1978 Vw Super Beetle on 2040-cars

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The VW emissions carnage assessment with an upside

Bombs cause destruction. Even if they're intelligently guided and pinpoint, there's always collateral damage. The strange Volkswagen brew, which is still spontaneously combusting in plain sight, will result in aftershocks for years. And the professional end of the corporation's top leadership will not be the only casualties. Blows are striking shareholder confidence, the residual value of the cars involved, consumer confidence, and the German economy itself. A hard rain's going to fall elsewhere, too. Here are just four damage assessment areas. The High-Compression Past and Low-Compassion Future of Diesels Despite European and especially German manufacturers' high belief that diesel engines were a way to light-duty automotive salvation, VW's scandal started the last nail in the fuel's coffin. Regulations both in the U.S. and in Europe for particulates and nitrogen oxide (NOx) are getting much harder to meet, and this is at the very core of VW's deception. Even with the high-cost exhaust after-treatment systems, sky-high fuel pressure, and sophisticated electronics, the inescapable NOx realities won't be washable by technology in an affordable way. German engineering pride will have to work a real miracle to meet these looming regs and the stain of VW's scandal did the whole diesel movement no favors. Perhaps not so ironically, the E.U. adopted more stringent emission standards this year, which closely mimic the U.S. Tier 2, Bin 5 figures phased in for 2008. Indeed, when VW announced it was able to meet the stringent US NOx emissions standards in 2009 for its diesel engines without urea injection as an exhaust after-treatment, it was a particularly high point of engineering pride for the company. No other manufacturer had figured out how to do so. One Honda official at the time remarked that they had simply no idea how VW was achieving this feat and Honda couldn't come close. Well, neither could VW. On a macro scale, European cities are also starting to face government fines for air quality violations. This is forcing those cities to find various ways to cut smog-related causes like tailpipe emissions. In fact, Paris has gone to the length of restricting car use on a sliding scale when smog persists, while electric cars are free to roam. France's longer and larger plan is banning diesel fuel for light-duty transportation entirely. But why was there a frothy focus by the European manufacturers on diesels in the first place?

German authorities investigate Winterkorn

Former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn is potentially walking away from the embattled automaker with a $32-million pension, but his retirement might not be quite so relaxed because German prosecutors in the city of Braunschweig (also called Brunswick) are now investigating his role in VW's diesel emissions evasion. The lawyers want to know whether he committed fraud, and a conviction could mean up to 10 years in prison, according to the Associated Press. However, this process is still in its earliest stages, and Winterkorn is long way from sitting in a courtroom. With other high-profile corporate cases in Germany as a guide, a trial could be years away. Lawyers haven't even questioned the former CEO, yet. In Germany, people are free to file criminal complaints, and prosecutors then decide whether a full investigation is necessary. According to the AP, Braunschweig has received about 12 grievances so far, including one from Volkswagen. The law in the country also doesn't allow charging businesses with wrongdoing, only people. Winterkorn resigned from his role at the top of VW last week, just a day after issuing a video apology for the automaker's actions. Former Porsche boss Matthias Muller has succeeded him. Along with having a new person in charge, the automaker's Supervisory Board instituted a thorough corporate reshuffle to put more focus on various regions and give brands additional power by early next year. Related Video:

Volkswagen Tiguan tunes up for Frankfurt show

Volkswagen is in the phase of testing where it's simply beating the crap out of the next-generation Tiguan. The German manufacturer is conducting high-altitude towing tests in the Alps of mules wearing the production-ready body of its second-gen compact CUV. This is the first time we've seen the Tiguan in its production body, and despite the ample camouflage, the resemblance to not only the Passat sedan, but the Cross Coupe GTE and CrossBlue concepts, is clear. That's particularly true based on what we can see of the new Tiguan's grille and headlight treatment. In back, the Tiguan will adopt a more sporting roofline, particularly in the aggressive rake of the D-pillar. It's significantly different than the current car, and frankly, that's no bad thing. Expect the usual array of gas and diesel four cylinders with both front- and all-wheel drive on offer. On the high end, meanwhile, our spies claim a 300-horsepower R model could eventually be added to the range. Aside from its new look, future variants could see the crossover spawn both a long-wheelbase version and a coupe-like model. That said, we're wondering how a long-wheelbase Tiguan would fit into the VW range alongside the long-rumored, American-built, three-rower. According to our spies, though, neither one of those vehicles would arrive until well after the vehicle shown above debuts. As for when we can expect to see the second-gen Tiguan, our spies point to September's Frankfurt Motor Show. Be sure to check back then.