Topic: Audi out-sells Merc for the first quarter of 2010 (for the first time ever)

[Mitlov]

Audi global sales: 264,100
Mercedes global sales: 248,500
(source)



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tczFDksMmns

[johngenx]

MB seems to be bouncing back from the horrendous drop in product quality that took place primarily from 2000-2006, but they lost a lot of loyal customers during that period.  BMW and Audi were toiling away and Lexus and Infinity were also working bloody hard.

Mercedes is more competitive than they've been in a long time (dropped the price of the E-Class by $11K!) but for many of us MB diehards, we've moved on.

[DrJay]

By those numbers it was still pretty close and hopefully a wake up call to MB.  Good effort by Audi by being aggressive (and offering some very cool models) The Battle for German Luxury Supremacy Continues .. This should be fun to watch.

[Mitlov]

By those numbers it was still pretty close and hopefully a wake up call to MB.  Good effort by Audi by being aggressive (and offering some very cool models) The Battle for German Luxury Supremacy Continues .. This should be fun to watch.

The intra-German rivalries (and the VW-Subaru rivalry) are everything that the Toyota-GM rivalry isn't: good-natured, a little glib, and plenty of fun.

[safristi]

..... ...didn't AUDI have a PROBLEM with unintended acceleration.................. .......................

[TopGun]

The intra-German rivalries (and the VW-Subaru rivalry) are everything that the Toyota-GM rivalry isn't: good-natured, a little glib, and plenty of fun.

I dunno Mitlov...it might seem that way because we're not that close to it.  Piëch seems kinda nuts to me at times...look at how far he took the Veyron.

[rrocket]

By those numbers it was still pretty close and hopefully a wake up call to MB.  Good effort by Audi by being aggressive (and offering some very cool models) The Battle for German Luxury Supremacy Continues .. This should be fun to watch.

The intra-German rivalries (and the VW-Subaru rivalry) are everything that the Toyota-GM rivalry isn't: good-natured, a little glib, and plenty of fun.

Sez the guy who owns a VW....

[Giant Dwarf]

By those numbers it was still pretty close and hopefully a wake up call to MB.  Good effort by Audi by being aggressive (and offering some very cool models) The Battle for German Luxury Supremacy Continues .. This should be fun to watch.

Agreed.  Nosing around an Audi dealership on the weekend, I commented how (as an enthusiast), I'm pleased to see Audi putting out cars that are not only gorgeously-styled inside and out, but by all reports, a lot of fun to drive now too.  Where BMW seems to be losing its way, Audi is quietly stealing lunches from its German competitors.  Bring it on!

[sirAQUAMAN64]

BMW fends off Audi to remain world's top premium brand after 1Q
Douglas A. Bolduc
Automotive News -- April 12, 2010 - 7:46 am ET

MUNICH -- BMW outsold German rival Audi in the first quarter to hang on to its ranking as the world's top-selling premium brand.

Audi, a luxury unit of Volkswagen AG, was aided by a 35 percent advance in U.S. sales as it overtook Mercedes-Benz to finish second, just 1,709 units behind BMW.

Global sales for the BMW brand increased 14 percent to 265,809 in the quarter, compared with 264,100 for Audi. BMW was helped by strong demand for the recently launched X1 small crossover and a 54 percent increase in sales for the 7-series sedan. Its U.S. sales rose 8 percent in a market that advanced 16 percent.

"We are back on our growth track in nearly all the automobile markets,” BMW sales boss Ian Robertson said in a statement. “We intend to continue improving on last year's figures throughout the second quarter.”

Robertson is counting on the new 5-series sedan and revised versions of the 3-series coupe and convertible to lead the way. The 5 series was launched last month in Europe and goes on sales in the United States in June. The 5 series accounts for just over half of BMW's profits.

Updated versions of the BMW 3-series models have been available to customers since late March. That and other new models are expected to help BMW Group, which includes the BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce brands, achieve “healthy growth in the single-digit percent range to reach more than 1.3 million vehicles" for the full year, Robertson said.

Audi milestone

Last week, Audi for the first time passed Mercedes-Benz brand in global quarterly new-car sales.

Audi's stated goal is to become the "most successful luxury automaker in the world by 2015," at which point it aims to sell 1.5 million cars a year.

Audi finished 2009 in third place in global premium-brand new-car sales. BMW was No. 1 and Mercedes ranked second.

Mercedes posted a 26 percent gain in first-quarter U.S. sales to become the leading luxury brand in the United States, ahead of Toyota Motor Corp.'s Lexus.

Q1 premium-brand global sales leaders; % change from Q1 2009
BMW 265,809 +13.8
Audi 264,100 +25.9
Mercedes 248,500 +15.0

[Mitlov]

BMW fends off Audi to remain world's top premium brand after 1Q
...
Q1 premium-brand global sales leaders; % change from Q1 2009
BMW 265,809 +13.8
Audi 264,100 +25.9
Mercedes 248,500 +15.0

The board is set, the pieces are moving.  We come to it at last, the great battle of our time.

[TopGun]

.....
The board is set, the pieces are moving.  We come to it at last, the great battle of our time.

Let the best over-priced, silver car with black interior win!   

[Giant Dwarf]

BMW fends off Audi to remain world's top premium brand after 1Q
...
Q1 premium-brand global sales leaders; % change from Q1 2009
BMW 265,809 +13.8
Audi 264,100 +25.9
Mercedes 248,500 +15.0

The board is set, the pieces are moving.  We come to it at last, the great battle of our time.

This can only mean great things for those of us who like a little helping of performance with a side order of style and practicality in our cars. 

[rrocket]

Does Audi lump in any other marques onto their numbers like BMW (Mini) does?

[Mitlov]

Does Audi lump in any other marques onto their numbers like BMW (Mini) does?

I doubt it because Audi isn't the parent company like BMW for Mini.  VW is the parent.

[Giant Dwarf]

Does Audi lump in any other marques onto their numbers like BMW (Mini) does?

I doubt it because Audi isn't the parent company like BMW for Mini.  VW is the parent.

Isn't it the parent company for Lamborghini?  Surely those numbers must be helping to skew the sales figures.   

[DrJay]

By those numbers it was still pretty close and hopefully a wake up call to MB.  Good effort by Audi by being aggressive (and offering some very cool models) The Battle for German Luxury Supremacy Continues .. This should be fun to watch.

The intra-German rivalries (and the VW-Subaru rivalry) are everything that the Toyota-GM rivalry isn't: good-natured, a little glib, and plenty of fun.

Sez the guy who owns a VW....

Yes ...and your point? 

[Mitlov]

By those numbers it was still pretty close and hopefully a wake up call to MB.  Good effort by Audi by being aggressive (and offering some very cool models) The Battle for German Luxury Supremacy Continues .. This should be fun to watch.

The intra-German rivalries (and the VW-Subaru rivalry) are everything that the Toyota-GM rivalry isn't: good-natured, a little glib, and plenty of fun.

Sez the guy who owns a VW....

Yes ...and your point? 

I kind of wondered that myself. 

BMW versus Audi is the automotive equivalent a bunch of good-natured yo-mamma jokes combined with a never-ending race of engineering one-upsmanship.  The Toyota-GM feud is bitter and unpleasant (a group of people screaming "government motors" against a group of people screaming "unintended acceleration"), and there's no humorous advertising one-upsmanship along these lines:







(And Meet the Beckers, episode 1, was awesome):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfXqt0PuHQk

[DrJay]

By those numbers it was still pretty close and hopefully a wake up call to MB.  Good effort by Audi by being aggressive (and offering some very cool models) The Battle for German Luxury Supremacy Continues .. This should be fun to watch.

The intra-German rivalries (and the VW-Subaru rivalry) are everything that the Toyota-GM rivalry isn't: good-natured, a little glib, and plenty of fun.

Awesome. pretty much sums it up
Sez the guy who owns a VW....

Yes ...and your point? 

I kind of wondered that myself. 

BMW versus Audi is the automotive equivalent a bunch of good-natured yo-mamma jokes combined with a never-ending race of engineering one-upsmanship.  The Toyota-GM feud is bitter and unpleasant (a group of people screaming "government motors" against a group of people screaming "unintended acceleration"), and there's no humorous advertising one-upsmanship along these lines:







(And Meet the Beckers, episode 1, was awesome):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfXqt0PuHQk