A good feeling

CULTURE: SEAT
A good
feeling
The new man at the helm
of SEAT: Erich Schmitt
Erich Schmitt has been a member of the Board of
Management at AUDI AG since November 1992.
A mechanical engineer by background, he spearheaded
the Purchasing Division and the Audi company’s
activities in China for some 14 years. He has been
Chairman of the Board of Management at SEAT, S.A.
since October 2006.
“auto emoción” is the SEAT brand slogan. In fact,
Spain’s only car brand is as charged with emotion as the Spaniards themselves. The car is a
product that addresses feelings directly. And it
wants to show the good feeling that a customer
has when driving their car. A car is therefore always a statement, too. The philosophy of the
SEAT brand appeals to young people in particular. That could not be more appropriate. Because
SEAT is a youthful, sporty, ambitious brand. You
can tell that straight away from the dynamic design of our vehicles. And you feel it the moment
you get behind the steering wheel of one of our
models.
SEAT customers are modern customers who
also believe it is important to protect the environment. Because there is no contradiction between sportiness and low fuel consumption at
SEAT, thanks to the high-performance, progressive engines in our models.
Our strategy is to delight the customer. A clear
objective that encompasses all areas of the company – Development, Production, Sales and
Service. We have defined an array of measures
with which we aim to achieve this: we will enter
new markets, further improve our dealer network,
enhance the efficiency of our corporate processes and add new, attractive models to our product
range. We are heading in the right direction, as
reflected in the rise in unit sales for 2006.
To achieve our objectives, we seek to offer topquality products at attractive prices. A combinaPHOTO: CLAUDIA KEMPF
tion that is bound to give every SEAT driver a
good feeling.
AUDI 2006 ANNUAL REPORT
109
Traveller between two worlds: Luc Donckerwolke,
SEAT Head of Design, at his comic-book
and real-life workplaces.
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AUDI 2006 ANNUAL REPORT
CULTURE: COMIC AND DESIGN
“Lucky Luc”
The fastest pen
From reality into the world of comic books, and back:
Head of SEAT Design Luc Donckerwolke found his way into his
profession via “Michel Vaillant”. As a hobby he occasionally
contributes drawings for comic strips about racing drivers,
sometimes even cropping up in the stories himself. His design
of the SEAT Ibiza Vaillante show car is dedicated to his idol.
Text Franz-Peter Hudek // Photos Reinhard Schmid // Illustrations Philippe Graton
L
iterature’s favourite heroes include those
the creation of a high-speed sports car, the
who take the art of inhabiting two worlds
Vaillante Mirage – from the first secret test drives
to the extreme. Something that all of them
beneath the bodywork of a Lamborghini Mur-
– from Pinocchio and Faust to Count Dracula and
ciélago to the unveiling of the finished product
Spider-Man – all have in common is their pen-
at the Geneva Motor Show.
chant for grand gestures and often hectic drama.
What is more, not only is the Murciélago
But here is one denizen of two worlds, a Belgian
camouflage a real-life, original Donckerwolke
living in Spain, who is different: Luc Doncker-
design dating from his time as Head of Design at
wolke, Head of Design at SEAT.
Lamborghini; so too is the fantasy super sports car
Seated at the desk of his glazed office in a zone
shielded from prying eyes, above the light inner
Vaillante Mirage, along with four other Vaillante
models, unveiled in Geneva.
courtyard of the SEAT Design Centre in Sitges,
Even Donckerwolke himself secures a bit-part
near Barcelona, is a politely restrained forty
role in the comic strip: at the design studio of the
year old, dressed casually in black as is his wont.
fictional sports car manufacturer Vaillante, he
And he is reading a comic book, a hardback
can be seen discussing the latest car designs
classic from Belgium, Michel Vaillant Volume 64,
with racing driver Michel, his older brother and
‘Operation Mirage’ (for more information about
company boss Jean-Pierre and company founder
Michel Vaillant, visit www.michelvaillant.com).
Henri Vaillant. But how does an established car
A fantasy story set in a world with which he can
designer, complete with his designs, find his way
Michel Vaillant
identify. The story narrates the fantastic tale of
into a Belgian comic book about racing drivers?
is a comic-book character
created in 1957 by the
The Vaillante Mirage – a fantasy super sports car that
Donckerwolke created for the comic book series.
It all began with a present.
French artist and author
The much-travelled son of a diplomat recounts:
Jean Graton. Vaillant
“As a child, I caught an African fever when we
is a racing driver for the
were in Burundi. As a get-well-soon present my
family-run racing team
father gave me a Michel Vaillant comic book,
and has won several
which immediately captivated me. That was the
Formula 1 World Champi-
moment I started drawing cars.” The regularity
onship titles. 69 Vaillant
with which new Vaillant volumes appeared
each year was one of the few constants in a
albums had been published up until 2006.
youth dominated by frequent moves. Little
Luc soon knew his vocation: “I definitely
wanted to be a car designer”.
>>
AUDI 2006 ANNUAL REPORT
111
The comic fan of course had to visit compatriot
exhaust tailpipe, the chunkily sporty look and the
and Michel Vaillant creator Jean Graton in Brus-
V emblem on the hubs of the newly designed
sels, who created the first volume with its realis-
alloy wheels all supply clear evidence. But the
tic-looking cars and motor-racing VIPs as long
Ibiza is still a far cry from the flat alpha-male rac-
ago as 1957. “That was in 1990,” recalls ‘Lucky
ing car that a proper Vaillante would obviously
Luc’, “and ever since then I’ve been drawing rac-
look like.
ing cars and fantasy sports cars with the Vaillant
Luc Donckerwolke
and Philippe Graton
(left), author of
the Vaillant comics,
in the car.
‘V’ on the front for the comic-book series purely
A car for great adventures
as a hobby.”
Luc explains why: “This is the Ibiza for Michel
Jean Graton’s son Philippe has been running
Vaillant. It still has to be identifiable as a current
the company since 1994. He writes the stories
SEAT model, but echo the style of a Vaillante –
and, together with his team of cartoonists in
more masculine, more sporty and with sharper
Brussels, maintains the incomparable, tradition-
contours than the production version.” And
al Vaillant style.
Philippe Graton adds: “The Ibiza Vaillante isn’t a
Today, however, Philippe is visiting Luc in
motorway racer, it’s a car for great adventures,
Sitges. They are the creators of an actual, road-
such as a transcontinental marathon rally.
going Vaillante, the SEAT Ibiza Vaillante. The
Maybe we’ll even see this car in action in one of
matt blue body, the V on the radiator grille and
the next volumes.”
More masculine and sporty:
the Ibiza Vaillante is
dedicated to the fictional
idol and comic-book hero
Michel Vaillant.
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AUDI 2006 ANNUAL REPORT
CULTURE: COMIC AND DESIGN
The prominent “V” on the helmet
is the hallmark of the true fan.
the B-post in glossy black provides an interesting
contrast.
The technology of the Ibiza Vaillante has been
adopted in part from the SEAT Leon Cupra R:
the track-widening suspension and the uprated
1.8-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine, now
developing 177 kW (240 bhp). This gives the
1,050-kilogram Spanish model a racy top speed
of 250 km/h and enables it to accelerate from 0
to 100 km/h in six seconds.
The standard SEAT Ibiza in the petrol-engined
Cupra version* likewise delivers an unrestrained
132 kW (180 bhp). It is the fastest car in the compact segment, at 229 km/h. It touches 100 km/h
after only 7.3 seconds. Michel Vaillant has made
a good choice – even in the normal SEAT Ibiza
Cupra he would race away from his challengers.
The Ibiza Vaillante took five weeks to create, and
simply had to be ready for the Geneva Motor
Show. That is why it also proudly sports the name
Ginebra – the Spanish for Geneva.
An interesting footnote to the story is that this
compact car itself spent some time travelling
between the real and the fantasy worlds, as
Donckerwolke reports in amusement: “There
was a version with a second Vaillante V on
the front radiator grille, likewise positioned beA SEAT press kit in
the style of a Vaillant
comic book was
compiled specially for
the presentation
at the Geneva Motor
Show.
neath the headlights. We did away with it immeDonckerwolke shows a few design details of
the matt blue wonder-car that are not obvious at
diately – that Ibiza looked like something out of
Dracula.”
first glance: “First we removed all light edges
and rubbing strips from the body, including
on the tailgate – and even the door handles.
Dr. Franz-Peter Hudek began his career in jour-
Then we made the wheel arches four centi-
nalism as Sports Editor at “auto motor und
metres wider on each side. They were the only
sport”, where he was also responsible for motor
features to be given a prominent light edge. The
racing (including Le Mans 24 Hours, Indiana-
front wheel arches taper into narrow vent gills
polis 500, DTM). He also worked at AUTOFOCUS until mid-
adjoining the flared sills at their base.” Finally,
2006, when he then joined the Motor Klassik editorial team.
* fuel consumption figures at the end of the Annual Report
AUDI 2006 ANNUAL REPORT
113
CULTURE: AMBASSADOR LANG LANG
Striking a balance between
feeling and reason
Accomplished virtuosity: the Chinese pianist Lang Lang has
taken concert-halls worldwide by storm. Impeccable technique
and sensitive interpretation are the hallmarks of this
official Audi ambassador, who always travels to his concerts
in a car sporting the four rings. Text Xiao Hui Wang
That evening, Lang Lang made an extraordi-
concert in Shanghai’s Grand Theatre, where I
nary impression upon me. I felt the force that he
After his breakthrough
was a guest of the Deputy Minister of Culture
radiated despite his youth, a boundless energy.
at the Ravinia Festival in
Wu Qidi. Before the concert started, I got into
He had already cast off all youthful lack of so-
Chicago in 1999, Lang
conversation with an elderly gentlemen in the
phistication; his technique was flawless. I myself
Lang went on to become
next seat, who was accompanied by a grand-
spent my childhood in a musical environment.
one of the most success-
daughter who must have been about five or six
My mother, a professor of composition, had in-
ful pianists in the world.
years old. During the concert he kept whispering
troduced me to the world of the piano. Virtually
The 24 year old started to
in the girl’s ear, all very seriously and patiently.
every child on the campus of the conservatoire
learn the piano at the age
To my surprise, they both vanished after the
where we lived at that time learned to play an
of three, first of all in his
interval and their seats were instead filled by a
instrument. I had experienced at first hand the
home city of Shenyang
young couple who explained to me that tickets
travails of piano exercises and the difficulties of
in Northeast China. He
had been too expensive for all the family to
piano techniques. Technical perfection is the
embarked upon his stud-
come, so they had decided to share the concert.
indispensable basis, but what effort it takes to
ies at the Conservatoire
The entire family was unanimous in the view that
achieve it! There is a very graphic Chinese
in Beijing at the age of
the little girl ought to become a pianist.
proverb that goes: “It takes more than one day’s
nine, before moving
frost to make ice three cubits thick”. But tech-
to the Curtis Institute of
Boundless energy
nique alone will not help you reach the higher
Music in Philadelphia.
A popular dream in China today, but what
echelons of piano-playing. More than merely
His tours have included
prospects does someone have of becoming the
mastering rhythm, tempi, beats, versatility and
concerts starring Daniel
next Lang Lang? After giving a lecture at the
tension, it takes feeling and understanding, the
Barenboim, James Levine
Academy of Arts in Taipei, I was asked by stu-
ability to interpret and get beneath the skin of
and Lorin Maazel.
dents plagued with self-doubt whether – assum-
a work, and the knack of picking up the com-
ing someone had the necessary passion for art –
poser’s style. The analogy could be drawn with
it would be possible to become a successful artist
an athlete: to make it to the Olympics you need
by sheer graft. How much of an artist’s career
top-class technique, but inner constitution and
success depended on talent, and how much on
the ability to concentrate on the decisive mo-
hard work? “60 percent talent and 30 percent
ment are ultimately what make all the difference.
hard work” was my answer. Introduce into the
In other words, self-belief, resolve and mental
equation the ability to meld knowledge and rea-
strength are more decisive than physical
son with feeling and passion – plus a little bit of
prowess. I would even go so far as to assert that
downright good luck. All the graft in the world
making the leap to the top depends to some
will not be enough to transform an untalented
degree on fate, and is by no means a chance
person into a maestro, but equally a great artist
affair.
cannot rely on their natural gifts alone.
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AUDI 2006 ANNUAL REPORT
>>
Tension and versatility:
Lang Lang at his
much-acclaimed performance during the Audi
Summer Concerts.
PHOTOS: AUDI
I
Lang Lang, international star
met Lang Lang for the first time in 2003 – at a
AUDI 2006 ANNUAL REPORT
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The Audi
ambassador
fidence, openness, an awareness of his status of
Lang Lang has been an
a star, and a sense of humour. Humour is a mani-
international ambassador
festation of confidence, and confidence is a sign
for Audi since 2006.
of success. Even before he started to play his
Whether playing at
piano, the young man came across as likeable.
concerts in Chicago’s
He was quite unlike other Chinese stars that
Orchestra Hall, at the
I know: he was utterly unaffected, and acted nat-
Salzburg Festival or at
urally and spontaneously – and that is precisely
the 2008 Olympics in
how he plays. I suspect this has something to do
Beijing, the virtuoso
with the many years he has spent living abroad.
pianist always arrives in
His manner expressed utter independence,
His demeanour was a very natural blend of con-
openness and relaxation. He came across as
an Audi. Two perfectly
matched partners, both
with premium creden-
The technically perfect Lang Lang appreciates
perfect automotive technology.
easy-going, direct and in touch with himself –
key requirements in an artist. These qualities
allow an artist to dedicate themselves unre-
tials. Both hold the power
The second time I met Lang Lang was at the
servedly to their art and become one with it. In
through their dynamism,
press conference for his new recording of
a world of their own. The extent to which he
technical prowess and
“Dragon Songs” at the end of 2006 in Munich. He
immersed himself in that world became clear to
desire to become even
allowed our handshake to linger, probably for the
me as he played.
better. Both espouse the
sake of the photographers. He remembered me,
That evening, he performed works by various
virtues of perfection,
he said, and wanted to introduce me to his
composers, from various periods and of various
innovation and emotion.
friends. Never before had I felt such soft hands,
styles, Chinese and Western, each one of them
whether belonging to a man or a woman. He had
delivered with astonishing mastery. In one clas-
matured over the years since we had last met.
sic Chinese piece he was even able to tease the
The childlike facial features of a big boy, which
poetry of a Chinese picture out of the grand
was how I remembered him, had been trans-
piano. It was almost beyond belief how his touch
formed into those of a handsome young man.
evoked the tender flowing of the silk strings of
to captivate others
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AUDI 2006 ANNUAL REPORT
CULTURE: AMBASSADOR LANG LANG
a Chinese plucked instrument. Only a musician
very few. Watching him play elicits a stirring,
who is living in complete harmony within Euro-
memorable pleasure that cannot be described in
pean culture could coax such an accomplished
words.
Oriental sense of beauty out of a Western instru-
It left a tune by Liszt going through my head
ment without making it sound alien to Western
the whole evening, and in fact for several days
ears. Even though many pieces demand extreme
after. I still have a vivid recollection of Lang
technical bravura, the entire concert was free
Lang’s virtuoso dexterity: from where I was sit-
from any boastful posturing, and was instead
ting in the first row, I watched entranced as his
imbued with innate musicality and deep respect
fingers danced over the keys. It became more
for the works being offered.
and more incomprehensible to me how those
soft hands could unleash such forces, magical
Virtuoso dexterity
forces even. We Chinese believe that to become
In a subsequent conversation he described him-
one with the spirit of a work represents the
self to me as an extremely emotional person who
absolute pinnacle of perfection, the fulfilment of
was striving to emphasise the rational aspects of
all genuine artistic striving.
artistic creativity. Possibly because we are both
twins, I too had had to deal with the question of
how to strike that delicate balance between feel-
Prof. Xiao Hui Wang is an artist-photographer,
ing and reason in the artistic process. I explained
author and Head of the Media Arts Centre
to him that feeling was like the water, and reason
at the Tongji University of Shanghai. She has
the barrel that contained it. It is the barrel’s duty
been living and working in Munich and
to give the water a shape and prevent it from
Shanghai since 1986. Numerous exhibitions, awards
flowing away. He agreed.
and books have brought her international renown.
Lang Lang is unquestionably one of those
artistic phenomena of which there can only be
Her autobiography “My Visual Diary”, which has won
awards in China, is now also available in German.
Audi in the Middle Kingdom
Audi extended its success story in China in 2006, bettering the prioryear total by 22,830 units or 38.8 percent, with vehicle sales of 81,708.
Audi has consequently further consolidated its position as the leading
supplier of premium cars in China. This success is shared by both imported and locally built models. Among imported vehicles, the Audi A8
and Audi Q7 are particularly popular with Chinese buyers. The A4 and
A6 L are built locally. In 2006, 77,222 of the models produced at the
Changchun plant were handed over to customers. Vehicles are distributed via the exclusive dealer network of 124 outlets in 87 cities. New
regional offices are supporting the introduction of premium-calibre
service. Cultural and sports sponsorship serve to strengthen the
brand’s image: Audi vehicles will feature at the 2008 Olympic Games in
Beijing as “Official Premium Cars”. Furthermore, Audi is a partner of
the star pianist Lang Lang, the renowned actress Maggie Cheung and
the famous film director Zhang Yimou. In November 2006, the sculpture of the Audi TT exhibited to mark the Beijing Motor Show caused a
sensation in the public and the media.
Audi has been active in China since back in 1988 and holds a ten per-
PHOTOS: AUDI
cent stake in the joint venture FAW-Volkswagen Automotive Company
Ltd. This joint venture built its first Audi vehicle back in May 1996: an
built in Changchun, 4,486 imported vehicles were sold. By virtue of
Audi 200, which was a modified version of the Audi 100 with V6 engine.
positioning itself in the Chinese market very early on, Audi will continue
Of the 81,708 vehicles sold in China in 2006, the Audi A6 L accounted
to profit from the continuing boom in cars in the most populous nation
for 61,686 units and the A4 for 15,536. In addition to these vehicles
on earth.
AUDI 2006 ANNUAL REPORT
117
The British singer Seal was just
one of many stars at the Summer
Concerts.
in brief:
culture
Audi Summer
Concerts
Great conductors such as Zubin
Mehta, James Levine and Nikolaus
Harnoncourt, leading soloists such as
Anne-Sophie Mutter, Giora Feidman
and Nigel Kennedy and renowned ensembles from all over the world have
Partner of
“Wetten, dass..?”
captivated audiences at the Summer
Europe’s most successful
The 2006 Summer Concerts once
light entertainment TV pro-
again offered a diverse programme
gramme “Wetten, dass..?”
of music – ranging from classical to
(“You bet”) returned after
pop – between July 14 and August 4.
the summer break not just
For the first time, the Summer Con-
with some exciting bets
certs staged guest performances
and big-name guests, but
beyond the Ingolstadt region. Two
also with an additional
new festival venues, Neckarsulm
exclusive highlight: the
and Nuremberg, were added.
new Audi R8* sports car
The highlights of 2006 also included
as the main prize in the
performances by Edita Gruberova,
charity prize competition
Concerts with their artistry.
Montserrat Cabellé also captivated the audience.
Montserrat Caballé and Lang Lang. In
sponsored by the German
partnership with the radio station
Track and Field Association
Bayern 3, pop stars and newcomers
to raise money for the
appearing in Ingolstadt included the
initiative “Active Camps for
British pop star Seal. Towards the end
Young People”. The brand
of the three-week festival, the Salz-
with the four rings is
burg Festival staged a guest perform-
moreover the new car part-
ance of the opera “Il re pastore” and
ner of “Wetten, dass..?”
the new star in the jazz-soul firma-
for three series up until
ment, Jamie Cullum, brought the artis-
June 2009.
tic programme to a successful close.
One euro from the sales proceeds of
every ticket to the Summer Concerts
was donated to the UNICEF campaign
“Unite Against AIDS”. This ensured
that both cultural aficionados and
children suffering from AIDS benefited from the Summer Concerts.
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AUDI 2006 ANNUAL REPORT
* fuel consumption figures at the end of the Annual Report
CULTURE: IN BRIEF
Audi on the silver screen
Audi Forum for
connoisseurs
Audi is the ideal choice for automotive
leading roles, not just in real life, but also
on the silver screen. The brand with the
four rings has now been appearing in major film productions for a number of years,
in the capacity of car partner. In 2004, Audi
Under the motto “Master
even purpose-built the futuristic Audi RSQ
Chefs Visiting”, two
sports coupe for the event movie “I, ROBOT”
Michelin-star chefs treat-
starring Will Smith. Last summer, Kate
ed guests at the AVUS
Bosworth, alias Lois Lane, could be seen
Restaurant at Audi Forum
driving through Metropolis in the Audi A3
Ingolstadt to exquisite
Sportback in “Superman Returns”. Audi
culinary treats in 2006:
also acted as partner for the filming of
Norbert Niederkofler,
Patrick Süskind’s best-seller “Perfume” in
with one Michelin star,
2006. To celebrate the partnership, a prize
and the three-star Eckart
draw of a one-week tour of the original
Witzigmann, probably
filming locations in Provence in the new
Germany’s most famous
Audi TT Coupé was held. This took place at
chef. Both chefs capti-
an exclusive after-show party hosted by
vated the guests with ex-
Audi and Constantin Film AG, following
traordinary compositions
the opening night in Munich.
of flavours and garnered
Actress Karolina Herfurth,
star of the film “Perfume”.
Mille Miglia – 1,000 miles
from Brescia to Rome
rich applause at the end
of the evening.
The most attractive
roadster of the 1930s:
the Wanderer W 25
The Salzburg
Festival
2006 was an auspicious
year for the Salzburg
Festival: the 250th anniversary of the birth of
Wolfgang Amadeus
Mozart. As well as sponsoring the festival, Audi
acknowledged this anniversary by lending its
financial support to the
rebuilding of the small
festival hall “Haus für
Mozart”. The highlight
of the festival was the
first “Audi Night”, to
which numerous VIPs
and friends of Audi were
invited following the
Audi Tradition entered three historic models in the 2006 world-famous Mille Miglia in Italy.
opening night of Mozart’s
The fastest classic car rally in the world covers the 1,000 miles from Brescia to Rome and back
“Magic Flute”.
in just two daytime stages and one overnight stage. One of the most attractive roadsters
of the 1930s, the Wanderer W 25, was on view again this year. Two performance-reduced
PHOTOS: AUDI
versions of these automotive gems, without a compressor, took part alongside the W25 K with
compressor. The field of Audi starters was rounded off by the DKW Monza, which broke
an amazing five world records in 1956 and was thus celebrating its fiftieth birthday at the
Mille Miglia.
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