For most, this season’s Super Bowl XLII was all about the New York Giants and the New England Patriots. While many focused on the plights of Tom Brady or Eli Manning, Audi owners and soon-to-be converts would have had to try hard to miss the brand’s presence at the big game in Phoenix this year.

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Audi is actually further from that than they've ever been. Everything A4 on up is unique to Audi from a chassis perspective except in the cases where the R8 shares suspension components with the Lamborghini Gallardo, A8 shares some components (not much) with the Bentley Continental family and the Q7 sharing some chassis bits with the Touareg and Cayenne. TT is mainly aluminum so, again, is not very similar to the Golf platform on which it's loosely based and A3 shares no visible parts to the casual observer even though it's steel and closer to the Golf than the TT. Other than the Touareg using the Audi 4.2 and 3.0 TDI, the only other shared engines in the USA are the 3.2 VR6 and the 2.0T and the latter is a Ward's 10 Best Engine. I know there's still the connotation, but I believe Audi deserves credit in differentiating itself further than it's ever been before by a pretty big margin.

How many A4 owners read Ward's?!?! And the Corrado was picked by Automobile Magazine multiple times for its All-Star picks, and we know how helpful that was for that vehicle's sales numbers.

Quote, originally posted by George@Fourtitude »

Audi deserves credit in differentiating itself further than it's ever been before by a pretty big margin.

You gotta talk to the "influencers" ... the automotive journalists who keep writing about the similarities and generalities between the VW group brands ... because anyone who picks up one of the many car magazines around the world and reads their reviews will likely be influenced by what's written in forming their own opinions and judgements.

The 2.0T is a very good engine to be sharing is what I'm saying. As for R8 and Automobile of the Year, it is not an All-Star. That's a different title and not single model exclusive like AotY.

Which, until the "old regime" of writers finally retires, won't happen. Younger writers generally get it. Its the older guys who grew up with expensive VWs (ie. Audi) that still write about it. And those are the guys everyone listens to at the moment. Your thoughts George?

When you boil it down, there really isn't much shared anymore between the brands save for a couple engines. Take for example the two closest family members; the A3 and Rabbit/Jetta. Doing a lap of the exteriors and interiors will show that nothing is shared. Turn stalks, radios, window switches, HVAC......everything is unique between the brands. The only commonality I've seen between them is the LEDs for the alarm. Hell, even their moonroof switches/dials and ignition keys are different.

By the by, that P-Shop with the helmet is priceless

I agree. I sat next to a crusty old guy at an Audi launch who was hitting de Nysschen on the old unintended acceleration thing, but in large part most journalists today see the differences. Cynics will still equate platform sharing to GM in the '80s, but VW has really made it an art form that companies like Ford (C1 platform) and others have copied.