German automaker Audi seems to have dominated the headline count today with announcements of a new plant coming south of the border, revealing a new SUV concept ahead of the Beijing Motor Show, and something about purchasing a motorcycle company.
Yes, Audi AG is going to hand over $1.1 billion for the Italian motorcycle brand Ducati Motor Holding and they hope to have the transaction completed as soon as possible.
While Audi is known for fine European motorcars of a sporting nature (such as the seductive R8) Ducati is no slouch itself when it comes to motoring on two wheels especially with models such as the Streetfighter, Superbike and Monster including a new Monster Diesel model.
Audi already has a slight Italian accent at corporate headquarters thanks to its acquisition a while back of Lamborghini and they state the purchase of Ducati is another building block in the company’s growth strategy.
In other news, Audi AG says it is building its new North American plant in Mexico and although the exact location will be chosen later this year Audi says it will produce an SUV model there starting in 2016.
“As an established carmaking location, Mexico offers an excellent economic basis for Audi production operations,” declared Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG. “Mexico is one of the world’s top ten automotive locations and offers a blend of tradition and experience. The group parent Volkswagen already has an automotive plant in Puebla and an engine plant in Silao.
Good infrastructure, competitive cost structures and existing free trade agreements played a significant role in the choice of Mexico,” emphasized Stadler. “This trailblazing move will help us safeguard our position in the world market. Our German locations, too, stand to benefit from it.”
And finally (today), Audi states it has chosen the Beijing Motor Show to unveil a “theme” vehicle based on its Q3 compact SUV – the RS Q3 concept.
The RS Q3 features a 360hp 2.5 TFSI (turbocharged, direct-injected five-cylinder engine) moving a lowered chassis with plenty of fresh styling details setting it apart from a production unit and it rides on a very sweet set of 20-inch alloy wheels.
