…C’mon team! The only thing I don’t like is the dilution that takes place when you start that common platform sh_t. Look what that’s done to GM. I’ve been on the hunt for a 911 for a month, and can tell you that P has made some pretty great strides in improving this model with the 997 intro in ‘05. Yet, they may realize this tail-dragger can only take them so far/so long…Sweeeet as it is..

j i m

Indeed, the 997 issue of the 911 is the best damn “Strength Through Joy Folks Wagon” Dr. Ferry’s folks have made yet, but what the hell do they want with nose-heavy Audi?

A little history lesson:

Audi and Porsche used to be distributed by the same company here in the states back in the 70’s.  The 924 was originally comissioned by VW to be an Audi and used existing Audi engines and transmissions.

Porsche has always wanted to grow, but has been hampered by their customer’s vision of what a Porsche is (primarily, a rear-engined sports car)  Audi has always been the right companion marque for Porsche.  Now that Porsche have the cash to expand (they are the most profitable automaker bar-none and are also wholly privately held) and VW have been having profitability issues, it would make sense for Porsche to use their new influence to strip Audi away from VW.

I like the idea of Porsche and Audi working together. Both are prestige Brands, which VW isn’t. I can imagine that Porsche aimed for getting Audi with buying into VW.

So Porsche, save Audi from VW. And if you got left over, get Aston too.

…if you got some Money left over… Sorry!

Those krafty Germans! I only wish American car companies worked in this fashion amongst each other; the Japanese have been doing it for eons.

I don’t see this as a good thing. As an Audi owner and fan, I am worried that Porsche control would lead to the stillbirth of great future Audi products( and perhaps the premature demise of existing ones) that are seen to be “parasitic” from P’s viewpoint -anyone remember the mid engined Quatrro Spyder? It was reportedly killed by P because they feared it would eat into 911 sales. How do you think P views the R8? As I understand, the RS4 can keep pace with a 997 around the ring and it’s a 4 door sedan. P can’t be happy with that. If P controls Audi look for the marque to be luxury / design oriented and forget about competing with BMW in the luxury performance category

How would it be a bad thing for Audi?

Sure, the R8 would have probably been badged a Porsche – but if the R8 were a TDI, surely that would set it apart from Porsche sufficiently.  Also, the RS4 is a 4-door sedan and wagon.  I remember then the 1978 Audi Fox Wagon was billed as the perfect companion in the garage with a 911 – an RS4 Avant would be equally perfect next to a 911 Turbo.

In my estimation, it would be better than Audi remaining glorified (and sometimes aluminum) variations of VW’s.

Also, Porsche and Audi have conflicting models that overlap. The R8 is a major stab at the 911 and certain TTs are Caymen/Boxster rivals. Audi and Porsche together reminds me of Alfa Romeo and Lancia, both are striving for the same market, but go about it slightly differently.

Perhaps Porsche wants to use their engineering expertise and purity of intent to clean up the mess that is the VW Group.

Sell Volkswagen to Mercedes at the same time. This way Mercedes can kill off the A,B,C, C-Coupe all in one go and replace them with the Passat

i cant tell is porsche is starting to piss me off or if theyre doing something good

Excellent idea Stuart, I like it; then the Phaeton could be put out of its 5,500 lb misery.

theyre probably SOL for their next cayenne and want to badge engineer the **** out of Audis

audi better not take a different direction or ill be uber-pissed
its perfect where its at and the R8 better be sticking around as an AUDI. Piss off porsche

ˆˆˆI freakin agree, I drive an ION just to be different, and dream of getting any AUDI not Porsche…AUDI!. Posrche needs to be pushed in the a$$, their designs are not has revolutionary. Audi is the black sheep of VW and should stay that way.

Porsche wants to kill Audi because they are intruding into their niche market.
I can’t see Porsche controlling a corp the size of VW. They don’t have the expertise to be a mass producer.
The 944 was assembled in great quantities and there were a lot of issues with those cars- and that was a fraction of the volume of a Golf.
Is the Q7 eating the Cayenne alive??

Audi wants to raise their prices to compete with BMW. The Audi USA chief said so.

They could justify those increases by dropping VW clones (A3 is essentially jazzed up VW GTI !!) , integrating offerings with those of Porsche, and (by utilizing more Porsche technology in creative ways) build more of what you really __want__ to build; street legal race cars that enthusasists can afford and want to drive.

If they want to be a niche brand, fine. There are so few Audi dealers anyway that it is hard to get service and support anyway.

So where does Lambo fit into this?

VW has said all along that Audi is Lamborghini’s patron. Does the Italian money pit come along for boasting rights? Does Porsche need that?

From cheapest…

Low End: VW
Mass Luxury: Audi
Performance: Porsche
Showoff Toys: Lambo

im willing to bet all they want is the diesel engines…

i think its because AUDI has encroached to close for comfort into Porche’s Territory… think R8… with more products in the pipeline…

I rhing porsche can take over audi because audi shares parts with lambo wich is owned vi VW, in my point of view porsche wants to control VW grups because they are afraid that audi takes customers away from them, they never believed that VW could do it so well to compete with them but they do so they want to stop them.