We made it, our last company visit, and frankly I can’t believe we are almost done with the trip. These days have flown by, but time does fly when you’re having fun. Audi is a household name in the automotive industry, and I was so excited for it. When we got to the factory, there were cars in the show room, in particular the Audi R8 which is my mom’s dream car (hopefully I can buy that for her in the future). They let us get into the cars and take pictures and feel around, it was so cool and different from what we saw at BMW. 

After this we made our way to the factory for the tour. We listened to a little introduction video and then went up to the production floor. The one thing that was really emphasized at Audi compared to BMW is their stance in the EV market, they are going all in. BMW has only dipped their toes into the market as they are already so big into gas powered vehicles. At BMW, the experience feels more performance and brand driven with a strong emphasis on driving dynamics and the emotional side of the product. However, at Audi, the atmosphere feels more unified around the idea of “Vorsprung dutch Technik” which means progress through technology. Even though Audi has gone through a couple of CEO changes, they still feel more connected than ever. 

The Audi production floor felt very professional and controlled. What stood out is how clean and structured the entire environment felt. There is a strong sense that every station has a specific purpose, and the tour guide did a great job explaining what every station did. I felt as though I was training to work for them. Compared to BMW, the Audi facility felt slightly more standardized and process-driven, with an emphasis on consistency across production lines. While I loved the Audi tour more, BMW would appeal to me more because of their emphasis on sticking to what suits them and their customers’ experience the most. They have a clear identity behind their company, and while Audi is getting there, it still seems like they are figuring themselves out.

We finished the day early and made our way back to the hotel where we spent most of the remaining day putting finishing touches on our presentations tomorrow. Onto presentation day, wow did that creep up on us fast.