Monday 31st October 2016

Audi Sport Centre to open in Abu Dhabi

If you're only after the really, really fast Audis, this is the dealership for you [video added]

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It probably won't have escaped your attention that there are a few more Audis on the roads these days. Or rather a lot more. Most interestingly for PH though is the news that sales of Audi Sport models - the new name for the Quattro GmbH cars - have doubled in the past five years, with more than 17,000 sold in 2015. Remember that's just RS cars and the R8 too.

But, if you're Audi, how do you go about selling more Audi Sport cars? You build a dealership selling only those cars, obviously. In Abu Dhabi. The "all new futuristic showroom" opens next week, with Stephan Winkelmann and Tom Kristensen set to make appearances. Apparently "growing demand for high performance cars in the region" - sales of Audi RS and R models are up 44 per cent year to date in Abu Dhabi - has made the development feasible. Hardly automotive surprise of the year...

What's more, it's believed that another eight global Sport models are due for launch next year in addition to 2016's RS3 saloon, R8 Spyder and TT RS. That will include the RS4 and RS5 variants certainly, plus perhaps an RS1 or RS8. That's before considering the SUVs as well.

What the opening of this dealership means for other Audi showrooms remains to be seen. At present Audi Sport products are available in 370 of Audi's 2,900 global dealerships, expected to rise to 600 by the end of 2017. But could we see more specialist, Sport-only outlets? Well if this Abu Dhabi venture is a success, it would surely take a brave person to bet against it.

Watch the launch video here.
 

[arkenphel]

<cough cough> Brand dilution etc etc....

I must say Audi Sport does not have a nice ring to it. Reminds me of Audi branded sports bags and polo shirts. Quattro is so much more evocative, and this is coming from a guy who's only really been into cares for the past 15 years or so...