REINHOLD Carl tells you that the first word he uttered when he was a child was not mama or papa but 'auto', which is German for 'car'. The managing director of Audi Asia Pacific may have related that half in jest, but what is not a joke is his deep passion for automobiles and not just those from the Ingolstadt-based carmaker.

'Last weekend, I drove a Ferrari 599 because I want to know more about this segment,' he says. He says Audi is introducing the R8 in Singapore later this year and he has been gaining an understanding of the competition. 'Lamborghini, I know very well already,' he adds, referring to the Audi-owned Italian exotic car manufacturer.

The R8 is Audi's first high-performance sports car. With its bold styling and 4.2-litre V8 engine, this two-seater coupe will be the German company's halo model. 'The R8 will change people's perception and we are proud that all the latest technology is in a top-of-the-range car that will bring Audi to a higher level of prestige and awareness.'

As head of the regional office here, Mr Carl is acutely aware of the R8's importance to the Singapore market. 'Audi cars are not as well-known here as in other markets, so the R8 will help to boost our image and brand awareness.'

Mr Carl arrived in Singapore late last year to oversee major changes. One of them will take place on Oct 1 when Audi becomes a National Sales Company, which means it will take over the importership operations from its Singapore representative.

Another task will be to oversee the creation of a flagship showroom, one that will be in sync with its reputation as the world's fastest-growing premium brand eyeing annual sales of 1.5 million cars worldwide by 2015.

For Singapore, though, he says the target will be about 2,000 cars a year because it is a highly regulated market, one that doesn't grow much and one which has seen fierce competition between BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Last year, the two rivals registered 3,680 and 3,182 passenger cars respectively through their dealers.

Mr Carl says: 'Singapore is a competitive market - there are winners and losers.'

But the good-natured German is confident that Audi will continue to grow here. 'Audi is about design; it offers the latest trends. Our philosophy fits well in the way of life here.'

But while customers will find the latest technology in an Audi, Mr Carl says the marque will have to keep them loyal with strong after-sales service. This is an area which he is intimately familiar with because early in his career, he trained for 15 months to become a sales person at a rival German carmaker.

He spent much time in workshops and factories to acquire deep knowledge of the automobile, its production methods, the technology behind it, and the business of selling it. Later at Audi, he created the product and marketing programmes for the A8 luxury limousine's 1993 launch. Back then, Audi was not yet a premium brand in Germany, so Mr Carl had to sell the A8 through its unique qualities, like its aluminium bodyshell and quattro all-wheel-drive.

Love for speed

It helps that as a keen motorsports fan, he appreciates such technological features. He says before he came to Singapore, he was at the famed Nurburgring race circuit for three weeks where he and his team of trainers launched the Audi TT to 6,000 people.

'I like driving fast,' he says, before quickly adding, 'on race tracks.'

Despite his love for speed, he reveals that he enjoys vintage vehicles too. He currently has three - a 1937 NSU motorcycle, a Triumph TR4 and an Autobianchi A112. He laments that he has no chance to drive them as often as he likes, because they are stored in his German and Swiss homes. 'Vintage cars have basic technology and not much electronics.'

But staying with the older cars allows him to compare them with modern automobiles and experience the development of the motorcar. 'Then if you drive the latest car with ESP (electronic stability program) very fast through a curve, you can get a better feeling of the technology.'

He is thinking of getting another classic.

'I got my driver's licence in 1973 in an Audi 60 with 55 hp, so I will look for one that is in good condition.'

To say he loves cars is an understatement. From the time when he entered university, he says, he owned a total of 24 cars over six years. They were used cars - 'from Ford to Fiat' - but he got a thrill buying and driving a car he fancied, before selling it for another one that caught his eye.

For now though, only one car is uppermost on his mind - the R8 - and he is busy planning its scheduled launch in either October or November.

'Now Audi is No 1 in many markets, so I am convinced that Singapore will be too, with the right product and strategy. And the R8 will be key.'