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Each week, our German correspondent slices and dices the latest rumblings, news, and quick-hit driving impressions from the other side of the pond. His byline may say Jens Meiners, but we simply call him . . . the Continental.
Audi has dragged up-and-coming Chinese car company Qoros to court over its choice of nomenclature. Qoros is a joint venture between Chinese carmaker Chery and Israel Corporation, and it has hired a number of high-profile executives, including former Mini chief designer Gert Hildebrand, and retains Austrian R & D specialist Magna Steyr to handle much of its development work. Qoros' cars will be shown at the 2013 Geneva auto show next month, including the GQ3 sedan. Audi, whose crossover lineup uses the Q-plus-number naming structure, has taken offense at the use of the Q in Qoros' model designation—and the German automaker won a first round at a regional court in Hamburg. Curiously, Audi does not seem to care about Infiniti's recent move to badge its entire future lineup with the letter Q followed by some numbers. An e-mail I received from Audi's press department on January 17 states that "[Audi has] no problem with the nomenclature of Infiniti." What, no problem with Infiniti Q50, but a problem with the Qoros GQ3? Perhaps this is because Infiniti first launched its Q45 back when Audi was still peddling the 80/90 and 100/200.
Coda's Fade-Out What's up with Coda? A few weeks ago, the electric vehicle maker announced "a furlough and a review of strategic options." The company wouldn't confirm any more than that, but I gather—and so have a few other observers—that Coda is in trouble. The company had acquired a vast number of unfinished bodies of the Hafei Saibao, also known as "the economic sedan in collaboration with Pininfarina Design Company," according to Hafei's website. The idea was to electrify the bodies with powertrains provided by Colorado-based supplier UQM, as well as a powerful and competitive battery pack. But—again, Coda neither confirms nor denies the rumor—the company has sold no more than 300 of its $37,250 Coda sedans so far. Coda had recruited top-level management from the financial and automotive world. Looking at the weak base product, a Chinese interpretation of a decade-old Mitsubishi Lancer (Pininfarina connection notwithstanding), you wonder what made them think they could make inroads in the auto market. I am told the company's business model was largely based on a $300-million-plus federal loan. I also hear the company was hoping to be taken over by an established carmaker, and in fact came close to a deal with Nissan. None of this materialised. Now a dealer is reportedly slashing prices to $25,000. It looks like the gamble is failing. Against the "Cavaliere" It is election time in Italy, and the auto industry is heavily involved in the struggle between scandal-ridden, longtime center-right Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and his successor, the center-left Eurocrat Mario Monti. While trying to save the country's finances, Monti's government has cracked down heavily on supposed tax evaders, such as with a raid in the posh resort of Cortina d'Ampezzo on December 30. Hapless owners of hundreds of luxury cars were traced down and subsequently harrassed by the tax authorities. Friends of mine tell me that they won't travel to downtown Milan anymore in their luxury cars, for fear of getting pulled over by the Finance Police and having to spend the rest of the day being interrogated. Others are skipping Cortina now, choosing to spend their money in the Swiss resort of St. Moritz, north of the border. No wonder luxury car sales there are hurting, though the good news for non-Italians is that pre-owned luxury cars from the country, where scared owners are trying to dispose of them hastily, are now a steal. But this has not stopped the automotive industry in Italy from promoting Monti with vocal support and hard money. Süddeutsche Zeitung reports that Monti's campaign is padded by Brembo chief Alberto Bombassei, Pirelli head Marco Tronchetti Provera, Ferrari's Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, and the Agnelli family. The auto industry does not wish to see the eccentric billionaire (that's Berlusconi) back in power, but the latest polls have seen a rise in his popularity. No wonder Brembo's Bombassei—as Süddeutsche reports—is busy touring Northern Italy in his BMW on the Monti campaign's behalf. After the February 25 election day, he can focus on business again.
The Ultimate A's Ancestors Say what you will about the styling of the new Mercedes-Benz A-class, but I can't wait to pilot the 360-horsepower, all-wheel-drive A45 AMG. I drove an A250 Sport last summer and the steering and chassis were shockingly good; the A45 AMG might just become a benchmark in sportiness. Audi and BMW will have something to chew on. The A45 AMG is the first AMG-badged A-class, but it brings back memories of a crazy variation of the original A-class, conceived under (later) AMG chief Ulrich Bruhnke. The A190 Twin was powered by two 123-horsepower, 1.9-liter four-cylinder engines. One was in the front and the other out back, under the trunk. The trip from zero to 62 mph took 5.7 seconds, and the car's top speed was 143 mph. Bruhnke explained that the vehicle was supposed to try out components for hybrids and electrics, but I believe that's just the politically correct part of the story . . . Later, Daimler developed a market-ready AMG version of the first A-class. Powered by a 138-horsepower, 2.1-liter four, it reached 62 mph in 8.2 seconds and topped out at 126 mph. Cosmetic changes and a sports suspension were part of the package. But it ultimately was deemed unworthy for the AMG sub-brand, and Daimler launched it as the A210 EVOLUTION (all caps, in true Mercedes style). Nice used examples can be picked up in Europe for a little over €5000. Bruhnke left Mercedes-AMG in 2003 to lead BMW's M GmbH. Today, he is CEO of Techmag, a Swiss-based technology house developing and producing MnE21, a magnesium-based light-weight material which can be used for body and structural components. from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com | |||
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Monday, February 18, 2013
The Continental: Audi’s War of Letters, Industry Politics in Italy, and A45 AMG Ancestors
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