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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.

McLaren to go full hybrid by 2025 as part of plan for 18 new models and derivatives

A few months ago, McLaren Automotive CEO Mike Flewitt provided some insight on the future lineup at the English carmaker. He told Autocar we could expect the next generation of sportscars to feature hybrid powertrains and some measure of self-driving capability. In comments this weekend at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Flewitt appears to expand on and clarify a few aspects from the earlier report, based on updates to the company's business plan. First, instead of the earlier report that the Super Series and Sports Series would go all by hybrid by 2022, that won't actually be complete until 2025. As with the ubiquitous 3.8-liter V8, a single hybrid powertrain will come in different outputs in different models. Flewitt wouldn't confirm whether the hybrid would be based around a V6. He did say, however, that the system is "designed... to have more differentiation than we have had out of the current package," and performance variety would come from tweaking the electric portion of the powerplant, not the ICE. He didn't expand on that point, but that could mean a wider range of driving characteristics within each series, or a greater power spread between series', or both. The carmaker's working on batteries that can do 30 minutes of track use, suggesting a potent pack with a high degree of tunability. The 2025 deadline for hybridization could be due to a rollout of 18 new models and derivatives. Right now, McLaren makes six cars, five in the entry-tier Sports Series, the lone 720S in the Super Series; we don't count the Senna because it's sold out. Even overhauling the entire lineup, and counting the BP23 and the P1 successor in 2025, that still leaves ten new and offshoot models in the next seven years. Whatever they are, they'll help McLaren reach its increased target of 6,000 sales a year by 2025. Flewitt also took the chance to swap the word "autonomy" for "augmentation" when speaking of future driver assistance technology. In the Autocar report, the CEO said the lineup would need autonomous features "designed in for safety, legislation, and emissions." At Goodwood, he recast the driver aids as "'augmentation' technology,'" the focus on helping the driver be better behind the wheel instead of taking the wheel for him. "Imagine," said COO Jens Ludman, "having a virtual coach who could show you how to improve on a track." Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

McLaren already has a special version of the just-out 720S

McLaren hasn't wasted anytime showing a special variant of the 720S. Just a day after the standard model was shown at Geneva, it rolled out a custom version built by McLaren Special Operations. It's the McLaren MSO 720S Velocity, and is one of five custom 720S models built by the company. The Velocity is the only one on display at Geneva, though, and its other models, the GT, Pacific, Track, and Stealth, are just shown on screens at the McLaren booth. According to McLaren, the Velocity and its counterparts are meant to show buyers how the MSO division can customize a 720S to their specific tastes. The Velocity specifically features a paint job consisting of both a light pearl red and a darker shade. The light red covers the tail and sides, while the dark red covers the front and top portions of the car. The two reds fade into each other, and the dark red even fades into a red-tinted hood from MSO. Other MSO carbon fiber parts adorn the exterior, too, and custom-painted bronze wheels contrast with the red. Inside, the interior is swathed in black Alcantara with bright red leather accents and stitching. And of course, more exposed carbon fiber bits from MSO decorate the cabin. If all of this looks good to you, McLaren would be happy to build one just like it, or something completely original, for you. The company estimates the cost of a car like the Velocity at GBP335,000, which is about $407,500 at current exchange rates. The final pricing for the standard 720S hasn't been released yet, but even if it's a bit higher than the 650S, which retailed at $265,500, the MSO version commands a steep price. But for people who absolutely must have a one-off car, it might be worth it. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.