TimeOut

From Fourtitude:

Out of nowhere CAR Magazine today has broken a story this morning that Audi entered an exclusive deal to buy motorcycle manufacturer Ducati. After re-checking our calendar to make sure it wasn't April 1, we took a closer look at the story. Penned by Georg Kacher, we don't question its accuracy in any way and as such it's worth considering the details.

Apparently Ducati is on the market and it's being suited by no less than Audi, Daimler (with whom there's a marketing deal with AMG), Mahindra and even Audi's parent company Volkswagen. All are interested in the Italian motorcycle manufacturer but Kacher is revealing via CAR that Audi has an exclusivity deal that gives it first refusal - one that could very well see Ducati under Audi ownership by April.

cheers

PAt

Ducati is cash strap and if the new owner allows it to do what it wants without much interference, it could work.

cheers

PAt

Hey, Bim, I was addressing Ming because he has some personal Ducati stories to share...

right, Doc?

;-)

cheers

PAt

...that 750 hasn't shrunk in the rain? No wonder you want a Hypermotard!

I don't think you've missed much in the 999 nor 1098 range...The 888 and  916 (or even a 748...as long as the rockers hold up ;-)) are still *the* modern Ducatis...Though I've never ridden an 888, worked on one...but never rode it.

Would love to buy it.  Maybe some day.

Cheers.

Vte

Ducati has either been owned by the government or various 'investment' houses. Not even the Castiglionis could hold it for very long.

Not that anything from Ducati inspires me any more (what the hell is the Diavel supposed to be? Not racing the ugly Panigale? what?  but I see this kind of purchase as a vanity project for some execs at Audi.

I've never seen a good mix of bike guys and car guys....Ducati 860 GTS, anyone? Ducati TL banana bike? Lamborghini 'bike'? Ilmor's joke of a MotoGP effort? Lotus guys stuffing up the KR triple engine?

As for the teams not getting parts...do you mean the MotoGP teams? If Rossi decided to actually ride the bike hard instead of changing it every 2 minutes, they probably wouldn't have that problem 

..would come up.

While BMW was winning IoM bike TTs, they were also making Austin 7s under licence....that is, they've always been a bike company.

It's when car guys dabble in bikes that the monstrosities emerge:

Pininfarina's effort (Morbidelli V8)

[Image is small to protect your retinas]

Giugiaro's effort (Ducati 860)

Lamborghini's effort

Of course, this is not to say that just because a car group gets involved in bikes it must end in tears, after all the dire state of Ducati's current range didn't involve any 4 wheel makers.....

I'm not sure what the likes of Audi can offer them? Better parts sourcing and logistics? Quality control methods?

..in the development of the MotoGP bike.

That bike that definitely had it's problems, but was easily a podium contender up till 2011. The current version has been through so many revisions that I'm no longer sure they know where they are or which direction to go.

Rossi seems to be trying to have the bike emulate the M1, but a big, fat 90deg V4 isn't ever going to have the weight distribution of the Yamaha's inline 4. So it seems that instead of playing to the strengths of the bike, Ducati is merely bringing its weaknesses to the fore. I'm not certain any amount of revisions by the factory nor input and tweaking from Rossi/Burgess can overcome this.

I certainly hope Ducati does come up with something. Not because of Rossi, but because I hate seeing tiny grids with only an RCV or M1 capable of getting on the podium.

sigh....

cheers

PAt

The cars actually work now, start and keep running, more reliably than they have ever in the history of Lamborghini.

And if the Aventador is any indication (as well as the Murci SV) the performance is still a top priority.

Some naysayers might try to argue that modern Lambos have "lost some of their soul;" I'm still not so sure about this, though I think I can understand what they mean.  

I can say that, in some markets, I feel more love from Porsche (a much larger, more "professional" company and brand) and it's people than I do from Lamborghini (a much smaller, boutique company and products which should have a much more "community" and "family" feel, in my humble opinion)

Interesting that Porsche, Lamborghini, and Audi are all under Volkswagen Group...Shades of Richemont and Swatch!

"Watching" this carefully...

as long as VW or whoever do not interfere  agreat deal into the development or DNa of the company, I think it could work.

If they did try what Ford tried to do to Ferrari, then I think it would be a disaster.

VW are indeed trying to reach their long arms into other makes.

a pity that we dun see much super bikes on the road of SG though.

cheers

PAt