it's funny how they keep talking about what audi and volkswagen are allegedly doing... i have quite some history with both these companies, their design studios and r&d, and i find this type of propaganda rather amusing (or annoying). r
I think theyre confused with the VW/Skoda/Seat shared platforms. I dont know of any real big similarities with Audi and VW aside from some engines.
Don't all auto makers share platforms? Ford/Lincoln/mercury. chevy/gmc. dodge/chrysler. Its not just audi/vw
I'm not sure what you mean about allegedly or propaganda The VW group owns Bugatti, Lamborghini, Bentley, Porsche, Audi, Volkswagen, SEAT and Skoda and they share either knowledge, engines, engine parts, platforms or what have you between the whole group KTM now owns Husky and hopefully it'll make it a "Porsche or Audi" and not a "SEAT or Skoda"... ...or did I get it completely wrong? (correct me if I did )
I think I see what you're saying You say that it will not be like VW where different cars might share a component or two It will be more like Ford/Lincoln/Mercury, Chevy/GMC, Dodge/Chrysler where the same car would be sold with a different badge, maybe different color or exterior look
A8=Bentley=Phaeton (same suspension transmission, axles suspension hard points etc) Toureg=A7=Porsche Cayanne (same as above) Jetta=A3 Previous Generation Passat and A4 were same platform (north/South FWD and AWD)
no. vw group cars nowadays share all the major components, like proeasy pointed out. but each company has their own r&d, their own design studios, and so on. they run a multitude of teams, using the platforms to their individual style and strategy. there have always been discussions whether this is "necessary", but success proves them right: all those brands have a distinctive look/feel and portfolio, and thanks to the "internal competition" the group keeps progressing technologically like they do. while at vw you basically have many different teams doing "the same thing", pierer's approach seems to be letting the same people do "different things". same designers, same r&d (according to latest interviews, husky is only 15 people, mostly marketing and distribution), "different" bikes? the nuda and the f800 are two quite different interpretations of the same theme. same goes for the 449 and g450x, or fantic and gas gas, or ducati and bimota. i am sceptical whether the ktm group will ever achieve this level of diversity with their approach. r
