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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: SecularBull who wrote (123480)	1/24/2001 11:43:50 AM
From: swisstrader	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

You're correct that Europeans, especially the Swiss and Germans have a huge fondness for VW's and also Audis (not the same stigma attached to each as in the US, and anything German thought to be wildly superior)....further, if memory serves me correctly, the Porsche 911 engine was originally designed by a VW engineer (??)...finally, just a few short yrs ago, folks argued about why would people be willing to pay top dollar for a car (Lexus) no one ever heard of vs a Mercedes or a BMW,,,well, we got our answer on that one!

To: SecularBull who wrote (123480)	1/24/2001 1:47:55 PM
From: Zoltan!	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

Yes, they bought RR and Bentley, but not the RR logo or trademark - BMW gets that. VW aims for global domination VW's planned flagship saloon, code named the D1, is aimed at changing standards for luxury cars around the world. That's the promise from the German-based carmaker, which will provide real burred wood, aluminium, and very tactile switchgear. Insiders say the car will be 'classier' than the M-B S-Class. Two main engines are expected to power the car - a 5.6-litre V12 outputting 420bhp, and a 5-litre W10 turbo-diesel that will have the world's highest torque rating and output 313bhp. Some smaller V8 petrol and diesel will also be offered options. motorweb.ie I'll bet that's the Audi V-12, which qualifies as the largest capacity and most powerful production twelve-cylinder engine ever to be found in a saloon car worldwide. VW's platform and brand mix could create a juggernaut of efficiency and profitability automotive-business.com ...To avoid future cannibalization among his brands, Pi6ch set guidelines for each marque. Seat is aligned to rival sporty Alfa Romeo, a goal that became realistic when Seat stole Alfa design chief Walter da Silva. Skoda, in a move that would have been considered laughably presumptuous a few years ago, will target Volvo and Saab. VW and Audi will refine their current identities, with Audi a touch more on the sporty side, targeting BMW, and Volkswagen expanding upmarket and targeting the Mercedes alphabet from A-Class to S-Class. "Audi is a question mark," said Jim Hall, AutoPacific vice president for Industry Analysis and ABI columnist. "VW is the only company on Earth that separates BMW and Mercedes from a competitive standpoint. Hall suggested that VW’s move upmarket with the W8 engined Passat Plus and the likely V12 D1 proves a saying around VW heaquarters: The cream rises to wherever Ferdinand Piëch is. That is, whichever brand gets his attention also gets the hottest cars. "There may be an arcane logic even to that," Hall said. "VW has U.S. owner demographics that other companies would kill for. It could be a lifetime brand for Generation Y. They might go from Golf to D1 and never even consider any other brand."...