Audi closes design department

Stevie Dakota

I couldn’t believe this when I first heard it but apparently 100% true.

Audi GmbH Press release – 16/6/11
Audi GmbH announces today that is has decided to close its Styling and Design (SAD) Department with immediate effect. The team has been replaced by a Xerox 7120. Audi CEO Rupert Stadler says the company is delighted to have the 7120 on board and that we can look forward to both really small, and really large cars from now on. He goes on to say this bold step will allow for considerable saving in the design process which can then be passed onto the customer. Stadler continues, “In the past our design cycle was 4-5 years, now we launch new models overnight, in both colour or black and white”. Stefan Sielaff, former Head of Design at AUDI, when quizzed on these developments said, “To be honest I am not surprised, for the last 2 years I have been hiding a broom closet on the 4th floor, it has been very stressful.”

The new Audi GmbH chief of design -

Cool thread

Cookie_Monster

funny I though Audi had stopped designing cars years ago, just making the A4 bigger or smaller as needed...

Big Nasty

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

funny I though Audi had stopped designing cars years ago, just making the A4 bigger or smaller as needed...

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Cookie_Monster

MCMLXXV wrote: »

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ah, so Audi are like our government, despite staff been unproductive and surplus they keep them on for years before finally getting rid of them...

(also, the link for that image is monstrously long...)

robbie99

I wonder if they're going to rename their models as a result. In my paper tray the A3 is twice the size of an A4

I'll get my coat...

bazzachazza

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

funny I thought Audi had stopped designing cars years ago, just making the A4 bigger or smaller as needed...

Yeah they copied the idea off BMW-MERCEDES-VOLKSWAGEN-SKODA-FIAT-PEUGEOT-RENAULT-VOLVO etc etc etc etc.

I'm still amazed at how people are still blinkered enough to think it's still just Audi that does it.

The whole idea is that you get a quick glance of the car and think "Oh that's a Merc" and when you buy a ****box BMW 1 you can park it up and still think you are driving a 3 or 5 series like everyone else in the country.

It's the same reason why an iPod nano looks like an iTouch or an iPhone or an iPad. Same reason a bottle of 60 year old coke looks like a new one.

maidhc

BMW made a virture of this waaaay back in the 1970s.

I have an ad from an old Nat Geo where they claim to be the only company to make the same car in three different sizes. (things were simple back then...).

unkel

maidhc wrote: »

BMW made a virture of this waaaay back in the 1970s.

I have an ad from an old Nat Geo where they claim to be the only company to make the same car in three different sizes. (things were simple back then...).

Cool! Any chance of scanning it in and sharing it with us?

Cookie_Monster

maidhc wrote: »

I have an ad from an old Nat Geo where they claim to be the only company to make the same car in three different sizes.

what were the sizes, Japanese, European and American?

Big Nasty

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

what were the sizes, Japanese, European and American?

Presuming you're not taking the piss I would imagine it was 3, 5 & 7!

cjt156

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

what were the sizes, Japanese, European and American?

I think it was smug, inadequate and over-compensating.

Big Nasty

cjt156 wrote: »

I think it was smug, inadequate and over-compensating.

Must....resist.....using....roll....eyes....:p

VolvoMan

I've seen about two of the new A6's and they look so bland and similar to the old model that I wonder why they bothered replacing it at all. If anything, it's a carbon copy of its predecessor with a few ungainly lines drawn on and the headlights replaced with two pieces of jewellery.

-Corkie-

This has been discussed over and over. VW are the very same with the Passat. The Jetta is a smaller version with less spec and the Phaeton is the bigger model allthough I havent seen one in years.