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Volkswagen Group's Vision 2030 strategy could bring revolution to the brands

One would expect a corporate plan called "Vision 2030," looking 11 years ahead through wildly tumultuous times, to involve great change and numerous forks in numerous roads. According to Automobile's breakdown of Volkswagen's path forward, though, the plans contain some lurid potential surprises. The ultimate aim is return on investment, and that means ruthless reorganization of a conglomerate with eight primary car brands, two car sub-brands, and Ducati motorcycles. The first two Vision 2030 cornerstones Automobile mentions are near boilerplate: Production network restructuring, and "streamlining of key technologies." The latter two are the ones that could upend what we know as the Volkswagen Group: focusing on the Group's core brands — meaning Audi, Porsche, and VW — and transitioning to EVs, autonomy, and other mobility solutions. Based on the report, a quote from Audi's CTO referring to the Audi brand could cover how the Group plans to handle all of its brands: "We need to find a sustainable solution for the indefinite transition period until EVs eventually take over." The boutique divisions adjacent to carmaking, Ducati and Italdesign, look likely to be spun off. For the halo car brands — Bentley, Bugatti, and Lamborghini — apparently shareholders want double-digit returns on investment, and the trio doesn't have long to hit the target. One eyebrow raiser is when the report states, "Bugatti is tipped to be gifted to [ex-VW Group Chairman] Ferdinand Piech." Piech fathered the Veyron during his tenure at VW, and it was thought he commissioned the La Voiture Noire, but he's lately stepped so far back from VW that he sold all his shares in the Group. Automobile quoted a senior strategist as saying of money-losing Bentley, "Why invest on a backward-looking enterprise when you can support a trendsetter? A proud history and excellent craftmanship alone don't cut it anymore." We guess no one at Ferrari, McLaren, or even Porsche got that memo. Bentley is reportedly close to being put in time out, and if brand CEO Adrian Hallmark can't right the Crewe ship, the hush-hush Plan B is to prop the Flying B up enough to lure a buyer. As for Lamborghini, caught between two masters at Audi and Porsche, even record-breaking numbers at the Italian supercar maker barely staved off sacrilege. It's said that VW brand CEO Herbert Diess considered putting a 5.0-liter Porsche V8 into the Aventador successor.

Lamborghini's first US Winter Accademia should be snow freaking cool

Though they are equipped almost exclusively with all-wheel drive, a Lamborghini might not be our first choice to drive in the snow. Not for practical reasons, anyway. But the idea sure does sound like fun – and probably more than a little bit educational, too. That's why Lamborghini established the Winter Accademia. Similar to the warm-weather Lamborghini Accademia we recently undertook at Laguna Seca, the Lamborghini Winter Accademia is a factory-organized advanced driving course, only this one takes place in the snow. The program was previously held only in Livogno, Italy, but the Bolognese automaker is now bringing it to the United States. Lamborghini will hold its Winter Accademia program during two sessions in early February at Snowmass in Aspen, Colorado (the same resort town where Ferrari held its winter driving program for the FF). During those sessions, pupils will have the chance to drive the Aventador and Huracan in the snow under the tutelage of factory instructors who will teach them techniques like emergency braking, drifting and lapping a makeshift roadcourse in the snow. Which sounds not only like a whole lot of fun, but like good skills to anyone who doesn't want to put their high-performance sports car in the garage for the entirety of the winter season. LAMBORGHINI ANNOUNCES FIRST-EVER NORTH AMERICAN WINTER ACCADEMIA FOR 2015 High Performance, Dynamic Ice and Snow Driving Coupled with Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity in Aspen/Snowmass HERNDON, Va., December 9, 2014 – Lamborghini Squadra Corse is gearing-up for its first-ever North American-based winter driving school. The 2015 Winter Accademia at Aspen/Snowmass will provide driving enthusiasts and brand aficionados an opportunity to push exclusive Lamborghini cars and themselves to the limit. For those who crave the opportunity, the Lamborghini Winter Accademia program, which takes place February 5-7 and 6-8, 2015 in Aspen/Snowmass, Colorado, will allow enthusiasts to experience the all-wheel-drive supremacy of the Aventador LP 700-4 as well as the Huracan LP 610-4 on ice and snow. Under the guidance of passionate, professional Lamborghini instructors, participants will not only handle critical winter-driving conditions, but learn techniques exclusive to the Lamborghini Winter Accademia Program.

Pininfarina teases its Tesla- and Bugatti-baiting EV supercar

Pininfarina isn't being bashful when it comes to getting into the car business. The Italian design house has revealed a sketch of the PF0 Concept, an electric supercar aimed directly at the world's fastest and most expensive vehicles. With upward of 1,000 horsepower, along with an expected price in the millions of dollars, this extreme EV is meant as a calling card for Pininfarina's upcoming range of electric cars and SUVs. So should the likes of Tesla, Porsche, Ferrari, Bugatti and Lamborghini be worried? Pininfarina might be new to building its own cars, but the company has many decades of experience designing and engineering some of the most desirable cars of all time — including many of the finest supercars to have worn a Ferrari badge on their nose. As we reported earlier this year, Pininfarina has teamed with Indian auto manufacturer, Mahindra, to develop a range of high-end EVs. With this roughly $500 million investment, not to mention some engineering help from Croatian supercar manufacturer, Rimac, Pininfarina aims to start high. The company will first introduce a hypercar, based on the PF0 Concept, within two years, then bring along a range of more affordable electric cars and SUVs. These will more directly take on the likes of Porsche Cayenne, Lamborghini Urus, and Tesla Model X. So yes, if you're in the business of building expensive cars, especially ones with a lot of batteries positioned inside them, Pininfarina's plans for the PF0 (that's a zero, not the letter "O," by the way) should make you sit up and take notice. "Automobili Pininfarina is a pioneering new business created to service the most discerning clients in the world," said Michael Perschke, CEO for Automobili Pininfarina. "Our product portfolio will launch with an innovative, zero-emissions hypercar that represents the progression we aim to make at the pinnacle of the luxury and sports car market." According to its press release, Pininfarina is currently presenting its "business and product plans to prospective retailer partners, clients and media in New York this week." After its tour of the Big Apple, look for Pininfarina to officially reveal the PF0 Concept during Monterey Car Week in August. Related Video: Design/Style Green Bugatti Lamborghini Porsche Tesla Electric Future Vehicles Luxury Performance Pebble Beach supercar mahindra hypercar Rimac