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Matthias Muller officially named VW Group CEO

While the vast number of rumors made it seem like a foregone conclusion, Porsche boss Matthias Muller has officially been named Volkswagen Group CEO to replace the recently resigned Martin Winterkorn. His contract runs through the end of February 2020, and until a replacement is found, Muller also gets to hang onto his old job as chairman of Porsche. At the same time, the VW Group Supervisory Board is announcing a massive structural reorganization across the entire company, with the new management model in place by the beginning of 2016. Contrary to previous rumors, Michael Horn remains as President and CEO of VW Group of America. The board wants a greater emphasis on brands and regions going forward, and the scale of this shift can be seen in the US. On November 1, VW Group business in the US, Mexico, and Canada is being combined under the leadership of current Skoda chairman Winfried Vahland. However contrary to previous rumors, Michael Horn remains as President and CEO of VW Group of America. Other brands are also seeing some significant changes mechanically. Porsche, Bentley, and Bugatti now fall under the Group's "sportscar and mid-engine toolkit." This means that the brands will start sharing standardized technical parts. A Chief Technical Officer across all of the company's brands will also start working toward future innovations. The new brand-centric view means the end of a group-wide production department. "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," Berthold Huber, interim Chairman of the Supervisory Board, said in the announcement. In a statement with the press release about his promotion, Muller promised to turn the company around after such an international crisis. He 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." Matthias Muller appointed CEO of the Volkswagen Group Muller remains Chairman of Porsche AG until a successor has been found Matthias Muller (62) has been appointed CEO of Volkswagen AG with immediate effect.

Bugatti Galibier to be "faster than anything on the market"

Before Wolfgang Dürheimer moves to Audi, he's still got a few jobs to finish as head of Bentley and Bugatti, one of them being to oversee the development of the 16C Galibier. It was back in 2009 that the two-tone concept had audiences agog, and rumors and leaks since then have had everyone wondering if the four-seat fastback will ever become reality. To hit 'rewind' on the rumormill, the Galibier was initially greenlit in early 2011 and tipped to go into production this year, a timeframe that was later revised to next year. The model was earmarked to have less than 1,000 horsepower and optional hybrid power, and at the same time, the design was meant to be finalized, but it was instead reportedly scrapped for not being outrageous enough. The Galibier then went back to the design bureau and the horsepower was subsequently announced as surpassing the four-digit mark.
Production is now planned for somewhere around 2015, and according to Dürheimer's chat with Car and Driver, the Galibier on the way will be original and blindingly fast. The executive would only commit to the "over 1,000 hp" line, but C/D believes the ouput will be around 1,400 non-hybridized ponies. Whatever the final number is, it is said to get the Galibier beyond 235 mph and, Durheimer said, be "faster than anything on the market" - and that includes wares from the aftermarket sector. Dürheimer also says the Galibier will have technologies that are automotive firsts.
What remains to be decided is the candy coating that will envelop all that sweetness, since "the final design still is in flux." We'd heard before that the hatchback's entire rear end is being redesigned, but it appears that if nothing else, the eight tailpipes will remain.

Saudi Prince buys Bugatti Chiron and Vision Gran Turismo

The 1,500 horsepower, $2.5 million 2017 Bugatti Chiron isn't on sale yet. The car isn't even production ready. That doesn't mean you can't get your hands on one. Just ask Prince Badr bin Saud of Saudi Arabia, who recently purchased two one-off versions of the upcoming hypercar. Prince Badr recently posted a photo to his Instagram account showing the Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo concept that debuted last year parked alongside the Chiron concept car from the Geneva Motor Show. The photos was taken by photographer GFWilliams, who posted a few on his Facebook page. There's no word on how much the Prince paid for the pair, but Carscoops estimates it's in excess of $5 million, based on the production car's MSRP. Carscoops also quoted Bugatti, who said that the Prince had the highest bid, implying that he wasn't the only interested party. While both cars are pre-production concepts, they still have Bugatti's quad-turbocharged 8.0-liter W16 engine. It's unclear if the cars are drivable, but the photos do show both have Saudi Arabian license plates. Even if the cars don't actually run, they'll make some pretty impressive display pieces. In a few weeks, the Vision Gran Turismo is set to appear at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance alongside another Chiron, so it seems Prince Badr hasn't yet taken possession of the cars. Once he does, these two rare Bugatti models are sure to enter an impressive collection in Saudi Arabia. Related Video: Featured Gallery Bugatti Chiron Pair News Source: CarscoopsImage Credit: Instagram, GFWilliams Bugatti Supercars Bugatti Chiron