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VW execs didn't think diesel problem would be so serious

Volkswagen Group has admitted that former chairman Martin Winterkorn received two memos about the diesel scandal in 2014. Top execs ignored the problem because they didn't think it was a serious issue. VW disclosed these details to counter allegations in a German shareholder lawsuit that alleged the automaker violated the law by withholding the info from investors. A memo on May 23, 2014 first advised Winterkorn about emissions cheating. A memo on May 23, 2014, first advised Winterkorn about the study from the International Council on Clean Transportation, which identified the emissions cheating. According to VW, the document was part of the exec's weekend mail, and the company's investigation didn't discover whether Winterkorn actually read it. A rumor last month alleged this memo existed. Another memo for Winterkorn on November 14, 2014 was about several defects, including the diesel engines. The document estimated it would cost 20 million euros ($22 million US at current rates) to fix the problem. The chairman learned about the issue again on July 27, 2015, during a meeting on product issues. "Mr. Winterkorn asked for further clarification of the issue," according to VW's statement. Things got serious at the end of August 2015. Things got serious at the end of August 2015 when technicians explained the diesel issue to the legal department. VW came clean to the California Air Resources Board and the Environmental Protection Agency on September 3. A memo told Winterkorn the next day, which was also previously alleged. According to this investigation, management didn't believe the diesel problem would affect the stock price, and they estimated the cheating might cost at most a few hundred million dollars in fines. The execs were clearly wrong. The share price dropped after the scandal broke last September, and the problems have started to affect its divisions. According to Reuters, Audi reported it suffered 228 million euros ($249 million) in costs in 2015 from the emissions issue and repairing Takata's faulty airbag inflators. Volkswagen still doesn't know the exact costs of the scandal, but the automaker's law firm, Jones Day, plans to release a report in the second half of April to explain the whole affair. By that time, we might also know how VW plans to fix the problem because a judge recently gave the company until March 24 to outline a fix for the 2.0-liter TDI. CARB started evaluating a repair plan for the 3.0-liter TDI in early February.

Audi's CES interior concept foretells a screen-filled A8

Audi is once again offering a glimpse into its future interior-design plans at CES. The new setup is called Virtual Dashboard and is both an extension and an evolution of Virtual Cockpit, which made its debut in Vegas two years ago before winding up in the TT. While this interior mockup is pulled from Audi's recent E-Tron Quattro concept, our man on the ground at CES was told this is "very close" to the interior we'll see in the next Audi A8, which is due in a year or so. Virtual Dashboard is screen-heavy in stark contrast to Virtual Cockpit's single, driver-focussed gauge display. It keeps that and adds a pair of screens to the mix, all of them using OLED (organic light-emitting diode) tech. The central screen measures 14.1 inches diagonally and is curved with a rhomboid border; its AMOLED (active matrix organic light-emitting diode) allows for the irregular shape and curvature. Below that sits a more normal, rectangular screen; both are very well integrated into their surroundings. And as in many current Audis, the shift lever acts as a comfy wrist rest. On the top screen, drivers and passengers get what Audi calls classic information – navigation, audio, settings. The lower screen provides big favorite buttons and also houses on-screen buttons for the climate control. When it's called for, the lower display turns into an input tablet for handwritten entries, an evolution of the small separate touchpad offered in current Audis. The displays use swiping and other gestures familiar to smartphone users, which allow them to interact with each other, for example when swiping to accept a call and move its info to the gauge display. The screens provide haptic feedback that goes beyond what automakers are offering today. Our man at CES says button presses only result from deliberate presses of the screen, meaning you can rest a finger over your selection and it won't activate until you press, just like a real button. Novel. The steering-wheel controls also provide haptic feedback and have been simplified compared to what's on Virtual Cockpit today. When it hits production in the A8 and other vehicles, all of this will be built on the next generation of Audi's infotainment platform, which it's creatively calling MIB2+. It offers more computing power than the current MIB2 system, allowing it to run more displays and offer more connected services over an LTE connection.

Automakers score 8 out of top 20 most-watched ads on YouTube [w/videos]

Who would have ever thought there'd be a day where people are able to skip television commercials only to go to websites to watch them later? Such is the joy of a DVR and YouTube. AdWeek tabulated the 20 most-watched ads on YouTube, and found that nine were car-related including eight coming from automakers.
Volkswagen continued its Star Wars theme with two ads in the top 20, including the highest-ranking car commercial The Bark Side spot at number three with almost 18 million views, which doesn't even have a single car in it. Some of our favorites are from Chrysler with Clint Eastwood in It's Halftime in America and House Arrest with Charlie Sheen for the Fiat 500 Abarth. Chevrolet, Honda, Audi and Toyota were the other automakers in the top 20, but we'd be remiss if we didn't at least mention one of the coolest ads on the list, the Hot Wheels corkscrew jump.
Of all the car videos, only the Fiat ad wasn't played during a Super Bowl. Check out all eight videos - in order - after the jump. Nike took the top spot with its My Time is Now ad that has been seen online more than 20 million times with Pepsi's Uncle Drew posted up in the runner-up; some of the other videos include four Old Spice commercials and an ad in which Snoop Dogg is pedaling Hot Pockets.