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Audi CEO's Dieselgate arrest threatens fragile truce among VW stakeholders

FRANKFURT — The arrest and detention of Audi's chief executive forces Volkswagen Group's competing stakeholders to renegotiate the delicate balance of power that has helped keep Audi CEO Rupert Stadler in office. Volkswagen's directors are discussing how to run Audi, its most profitable division, following the arrest of the brand's long-time boss on Monday as part of Germany's investigations into the carmaker's emissions cheating scandal. The supervisory board of Audi, meanwhile, has suspended Stadler and appointed Dutchman Bram Schot as an interim replacement, a source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. Schot joined the Volkswagen Group in 2011 after having worked as president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Italia. He has been Audi's board member for sales and marketing since last September. The discussions risk reigniting tensions among VW's controlling Piech and Porsche families, its powerful labor representatives and its home region of Lower Saxony. VW has insisted the development of illegal software, also known as "defeat devices," installed in millions of cars was the work of low-level employees, and that no management board members were involved. U.S. prosecutors have challenged this by indicting VW's former chief executive Martin Winterkorn. Stadler's arrest raises further questions. Audi and VW said on Monday that Stadler was presumed innocent unless proved otherwise. Munich prosecutors detained Stadler to prevent him from obstructing a probe into Audi's emissions cheating, they said on Monday. Stadler is being investigated for suspected fraud and false advertising. Here are the main factors deciding the fate of Audi. Background: Audi's role in Dieselgate Volkswagen Group was plunged into crisis in 2015 after U.S. regulators found Europe's biggest carmaker had equipped cars with software to cheat emissions tests on diesel engines. The technique of using software to detect a pollution test procedure, and to increase the effectiveness of emissions filters to mask pollution levels only during tests, was first developed at Audi. "In designing the defeat device, VW engineers borrowed the original concept of the dual-mode, emissions cycle-beating software from Audi," VW said in its plea agreement with U.S. authorities in January 2017, in which the company agreed to pay a $4.3 billion fine to reach a settlement with U.S. regulators.

All-electric Bentley 6e concept | Autoblog Minute

Bentley debuted the all-electric EXP 6e 12 Speed 6e Concept at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show. Bentley Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video

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