Volks AG honch Bernd Pischetsrieder, famously reticent regarding the Phaeton sedan conceived by his predecessor Ferdinand Piech, put an end to his self-imposed gag-order recently by telling CAR magazine "The Phaeton fails to sell because it is not distinctive enough" and "The marketing people said the luxury buyers would insist on a saloon. That was a mistake." BP had mostly avoided questions on the subject and seemed somewhat resigned to suffering with the slow-selling model: "You have to sell what you have today, not what you wish you had," he said in January at the Detroit Auto Show. The Phaeton has received lackluster reviews, but it's the molasses-esque sales that is really mucking things up, both in Europe and in the U.S. If the low-movement trend continues, VW may suspend U.S.-bound Phaeton exports next year. BP also hinted that VW's next-gen Phaeton could be a coupe-wagon blend, which I must admit sounds like a delicious coffee flavor.