ooooIYKYK, ISSUE #0001
Editor’s Note: Following last week’s introduction, this is technically the first ooooIYKYK weekly newsletter. In each installment, expect some leading commentary followed by links to original news and features that have been running in the new ooooIYKYK.com news feed. Below that are some dates you may want to be aware of. I’ll be adding more features as we move forward and as they come online.
Thanks to all who have subscribed in just my first week, And, a special thanks to those who have already pledged a paid subscription before this first installment even dropped. You know who you are and I’m most grateful.
FIRST UP: The Column on Mudslinging and Authenticity that Got Pulled from quattro Magazine
Editor’s Note Part 2: I originally wrote what you see here as my last column in Audi Club’s quattro Magazine. It was pulled because we ultimately decided we didn’t want it to look like either I or the club was taking a shot at the brand. It’s not meant as a shot, but sometimes you need to be critical. I believe it resonates even more now, so it’s a solid place to set the tone for how ooooIYKYK will be different from my works in the past. It’s a bit more unfiltered, yet more to the point at a time when it seems like everyone including Audi is seeking to define a new direction.
Is it just me or are we all exhausted? Seems like everyone has a strong opinion on the hows and whys of last November’s election, and sharing those views tends to illicit strong responses from all directions. I don’t want to turn this into a debate about politics. Even still, it’s worth recognizing one distinct communication trend made clear in the election.
Forgive me. Communication is what I do, and I promise I’ll steer clear of anything partisan. Disclaimer aside, I think it’s important to recognize the part podcasts and their casual tone and occasional gaffs, off brand tenor or even subjectively cringe moments played in driving engagement and action. For all the potential pitfalls that come with such long-form and unrehearsed platforms, there’s a sense of realness and authenticity that just isn’t communicated when you are too rigid about deviating from strategic organizational message.
There’s no doubt that getting real resonates, and doing so regularly appears to insulate from the liability of unintentional missteps. Playing it too safe and being too overly concerned about mistakes goes the other direction, never really engaging the audience, never really looking real and relatable, and placing more of a spotlight on the inevitable gaffs and imperfections that are part of the human experience.
It’s here I see a correlation to the car industry and the hobby around it. We love brands, automobiles and even driving styles that are polished and controlled. However, err too far to that side and the net result in the era of reality TV and social media is a lack of relatability.
Take F1. It’s always been seen as the pinnacle of racing, but it took the Drive to Survive series with its focus on the struggle of back-marker teams and human drama of colorful characters to make it authentic. And, it’s largely since this series dropped that F1 has become embraced by the American market following decades of meh-level ambivalence exhibited by U.S. consumers. F1 was always this exotic and shiny thing to be admired, yet a focus on its imperfections is what drove engagement here in the States.
Think of it like a cars and coffee. Arriving in a perfectly restored concours showpiece or ultra-expensive exotic seems like a winning strategy for getting attention. Then, in rolls a well-loved and interesting car dulled by patina and the plan falls apart. Polish and perfection is great, but it often tells far less of a story… and stories engage.
See where I’m going here? I find myself drawn to amazing German luxury brands such as Audi, yet struggle sometimes with branding so polished to a fine sheen of inauthenticity. An old quattro designed for a rally racing that no longer matches target demographics may seem off-brand. So too might a bagged SQ5 at a tuner event that’s decidedly not premium as defined by a rigid stance on fantasy target customers. Those R10 LMPs in Audi’s 2008 Le Mans documentary Truth in 24 are getting romped before the team fights back to win. It doesn’t matter they’re not the fastest car on the track because there’s authenticity in that imperfection.
These elements are drivers for consumers drawn to relatability. In my garage there’s an old ratty quattro parked next to a pristine e-tron, and I didn’t buy either of them because of careful brand moves not meant to ever offend. I bought them because Audi is historically a brand that takes risks, a long-held tradition that goes back past Michèle Mouton in her mudslinging quattro rally car, and even further back past Ferdinand Porsche’s incredible mid-engine Auto Union V16 silver arrows on the pre-war grid at Monaco. I’d argue it’s that authenticity that drives so many highly engaged Audi owners.
I’m hoping, following that contentious election, it’s clearer to everyone and specifically clearer to overly careful car brands. Authenticity and imperfection are fertile grounds for growing enthusiasts, even when they’re occasionally splattered with mud.
NEXT UP: NEWS & FEATURES
Audi Confirms Sweeping Nomenclature Change & Why That’s Important
On March 4, Audi will be launching its new internal combustion engine (ICE) C-segment replacement. Up until maybe a week ago, brand reps were saying the model would shift to wear the A7 badge given the recently launched A6 e-tron resides on a whole other platform matrix. Now, they’ve changed course and the new ICE variant will also be named A6.
So what does this mean exactly? One German executive attributed it to internal discussions, listening to customers and also listening to dealers. A UK executive said this is Audi being humble. Above all that, it indicates a more serious rethinking on the brand and how it presents itself.
Full analysis can be found HERE.
A6 allroad “C9” Spied Testing while Audi Teases New Internal Combustion A6 + Confirms Date and Time for Reveal
While @Wilcoblok catches a widebody C9 A6 allroad test mule looking ready for production underneath its camo, Audi AG teased the final design of the newly renamed internal combustion A6 that’s set to debut in a YouTube presentation on March 4.
More details HERE.
Ken Block Exhibition Opens at Petersen with Audi S1 Hoonitron and Sport quattro Turbo Monster
In a collaboration with the 43 Institute, The Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles has opened a new exhibition detailing the life, career and cars of the legendary Ken Block. We’ve got full details on the exhibition, plus massive studio galleries of each car provided by The Petersen. Check them out after the link, and check out the exhibition itself between now and October 2025.
Check it out HERE.
F1 Drive to Survive Season 7 Starts March 7
I mention it above for good reason. The F1 Drive to Survive docudrama series on Netflix impressively draws racing fans and non-racing fans alike into the world of Formula 1. As is typical, the new season of the series recounts the previous season of racing. So, as Audi-owned Sauber takes to the track with its two new Audi-hired drivers for its last season before shifting to full-blown Audi F1, fans will get an inside look at 2024 that marks the first season Audi operated as team owner. Will that play out in the episodic representation of F1’s 2024 title chase? Time will tell, but we recommend it just the same as a great way to learn F1 knowing we’re less than a year out to Audi Sport taking the to the grid for the first time since those Auto Union silver arrows contested Grand Prix racing prior to World War 2.
Watch it HERE.
Select Gear: 1/10 Scale 1989 Audi 90 IMSA GTO R/C Car by Tamiya
If you’ve been looking for a reason to go down the rabbit hole of remote-controlled cars, Tamiya USA has come down with a pretty compelling case for doing so. They’ve just launched a 1/10th scale version of Audi’s iconic 1989 90 IMSA GTO racing car based on the brand’s TT-02 all-wheel drive chassis set.
See it HERE.
DON’T MISS: UPCOMING EVENTS
03.01.2025 – Audi Club Carolinas quattros at Cars & Coffee Wilmington, NC INFO
03.01.2025 – Audi Club Golden Gate/Griffin Motorwerke Open House & Dyno Day, CA INFO
03.01.2025 – Audi Club Kentucky Winter Cars & Coffee, Cincinnati, OH INFO
03.01.2025 – Audi Club Wisconsin Holiday Party, West Allis, WI INFO
03.02.2025 – Audi Club Chicagoland Cars & Coffee, Lake Barrington, IL INFO
03.02.2025 – Audi Club Kentucky Winter Cars & Coffee, Cincinnati, OH INFO
03.04.2025 – Audi A6 “C9” Virtual Launch on YouTube WATCH HERE
03.06.2025 – Audi Club Florida Amelia Island Gathering, Amelia Island, FL INFO
03.07.2025 – F1 Drive to Survive New Season on Netflix WATCH HERE
03.08.2025 – Audi Club Kentucky Winter Cars & Coffee, Cincinnati, OH INFO
03.08.2025 – Audi Club Sierra Vintage Euro Cars & Coffee INFO
03.08.2025 – Cars & Caffeine at The Amelia, Amelia Island, FL INFO
03.08.2025 – RADwood at The Amelia, Amelia Island, FL INFO
03.09.2025 – The Amelia Concours, Amelia Island, FL INFO
03.09.2025 – Audi Club Arizona: FCP Euro Sunday Motoring Meet, Mesa, AZ INFO
ALL WEEK – People’s Champ: The Impact of Ken Block at The Petersen Museum, CA INFO
THAT’S A WRAP. THANK-YOU.
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PHOTO DETAILS & CREDIT
Header: Audi quattro Gr. 4 – Rallye San Remo 1981, source: Audi Italia
Image #2: Audi A6 e-tron, source: Audi UK
Image #3: Audi A6 allroad Test Mule, source: @Wilcoblok
Image #4: Audi S1 Hoonitron, source: Petersen Automotive Museum
Image #5: F1 Drive to Survive Promotional Poster, source: Netflix
Image #6: Tamiya Audi 90 IMSA quattro R/C car, source: Tamiya