Ducati now owned by VW Audi

[avgas]

I can't wait to see flat four air cooled ducatis....

Nah your more likely to see them with a wet clutch.

[LBD]

Nah your more likely to see them with a wet clutch.

Pretty much all wet clutches now

[Bassmatt]

....with the engine in the back oh....wait....

[AllanB]

Interesting.



Also interesting and what's the relevance?

Ducati makes about 40,000 two-wheelers a year across its range of cruiser, supermoto, adventure, naked and superbikes that include the muscular Diavel and dual sport Hypermotard.

By comparison, industry leader Honda sold over 16 million motorcycles last year.

[Voltaire]

I hear they have unused capacity at the VW plant in China and are going to make the air cooled models which no longer meet Euro standards.

[Laava]

So.... I guess I now ride a beetle?

Yip. a VAG bike!

[scracha]

Watch for a turbo-diesel powered Ducati adventure bike soon, along with a diesel/hybrid maxi-scooter.

I'm imagining the sound of a Turbo-diesel Ducati with a full Termigoni system...fuck yeah!!!!

[reggie1198]

Take 3 panigale engines. Combine, and you'd have a lovely little 3.6l V6 with around 600(ish) hp.
Now plonk that in the golf R36 or RS4/6

[BMWST?]

the laast time the germans and italians worked together didnt work out too well, in ww2 or when lamborghini tried to build a sports car for BMW which bmw ended up stealing it back and calling it the M1

[ducatilover]

the laast time the germans and italians worked together didnt work out too well, in ww2 or when lamborghini tried to build a sports car for BMW which bmw ended up stealing it back and calling it the M1

Which was rather pricey and the rules around the races the car was made to be in changed, so it flopped. Was a great car though.

Proton didn't fuck the last bike company they purchased, so what's to say VW/AUDI will fuck with Ducati?

[SS90]

Proton didn't fuck the last bike company they purchased, so what's to say VW/AUDI will fuck with Ducati?

Common sense says I recon.

VW has been in the doldrums for a few years now, and it's Audi that has improved the bottom line to the substantial one it is now, remember, it's not Audi that's buying Ducati, it's VW (VW owns Audi) it's just being reported like this to bolster Audis' image.

It's correct to say there is no real reason for them to buy Ducati, it really is just a trophy in the cabinet (much like Kim Dotcom trying to buy NZs most expensive house), The VW group are just flexing their muscles, and perhaps may well obtain some good stuff from their technical department.

Its more that they are throwing sand into BMWs faces, and let's not forget that Generali insurance are the big sponsor of not only the German round of the GP, but also a major sponsor of the Ducati race team, so there has been a German financial stake in Ducati racing for some time.
I think as far as road stuff goes, the Ducatis we see will change a little (new models perhaps), but most likely they will inject a little "German order" on the whole set up (much like when BMW purchased Huskvarna, and sent a while lot of Germans there as project managers about 2 or so years ago)

The big changes will be things like rationalising expenditure in comparison to income (fiscal responsibility) No more expensive riders in the race team that don't help sales in Germany I believe we will see at least one up and coming German rider in the team next year, as if Ducati, which being run by VW was to win championship with a German rider, before BMW could do it, then "the sand will hit the eye" (so to speak)

Audi have long talked about a formula 1 team, but had to shelve that idea, as simply "Geld Brennen" (money burning), as they pretty much deal to Peugeot most years in their coverted diesel endurance races at Lemans (as well they should going by the amount of money they spend each year on it) and diesels are the future (like it or not), not high revving petrol engines.

VW will most likely turn Ducati in to a profitable business (finally), although Italians are very good at making life hard for Germans that buy their factories (as happened at Huskvarna), leading to quiet little "force major" that makes life very hard for management. (Cosa Mein Herren?)

[BMWST?]

Which was rather pricey and the rules around the races the car was made to be in changed, so it flopped. Was a great car though.

Proton didn't fuck the last bike company they purchased, so what's to say VW/AUDI will fuck with Ducati?

was more a poor attempt at a little humour than a serious concern

[bsasuper]

I asked a bloke at a sevice station today filling his duc, "Hows your VW going?", looked back with a puzzled look.Can we expect a W4 now?

[onearmedbandit]

the laast time the germans and italians worked together didnt work out too well,

Seems to be working very well with Lambo and VW/Audi though...

[bsasuper]

Seems to be working very well with Lambo and VW/Audi though...

Ahhhh, do you really know what you are talking about?, A lambo only now looks like a lambo, but its not,same badge different input from the engineers from Audi