quattro digest, Vol 1 #4768 - No A3, why?

[David]

Bingo, I'd buy buy one of those in a heartbeat! But I would want the rear seat and crpet (gotta make it at least livable for the wife when she rides along...)

Dave
>
> From: TM <t44tq at mindspring.com>
> Date: 2003/03/27 Thu AM 10:13:25 EST
> To: 'Larry C Leung' <l.leung at juno.com>,  quattro at audifans.com
> CC: brett at cloud9.net
> Subject: RE: quattro digest, Vol 1 #4768 - No A3, why?
>
> Give me a S3, stripped out- no sunroof, no power windows,
> no heated or power seats, two-speaker radio, simplified dash
> and manual climate control, rear seat delete option, carpet
> delete option and a 40/60 rear-biased Haldex program, modern-day
> UrQ. Of course, no one would buy such a car. :-(
>
> Hence the appeal of the Evo8.
>
> Taka
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: quattro-admin at audifans.com [mailto:quattro-admin at audifans.com] On
> Behalf Of Larry C Leung
> Sent: Thursday, March 27, 2003 1:13 AM
> To: quattro at audifans.com
> Cc: brett at cloud9.net
> Subject: Re: quattro digest, Vol 1 #4768 - No A3, why?
>
>
> It was more of a marketing decision (no one wants a luxo hatchback that
> is basically a tarted up Golf) that justified the "not bother to crash
> test" issue. Crash testing is apparently VERY expensive and MUST be done
> for every "new for the manufacturer" platform. Since the A3 (Audi, not
> VAG) platform was new for Audi USA, it would've required a full
> compliment of tests. Since Audi would not have expected Golf like sales
> volumes, it would not have had the expected number of units to spread
> the costs of testing. So, no tests, no importation. The car WOULD've
> passed, it is, after all based entirely on an existing Golf platform
> that has performed satisfactorily in US crash tests.
>
> As for a Spartan Audi A3, spartan Audi's, Merc's, and BMWs,
> as well as VW's exist in Europe. The only models that come
> here are higher end (i.e. higher profit) units. A high end A3 would be
> JUST as nice (if not nicer) than a high end Golf. We don't get the low
> end units here because the Germans feel "why bother" compete totally on
> volume when higher profit per unit models will sell just as well in cash
> rich/low tax USA. The low end units in Europe are needed just for sales.
> Prices of autos in Europe are SO much higher (and only some of it is
> taxes, which are MUCH higher) than here. And we so often complain on the
> west side of the Atlantic "how come we don't get the good stuff?"
>
> LL - NY
>
>