Saad Nusrat Khan, the Managing Director of Audi Bangladesh speaks to ICE Today about the magic of cars
How did your love of cars come about? When did this love grow to the point where you knew you wanted to make a career out of this?
I’ve loved cars for as far back as I can remember. The oldest memory I can recall is when I was four or five years old, my dad bought a new car and I would go and spend all day inside it. I’d play around with all the buttons. The car wasn’t running, but it’d sit in the garage pretending it was. It was my favourite pastime.
You are obviously strongly associated with the Audi brand now, and you’ve said before that you love the entire product line of the Volkswagen group. Is there something that strikes you about them that resonates with you personally?
When I went to college in California, my first car was a Volkswagen Golf. It was a really nice car, and it wasn’t really cheap at the time either. I would say it was one step above a Civic in the US. It was a German car and it had that premium feel to it. It was very nice to drive. I started getting attached to it and the style of driving I had taken up while maneuvering it.
Then, after another Golf, I bought the Audi A4. The same dealership had Porsches. They’re in the same family, I guess. So I started driving a Porsche. I didn’t buy one, but I drove it and I started liking Porsche, as well. Their heritage was so strong. All these cars turned out so amazing. Then they acquired Bugatti, and everything they did involved coming out with very special products. It was all so fascinating.
What car do you drive now?
I drive an Audi A6 and a Q3 quattro.
Are you looking forward to something new?
I want to get the Q8, but as it’s not available to the Bangladesh market as of yet, once it is available, I will give it a thought.
What’s special about the Q8?
The Audi Q8 is basically our flagship sports SUV and the Q7 is our executive family SUV, it’s a seven-seater. The Q8 on the other hand, is a five-seater, you can seat five people comfortably but it’s more of a sporty car.
Anything we should look forward to in the car world in general?
All companies are going towards environmentally-friendly products; saving energy and maintaining efficiency. Audi is already making such a product called the Audi E-Tron. The interior is made out of recycled fishing nets so it is completely vegan. But they are made out of high-quality synthetic material so it feels like leather. I’m waiting for the technology to become cheaper until it can be launched in the market. Driverless cars are also the next big thing to look out for.
What is your dream car?
As a car lover, I can never have just one. But if I had to choose, it would be the Bugatti Veyron and the Chiron, which is a piece of art, full stop. Also, the Porsche 911 and the Audi RS6 estate are on the list. The Audi is an estate but in my opinion, it’s one of the coolest cars in the world.