What VW means for Ducati

[zooom]

okay...tired of the statements of dreaming that are getting repeated and I have to chime in with a reality check for a moment....what this will do for VW/Audi is nothing really....it is another boutique figurehead brand they can attach to their belt to say they own it...


what this will more than likely do for Ducati is very little...the biggest change is that Ducati should be able to access better buying power through VW's purchasing negotiation of volume through any trading partners they have which should potentially lower the price of some parts and increase the availability...that is short term...long term, industrial expansion for their programs beyond Borgo Panigale and materials and so forth used for development are going to be increased so that they can expand as they need to and should give them greater access to things they may not have previously been able to access/afford...and this should help them increase output and volume in a similar fashion to the level of expansion that Lamborghini has experienced

[ducatiz]

It will be interesting to see if Bosch components make a comeback on Ducatis..

Or if Ducati Energia components make an intro on VW/Audi cars...

[booger]

Well I know you all want my opinion. So I'll forecast good things to come. At least Harley didn't buy them. And BTW, isn't it VAG that's really buying Ducati?
It would be great if they did something about the faulty PA6 fuel cells, but can we at least hope they would acknowledge the issue, and attempt to remedy with future product? I mean considering that even the bikes being made now aren't immune?
I don't think the design sensibilities will change at all, so no worries about bland styling and all the bikes being painted silver. I very much like Audi styling anyway BTW. Lambo became a more useful car after VAG bought them, if you will remember how brutal they used to be pre-buyout. Better a Ducaudi than no Ducati at all. Italy's just about bankrupt; all of southern Europe's up the creek. Spain is going through major pain. Better they got bought up than allowed to die. These are tough times.
How many owners has Ducati had now anyway? They will keep pissing excellence no matter what. All the radicality they have introduced in the past few years have been critical successes and I don't see this latest development being an issue.

[muskrat]

Dealer network/service would definitely increase sales IMO.  Another benefit is the "loaner" program while it's being repaired.   Think any s series 4 wheelers would be available?   

[thought]

Well... one thing that's just always prove true for Ducatis'...

Duc's always get some VAG sooner or later haha

[Curmudgeon]

It will be interesting to see if Bosch components make a comeback on Ducatis..

Or if Ducati Energia components make an intro on VW/Audi cars...

Siemens is German last time I checked.

I'd expect little from the group for Ducati other than finance and accounting. Piech is not dumb enough to "kill the goose that lays the golden eggs". Piech is not Bavarian. 

Maybe you could also explain to the lads that VAG is very far from being "VW". I haven't the patience. Had the politics gone very slightly differently, we'd be looking a PAG anyway. 

[ducatigirl100]

Can I say that I hown an Audi now?

[Duchess]

Ducati Quattro anyone ?  

Or a real Ducati Diesel, not the fake marketing one ...

I now own 3 VW's - a Jetta, a 911 and an S4R ... Laughing at myself, because my initials are also VW

[ducatiz]

Siemens is German last time I checked.

I'd expect little from the group for Ducati other than finance and accounting. Piech is not dumb enough to "kill the goose that lays the golden eggs". Piech is not Bavarian. 

Maybe you could also explain to the lads that VAG is very far from being "VW". I haven't the patience. Had the politics gone very slightly differently, we'd be looking a PAG anyway. 

Siemens efi is only on a couple of bikes...696... the rest are marelli...

i think you're right about the vag contribution.   too bad its not pag...

[uclabiker06]

Here it is on bloomberg
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/17/audi-ducati-idUSL6E8FH5DR20120417

 There is some very smart people that know what they are doing over there at Ducati and they will make great use of this new found money over at the R&D department.

 Hopefully style wont be sacrificed.  Some part of me loved the fact that Ducati was such a small company that made bikes in limited output.  Going to be very interesting to see how/if the bikes/company changes from here on out.  I say this is a good assuming the same people are behind the production of the bikes.

[Curmudgeon]

Siemens efi is only on a couple of bikes...696... the rest are marelli...

i think you're right about the vag contribution.   too bad its not pag...

All the newer Monsters are Siemens. I'd imagine that's a trend. 

Haven't been following the case since I retired. It's still pending, isn't it? Pretty complicated. This is the latest I could find but you have to read between the lines. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204124204577150560971351488.html

It still depends on who blinks first, given the "family feud", and then what the government thinks, right?

[Drunken Monkey]

Panigale uses a Mitsubishi system...

Great, now all the Axis Powers are going to have their fingers in every bike 

[zooom]

Maybe you could also explain to the lads that VAG is very far from being "VW". I haven't the patience. Had the politics gone very slightly differently, we'd be looking a PAG anyway. 

technically...it is refferred to as VWAG....but I get where you are going 

[ducatiz]

Panigale uses a Mitsubishi system...

Great, now all the Axis Powers are going to have their fingers in every bike 

REALLY???

wow..  talk about a huge PR loss for Marelli/Weber... (owned by FIAT no less)

[teddy037.3]

hope this means, that audi dealers will now sell bikes and do service...

dear god, I hope not. local audi dealer is full of douche canoes 

come to think of it, BMW wasn't much better