"The company hopes to sell upward of 5000 units—more than double the best annual sales since the car first became available Stateside in 1996. Just 1515 A8s were sold in 2002, down from the 2300 cars sold in ’01. The best sales year was 1999, with 2481 cars sold. "
And people complain about Q45 not selling.........guess the +$70k market is soft
"Under the hood, the 4.2-liter V8 has been tuned to produce 330 horsepower, 20 more than the model it replaces. The engine’s horsepower peaks at 6500 rpm, while the 317 lb-ft of torque is available a bit lower on the tach, at 3500 rpm. From a standing start, the car hits 60 mph in 6.3 seconds, with the quarter-mile passing in 14.2 seconds".............with the new ZF 6 speed AT.
Now everyone is using the same transmission: Jag, BMW, MB, Audi.........by the way a ZF remanned from the dealer cost $5900 plus labor............$4,000 more than the old Q transmission - are the extra 2 gears worth it?
Audi A8
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docsmile71
- Posts: 205
- Joined: Sun May 11, 2003 4:16 am
It's all about marketing and heritage. People still remember Audi's are poor quality cars or premium VW's.
There are tons of S-classes and 7-series flying out the door but you don't see too many Audis.
I think it's the same reasoning behind the Lexus line and the Infiniti line. When both companies were first introduced, Lexus went with the traditional luxury car tactics. About how quiet it was, how powerful it was, how solid the car was...remember the commercials with the wine glasses on the hood while the car accelerated to 140mph?
What did infiniti do? They had an ad that showed trees, mountains, soft music...NO CAR!!!!! Just too weird for a lot of people. Then the first Q was a GREAT car but just not mainstream. Mainstream is what sells quantity of cars.
There are tons of S-classes and 7-series flying out the door but you don't see too many Audis.
I think it's the same reasoning behind the Lexus line and the Infiniti line. When both companies were first introduced, Lexus went with the traditional luxury car tactics. About how quiet it was, how powerful it was, how solid the car was...remember the commercials with the wine glasses on the hood while the car accelerated to 140mph?
What did infiniti do? They had an ad that showed trees, mountains, soft music...NO CAR!!!!! Just too weird for a lot of people. Then the first Q was a GREAT car but just not mainstream. Mainstream is what sells quantity of cars.
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Mayhem_J30
- Posts: 2643
- Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2002 2:00 am
- Car: Ummm...My Car
- Location: Louisville, KY
It's resale value and lease payments. Audi is still paying for the 60 minutes debacle of the 80's. MB is having no problem selling the heck out of the S Class and Lexus is strong, so it's not a market issue. It's a marketing issue.
Just like infiniti is paying for the poor marketing at introduction and the inconsistant brand focus of the past 14 years.
Just like infiniti is paying for the poor marketing at introduction and the inconsistant brand focus of the past 14 years.
chris, all the audi's are getting yet another new facelift in the next few years:the tall one-piece grille becoming the trademark.
I think audi might have had serious competition problems recently due to their base fwd platforms. just not what people who buy german cars are looking for. quattro is always nice, though.
and also...you have an EVO???
I think audi might have had serious competition problems recently due to their base fwd platforms. just not what people who buy german cars are looking for. quattro is always nice, though.
and also...you have an EVO???
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Mayhem_J30
- Posts: 2643
- Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2002 2:00 am
- Car: Ummm...My Car
- Location: Louisville, KY
Mayhem_J30 wrote:yack, that's not a facelift that's a train wreck!!
Jberger, i guess i'm too young to recall the 80's debacle. Someone enlighten me.
Read up young pup!!
http://members.aol.com/daserde2/libel.h ... cjm_18.htm
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dougs98Q45
- Posts: 108
- Joined: Tue May 13, 2003 3:57 pm
- Car: Golf
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sijoko
- Posts: 961
- Joined: Fri Jul 26, 2002 6:54 am
- Car: Black 1994 Infiniti Q45 Turbo, Pearl White 2014 Maxima Sport
- Contact:
Audis have always been the best looking of the German cars. I especially like the new A8.
You can see some of the early Q in the design, such as the rear quarter window and roof line. The interiors are also very nice.
But, I probably will never own one. When I buy a car it is for long-term.
Audis are not for the long-term kinda guy.
I went to the auto show in Dallas and checked out the A8. I popped the hood to see how easy it would be to work on this car.
I couldn't get my arm to fit between the engine and the radiator support. It was worse on the sides of the engine.
I felt bad for the techs who have to work on those cars. They are nice to see and nice to drive, but sooner or later you will have to pay the piper when its time to work on the car.
You can see some of the early Q in the design, such as the rear quarter window and roof line. The interiors are also very nice.
But, I probably will never own one. When I buy a car it is for long-term.
Audis are not for the long-term kinda guy.
I went to the auto show in Dallas and checked out the A8. I popped the hood to see how easy it would be to work on this car.
I couldn't get my arm to fit between the engine and the radiator support. It was worse on the sides of the engine.
I felt bad for the techs who have to work on those cars. They are nice to see and nice to drive, but sooner or later you will have to pay the piper when its time to work on the car.
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maxnix
- Posts: 22627
- Joined: Mon Jul 22, 2002 8:11 pm
- Car: 1995 Infiniti Q45
1995 Infiniti Q45t
2000 Infiniti Q45
Technician's Nightmare
Reading the Audi boards on the A8 guarantees sijoko's statement. They have some awful seal problems with differentials and transfer cases. It is not easy to service them.sijoko wrote:I felt bad for the techs who have to work on those cars. They are nice to see and nice to drive, but sooner or later you will have to pay the piper when its time to work on the car.
Makes the Q45 seem straightforward and simple, especially the first two generations, 1990-2001.
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Q45tech
- Moderator
- Posts: 14296
- Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2002 3:19 am
- Car: 1990 Q45 342,400 miles 22 years ownership with original engine
1995 G20t 5 speed 334,000 miles 16" 2002 wheels - 205/50/16 Sr20ve vvl
We get our facts from one of T3 ex-Master techs who moved to the NE where is is the current Master Tech at a well known large Audi dealership. Sometimes the wait for replacement parts exceeds 30 days............but thats ok since the car comes in every 30 days anyway for somrthing else just like its distant cousin the BMW 745.
If you gotta have a $70,000 car buy an Ulta Lux Package Lexus with the optional sunroof and leather that they all come with but you get to pay for..............MSRP $ 68,800
If you gotta have a $70,000 car buy an Ulta Lux Package Lexus with the optional sunroof and leather that they all come with but you get to pay for..............MSRP $ 68,800
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greg_atlanta
- Posts: 1111
- Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2002 4:37 pm
- Car: 2008 G35 Journey Sedan, silver/black (no sunroof), 1992 Q45 (in a past life)
I think A8/S8 is very classy... moreso since they're rare. Not like dime-a-dozen S-class and 7-series.
Audi's failure is the same as many carmakers... they market to a performance-oriented market when all most people want is status (that's why BMW succeeds).
Very few people appreciate an understatement.
If I had big bucks (and a spare car while I wait for parts) I'd love to have an A8.
My only gripe with Audi is that all the rear turn signals are red instead of orange... but now Nissan/Infiniti and Honda/Acura are doing the same thing. Orange rear turn signals are much safer!!!
Audi's failure is the same as many carmakers... they market to a performance-oriented market when all most people want is status (that's why BMW succeeds).
Very few people appreciate an understatement.
If I had big bucks (and a spare car while I wait for parts) I'd love to have an A8.
My only gripe with Audi is that all the rear turn signals are red instead of orange... but now Nissan/Infiniti and Honda/Acura are doing the same thing. Orange rear turn signals are much safer!!!
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sijoko
- Posts: 961
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- Contact:
It seems that if you buy a German luxury car, it is expected of you to put up with problems and glitches. A good example is the BMW 7 series.
It had and still has many electrical problems, but the owners were always defending the car.
The dealers would treat them like peons and they would go a buy another car from them.
When it came time to resolve their issues, BMW corporate would give them the run around and they would still talk about how great the BMW philosophy is.
But if you mention that Japanese luxury cars are infinitely more reliable, the tirade begins. "They are nothing but Nissans and Toyotas." "They have no soul." Blah blah blah blah......
What is wrong with this picture?
It had and still has many electrical problems, but the owners were always defending the car.
The dealers would treat them like peons and they would go a buy another car from them.
When it came time to resolve their issues, BMW corporate would give them the run around and they would still talk about how great the BMW philosophy is.
But if you mention that Japanese luxury cars are infinitely more reliable, the tirade begins. "They are nothing but Nissans and Toyotas." "They have no soul." Blah blah blah blah......
What is wrong with this picture?
greg_atlanta wrote:Very few people appreciate an understatement.
Understatement is a returning trend, about time too. Given the VW group's size and deep pockets, we're going to continue to see an Audi push. Notice the new S4, powered by a tweaked A8 V-8. The RS6 twin turbo. The soon to hit our shores S8 Limited Edition, and A8L. Life is good if you're loaded, I suppose. Or, in the words of my Audi-loving friend,
"Soon we'll all be speaking German too"