very interesting
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-04-17/audi-said-poised-to-buy-motorcycle-maker-ducati-for-1-dot-1-billion
reliability should go up then 
fnaaarrr
It’s been in the pipeline for a while now…
… or else Audi will catch “Bucket O Spanners” disease! 
imagines an A8 with a dry clutch
I was actually thinking in terms of Ducati reliability (or lack of) seeping its way into Audi.
Incidentally, the A8 actually runs a dry clutch, but not a rattly one.
…and the price!
Hopefully they stop some of their more moronic design details…like a steel sidestand and steel bolt going directly into an aluminium crankcase…and sack the guy that designs the fuel gauges! Otherwise, getting car standard quality control would do Ducati no harm, and drag the standard of the bikes up - forcing competitors to raise their game.
Given the recent activity between Mercedes (AMG) and Ducati, I would have imagined that Mercedes would have taken a punt.
Oh well…
I don’t understand why Audi has done this. I agree with the guy below:
“I can’t think of a concrete reason for Audi to warrant a business case for buying Ducati,” said Stefan Bratzel, director of the Center of Automotive, at the University of Applied Sciences in Bergisch-Gladbach.
“Ducati does not enhance Audi’s business model in any way, it is just a trophy in the wall cabinet.”
But if it ensures the survival of an iconic motorcycle manufacturer like Ducati then that has to be a good thing.
this does not make business sense now but maybe in 10 years!
Audi has wanted to go into motorcyle business for years and wanted to buy a ready made brand…Ducati does make more money than Lamboghini and bugatti combined (which Audi owns)
I guess they think they can make this profitable
Yeah - I see your point - I just hope they don’t make Ducati too ‘Vorsprung Dur Technik’ - if Ducati remains an authentically Italian motorcycle manufacturer then that’s ok.
Needs editing, Audi has bought Ducati…
just hope they put the money in but dont stop the new designs
all of Audi’s purchases so far have lead to large investment with new models coming out …I expect it to continue (I hope)
I expect we’ll see big deisel vtwins winning motogp - but vale will be retired by then! :heh:
So will we now see Ducati owners tailgating while talking on the phone and thinking they own the road?
Or will Audi revive it’s old bike brand NSU ?
The NSU Monstrum?
NSU Multistrasse?
Or Ducati make a moped - Ducati Quickly?
Possibly more to do with competing against their biggest rival:
BMW.