Confirmed by trade publication Automotive News, Audi is currently exploring prospects of producing at least new one vehicle stateside. In the article posted on July 11th, Audi Chief Executive Officer Rupert Stadler stated, “It is totally clear that we need new production capacity in the U.S.,” claiming it is a only a matter of time. These words followed Stadler’s 2010 projection for Audi to sell as many as 1.5 million vehicles worldwide by the 2015 calendar year. Parent brand Volkswagen could lure Audi to their new Chattanooga, Tennessee manufacturing facility. The Chattanooga complex has currently started production of the new Volkswagen Passat.

At that time, the Audi CEO stated production inside of the United States of America was not necessary to meet their sales target. Admitting there is a strong chance for a new assembly plant in North America; Audi has since indicated the United States may not be the exact location for future production. Audi could be more inclined to assembling their vehicles in Mexico favouring lower labour and operation costs. It was also reported by the Toronto Star that the Canadian province of Ontario plans to mount a bid for a potential manufacturing facility.

More recently published rumours mention the Audi Q5 is a likely candidate for North American production. Through the 2009 and 2010 model year, the Q5 compact crossover vehicle has been the Audi range’s 2nd highest selling product in the United States market behind the A4. Audi has previously dismissed any notion of producing vehicles specific to the United States as not being in the company’s interests.

Any decision made about potential United States production is expected ahead of 2015. Audi already assembles cars in Hungary and India assembly plants. Between 1987 and 1998, Audi had also previously constructed cars in Japan aligned with Hino Motors Limited.

Information source: Audi AG, Automotive News, Toronto Star
Photo source: Chris Nagy

At the risk of reinforcing old school stereotypes, when it comes to cars girls do tend to be a little more interested in colour, interior and accessories, than engine, emissions and handling – with that in mind here’s our specially designed Audi guide for girls, with information on model preferences to suit mood, colour scheme and style.

Soft furnishings – Detroit showcase Audi e-tron

Women excel in the subject of soft furnishings; we love curtains, we love scatter cushions and we love rugs, but we also love style and expect this to extend to our cars. 2010 saw the launch of the Detroit showcase Audi e-tron car – which offers the epitome of sleek interior sophistication, all clean leather lines with a flush gear shift that emerges from the tunnel when the vehicle is started.

Vintage Chic – Audi Quattro Spyder

Proof that true style is timeless; the Quattro Spyder still looks current ten years after its release. Launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1991, the flat sports coupé Quattro Spyder created quite a stir on the auto scene, but despite massive consumer interest only two prototypes were constructed – which means it’ll be a bit hard to compare car insurance should you ever manage to get your hands on one.

Kid friendly – Q5 and Q7

If there’s two of you in a relationship, women are generally lumbered with the ‘family’ / ‘sensible’ car when you have kids, with the man opting for the ‘almost sports’ car in a bid to retain his sense of freedom and adventure. Fear not ladies, the Audi Q5 and Q7 offer all the space and strength to contain and withstand the battery of small children, without the loss of the leather sports interior, air-con and ten-speaker stereo system.

Cutting edge – R8 TDI Le Mans Concept

It’s a very basic, yet hotly denied, fact that we all judge on first looks – meaning you’ve got to make a good impression immediately or suffer at the hands of consequence forever more. As a woman I want my car to stand out not just because it’s bright pink, but also because it’s god damn handsome – and how much more handsome can you get than the R8 TDI Le Mans Concept which is described as having ‘muscular proportions, accentuated wheel arches and even larger air apertures’…?

Complete coordination – all models

I don’t want a sales man to tell me that a car only comes in one colour – if you’re buying an Audi straight from the factory you can pretty much have whatever colour you want, for a few extra pounds of course. Which means if you really want a pink car – you can, and if you always dreamed of a cool chrome car, dream no more.

Behold the newest creation from the ENCO Exclusive factory – the ENCO Audi Q5. The German tuner has taken the compact SUV and applied a body kit to loosely simulate the Q5′s biggest brother – the Q7 V12 TDI, of which few of us could afford (somewhere along the lines of $135,000…right.)

Specifically, ENCO added those big black air inlets in the front bumper along with the integrated LEDs, and a new hood with two chrome vents for a muscular and slightly “blingy” look. Along the sides, they’ve added mudguard and door extensions, and out back they’ve added a rear spoiler and new bumper with oval exhaust pipes integrated, just like the Q5 V12 TDI.

Along with the new body, buyers get new 22-inch 7-spoke Enco wheels in any color. Inside, Enco will replace the trim with carbon fiber pieces.

Pricing? The body kit will cost €4,165 Euros (about $5,700 USD,) which isn’t actually all that bad for this kit. Get the hood for an extra €1,785 Euros ($2,440.) If you want Enco to install and paint the kit, tack on another 2,678 Euros ($3,660.) A lowering kit runs €595, and the wheels…€4,641 ($6,345) and an extra €476 to paint them a different color. I’ll pass on the wheels, thanks. Want that carbon fiber interior? Expect it to run you €1,428, or around $1,952. Me…I think I’d take the body kit (maybe the carbon fiber interior) and call it quits. Check out more pictures of the kit below:

2010 Audi Q5

The readers of Off Road Magazine just voted the new Audi Q5 as best off-road SUV of the year. 25,000 readers of the magazine voted the Q5 in for the SUV category. Kind of surprising actually, I never considered the Q5 to be much of an off-roader.

Off Road also voted the Audi Q7 into third place in the Luxury SUV category.

“The Audi Q5 combines dynamics and sportiness with a highly variable interior. It’s an all-round talent for recreation and family. And in the long run, that’s what customers in this segment want,” noted Hans-Joachim Radde, Head of Marketing Germany at AUDI AG. And about the Q7, Mr. Radde? “Sports, recreation and business – that’s what the Audi Q7 stands for. And with the 3.0 TDI clean diesel, it already meets the strict Euro 6 limits that will come into effect in 2014.”

Caractere Audi Q5

Belgian tuning company Caractere adds the Audi Q5 to their list of modified vehicles. The new kit is more subtle and less aggressive than the Abt Sportsline Q5, which is good for people who want to change the appearance of their Q5 without being too flashy about it. Most Americans don’t like tuning their high-end cars, but these tuning companies are much more prevalent in Europe and other countries.

Audi Q5 custom concept

Audi made their first appearance at the Wörthersee Tour in Austria this year, with quite a display. They showcased 20 cars total in their 3,000 sq ft stand, from the TT RS, to the R8 V10, and A1 Sportback Concept.

The highlight of the Audi display however was a heavily modified version of the 2009 Q5, called (quite descriptively) the Audi Q5 custom concept. For this new concept, Audi engineers lowered the Q5′s suspension by 2.36 inches, widened the track by 3.54 inches, added big 21-inch custom wheels, and gave it a special Daytona Gray paint finish.

Audi Q5 custom concept Engine bay

They didn’t stop there, of course. They also tuned the output of the Q5′s 3.0-liter TFSI V6 engine from a decent 333hp to 408hp, which gives this Q5 an incredible 0-62 mph time of only 4.4 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited at 155 mph.

Some vehicles of note on display at the Audi booth were both the coupe and roadster versions of the TT RS, the R8 5.2 V10, R8 GT3, and the A1 Sportback Concept. Also on display were the production A3 Cabriolet, A4 allroad quattro, A5 Cabriolet, S5, RS 6, TT Coupe, A4 Avant, and A3 Sportback. They also displayed some historic Audi models: Audi 50, 100 Coupé S, Ur-quattro, 100, TT Coupé (1st generation), and the A2.

Also announced at the Wörthersee Tour is the Audi Customizing club, which allows chosen participants from the event to submit creative design ideas for Audi A3 accessories (spoilers, headlights, steering wheels, wheels, etc.) The participants will log in at www.audi-customizing-club.de with their invitation code and submit their designs this summer. Three winners will be chosen, and their designs will be featured on an upcoming Audi showcar and shown to the public at an event in the future.

See below for a photo gallery of the Q5 custom concept:

Audi Q5 custom concept

Abt Audi Q5

German Tuner Abt Sportsline’s latest project included the new Q5 Crossover SUV. While this isn’t the first vehicle I would have thought of them doing, it turned out pretty cool.

On the outside, Abt modified the Q5 very tastefully, giving it a front spoiler and prominent front grill, fender extensions, and door trims. They modified many details all-around, ending at the rear with a rear wing, rear apron, and an Abt exhaust with four tailpipes. 22-inch BR alloy wheels are optional, but look particularly good with this Q5. In the interior, the extent of the additions are carbon leather inserts.

Abt also gives the Q5 extra power for each trim level. The 2.0 TDI goes from 170 horsepower to 190. The 3.0 TDI engine gets 310 horsepower, and the 2.0 TSI gets 240 hp, up from 211. Abt will be upgrading the 2.0 TSI to 275 hp soon. The tuned Q5 also receives an upgraded suspension to lower center of gravity, and an upgraded braking system.

More pictures below:

Not particularly groundbreaking news, but something good to hear is that Audi market share has increased 1.3% to 7.7% in March for the U.S. import luxury segment. This is due mostly to great sales of the long-awaited Q5 crossover, which sold 1,094 units in March – its first full month for sale, making it the second highest selling Audi in March, after the A4.

Strong sales of the Audi A5 and R8 contributed to the increased market share, with the excellent A5 gaining a 41.6% increase in sales over last year, selling a total of 657 units in March. Sales of the Audi R8 are up 18.6% year-to-date.

I congratulate Audi for increasing market share here in the States, outpacing competitors, and making one helluva car.

Audi Q5

Audi released this cool new commercial for the Q5, depicting a human crowd creating the vehicle in a wave. Then it goes on to show the same wave making some of the engine run. The commercial is for the Q5 Asian premiere at the Audi Grand Motor Show. The whole idea here, as you’ll see at the end of the video, is that the Q5 has “perfectly synchronized engineering.” Check it out:

source: Youtube

Audi Q5 Audi Driving Experience

To celebrate the release of (and get the word out about) the all-new Audi Q5 crossover, Audi will be holding an Audi Driving Experience event in five cities across the United States. See the schedule below:

• April 3-5: Washington, DC – FedEx Field, Landover, MD
• April 17-19: New York – Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Long Island, NY
• April 24-26: Chicago – Soldier Field, Chicago, IL
• May 1-3: Miami – Gulfstream Park, Hallandale Beach, FL
• May 15-17: Los Angeles – Hollywood Park, Los Angeles, CA

The event is free, of course, and consists of a three-hour program with a product presentation of the Q5 and hands-on driving experience in one of the 30 Q5s that will be at each location.

It’s a really good idea to hold these events like this, and hopefully it will catch on for new model releases with other brands as well. It is a much more in-depth look at the crossover SUV than what you would get at the dealership, and without the sales pressure, allowing you to evaluate the Q5 and ask questions to product experts.