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Former Audi chief designer Wolfgang Egger leaves Italdesign

The latest word from the international community of automotive designers has it that Wolfgang Egger is leaving Italdesign, but just where the accomplished designer will land next and who will take his place remain big question marks. Egger is a designer who has bounced back and forth between Italy and Germany over the course of his career. He was born in Germany but studied in Milan. He began his career at Alfa Romeo in 1989 and was named its chief designer by 1993 before being head-hunted by the Volkswagen Group in 1998 to head up the design department at Seat. A few years later he went returned to Italy to run the Lancia design department, and was subsequently renamed to the same post at Alfa Romeo. In 2007 he went back to his native Germany to head up the Audi design office, over which he assumed complete responsibility by 2012, but left Audi in 2013 to run Italdesign. For those unfamiliar, Italdesign is the studio founded by Giorgetto Giugiaro (pictured at left next to Egger) back in 1968 but which, along with many other Italian design houses, fell on hard times in recent years. The Volkswagen Group swooped in to rescue the troubled studio in 2010, turning it into something of an in-house advanced design department to provide an alternative perspective on the direction in which the group and its various brands could take their respective designs moving forward. With Egger now leaving its helm, Italdesign and its German parent company will need to find his replacement, and we're sure they'll announce one in due course. The bigger question on our minds, however, is where Egger himself will head next. Given the path his career has taken to date, we wouldn't be surprised to see him land elsewhere in the Volkswagen Group or find a new role in the expanding Fiat Chrysler Automobiles empire. Then again, Egger could find it time to open an entirely new chapter. Watch this space. News Source: Car Design NewsImage Credit: Newspress Design/Style Hirings/Firings/Layoffs Audi Volkswagen designer italdesign giugiaro wolfgang egger

Volkswagen C Coupe GTE bows in Shanghai

Following the debut of the slick, semi-aggressive Sport Coupe GTE concept in Geneva, Volkswagen is bringing something a bit more grandiose to the Shanghai Motor Show. It's called the C Coupe GTE, and it points the way forward for Volkswagen's large sedans – in China, at least. The C Coupe GTE is low and long, and rides on the same Volkswagen MLB platform that underpins vehicles like the Audi A6. Volkswagen's head of design, Klaus Bischoff, says "the C Coupe GTE very clearly shows the new 'face' of top Volkswagen sedans for the first time," so get used to this design. We think it's pretty attractive, and a car like this could easily work as an upper-tier CC replacement. But don't get your hopes up too much – VW USA says this concept was "designed chiefly for the Chinese market." That's evident inside, where the C Coupe boasts a four-passenger seating configuration with luxurious accommodations for folks in back. In fact, backseat riders can share data with the driver via the car's infotainment system. "Information about the manager's appointments can be transferred via a smartphone to the infotainment system," says Volkswagen. "Parallel to this, the appointment list also serves to plan the navigation route for the day. However, the chauffeur only has specifically filtered information for the infotainment system to facilitate punctual arrival at the destination." Like other GTE-badged models, the C Coupe uses a plug-in hybrid powertrain. That means it's got a four-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine, an electric motor, and a 14.1-kWh lithium-ion battery, all mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Total system output is 242 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, and Volkswagen says the C Coupe can travel up to 31 miles in electric mode (at speeds up to 81 miles per hour). Hitting 62 mph takes 8.6 seconds, but when driven economically, Volkswagen says the sedan can achieve up to 102 miles per gallon (on the Euro cycle) and cruising range is a whopping 684 miles. See the C Coupe GTE for yourself in the slideshow above, and scroll down for a huge helping of information in VW's press blast. VOLKSWAGEN DEBUTS C COUPE GTE IN SHANGHAI New plug-in hybrid concept car points the way to the future of large Volkswagen sedans Wolfsburg/Shanghai, April 2015 - Volkswagen is expanding its model range at high speed and the latest show of this intent is on display at Auto Shanghai-the C Coupe GTE.

10 best new car deals in late September 2021

New car sales were drastically affected in 2020 due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but things started to show signs of recovery toward the end of the year before really coming on strong in the early months of 2021. Now there's an ongoing shortage of microchips causing a great deal of pricing fluctuation and a limited supply of certain vehicles. That doesn't mean there aren't still great deals on new cars, though. Using data provided by TrueCar, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best automotive deals for September 2021. WeÂ’ve noted the original MSRP, the average transaction price, and the total savings in both dollars and as a percentage of the original sticker price. Basically, weÂ’ve done all the hard work for you! So now, all you need to do is compare deals, go on a few test drives, and maybe drive away in a great car (and an even better bargain).