32 WheelsMag.com.au
Still, Audi deserves credit for letting Hirzel
speak. Other brands with high-price images to
protect will put a lot of energy into concealing
connections they believe might devalue the badge.
Maserati is a good example. When the current
Quattroporte and new Ghibli launched there were
rumours that the twin-turbo 3.0-litre petrol V6
used in both was based on Chrysler’s Pentastar.
It made sense; both brands are part of Fiat
Chrysler Automobiles. The rumours were denied,
vehemently, by Maserati.
It took a couple of years and persistent pestering
to establish that the American V6 had indeed
provided a starting point for Maserati’s engineers.
What’s more, Maserati sources its V6 engine blocksfrom a US plant. Although, it should be pointed out,
Maserati’s V6 is assembled by Ferrari in Maranello
and shares little with the Chrysler engine.
What companies like Maserati and Audi fear is
that the complicated realities of the car business
are too frequently mangled in translation. You know
the kind of thing. ‘A5 Coupe? Styled by a guy who
had to leave Skoda.’ Or ‘Maserati’s V6? A Chrysler
300 engine with a couple of turbos bolted on.’
But you readWheels, so we know you relish the
complexity. Which is why we’ll continue to ask the
kind of questions that make people squirm.VISIBLY NERVY, THE YOUNG DESIGNER PLEADS FOR GUIDANCE FROM HIS
PR COLLEAGUE. “CAN I TALK ABOUT THIS?” ASKS JAKOB HIRZEL, WHO HELPED
SHAPE THE EXTERIOR OF AUDI’S NEW A5 COUPE.
This pretty two-door is why we’re in a display
space erected in a carpark outside Porto Airport
in northern Portugal. This is an airy, purpose-
designed temporary building. The décor is white,
black and grey, with discreet dabs of red. There’s a
large screen on one wall, a powerful audio system,
dedicated wi-fi, a reception desk, classy tables and
stools, and a neatly aproned waiter ready to make
you an espresso. It’s all very Audi.
Brand image seems to be the reason for Hirzel’s
awkwardness. He’s here to deliver a presentation
on the A5 Coupe’s exterior design before we drive
it, but things aren’t going to plan. Instead of letting
him simply stand and deliver, myself and the other
Australian media are peppering him with questions
about his own background, not the car’s. We learn
that Hirzel is 33, that he’s worked for Audi for four
years, and that he was with Skoda, another VW
Group brand, before that...
It’s when we ask which Skoda models he helped
design that Hirzel turns to communications guy
Sascha Höpfner for a cue. There’s a nod from the
PR man, clearing Hirzel to reveal he helped shape
the exterior of the Skoda Rapid Spaceback.
Perception is profit in the car business. In round
figures, Audi accounts for about 20 percent of
VW Group production, but its contribution to the
black-inked bottom line is double this. A direct
connection between a practical hatchback from
the Czech Republic and an upmarket coupe from
Germany costing four times as much doesn’t exactly
add lustre to Audi’s carefully crafted image.
YO
BRO!Some brands put a lot of energy into concealing
connections that might devalue the badge
Head of the Q
Touchiest reaction I’ve ever
seen from a car company
was at the launch of
the Infi niti Q30 late last
year. The subject of how
closely, exactly, it is related
to the Mercedes-Benz
A-Class and GLA (it shares
platform, some engines
and much more) was an
absolute no-go area.JohnCarey
A QUESTION OF PERCEPTION