RS246.com Annual Meet 2013

[Nickyboy]

I've been invited to an awesome sounding day at Celtic Manor with fireworks and hog roast and lots of cars. I've booked into an R8 V10+. They even put my brother into a car.

Hopefully this day will be like the one above.

[Graeme4130]

Audi are generally pretty good at this 'customer hospitality' stuff. The ones I've been on previously are certainly better than those laid on by merc or BMW

Obviously, it'll have an underlying sales pitch to it, but as existing S/RS owners in most cases, and enthusiasts in all cases, we're perfect candidates as potential customers
There's no better way that showcasing how good your product is than letting the customer tag it around the roads and track and then putting you in it with a professional driver

Nick, you'll love the V10+ on Saturdays event, but be prepared to feel pretty slow and wallowy in your RS5 on the way home
Definitily give the launch control a few blasts. Doing 0-60 in 3.5 never gets tiresome

[doodlebug]

Audi are generally pretty good at this 'customer hospitality' stuff. The ones I've been on previously are certainly better than those laid on by merc or BMW

Obviously, it'll have an underlying sales pitch to it, but as existing S/RS owners in most cases, and enthusiasts in all cases, we're perfect candidates as potential customers
There's no better way that showcasing how good your product is than letting the customer tag it around the roads and track and then putting you in it with a professional driver

Nick, you'll love the V10+ on Saturdays event, but be prepared to feel pretty slow and wallowy in your RS5 on the way home
Definitily give the launch control a few blasts. Doing 0-60 in 3.5 never gets tiresome

I'm hoping there will be a V10+ on offer next Sunday.

Agreed re the hospitality, and in fairness I don't feel there's a hard sell behind it, just clever use of the product as you say. A shame that the dealer network is unable to meet the same standard.

[Graeme4130]

Audi are generally pretty good at this 'customer hospitality' stuff. The ones I've been on previously are certainly better than those laid on by merc or BMW

Obviously, it'll have an underlying sales pitch to it, but as existing S/RS owners in most cases, and enthusiasts in all cases, we're perfect candidates as potential customers
There's no better way that showcasing how good your product is than letting the customer tag it around the roads and track and then putting you in it with a professional driver

Nick, you'll love the V10+ on Saturdays event, but be prepared to feel pretty slow and wallowy in your RS5 on the way home
Definitily give the launch control a few blasts. Doing 0-60 in 3.5 never gets tiresome

I'm hoping there will be a V10+ on offer next Sunday.

Agreed re the hospitality, and in fairness I don't feel there's a hard sell behind it, just clever use of the product as you say. A shame that the dealer network is unable to meet the same standard.

You'd hope they'd have one seeing as it's there flagship vehicle, but I suspect they see the existing RS owners market as more likely to buy into the RS6 model. A model which I understand is a little bit of a cash cow for them as the profit is large. Same could be said for the b8 RS4, hence why we're now seeing such huge discounts available now sales have slowed
I understand from an industry insider that the profit on the R8 model is +/- very little and it's susequently sold as a halo marketing tool for performance brand association
Whatever the day holds, it's a free lunch, a good chance to have a laugh with friends and a chance to rant the arse of someone else's car

[doodlebug]

Aye, unless we're blown away overnight!

I'm sure DK said that Audi UK land the V8 R8 here for fifty something k, implies there's still a whacking margin!

[Graeme4130]

Aye, unless we're blown away overnight!

I'm sure DK said that Audi UK land the V8 R8 here for fifty something k, implies there's still a whacking margin!

No way whatsoever, there's some misunderstanding in that

Maybe the factory BOM reaches that without tooling amo, but landed I doubt there £20k in the rrp and that's before you hit dealer and distribution margins, Audi uk marketing royalty etc

Excuse me for sounding like a know it all, but until last year I worked in European automotive economics for a Japanese OEM and I've worked with a number of Audi's suppliers and bits with Audi Uk and there's no way in the world they land an R8 at a dealer for £50k or they'd be shifting them out by the dozen at 70k, not 100+ with very little in the way of discount
As an example, porsche are widely regarded as the mainstream (relatively) manufacturer with the largest profit margin on their vehicles, and a 991 Carrera, a car sold in much larger numbers than an R8, has now less than 10% in it and less porsche dealerships are franchised, where I believe all Audi ones are, no ?

[Nobby]

If the ride and drive that happened earlier in the year is anything to go by (that Phil and Bam went to) then this one'll be a good laugh.

[doodlebug]

Aye, unless we're blown away overnight!

I'm sure DK said that Audi UK land the V8 R8 here for fifty something k, implies there's still a whacking margin!

No way whatsoever, there's some misunderstanding in that

Maybe the factory BOM reaches that without tooling amo, but landed I doubt there £20k in the rrp and that's before you hit dealer and distribution margins, Audi uk marketing royalty etc

Excuse me for sounding like a know it all, but until last year I worked in European automotive economics for a Japanese OEM and I've worked with a number of Audi's suppliers and bits with Audi Uk and there's no way in the world they land an R8 at a dealer for £50k or they'd be shifting them out by the dozen at 70k, not 100+ with very little in the way of discount
As an example, porsche are widely regarded as the mainstream (relatively) manufacturer with the largest profit margin on their vehicles, and a 991 Carrera, a car sold in much larger numbers than an R8, has now less than 10% in it and less porsche dealerships are franchised, where I believe all Audi ones are, no ?

Interesting, I didn't know Porsche wasn't a franchise arrangement across the board.

To be honest late 50s didn't seem that outrageous for a basic V8. Audi UK take their piece the dealer theirs, can't be that far off?

[ASH555]

Email Phil and he'll put you down as a reserve, I'm sure people will drop out, Paul (W8PMC) already has unfortunately.

I have a few times but he hasnt replied

[HYFR]

Aye, unless we're blown away overnight!

I'm sure DK said that Audi UK land the V8 R8 here for fifty something k, implies there's still a whacking margin!

No way whatsoever, there's some misunderstanding in that

Maybe the factory BOM reaches that without tooling amo, but landed I doubt there £20k in the rrp and that's before you hit dealer and distribution margins, Audi uk marketing royalty etc

Excuse me for sounding like a know it all, but until last year I worked in European automotive economics for a Japanese OEM and I've worked with a number of Audi's suppliers and bits with Audi Uk and there's no way in the world they land an R8 at a dealer for £50k or they'd be shifting them out by the dozen at 70k, not 100+ with very little in the way of discount
As an example, porsche are widely regarded as the mainstream (relatively) manufacturer with the largest profit margin on their vehicles, and a 991 Carrera, a car sold in much larger numbers than an R8, has now less than 10% in it and less porsche dealerships are franchised, where I believe all Audi ones are, no ?

Its true.
The V8 lands to Audi UK from Audi AG at £50k
My old director had one as his ECO car and when you sign the docs it has the landed cost, I've seen it with my own eyes.

[PhilT]

Sorry for the radio silence. I'm out in Penang at the moment giving training. Will post up the final list later.

[bam_bam]

Sorry for the radio silence. I'm out in Penang at the moment giving training. Will post up the final list later.

Where, Indochina? Hire a board, man! It's got one of the best left-handers in the world there.

[Graeme4130]

Aye, unless we're blown away overnight!

I'm sure DK said that Audi UK land the V8 R8 here for fifty something k, implies there's still a whacking margin!

No way whatsoever, there's some misunderstanding in that

Maybe the factory BOM reaches that without tooling amo, but landed I doubt there £20k in the rrp and that's before you hit dealer and distribution margins, Audi uk marketing royalty etc

Excuse me for sounding like a know it all, but until last year I worked in European automotive economics for a Japanese OEM and I've worked with a number of Audi's suppliers and bits with Audi Uk and there's no way in the world they land an R8 at a dealer for £50k or they'd be shifting them out by the dozen at 70k, not 100+ with very little in the way of discount
As an example, porsche are widely regarded as the mainstream (relatively) manufacturer with the largest profit margin on their vehicles, and a 991 Carrera, a car sold in much larger numbers than an R8, has now less than 10% in it and less porsche dealerships are franchised, where I believe all Audi ones are, no ?

Its true.
The V8 lands to Audi UK from Audi AG at £50k
My old director had one as his ECO car and when you sign the docs it has the landed cost, I've seen it with my own eyes.

That must be a little bit of fiddling of taxes, or the write off is BOM only as I'm 100% sure that's not what it costs.
I'm prepared to stand corrected though as everyday's a school day

[Firestarter]

Whaaaaaaaat daaaaaaaaaa faaaaaaaaaark?

Plus 1..a few dual forum users then, gavla,saints and Jules are going with srs..

BUT WE HAVE THE SECRET WEAPON AND DE-FACTO CLUB MASCOT

[Graeme4130]

We're going to need some badges again, I thought that worked well at the AMD RR day