Another sign of the Audi-Ducati relationship has popped up at the motorcycle manufacturer’s headquarters in Bologna, Italy.

Pictured here is an Audi A1 sports hatchback dressed in paint inspired by the Ducati 1199 Panigale S Tricolore. The special color scheme includes the Ducati logo on the hood, Italian red, white and green striping and red alloy wheels.

It’s not clear at this point if this is merely a promotional concept or if there are plans for a special edition version. If Audi does decide to produce a special edition A1 Ducati, we hope they do away with the large hood logo and go with a more understated look. The Panigale is eye-catching already, moreso in the Tricolore colors, but the badging is at least much more subtle than on this A1. Continue Reading »

Audi has confirmed it paid 747 million euros (US$919.1 million) for Ducati, a much lower price than initially reported at the time of the sale.

The official purchase price was announced in Audi’s interim financial report for the first half of 2012. The 747 million euro price tag for Ducati is close to the 750 million euro figure reportedly tabled by Audi in late March. When news of an impending deal emerged in April, the purchase price had reportedly risen to 860 million euros. That no longer appears to be the case however.

The interim report also re-affirms Ducati will be recognized as a property of Lamborghini which in turn is a subsidiary of Audi. It was previously announced Ducati Chief Executive Gabriele Del Torchio will not only remain in his post but also assume a seat on Lamborghini’s board of directors. All three brands fall under the much broader corporate umbrella of the Volkswagen Group. Continue Reading »

Ducati is now officially property of Audi AG, with the German automaker finalizing its acquisition of the Italian motorcycle brand. The purchase was completed through Lamborghini S.p.A., another Audi property and part of the overall Volkswagen family.

Rupert Stadler, chief executive officer of Audi AG, has been named president of Ducati‘s new board of directors. Gabriele del Torchio, pictured above, will have a seat at the board and will remain as chief executive officer of Ducati Motor Holding and president of Ducati’s executive committee. Claudio Domenicali, Ducati’s general manager and head of its racing program, will also be a member of the new board of directors.

Also joining the board are Horst Glaser and Axel Strotbek from Audi AG. Del Torchio has also been appointed to the board of directors of Lamborghini, Ducati’s neighbor in Bologna, Italy. Continue Reading »

Pictured here is the carnage left behind after a driver lost control of a Lamborghini Murciélago and plowed through a row of motorcycles parked outside a BMW dealership in Mariano Comense, a town north of Milan, Italy.

According to Italian site InFullGear, the driver veered into the oncoming lane while approaching a curve before losing control and running into the parked motorcycles before bouncing off and coming to a stop in the middle of the road.

The crash injured three people, though thankfully none of them were seriously injured. A 56-year-old was flown to hospital but was released on the weekend. The material damage was hefty however. The Lamborghini destroyed nine motorcycles; two belonged to customers and the other seven were demos. Continue Reading »

Audi‘s purchase of Ducati is still waiting for regulatory approval but that hasn’t stopped the two companies from taking advantage of their impending union. Audi will make its presence known at the upcoming World Ducati Week celebrations, June 21-24 at the newly-renamed Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.

The German automaker will supply a range of cars to Ducati staff and management during World Ducati Week, and show off some of its high-end models such as the S6, S8 and the Audi R8 LMS (pictured above).

Audi will also hold a raffle for rides around the Misano circuit with professional drivers behind the wheels of a 500+ hp R8 LMS or R8 V10. Continue Reading »

What do you get when you combine a BMW R1200R and a Buell XB12? The D1200R! A former employee of Lamborghini by the name of Pablo González de Chaves Fernández has turned his attention from four wheels to two and has begun creating innovative design improvements to existing motorcycles with the help of Juan Elizalde Bertrand. This project stems from a patent that does away with the inefficient steering movements in motorcycles with traditional forks. Their system makes steering direct with a one-to-one turning ratio that offers improved stability and allegedly prevents front end dives during mid-corner braking.

Continue Reading »