The comment from Winterkorn is just an interesting side-note and not the main intent of this post.<ul><li><a href="http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/fortune/0702/gallery.Callaway_Audi.fortune/10.html">GRRR8</a></li></ul>

German humor, perhaps?

I was wondering if there was a Michelle Mouton comment along those lines, but couldn't find one.

modern exotics. If he wants to prove he has a "set" try driving an early Countach next time buster;-)

Attitudes and comments like that aren't going to endear himself to the female sports car contingent, female Audi drivers - or spouses who have a say in household finances. Over and over it's clear that for a guy to purchase an impractical car like an exotic and then modify, tune, or otherwise spend money on it, he needs some level of approval from the other half of the relationship. All the better if it can be tied into the picnicing, wine, cheese, horsey, glamorous race track, dinner party lifestyle so that if the female in the family does not choose to drive the car, she at least has some "investment" in the ownership.

I can not speak for Winterkorn and I can only suggest a line of reasoning.

Sports cars are typicallly owned by males, not females. Yes, there are exceptions but the typical 911 owner is male. Likewise, the typical Lamborghini driver is male. I have never seen a woman drive a Lambo but I have seen a few drive Ferraris and Porsches. I have yet to see a woman drive a Maserati, including the Quattroporte. Therefore, it would make sense for Audi to attempt to make the R8 attractive to both sexes. The TT has strong female appeal and I would suspect that Audi would want to build on that appeal with the R8.

Everyone knows that today's sports cars are easy to drive but the spouse factor must be included in the ownership equation. I have many married friends who have unsuccessfully tried to negotiate a sports car purchase to no success-and this group has included very accomplished litigators! Therefore, increasing the attractiveness of the R8, as a car that is easy to live with, is important to its success. Perhaps, Winterkorn could have stated it more diplomatically, but English is not his native language. I know that my German is bad enough to make many squirm with discomfort.

at least that's what the divorce lawyers say

take him to the cleaners;-)

That often starts a cycle of first marrying, then dating younger and dumber bimbos to the hilarity of others;-)