September 21, 2009

Audi Twin Cup: World Final for Audi Service Teams

• World championship for Audi technicians and service advisors at Audi’s
   Neckarsulm production site for first time.
• 61 teams from 35 countries compete for title of Audi Twin Cup champion.
• Team from North America triumphs in international Practical Final.

Neckarsulm/Ingolstadt – A World Final in 26 languages! 61 Audi teams from 35 countries traveled to Neckarsulm last week to compete in the final of the Audi Twin Cup. AUDI AG had invited the world’s best service and technical teams to this international competition to demonstrate their mastery of theoretical and practical matters.

Yet all participants at this year’s Audi Twin Cup Final in Neckarsulm were winners before the two-day competition even began. Each of them had been victorious in their respective national competitions, at which some 3,000 teams of service and technical experts were rigorously tested on their theoretical and practical know-how. Under the slogan “Shape the Future”, the 2009 Audi Twin Cup World Final was held on September 18 and 19 – for the first time at Audi’s Neckarsulm production site.

At the Audi Twin Cup, teams must prove their expertise during everyday workplace scenarios, such as the skilled diagnosis of an Audi A8 and the mechanical repair of a clutch or the completion of tasks requiring a general understanding of a product. Every team must solve two problems in its respective specialization (Service or Technology) as well as pass an examination on customer-oriented conduct. Winners are then honored in the large, international final round: not only in separate categories (Service, Technology) but also in the combined Twin category.

In Neckarsulm, the team from North America emerged victorious in the Twin assessment. Second place went to Autohaus Friedmann from Bühl, near Karlsruhe in Germany, which had qualified by winning Germany’s Audi Twin Cup Practical Final in Ingolstadt in November 2008. The team from the Porsche Inter Auto CZ dealership in the Czech Republic took third place.

In this exciting competition, the team from Australia turned in an impressive performance and finished in 5th place. “We are very proud of ourselves for qualifying to compete against the best Audi service teams from around the world. We’re happy about finishing in 5h place,” says Craig Weber, Solitaire Automotive, Australia.

More than 9,000 service technicians and advisors participated worldwide in this Audi Twin Cup. The focus is not only on pursuing victory but also on continuously improving the quality of service offered by staff at Audi dealerships. “We strive to provide all of our customers worldwide with top service from Audi. Moreover, the service spectrum must be perfect: from a 100% focus on the customer through first-class service to fast and flawless repairs. At the Audi Twin Cup, our service and technical teams once again impressively proved that Audi embodies and resolutely exemplifies these virtues,” explains Bernd Hoffmann, Executive Director Service and Genuine Parts at AUDI AG.

Despite the final’s competitive atmosphere, there was no shortage of fun in Neckarsulm. Go-kart races as well as Audi driving experiences featuring the Audi A8, the Audi Q7, and the Audi Q5 provided the teams with chances to take a break from the contest while working on their driving skills.

The first Audi Twin Cup was held in 1996; including the national competitions, the Cup lasts around six months. All Audi dealerships in possession of a service contract with AUDI AG may participate. The respective victors of each participating country’s championship qualify to compete in the international Audi Twin Cup Practical Final.