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The Volkswagen Group switches official language to English

The Volkswagen Group can't be fairly thought of as entirely German anymore, so the news that the company is switching its official language to English to help attract managers and executives is a rational, if surprising, decision. While many VW Group companies are still staidly German in character and culture, consider the other companies that it controls: Bentley (British), Bugatti (French), Ducati and Lamborghini (Italian), Skoda (Czech), Scania trucks (Swedish), and SEAT (Spanish). Not to mention the large Volkswagen Group of America operation, which constructs cars in Chattanooga, TN. Volkswagen's explicit motivation is to improve management recruitment – making sure the company isn't losing out on candidates for important positions because they can't speak German – and that's inherently sensible in a globalized economy. Particularly considering, like it or lump it, that English is the lingua franca of said global economy. It also should make it inherently easier to communicate between its world-wide subsidiaries and coordinate operations. It's hard to say for sure if this will have any impact on the consumer, although it's easy to see the benefits if, say, VW Group hires some American product planners or engineers and they push for features and designs that more closely suit American needs. After all, the US is a hugely important market for any manufacturer, and so the switch to English almost certainly has something to do with the outsized influence of the US in the global economy. And there doesn't seem to be a downside from a purely rational perspective, although it could mean that the Group's corporate culture becomes less German. Whether that's a good or a bad thing depends on your perspective. Related Video: Image Credit: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg via Getty Images Plants/Manufacturing Audi Bentley Bugatti Porsche Volkswagen SEAT Skoda

2013 Porsche 911 RSR makes official debut

Porsche is ready to go racing in 2013, showing off a new 911 RSR today that is scheduled to compete in several endurance events this year. Based on the current 991 911, the new RSR will compete in the 2013 season of the World Endurance Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It will not, however, make an appearance in a North American racing series this year.
The 2013 version of the racecar has increased in wheelbase by some four inches, features a new wishbone front suspension in place of the last-generation's McPherson strut setup and boasts a new, lightweight six-speed racing gearbox. The engine, meanwhile, is an "optimized" version of last year's car, a 460-horsepower 4.0-liter boxer six-cylinder. Extensive use of carbon fiber and polycarbonate windows help the RSR shed weight, and Porsche has also balanced the weight more evenly with a lower center of gravity.
Porsche has thoughtfully dedicated some space to celebrate the 911's 50th Anniversary, with the number 50 clearly visible in the top-down view of the RSR, as well as along the doors. Scroll down to read the full Porsche press release, below.

Porsche says next Cayenne will be faster than Bentley Bentayga

Bentley and Porsche are both high-end marques under the same umbrella, and may even be collaborating on development of new models – but while they tend to take different approaches and go after different customers, that doesn't mean they can't share a bit of sibling rivalry. And that spirit of competition – even within the Volkswagen Group – looks to be coming to a head in the form of their upcoming luxury performance crossovers. For his part, Bentley CEO Wolfgang Durheimer promises that the brand's upcoming Bentayga sport-ute will (in its top spec with the W12 engine) be the fastest SUV on the market. But in speaking with Car and Driver, Wolfgang Hatz – who holds the Porsche R&D head office that Durheimer used to occupy – says the Bentley won't be king for long. Porsche just released the new Cayenne Turbo S in Detroit, touting it as the first SUV to crack the eight-minute barrier at the Nurburgring. And Hatz says that the next version will be even faster. "Our Cayenne is always very very quick. It is doing 300 km/h [186 mph]. I think if [Durheimer] is doing 2 to 3 km/h more, then why not? He's doing that with a 12-cylinder. Our car will be much quicker on the road." The next Cayenne is slated to use a new generation of engines, and according to Hatz, will benefit from the same (if not more) weight loss as the new Audi Q7 with which it will share its platform. That sounds like a winning combination to us. That is, at least, for fans of performance crossovers. For those who aren't, Porsche promises it won't be bolstering its lineup with any new ones. Apparently the Cayenne and the smaller Macan are enough. Nor will Zuffenhausen slot anything bigger than a V6 into the Macan, according to the report. While Porsche's baby crossover will surely continue to get faster with new iterations, the Cayenne will always remain the performance flagship of its SUV range. Featured Gallery 2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S News Source: Car and Driver Bentley Porsche Crossover SUV Performance bentley bentayga porsche cayenne turbo s