Autoblog

Recent comments by Volkswagen's new head honcho Martin Winterkorn could counteract rumors of the automotive giant spinning off or selling its two golden-boy exotic supercar subsidiaries, Lamborghini and Bugatti.

Winterkorn, you may recall, was promoted to the big chair at VW Group from his former seat as head of Audi. He was reported to have been opposed to his successor's seemingly frivolous expenditures on the Bugatti Veyron project. As head of Audi he was in charge of Lamborghini and oversaw the final development of the Murcielago and Gallardo, so he is certainly not without his supercar credentials. He's also seen the direct benefit of the Gallardo's contribution to the Audi R8 sports car and to the engines in the S6 and S8 sports sedans.

Porsche AG, which has been increasing its stake in VW Group, has made public its opposition to Volkswagen's production of such exotics (surprise surprise), and has threatened to relegate Bugatti to near oblivion. Not on my watch, says Winterkorn. "Development in the upper segments undertaken by Lamborghini and Bugatti has been advantageous for all the brands."

[Source: Leftlane News]