Audi: A2 news
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Audi: A2 news
Originally Posted by http://www.leftlanenews.com/
Following a report by Germany's AutoBild magazine in February suggesting Audi planned to build a competitor to the Mini Cooper, Automotive News has now confirmed the claim after speaking with Audi boss Martin Winterkorn. "Mini has done well with its car. It has become more and more apparent there is demand there," he told the news service. He said the 2008 Audi A2 would be like the Mini, delivering "more emotion [and] more sportiness." He said it would be "a real eye-catcher that can become an icon." Shown right is AutoBild's computer rendering of how the car could look.
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#12
The sizzle in the Steak
Not bad, but that grille is
#13
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It's ok...I fell in love with the old A2 when I was in England this Xmas. I still think it looks better:
#16
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A2 >>>>> Mini (ref. thread title). The Mini does N O T H I N G for me and probably ranks as the compact car the I like the LEAST. That A2 is sharp and it's interesting that the headlights give it a 5-series look.
#17
It looks cool, but now it looks like it came out of BMW instead of Audi. I see lots of Bangle elements that are not currently employed in Audi's design.
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Mini Fighter - - By JASON STEIN | AUTOMOTIVE NEWS - - Source: Autoweek
GENEVA -- Audi will launch a radically different A2 successor by 2008. The car will be aimed directly at BMW's Mini.
"When we look at this segment it is clear there are a lot of customers who want a car below the A3," Audi Chairman Martin Winterkorn said in an interview at the Geneva auto show. "Mini has done well with its car. It has become more and more apparent there is demand there."
Audi sources said the next-generation steel-body A2 will arrive by 2008 and will be based on the front-wheel-drive Volkswagen Polo small car. The A2 may offer all-wheel drive. Winterkorn said the A2 will closely resemble the Shooting Brake concept shown last autumn at the Tokyo auto show.
The new A2 will have "that kind of style," Winterkorn said. "More emotion, more sportiness. A real eye-catcher that can become an icon."
The first A2 was shown as the A12 concept at the 1997 IAA in Frankfurt. Audi started selling the production version in 2000 and marketed it as the first volume car with an all-aluminum structure.
But it was E1,000 per unit more expensive to manufacture than a steel-body car and sold poorly.
By 2003, Audi had decided not to replace the A2 at the end of its life cycle. Production ended in mid-2005. Only 22,028 units were sold in western Europe in 2004, down from a peak of 51,813 units in 2001.
The new A2 is part of an Audi product offensive to raise its lineup to 40 models by 2015, up from 22. A new A2 also will heighten competition in the sales race between BMW and Audi.
Audi has publicly said it wants to sell 1.4 million vehicles globally by 2015, up from 829,109 in 2005. In 2003, the BMW group said it wanted to increase the company's global sales to 1.4 million vehicles by 2008.
But BMW says it is not concerned about competition from Audi.
"The average revenue per car for Audi in 2004 was E21,000. For BMW it was E35,000 -- including Mini," BMW Chairman Helmut Panke said at the Geneva auto show. "Audi is playing in the junior league as far as revenue per car is concerned." - Tony Lewin contributed
"When we look at this segment it is clear there are a lot of customers who want a car below the A3," Audi Chairman Martin Winterkorn said in an interview at the Geneva auto show. "Mini has done well with its car. It has become more and more apparent there is demand there."
Audi sources said the next-generation steel-body A2 will arrive by 2008 and will be based on the front-wheel-drive Volkswagen Polo small car. The A2 may offer all-wheel drive. Winterkorn said the A2 will closely resemble the Shooting Brake concept shown last autumn at the Tokyo auto show.
The new A2 will have "that kind of style," Winterkorn said. "More emotion, more sportiness. A real eye-catcher that can become an icon."
The first A2 was shown as the A12 concept at the 1997 IAA in Frankfurt. Audi started selling the production version in 2000 and marketed it as the first volume car with an all-aluminum structure.
But it was E1,000 per unit more expensive to manufacture than a steel-body car and sold poorly.
By 2003, Audi had decided not to replace the A2 at the end of its life cycle. Production ended in mid-2005. Only 22,028 units were sold in western Europe in 2004, down from a peak of 51,813 units in 2001.
The new A2 is part of an Audi product offensive to raise its lineup to 40 models by 2015, up from 22. A new A2 also will heighten competition in the sales race between BMW and Audi.
Audi has publicly said it wants to sell 1.4 million vehicles globally by 2015, up from 829,109 in 2005. In 2003, the BMW group said it wanted to increase the company's global sales to 1.4 million vehicles by 2008.
But BMW says it is not concerned about competition from Audi.
"The average revenue per car for Audi in 2004 was E21,000. For BMW it was E35,000 -- including Mini," BMW Chairman Helmut Panke said at the Geneva auto show. "Audi is playing in the junior league as far as revenue per car is concerned." - Tony Lewin contributed
#21
The sizzle in the Steak
Originally Posted by phile
It looks cool, but now it looks like it came out of BMW instead of Audi. I see lots of Bangle elements that are not currently employed in Audi's design.
#23
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Doubt it will be a real mini fighter with a price starting at low teens-under 15k, think Audi only wants to compete with the cooperS model with options at 28k.
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Originally Posted by Alin10123
Meh... it looks ok i guess. Sort of reminds me of a clownshoe just like the BMW M roadster.
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Audi A2 could share platform with Seat Ibiza - - Source: Autoweek
Seat, Volkswagen group's Spanish unit, could build and help engineer a successor to Audi's A2, said company and supplier sources.
The model would be based on Seat's next-generation Ibiza small car and would help Seat improve capacity utilization at its Martorell plant, about 30km northwest of Barcelona.
"If we make something lower than the A3, it is possible to work with Seat," said Ulrich Hackenberg, Audi's technical leader for electronics and concept vehicles. "Not only could we use Seat's capacity, but also some other areas as well," he told Automotive News Europe.
Hackenberg said Seat currently is developing its next-generation Ibiza. While no final decisions have been made yet, sharing between the two divisions on an Ibiza-based successor to the entry-premium A2 is "possible," Hackenberg said.
A supplier source in Germany said he has been told Audi and Seat will cooperate on the next A2, which is due in the third quarter of 2009 – about 12 months after the new Ibiza.
Seat is part of the Audi brand group, which is part of VW group.
Sharing with Seat could help both VW group partners.
Audi is looking for ways to expand its model lineup and double its sales to 1.4 million units by 2015. Last year, Audi reached a sales record with 829,109 units sold, the company said.
Audi Chairman Martin Winterkorn said Audi's lineup will expand to 40 models by 2015 from 22 this year.
Audi officials say the division could build up to 1 million units in its current plants. Outsourcing to other VW group plants would be necessary to achieve 1.4 million units.
Body of steel
Seat could use the production volume in its Martorell plant, which has an annual capacity of more than 500,000 units. Last year the plant produced 369,404 units, according to UK-based J.D. Power Automotive Forecasting.
"With the next generation of product platforms, we will have a lot of flexibility to produce cars in many locations," Hackenberg said.
Audi's new modular design system will allow it to share more architectures with other VW group brands. Hackenberg said the forthcoming Q5 SUV due in about a year will be the first example of complete parts sharing with the modular design system.
Audi sources said the A2 successor will have a steel body and will share many components with the VW Polo small car. The Ibiza also shares its platform with the Polo.
Audi built the current all-aluminum A2 in Neckarsulm, Germany, until mid-2005. Only 13,026 A2s were sold in western Europe in 2005, down from a peak of 51,813 units in 2001.
In the past, Seat has taken on various development projects for Audi.
Parts of the A3 entry-premium vehicle were developed in Martorell. Audi and Seat also share information technology systems, an Audi spokesman said.
The model would be based on Seat's next-generation Ibiza small car and would help Seat improve capacity utilization at its Martorell plant, about 30km northwest of Barcelona.
"If we make something lower than the A3, it is possible to work with Seat," said Ulrich Hackenberg, Audi's technical leader for electronics and concept vehicles. "Not only could we use Seat's capacity, but also some other areas as well," he told Automotive News Europe.
Hackenberg said Seat currently is developing its next-generation Ibiza. While no final decisions have been made yet, sharing between the two divisions on an Ibiza-based successor to the entry-premium A2 is "possible," Hackenberg said.
A supplier source in Germany said he has been told Audi and Seat will cooperate on the next A2, which is due in the third quarter of 2009 – about 12 months after the new Ibiza.
Seat is part of the Audi brand group, which is part of VW group.
Sharing with Seat could help both VW group partners.
Audi is looking for ways to expand its model lineup and double its sales to 1.4 million units by 2015. Last year, Audi reached a sales record with 829,109 units sold, the company said.
Audi Chairman Martin Winterkorn said Audi's lineup will expand to 40 models by 2015 from 22 this year.
Audi officials say the division could build up to 1 million units in its current plants. Outsourcing to other VW group plants would be necessary to achieve 1.4 million units.
Body of steel
Seat could use the production volume in its Martorell plant, which has an annual capacity of more than 500,000 units. Last year the plant produced 369,404 units, according to UK-based J.D. Power Automotive Forecasting.
"With the next generation of product platforms, we will have a lot of flexibility to produce cars in many locations," Hackenberg said.
Audi's new modular design system will allow it to share more architectures with other VW group brands. Hackenberg said the forthcoming Q5 SUV due in about a year will be the first example of complete parts sharing with the modular design system.
Audi sources said the A2 successor will have a steel body and will share many components with the VW Polo small car. The Ibiza also shares its platform with the Polo.
Audi built the current all-aluminum A2 in Neckarsulm, Germany, until mid-2005. Only 13,026 A2s were sold in western Europe in 2005, down from a peak of 51,813 units in 2001.
In the past, Seat has taken on various development projects for Audi.
Parts of the A3 entry-premium vehicle were developed in Martorell. Audi and Seat also share information technology systems, an Audi spokesman said.
#33
Autoblog
The 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show is nearly upon us, and concept vehicles are flying out of the ether at an ever-increasing rate. Audi has foisted the latest concept salvo upon the automotive world with its electric A2 concept. It's a compact four-seater with an eye towards tomorrow's style and long-range performance.
With the A2 Concept, Audi is looking to move its LED lighting technology into the next generation. The headlights feature a high-resolution, non-glaring high beam and high-efficiency low beam light modules. For the taillights, Audi is looking towards laser lighting, and the rear-facing illumination uses diodes that project a beam of light while also adapting to the changing lighting conditions. Additionally, the brake lights will adjust their illumination based on how much force is applied to the pedal.
There's no word on what will power this A2 concept, but Audi promises a mixture of long driving ranges and performance. It will certainly be a neat trick if it can deliver both.
The 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show is nearly upon us, and concept vehicles are flying out of the ether at an ever-increasing rate. Audi has foisted the latest concept salvo upon the automotive world with its electric A2 concept. It's a compact four-seater with an eye towards tomorrow's style and long-range performance.
With the A2 Concept, Audi is looking to move its LED lighting technology into the next generation. The headlights feature a high-resolution, non-glaring high beam and high-efficiency low beam light modules. For the taillights, Audi is looking towards laser lighting, and the rear-facing illumination uses diodes that project a beam of light while also adapting to the changing lighting conditions. Additionally, the brake lights will adjust their illumination based on how much force is applied to the pedal.
There's no word on what will power this A2 concept, but Audi promises a mixture of long driving ranges and performance. It will certainly be a neat trick if it can deliver both.
#36
Race Director
#37
All About Trance
Is this an Audi Edge?
#38
I drive a Subata.
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That looks promising.
#39
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Merged...