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How Porsche will be integrated into VW

By Georg Kacher Motor Industry 20 November 2009 12:32 Although Porsche won't be a fully integrated member of the Volkswagen group before mid-2011, the sports car maker can even at this early point in the merger no longer make independent strategic decisions. After all, Martin Winterkorn has effectively been appointed head of the Porsche SE Holding which in turn employs the Porsche AG chairman Michael Macht.  With a takeover as costly and complicated to fund as this one – all in all, VW will have to fork out a staggering €16 billion to absorb the latest family member – it is only logical that the new owner wants to get the restructuring process going asap. Overnight, Porsche has become easily VW's most expensive brand.How VW will integrate PorscheTo protect and eventually enhance its value, the powers in Wolfsburg will leave no stone unturned to rearrange the product portfolio, to streamline R&D, to shake up purchasing and production, and to ensure a variety of synergies which are estimated to range from €500m to €750m per year.

Goodwood Moving Motor Show: (almost) an unqualified success

The Goodwood Moving Motor Show Yesterday we toddled along to Goodwood to see the set up for this year’s Festival of Speed and to have a look at the Moving Motor Show in action for the first time. We also – courtesy of Jaguar, who had invited us for the day – got an early drive up the hillclimb-based circuit that forms part of the Moving Motor Show’s appeal for the lucky ones who got the opportunity to take the wheel of one of the impressive bunch of cars on display. And it was an impressive bunch, with everything from the Toyota Auris Hybrid to the Rolls Royce Phantom DHC via the Audi R8 and the new Jaguar XJ on offer to drive.

Ford burns through $5.5 billion in 4th quarter as losses mount

Ford Motor Co., the only U.S. automaker operating without federal loans, burned through $5.5 billion in cash during the final three months of 2008 as losses mounted. Ford finished the year with cash reserves of $13.4 billion.