German Car Zone

Nice looking but predictable design. What is with Audi designers and tail lights? Are they just too lazy to come with a new design or what?

I actually like the head light with out all the Christmas lighting, the LEDs distort the clean outer geometry.

My initial impression of this car was enthusiastic - but when I stop to think about where this car sits in Audi's range, and the age of the A3's current 8P platform, I'm left shaking my head.

Here's Audi again, shoehorning their "Fall/Winter 07 Collection Look" onto something old - reinforcing the notion that Audi style is fleeting, and rotates in a two-year cycle. If you drive an Audi that lacks complex LED-enhanced headlights and A5 derived tail-lights, you sir, are out of fashion.

So, on one hand this feels like Audi milking some more milage out of the 8P platform with a cabrio conversion and updated cosmetics - on the other hand, this feels like Audi smearing the line between the current A3 and the next-gen model which I presume will debut as an '09. I'm not even tremendously eager to see the next-generation A3 now that Audi has tipped their hat with this hybrid old/new model. What could the next A3 possibly even look like other than... well, something very similar to this?

If I was a prospective buyer I don't like this one bit. This is an old car with new cosmetics sprinkled on top - masquerading as something entirely new. So now I wonder... how long will the A3 Cabrio languish as a new car in an old body? The next-gen A3 three and five door will debut with an all new platform and the cabrio will continue on as a 8P well past its prime.

So sure, I think it's cool. I'd love to have one in my driveway. But I can't help but think that Audi has sold themselves short on this one.

Why does VW EOS have folding hard top while A3 has cloth roof?

You mean the EOS has a metal vario roof and the A3 doesn't? well i think coz the A3 is a hatsh cabrio not a coupe shape like the EOS.

I think there simply isn't enough space for a folding hardtop. If it had one, you would need an electron microscope to locate the actual trunk space.

My co-worker enlightened me on this one, and suddenly the A3 cabrio makes more sense. It's all a matter of the costs associated with tooling-up an assembly line. Basically, as 8P A3 production winds down, it costs Audi little to shore up that unused capacity by cobbling-together a cabrio model - all they do is update the cosmetics and they're ready to go. Everybody is already trained in the was of 8P assembly, so the cabrio is almost pure profit from a bean-counter's point of view.

I imagine the choice of soft-top also has to do with costs. Using a hard-top could mean entirely different fabrication facilities, and would kill the A3 cab's business case.

So once again I put foot in mouth with a long-winded gasbag post.

That makes it two of us.

Start of Production and World Premiere for the Audi A3 Cabriolet in Hungary

• Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány and Audi Board Chairman Rupert • Stadler drive the first Audi A3 Cabriolet from the production line
• Proven effectiveness of joint production between Ingolstadt and Győr
• Stadler: "Major contribution to strategic..."

Audi Hungaria continues its success story with the Audi A3 Cabriolet: production of the new model was officially started today by the Hungarian Prime Minister, Ferenc Gyurcsány, and Audi's Chairman of the Board of Management, Rupert Stadler, at AUDI HUNGARIA MOTOR Kft. in Győr. The production launch was also the world premiere for the new Audi A3 Cabriolet and was attended by a host of international guests.

"Car manufacturing in Hungary at Audi Hungaria has proved an outstanding success over the past years with production of the Audi TT Coupé and TT Roadster. We are convinced that the Hungarian factory, with production of the Audi A3 Cabriolet, will make a major contribution to our strategic objective to build 1.5 million vehicles in 2015," announced Stadler. He added that Audi Hungaria also formed the core of the Group's engine manufacturing operations.

The project, which was launched in 2006, required an innovative and highly flexible manufacturing operation. Modifications to the production equipment and infrastructure were required to manufacture the new model on the Audi TT Coupé and TT Roadster assembly line. Investments totalling some five million euros (1.2 billion HUF) were made in the production equipment for the new convertible. The new model will be manufactured using the proven production alliance with the Ingolstadt plant (body shop, paint shop). The vehicle production operation in Györ (Audi TT Coupé, Audi TT Roadster and Audi A3 Cabriolet) has a maximum capacity of 300 vehicles per day.

Vehicle assembly started at Audi Hungaria in 1998 with the production of the Audi TT. Since then, more than 300,000 vehicles have been produced in Győr. The new generation of the Audi TT Coupé and TT Roadster has been assembled at Audi Hungaria since 2006. This year, over 50,000 vehicles will leave the production line in Győr.

AUDI HUNGARIA MOTOR Kft., a wholly owned subsidiary of AUDI AG based in Győr, is one of the principal engine suppliers to the Audi and Volkswagen Groups. It also assembles the Audi TT Coupé and TT Roadster sports cars in Győr. In 2006, the company built 1,893,600 engines and 23,675 vehicles. For many years, Audi Hungaria has been one of the highest-revenue companies and one of the largest exporters in Hungary. Since 2006, Audi Hungaria has also been supplying numerous aluminium body parts for the Audi R8.
http://www.fourtitude.com/news/publish/Audi_News/article_3609.shtml

The cars best angle is defenitely this one:



I can't say I like the front lights, cause I though of this immediately:



Overall, a nice car. But in S-line it looks fantastic!