Audi debuts new A5 Cabriolet in New York as Karmann files for Bankruptcy

Audi1

Today's press release from Audi reads:

"A5/S5 Cabriolet U.S. debut at New York Auto Show‏

Dynamic,
confident and stunning – the all-new four-seater A5 and S5 Cabriolet
from Audi combines a distinctly sporty character with the joy of
open-top driving, refined comfort and everyday utility. The open-top A5
has a lightweight fabric top which opens in 15 seconds. Designed for
visual elegance, the fabric top allowed the development of the
segment-unique folding rear seat backs and a large pass-through between
the luggage compartment and interior. As a result, storage volume
increased to a generous 750 liters (26.49 cubic ft)."

Perhaps another word that could have been used to describe the new Audi drop top is "endangered."

In
Germany today Wilhelm Karmann GmbH, a specialty- vehicle maker for
Volkswagen AG and Daimler AG, filed for bankruptcy protection.

The
issue that could endanger the A5 Cabriolet is that Karmann currently
helps to build many of the most popular convertibles for both Audi and
Mercedes including the new A5 Cabriolet.

“Audi and
Daimler are our biggest customers, and unit numbers for convertibles we
produce for them have been cut drastically,” said Karmann spokesman
Christian Eick

Audi says that it will make its own
convertible version of the A5 when its contract expires with Karmann,
but with European automotive sales down 7.8 percent in 2008 and U.S.
car industry sales down a much more substantial 18 percent to a 16-year
low last year, it remains to be seen how strong the market is for
luxury convertibles like the new A5 Cabriolet.

According to Bloomberg.com:

"Karmann
traces its origins to 1901 and is known for the Karmann Ghia sports car
built on a Volkswagen Beetle chassis from 1955 to 1974. More recent
orders included making convertible versions of the Mercedes-Benz CLK
for Daimler and the A4 for Volkswagen’s Audi luxury division. Sales
last year dropped 16 percent to 1.3 billion euros ($1.72 billion), from
1.5 billion euros in 2007"

So is the new A5 Cabriolet and endangered species?

Time will tell, but Audi's press release goes on to describe the car below—so get yours while you still can:

"Audi also offers quattro permanent all-wheel drive as an upgrade in
the 2.0 TFSI Tiptronic and as standard equipment on both the 3.2 FSI
Tiptronic and S5 S tronic variants. The innovative sport differential,
available on the S5 Cabriolet, variably distributes power between the
rear wheels for even greater dynamics and driving pleasure. The perfect
addition to this technology is the optional Audi drive select vehicle
dynamics system, which enables the driver to customize the
characteristics of the vehicle’s steering, suspension, and
engine/throttle and transmission mapping."

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Roman Mica
Roman Mica is a publisher, columnist, journalist, and author, who spent his early years driving fast on the German autobahn. When he’s not reviewing cars or producing videos, you can find him training for triathlons and writing about endurance sports for EverymanTri.com as our sister blog’s publisher. Mica is a former broadcast reporter with his Master’s Degree in journalism from Northwestern University. He is also a presenter for TFLcar’s very popular video review channels on YouTube.