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Volkswagen Group names Paefgen head of classics program

You may remember the name Franz-Josef Paefgen. Until recently, the German engineer and executive was head of both Bentley and Bugatti. Before that he was chief executive of Audi, after working for several years at Ford. He technically "retired" earlier this year, but like the cars he helped create, an executive like Paefgen could never really retire. So it should come as little surprise that the Volkswagen Group has named Dr. Paefgen head of its Classic program.
In his new capacity, Paefgen will oversee the historic automobile activities of the entire VW Group, including those of Volkswagen, Seat, Skoda, Audi, Lamborghini, and of course Bentley and Bugatti. It strikes us as a suitable semi-retirement for the man responsible in no small part for the Bugatti Veyron and Bentley Mulsanne, to name just two, and who was decorated in 2006 by the ACO as the "Spirit of Le Mans" for his contribution to endurance racing. Read the official announcement after the break.

Le Mans champion Allan McNish retires from LMP1 racing

Having won the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times, the American Le Mans Series title another three times and, most recently, the FIA World Endurance Championship, Allan McNish doesn't have much left to prove. Which is why he's retiring, ending this stage of his 33-year driving career on a high note.
In a statement just released by McNish himself and his team at Audi, the Scotsman said "I've had a fantastically successful time with Audi and feel it's the right time to step back from Le Mans sports-prototype racing and to look at other opportunities."
Just what those other opportunities might be is another matter. He's raced in DTM, Formula One and the International Formula 3000 series, where he won two races in 1990. McNish, 44, is also part of the BBC Radio's F1 commentary team, serves as president of the Scottish Motor Racing Club and is often called upon by the FIA to act as a grand prix race steward. Audi says he'll continue to be part of the team, just not in the driver's seat. Given his success in endurance racing, he's surely got a wide variety of opportunities to pursue, and we're looking forward to seeing where he lands.

Audi UK in hot water over dealer safety claims

Car salesmen don't exactly have a reputation for being in the most truthful profession, and it appears that several Audi showrooms in the UK are playing into that stereotype. A BBC investigation found that multiple dealers told buyers that the company's models scored well in Euro NCAP crash tests. No big deal, right? The problem was that the vehicles were never actually evaluated.
The report began after an R8 buyer sent in a tip that his UK dealer claimed the sports car had received top Euro NCAP scores. However, it has never been tested by the organization. The BBC called 10 dealers inquiring about the A5 (pictured above), which also wasn't assessed. Nine said the coupe had been checked out, and six claimed it had a five-star rating - the best available.
Euro NCAP is funded by governments and motoring bodies, like the ADAC in Germany and the FIA. According to its website, the organization selects some of the most popular new models each year to crash test, and, the BBC claims, automakers can also pay to evaluate their cars. The last Audi tested was the A3 in 2012. The A6, Q3, A1, A4 and Q5 have also been tested since 2009, and they all received five-star ratings. However, the A5, A7, A8 and R8 have not been tested.