RA40

iTrader: (6)

Makes you wonder who they have in the marketing dept. Long before it was out the same thing was being said so after tooling up and making the car, only to discover after a year....

I suspect that if this were a Japanese project, they'd throw more advertising and refine the problematic issues to change the buyers view of the car. Companies like Toyota have the resources to float a project and evaluate...I dunno if the German companies hold the same view or do they just kill it?

mmarshall

Good.......now let him go down to Munich and take Chris Bangle's place.

SC400-V8

iTrader: (1)

Not comparing apples to apples here, but the goal of lexus was to sell 20,000 SC's the first year, and they easily hit that and exceeded it.

rai

I believe if you look at the Q45, Jag, A8 VW etc.. any car that's not the "Big Three", you'll see it's a tough nut to crack.

"big three" = LS430/S-class/7-series

The big three have probably 80% of the market with 15K-20K share each. All the other imports have closer to 1000-3000. I'm leaving out Caddy because they are really a different market segment.

So VW think it could waltz into the US and take 5000 units?? So who are these extra units going to come from? Whos sales are they going to steal?

I'm not a marketing guy, but if I look at what the Q45 has managed to do (or not do) and what the LS430 has done, and if you ask me what's more likely for a new car line I'd have to say, unless you have the best car in the world (and the VW is not) you'll be lucky to sell 1000-2000 units.

What I mean is you have to go out of your way no not buy a LS, 7 or S-class. People are more comfortable with the established cars. It's remarkable that the LS has been able to take on this segment and dominate it. That's a moon shot. I don't think we'll see another car come along and do that again.

That's why Acura has avoided this segment. They have looked over the numbers and know the big 3 will probably always be there and they don't want to become another minor player.

D2-AUTOSPORT

I have said it about 1.3million times on this board, the strategy behind the Phaeton was simply off from day one. The Toureg is about as upmarket as VW should take it, (since there is more perceived value in a SUV, thus easier to charge more). The Phaeton is in direct competition to the A8. And then to cover it up, VAG officials stated that the A8 was intended to combat BMW, while the Phaeton was to combat MB....yah sure.......

LexFather

Again, before Fernidad Peirch left his post of CEO (and he did turn around things at VW) he wanted VW to go against Benz and Audi against BMW. He also hated Audi management for having such same look and what he thought were bland designs. Hence the big grill, headlight changes etc etc that he influenced.
The VW Phaeton was his baby. Clearly this was an ego car, not one to benefit VW.

Piech is not longer CEO but his iron hand is still felt.

THE_CEO

what an idiot!

CEO

HKGS300

errrr... it is Piech ... and he definitely is NOT an IDIOT


His grandfather (mother's side) was Porsche and he owes a lot of Porsche shares.
He was behind the initial success of the Porsche racing cars.

He also basically brought Audi to the level of MB and BMW, and was the architect/projectleader behind the UrQuattro, the first Audi Quattro.

He is an expert engineer (Professor Dr. ... lol) ... and he pushed his engineers to the edge to deliver the Audi and he testdrove all Audi (and VW) cars himself before the models could be taken into production.

however, every genius has his/her weaknesses...

Incendiary

I wonder how the Quattroporte will fare when it comes out. If I were looking for a car in this class, for status I think that'd be the way to go.