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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.

Seat bringing boatload of hot hatches to Lake Worthersee

GTI Treffen may have started out as a gathering for owners of Volkswagen pocket rockets, but by now it's blown into a full-on celebration of everything related to hot hatches and more. And though it remains a grassroots event by enthusiasts for enthusiasts, Volkswagen is wise not to ignore it. These days, it comes to the annual lakeside gathering in Austria with a handful of show cars in tow, and brings its sister-brands along for the ride, too.
Audi has already announced the Q3 Red Track concept destined for Wörthersee, and Skoda is coming with a pair of Citigo concepts - one made up as a DJ booth and the other as a rally car. Now their Spanish cousins at Seat have revealed the veritable motorcade of show cars it's bringing to the meet-up.
Seat will be showcasing the Ibiza Cupra Concept it unveiled in Beijing, but that's not all. It'll also display a customized Ibiza FR and Leon Cupra R, a Mii city car (that's the Spanish version of the Volkswagen Up!) imagined in sporty FR trim and, most enticing of all, a pair of racing models that are ready to hit the track.

Seat expands Leon hot hatch family with new FR+

Buyers looking for a hot hatch could do worse than a Volkswagen GTI. But European buyers also have the option of going with its Spanish version, the Seat Leon, which offers a touch of Latin flavor along with a little bit more power than its German sibling often at a more attractive price. Now, the Iberian auto marque is expanding the range of its Leon FR with a choice of new engines.
Where the Leon FR was previously available with either a 208-horsepower 2.0-liter TSI or a 168 hp turbo-diesel, these have now moved up a notch to the new FR+. Underneath them, Seat is offering the more accessible 123 hp 1.4-liter TSI and 138 hp 2.0-liter TDI, giving buyers the sportier treatment but with smaller engines.
Overseas buyers can also opt for either a six-speed manual or seven-speed DSG, but those looking for the more hardcore hot-hatch experience can still go for the Leon Cupra R, which also gets a subtle refresh to keep it current. Check out the whole family in the press release after the jump and the images in the high-res gallery for more.