Fellow Motorist: Martin Bayer, managing director, Audi Singapore

Mr Bayer, 51, is the new German boss of Audi’s newly-established direct retail business in Singapore. We chat with the gentleman at the automaker’s House of Progress in Cross Street Exchange.

When and where did you get your driving licence?

It was on my 18th birthday, 1981. I tried to do everything before my birthday so I could really pick it up on the test day itself. At that time, we were allowed to drive at 18 years old in Germany. I took my driving test in a city called Kitzingen, in the northern part of Bavaria.

What was the very first car you drove after you got your driving licence?

It was a Golf, first generation. The car was one year younger than me, it was built in 1974. That’s the nice thing in Germany - you can own or keep your old cars because there is no COE. Within the family, you could hand over the car if you’re still driving it. 

That Mk 1 Golf was also my first car - I bought it from my brother when he purchased a Mk 2 Golf.

What is the most memorable past car you used to own?

When I started my career in Audi at Ingolstadt in 1999, I went over my budget with my first company car lease and got a first-gen TT Roadster. 

It was black, with the mocassin “baseball” leather interior. It’s a classic car today. It was affordable but still expensive to me, like paying a second rent, but it was worth it!

What is your all-time favourite Audi and why?

It’s really hard to pick. I like the RS4 Avant, B8 version, around 2013 or 2014. It was our last NA V8 4.2-litre. The exterior colour Suzuka Grey was also amazing. It was a sporty family car. 

We had a few Avants on sale here, but customers in Asia prefer the sedan bodystyle. The Avant is a car for very specific Audi fans in Singapore.

What is your current company car in Singapore?

I’m very lucky that I get to drive one of our flagship models, the SQ8. Incredible torque of 770Nm, biturbo V8, very bold, very muscular.

What do you like about motoring in Germany?

If you’re on the autobahn, you can drive fast, but to be honest, there are less and less possibilities of this. The downside of driving in Germany is traffic jams on the autobahn if you’re driving long distance. Even if you have a fast car, you cannot drive that fast because of the traffic.

What do you dislike about motoring in Germany?

In Germany, there are many more trucks everywhere - cities, autobahns, streets. Germany is in the centre of Europe, so there’s a lot of heavy-vehicle traffic, much more than in Singapore. 

And during wintertime, if you park outside, it takes you a while to get ready for driving, because everything is frozen. By the way, with Audi Connect you can heat your car up beforehand.

What do you like about motoring in Singapore so far?

I’m very impressed with the OBU (on-board unit) and how it works. It’s a simple thing with a Cashcard, you can park anywhere and don’t have to take a ticket to pay. I’m also impressed by how the traffic really flows. The yellow junction box also works well - I’ve never seen that in Europe. 

Singapore is well-prepared for every way of going around in the city, whether it’s by public transport, car or motorcycle. Even the parking lots are much bigger than those in Europe.

What do you dislike about motoring in Singapore?

Rush hour in the morning and evening is quite intense. Sometimes, it takes me 30 minutes to drive a few kilometres, depending on the time. However, I worked in Latin America before, so driving in Singapore is already a luxury.

Also, Singapore has a lot more motorcycles on the road, so drivers have to give more attention - what is behind you, what is beside you. But it’s okay if you’re used to it. I drove to Malaysia two weeks ago, then I realised it has many more motorcycles along the way.

What is the most interesting aspect of your new role as MD of Audi Singapore?

If I compare it to my previous role as sales director for Latin America focused on selling the cars, this new role is much broader. The financial steering of the whole company, and orchestrating the sales, marketing, aftersales - everything altogether. But it’s the same goal - we want to sell cars.

And what is the most challenging aspect?

Firstly, I think it takes a while until you understand the Singapore automotive market. It’s so special, so unique, and the most expensive car market in the world.

The competitive landscape is rapidly changing as well, and the customer experience is developing. Customers expect more from a car brand and that’s what we want to present here with Audi House of Progress. 

It’s not only about the selling points of the vehicle - it’s the brand, the lifestyle. Of course, if consumers have to pay around $200k, $300k, or up to half a million dollars for a premium car, their expectations are higher.

How would you respond to the Singapore notion that getting Volkswagen drivers to upgrade to Audis is easier than convincing BMW or Mercedes-Benz owners to switch over to Audi?

[Laughing] We should ask one of our sales consultants!

Audi and VW are clearly differentiated. We talk at our headquarters about the German premium three - Audi, BMW and Mercedes. In other parts of the world such as Italy and Argentina, we’re number one based on our internal comparisons. In Asia, we still have potential.

That’s why I’m here. We’re investing in Formula 1, boosting our premium brand and broadening our product portfolio. New A5, next SUV successors, Audi Sport cars, and our RS models as well.

What do you admire most about Singapore?

What impressed me and also my family is the local architecture - the combination between historical elements and the modern. The skyscrapers and traditional parts of Chinatown, for instance. Also, it’s easy to live here if you come from Europe. The city is organised, everything works and everything is digitised. The Singapore Government makes people’s lives easier.

What do you enjoy most in the food paradise that is Singapore?

I like Indian food and Thai food. As for the spiciness, I’m at the intermediate level. I’ve tried a few hawker centres already. They have everything, including my favourite Western food which is Italian. I didn’t expect to find very good and delicious pizzas here! 

What are your favourite pastimes?

I love travelling and photography. People say Singapore is small, but to me it’s big, with a lot to discover here.

I also love classic cars. Unfortunately, I don’t see many of them here, such as roadsters from the 1970s, like MGB, Triumph and Spitfire. I saw a Beetle, though. One reason for this could be that it is expensive to keep them running in Singapore due to COE and regulations.

What do you miss most about home in Germany while stationed in Singapore?

Missing my family and friends has been one of the toughest parts of the move. My wife and son are still in Germany - she's a teacher, and his school term doesn’t finish until July. 

Handball is another thing I really miss; it’s an intense team sport similar to basketball, and I used to train with my team every Wednesday night. Now that I'm in Singapore, adjusting to the climate has changed my routine - outdoor running is off the table. These days, I get my exercise indoors at the gym and spend more time swimming.

Martin busted his budget for his very first Audi company car in 1999, a TT Roadster.

Read More: Fellow Motorist: Markus Schuster, managing director (before Martin Bayer), Audi Singapore

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