Smooth lift-off for Audi A6

Mel Cooke, Sunday Gleaner Writer

ATL Automotive took the covers off the Audi A6 and put all who were willing behind the driver's wheel of the distinctive quadruple circle German brand at the Tinson Pen Aerodome, Marcus Garvey Drive, St Andrew, on Wednesday evening.

It was an appropriately upscale event for an upscale vehicle, red-and-blue clad hostesses welcoming all on to the runway of red carpet at the entrance to the hangar, where the cars rested in their glossy glory.

Diego Ramos, vice-president of Audi, Latin America and the Caribbean, congratulated ATL on helping Audi to achieve a number of sales and marketing landmarks. "We are here to celebrate a new baby," Ramos said of the gathering for a first look at the Audi A6. He focused on the low weight and improved fuel consumption of the A6, noting the vehicle's sturdiness and sophistication.

"Audi A6 and ATL, what an unbeatable combination," Ramos concluded.

Adam Stewart, deputy chairman of the ATL Group, put the launch in the context of the company's Unbeatable campaign. He gave statistics on Audi's growth in Jamaica, saying, "We inherited a brand that Jamaica did not understand. We had to show them".

With other German brands squarely in Audi's sights, Stewart asked if there was anyone present who wanted to drive the A6. There were many takers and, when the hangar's doors were opened, they duly went outside to the roar of Doug Gore speeding on the tarmac in his Audi TT race car, eager to get a feel of the more sedate A6.