markcincinnati

. . .was shared with me by my local, long time Audi dealer. The memo contained a statement that the Audi allroad would remain in production until week 21 2005. This is all I know.

As far as I know, Audi AG uses calendar year and calendar week production dates.

This means that the allroad will be around through the 21st calendar week of 2005. However, I guess it is possible to interpret the memo as 21 weeks of production into the nominal 2005 model year -- but to me this stretches the point.

I plan to verify this with my dealer -- he read the Audi of America memo to me over the phone.

He also read another memo or perhaps it was part of the same Audi communication that indicated that the new A6 will be "arriving" October 29th 2004; in mid February 2005 there will be a so-called 2005.5 A4 (which we ASSUMED is a face-lift of the A4 to the corporate grill look). He also said that the new A6 will not have an avant model immediately, but that it will happen in calendar 2005. An "all new" A4 will be available as a 2006 model (and he "assumed" that meant ditto for the S4).

The four position A6 air suspension option on the new A6 will follow in early (whatever that means) 2005.

The allroad, as we know, has been based on the A6 avant -- but it has a 20% thicker floor-pan, front and rear underbody panels, fender flares, and here in the US the "aluminum opti-pac" is standard equipment. It kind of makes sense that the allroad's production end will lead to the A6 avant's US availability.

This reminds me of the approach Audi took in 2001 when they discontinued the Old A4 and brought out the new look A4, but for a time continued to produce the 2001 S4 as a 2002 model year version with the 2001 body and a trim piece here and there to differentiate things. They did this with the 1995 S6 which was continued for about 5 months into the 1996 MY with the 1995 body, etc.

If your dealer is telling you something different and you have a relationship with him/her that is long term and it contradicts the above, all I can say is that perhaps your information or my information is dated newer or older and hence could be the cause for the discrepancy.

The memo I am paraphrasing was a February 16th (or thereabouts) memo -- which does make sense as that was the date (announced on the Audiusa website) of the new A6 European "coming out" party.

More news when I get it. . . .

Drive it like you live.