Volkswagen says Italdesign purchase will boost its growth strategy

Volkswagen AG will acquire a 90 percent stake in Italdesign Giugiaro S.p.A., VW said Tuesday. The Giugiaro family will retain 10 percent in the 42-year-old automotive styling company that is famous for designing cars such as the first-generation Volkswagen Golf. VW CEO Martin Winterkorn said Italdesign will make an important contribution to the automaker's 2018 global growth strategy.

Volkswagen creates driving style-linked music app

VOLKSWAGEN has created a new smartphone that improvises its own music based on how the car is being driven. Working with British electronic musicians Underworld, Volkswagen has built the experimental ‘Play the Road’ app to help celebrate the launch of the seventh generation Golf GTI. It works by connecting to the car and using its own in-built accelerometer to analyse speed, engine revs, steering, throttle and braking inputs and the urgency of each to create a unique, ever-changing music that ranges from serene background chillout vibes to fast-paced electronica.

Pininfarina 2uettottanta (2010) at Geneva motor show

How do you make a Ferrari 458 Italia and Maserati Grancabrio look a bit bland? Plonk them on stage next to your stunning concept. That’s exactly what Pininfarina did at the 2010 Geneva motor show with its Alfa Romeo 2uettottanta show car, and next to it the black 458 and cream Grancabrio garnered no attention whatsoever.