In a bid to prove that keen drivers put too much emphasis on cylinder count rather than torque, horsepower and weight, Jaguar has decided to take its F-Type sports coupé and jettison the usual V8 or V6 in favour of a four-cylinder engine. The new Jaguar F-Type debuted at the New York Auto Show, and is lauded to have a 296 HP.
But don’t panic, it’s not just any old four-pot. It’s one of Jaguar’s new hyper-efficient 2-litre Ingenium turbocharged units and therefore is capable of serving up 300PS (296bhp). Throw in the fact that the smaller block and some other adjustments have shaved 52kg off the car’s weight and that little engine is good for a 0-60mph time of 5.4 seconds (exactly the same as the V6 F-Type) and on to a top speed of 155mph. Yet the car’s fuel economy is a 16% improvement over the 340PS V6 model and emits 163g of CO2 per km.
“The 300PS Ingenium petrol engine is engineered to deliver a compelling blend of performance, refinement and efficiency,” said Ron Lee, Engineering Director of Powertrain, Jaguar Land Rover. “Not only is this the most powerful four-cylinder ever offered in a production Jaguar, it also develops the highest specific power and torque ratings of any engine in the F-Type range. It’s a natural fit for a Jaguar sports car.”
The lighter engine has also changed the car’s handling characteristics, turning it into a vehicle that craves country backroads as much as long highway straights. “Most of the weight reduction is over the front axle, making the car beautifully balanced and really agile to drive – as you’d expect, the car is really at home on beautiful twisty roads,” said Erol Mustafa, Chief Product Engineer, Jaguar Sports Cars. “This particular F-Type has a character all of its own. I like to think of it as the feisty younger brother of the V6 and V8 models.”
And while the company has cut back on cylinders, it’s been generous with active safety and creature comforts. The car comes with a Touch Pro infotainment system, autonomous emergency braking and lane departure warning; other options include lane keep assist, traffic sign recognition and even a driver condition monitor.
The F-Type 300PS 2-litre will cost from £50,000 (roughly US$65,000) when it goes on sale later this year.
Franck Muller Vanguard 7 Days Power Reserve Skeleton in titanium
Watchmaking is about the long game and this year, at the Geneva presentations, we see more and more watchmakers address longevity in both the way the watches look and feel and, perhaps most importantly, how long they run. One of the biggest draws for people as they take their first steps into the world of high-end watchmaking is the fact that there are no electronics here.
Franck Muller, famously known as the Master of Complications, certainly recognises this very basic aspect of falling in love with your watch. The Vanguard 7 Days Power Reserve Skeleton picks up on this passion and goes deep with it. Here, not only will the watch simply keep going, seemingly by way of mysterious mechanical magic, but the entire presentation is transparent — thanks to the heavy skeletonising evident in Calibre FM1740. The idea here, in our view, is to encourage a relationship with the watch because it is literally powered by the wearer — this is a manually wound calibre, so one will have to wind it via the crown.
On a more practical level, the Vanguard 7 Days Power Reserve Skeleton defies the reputation of mechanical watches for needing constant attention, as it literally keeps on ticking for seven days (on a full wind). When winding up the watch, one can see how the gears respond to the action from the crown. Unfortunately, there is no power reserve indicator here, with the marker on the balance actually being the regulating index.
Having such a long power reserve is useful because one could go through a few different watches in a week before returning to the Vanguard 7 Days and still find it keeping the correct time. On a more fun note, if one is so inclined, one can attempt to overwind the mainspring and see how the movement responds. Seriously though, winding the watch up to the max is really the best thing as it will deliver the best performance when the mainspring is at or close to maximum torque.
On that note, as is clearly obvious here, and par for the course when it comes to the Vanguard, the skeletonising is of the contemporary sort. Another thing to note is that the transparent seconds track at six o’clock is in sapphire, but this depends on the case material. There are actually five versions of the Vanguard 7 Days Power Reserve, in five different materials: white gold, pink gold, stainless steel, carbon, and titanium. We shot the titanium version, which has an interesting white PVD treatment.
Specifications
MovementManual-winding Calibre FM1740 Power Reserve Seven days Case 44 millimetres x 53.7 millimetres in white gold, pink gold, stainless steel, carbon, and titanium; water resistant to 30 metres Strap Rubber and nylon with deployant buckle Price S$55,619
An esteemed individual that needs little introduction, Emi Eu has been an invaluable core member of Singapore Tyler Print Institute (STPI) since its humble beginnings. She is on the Selection Committee of Art Basel Hong Kong (ABHK) and a member of the Joint Committee for Art Basel. She is also the programme director of Hermès Singapore’s art space, Aloft; the Vice President of the Art Galleries Association Singapore (AGAS); and adjunct lecturer at Singapore Management University.
In celebration of its 15th anniversary, STPI will be opening their blockbuster exhibition from March 18 to April 22, featuring its first collective collaboration with four luminary international artists: Carsten Höller, Tobias Rehberger, Anri Sala and Rirkrit Tiravanija. Over the past year, the artists jointly produced a body of four new works based on the children’s game ‘Exquisite Corpse’ — a device the Surrealists adopted to engineer free association. STPI is also participating in ABHK 2017 with a group showing of acclaimed artists from across Asia, including Jane Lee, Shinro Ohtake, Do Ho Suh, and Haegue Yang.
Art Republik sits down with Emi to reminisce STPI’s serendipitous uphill climb, and to find out what’s in store for its celebratory 15th year.
STPI turns 15 this year. How was it like when STPI started?
We were on our own since 2002. Back then we had [Ong] Boo Chai, who is now with Helutrans. He was the person keeping everything together while I was busy trying to get programming going. Then later on in 2004, Irene Lee, my predecessor joined us and she put everything in place and gave us the structure in which we were supposed to operate. Irene was extremely helpful in STPI’s transitional period, teaching us how to run a business and more.
What are the biggest chances you have taken since becoming director of STPI in 2009?
I was very involved in just about everything since the beginning. STPI started out with a small team of three people and now we have 12 people in the gallery. When I took over formally as director, our main goal was to participate in Art Basel for the validation. So we were constantly looking to building up our CV, and at the same time really working towards getting the gallery to be much more active. We needed more money as our residency programme. Working with artists from the international circuit whose ways of working were very different demanded a lot more resources. So we spent a lot more time making sure that whatever we do through our residency program was recognised. We did a lot of PR exercises in-house. But I think it was possible because our programming at the time was not as rigorous as now.
Even in 2009?
2009 was not so demanding yet because we were only doing Art HK. And in 2007 and 2008, we participated in SH Contemporary. But you know when we are talking about participating in a fair like Art Basel, the preparation that goes into it is really a lot more. The benchmark is much higher in a sense; it’s a very rigorous process of preparing the proposal. We’d been doing it year after year; we started to apply since 2007 I believe, and we only first participated in Art Basel, Basel, in 2013. It really took us a while before we got accepted.
Emi Eu at a 2016 STPI Fundraiser
So your biggest aim for STPI was to take it international?
I knew that Art Basel was the ultimate place we needed to be in order to get validation. And once we’re there as a gallery that participates in Art Basel, then the collectors, curators and artists will look at us differently. And sure enough, they did.
We participated in Art Basel, Basel, in 2013, but Art HK in the meantime became Art Basel Hong Kong (ABHK). I was then sitting on the selection committee of Art HK while ABHK inherited most of us. It all happened at once and we basically had to make sure we stayed on top of everything and maintained consistency.
That was a huge leap from 2009 to 2012, and 2012 was in fact our 10th year anniversary. After that, everything just scaled up so much because we were participating in three Basel fairs, including Art Basel Miami Beach (ABMB), which we debuted at in 2014 during ABMB’s 10th year anniversary when they formally introduced their Edition sector. So just keeping up with three fairs for a place like us — small team where we do production, maintain, conserve, sell, everything — it’s just a big operation for us.
And just when we were really starting to take off, Rita Targui joined us in 2014. Since then, she has brought gallery activity and programming to another level, which was something I was wanting for the gallery.
When I look back, things were happening at the right time and I just cannot be more thankful. And I have an amazing board. I mean if they didn’t support me, I don’t think I would be able to do a lot of these things. And of course MCCY (Ministry of Culture, Community & Youth, Singapore) has been a lot more engaging; they’ve turned around and given us the support we need.
I’m sure being STPI where you create original works, you must stand out?
Each fair is very different. You know when we went to Basel for the first year, nobody knew who we were. So when you go to a new fair that is not in your home ground, you still have to do a lot of marketing, and the best and most effective way is a personal and physically present approach. So I was just doing a lot of lobbying, a lot of ground work.
That year, I submitted [Ho] Tzu Nyen’s work into the Film sector as well, so it was playing there, and at the same time we had one of his works at our booth, along with a work by Genevieve Chua — she freshly made this really amazing table — and a beautiful flower wall by Heman Chong. So it was all of that and we were very busy just promoting ourselves but we didn’t sell anything.
Oh you didn’t…
Because they didn’t know who we were. Basel is very much a European fair and American collectors come but most of the visitors are from Europe so we had to first build our name. And people had to see us and our consistency. Presentation is also very important. So even though we didn’t sell a thing that first year, it was a marketing chance for us and just the fact that we got in there, we were so elated and kind of just basked in the euphoria. We made it! But it was also only the start.
Over your time at STPI, which artist is your favourite or stand out the most?
It’s always very difficult to answer this and I can’t really choose one artist over another because each experience is different. But if I had to, I think I would name Do Ho Suh because it took me a very long time to convince him to come to STPI. From the time I wanted to work with him, which was 2004/2005, and when he came in which was 2008, it took a very long time so when it happened I felt like I accomplished something.
The same was with Rirkrit Tiravanija. I first met him when Eugene Tan came back to head LASALLE’s The Institute of Contemporary Arts Singapore when it was still at Goodman; I met Rirkrit there and saw his work for the first time and by the time he came in, it was 2012/2013, so that also took a very long time.
So I wouldn’t say my favourite project but the artists that stood out for me are the ones I really needed to persevere to bring them in. And moreover with these artists we had amazing projects that further gave me great satisfaction.
Some of these artists don’t work in print.
Exactly. Actually you know Rirkrit came finally but I remember he was just like: “What am I supposed to do [?] I don’t even make print.” But it’s when he realised he could make something then it became more about the process that he enjoyed very much. In fact, he’s so fluent in the print language now that he could just come in and make something really quickly.
That’s amazing. It’s like you unlock different worlds for them.
Yeah there’s a groove. And I think that’s why artists really don’t mind coming back even though it is a very big commitment on their part, because they really have to work hard and intensely as they have limited time, but they get something back.
How do you choose the artists you work with?
In the beginning, I didn’t have a formula. Through the years, I think mostly I have to first understand and appreciate the practice of an artist: what they do and what is the concept behind their works. And I have to always think about how much of a risk a project will have because because I have a big family at STPI, so I have to make sure whatever we do and the effort that we put in, there has to be a good return, financially as well. I need to see whether they are capable and willing to take on this huge challenge of working with more than 12 people to make artworks that don’t necessarily utilise what they are used to. I mean it’s a very big risk for the artist to come out of the comfort zone of their own studio, to experiment and to put out a show. And a lot of the time artists see our gallery space and they get intimidated thinking about how much work they have to make to fill the space. So it’s not only us taking the risk but them as well.
The whole kind of invitation process — because our program is by invitation only — is to see the capability and calibre of the artist that can actually work with our team and be able to take advantage of every single thing that we can offer. I usually see this in museum shows, solo shows in galleries and new works in art fairs. And of course it would be great if I could also meet them in person to get a better feel and prepare my team on what particularities he or she has. And sometimes, depending on the artist and how much time they have with us, I have hunches about the kind of works they can produce with us so I can suggest how we can add on to their practice. So it’s even better if I can understand the artist on a personal level, but really it’s more important that I get a feel of their practice and understand it, which is why I need to go and visit art a lot.
Yeah sometimes. I think it’s more that I get art-out daily, but then the next day I’m ready for it again.
Could you name three artists whose works you would love to have?
Yes, I would love to have anything by da Vinci, any of the Song dynasty masters’ scrolls, and any of the Renaissance masters’ sculptures, like Donatello – I’ll take anything from him.
What can we expect from STPI in 2017?
2017 is our 15th anniversary. We would like to use the whole year to just celebrate with our usual exhibitions and residencies; not that these are going to be better than the other years, but just the fact that we’ve been around for 15 years, we would like to make more effort in reaching out to Singaporeans, because I think we’re still not well-known in Singapore because we’re still very niche. So we would like to publicise more and maybe if we can give back something, we will do so.
So far, we’ve opened with Amanda Heng as our first exhibition of 2017 in the gallery, as well as participated in Art Stage. Then at the end of January, we had an external show in London, which was a project with Do Ho Suh. Every time he comes back to do something, we’re discovering new ways to make different types of work. So we came up with another type of work and it was part of his first solo show with his London gallery, Victoria Miro. That was also a huge debut for STPI in London, without having to go to Frieze. And we have our upcoming participation at ABHK where we have big plans to showcase, amongst others, Shinro Ohtake who has only been shown in Singapore and Miami Beach; and at the same time in March, our huge four-artist group exhibition opens at the gallery. So it has been an amazing start to 2017 and a lot more to come throughout the year with a strong focus on Singapore.
The guys over at Robertson and Caine in Cape Town have designed a stunning new addition to the Leopard range: the 45. Working with Simonis & Voogd Yacht Design, they have managed to integrate all the best aspects of other Leopard models into a newly-styled exterior. What you end up with is a multihull sailing catamaran that is one of the best looking and fastest on the market.
From the outside, compared to its predecessor, the 44, onlookers will notice the redesign of the wrap-around deck. Gone are the curvaceous walking areas and in are sharper lines and angles. You’ll also find a stylish new rooftop covering the saloon. It’s large too, and reaches from the forward cockpit all the way to the aft cockpit. The new styling makes the Leopard look like it’s going fast, even when you’re moored at your home marina.
Owners will have the option of a three or four cabin layout, which revolves around entertaining guests. The aft area has increased in size and the open plan layout with L-shaped forward facing seating is perfect for lounging around or having that important business lunch. Meanwhile, the wrap-around windows are larger and let in a lot of light, while providing unparalleled visibility. There’s even a glass roof over the dining area and large sliding glass doors that open to the stern. When it’s dark out, hidden lights add a subtle illumination to the living space. Little touches like these make all the difference and adds to the quality we’ve come to expect from Leopard.
The interior is styled with wooden panels throughout and are lightly coloured with grey accents, lending the entire space an airy and modern feel. You’ll also find a large and well-equipped galley on the main deck. Thanks to the design, communication throughout is effortless and when you’re ready to make your way to the foredeck and trampoline, a weather-tight door allows for easy access.
As you head downstairs, you will not only find the spacious cabins, a small galley and several heads, but also a rest area for the crew. If you choose the three-cabin three-head layout, then the starboard-side hull is designed exclusively for the owner. There’s your main suite with a king-sized bed, a workstation and a large and well-appointed washroom with a nicely sized shower. The port-side features the other two cabins and washrooms. The four-cabin four-head layout has two washrooms on each side of the stairs on both hulls, while the cabins are located at the bow and aft of each hull. Perfect for taking family and friends on a memorable cruise. The three-cabin layout should definitely be the choice for private use, while the four-cabin layout is better for those wishing to charter out their yacht.
Like other catamarans from Leopard, the 45 is a tough, go- anywhere yacht that is as comfortable sailing around the Cape of Good Hope, where these cats are tested, as she is cruising in the calm waters of the Andaman Sea. On board, you get the utmost in luxury and strategically designed ergonomics, making this one of the most competent and comfortable catamarans available today.
This article was first published in Yacht Style 37.
Kim Minjung, ‘Red mountain’, 2015, watercolour on mulberry Hanji paper
The peculiar sensation that unfolds when encountering Kim Minjung’s mixed media work comes from the realisation that these flat surfaces are in fact three-dimensional constructs. They are layers of paper that have been painstakingly built one atop the other, each small piece hand-cut and burnt along the edges or perforated with holes using a lit incense stick. Kim has made this paper layering technique her signature since 1998, and soon thereafter also began layering ink or watercolours in her paintings. The stained edges of each painted layer appear like actual layers, imbuing the paintings with a physicality that is entirely illusory.
East Asian painting prescribes that every brushstroke should embody the spiritual essence and vitality of the subject, and balance space and presence to create a unified whole. The expression of nothingness to make a whole perhaps finds its best articulation in Kim’s ‘Mountain’ series, with paintings made from the repetition of a single undulating stroke. The resulting image hovers between non-representation and monumental forms evocative of its subject matter. Guided by the fundamental Taoist principle of attaining equilibrium between Yin and Yang, void and fullness, ‘Mountain’ captures the Taoist beliefs that lie at the heart of Kim’s practice.
Born in 1962, Gwangju, South Korea, Kim Minjung studied Oriental painting at Hongik University in Seoul, the country’s foremost arts institution. Her Master’s thesis focused on the four material elements of ink painting: paper, brush, ink and inkstone. In 1991 she moved to Italy to study modern Western artists who had drawn influence from Eastern art, such as Franz Kline and Paul Klee. What these Western artists and East Asian painting shared was a belief that gesture and form held profound spiritual and expressive value. This shared belief underpins Kim’s artistic practice of combining Western collage techniques and use of colour with the metaphysical approach of East Asian art.
Kim Minjung, ‘The street’, 2015, mixed media on mulberry Hanji paper
Nevertheless, it is the Korean aesthetic philosophy of Dansaekhwa that is most prominently reflected in her works. The methodical, labour-intensive mode of art it advocates is echoed in Kim’s time-consuming layering technique. Dansaekhwa, or Monochrome Painting, was a key artistic movement in Korea during the 1970s to 1980s that today is the focus of much international interest. Its proponents regarded form, materiality and repetitive process as a means to distill a Korean aesthetic essence. Korean Hanji paper, Korean pigments and earthy colours recalling the Korean landscape and traditional buildings were used in pursuit of this goal.
More than a quarter century since Kim left Korea, she continues to use only Korean ink and Korean mulberry Hanji paper, which she likens to her own skin. Her choice of materials reflects her deep sense of home longing and rootedness in Korean identity. It is thus apt that for the Fondation d’entreprise Hermès art space Aloft, the first artist exhibited in 2017 under the theme ‘Reflection’ is Kim Minjung.
Dedicated to explorations in contemporary art, Aloft is one of five international art spaces under the Fondation d’entreprise Hermès, which supports the creative talents of individuals and organisations. Each year, Aloft presents a themed exhibition series featuring new work by two artists. Presently in its tenth year, this year’s theme ‘Reflection’ is an invitation to both remember the past and ruminate on the future. Art Republik speaks with Kim Minjung about her work and artistic journey, and her views on the role of art today.
The artist Kim Minjung
Both your painted and mixed media work are like a palimpsest of time and effort, with their extensive build up of layers. In relation to the theme “Reflection”, of looking back to the past, back in time. Could you explain how you approached the paintings?
The ‘Mountain’ series is especially meditative and philosophical. Years ago, while I was staying near a cliff at a seaside town, I heard sounds of waves all the time. I began to visualise the sound of waves. I started thinking of the origin of sea and nature because when god created them, he formed them in ways that have been unchanged through time. When I paint in layers, I have to wait for each layer to be completely dry. The motion is repeated again and again, just as how nature is eternal and infinite. Unexpectedly, I realised that when the layers are disassembled, they look like the sea but when assembled, they recall mountains. The sea, mountains, land and even man was one at the beginning of world.
On looking back, as an artist whose formative years occurred during the militarisation, democratic uprising, and clash of social realist and abstract art in South Korea, how have those events shaped your practice?
My practice is generally about my personal narrative, which has been largely affected by Korea’s socio-political issues. I left Korea in 1992 and have lived mostly in Italy, but the period from 1960 to the 1990s when I lived in Korea was a time of fevered democratic movements and dramatic economic growth. Many of my generation in Korea suffered from the huge changes we experienced. When I was in art college during the 1980s, student activism was rife. Many artists joined the ‘Minjung art’ or ‘People’s art’ movement against government militarisation, demanding democracy. At the same time, Dansekhwa and avant-garde performance art by senior artists was also developing.
Kim Minjung, ‘Dobae’ (detailed view), 2015, mixed media on mulberry Hanji paper
Your aesthetics and philosophical approach recall Dansaekhwa, in particular the work of leading Dansaekhwa painters Park Seo Bo, Chung Chang Sup and Chung Sang Hwa. You were studying painting while Dansekhwa was emerging in the 1970s and 1980s. How did it impact your artistic development?
My university professors were now-established Dansaekhwa masters, so naturally they influenced me. Dansaekhwa itself looks very flat and minimalist but it is fundamentally about repeating acts of labour and the process of painting. It has a profound depth, and is completely different from Western Minimalism. Similarly, through repetition, I empty my mind and I meditate throughout my actions. Dansaekhwa may look like a very calm and peaceful aesthetic but it indirectly conveys the very powerful and provocative statement that simplicity or clarity can be derived from repeated action. In the context of Korea’s chaotic socio-political situation during the time, Dansaekhwa represented a form of escapism and speaking out.
Do you thus see your practice as somewhat continuing the Dansaekhwa mentality?
Yes and no. Obsessively repeating certain motions, such as painting layers, collaging papers, burning papers, is very like Dansaekhwa. I often hear my work called post-Dansaekhwa though, and I have never intended that. The subject of my practice has always been my own personal history and its changing narrative. It is more about my longing for home since I migrated to Italy; my practice is almost like my life’s series of encounters and farewells. The Korean traditional papers and inks are the best materials I can use to express my story and identity. Ultimately, I cannot really say that Dansaekhwa is a direct influence on my work but as I grew up with it and was taught by Dansaekhwa masters, it is difficult for me to ascertain.
Could you share with me more about your choice of colours and its significance in the ‘Mountain’ series? Black and red are very primal, sensual colours that contrast from the muted colour palette of your mixed media works.
The concept of colour is simply the retina’s perception of light, it is not an important issue to me at all. Without light, everything is black and white. The mountains in the series are imaginary mountains. In fact, they could be ocean waves. It is the abstract object of my imagination; hence I do not feel the need to paint in particular colours. Visually, red is the strongest colour, followed by black. I wanted to examine the two types of colours on the ‘Mountain’ series. I experimented with other colours but red had the greatest clarity of expression.
Kim Minjung, ‘Red mountain’, 2016, watercolour on mulberry Hanji paper
The serenity of your aesthetics is strongly juxtaposed against the world in crisis today. It also contrasts with the emotionally, politically charged art that is increasingly emerging. Your striving for equilibrium between void and fullness evokes the Taoist concept of non-action, the “effortless doing within the flow of things”. Laozi said that the state of non-action enables a return to harmonious things. Do you think that your work, or art, can still achieve that today?
I am pretty sure it can. I believe that gentleness and quietude send stronger messages than loud action. There are three ways of practising art: the first is to speak out directly, the second is indirect expression, and the third is escaping from the reality. We may now live with political conflict, poverty, and terrorism but there has never been a peaceful era in all of human history. Political works analyse what is directly happening now and I know that such art plays an important role. However, I occasionally feel confused about the difference between art and journalism. In my opinion, art should give pleasure and emphasize emotion, whether bad or good, to its viewer, especially in chaotic situations. That is why most people look at, and to art. My art may look very peaceful and tend to concept of non-action as you said, but I live in the same world as everyone. I do not think every artist needs to speak in the same language; I respond to the world, just in my own language.
Have these contemporary issues affected how you think about your practice? If so, how?
To be honest, I do not take the term “contemporary” seriously. We should not have to deliberately think about contemporaneity; contemporary means the time and space we are all living in now! I am conscious of all the issues currently surrounding me, naturally. I read the news everyday and am constantly checking it all the time. My friends and I sometimes discuss and critique these issues but I do not want them to be directly reflected in my work. The issues I choose to reflect in my practice are always first filtered by my personal perspective and artistic language.
‘Oneness’ will be shown at Aloft at Hermès at Liat Towers, from April 27 to July 30.
This article was written by Rachel Ng and originally published in Art Republik.
Audi confirmed on Tuesday, 11 April, that its Q range of premium off-roaders is set to grow from four to six models, starting in 2018 with the launch of a flagship Q8. Gearing up for the expansion, Audi intends to debut the Q4 in 2019.
This coupé-cum-crossover will be breaking new automotive territory for the premium German brand, as it will be going head-to-head with the Range Rover Autobiography in terms of size, stature and creature comforts. However, the company’s insistence that the car is referred to as a crossover rather than an SUV suggests that it won’t be able to match the Range Rover’s all-terrain prowess.
Whether or not it will be able to climb mountains and ford streams is irrelevant. The fastest-growing areas of the car market are the full-size luxury sedan segment (think BMW 7-Series and Lincoln Continental), which has seen a double-digit percentage increase in Europe and the US, and the SUV market which continues to grow and grow. Therefore, combining these two overriding consumer preferences in one vehicle makes perfect business sense.
A year after the Q8 goes into production it will be followed by a scaled-down version, the Q4. The Q4 will share the same sloping roof design and will be aimed at consumers otherwise considering a Mercedes GLC coupé, BMW X4 or Range Rover Evoque.
“We will integrate two completely new Q‑models into the existing production network and will thus increase our competitiveness in an extremely important segment,” said Audi’s Board of Management Member for Production and Logistics, Prof. Dr. Hubert Waltl.
Audi has already teased the Q8 in various concept cars for auto shows over the past 12 months, suggesting that the final production model will make its debut in Frankfurt in September 2017. As for the Q4, the first conceptual take on its design could well arrive at the same event.
The company’s announcement follows a similar move from direct competitor BMW. At the Paris Motor Show in September 2016 it unveiled the X2 compact coupé styled SUV in concept form. It then confirmed in March 2017 that the X2 would go into production in 2018, followed by a flagship X7 SUV.
