Ducati and Audi Come Together at Pikes Peak

MONTEREY, CA – August 11, 2012 – (Motor Sports Newswire) – Today, in the spirit of “coming together,” we are celebrating the storied past Audi and Ducati have with Pikes Peak. These two brands set a new standard for performance storming up this iconic mountain. Whether you’re on two wheels or four, we can come together to accomplish big things. We wanted to give our fans an opportunity to experience both these brands and encourage them to support the people who keep our roads safe and make their favorite drives possible. Fans will have the opportunity to enter to win the ultimate driving experience, the chance to drive both the Ducati Multistrada and Audi RS 5, by sharing the contest link (
http://audi.us/contest
) and the hashtag #cometogether.

See what happens when the Ducati Multistrada 1200 S and Audi RS 5 come together to attack the course:

About Ducati:
Founded in 1926, Ducati has been producing sport-inspired motorcycles since 1946. Their motorcycles are characterised by “Desmodromic” performance engines, innovative design and avant-garde technology. Covering several market segments, Ducati’s range of motorcycles are divided into model families which include: Diavel, Hypermotard, Monster, Multistrada, Streetfighter and Superbike.

These authentic icons of “made in Italy” are sold in over 80 countries around the world, with concentration on the European, North-American and Asia Pacific markets. Ducati competes in both the World Superbike Championship and, with an official team, the World MotoGP Championship. In Superbike Ducati has won 17 Manufacturers’ titles and 14 Riders’ titles and in 2011 passed the historic milestone of 300 race victories. Ducati have participated in MotoGP since 2003, and took both the Manufacturers’ and Riders’ titles in 2007.

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Audi close on deal with Ducati

April 12, 2012 – (Motor Sports Newswire) – According to The Detroit News, Volkswagen’s Audi may finalize a deal to buy Italian motorcycle maker Ducati Motor Holding from owner Investindustrial as early as the end of next week, two people familiar with the situation said.

Audi’s review of Ducati’s finances has largely been completed and the two sides are negotiating details of an agreement, said the people, who declined to be identified discussing private matters.

VW Chairman Ferdinand Piech first publicly expressed interest in buying Ducati in April 2008, eventually losing out to current owner Investindustrial. Purchasing Ducati would add a motorcycle maker to VW’s nine brands, which include the Audi, Skoda and Lamborghini auto marques as well as heavy truckmakers Scania AB and MAN SE.

Ducati would complement Audi’s luxury car lineup with products such as the $28,000 Superbike 1199 Panigale S Tricolore.

Audi and Investindustrial declined to comment.

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The 2014 Audi e-tron Spyder on the streets in Malibu, California

October 18, 2011 – (Motor Sports Newswire) – The Audi e-tron Spyder features what is without a doubt the most advanced and simultaneously the most consistent evolution of the current Audi design language, while also providing initial hints at the design language of future Audi sports cars. It reinterprets the most important design elements that already characterized the previous e-tron concept vehicles. This also ensures the necessary formal differentiation to the purely electric-powered Audi e-tron shown at the 2010 Detroit Motor Show.

The two-seater is equipped with a 300-hp twin-turbo V6 TDI at the rear axle and two electric motors producing a total of 64 kW at the front axle. The Audi e-tron Spyder’s low total weight of 3,196 lbs combined with the high-torque TDI and the two electric motors results in respectable performance. The car accelerates to 60 in less than 4.5 seconds, and top speed is electronically governed at 155 mph.

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Penske Automotive Opens Two New Premium/Luxury Dealerships in Chantilly, Virginia

Campus Features an Audi and a Mercedes-Benz Dealership

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI – May 18, 2010 – (Motor Sports Newswire) – Penske Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE: PAG) , an international automotive retailer, today announced the opening of an Audi and a Mercedes-Benz dealership on a premium/luxury campus in Chantilly, Virginia. Awarded as open points by Audi USA and Mercedes-Benz USA, these dealerships will serve the rapidly expanding Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C., metropolitan markets. These new dealerships complement the company’s existing Audi and Mercedes-Benz dealerships in Tysons Corner, Virginia, which are located approximately sixteen miles east of Chantilly.

The dealerships are located on a ten-acre site near Dulles Airport. Audi Chantilly features a 29,500-square-foot sales and service facility, while Mercedes-Benz of Chantilly features 40,000 square feet of facilities, including sales and service for the Mercedes’ Sprinter brand. On a combined basis, these dealerships add 44 additional service bays to service the growing units in operation in these markets.

Bernie Wolfe, Executive Vice President for PAG’s Eastern Operations, said, “We are thrilled with the opportunity to expand our presence with the Audi and Mercedes-Benz brands in these important markets. The facilities were built to showcase the unique attributes of each brand, and offer the latest features in customer care.”

The company estimates these two new dealerships will generate approximately $70 million in combined annualized revenue. Penske Automotive Group operates ten Audi and eight Mercedes-Benz dealerships in the United States.

About Penske Automotive

Penske Automotive Group, Inc., headquartered in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, operates 324 retail automotive franchises, representing over 40 different brands and 25 collision repair centers. Penske Automotive, which sells new and previously owned vehicles, finance and insurance products and replacement parts, and offers maintenance and repair services on all brands it represents, has 172 franchises in 17 states and Puerto Rico and 152 franchises located outside the United States, primarily in the United Kingdom.

Penske Automotive, through its wholly-owned subsidiary smart USA Distributor LLC, is the exclusive distributor of the smart fortwo vehicle and related parts in the United States. smart USA supports over 75 smart retail centers in the United States. Penske Automotive is a member of the Fortune 500 and Russell 1000 and has approximately 14,100 employees. smart and fortwo are registered trademarks of Daimler AG.

SOURCE: Penske Automotive Group, Inc.

Bob O’Shaughnessy
Executive Vice President – Finance
Penske Automotive Group
248-648-2800
boshaughnessy@penskeautomotive.com
or
Anthony R. Pordon
Senior Vice President
Penske Automotive Group, Inc.
248-648-2540
tpordon@penskeautomotive.com

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Michelin Green X Challenge Returns to Laguna Seca

Environmental “Race Within the Race” Continues to Grow

MONTEREY, CA – May17, 2010 – (Motor Sports Newswire) -  The MICHELIN^® GREEN X^® Challenge returns to the hills of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (May 22) for the second season of competition having dramatically grown and expanded since its first visit last October.

In addition to the American Le Mans Series and the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans, the MICHELIN^® GREEN X^® Challenge is now global in scope with the addition of the premier series of endurance races in Europe and Asia.

Thanks to the support of the international sanctioning groups, manufacturers, teams, drivers and key environmental groups, the “race within the race” is now the premier environmental competition in motorsports.

Developed in cooperation with the United States Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency, together with SAE International, the MICHELIN^® GREEN X^® Challenge uses motorsports to accelerate the development of alternative energies through competition.

The American Le Mans Series now embraces all five energy sources: E10 ethanol blended gasoline, E85R gasoline blended ethanol, GTL (natural gas to liquid) biodiesel, E10-electric hybrid power and  most recently biobutanol fuels targeted in the United States national energy policy.

The award recognizes the car going the farthest, fastest, with the lowest environmental impact. The ALMS formula, developed by the Argonne National Labs, includes 30 different performance, energy and environmental measures.  The other international series use regional formulas.

“The keys to the success of the MICHELIN^® GREEN X^® Challenge are credibility and competition,” said Doug Robinson, a member of the “Green Racing” steering group together with representatives of the U.S. Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency and SAE International.

In the 12 ALMS events held to date, the MICHELIN^® GREEN X^® Challenge winners (one prototype and one GT entry per event) include Audi, Acura, Peugeot, Porsche, Chevrolet and BMW.  Ferrari, Mazda, Jaguar and the independent Lola/Judd will be seeking to join that club at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

Successes on the track and in the MICHELIN^® GREEN X^® Challenge are not mutually exclusive. Thirteen of the award winners to date also won their respective class in the race.

“Flying Lizard is proud to be the 2009 MICHELIN^® GREEN X^® Challenge GT Team champion and to be leading the 2010 competition heading into Laguna Seca.” said Seth Neiman, Flying Lizard Motorsports principal and driver of the No. 44 Porsche.

In the spirit of the MICHELIN^® GREEN X^® Challenge, Michelin is poised to introduce its newest luxury performance passenger car tire, the MICHELIN^® Primacy^TM MXM4^® to consumers on July 1, 2010.

Marked with a “Green X”, the MICHELIN^® Primacy^TM MXM4^® provides everything a luxury car owner demands: safety, all-weather handling, great ride quality and comfort – all backed by an exceptional warranty.  For more information, visit http://www.michelinman.com.

ABOUT THE MICHELIN^® GREEN X^® CHALLENGE

The American Le Mans Series is the only series currently recognized as “Green Racing” by the U. S. Department of Energy; Environmental Protection Agency and SAE International.

The MICHELIN^® GREEN X^® Challenge trophies are presented to the respective Prototype and GT winners. The bases for the unique MICHELIN^® GREEN X^® Challenge trophies are made of rubber recycled from MICHELIN^® GREEN X^® labeled consumer tires.

ABOUT MICHELIN^® GREEN X^® TIRES

MICHELIN^® GREEN X^® labeled consumer tires are optimized for fuel economy by reducing their rolling resistance and weight without compromising other key performance factors such as traction, grip and tread wear. Each tire is marked with Michelin’s “GREEN X^®” symbol on the sidewall, indicating to consumers a level of increased fuel-efficiency and reduced CO₂ emissions.

For over 18 years, Michelin has been dedicated to the research and development of energy-efficient tires and now, a complete line of fuel-efficient tires is available to fit the most immediate consumer needs.

Dedicated to the improvement of sustainable mobility, Michelin (www.michelin.com) designs, manufactures and sells tires for every type of vehicle, including airplanes, automobiles, bicycles, earthmovers, farm equipment, heavy duty trucks, motorcycles and the space shuttle. The company also publishes travel guides, maps and atlases covering Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Michelin North America employs approximately 20,900 and operates 18 major manufacturing plants in 16 locations.

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