Quote:
Originally Posted by ptack
Investing in R&D has nothing to do with current efficiency. It's basicaly a matter of how high your costs are against your revenues. If Audi were to sell an RS5 in the US, how much would it cost? Do you think it would be in line with an M3 coupe? I don't. I think it would at least $10k more and not because it's a superior sports car.
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It has everything to do with importer costs and nothing to do with efficiency. BMW like Mercedes are US manufacturers (i.e. they build cars in the US) that allows certain cost differences when they import certain models from outside the US. Audi don't manufacture there and their import costs are greater, that is why outside of the US Audi and BMW are evenly priced.
If you were them and had to make the decision of selling a third (possible) of the world RS5 stock at a greatly reduced profit just to please American customers would you do it? I know I wouldn't and I doubt Audi would feel any different.
P.S.
From everything I know about this car is WILL be superior to the M3 of that I am in no doubt. But according to what I have been told it will command a 10% increase over the M3 and that's UK prices.