Audi on track to replace BMW as the world’s largest maker of luxury cars

I'm Not surprise, they came out with so fun and new model within the last couple of years. The new Audi R8, R8 V10, upcoming R4, new S5, and RS5 coupe so I was expecting this from Audi.

In fact a year ago or two I posted a comment about this and got deboosted for saying Audi will eventually surpass BMW as the world largest maker of luxury cars.

I suspect that the commencement of A1 sales will tip the balance--followed, predictably, by the protests of the charming BMW faithful that it doesn't mean anything because the A1 is not a luxury car (never mind that the Mini isn't a BMW). When BMW releases its front-driver, I wouldn't be surprised if they recaptured the crown amidst a triumphant roar from said faithful who, so heavily invested in BMW's performance image, will claim the ugly stepchild as their own and praise its superior acceleration and handling.

I dont think their R8 and R4, S5 and Rs5 will help the total sale that much.
A1,A3, A4, A6 will help the most.

Kudos for those fine short-term numbers. I'm not holding my breath, but should Audi become the #1 luxury car maker (In the US? World-wide?), then I'll be tipping my hat to them for that accomplishment, especially considering who they're up against.

Lets wait and see what happens.

All I want to see is more exciting and better product, whoever can provide. AUDI can easily gain another 20% sale and improve fuel efficiency by offering RWD. Just do it.

"Audi aims to replace BMW AG as the world’s largest maker of luxury cars by 2015."

I read that BMW aims to remain the world's largest maker of premium autos.

Since Audi is losing share in China to BMW I would say there is strong case that Audi may have plenty of work staying in its current spot and falling back a few spots. If I worked in Audi's PR department I suppose I would spin it, too.

Largest Luxury car maker whose sales numbers are made up primarily of A3 sales. The A3 isn't a luxury car. Take away the A3 sales and see where Audi stands.

Or even better yet; How about a model-to-model sales comparison? I'm willing to bet that BMW and MB sells more 7-series and S-classes respectivly than Audi sells A8's.

3-series greater than A4 sales?
5-series greater than A6 sales?
"M" models greater than the Audi "S" or "RS" equivalent sales?

The Audi A6 outsells the BMW 5-series and Mercedes-Benz E-class worldwide.

BMW's highest selling car is the 3-series. This car is not very expensive.

The FWD or RWD has nothing to do with whether a car is "premium" or "luxury". Luxury has never been defined as, nor will it ever be defined by the car's front-wheel-drive or rear-wheel-drive architecture.

BMW is already on its way to becoming the "offer every single type of niche vehicle imaginable even if customers don't care for that niche," company. Just look at the 5-series GT. It's an absolute sales failure in every sense of the word and it is because BMW is trying to just cover all the bases without thinking what customers are looking for.

For all those that don't think Audi will surpass BMW in worldwide sales, take a look at this:

http://www.ihsglobalinsight.com/SDA/SDADetail18534.htm

Exactly :) Audi is on track to surpass BMW as the world's best-selling premium car manufacturer by 2015.

"BMW is already on its way to becoming the "offer every single type of niche vehicle imaginable even if customers don't care for that niche," company. Just look at the 5-series GT. It's an absolute sales failure in every sense of the word and it is because BMW is trying to just cover all the bases without thinking what customers are looking for."

Nut your irrational, the 5 Gt hasn't even been out for a year, you cant judge its success yet. So stop making things up. And Audi is following BMW and Merc into all of these niches so you probably shouldn't use that as a point in your rambling comments either.

What happens if Audi sells the most cars? are they going to grow forever? Do sales equal quality of the vehicle? B/c you think audi is better event though they sell less then BMW. and does it mean anything when most of them are basically rebadged golfs(A3), or rebadged lupo's(A1), or Tiguan's (Q5), or touareg's (Q7)?

I feel bad for all the people overpaying for audis...

I own both an older BMW which I really like AND a new Audi A4 which has been a very pleasant vehicle. I wouldn't say Audi owners "overpaid". Audi makes a great product. As a BMW loyal owner, lets not forget the nickel and dime crap BMW charges us all for (example: rear folding seats, XM radio, etc). These things should be standard so don't go bragging too loud.

That is why Audi is making so much profit, because all the VW based parts that are put into Audis. Like engines and chassis, this dramatically cuts development costs. Where BMW has to do it all on there own. Yes, parts sharing is smart for Audi, because of the situation...it being VW's luxury brand.

But since Audi makes so much money..shouldn't they share it with the consumer,by cutting prices. Instead of overcharging the consumer, and making huge profits, to satisfy stockholders.

At least Lexus does it better they have a similar situation, but offer their vehicles for a few thousand less then a comparably equipped BMW or Benz.

94geo - the only thing your comments show is just how misinformed you are about Audi's vehicles.

justacar what am i misinformed about? You don't seem to post any arguments or facts. Just opinions, followed by criticism.

94geo - The facts are out there and have been discussed at length. There is no need to keep repeating them. I will take point on your arguments since you asked.

Your are implying that Audi is making so much profit because they share parts with Volkswagen and they overcharge people for their cars! How about the fact that Audi is designing great cars that people want and are willing to pay for? This argument by BMW fans that "Audi is owned by Volkswagen therefore they can't be good" is wearing thin. And why don't we discuss the fact that Audi owns Lamborghini?
You also said "At least Lexus does it better they have a similar situation..." Really? how is Audi similar to Lexus? Audi is a company that trades on the german stock market. It happens to be a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group. Lexus is a brand of the Toyota company and most of their vehicles are re-skinned Toyotas. Are you saying that Audis are re-skinned VWs?

At best they are a commodity luxury company. They are lumped in with the special Toyota "Lexus", Nissan "Infinti", Honda "Acura", GM 'Cadillac. The product plan is to offer a lot of models in the lineup. A lot of them. There was an interview in Automotive News in late 2006 or early 2007 when they interviewed the CEO of the company. And after some product planning, he was curious as to his employees perception of the cars they build & sell compared to the rival brands. Did they consider the Audi brand a luxury car. He went to each person in the building, each one answered no. If I had a link to it I would paste it here but I do not, sorry. But I thought it was a very interesting article, and memorable. LexSucks has a point!

So Audi wants become the VW of luxury cars, and sell large volumes of overpriced cars, big surprise! Not. Ill stick with BMW.

But, BMW sells a greater volume of cars. Is it OK for them or should you have just said you prefer BMWs no matter what?

Ahhh........all the Bimmer fanboys got their panties in a wad.

I'm thinking BMW should change their slogan to-
"The Ultimate 1990's Driving Machine."

After all that's when all their best models came out.
Let's take a look shall we.........
The E39 M5- the E46 M3- The Z8, the 8 series. This decade set the benchmark for them but it's over now fanboys and the baton is now passing. Would you guys like some tissues???

I thought that Lexus had the worse fans? Not Anymore. When it comes to proclaiming unsubstantiated Superiourity, The Audi Fans have them beat

BMW fans on this site are in denial over Audi's success. Their constant attempts to bring Audi down are a sign of desperation. Instead of accepting the fact hat Audi makes vehicles that are just as compelling as BMWs, they come here and spread their misinformed opinions because they feel somehow threatened by Audi. Using logical reasoning with a person in denial is an exercise in futility.

I was waiting for all the deboosting by BMW fans. It just proves my point.

What makes you think that it's BMW fans de-boosting you? You were deboosted because of your retarted Audi fanboi-ism.

LexSucks - your comment is not even worth replying to. Have yourself a nice day.

Good job Audi. Between the two, I would go for Audi over BMW.

I am not sure whether that it is going to happen -- who can really predict 2015 sales that well? But even if it does, Audi will still rely on FWD cars for more than half of those sales, which will diminish any sense of acomplishment.

No. And I did not say that. It's because luxury / sport => not FWD .

No pipe. You cannot have real luxury or real sport cars with FWD. Some FWD Hondas are sporty, but when Honda really made a front engined sport car (S2000), they went RWD. Or now AWD for larger / more powerful vehicles. Something similar applies to Audi -- they can only challenge BMW sportiness when they add Quattro, and that represents less than 40% of their worldwide sales.

Name a single real luxury car or real sport car (front engined) that is FWD. There is no such thing! And if BMW makes a FWD car, it will not be considered a luxury car, nor a sports car. Like "frontrack" Audis (60% of their worldwide sales), MB A and B classes, or other "upscale" front drives by Acura, Lexus, Volvo, etc.

On a performance scale, BMW beats Audi in nearly all (if not indeed all) categories.

But BMW needs to get its act together and realize that Audi is gaining momentum on sheer looks, especially in Europe (where Audi has already been outselling BMW in some categories). The Europeans have an admittedly higher taste and love the slick, understated, "Armani suit" appearance of Audi, over BMW's recent gaudy, overwrought appearance.

I just don't understand why BMW design needs to mess with everything and ruin all subtlety (US/Asian market appeal, maybe?). Look at the new 5 Series: why so many creases on the hood cover? The outer creases are enough, and even then they bend inwards and go nowhere, compared to the A6 where they run into the lining of the headlamps for a unified look. And the rear bumper on said 5 Series starts too high and is much too bulbous. Not to bore anyone with tiny details, but such things speak greater volumes across the pond than here in the US.

I agree with your general assessment on comparative performance, but I disagree with the idea that Audi gets by on sheer looks. You do realize that Audis, like BMWs, are capable of performing beyond the skills of the VAST majority of their drivers and beyond the sensible limits for most roads around the world? If so, you must then realize that aside from those who do track days (a minority) and those who must have the bragging rights (the stupefying majority) the performance inferiority of Audis is meaningless. I know it's hard to take off the enthusiast goggles sometimes, but don't let it make you ignore the other qualities that make cars successful besides o
Also, I don't agree with the idea that BMWs are behind in any way on styling. BMW's reputation is built on aggressive performance and I think the styling needs to (and does) reflect that quite successfully. It's not everybody's cup of tea and until this recession is over, I think Audi's understated looks are going to be more desired. After that, it's anybody's guess.

"other qualities that make cars successful besides o"

other qualities that make cars successful besides styling and performance.

@ AlleVier,

You do make a point; "sheer looks" may be somewhat one-dimensional. However,

- While Audi's performance is highly admirable (racing heritage, 'nuff said), BMW generally takes the top spot in road tests. BMW usually has an edge with RWD and the consequent handling/weight distribution (as Jeremy Clarkson noted, "It's right that the front wheels do the steering and those at the rear the propulsion. It's why BMWs always feel so proper"). Yes, the differences are not obvious on your trip to the grocery store, but Audi is not building momentum because they are actually outperforming BMW across board.

- Yes, there is more to a car than styling and performance, such as price, fuel economy and durability (all of which are pretty close among these two), but they matter less in the wealthier target market of these brands (vs. the Toyota/Honda market). But I do agree that puerile bragging rights do come into play (which should be tipping the numbers in BMW's favor, contrary to the emerging trend).

- BMW design should be aggressive; but aggressive is not necessarily brutish. I think the E46 says "BMW" just fine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BMW_E46_front_20080822.jpg) and yet you'll find those refined Audi design elements I mentioned here as well. But design will ultimately be subjective, and not always "right" or "wrong".

Audi will replace BMW as the world's best selling premium brad by 2015. The experts at IHS Global Insight have already confirmed this is if you look at my post above.

Audi is making A LOT more money than BMW because Audi has economies of scale due to being owned by Volkswagen. Audi can share platforms, parts, engines, chassis, and design themes across the rest of the VAG family that includes brands such as Bugatti, Bentley, Porsche, and Lamborghini.

BMW needs to do everything on its own from chassis to parts to engines etc. This is why BMW will not be able to match Audi's profitability. Furthermore, for BMW to develop an R8 competitor it would endure massive costs.

Also, Audi's stronghold on the Chinese market is a HUGE reason for its sales success. Volkswagen was one of the first companies to establish a joint venture in China and now Audi is reaping ENORMOUS benefits from Volkswagen's foresight. Audi is on pace to sell 200,000 cars in China whereas BMW is looking to sell less than 150,000.

In the United States, Audi is actually suffering a shortage of vehicles because Audi can't supply vehicles fast enough to meet consumer demand.

Audi's new products such as the A8, R8 V10, and upcoming A7 and A1 will demonstrate how Audi combines world-class design with incredible performance, security, efficiency, and technological innovation.

Audi's recent cars have been major hits. The Q5 has clearly dominated its segment and its sales are indicative of this success. The aging A6 already outsold the BMW 5-series and Benz E-class globally. Although the new A8 is boring on the exterior, the car finally has the technology to surpass the BMW 7-series and Mercedes-Benz S-class, an interior that is once again a cut above the competition's, and now handling that is almost as sharp if not sharper than the 7-series.

The A7 will provide the visual snap that is lacking with the A8, but will maintain the supreme luxury that is now a hallmark of the Audi flagship.

When you combine an excellent product with a stronghold on the rapidly growing Chinese market, market leading status in Western Europe, and economies of scale that give you far more profit than your competitors, you can't be stopped.

Audi will certainly overtake BMW as the world's best selling premium brand by 2015.

To bad BMW is worth more than VW,Audi,and Honda combined.

"To bad BMW is worth more than VW,Audi,and Honda combined"

- Not true. Only a Fanboy would try to have people believe this crap. BMW is a relatively small car company. BMW fans are just as disillusioned as Audi and Lexus fans

http://translate.google.com/translate?js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=1&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.autozeitung.de%2Fauto-vergleichstest%2Fluxusliner-mit-allradantrieb-von-audi-bmw-und-mercedes-im-vergleichstest&sl=de&tl=en

Another test where the new A8 beats the 750i. Even in the "Driving Dynamics" comparison , the A8 was ahead of the 7. Let the denial and deboosting continue.

I didn't realise Audi was luxury. In fact "Audi" and "luxury" together in a sentance is an oxymoron.

Of course they will eventually sell more cars than BMW. They are more of a mass manufacturer than BMW. Audi produces unexciting cars for unexciting people (the majority).

OK JB. You said Audi "will eventually sell more cars than BMW. They are more of a mass manufacturer than BMW".
By your argument, BMW is already a mass market manufacturer since they currently sell more cars than Audi.

As if BMW is luxury. BMW is such a sellout! BMW has long said it would never produce a front-wheel-drive car because the front-wheel-drive nature would go directly against BMW's legendary road-feel, unmatched driving dynamics, and crisp handling, which are only provided by the classic BMW rear-wheel-drive.

BMW will not only produce a front-wheel-drive car, but it will produce an Audi A1 competitor. BMW is a joke!

@911gt3rs

LOL. You do know that Porsche(as in the manufacturer of your namesake) is owned by the lowly VW?

This thread is absolute proof of the level of Idiocy that is prevalent on this site.
BMW:
Mini / 1-Series/ 3-Series/ 5-Series/ 6-Series/ 7-Series/ X1/ X3/ X5/ X6

Audi:
A3 / A4 / A5 / A6 / A8 / Q5 / Q7 /R8

BMW: 10 Different Models {Excluding Coupe, Sedan, Estate Variations}
Audi: 8 Different Models {Excluding Coupe, Sedan, Estate Variations}

Now I do not know What kind of Vehicles you have available to you in the USA but in the Rest Of The World the A3 Outsells the 1-Series and is Better in Interior & Exterior Quality. {Even the VW Golf Beats the 1-Series}

The 3-Series for a long time was the Best-Seller in its segment for BMW but the previous Model A4 Sales closely matched the 3-Series in Europe & UK {Not sure about the rest of the world} and the Audi was usually slightly More Expensive than the BMW spec for spec so you cannot claim the sales came from Cheaper Vehicle Prices.

The A6 without a doubt sold more than the 5-Series Worldwide and again the Spec for Spec Prices were extremely close.

7- Series did better than the A8 outside of Europe in the last 6 years and especially since the new 7-Series came out but we will see in about 2 years what the figures are like for the 2 vehicles.

There are more low spec BMWs on UK & European Roads than there are Low Spec Audis and i would not presume to know why however i do find it funny that you yanks who buy EUROPEAN MANUFACTURED AND OWNED Vehicles because of its apparent Prestige & Luxuries that the AMERICAN MANUFACTURERS COULD NOT HOPE TO MATCH then turn around and claim that the same EUROPEANS who say Audi is on the same level as MB & BMW in terms of Luxury are dead wrong.

Why don't you make something of your own that can compete or beat them in the category of Luxury & Prestige and then we might listen.

SMH
Only In America.

I agree with you about the Prestige {Or Lack Of } of the C-Class

If you read my usual comments they seldom mention the word "Prestige" unless i am mocking some stupid americans who constantly use the term even though they obviously know nothing about the word.

Like i have stated many times, i spend silly amounts of money renting & driving the vehicles that are launched and i do not rate them based on Prestige.

Anybody who claims an A8 is not as Luxurious as an S-Class because it's small engined variant is FWD is a COMPLETE MORON and there is no arguing that fact.

Mini is not a BMW. And A1 and A7 are imminent, so your "count" will be reversed soon.

More importantly, BMW has no FWD models.

PatrickBateman

Now you see what i mean about Cretins on this site.

WAC77
The New MINI was DESIGNED & MANUFACTURED by BMW and is SOLD in BMW SHOWROOMS.

But I guess because it is FWD it is not a BMW.

BTW:
I forgot to mention X1 so NO, my count will not be Reversed Soon.

AUDI = Always Unsatisfied Driving It!

No because they are not true.

Whereas mine is.