Audi 2011 Annual Report Download - page 81

Fuel consumption and emission fi gures at the end of the Annual Report
S
o let’s ask the question:
What do Azusa Iwashimizu
and Mizuho Sakaguchi
have in common with the
zippy little compact they just un-
veiled on stage?
Sure, both the soccer ladies and
the car were given a rock star’s wel-
come on this November day in Tokyo.
The A1 Sportback was a sensation
at the Motor Show for its Samoa
Orange body color alone. Iwashimizu
and Sakaguchi, defender and mid-
fi elder, have risen to stardom in the
Land of the Rising Sun following
their sensational triumph in Germany
in the summer of 2011. They were
received by the emperor and the prime
minister. Everything they say makes
the headlines in the newspapers.
More young girls than ever before
are joining Japan’s soccer clubs. And
the champions’ distinctive hairdos are
all the rage for an entire generation.
Precision, fi ghting spirit and techni-
cal skill took the ladies all the way to the
fi nals, where they beat the U.S. team in
an unforgettable penalty shootout.
The soccer ladies have proved that size
does not matter: At an average height
of 1.63 meters, Japan’s 21 kickers
were the tournament’s shortest by far
(Germany’s national team measured
an average of 1.73 meters). However,
and this is what they have in common
with Audi’s zippy city runabout, size
sometimes takes a back seat. What
really counts is the combination of
technical ability, motivation and team-
work. This is exactly what designing
PHOTOS | PICTURE:SERVICE GMBH/AUDI AG
Japan’s soccer ladies
were the shortest in
the championship – and
the most successful.
For carmakers, Japan
is a defi ning market.
Customers here place
special value on
technology and design.
At the Tokyo Motor Show, Mizuho Sakaguchi
and Azusa Iwashimizu unveiled the
one-of-a-kind “Audi A1 SAMURAI BLUE” –
a tribute to Japan’s National Football Team.