Automotive Industries mag

[i6941tb@gnn.com]

Hello, virtual club!

I $ub$cribe to this mag at work. It is a very informative, no nonsence
source of the latest world trends and automotive news. It is free for
engineers, affiliated with the automotive industry - [aren't we all ;-)]

Here are two excerpts from the latest issue:

1. "Tailor-Made Audis"

Factory-customized cars continue to be a growth niche in Germany. BMW's
"Individual" programm, reported in detail in past issues of AI, really
kicked off the trend. Now, Audi buyers can spec their own personal
interior trim and materials from Quattro GmbH, the company's in-house
custom shop.
With a staff of 34, the Quattro group is noe=w customising nearly 120
A4s, A6s and A8s per week; A3 will be added soon.Quattro ships the
personalised trim sets JIT to the Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm assembly
plants, and the cars are done in sequence on the regular production
lines. "Right now, carbon fiber trim, polished aluminum gearshift gates
and Alcantra seat fabrics(shown here in blue, in S6 Plus Avant)<a
photograph really shows blue suide-like seats> are very popular", notes
spokesman Dominique Hertzog. He adds that customers even bring their own
fabrics, which Quattro is happy to install.


2. "1996 Paris Auto Show"

<A photograph of a red car with an ugly black rectangular grill with a
round logo>
Dubbed "the cheapest Audi you can buy" by cynics, the Skoda Octavia
compact sedan moves VW's Czech unit into a new segment. Bigger than
previous Skodas and using running gear from next year's VW Golf/Jetta
replacements, the Octavia stole the show with it's high equipment level
and low price. Engines include a normally aspirated 125 hp version of
the 20-valve 4-cyl. Audi 1.8L.

Igor