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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.

Bentley Bentayga V8 specs and pics revealed: It's the sporty one

The glitzy, opulent Bentley Bentayga has so far only been available with a twin-turbocharged W12 in the United States, but that's going to change now that the company has unveiled the V8 version. The Bentayga V8 uses a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 that, despite having two liters less displacement and four fewer cylinders, still makes a healthy 542 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque. Those numbers are only official for Europe, though, as numbers for the United States are being finalized. It's not a whole lot slower than the W12, either, with a 0-60 mph time of 4.4 seconds and a top speed of 180 mph. The W12 hits 60 in 4.1 seconds and has a top speed of 187 mph. What is a bit odd is that Bentley is marketing this V8 model as the "sporty" one, despite not being as fast as the W12. In support of the sporty identity, Bentley has endowed the V8 Bentayga with more aggressive looks inside and out with a black grille and unique dual exhaust tips, as well as an optional carbon fiber trim for the interior. To back up the looks, the Bentley Bentayga V8 also has the option of carbon-ceramic brakes. And they're truly massive with 17.3-inch rotors at the front, and 14.6-inch units in the rear. The front rotors are clamped by 10-piston calipers, too. Bentley claims the front brakes are the largest in the world. The V8 Bentayga also can claim a roughly 100-pound weight advantage compared with the W12, though whether you'll notice that in an SUV that weighs over 5,000 pounds is debatable. Pricing and availability haven't been announced for the Bentayga V8 yet. We would expect it to arrive at dealers by the end of the year. It will also likely cost less than the W12 model. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2019 Bentley Bentayga V8 View 10 Photos Image Credit: Bentley Bentley Crossover SUV Luxury bentley bentayga

VW Group to split brands under four holding companies

The Volkswagen Group is planning a tremendous shift in its internal structure that will decentralize operations by splitting its 12 brands into four different holding companies. Here's the breakdown. Things will be split logically, considering the inter-sharing of parts, platforms, and engines. The Volkswagen brand, Seat, and Skoda make up a passenger vehicle division led by former BMW man Herbert Diess. Audi, which is tightly intertwined with Lamborghini and motorcycle manufacturer Ducati, will be managed by current Audi exec Rupert Stadler. Porsche and Bentley, which are already quite close, will be joined by Bugatti and run by Matthias Mueller. Finally, a commercial vehicles division will include Volkswagen Commercial, Scania, and Man. Former Daimler exec Andreas Renschler will take care of the big vehicles. The massive move, according to Automotive News Europe, is part of an internal VAG effort to move away from the structure established by ousted Chairman Ferdinand Piech, who favored a compact, but highly centralized, management structure to oversee the independent actions of the company's brands. Criticism of Piech's arrangement stemmed from the company's slow responses to changes in the market, ANE reports. The new structure should make for a more efficient, streamlined company that's better able to make crucial decisions. What are your thoughts? Should VAG decentralize, or did Piech have the right idea? Have your say in Comments.