Chips, Stress & Marketing

[Greg Johnson <gregsj@iea.com>]

Fellow Audians; The thread regarding whether the
150hp 1.8T can safely be stressed to 200hp tends
to show that Audi is running into the same
marketing problems brother Porsche did in the
'80s. When the 944T first appeared, PCA track
events revealed that well-driven 944Ts could pass
911s. That the 944T was arguably easier to drive
quickly did not help matters. The 911 faithful
were not happy that a Porsche that cost less than
their favorite Porsche was potentially quicker.
Porsche was thrust into the balancing act of
making sure the more expensive car was the better
car. Audi faces similar problems.

I have no doubt that a 1.8T can be safely stressed
to 200HP, nor do I doubt that the after-market
will safely take bi-turbo S4's to 325HP. However,
when one spends $60-$70K on a 300HP A8. One does
not expect to be passed by a $25K-$30K A4 or $50K
S4. Hence, Audi marketing will likely balance the
power and leave it to the aftermarket to upset the
balance of power. Just my two cents..... GregJ