The new AUDI Diavel has announced a challenge to all Generation II V-Max owners-try an AUDI Diavel and if you don't agree the AUDI Diavel is a better bike, they will buy your Yamaha! (KBB book value for dealer trade-in)
The money will be applied towards purchase of a new AUDI Diavel!
This is your chance to enjoy the premium experience of the German/Italian combine, so you can save face when meeting your BMW-driving-or-riding neighbor at Starbucks for a 1/2 decaf-double mocha cappuchino!:rofl_200:
By JACK EWING
Stefano Rellandini/ReutersA Ducati Hypermotard. Rupert Stadler, the chief executive of Audi, suggested that the company could benefit from Ducati’s know-how building small but powerful engines.
FRANKFURT — Audi, the luxury car unit of Volkswagen, said Wednesday that it had agreed to acquire the Italian motorcycle maker Ducati, gaining a foothold in a growing market as well as expertise in building small, high-powered motors.
The transaction, widely reported Tuesday but not officially confirmed, was approved by the supervisory boards of Audi and Volkswagen on Wednesday. Audi did not say how much it agreed to pay, but a person briefed on the transaction confirmed reports that Volkswagen will pay about 860 million euros ($1.12 billion) to Investindustrial, Ducati’s main shareholder.
The deal raised questions about what Volkswagen, Europe’s largest carmaker, would gain from owning a motorcycle brand, other than opening a new front in its rivalry with BMW, a longtime maker of motorcycles. There is little obvious overlap between Volkswagen and Ducati or opportunities to save costs.
Rupert Stadler, the chief executive of Audi, suggested that the company could benefit from Ducati’s know-how building small but powerful engines, and in using materials like carbon fiber to build lighter vehicles. Such technology is becoming more important as carmakers face pressure from regulators and consumers for cars that have low fuel consumption but are still fun to drive.
Ducati “has great expertise in high-performance engines and lightweight construction, and is one of the world’s most profitable motorcycle manufacturers,” Rupert Stadler, the chief executive of Audi, said in a statement. “That makes Ducati an excellent fit for Audi.”
Audi said it expected demand for motorcycles to increase, especially in Asia. Ducati has factories in Italy as well as Thailand. Last year, Ducati sold around 42,000 motorcycles, according to Audi, and generated revenue of 480 million euros. Investindustrial, an Italian investment group that acquired Ducati in 2006, said the company had an operating profit of 51 million in 2011.
Ducati, based in Bologna, is known for stylish, high-performance machines that can sell for as much as 25,000 euros, or much more than many models of Volkswagen. As such, it may add some cachet to the Volkswagen stable, although Audi dealers are unlikely to start selling motorcycles.
The money will be applied towards purchase of a new AUDI Diavel!
This is your chance to enjoy the premium experience of the German/Italian combine, so you can save face when meeting your BMW-driving-or-riding neighbor at Starbucks for a 1/2 decaf-double mocha cappuchino!:rofl_200:
- NY Times: April 18, 2012, 1:43 pm Mergers & Acquisitions
By JACK EWING
Stefano Rellandini/ReutersA Ducati Hypermotard. Rupert Stadler, the chief executive of Audi, suggested that the company could benefit from Ducati’s know-how building small but powerful engines.
FRANKFURT — Audi, the luxury car unit of Volkswagen, said Wednesday that it had agreed to acquire the Italian motorcycle maker Ducati, gaining a foothold in a growing market as well as expertise in building small, high-powered motors.
The transaction, widely reported Tuesday but not officially confirmed, was approved by the supervisory boards of Audi and Volkswagen on Wednesday. Audi did not say how much it agreed to pay, but a person briefed on the transaction confirmed reports that Volkswagen will pay about 860 million euros ($1.12 billion) to Investindustrial, Ducati’s main shareholder.
The deal raised questions about what Volkswagen, Europe’s largest carmaker, would gain from owning a motorcycle brand, other than opening a new front in its rivalry with BMW, a longtime maker of motorcycles. There is little obvious overlap between Volkswagen and Ducati or opportunities to save costs.
Rupert Stadler, the chief executive of Audi, suggested that the company could benefit from Ducati’s know-how building small but powerful engines, and in using materials like carbon fiber to build lighter vehicles. Such technology is becoming more important as carmakers face pressure from regulators and consumers for cars that have low fuel consumption but are still fun to drive.
Ducati “has great expertise in high-performance engines and lightweight construction, and is one of the world’s most profitable motorcycle manufacturers,” Rupert Stadler, the chief executive of Audi, said in a statement. “That makes Ducati an excellent fit for Audi.”
Audi said it expected demand for motorcycles to increase, especially in Asia. Ducati has factories in Italy as well as Thailand. Last year, Ducati sold around 42,000 motorcycles, according to Audi, and generated revenue of 480 million euros. Investindustrial, an Italian investment group that acquired Ducati in 2006, said the company had an operating profit of 51 million in 2011.
Ducati, based in Bologna, is known for stylish, high-performance machines that can sell for as much as 25,000 euros, or much more than many models of Volkswagen. As such, it may add some cachet to the Volkswagen stable, although Audi dealers are unlikely to start selling motorcycles.
