Ring Leader

In the past when you talked of the North American luxury car market two names always jumped to the head of the class, Mercedes-Benz and BMW. But these days there's a bona fide third manufacturer in the mix, Audi. For the last few years, the high-end brother of the Volkswagen brand has been making its move in the American market with a fleet of freshly designed performance-based cars that have heads turning across the country. The luxury brand known for its four ring emblem has been growing market share in the states even during this sales slump. And that's good news at headquarters as the company prepares to celebrate its centennial this summer.

Joining John to discuss the brand, its 100-year heritage and its sizzling new products is Johan de Nysschen, president, Audi of America. Also on the panel are David Welch of BusinessWeek and Scott Burgess of The Detroit News.