Just the Facts:

* Having sold 2 million vehicles in the U.S., Audi wants users to envision the cars of the future.
* Audi's taken 40 years to sell 2 million cars in the U.S. and expects to hit 3 million in "fewer years."
* Last year, Audi's U.S. sales were down 6 percent from the previous year but first-half sales in 2010 were a record.


HERNDON, Virginia — To mark the sale of its 2 millionth vehicle in the U.S., Audi has launched a contest on Facebook, asking users to predict how future Audis will look when the brand sells its 3 millionth vehicle here.

Audi has been marketing its vehicles in the U.S. for 40 years, but said it expects to hit the 3 million mark in "fewer years." Last year, Audi's U.S. sales totaled 82,716, down 6 percent from the previous year, although first-half sales in 2010 were a record 48,440.

If Audi can sell an average 100,000 cars a year in the U.S., it could reach the milestone by 2020.

In a press release, the company said, "Audi concept cars suggest there are indeed more progressive innovations and designs to come...including the E-tron electromobility studies."

To check out the 3-million contest, go to Audi's fan page on Facebook.

Inside Line says: The contest rules seem a bit fuzzy — just like the future. — Paul Lienert, Correspondent