2011 Audi R8 5.2 Quattro Spyder Awd 2dr Convertible 6a on 2040-cars

Auto blog

VW CEO lost his job over buggy software that delayed new models

It says a lot about the state of the auto industry and where it's going that software problems have cost the CEO of a carmaker his job. Volkswagen ousted Herbert Diess as chief executive officer after severe software-development delays set back the scheduled launch of new Porsches, Audis and Bentleys. This was untenable considering buggy software postponed the debut of VW’s initial rollout of ID models, and customers are still having to drop off their cars at the dealer for updates the company has struggled to make over the air. Sure, Diess also didnÂ’t do enough to make allies and became increasingly isolated due to his hard-nosed leadership style. In his push to transform the company into an electric-vehicle leader, he repeatedly clashed with labor leaders by warning VW was losing out to Tesla and needed to cut thousands of jobs. But failures at the carmakerÂ’s software unit Cariad ultimately eroded DiessÂ’s support from the powerful Porsche and Piech family that calls the shots. Back in December, VW overhauled its management board, stripping Diess of some responsibilities while tasking him to turn around Cariad. While thereÂ’s been a lot of re-arranging since then, Diess didnÂ’t manage to make the issues go away. Discord at Cariad has pushed back the rollout of important new models including the electric Porsche Macan, a high-volume sport utility vehicle for the division thatÂ’s planning an initial public offering in the fourth quarter. AudiÂ’s new line of Artemis EVs has been delayed by around two years to 2027. And VWÂ’s ultra-luxury brand Bentley may not be able to go all-electric by the end of this decade as planned because of the software issues, Automobilwoche reported earlier this month. “Taking over the ship at Cariad seems to have been DiessÂ’s downfall,” said Matthias Schmidt, an independent auto analyst based in Berlin. VWÂ’s solutions to challenges tend to reflect its status as an industrial behemoth: itÂ’s able to throw lots of money and people at its problems. But modernizing the company for the digital age is going to take bringing in talent and building skillsets outside its traditional zones of expertise. Drivers increasingly demand intuitive user interfaces and services that could create new revenue streams, if done correctly. “Software is the key to the future,” TeslaÂ’s Elon Musk tweeted when one of his followers asked about VW switching CEOs. Diess certainly didnÂ’t lack ambition.

NHTSA awards Audi A3 and S3 sedans five stars

The Audi A3 and S3 sedans aced the New Car Assessment Program tests run by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, each scoring five stars overall. The A3 sedan adds this latest five-star rating to its Top Safety Pick+ award bestowed upon it by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety earlier this year, and Audi says it's the only Euro premium luxury compact to do that double. The only place either car dropped a single star was for a male driver in the frontal barrier test and in the rollover test. It's clear from the lengthening list of top marks – and its list of safety technology – that it's among the safest sedans you can buy. Featured Gallery 2015 Audi A3: Review View 36 Photos News Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [1], [2] via Audi World Government/Legal Audi Safety Sedan crash test audi s3

Dieselgate defeats Audi's Le Mans racing dynasty

Referring to what the automotive press has dubbed "Dieselgate", Audi's Chairman of the Board of Management Rupert Stadler announced that Audi is pulling out of the FIA World Endurance Championship by the end of the 2016 season. This means Audi will no longer compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. However, that doesn't mean Audi is through with competing on the world stage. Instead of fossil-fuel-powered prototype racing, Audi will now "focus on the things that will keep (it) competitive in the years ahead", namely Formula E. Having worked together previously with Audi tuner ABT and component manufacturer Schaeffler in Formula E, the company is now turning Team ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport into a fully factory-backed outfit. Audi's DTM efforts with the RS 5 DTM will remain untouched for the time being, and the company hasn't made a decision yet as to whether its World Rallycross Championship with the Audi S1 EKS RX quattro will continue. Audi has competed in Le Mans prototype racing for 18 years, during which it secured 13 Le Mans wins. Out of 185 races contested by Audi's LMP cars, they racked up an impressive 106 wins. Audi's victory in 2006 was the first with a TDI engine, and the first hybrid-engine win was claimed in 2012. From 2000 to 2008, Audi won nine consecutive American Le Mans Series titles. Related Video: News Source: AudiImage Credit: REUTERS/Regis Duvignau Green Motorsports Audi Green Automakers Diesel Vehicles Electric Racing Vehicles Formula E abt audi le mans schaeffler