quattro digest, Vol 1 #3888 - 18 msgs

[Dave Eaton]

some would argue that bmw took a few generations to get the 7-series
"right", and only 1 to munt it completely.  the new 7 gives a whole new
meaning to the phrase "butt ugly" imho (although the front look  like it has
come off a suv also)...

according to "car" magazine, the 7-series is not selling well, even in
germany, and is scheduled for a "facelift" in 2004 (actually that should be
a tummy tuck, and a butt tightening). also the user interface has been given
a caning locally with a motoring journo stuck miles out of town when he
started fiddling with the computer, which promptly switched into spanish. an
embarrassed bmw, helicoptered a mechanic out to look at the problem only for
the mechanical gent to tell the computer to move from "park" to "drive" :-0

according to the same rag, it requires 7 separate selections from the
computer, using the pointer-thingy to get the suspension into "sport" mode.
which is *not* remembered when you turn off the car...

it is pretty alarming when car makers either start looking to the past for
inspiration (beetle, mini), or seem to deliberately design something as ugly
as the new 7.

nothing too wrong with the old 7-series, but certainly, as with most large
cars, residuals which sink like a stone.

the new a8 i like, but am not convinced by the front which looks awkward to
my eye.  the flanks and rear are very good imho. motors look convincing, as
should the driving experience.

dave
'95 rs2
'90 ur-q
'95 s6

-----Original Message-----
From: TheRingmeister at aol.com
Date: Wed, 28 Aug 2002 23:15:17 EDT
Subject: Re: A8 Resale
To: quattro at audifans.com, iin10ded at hotmail.com

--
[ Picked text/plain from multipart/alternative ]
A8 resale is not unusually bad for large German cars.  If you were to
examine
Manheim or some other auction data, you'd see that a comparably old S class
goes for the price of an E class, and 7 series BMWs drop like rocks too.
Granted, they are more expensive cars, so their sheer numbers are going to
be
higher by price, but % of resale to MSRP is only slightly higher than Audi.
In the US, Audi still doesn't have that market under control, and until they
do more in that $ range, resale will continue to lag.  Remember, it took BMW
15 years and 3 generations of "7" cars to get it right, (if not then to go
horribly awry, but who's counting) and for that to be a profitable market
for
them.  Audi has only really just begun, but with the waves of 7 series
owners
migrating to something else, I think the new A8 will be in the black.

Wylie