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Watch VW Group Night kick off the Frankfurt festivities

The Frankfurt Motor Show is Volkswagen's home affair. As a result, the whole of the automaker group makes a big splash, even before the show doors open. We'll be live from the Frankfurt floor starting early tomorrow morning, but tonight we're posted up in the stands at the always-entertaining Volkswagen Group Night. To give you a taste of what it's like to be there, we're going to be shooting some man-on-the-scenes video as the night progresses. Below you'll find videos of all the best that VW Group brands – Audi, Lamborghini, VW, the lot – have to offer, as quick as we can upload them. So, enjoy the Short Cut Videos you see here. And stay tuned as we add more to the tally, below. And, of course, be sure to check in on Autoblog early and often tomorrow, when we bring you official debuts of new production vehicles and concept cars, a ton of new video content, live image galleries, and lots more.Seat Leon Cross Sport Bentley Bentayga Lamborghini Huracan LP 610-4 Spyder Volkswagen Multivan PanAmerican Edition Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo Concept Audi E-Tron Quattro Concept Audi A4 Ducati Monster 1200 R Volkswagen Tiguan Skoda Superb Combi Porsche 911 Carrera S Coupe and Cabrio Volkswagen Tiguan GTE Porsche Mission E Concept Volkswagen Group Night Finale Green Frankfurt Motor Show Audi Bentley Bugatti Lamborghini Volkswagen SEAT Skoda Videos Original Video Frankfurt 2015

One-of-a-kind Bugatti Chiron Profilee sells for over $10 million at auction

The one and only Bugatti Chiron Profilee has become the most expensive new car ever sold at an auction. RM Sotheby's sold it in Paris for precisely ˆ9,792,500 including the buyer's premium, a sum that represents approximately $10.8 million at the current conversion rate. For context, the Profilee makes the standard Chiron (which is sold-out) look like a bargain. Bugatti charged about $3 million for it, meaning the anonymous collector who took home the one-off car could have bought three regular Chiron models instead. With that said, we're not 100% surprised by the result: in addition to being a unique car, the Profilee stands out as the last W16-powered car available from Bugatti. Bugatti didn't envision the Profilee as a one-off; far from it. The model was developed with limited production in mind as a toned-down version of the Pur Sport that puts a bigger focus on touring than on handling. Changes such as wider front air dams, a bigger grille, and a small rear wing with a hollow middle section change the coupe's aerodynamic profile, and Bugatti also tweaked the steering and suspension systems. Shorter ratios in the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission make the Profilee the quickest evolution of the Chiron. Production should have been capped at 30 units globally, but Bugatti canned the project after it filled all of the available Chiron build slots. There's no word on who bought the Chiron Profilee or where it's off to, so keep your eyes peeled at the next cars and coffee gathering. Related video:

Bugatti and Rimac joint venture profitable 'beyond expectations'

WARWICK, England — The joint venture between Croatian electric carmaker Rimac and Bugatti has been far more profitable than anticipated as the two brands work on developing vehicles together under one roof, Rimac's top executive said on Wednesday. "It's highly profitable and cash flow positive beyond anybody's expectations," Rimac CEO Mate Rimac told Reuters in an interview at the UK offices of the carmaker's Rimac Technology unit in Warwick. "It's such a win-win situation for everybody." Rimac added the joint venture has brought "lots of synergies going both ways." The Rimac Group comprises the Bugatti-Rimac JV, producing the electric sportscar Nevera and the Bugatti Chiron — which is owned 45% by Porsche AG — and a technology unit which supplies battery systems and powertrain components to other carmakers. Earlier this year the group raised 500 million euros ($519 million) in a new funding round. Rimac's CEO said the company has developed a "really close strategic relationship" with Porsche, which was listed by its parent Volkswagen in October. Porsche holds a 20% stake in the Rimac group. "We are really collaborating on many levels, developing and producing lots of key elements of their (Porsche's) future hybridization and electrification," he said. Rimac's CEO said the group must become more like Ferrari with a predictable, stable and profitable business before it can contemplate an initial public offering. "They (Ferrari) make projections and they always achieve," he said. "What I want to have is some kind of stability and certainty before we do an IPO because we don't want to make promises we can't keep." An IPO could happen anytime from three years to a decade from now, and could involve going public as a group or spinning off a unit, he said, but is definitely coming because "we obviously have financial investors that at some point want to exit." Related video: Earnings/Financials Green Bugatti Porsche Electric Luxury Performance Supercars Rimac