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Sharpel007
January 16th, 2003, 17:11
'Tornado' attitude runs through Audi; company's new motto stresses synergies, cost savings


By FRANZ ROTHER | Automobilwoche

INGOLSTADT, Germany -- One year after the new structure of the VW Group was announced by Bernd Pischetsrieder and eight months after taking the helm as Audi chairman, Martin Winterkorn has unleashed a Tornado in the design departments of Audi, Seat and Lamborghini.

Tornado is a company motto that stands for the design basics rich in curves that Chief of Design and Styling Walter de' Silva has developed for the sports segment. But Tornado also stands for the dynamics that Winterkorn demands of his engineers and salespeople.

The goal: Increase sales by 2007 to exceed 1.5 million cars while raising profits by cost cutting and using synergies.

"Cost saving creates more freedom for us to move in," Winterkorn said.

Selling components and know-how to Fiat's Maserati branch fits into this pattern.

The Italians are interested in engines and aluminum technology - both Audi strong points.

More might come out of this if General Motors pulls out of Fiat. It's an open secret in Ingolstadt that the talks between Fiat and Audi cover more ground than just engineering.

But while this is looking into the distant future, the timetables for the model offensive of Audi, Seat and Lamborghini are more earthbound.

The new five-door Audi A3 will be offered in the United States for the first time in the fall.

Next in line is the Lamborghini Gallando, with 500 hp from its 10-cylinder engine catapulting the all-wheel-drive light alloy car to a top speed of 192 mph. Lamborghini is also designing a four-seat crossover.

Seat will open up its model range in spring 2004 by launching a sports car on the platform of the Golf V.

Audi will offer a similar A3 version to the current model in summer 2004, only three months after the new Audi A6 has been launched.

Audi will wrap up 2004 with the launch of the long-awaited A4 Coupe.

In 2005, Audi plans a crossover between a car and sport-utility, which will be built parallel to the VW

Touareg in the Bratislava plant in Slovakia. The Audi A6 Coupe is due in 2006.