It’s official, luxury automaker Audi is buying Italian motorcycle manufacturer Ducati. While details of the sale haven’t officially been disclosed, Reuters is reporting that Audi paid some €860 million for the Italian brand.

Audi’s parent company, Volkswagen Group, will be keen to take advantage of Ducati’s extensive know-how in small-capacity lightweight motors. Chairman of the Board of Management of Audi AG Rupert Stadler said of Ducati, “It has great expertise in high-performance engines and lightweight construction… (making) Ducati an excellent fit for Audi.”

Despite Stadler’s optimism, analysts have questioned the move, as many believe that Ducati doesn’t really have anything to offer to Audi or the VW Group in general. “I can’t think of a concrete reason for Audi to warrant a business case for buying Ducati,” told Reuters, Stefan Bratzel, director of the Center of Automotive at the University of Applied Sciences in Bergisch-Gladbach. “Ducati doesn’t enhance Audi’s business model in any way, it’s just a trophy in the wall cabinet,” he added.

Ducati was founded in Bologna, Italy in 1926 by Adriano and Marcello Ducati and initially built parts for radios before starting to manufacture motorcycles in 1949. Last year, Ducati sold around 42 000 motorcycles and generated revenue of some €480 million, employing around 1 100 people.

When the purchase is finalised, Ducati will become the 12th company in the Volkswagen Group’s portfolio, which now includes everything from supercars to full-size trucks.

AMG, which is Mercedes’ performance division, announced that it has partnered up with Italian motorbike manufacturer Ducati at the L.A. Auto Show. The details on what the partnership will entail include joint marketing and sponsoring. AMG will become a sponsor for Ducati’s MotoGP Team, while at selected events, AMG vehicles will be provided to Ducati customers for test drives, as will Ducati performance motorbikes be available for clients at AMG events. More is possible, but no further details have been released at this stage.

Adapted from DubDaily

Well known performance exhausts manufactures, Quicksilver and Tubi Style, are now represented in South Africa by Race SoundRace Sound Performance Exhausts.

Race Sound is the brainchild of Reinhart Schwendinger, ex-marketing manager for Ferrari and Maserati South Africa. Schwendinger says, ‘After more than a year of planning, and with two top brands secured, Race Sound is now ready to deliver exhausts that make sports cars sound the way they should.’

Italian exhaust manufacturer Tubi Style, is based in the town of Maranello and located next door to the prestigeous Ferrari factory. Tubi Style have their heritage in Formula 1 and began producing their first exhaust systems in 1987. More than 20 years later, the company continues to manufacture exhaust systems for exclusive sports car brands, including Aston Martin, Bentley, Bugatti, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati and Porsche. In addition, Tubi Style also cater for two wheeled exotica with their HPE (High Performance Exhaust) exhausts for Ducati, Benelli, Buel and BMW motorcycles.

Quicksilver Exhausts originate from Surrey, England. A location admittedly not as emotive as Maranello, but one that houses the Quicksilver factory where more 30 years of manufacturing experience come together to produce exhaust systems for the world’s finest cars. Quicksilver stainless-steel exhausts are manufactured by craftsmen in order to ensure the original performance, appearance and sound, and are also backed by a superior 25 year anti-corrosion guarantee.

With almost 50 years of specialist exhaust manufacturing experience between the brands, Race Sound is able to offer performance stainless-steel exhaust systems for the finest classic, prestige and exotic sports cars on South Africa’s roads.

The company’s performance exhaust range caters for both petrol and diesel versions of; Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Audi, Austin, Bentley, BMW, Ferrari, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Maserati, Porsche as well as; Ford, Daimler, Hummer, Landrover/Range Rover, Lotus, Mercedes, MG, Mini, Morgon Morris and Rolls Royce.

UPDATE:  Race Sound is now an agent for Eisenmann exhaust systems. Eisenmann is widely recognised as one of the top exhaust manufacturers in the world. Proof of the German exhaust manufacturers quality is the fact that Eisenmann are the OEM suppliers for Porsche, AMG Mercedes, Brabus, Reiger Tunnig, Lumma Tuning, G-Power and others. Every Eisenmann exhaust is built to your individual preferences – for example, tip sizes, styles and preferred sound level (choosing from either; Factory Sport, Road Sport or Race levels). So if you’re looking for a high-quality exhaust system for your pride and joy, get in touch with Reinhart at Race Sound and find out what is available for your car from the likes of Tubi Style, Quicksilver, HPE or Eisenmann.