THE man in charge of Audi in the UK says he wants to put his company at the top of motoring's premier league.
That is no mean ambition and Audi boss Kevin Rose sees his main rivals as fellow German car makers BMW and Mercedes.
Now Audi is already in the top flight when it comes to engineering and, purely by coincidence, when Mr Rose set out his strategy I was putting an Audi A6 saloon through its paces.
And perhaps the A6 sums up the challenges ahead if Audi is going to grab the top slot.
The A6 is a masterpiece of a car with all the right ingredients, power, style and performance.
It is right up against the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class and with a basic price of £32,750 for a 3.2-litre V6 Quattro the A6 is very competitive.
The aluminium engine uses the same FSI injection system that Audi developed for its Le Mans winning sports cars and that makes the V6 wonderful to drive.
Statistically it is capable of 0 to 60mph in 7.1 seconds, has a top speed restricted to 155mph and, with a silky smooth six-speed tiptronic automatic gearbox, will average 25.6 miles to the gallon.
The latest A6 is bigger than its predecessors and inside it is now as roomy as a limousine.
It is classy too, with a clever mix of metal and veneer inserts in the trim and, of course, there is plenty of technology. After all Audi's slogan is vorsprung durch technik - advancement through technology.
On the A6, the most obvious space age feature is the multi-function control centre sited behind the gear lever with its full colour display screen dominating the centre of the dashboard.
Hidden, but just as much an Audi trademark, is the quattro four wheel drive system that gives the A6 superlative handling.
Then there are quality touches such as keyless entry and start-up system, auto dim mirrors and additional gear change paddles mounted on the steering wheel.
Even the way the glovebox opens - press a button on the dash and the glovebox door drops down in a beautifully damped fashion - impresses.
So what's wrong? Well the answer is sex appeal - or the lack of it. All the automotive brilliance that has gone into the new A6 is so understated.
This particular car had £11,000 worth of extras on board, the most expensive of which were leather upholstery at £1,625 and a DVD satellite navigation system at £1,600, but even at £43,705 it was worth every penny. It felt as complete as a car could be.
And there's the rub.
While drivers of a Mercedes or BMW would be shouting from the tree tops what their car has and how much it all cost, the average Audi driver wallows in the contentment of total quality.
The A6 proves that all the elements exist for Audi to stake its claim as Number One.
Yet the realisation of Mr Rose's dream lies not in the hands of the engineers and designers, it is down to the marketing gurus working their magic on the Audi image.
A bit more spice and Mr Rose will be a very happy man.
FAST FACTS
Audi A6 3.2 FSI quattro SE auto
Price: £34,035
Mechanical: 256bhp, 3,123cc, 6cyl petrol engine driving all four wheels via 6spd automatic gearbox
Max speed: 155mph
0-62mph: 7.1secs
Combined mpg: 25.7
Insurance group: 17
CO2 emissions: 264g/km
BiK rating: 35%
Warranty: 3yrs/ 60,000 miles; 12yrs anti-rust; 3yrs paint