Making Audi a player

[Shaun Mullen <smullen@philly.infi.net>]

AoA is well aware of its many dealer network problems.  Given its spotty
record, whether it has the will to act on these problems over the long
haul is something else altogether.  I am aware, however, that AoA is
trying to weed out less enthusiastic dealerships where possible, and is
leaning on more enthusiastic, higher volume dealerships to build
Audi-only showrooms.

At the risk of alienating all the horsepower heads on the list, AoA
seems to be playing the high-horsepower game in the U.S. fairly
shrewdly.  The A4QT is not the S8, but it fulfills a need and has gotten
boffo reviews from the automotive press and owners alike.  The current
high horsepower mania may not be exactly a passing fad, but the U.S.
market for more powerful automobiles is indeed cyclical.  As other
listers have noted, crash testing and other federalization requirements
are simply too expense to justify importing a handful of the high HP
machines Audi lovers are able to buy and enjoy virtually everywhere
else.