BobbyJim

I'm glad you had such a good trip - I agree that Audi really do make it a special occasion (I accompanied a friend picking up an A4 allroad).

So how fast can you go at 3000 RPM?

I'm thinking of buying myself an S4, same colour (but Avant), and picking it up from the factory. Of course, it is a bit easier for me as I live in Munich!

Did you see the old car in the museum with the red exhaust in the shape of the four Audi rings - I want that!!! (could post a piccy if others are interested).

TIME89

How's Welt experience? When I pick up my car , Welt was under contraction.

sambuca 57

At 3000rpm I was going 130kph.

I was impressed by the number of new car deliveries Audi processes every hour at the Forum Ingolstadt. In Europe, it's clearly the norm to order your new car.

Good luck with your Avant order, that's a terrific package. I've always loved wagons and hatches, and I would have snapped up an S4 Avant or an S5 Sportback (since it comes with the supercharged V6) in a heartbeat.

And yes, I did see the funky concept with the four-ring red exhausts. It looked like the designer had taken an Alfa concept (the look is Giugiaro, though the front sure looks like the mid-nineties Alfa GTV by Pininfarina) and tacked on the four rings front & back. Is this the one you meant?



I couldn't figure out what the car was. Do you know?

sambuca 57

I was very impressed with the Welt and BMW museum experience, especially architecturally. They've done a very nice job with displays of their current cars and bikes, which the public can touch and sit in / on. They also have a bunch of displays (engines, turbos, finishes, and a bunch of "show&tell" similar to a science museum.

Their deliveries happen on the mezzanine and drive around and out an oval ramp. Of course, I wasn't very excited by the cars...

What was interesting in their museum was how small their old (pre-fifties) cars were, and how few of them thee were. While the Auto Union brands were building and acing cars commensurate with Mercedes, BMW was just getting started with sporty little cars in the 30's. Very different than the perception in the States.

It made me appreciate and enjoy my tour of Ingolstadt all the more.

It was very easy to get to by U-bahn. You walk out of the Olympiapark station and you're there.

The factory was closed all last week, so I couldn't take a tour. Next time.

I'll try to post on flickr tonight and post the link.

BobbyJim

No idea about the car I'm afraid, I'm not really that into the older cars. But I did like the red 80s quattro (I've been watching 'Life on Mars' recently).

As for my S4 I couldn't get a test drive until beginning of May, and we have a twelve week delivery time so it'll be august at the earliest...

Still, that leaves me some time to persuade my wife

sambuca 57

That's not bad. It's worth the wait.

Believe it or not, I drove an S5 (which I lusted after for 3 years but didn't love when I drove it - felt like a German Camaro and didn't love the V8) as well as an A4 manual. They never had an S4 on the lot that wasn't presold. So I bought it blind. Then again, I read all the press and all the blogs I could find. They have all been unanimous in their admiration of this car. Very very happy with my decision.

I thought my 5 month wait would be unbearable, but it passed quickly.

Good luck!

Stuttgartrob

Its actually cheaper to go pick up your car at the Forum if you live close. They want like 800 euro for my car to get delivered to Stuttgart. Or I could go to the Forum and get free food and a tour before I pick up the Q5

Congrats on your purchase, I really like the that blue on the S4.

sambuca 57

Cool, I didn't know that. You're so close, and it's a fun experience.

The tour guide said you can pick up your car at the Audi Forum Neckarsulm as well. That's closer to Stuttgart.

I hope we start getting more TDi choices soon.

Thanks.

Stuttgartrob

Yeah, I had the choice to pick it up at either forums. I'm having some guys go with me from work and told them to decide which one to go too since we are going in a friends B5 RS4 Avant. The Diesel choices in the states kinda messed up me moving back at the end of the year since I was looking for something that was diesel. Oh well another 3 years in Germany won't be that bad, good luck on your A7 purchase.

JMSIV

Thanks for all this! I just got my final packet from Audi, we head out in 2 weeks! Sprint blue for me too!