Hey VW just keeps getting it right!

Perhaps I am being cynical and I don't mean to rain on the VW parade, but is it just me or do I see this as a last ditch effort from VW to try and sell the rabbit?

At the end of the day it's good for the racers, especially the racers who drive the good olde VW's that were actually reliable. VW is in the same boat as GM, Ford and Chrysler. They are all failing companies with major reliability problems. The A3 golf never did anything in the market place and the new rabbit is trying to reinvent this enthusiasm. This program along with the new Golf series I see as this effort. Money loosing propositions for VW, in order to make the golf again.

I am curious do VW's racers feel this same way? This thread is not a knock, rather I am curious what your feelings are to this.
 
Jeremy, I'm not Mr. Marketplace, but I don't think VW is in anywhere near as much trouble as GM or Ford. Their hold on the European market is pretty strong, and they don't overbuild stock usually they build what they think they will sell. I think they are trying to promote the GTI Cup, wich is an effort to sell GTI's. Of course it's marketing, it's nice to see the marketing efforts back on the race track again!
 
When you consider what ad costs are for magazines and TV production and distribution, $300K is a pitance and thus money well-spent (Thanks VW). I'd guess 99+% of the $ that come into racing from companies is for marketing benefit.
 
...effort from VW to try and sell the rabbit?[/b]
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Isn't that the whole point of marketing via racing?

You don't think that manufacturers spend so much money on racing because they're fans, do you?
 
Whether you would consider this "last ditch" or not is debatable, but this is definitely a marketing program. And why not? The old saying "Win on Sunday, sell on Monday" has been around for as long as they've been racing (in the U.S. anyway). Think about the marques that currently feature some sort of bragging rights about their race program (Audi, Mazda, Acura, Toyota and then there's Chevrolet, Ford, Dodge and even Cadillac and Pontiac andn more). Actually, now that I think about it, VW may have been one of the very few NOT to promote racing as part of its overall marketing strategy. And the strange-ness of that is that they've been racing and winning for years in Europe!

Although the program ain't perfect, it is a serious step forward for VW racers. Having the "factory" pay attention to ALL of us racers (National AND Regional) is major. And the way they set it up, they will reward race wins and overall championships. Good for bragging rights for them, great for us that race VW's.

And if it helps them sell Rabbits, GTi's, Jettas, etc - then it worked. If not, at least we racers had a little help for a time!
 
Mmm...ok...i kinda see where Jeremy is coming from, but I wouldn't go so far to say they are desperate.

I think what we are seeing is a company that lost it's way with the desire to push up market...WAY upmarket, with the Phaeton program and such. Which was a dismal failure, because at least here in the states, nobody wanted to spend big time Mercedes money on a VDub.....no matter how goood the product actually was.

So I see this as more of a return to roots effort, and somebody in HQ remembered the days of old and Rabbits and racing and said, :"Hey guys, remember when? We did that stuff pretty well...that is what we do, and we should try it again....and maybe we can recover some of the old fan base too."

It's a bit odd, as the SCCA demographic isn't young by any means, so you'd think they'd be going after the youth market differently, but I'm not complaining. I hope they see the investment here as one that will sell cars through refferal marketing.
 
I am not questioning the marketing logic of Win on Sunday and Drive on Monday as this is well known. What I am questioing is the logic behind using it. This seems like it was put in place as a last ditch effort to try and fix the VW issue in America. Inteteresting point Jake as I agree the SCCA market is not young, but perhaps they can make the VW cool again by using this race footage in ads, etc.

This reminds me of the crazy incentive programs Ford, GM and Mopar did a couple years back. It was an all out war to loose money, just to sell cars. When you look at solid manufactors like Honda, Toyota and Nissan there usually is no haggling on price, no rebates, etc. Factory support is far and few between because the name sells the product.

Perhaps, I have turned this into a Marketing debate? Carry on...
 
Am I missing something? I was under the impression that VW as a global company was fairly stable and secure. I know that it's been hard to sell cars in the US lately, everyone seems to want trucks, but VW isn't struggling to stay alive, right?
 
After reading many articles from Business Week to CNN to journal publications, VW has a lot of serious problems as well. Porsche continue to buy more stock and interest in the company as it does poorly. They laid off significant amounts of people in Europe. They loose money on every golf and Jetta they sell in Germany, have poor sales and TERRIBLE reliability. I recall them being in the bottom 5 for 3 years running in reliability and customer satifaction.



I haven;t dug up these articles, but look out there. There are quite a few issues. Oh and the Board is currently being shook up to attempt to turn the company around.
 
I see this as more of a return of the program that went down in Lockerbie. VW lost several key execs in that tragedy, including those responsible for bringing over the Screaming Yellow Zonker, and the only US Spec Rallye Golfs in existence (2 or 3 of them). VWoA lost its way for a while (a few times), and this is certainly an effort to build the image, and support some of the core faithful that played a role in maintaining a core brand fanbase during that period.
 
VW has certainly demonstrated an absolute lack of good sense for a long time. The A1 GTI played a huge part in creating a new, adolescent customer base after years of Bell Labs types driving stodgy Beetles.
Then the A2 GTI was hugely successful in creating a huge cult-like youth market.
Then came the A3 in 93, and no GTI until 97? WTF were they thinking?
The Golf !V: bigger but not much better.
The new Golf V? Way over 3,000 lbs! A neat car (I drive one) but hardly seat of the pants anymore.
I wish they'd bring over a GTI Polo and get back to basics. (I wish IT would too!)
Intersting thing though, this new GTI cup with 2.0Turbo DI gas motor
and DSG sequential boxes. Working on a FBW (fly by wire) steering wheel throttle ring has been satisfying some of my grief of not having my ITB car lately.
I've already got a killer brake/hand throttle FBW in the street car; If I could resolve some problems with the steering wheel throttles, I could sure drive the hell out of it! Hmm.
phil
 
VW has certainly demonstrated an absolute lack of good sense for a long time. The A1 GTI played a huge part in creating a new, adolescent customer base after years of Bell Labs types driving stodgy Beetles.
Then the A2 GTI was hugely successful in creating a huge cult-like youth market.
Then came the A3 in 93, and no GTI until 97? WTF were they thinking?
The Golf !V: bigger but not much better.
The new Golf V? Way over 3,000 lbs! A neat car (I drive one) but hardly seat of the pants anymore.
I wish they'd bring over a GTI Polo and get back to basics. (I wish IT would too!)
Intersting thing though, this new GTI cup with 2.0Turbo DI gas motor
and DSG sequential boxes. Working on a FBW (fly by wire) steering wheel throttle ring has been satisfying some of my grief of not having my ITB car lately.
I've already got a killer brake/hand throttle FBW in the street car; If I could resolve some problems with the steering wheel throttles, I could sure drive the hell out of it! Hmm.
phil
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Phil,

They had A3 GTI's prior to '97, it was just that they only came w/ a VR6. That being said, I totally agree w/ you, VW has lost their way in terms of what made them so popular w/ enthusiasts to begin with. I refuse to call that new, bloated pig a 'Rabbit'. It may be inexpensive (compared to similar cars of today), but it's no Rabbit, that's for sure. That's like that Korean thing Pontiac had in the 90's that they called a LeMans.
 
Just faxed in my registration form, I think that beats anybody's snail mail form! Plus it's Presidents' Day so no mail for you today.

I didn't see anyong post the registartion form, just in case you filled out the claim form by mistake.

Registration Form

Now, if I can just get the new decals on the new paint in time for Rockingham!

Jim
 
It's silly, I know but this kind of kindles my enthusiasm for running the Rock - helps me get over the bummer about not going to VIR. It sounds like Chris Schimmel will be there w/his Golf II and I know that Floyd has entered B in his Honda, so there will be a race...

K
 
>> but is it just me or do I see this as a last ditch effort from VW to try and sell the rabbit?

It's just you.. :D The person responsible has been working on a motorsports program for a LONG time.

>> VW may have been one of the very few NOT to promote racing as part of its overall marketing strategy.

VW had one of the largest Rally and Road Racing factory support organizations in North America for 10 years prior to the drought. Series like SuperVee, Bilstein Cup, Golf Cup and FACTORY supported teams in Rally and Road Racing were prevalent in the 80's. VWoA ditched racing on a mandate from Wolfsburg in the 90's.

Stay tuned... if things go well I think you'll see a lot more from VW in the future. :023:

I think VW should start offering Touareg towing contingencies :lol:

Touareg-trailer-115.jpg
 
With the V10 TDi tow capacity of 7,716lbs it sure would do the job in many cases...........
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Jim,

When the V10 TDI Toureg was announced, I totally lusted after one. I was seriously considering one, until I saw the $60k price tag. And w/ the problems I've heard that the T-regs have, I'm somewhat glad I didn't. VW would have been better served putting that V10 TDI in a full-size p/u ala the Tundra or the Ridgeline, than ever venturing into the Phaeton program.
 
Bill,
You have some unusual ideas about the VW line-up. I see them not having a full size P/U as VW keeping it real. And I like that rabbit thing they've got out now, I'm just waiting for it to come with the compression ignition engine. . .
 
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