RE: Paris 2012: Audi

[FWDRacer]

lankybob said:

This seems a bit Audi bashing for Audi bashing's sake really.

Audi UK have obviously told Harris to do one.

Expect poor reviews on JLR products to follow...

[uncinquesei]

richardaucock said:

Thanks for the comments, guys. The RS comment was a general musing: the brand started off as a bespoke special aided by Porsche, evolved to tuned editions of models well into their lifecycle... I'm interested in what you think it should stand for today.

Is it authentic for Audi to sell an RS cabrio? Maybe it IS in keeping with the spirit of RS - after all, an estate is hardly a performance car ideal either, but it still worked. An interesting debate to have!

I normally like brown leather, but it didn't work in the ice white show car at Paris: needs a rich Ferrari 456-style maroon or deep blue, I reckon. Audi Individual means everyone can choose their preference, though - albeit for £££...

This is a weak article.... Suggesting that the RS cabriolet is a diversification too far compared with an RS hatch or an RS roadster, both of which the RS4 cab predated, suggests that either the author wasn't aware of the RS4 cab (!) or chooses to ignore it better to fit the theme of the article. Also, it would seem that cherry picking "traditions" is ok. A cabriolet is letting the RS badge down but a naturally aspirated V8 is ok even though the first RS models were turbocharged?

[Leebo310]

Maldini35 said:

I think the RS models are quite different from their AMG and M series rivals. Audi have never really claimed their RS cars are designed with track driving in mind, and it's no secret that most M cars (X models aside) are more rewarding on a trcakday. As a result Audi RS has come in for a bit of a kicking from many of the PH crowd. RS models were fast but too efficient, lacking the character of a lairy M series car or AMG Merc.
If I'm honest I used to think the same. However, as I've got older and had more time in various RS models I now 'get it'.
AMG use massive shouty old school V8's to light up the rear tyres and make a glorious noise, M cars are quick, sharp on turn in and born to drift. All good fun....for a while.

In my eyes RS cars deliberately choose a different path - high speed, high tech, high quality for everyday use.

Whilst I conceed an M5 would be more fun to drift around Paddock Hill whilst vapourising £600's worth of tyres (not many journo's have to worry about the tyre bills) there is no car I would rather be in for a long trip with the family, or my 1 hour commute home in filthy winter weather than an RS4.

Just keep an elise/cheap hot hatch in the garage for scratching that trackday itch.

+100 to this
Well done sir, you have summed up what should be used in future against all Audi bashing/generalisation threads!

[Nors]

Leebo310 said:

Maldini35 said:

I think the RS models are quite different from their AMG and M series rivals. Audi have never really claimed their RS cars are designed with track driving in mind, and it's no secret that most M cars (X models aside) are more rewarding on a trcakday. As a result Audi RS has come in for a bit of a kicking from many of the PH crowd. RS models were fast but too efficient, lacking the character of a lairy M series car or AMG Merc.
If I'm honest I used to think the same. However, as I've got older and had more time in various RS models I now 'get it'.
AMG use massive shouty old school V8's to light up the rear tyres and make a glorious noise, M cars are quick, sharp on turn in and born to drift. All good fun....for a while.

In my eyes RS cars deliberately choose a different path - high speed, high tech, high quality for everyday use.

Whilst I conceed an M5 would be more fun to drift around Paddock Hill whilst vapourising £600's worth of tyres (not many journo's have to worry about the tyre bills) there is no car I would rather be in for a long trip with the family, or my 1 hour commute home in filthy winter weather than an RS4.

Just keep an elise/cheap hot hatch in the garage for scratching that trackday itch.

+100 to this
Well done sir, you have summed up what should be used in future against all Audi bashing/generalisation threads!

A very big +1 to this!!

Great way of summing it up. The PH Audi bashing is really old hat!

[Nors]

FWDRacer said:

Audi UK have obviously told Harris to do one....

Why do you say?....

[LuS1fer]

Audis have been crossing lanes for years now...usually badly.

[Dave Hedgehog]

love them or hate them VAG know their customers, hence record profits in one of the worst recessions ever

[Pulse]

Dave Hedgehog said:

love them or hate them VAG know their customers, hence record profits in one of the worst recessions ever

Exactly. They aren't designed to be the last word in handling, but you could argue they provide a better 'driving experience' than a lot of other cars. For most people, the 'driving experience' is about how the car looks, whether it comes with clever technology, etc. Audi are doing pretty well at this.

[jerrytlr]

Dave Hedgehog said:

love them or hate them VAG know their customers, hence record profits in one of the worst recessions ever

They certainly do and if I was a shareholder I would be saying 'carry on as you are!'

But this is PH....

And I for one am amazed at the esteem the brand is held in by so many people who would claim to be petrolheads. Even the much applauded interiors aren't really that much better than other mainstream brands (fake chromed plastic everywhere in the last one I sat in).

I regularly drive down a road with numerous main car dealerships. Citroen, Peugeot, Merc, Renault, VW, even Land Rover.

The forecourt of the Audi dealership is by far the dullest of the lot. Rows of samey looking cars, nothing exciting at all. They have hit a successful formula with their styling and perceived quality and are sticking to it; but this does not make for interesting motoring - and PH is about interesting motoring!! For PH I think the article is fair, if it was Auto Express than perhaps it would count as somewhat biased........

Is this thread Audi bashing? Maybe a bit, but I think it may also just be trying to open people's eyes to what Audi is really about. The comments about the engineers are IMO spot on - no doubt there is some good engineering in the cars somewhere but Audi do a very good job of hiding it!

Any yes, I have owned two Audis over the years, and travelled in many more....and would happily buy another if I could find one that made me smile.


Cheers,

Jerry

[Twincam16]

GhepardoGTS said:

I realise Mitsubishi copied Audi's radiator grile design, but that Crosslane concept really does look like a Mitsubishi.

http://www.ics-driveshop.com/wp-content/uploads/20...

Edited by GhepardoGTS on Sunday 30th September 19:54

Surely that's building on styling cues from the Evo X rather than copying Audi?

[Maldini35]

jerrytlr said:

They certainly do and if I was a shareholder I would be saying 'carry on as you are!'

But this is PH....

And I for one am amazed at the esteem the brand is held in by so many people who would claim to be petrolheads. Even the much applauded interiors aren't really that much better than other mainstream brands (fake chromed plastic everywhere in the last one I sat in).

Is this thread Audi bashing? Maybe a bit, but I think it may also just be trying to open people's eyes to what Audi is really about. The comments about the engineers are IMO spot on - no doubt there is some good engineering in the cars somewhere but Audi do a very good job of hiding it!


Jerry

For many people it's Audi's attention to detail and build quality which impresses them.
Take the new A3 & Merc A class for example. The Merc has a traditional metal pole to prop up the bonnet. The A3 has twin gas struts which raise the bonnet and hold it in place. Similarly on the inside the A3 info screen neatly rises out of the dash when the engine is turned on (this is standard). The Merc A class info screen looks like a cheap ipad had been blu-tacked onto the dash as an afterthought. Both are brand new cars.
Sure, these are small things, mere details but to many people (perhaps not the PH crowd) they are representative of what a premium brand should stand for.

It's also interEsting to note that both Merc & BMW are starting to introduce 4 wheel drive variants of their regular models, something which Audi has done for years (& come in for a lot of stick for on PH).

[Obiwonkeyblokey]

this is a pretty lazy unresearched article. Im not an Audi "fanboy" but I have an S4 estate and am very pleased with it having previsouly had BMWs and Range Rovers. Its a great piece of kit and well screwed togther ( except for my water pump incident)

I agree there are many Audis suddenly on the road, but why knock a company for producing a product which many people want to buy?

[sealtt]

Well the RS5 is a pretty unimpressive car to begin with. Test drove it and it felt not much more special than an A4 2.0TDI S-line.

[C7 JFW]

FWDRacer said:

Audi UK have obviously told Harris to do one.

Expect poor reviews on JLR products to follow...

That's a shame considering Harris comes across well and appears to have pretty respectable taste in cars. He also seems to get it when it comes to the finer details - like the wipers on a Ferrari and so on.

Audi would do well to introduce some steering feel to their cars, something that consistently appears as a trademark-complaint. It's not like they don't have the budget now.

[Dave Hedgehog]

C7 JFW said:

FWDRacer said:

Audi UK have obviously told Harris to do one.

Expect poor reviews on JLR products to follow...

That's a shame considering Harris comes across well and appears to have pretty respectable taste in cars. He also seems to get it when it comes to the finer details - like the wipers on a Ferrari and so on.

Audi would do well to introduce some steering feel to their cars, something that consistently appears as a trademark-complaint. It's not like they don't have the budget now.

He did a decent job on his tri RS4 review, cant see what audi would have a problem with

[Maldini35]

C7 JFW said:

FWDRacer said:

Audi UK have obviously told Harris to do one.

Expect poor reviews on JLR products to follow...

That's a shame considering Harris comes across well and appears to have pretty respectable taste in cars. He also seems to get it when it comes to the finer details - like the wipers on a Ferrari and so on.

.

Of course Audi haven't told Chris to 'do one'.
If that was true we'd all know about it - remember his very public fall out with Ferrari?

[richardaucock]

[/quote]

I think the RS models are quite different from their AMG and M series rivals. Audi have never really claimed their RS cars are designed with track driving in mind, and it's no secret that most M cars (X models aside) are more rewarding on a trcakday. As a result Audi RS has come in for a bit of a kicking from many of the PH crowd. RS models were fast but too efficient, lacking the character of a lairy M series car or AMG Merc.
If I'm honest I used to think the same. However, as I've got older and had more time in various RS models I now 'get it'.
AMG use massive shouty old school V8's to light up the rear tyres and make a glorious noise, M cars are quick, sharp on turn in and born to drift. All good fun....for a while.

In my eyes RS cars deliberately choose a different path - high speed, high tech, high quality for everyday use.

Whilst I conceed an M5 would be more fun to drift around Paddock Hill whilst vapourising £600's worth of tyres (not many journo's have to worry about the tyre bills) there is no car I would rather be in for a long trip with the family, or my 1 hour commute home in filthy winter weather than an RS4.

Just keep an elise/cheap hot hatch in the garage for scratching that trackday itch.


[/quote]

Excellent appraisal of an RS' appeal - fully agree.