BMW's engine development and purchasing expert, Markus Duesmann, is set to become the CEO of Volkswagen's Audi premium brand, after BMW dropped its opposition to his early departure, a German newspaper reported on Saturday. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung cited a person with knowledge of the appointment as saying Duesmann will start as Audi chief on April 1.
Volkswagen has abandoned its decades-old obsession with empire building and no-expense-spared engineering to free up resources for the development and mass production of electric cars, its CEO Herbert Diess told Reuters. A global clampdown on toxic exhaust fumes has triggered a new wave of consolidation in the auto industry as carmakers look for ways to slash development costs for low-emission and self-driving technologies. While rivals such as FiatChrysler and Renault explore a $3
Alonso has yet to confirm he will enter the 2020 Dakar, regarded as the world's toughest motorsport challenge which is moving to the deserts of Saudi Arabia for the first time, but it looks increasingly likely. Coma, a winner in the motorcycle category, stood down as Dakar sporting director in 2018 and is acting as Alonso's co-driver.
