Audi Minivan

["George S Achorn III" <coolidge@nicom.com>]

	For those of you who are critical of the minivan I've been thinking of it
this way. Look at the existing field. To list a few Chrysler Corp Products,
GM, Ford, Mazda MPV,  etc etc. There is a gaping hole for a minivan for
enthusiasts. Also as I've stated, the high end luxury side is a little
empty too.
	Preposturous you say. No one would ever want a minivan with enthusiastic
driving characteristics. What about economy cars in the late 70s. Everyone
needed a small non gas guzzling car to get around cheaply, not to enjoy
driving. I guess then why build the GTI? I mean, why not have those types
buy small sports cars. Maybe they can only afford one car. Maybe their dad
had a station wagon and it's not for them. Maybe, as my friend who wants a
Eurovan will tell you, they want their Mountain Bike to be warm when they
get to the mountain in the dead of winter. Who knows, but there is a hole
there. There is a hole that Audi can exploit. Is there a hole in the
roadster department (Z3, Boxster, Miata, Prowler, SLK)? No! Is there a hole
in the SUV department (MBenz AAV, Land Rover Discovery, BMW 5series based
SUV in developement, Grand Cherokee, Landcruiser)? No. In the minivan
segment there are the SUV off road types like the Mazda MPV and the
TransSport Montanna, and there are low end luxury models like the Town and
Country and the Oldsmobile Whatever it is. Still what type of minivan do
the BMW owners buy? How about the snobby Bemz and Lexus owners. How about
the guy with the Porsche who needs a second car? These are the people who
just might buy the thing.
	I wish Audi luck in the A7 idea. I hope it is well thought out and
ergonomic as hell with cupholders aplenty. It'll need to be to survive in
the US market. Still for you Audi lurkers. Buy a Caravan and a Windstar and
rip it apart. Learn from it and add some Audiness. It so it'll be huge.
Just don't give it the crappy cupholders from the A4.
	Later-G