Allroad/Schmallroad

[Craig Lebakken]

If current economic conditions prevail, or get worse, the
Allroad will be, at best, a wash for Audi, at least from a
profit standpoint. At worst, it will be a model that, in the
future, will be a collector's item that you will not want to
"ALLROAD" (thereby conserving it's collector's value, not
unlike more than a few URq's). Granted, North America is the
best place to attempt a vehicle such as this, with lots of
open space, and our "wealth factor" such as it is (NOT me
though!). The bottom line is, that for America, a truck is a
truck.

The Allroad must be competetively priced, and have decent
towing capacities if it is to survive. GM and Ford have
engines, in cars/trucks priced such that, this will not
happen. Therefore, this is merely a mountain bike carrier on
steroids. Economic downturns will not reflect favorably on
such excesses. Can you say .comCAR?

Personally, in spite of my meager below waist endowment, I
have no need to spend $45K on such a "niche" vehicle. I have
a car for the road, and I have a truck for the other 5% of
the time. The truck time is spent: moving stuff/crap, and
taking the family on vacation with a 11' camper and an 18'
boat towed behind. "Cruella" (My 4KQ, and SO jr. class)
soldiers on with the other 95% of life's duties. Amazingly,
recent 400mi, 4500 rpm runs have made her run the best ever.
And, oh yeah, we're pushing 255K.

I saw the Allroad's competitor the other day, in the form of
the latest ovloV's maximum new wagon. The woman driving it
would have had difficulty hiking out of a county park in
suburbia. Seriously, she was at least 70. More power to her,
really, as she might be able to whoop my ass. You never
know. But it exemplifies the narrow market segment we are
dealing with here.

I love Audi's more than anyone. Have for a long time. Just
don't want to see it go away like it did 13 years ago. Or do
I?

I am in need of an upgrade.


M*NAC*AF,
Misc......Apologized For

Craig Lebakken
1986 4KQ "Cruella"