Audi CEO says no A1 for the U.S.

That sucks. We need more premium small effecient cars here in the US. I am tired of all of the tin can offerings that we have.

"The Americans still want big cars, but with increasing fuel efficiency"

Bullshit!!!!!
At $6 - $8 a gallon, A1 sized cars are all that Americans will be driving (at least the 40% who aren't morbidly obese)...

lol, right, because americans will all go from full size tanks, to clown size tin cans. please the vast middle is where everyone will end up in

You kidding right.......
Like Lexus offers NO FWD cars/ SUV at all...
You're a joke...

And the ES isn't a Camry...

I thought the Nazis and Communists were good at brainwashing people! Toyota and Lexus put those guys to shame! Get some help, kid.

The ES350 pprobably offers the worse value for the money as it is the Lexus that resemble a Toyota the most!!!
You are a joke MT...... thanks for the laugh.

America misses everything!

Who needs America these days? A corrupted nation with a dying economy...no one needs it.

And you like Acura...

WHAT??? Damn Audi, dumb move.... At a time people are starting to want small, cool and efficient cars... look at how MINI is tops of sales each month.... with all gains and no losses.... stupid Audi.

Common Herr Stadler! I'm waiting for the A1/S1 (my going to work car)... I was hoping for a sporty and fuel efficient version of a supped up A1... and a Q5 3.0 TDI for the family.

THere's not much I dislike about Audi, but their model/engine strategy for the US is definitely one of those I dislike (their limited and mostly boring color selection is another).

Back to my point... BIG mistake in not bringing the A1 to the US. Clearly there is a HUGE market for this kind of vehicle. The Mini is a clear example. Many people downsizing for the sake of fuel efficiency want the same luxury features in their smaller cars.

I no longer need a medium sized sedan for work (that used to be my family car but now its been replaced by a XC90) so now I'm looking for a small fun, sporty, efficient, luxury car ... A1/S1.

Shucks.

I'd guess it has something to do with brand image. Audi is likely wary of what happened to Acura-the Integra/RSX is a big part of the reason Acura isn't regarded as a luxury brand. A small hatchback doesn't fit with the image Audi is trying to present in the US.

Yeah right... since that car would compete against... Oooh i don't know.... the MINI perhaps... oh yeah.. it is FWD too..
Another dumb argument on your part...

You're such a loser.

Cheap cars? Ok, you win. the base price on most Audis is less than the comparable BMW. Whatever. It's still an insignificant amount at the end of the day. When the car are built the way they are usually sold, with comparable equipment the difference is A COUPLE THOUSAND DOLLARS. And the only real difference is, in most cases, that the BMW has a more powerful engine than the Audi, which doesn't matter for most people.

Oh right, BMW has "free" maintenance. You buy into that too you moron? Like that's not built into their business model anywhere. That eats up the majority of the cost difference. Free maintenance isn't free, douchebag, because nothing is free. You pay for it one way or another. Got that, stupid?

Nevermind that Audi has the best all wheel drive system ever produced, why does FWD architecture make the Audi less of a car? Under what circumstances is RWD superior to FWD or AWD? Extreme handling ability at the limits of the car? Sorry dumbass, nobody (meaning the majority of buyers) cares. How else?

Convince us that the cost difference between Audi and BMW makes the BMW unaffordable, but the Audi affordable. How is a $37,000 A4 2.0T Quattro affordable, but a 328xi at $41,000 with the same options is on a different level? Have you seen what you can lease a 3 series for? It's C-H-E-A-P!! $10,000 off the 2008 7-series of your choice and there's plenty of them available.

How can you say that Audi is the affordable alternative to BMW? How does a FWD architecture alone make a car less luxurious?

Alas, you won't respond with a mildy thought out comment. You don't engage in discussion. You don't elaborate or substantiate. You fire out an ignorant comment and disappear like some electronic sniper with a full magazine of stupidity.

Let me proactively respond to what we all know you're going to write, so maybe you'll be forced to come up with an intelligent response or, more likely, say nothing at all.

- I'm not gay
- I'm not an Audi fanboy. I respect them all.
- I'm not 12 years old

Go ahead, loser.

You're such a loser.

Cheap cars? Ok, you win. the base price on most Audis is less than the comparable BMW. Whatever. It's still an insignificant amount at the end of the day. When the car are built the way they are usually sold, with comparable equipment the difference is A COUPLE THOUSAND DOLLARS. And the only real difference is, in most cases, that the BMW has a more powerful engine than the Audi, which doesn't matter for most people.

Oh right, BMW has "free" maintenance. You buy into that too you moron? Like that's not built into their business model anywhere. That eats up the majority of the cost difference. Free maintenance isn't free, douchebag, because nothing is free. You pay for it one way or another. Got that, stupid?

Nevermind that Audi has the best all wheel drive system ever produced, why does FWD architecture make the Audi less of a car? Under what circumstances is RWD superior to FWD or AWD? Extreme handling ability at the limits of the car? Sorry dumbass, nobody (meaning the majority of buyers) cares. How else?

Convince us that the cost difference between Audi and BMW makes the BMW unaffordable, but the Audi affordable. How is a $37,000 A4 2.0T Quattro affordable, but a 328xi at $41,000 with the same options is on a different level? Have you seen what you can lease a 3 series for? It's C-H-E-A-P!! $10,000 off the 2008 7-series of your choice and there's plenty of them available.

How can you say that Audi is the affordable alternative to BMW? How does a FWD architecture alone make a car less luxurious?

Alas, you won't respond with a mildy thought out comment. You don't engage in discussion. You don't elaborate or substantiate. You fire out an ignorant comment and disappear like some electronic sniper with a full magazine of stupidity.

Let me proactively respond to what we all know you're going to write, so maybe you'll be forced to come up with an intelligent response or, more likely, say nothing at all.

- I'm not gay
- I'm not an Audi fanboy. I respect them all.
- I'm not 12 years old

Go ahead, loser.

And yet..in the sales report it is part of BMW.....

ever heard of cars such as the Nissan GTR and Porsche 911 Turbo. Both use AWD for perfromance.

saying that Audi makes horrible engines is really funny also.

Hey Amazing douche bag, looks jpighetti proved your point - you are a complete tool. Nice points jpighetti! Also, anyone that owns an A8L W12, which I do by the way, along with an S6 and A6 4.2 and hopefully adding an RS6 next year can afford any dumbass BMW on the market. Furthermore, the R8 commands pricing higher than any BMW on the market today, so I guess those are all poor people.Though critizing and deaming someone less fortunate as oneself show very poor character. And in many respects S/RS Audis are command higher prices than equivalent BMWs and M BMWs. A 760iL doesn't even compare to a loaded A8L W12 last time I checked or an S600. That is way BMW cannot win comparisons where it really counts - the top bracket of the luxury premium market. BMW is defined by the 3-Series and that's it. So, amazingbimmer, what do you drive, what do you do, where are your degrees from? Hmm....very quiet out there.

amazingidiot drives a certified pre-owned BMW 95' 318ti.

I call you a loser because that's the best possible description. You're a joke, dude. A joke. The automotive blog version of the kid picked last for the football team. You're a loser.

Love the Spaghetti thing too. Funny and original. Kids were cracking that joke in kindergarden.

Real quick. A $4000 gap (as you go up the line) between an A8 and a 7 series is peanuts. Not even worth talking about. A few percent, moron, is not significant, You think that's the difference between affordable and unaffordable? That seems, well, just stupid.

Audi doesn't make "horrible" engines, BMW makes better ones in some cases. Equivalent in others. I'll give you that anyday. As I've said before, I'm a huge BWM fan, but I'm truly a car enthusiastbeyond that. I respect them all versus your closed-minded, jaded, and largely inaccurate perspective.

I certainly understand the value of RWD from a performance perspective. If you'd like someone to talk circles around you about cars, I'd be delighted. The point is that a vehicle is not defined by this, as you insist it is, and it doesn't make the car less luxurious. It simply means it won't handle as well as a similar RWD vehicle at the limits.

What if that's not important to you as a buyer, as it is not for most people? RWD is not a primary buying motivation for most premuim segment shoppers. Nobody buys a BMW because it's RWD. They buy them because they are good, rather great, cars that HAPPEN to be RWD. Do you think a history of making RWD cars, long before FWD was in existence, has anything to do with why they still build RWD cars? Just a thought...

Lets answer a few typically shallow questions from an expectedly shallow individual. I can't believe I'm even dignifying this with a response.

Well here goes douche.

I'm 26 years old
I drive (daily) an Lincoln Aviator that does a great job towing my 26 foot Baja Outlaw. I also have a Boxster S when I feel like moving a little quicker.
My bachelors in Criminal Justice and I'm currently gettting my masters in Business Administration. I have a nice house on just over an acre with a nice view. Decent starter home, you know?

I manage a high-end, multi point car dealership for my 9-5. I also own a bar and restaurant management and consulting company with 8 employees and one partner. You know, just a little something on the side. For the record there is currently not a BMW in production that i couldn't "afford", though a 760 would require me to shuffle some funds around and probably get rid of the boat or the Porsche. Is that what you meant? That I can't afford an SUV, boat, sports car, and mortgage AND the most expensive BMW available? I guess that's not really that embarassing...

Want to know what kind of watch I wear, or brand of shoes I'm currently rocking too? Where I went on vacation or how my 401k is doing? Because those are really important things too in determining whether or not I know about cars and stuff...

Unlike you, I don't def

*define myself with materialism. I work hard and I've been fortunate, especially coming from a very humble background. You're the kind of shallow, vapid shell that gives BMW owners a bad image.

Now, what point were you trying to prove? Other than the fact that you're still a complete tool?

you are a joke if you think the A8 W12 pales in comparison to the 7501i.

Your making all this up to disguise your inferiority complex. If you were intelligent and actually received a degree for so-called Wharton (big whoopie on that actually). Try to get a doctorate next time, then you would act and write with more objectivity and respect. Not to mention stop putting down so-called poor people. You seem at best some kind of wannabe who wants people to think he is special - oh yes, a BMW owner.

xi = imitiation Quattro. That's about it.

As they say if you have to brag....

There's no way in hell that an ibanker has the time to be posting as much as you do. Oh...except wannabe ibankers.

Uh..uh..well...uh...my dad can beat up your dad!

As they say, you can't polish a turd.

Yada...Yada...Yada. Is that the crusp of your pathetic argument?

Now that is an intelligent response. What a comeback! Just shows you have no substance to your points.

AAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! OH MY GOD!! *whooooo* AHAHAHAHA!!

Wait! No more! Give me a second to recover! My sides have actually split open! HA HA HA HA HA! Ouch! I'm bleeeeding!!

+1, sir. Your words cut to the core of me. Well said. Well said indeed.

You have to be kidding. I can swallow a whole turd? That's all you got? That's a (small) notch above calling someone a doo-doo face. Is that what you're feeble arguement that devolved into? Calling me a turd-eater? You've been pretty solid in the insult department so far, but this is just unacceptable, even for a tool like you. I think we would have at least expected something like:

Me: As they say you can't polish a turd.
You: Then why do people wax their POS Audis?

HAHA! That would have been pretty funny, but no, we get "turd-swallower".

You truly are a clown. We thank you for the endless entertainment.

On a side note, what was the movie where the one guy says "I eat pieces of sh!t like you for breakfast", and the opther guy says "you eat pieces of sh!t for breakfast?". Was it Happy Gilmore with Adam Sandler?

Can't you guys see AmazinBimmer saying something like that?

AmazinBimmer: I eat pieces of sh!t like you for breakfast!
Random person: You eat pieces of sh!t for breakfast?
AmazinBimmer: Er...well...uh...that's not what i...uh,um...MY HOUSE IS BIGGER THAN YOURS!!

Another classic example of Audi underestimating the U.S. market. While worldwide Audi continues to soar They struggle with their U.S. sales. Their latest modest sales improvement in the U.S. speak to great products but their great products should be selling a lot better in here in the states.

So you wouldn't buy a Bentley because its PLATFORM is based off of the Phaeton? What about a Lamborghini?
Those share lots of parts with Audi.

hey guys ! what you don't know it is that quattro (for beginners quattro means awd) is available at more than 35 % of all Audi cars, it means more than 350.000 new cars is equipped with quattro each year. quattro is the most succesfull awd system in the world, all other premium brands mercedes, lexus, bmw didn't sell as much cars with awd as Audi ! Reflect about that !