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.

Cycling charity given pothole funds

MONEY TO ENABLE more cyclists to report pothole problems through a new smartphone application is being provided by the Government. Whitehall is giving £30,000 to help cycling charity the Cyclists' Touring Club (CTC), revamp its '"Fill That Hole" website and develop a new app. More than nine million iPhone users can download the website's current app to report potholed roads to their councils.

Audi R8 E-tron (2012) sets new 'Ring record

Audi has set a new electric road car lap record of 8:09:099 minutes around the Nurburgring Nordschleife in Germany. The fully electric supercar isn't just a concept though - it's gearing up for sales before the end of 2012. How did the R8 E-tron lap the 'Ring so fast?