States -- a Q7 with a 240-horsepower, 3.0-liter, V6 turbodiesel -- early next year.

Audi has not definitely decided to build in America, Stadler said. If it does, it could share a facility with Volkswagen or build a plant of its own. Both brands are owned by Volkswagen AG. VW is expected to announce this year that it will build an assembly plant in the southeastern United States.

Audi will introduce 40 new vehicles around the world, including many in segments the automaker does not currently compete in, by 2015.

This year will see the launch of the Q5, an SUV smaller than the Q7, a convertible version of its A3 compact and sales of the A4 sedan and Avant. The A4 goes on sale in the United States in September as a 2009 model.

In 2010, Audi will add a subcompact car called the A1, Stadler said.

"Factors influencing the decision to build vehicles in North America include the weak U.S. dollar -- which makes the vehicles Audi assembles in Europe more expensive in the United States -- what vehicles to produce, whether to use the plant for exports around the world and the presence of suppliers Audi trusts for its luxury vehicles"

"For our long-term growth strategy, we need additional capacity," Stadler said.

Audi will aggressively promote diesel engines, which are more fuel efficient than gasoline power plants, as part of its goal to reduce its vehicles' fuel consumption 20% by 2012.

Stadler said he expects diesels to account for 10% to 15% of Audi's U.S. sales in 2015, and to hold about the same share of the total market for light-duty pickups, SUVs and cars. That would be a major increase from current U.S. diesel use, but other automakers, including General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co., also plan to offer more diesels in the United States.

Audi expects to sell 100,000 vehicles in the United States this year, up from 2007's record of 93,500. The company is increasing the number of dealerships that sell only its cars in the United States to support its growth targets, Audi USA chief Johann de Nysschen said. Audi expects to have 120 exclusive dealerships in the United States by the end of this year and 170 within four years. The company has 116 Audi-only dealers in the United States.

Audi commences production of A6 in India

Audi has started production for the Indian market of its luxury midsize sedan, the Audi A6, at its Aurangabad plant. Mr Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of Audi AG was quoted - "We started coming actively to India last year. I was personally in India, in Bangalore, for a test drive and to get a feeling about the infrastructure, the driving habits of the Indian people. We made a tour to Chennai. I got a good feeling about the possible expectations of the Indian market in the premium segment.
We know that the premium segment in India is still a small one. BMW has decided to go to Chennai. We have started with a small factory in Aurangabad, and assemble the Audi A6. We will probably bring the new Audi A4 to India by the end of the year. We are introducing the Audi A8, as an export model from Europe to India. We are working on the Q7, an SUV, which could be perfect for the Indian needs."

But even Bloggers such as Sunil Khadka from Machester, NH says -
"I think its a great idea to build Audi's in India to save on the labor cost, however the quality of work could quite possibly be a disaster. It might impact the future market of Audi in a negative way. The worst quality of work happens in India and I am from the area."