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Is Audi getting complacent and suffering from brain drain?

The argument is made in a Reuters article: Audi is falling behind other luxury brands, such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW, due to a lack of research-and-development spending and "brain drain," or the migration of top executives and R&D chiefs to other parts of the Volkswagen Group. Reuters notes that Audi's current R&D chief is the third in 16 months.
Audi, which contributed to 40 percent of VW Group's $11.6 billion in profit the first nine months of the year, is delivering cars at a record pace: 1.31 million were delivered from January to October 2013 versus BMW's 1.35 million. Yet Audi, Reuters reports, doesn't have a halo car akin to BMW's new electrified i3 and i8 or an answer to Mercedes' plug-in-hybrid S-Class, and the R&D spending at Audi is less than BMW and Mercedes by a fair margin. It's noted in the article, however, that Audi benefits from other R&D spending within VW Group.
Reuters mentions that BMW "trumpets its new 'i' series" and the new Mercedes CLA and GLA ranges are winning "rave reviews" as part of its argument that Audi's recent lack of technological innovation could hurt future sales. Those cars do pack tons of new technology, some of which are firsts for mainstream production cars. But last time we checked, the i3 could be causing BMW's stock to slide, the CLA isn't receiving the rave reviews that Reuters would have you believe and the GLA hasn't been reviewed yet.

BMW apparently still undecided about future i project electric vehicles

Coaches like to say that there's no "i" in team. At least one BMW executive is saying the company's not sure if there are any more "i"s in its near future. BMW executive Harald Krueger indicated that the German automaker is holding back on any i-project plans besides the i3 city car and i8 plug-in hybrid sports car until the company gets a better idea of how those models are selling, Reuters says. Bimmer has spent about $2.7 billion on the plug-in sub-brand and says it's taken more than 11,000 orders for the i3 since the model was first shown off at German dealerships last fall. Additionally, BMW has no plans to make the i3 in China (BMW makes versions of its 3- and 5-series sedans there). As we all know, should the brand expand, BMW has already trademarked the "i" badge from i1 through i9. There are a lot of mixed messages on the BMW i project front. For example, early indications are that i3 demand has been higher expected. BMW North America chief Ludwig Willisch indicated earlier this month that US demand for the electric city car, at least for the near future, will likely to outstrip supply. Bimmer dealers in the US will start getting the $41,350 i3 in May. Additionally, fellow BMW executive Jacob Harb said the company was already starting to work on its next EV, to be larger than the i3, though he didn't give many details and was later somewhat refuted by another BMW spokesman. So stay tuned. Featured Gallery 2015 BMW i8 View 22 Photos News Source: Reuters Green BMW Electric i8 bmw i5 harald krueger

BMW 6 Series Convertible gets a little work done for 2015

Truth be told, I've never really found the modern BMW 6 Series to be a particularly attractive car, in Coupe, Convertible, or sedan Gran Coupe forms. This current generation certainly looks a whole lot better than the Bangle-fied Six that came before it to my eyes, but on the whole, I find much of the car's design to be fussy and awkward. There's a new 6 Series on the way, scheduled to arrive sometime in 2017 or 2018, but to hold us over until then, BMW is freshening its current range, as evidenced by this convertible prototype our trusty spies recently caught testing.
Will the changes to the current 6 Series be an improvement? Perhaps. Up front, there are restyled headlamps and a new front bumper, and at the rear, BMW has redesigned the LED taillamps to bring them more in line with the rest of the company's offerings. Aside from those modest tweaks, we don't expect much more to change on the Big Six - the interior will likely carry over with some minor tweaks (or new colors), and it's possible the powertrains could be massaged gently for gains in either power, efficiency, or both.
Whether you think this new look is pretty or not, this freshened 6 Series will likely debut sometime next year, while BMW's engineers and designers craft the all-new version. See it from several angles in our gallery, above.