William Maley

Whenever spy photos of the upcoming Maserati Levante are shown, they tend to be of a high-riding Ghibli mule. This week, a new set of spy shots of the Levante has been released and gives a glimpse of what's in store. Now we can't tell much in terms of design since Maserati has put about seven layers of camouflage on this mule. But the overall profile seems somewhat familiar to the Kubang concept from a few years back. Powertrains are expected to the twin-turbocharged V6 and V8 engines from the Ghibli and Quattroporte. The Levante is expected to debut next year at the Geneva Motor Show. Source: Autoblog, Motor Authority View full article

After a meeting of Volkswagen's Supervisory Board today, Porsche CEO Matthias Müller has been named as the CEO of Volkswagen. Rumors of Müller's appointment have been swirling around for the past week. "My most urgent task is to win back trust for the Volkswagen Group – by leaving no stone unturned and with maximum transparency, as well as drawing the right conclusions from the current situation," said Müller in statement. Müller has a difficult task ahead of him as he'll need to right the ship at Volkswagen due to the ongoing crisis. He will also oversee a massive reorganization of the company. This begins with newly formed North American region structure which combines the USA, Mexico, and Canada. Heading up this structure will be the current chairman of Skoda, Winfried Vahland. Michael Horn, the President and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America will be sticking around, contrary to reports from yesterday. Source: Volkswagen, New York Times, Bloomberg Press Release is on Page 2 MATTHIAS MÜLLER APPOINTED CEO OF THE VOLKSWAGEN GROUP Sep 25, 2015 Müller remains Chairman of Porsche AG until a successor has been found Matthias Müller (62) has been appointed CEO of Volkswagen AG with immediate effect. This was decided by the Supervisory Board at its meeting in Wolfsburg today (Friday). Müller is currently Chairman of Porsche AG in Stuttgart. He will continue in this function until a successor has been found. The interim Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Volkswagen AG, Berthold Huber, underscored: "Matthias Müller is a person of great strategic, entrepreneurial and social competence. He knows the Group and its brands well and can immediately engage in his new task with full energy. We expressly value his critical and constructive approach." Bernd Osterloh, Chairman of the Group Works Council, commented: "When it comes to leadership appointments the Volkswagen Group does not need hasty decisions. We know and value Matthias Müller for his determination and decisiveness. He does not work on his own, rather he is a team player. That is what Volkswagen needs now." Matthias Müller said: "My most urgent task is to win back trust for the Volkswagen Group – by leaving no stone unturned and with maximum transparency, as well as drawing the right conclusions from the current situation. Under my leadership, Volkswagen will do everything it can to develop and implement the most stringent compliance and governance standards in our industry. If we manage to achieve that then the Volkswagen Group with its innovative strength, its strong brands and above all its competent and highly motivated team has the opportunity to emerge from this crisis stronger than before." Matthias Müller was born in Chemnitz (Saxony) on June 9, 1953. He completed his high school education in Ingolstadt followed by an apprenticeship as a toolmaker with AUDI AG. He then studied computer science at Munich University of Applied Sciences. After obtaining his master's degree in computer science, Müller resumed his career with AUDI AG in Ingolstadt in 1978, becoming Head of the Systems Analysis Division in 1984 and Head of Project Management for the Audi A3 in 1993. He assumed responsibility for Product Management at Audi AG, SEAT and Lamborghini in 1995. Müller moved to Wolfsburg as Head of Product Management of the Volkswagen Group and the Volkswagen brand in 2007 and also became a General Representative of the Volkswagen Group. He has been Chairman of the Executive Board of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG and a member of the Executive Board of Porsche Automobil Holding SE since 2010. In his function as Chairman of the Executive Board of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Müller was appointed member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG effective March 1, 2015. Matthias Müller's current contract as a Board member of Volkswagen AG will continue to apply in his new function as CEO. This contract runs until the end of February 2020. Matthias Müller succeeds Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, who offered his resignation on Wednesday. THE VOLKSWAGEN GROUP IS RESTRUCTURING: SUPERVISORY BOARD PASSES RESOLUTIONS FOR NEW ORGANIZATION Sep 25, 2015 Brands and regions to be strengthened Vahland moves from Škoda to the Volkswagen brand Board of Management De Meo, Maier and Stackmann in new functions Board Member for Sales Klingler leaves the Group Contract with Board member for Procurement Garcia Sanz extended The Supervisory Board of Volkswagen AG approved a new management structure for the Group and the brands as well as for the North America region today (Friday) in Wolfsburg. The interim Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Berthold Huber, commented: "The new structure strengthens the brands and regions, gives the Group Board of Management the necessary leeway for strategy and steering within the company, and lays a focus on the targeted development of future-oriented fields." Details of major changes: Reorganization of the North America region / Successor Prof. Vahland The Supervisory Board decided on the reorganization of the Group's activities in North America. The markets in the USA, Mexico, and Canada will be combined and significantly strengthened to form a new North America region. Effective November 1, the Group's activities in the region will be led by Prof. Dr. Winfried Vahland (58), formerly Chairman of the Board of Directors at Škoda, who in this new role becomes a member of the Volkswagen brand Board of Management. Prof. Vahland's successor as Chairman of the Board of Directors at Škoda will be Bernhard Maier (55), until now Board Member for Sales and Marketing of Porsche AG. Michael Horn (52) remains President and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America. Porsche brand group with Bentley and Bugatti At Group level the management structure will be oriented even more systematically to the modular toolkits. These toolkits feature standardized technical components for each automotive vehicle segment (volume, premium, sport and commercial vehicles). Consequently, a Porsche brand group with Bentley and Bugatti will be established for the sportscar and mid-engine toolkit. The toolkit strategy will come under the even closer guidance of the Group CEO; a separate department will be set up for this purpose. The Audi brand group with Lamborghini and Ducati will be continued as will the Truck Holding, and the Power Engineering and Financial Services business lines. The volume brands Volkswagen (with principal responsibility for the modular transverse toolkit), SEAT, and Škoda will be represented by one member each in the Group Board of Management. New Group functions for efficiency and future-oriented fields Group functions will concentrate more closely on efficiency and future-oriented fields; organizational units, for example for Group product strategy, new business fields, cooperations and holdings, connected car activities, and CO2 steering, will therefore be set up. According to Huber, "new, strong Group functions, such as for standardization and harmonized production processes, will lay the timely foundations for efficient decision-making. We will become faster and more agile." Furthermore, a Chief Technology Officer will analyze and, if necessary, co-steer technical developments throughout the Group as mandated by the Group Board of Management. Upgrading of brands and regions At the same time, existing corporate bodies, structures and processes will be streamlined at Group level, in particular by strengthening the brands and regional accountability. To that end the Volkswagen brand will introduce a management structure with four regions, each led by a local CEO with a direct reporting line to the brand Chairman, Herbert Diess. Streamlining the Group Board of Management The production department at Group level, until now led by Thomas Ulbrich in an interim capacity, will be abolished with immediate effect. This is one consequence of delegating responsibility to the brands and regions. Berthold Huber commented: "Going forward, the brands and regions will also have greater independence with regard to production. So it follows that they should also hold the responsibility for these activities." The interim Supervisory Board Chairman emphasized that "one key point is that we are scaling back complexity in the Group. In recent weeks, we have already undertaken important steps such as separating Group and brand functions." He said the developments of the last few days had underscored the urgency of this project: "We will not lose any time. The new management model will be implemented at the beginning of 2016." This would bring the Board greater freedom to address urgent issues concerning Group strategy, development and steering. Further Board of Management changes The Supervisory Board extended the contract with Francisco Javier Garcia Sanz (58), Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft with responsibility for Procurement, by five years. Christian Klingler (47), member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft with responsibility for Sales and Marketing and member of the Volkswagen brand Board of Management with responsibility for Sales and Marketing, is leaving the company with immediate effect as part of long-term planned structural changes and as a result of differences with regard to business strategy. This is not related to recent events. The new CEO Matthias Müller will head the Sales department at Group level in an interim capacity until further notice. Jürgen Stackmann (54), previously Chairman of SEAT, will take over Christian Klingler's function as a member of the Volkswagen brand Board of Management. Stackmann is succeeded by Luca de Meo (48), currently Audi AG Board of Management member for Sales and Marketing. These personnel changes become effective from October 1. View full article

The past week has been miserable at Volkswagen as allegations arose from the EPA that a number of models equipped with the 2.0L TDI four-cylinder were found to emit more emissions than were legally allowed in the U.S. thanks to software. Since the announcement came out last Friday, there has been a fair amount of news. Volkswagen admitted that 11 million diesel vehicles sold around the world had the software The company has set aside $7.3 billion for possible penalties and fixes EPA is looking into the 3.0L TDI V6 used in a number of Audi vehicles, Porsche Cayenne, and Volkswagen Touraeg A number of European countries, along with South Korea announce their own investigations into Volkswagen TDIs to see if they violate emission standards U.S. Department of Justice begins an investigation into Volkswagen over the emission violations Dealers will be getting some financial assistance Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn resigns The German Transport Minister announces 1.6L and 2.0 TDI Engines in Volkswagen vehicles have the illegal software There are still a number of questions up in the air as to what will happen to Volkswagen, the vehicles in questions, and other items. That's where I come in as I'll be looking into the crystal ball and try to figure out what happens next. What will Volkswagen do with the TDI vehicles in question? Most likely Volkswagen will implement a software update that will allow the TDI vehicles to meet the strict EPA emissions. This might also cause the TDI vehicles to lose some power. What is unlikely is Volkswagen retrofitting the affected TDI vehicles with to clean up the emissions. The Truth About Cars has an excellent article talking about the possible parts and price tag if Volkswagen decides to go this route. There could also be a buyback program if the EPA and/or Volkswagen deems it necessary. Will the EPA fine Volkswagen the $18 Billion that has been reported? No. The reasons for this are two-fold. Consider the previous penalties the EPA has levied against automakers: 1995: General Motors was fined $11.5 Million for installing illegal devices in 470,000 Cadillacs 1998: Honda was fined $12.8 Million for not reporting to EPA they had disabled part of the onboard diagnostic computer that detected engine misfires. 1998: Ford was fined $7.8 Million for installing a defeat device in 60,000 Econoline vans These amounts are somewhat a drop in the bucket for automakers. Also, take into consideration that Volkswagen has put aside $7.3 Billion for penalties and fixes. The automaker believes they'll get a hefty fine, but nowhere near the $18 billion. A possible guess as to how much Volkswagen will be fined? Somewhere under the $500 Million mark. Will there be a mass exodus of owners from their Volkswagen diesels? Not likely. A small number people will likely sell or trade in their Volkswagen diesel models, only to suffer a loss in resale value. Many will likely keep their vehicles. What will do to Volkswagen's U.S. Sales? Sales will drop even further, which isn't good news for the German brand as sales have been on a downward trend again. August sales in 2015 were down 8.1 percent when compared to same time last year. Sales for the year are down 2.1 percent. This compounds a problem that has been part of Volkswagen for the past few years for not quite understanding the U.S. market and its odd quirks. One model that could take a big hit is the Golf. The model has been one the bright spots for Volkswagen as it has posted a 151 percent in year to date sales in August. What about Volkswagen's reputation? It will likely take a dive. But if the past scandals with other automakers such as GM, Ford, etc are indication, Volkswagen will be back to good down the line. Are any other auto companies taking part in something similar? Signs seem to point to yes. Earlier this week, Automotive News reported that a European environmental group that suggests a number of other manufacturers are using software or some sort of technology to skirt emission laws. You can check the group's report here. Meanwhile, German publication Auto Bild alleges a number of vehicles violate the Euro 6 emission standards. One vehicle singled out in their piece was the BMW X3 xDrive 20d that was eleven times greater than the standard. Now BMW has denied they do any manipulation on emission tests. “We observe the legal requirements in each country and adhere to all local testing requirements. When it comes to our vehicles, there is no difference in the treatment of exhaust emissions whether they are on rollers or on the road," BMW said in a statement to USA Today. Don't be surprised if more automakers are found to be manipulating or finding a loophole to pass these tests. What about reputation of diesel? This is possibly the biggest unknown at this time for the U.S. For a time, diesel was seemingly making a comeback with a number of automakers announcing diesel options for their passenger vehicles. Now with Volkswagen taking a bit of heat on their diesels, this could cause a number of automakers to reconsider the idea of offering a diesel. There is also the question if the EPA could make further restrictions or changes to the requirements for the diesel models. If so, this could mean diesels are only for luxury models or just become non-existent. View full article

It seems Volkswagen's Supervisory Board is keeping true to their promise holding more people accountable in the company's diesel crisis. Reuters (via Automotive News) and German publication Bild are reporting that three executives will be dismissed. The three are, Michael Horn, Volkswagen U.S. CEO Ulrich Hackenberg, Audi's r&d Boss Wolfgang Hatz, Porsche's engine chief Porsche and Volkswagen in Germany declined to comment, while Audi couldn't be reached. A spokeswoman for Volkswagen of America declined to comment as well, but called the reports of Horn's exit 'speculation'. Now if the reports are true, there will be one party not happy with the decision; Volkswagen's dealers in the U.S. Horn has earned the support of many dealers in the U.S. “We as a dealer body would be in a disagreement with a leadership change at this critical time in the U.S. market,” said Alan Brown, chairman of Volkswagen’s national dealer council. As for who will likely become the next CEO of Volkwagen, Reuters is reporting that Porsche CEO Matthias Mueller will get the nod. A source tells the news service that Mueller has the backing of the majority of Volkswagen's Supervisory Board. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required), Bild, Reuters View full article

There's a new Ford F-Series Super Duty coming and it's taking some ideas from the smaller F-150. The big news for the Super Duty is that the body is made out of aluminum, helping drop 350 pounds. The frame is a fully-boxed and consists of more than 95-percent high-strength steel which Ford claims 24 times stiffer than the previous frame. This allows for more towing and hauling capacity. In terms of design, think F-150 that went to the gym every single day. The front end boasts large headlights and grille slats. The cab is similar to the smaller F-150. For the interior, Ford uses the same layout from the current model, but there is a new reconfigurable gauge cluster and revised center stack. The list of options will be long as there will be a camera-based towing system with coaching, 360-degree camera, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning system, blind spot monitoring system, and rear inflatable seat belts. Power will come from a 6.2L V8, 6.8L V10, or a 6.7L PowerStroke Diesel V8. Ford is keeping quiet on power figures at this time. “While Super Duty is North America’s best-selling heavy-duty truck, we never take our leadership for granted. Our team is using relentless innovation in materials, Built Ford Tough engineering to deliver customers our best Super Duty yet,” said Raj Nair, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development and chief technical officer. The F-Series Super Duty will go on sale late next year. Source: Ford Press Release is on Page 2 AMERICA'S WORK TRUCK REINVENTED: ALL-NEW FORD SUPER DUTY IS TOUGHEST, SMARTEST, MOST CAPABLE SUPER DUTY EVER Toughest: All-new, high-strength steel frame; segment-first, high-strength, military-grade, aluminum-alloy body; stronger axles, springs and suspension create the only Built Ford Tough heavy-duty truck lineup that works as hard as Super Duty customers Smartest: 16 class-exclusive new features and up to seven cameras make Super Duty the ultimate tow vehicle; adaptive steering technology makes maneuvering easier Most capable: Ford-engineered, Ford-built gasoline and diesel engines and transmissions power all-new Super Duty lineup that tows and hauls more than ever DALLAS, Sept. 24, 2015 – Ford, America’s truck leader, today introduces the all-new 2017 Ford F-Series Super Duty – the toughest, smartest, most capable Super Duty truck lineup ever. “Ford Super Duty is the truck America’s hardest-working men and women trust and depend on,” said Joe Hinrichs, Ford president, The Americas. “We are helping these customers build a better world by delivering a new generation of pickups that set new benchmarks in capability, performance and efficiency.” Using advanced materials to reduce weight, 2017 F-Series Super Duty pickup truck and chassis cab feature all-new, segment-exclusive smart technology to help increase customer productivity, comfort and convenience. “While Super Duty is America’s best-selling heavy-duty truck, we never take our leadership for granted,” said Raj Nair, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development and chief technical officer. “Our team is using relentless innovation in materials, technology and Built Ford Tough engineering to deliver customers our best Super Duty yet.” Toughest The backbone is an all-new, fully boxed frame comprised of more than 95 percent high-strength steel that offers up to 24 times stiffer than the previous frame – enabling the most towing and hauling capability ever delivered by Super Duty. The new truck line features heavier-duty four-wheel-drive components, driveline, axles and towing hardware. For the first time, the Super Duty body uses high-strength, military-grade, aluminum alloy, which is more dent- and ding-resistant than the outgoing steel body and not subject to red rust corrosion. Together, high-strength steel and high-strength aluminum alloy help reduce weight by up to 350 pounds while Ford is reinvesting additional weight savings everywhere it counts, to give customers more towing and hauling capability than ever before. Super Duty chassis cab features an all-new, high-strength steel frame with an open-C-channel design behind the cab to enable easy aftermarket body upfit and modification. Smartest Towing is core to the Super Duty mission. All-new advanced coaching and camera technology makes conventional and gooseneck/fifth-wheel towing easier and more efficient than ever. There are 16 segment-first new features – from LED lighting to adaptive cruise control – that assist Super Duty drivers to make driving and work situations easier and more comfortable. As many as seven cameras help customers see more angles and monitor conditions surrounding the truck, and provide better trailering than ever before. A center high-mounted stop lamp camera provides visibility into the cargo box, especially for easier hook-up of gooseneck/fifth-wheel trailers. A 360-degree camera system uses four digital, high-definition cameras to give the driver a bird’s-eye view surrounding Super Duty. Trailer reverse guidance provides visual cues and tips to help ease backing up a trailer. A first-ever, factory-available trailer camera can be attached to a trailer to improve visibility backing up. Customers will benefit from a segment-first, in-cab trailer tire pressure monitoring system from the comfort of the cab while stopped or on the highway. Adaptive steering provides for increased confidence to help make towing the heaviest of loads easier and brings greater ease to navigating job sites and parking lots – with or without a trailer. The technology reduces the amount of steering input needed to change direction at low speed, while reducing sensitivity to steering input at higher speeds. The all-new F-Series Super Duty is available with numerous driver-assist technologies: SYNC® 3 – Ford’s all-new communications and entertainment system features faster performance, conversational voice recognition and an easier-to-understand graphical interface, along with an intuitive smartphone-like 8-inch touch screen Blind Spot Information System with trailer tow is optimized for Super Duty to include the length of the trailer; BLIS® uses radar sensors in the taillamps to monitor areas that may not be visible to the driver Lane departure warning provides a warning when a driver strays from a lane through a series of steering wheel vibrations that mimic rumble strips Adaptive cruise control and collision warning with brake support use sensors to detect slower vehicles moving in the same direction. If another vehicle is too close, red lights flash on the windshield and a warning sound chimes. If the driver does not hit the brakes, the brake system is pre-charged to stop faster when the brake pedal is pressed Advanced light-emitting diode technology sheds light all around the new Super Duty, including: New LED sideview mirror spotlights enable illumination surrounding the truck to light up a work site or camp site Class-exclusive quad-beam LED headlamps and taillamps New LED cargo box lighting Most capable Light-weighting and improved capability work hand-in-hand in the all-new Ford F-Series Super Duty. “As we remove weight, we’re making Super Duty more productive by giving our customers better towing and payload capability,” said Craig Schmatz, Super Duty chief engineer. “We’re backing up improved capability with a stronger gasoline and diesel Super Duty engine lineup.” The second-generation Ford-designed, Ford-built 6.7-liter Power Stroke® V8 diesel engine is available for pickup trucks and chassis cabs providing the highest combination of horsepower and torque ever. The 6.2-liter V8 gasoline engine comes equipped with the new TorqShift-G transmission for the F-250 pickup – allowing for improved capability. The Super Duty chassis cab lineup offers a choice of 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 diesel, 6.8-liter V10 gasoline or 6.2-liter V8 gasoline engines. “The bottom line is Super Duty customers will be able to tow and haul more than ever before,” said Schmatz. Interior and cargo box All three cabs – Regular Cab, SuperCab and Crew Cab – are longer and feature a new interior design, including dual compartment glove box, overhead console-mounted auxiliary switches to operate aftermarket equipment, and completely flat SuperCab and Crew Cab second-row floors that make loading large items in the cab easy. Vital controls are close at hand, with the integrated trailer brake controller switch located even closer to the driver. Customer accessibility and ease of use extend outside the truck as well, with the cargo box offering customers these class-exclusive features: BoxLink™: Ford-patented combination of metal brackets and custom cleats that can be used to secure a variety of accessories in the cargo box Remote tailgate lock and release: Tailgate can be locked/unlocked and opened with the key fob, eliminating manual locking and increasing convenience and security. The tailgate is damped – dropping gently down, hands-free, to a flat position when opened There are five models in the Super Duty lineup – XL, XLT, Lariat, King Ranch and Platinum. The all-new Super Duty will be built at Kentucky Truck Plant, and goes on sale late next year. View full article