Audi promises more ‘cool stuff’ for the U.S. market

it is a little upsetting to here that europe gets another great addition to the market. i wish america was lucky like that. well, oh well. at least we got the r8.

More cool stuff should include the A3 Convert and the new Allroads.

Agree, you can customize the crap out of your car in Europe.

I HATE that "BMW Individual" is a European only option and think they could make a lot more money if they offered it here. We all want our cars to be unique. I hope they are testing the waters in the USA with the 7-series individual cars that are available here now.

I do feel that Porsche has the right idea when it comes to customization, however, dig deep enough on those extras and you can easily double the msrp of the car.

And America's designo for Mercedes is nothing like ours...I can get stone (yes stone) in an S class if I really want.
I mean look at these leather options!
http://www2.mercedes-benz.co.uk/content/unitedkingdom/mpc/mpc_unitedkingdom_website/en/home_mpc/passenger_cars/home/products/designo/upholstery0.html
or these wood/stone options!
http://www2.mercedes-benz.co.uk/content/unitedkingdom/mpc/mpc_unitedkingdom_website/en/home_mpc/passenger_cars/home/products/designo/trim.html

Plus you can order many VW group cars in any colour you wish. ie you can get an A8 in regular black, or Lamborghini yellow or the colour that matches your house.

Come on up here in Canada and take advantage of the "BMW Individual". As you can see it is not exclusive to Europe.

http://www.bmw.ca/com/en/index_highend.html

I forgot... You have to click at the top on the 5 or 6 or 7 and so on, and choose the "BMW Individual" links for that respective series. It is available for the 5 series and up.

BMW offers the "individual" program in Canada I believe, strange that they don't in the states.

you can get sline right now, it's even standard on 08s currently

Sure you can get stone... and how much exactly does your MB cost in UK vs. the same model in US?

Touche.

The exchange rate does make everything seem more expensive though. An S500 (we call the S550 that here) starts at around 70000 pounds (So 140000 dollars). But of course, real incomes are higher in Britain.

The Audi spokesman said that they would offer some of the S-Line components in the U.S., but not the entire S-Line package. I hope they offer their American customers the engine/drivetrain/suspension/steering components of the S-Line - I

I know that most (if not all) European car companies soften up the suspension and steering on their U.S.-bound products. That's great if you are courting consumers who buy cars like the Lincoln Town Car, but car enthusiasts are turned off by this practice. It is especially galling that performance-oriented companies like Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Jaguar, etc. engage in this automotive emasculation. You can improve the handling by purchasing a "Sport/Performance Package", but why should we have to pay for something that Europeans get for free?

One of the reasons the US market gets softer suspension is due to our roads. The condition of our roadways is much worse than that of Germany. Hit an American pothole with a German suspension set up and you'll be right into the dealer with a repair order. Germans like a good ride too but they don't suffer as much due to the almost surgical precision in which they maintain the Autobahn.

Sailor,

You are right about the traditional American penchant for the smooth, soft ride that was offered by the Cadillacs, Lincolns, and Chrysler Imperials of yesteryear. (Auto salesman called them "floaters".) Unfortunately for Detroit, this segment of the auto-buying public is dying off - literally.

Auto enthusiasts and younger buyers want some precision and poise to coexist with the posh. I like a smooth, supple ride as much as anybody, as long as the car doesn't loose its composure on rough roads, doesn't roll in corners like a sailboat in a squall, and doesn't isolate the driver from the road with numb steering and brakes.

Thanks for the suggestion regarding the purchase of European-spec S-line components, but no auto manufacturer or dealer would get involved in such a deal under any circumstances. I can't order a car from the factory equipped with Euro-only equiupment - it would void the warranty, the Federal government would not allow it, and the dealer's service department would not install the components because they could not guarantee that the European parts would fit or work properly on the American-market. Such a part replacement or substitution would be a logistical, mechanical and legal nightmare. I guess I'll just have to buy a car that can be ordered with a decent performance/sport package option.

Sorry - I noticed that the last sentence of the first paragraph of the previous comment was truncated. I meant to say that if Audi is going to offer Americans only part of the S-Line package, give us the functional (i.e. performance-enhancing) stuff like enhancements to the engine, transmission, quattro system, brakes ,suspension and steering - I can live without the appearance stuff.

Absolutely, I agree, as long as they don't get too close to the S cars.

S4cabrio,

Do you know when the new S4 and the diesel A4 will be available in the U.S? And do you know if they will be available with Tiptronic or DSG?

Hopefully both of those vehicles will be available when my current auto lease expires.

I have no idea, but probably by the end of next year.

I can only hope for DSG.

I'd like to have an A3 Sportback here in 2.0 TDI form please with the S-Line package.

Neverfollow,

You do have a point.

Sailor,

In Europe the consumer has much greater lattitude in ordering options for their new car than in the U.S. I have tried a couple of times in the past, but no manufacturer will sell a Euro-spec version of their car in the States.

Thanks again for trying to help.