Audi has bought superbike company Ducati, bolstering its plans for total vehicular world domination. It means that Audi can fight BMW on two wheels now, too.The price is thought to be £700 million plus £150 million of existing Ducati debts. Quite what Audi gets for that price is harder to establish. Ducati is a great brand name for motorcycles, but has limited value for a car manufacturer. Audi says that it enhances its sporting credentials, but that seems a stretch. If someone is interested in an Audi A5, or even an R8, it is hard to imagine the fact that Audi owns Ducati sealing the deal. How many people buy a BMW car because BMW also makes motorbikes?There have been suggestions that Ducati’s clever “Desmodromic” valve system could interest Audi. This is a way of closing engine valves without using springs – a mechanical system closes them instead. However, Mercedes used that system in its 1950s racing cars and no car manufacturer has seen the need to use it since.

It’s been, ooh, months since VW Group tried to buy an automotive brand and the credit card is clearly burning a hole in their pocket. Like a shopaholic feeling the need for a new pair of shoes, VW feels the need to buy something new.