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VW CEO under fire after emissions scandal, stock slide

Pressure piled on the head of Volkswagen on Monday in the wake of an emissions-testing scandal that's seen around 15 billion euros ($16.9 billion) wiped off the company's market value. Following revelations that the German carmaker had rigged US emissions tests for about 500,000 diesel cars, VW CEO Martin Winterkorn apologized Sunday for the fact that his company had "broken the trust of our customers and the public." But saying sorry wasn't enough for investors as they digested the financial and reputational implications of the scandal on the world's biggest carmaker by sales – in mid-afternoon trading in Frankfurt, Volkswagen's share price was down a stunning 17.8 percent at a near three-year low of 132.15 euros. Earlier it had tumbled by more than 20 percent. In the wake of Friday's revelations from the US's Environmental Protection Agency, VW has already halted sales of some vehicles in the US and pledged to cooperate with regulators in an investigation that could, in theory, see the company fined up to $18 billion. Industry analysts said the VW CEO faces difficult questions in the coming days, particularly when the company's board is scheduled to meet Friday. "At the moment, I'd be surprised if Winterkorn can ride this out." - Christian Stadler "At the moment, I'd be surprised if Winterkorn can ride this out, but in Germany there's often a slightly slower process in these matters," said Christian Stadler, a professor of strategic management at Warwick Business School who researches the car industry. Stadler said that if VW were a US company, then the CEO would have gone more or less immediately. In essence, Volkswagen stands accused of skirting the US's clean air rules. The EPA said VW used a device programmed to detect when the cars are undergoing official emissions testing. The software device then turns off the emissions controls during normal driving situations, allowing the cars to emit more than the legal limit of pollutants. Guido Reinking, a German auto expert, said that for a company to engage in such blatant trickery the company's top executives would have to be informed. Winterkorn, an engineer by training, led research and development across the VW group from 2007. He became chairman of the management board the same year. "It's almost impossible to imagine that he didn't know about this special way of programming the engine," Reinking told German television station n-tv.

The best Super Bowl car commercials from the last 5 years

If you've been dipping into the Autoblog feed over the past days and weeks, you wouldn't even have to be a sports fan to know the Super Bowl is coming up. Automakers have been teasing their spots for the big game, dropping them days early, fully-formed onto the Internet and otherwise trying to amp up the multi-million-dollar outlays that they've made for air time on the biggest advertising day of the year. And, we're into it. The lead up to the Super Bowl is almost akin to a mini auto show around these parts; with automakers being amongst the most prolific advertisers on these special Sundays. The crop of ads from 2015 looks as strong as ever, but we thought we'd take a quick look back at some of our favorite spots from the last five years. Take a look at our picks – created from a very informal polling of Autoblog editors and presented in no particular order – and then tell us about your recent faves, in Comments. Chrysler, Imported From Detroit Chrysler, Eminem and a lingering pan shot of "The Fist" – it doesn't get much more Motown than 2011's Imported From Detroit. With the weight of our staffers hailing from in and around The D, it's no wonder that our memories still favor this epic Super Bowl commercial (even though the car it was shilling was crap). Imported really set the tone for later Chrysler ads, too, repeated the formula: celebrity endorsement + dramatic copy + dash of jingoism = pulled car-guy heartstrings. Mercedes-Benz, Soul teaser with Kate Upton One of our favorite Super Bowl commercials (and yours, based on the insane number of views you logged) didn't even technically air during the game. Mercedes-Benz teased its eventual spot Soul with 90-seconds worth of Kate Upton threatening to do her best Joy Harmon impression. (Teaser indeed.) It doesn't win points for cleverness, use of music, acting, or any compelling carness, but it proved that Mercedes' advertisers knew how to make a splash in the Internet Age. And, hey, it's still classier than every GoDaddy commercial. Kia, A Dream Car. For Real Life Like the Mercedes video above, the initial draw here is a pretty lady; in this case the always stunning Adriana Lima. But this Kia commercial really delivers the extra effort we expect while scarfing crabby snacks and homemades, too. First of all, Motley Crue. Second, a cowboy on a bucking rhino. Enjoy yet again.

Volkswagen bringing production GTI Clubsport to Frankfurt

"No plans for the car to be sold here." It's probably good I read that part of the email from Volkswagen before I looked at the photos and read the release for the car you see above. It's the production-spec GTI Clubsport. It's coming to the Frankfurt Motor Show. It's awesome. And I want one. I know, I'm kind of a GTI fanboy, but really, there's a lot to like here. The special-edition hot hatch is essentially a road-going version of the concept Volkswagen brought to Worthersee this year, complete with a more powerful engine. It produces 261 horsepower – a healthy increase over the 210 hp of the base GTI (or 220 if the car is fitted with the performance pack) – and can even crank out 286 hp for short bursts, thanks to an overboost function. Hitting 62 miles per hour takes six seconds flat with the six-speed manual gearbox, and that time is reduced to 5.9 seconds should you opt for the six-speed dual-clutch automatic. Even with these upgrades, VW says the GTI Clubsport will still return nearly 34 miles per gallon with the manual transmission. Volkswagen doesn't specifically mention any chassis upgrades, however. In its press release, VW simply says that the GTI Clubsport "has groundbreaking handling properties at high speeds and breathtaking cornering speeds." Cool. I'm sure it'll be a riot. A lot of the exterior is new: the front bumper, side sills, rear diffuser, roof spoiler, and aluminum wheels are all unique to the Clubsport. Buyers can choose between 18- or 19-inch rollers, the tailpipes are larger than those on a standard GTI, and the LED lights out back have a black/red, dark finish. Inside, the Clubsport comes with racing buckets covered in tartan fabric (of course) and there's Alcantara everywhere. Fellow GTI fans, get excited about this one – even if it's just another delicious piece of forbidden fruit. Still, I can't wait to see it live in Frankfurt next week. Related Video: VOLKSWAGEN TO UNVEIL MORE POWERFUL GTI CLUBSPORT AT THE FRANKFURT INTERNATIONAL MOTOR SHOW New anniversary model celebrates the GTI's 40th birthday - 265 PS special edition accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in 5.9 seconds - An overboost function increases power to more than 290 PS for a short time - Expressive exterior design features new front bumper, side skirts, rear diffusor and multi-part roof spoiler Wolfsburg, September 9, 2015 – At the beginning of 2016, the iconic sporty compact—the Golf GTI— celebrates its 40th birthday.