Audi Australia has launched a limited edition A4 featuring a sports bodykit and the new Nokia 8800 mobile phone with a built-in Bluetooth car kit.

Just 200 of the new ‘Audi A4 sports edition’ will be available, with the company’s popular 2.0-litre engine and advanced, 7-speed multitronic transmission.

The A4 sports edition is visually identifiable by virtue of a colour-coded sports bodykit with front and side skirts, rear diffuser and rear spoiler. Combined with the new A4’s prominent singleframe grille and expressive ‘features’ such as newly-designed headlights and V-swages on the bonnet, the overall impression of the A4 sports edition’s styling is one of sportiness and dynamism.

In addition, Audi has partnered with Nokia to provide 200 A4 sports edition buyers with a brand new Nokia 8800.

This sleek, stainless steel phone is the latest premium mobile device from Nokia, and is being launched simultaneously with the A4 sports edition in July in Australia.

The design of this stunning new phone actually takes its cues from the automotive industry with its sleek slide action, whilst watch-making and jewellery techniques have been employed in its production to ensure an absolutely top-quality end result. Made from stainless steel and specially-hardened glass, the Nokia 8800 is a slide phone which also features ringtones by award-winning composer, Ryuichi Sakamoto.

Audi Australia’s general manager of marketing, Javier Degen, says the partnership with Nokia will go beyond the A4 sports edition model.

“Developing a synergy between two high technology, design-oriented brands such as Audi and Nokia was an obvious step in the development of the Audi brand in Australia. To be able to provide such an excellent benefit as part of the limited ‘A4 sports edition’ campaign means that we are offering our customers something that they can only get from Audi.”

“We will continue to work with Nokia on other projects in the future.” Mr Degen said.

Audi Australia’s managing director, Mr Joerg Hofmann, says that the concept of cross-marketing between luxury brands is one that has worked very well for the brand in Asia.

“As the Audi brand continues to grow in the Australian market, we will target more sophisticated methods of marketing the brand to our potential customers. The Nokia association is the first of these premium partnerships,” Mr Hofmann said.

The A4 sports edition retails for $49,900 and will be available nationally from 4th July 2005 until the 200 units have been sold.