76 Articles
REPORT: VW finished eating companies, will now focus on digestion

We have a feeling historians will spending a fair portion of next few years finding new words to describe just how bad this year was for the auto industry. And then, at some point, they'll get around to Volkswagen, a company that has been zagging while almost all others zigged. Over the last twelve months, VW has taken a stake in Suzuki,

VW-Porsche cross-pollination as Winterkorn, Pötsch join Porsche board

The assimilation of Porsche into the Volkswagen Group continued today as two top executives from Wolfsburg have taken up similar positions at the parent company of the sports car maker. Volkswagen CEO Dr. Martin Winterkorn will become CEO of Porsche Automobil Holding SE on September 15. He will be joined on the Porsche SE board of management by Hans Dieter Pötsch, who will serve as

VW boss says Audi must make cars in U.S. to meet sales goal

In 2007 Audi set itself a very lofty goal of more than doubling its U.S. sales to 200,000 units by 2015. Without a significant turnaround in the economy, that goal appears increasingly unlikely to be be met, but everyone needs a dream right? With that dream in mind, VW CEO Martin Winterkorn told a gathering of officials from Tennessee recently that the four-ringed brand must build cars in the U.S. Winterkorn said a mid-sized car targeted specifically at the U.S. market would be the product, but

Bugatti to retain ultra-exclusivity with new model

The debate as to whether Bugatti was going to create a second model eventually led to former Bugatti head Thomas Bscher's resignation. Bscher wanted another car, Martin Winterkorn, head of VW, said that a second car would remain nothing more than Bscher's dream.

Volkswagen developing a 200+ mpg car, within three years?

Clearly the Polo BlueMotion is just not enough. For years in Europe the barely attainable goal for cars was to get mileage of 3L/100km, but now it appears the Volkswagen wants to shoot for 1L/100km. Volkswagen fuhrer Supervisory Board Chairman Ferdinand Piech being interviewed for his 70th birthday claims that such a vehicle is plausible now. Without giving a production time line, Piech said that a supplier has said they have now reduced the cost of some of the necessary compone

VW post-Bernhard getting major changes

Audi has raided the castle at Wolfsburg and changes are in store. New boss Martin Winterkorn has ordered that the new Scirocco, Golf and Passat be presented for scrutiny. Rounding out the new royal court at Volkswagen will be a coterie of raiders from Ingolstadt, among them Walter de'Silva. de'Silva will be tweezing the look of the new cars until Winterkorn is satsified. Also, the petrol-powered V10 returns to the Touareg, giving back a unique offering and hopefully enticing sales. We're not sur

WSJ reports Wolfgang Bernhard leaving VW

The Wall Street Journal is reporting today that Volkwagen brand chief Wolfgang Bernhard will be leaving his post next month after the company's board votes to approve a new management shakeup. Supposedly the management reorginization involves offering Bernhard a new position in which he would oversee production across all brands in the VW/Audi group. Bernhard, however, has been reported as saying he would leave the company if his job changed.

On the hot SEAT: Sale considered for VW's Spanish brand?

Automotive News reports that incoming VW chairman Martin Winterkorn, Audi's current CEO, may want to sell the SEAT brand. In his current position, Winterkorn is responsible for SEAT, as it's part of the Audi group. He is apparently frustrated with the Spanish automaker's disappointing profitability and according to Automotive News, it's not part of his plans when he assumes his new position.

Audi celebrates record year

Audi AG's 117th (!) annual general meeting Wednesday was chock full of positive news for shareholders. The company racked up all-time record sales in 2005, but that record doesn't look like it will stand for very long - the first four months of 2006 have been the best in Audi's history.

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