[urq] I wish we had more members...

[djdawson2 at aol.com]

 Your comments about 50's - 70's classics is valid.  I think you also have to consider the fact that Audi rarely builds cars that have "classic" potential.  Think about the offerings during the recent 20 years.  What *might* be considered desirable 20-30 years further down the road?  Maybe the TT, and likely the R8... that's it, IMO.

This theme doesn't really inspire true auto enthusiasts.  Audi is more like VW in that regard... fun cars, but they are disposable and unsupported.  No one really cares, or ever will, about the future of the B5 A4.  Actually, since the Urq there hasn't been a single significant model out of Audi until the R8.

The Urq, while a unique vehicle, has not really fallen into the hands of hardcore automotive enthusiasts.  We may love our cars, but the bulk of us are not collectors.  At the end of the day, I think this is why the Urq will never be supported by the factory.  If they were to support it, the first thing that would happen is that everyone would bitch about the prices.  Collectors don't do that... we do.  True collectors don't give a crap if the factory supports it, they will have parts made from scratch when there's an issue.  Classic car collecting is a "cost no object" pursuit.  The Urq crowd does not fall into this category.

I think Audi ought to look at it differently.  If they always had a couple of models in their line-up that inspired *real* automotive passion, they would generate a more hardcore following.  Where's Audi's version of the Sti or the Evo?  Where's their version of the R32?  They do build some impressive large sedan cruise missiles (that are impossibly complex to maintain)... but so does everyone else... and they won't be cars worth collecting.  Where are the truly unique and impressively powered *sports* cars?

Bottom line... when you think of performance cars, Audi is not a brand that jumps into the mind of the general public.  It is something that you learn about.  With Porsche and BMW it is obvious.

Audi may surprise us and begin to support these cars before they disappear entirely... but I seriously doubt it.

Dave