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Volkswagen Group's Vision 2030 strategy could bring revolution to the brands

One would expect a corporate plan called "Vision 2030," looking 11 years ahead through wildly tumultuous times, to involve great change and numerous forks in numerous roads. According to Automobile's breakdown of Volkswagen's path forward, though, the plans contain some lurid potential surprises. The ultimate aim is return on investment, and that means ruthless reorganization of a conglomerate with eight primary car brands, two car sub-brands, and Ducati motorcycles. The first two Vision 2030 cornerstones Automobile mentions are near boilerplate: Production network restructuring, and "streamlining of key technologies." The latter two are the ones that could upend what we know as the Volkswagen Group: focusing on the Group's core brands — meaning Audi, Porsche, and VW — and transitioning to EVs, autonomy, and other mobility solutions. Based on the report, a quote from Audi's CTO referring to the Audi brand could cover how the Group plans to handle all of its brands: "We need to find a sustainable solution for the indefinite transition period until EVs eventually take over." The boutique divisions adjacent to carmaking, Ducati and Italdesign, look likely to be spun off. For the halo car brands — Bentley, Bugatti, and Lamborghini — apparently shareholders want double-digit returns on investment, and the trio doesn't have long to hit the target. One eyebrow raiser is when the report states, "Bugatti is tipped to be gifted to [ex-VW Group Chairman] Ferdinand Piech." Piech fathered the Veyron during his tenure at VW, and it was thought he commissioned the La Voiture Noire, but he's lately stepped so far back from VW that he sold all his shares in the Group. Automobile quoted a senior strategist as saying of money-losing Bentley, "Why invest on a backward-looking enterprise when you can support a trendsetter? A proud history and excellent craftmanship alone don't cut it anymore." We guess no one at Ferrari, McLaren, or even Porsche got that memo. Bentley is reportedly close to being put in time out, and if brand CEO Adrian Hallmark can't right the Crewe ship, the hush-hush Plan B is to prop the Flying B up enough to lure a buyer. As for Lamborghini, caught between two masters at Audi and Porsche, even record-breaking numbers at the Italian supercar maker barely staved off sacrilege. It's said that VW brand CEO Herbert Diess considered putting a 5.0-liter Porsche V8 into the Aventador successor.

Lego Technic's first Lamborghini is a 1/8-scale, 3,696-piece Sian

Autoblog may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Pricing and availability are subject to change. The sold-out Lamborghini Sian FKP 37 represents a milestone in the company's history — its first production-bound hybrid, its most powerful street-legal car, and the first Raging Bull added to the Lego Technic catalog. Denmark's best-known brick builder turned the Sian into a monster of a kit made up of 3,696 pieces. They come together to form a 1/8-scale model that's over 23 inches long, five inches tall, and nine inches wide. We hope you have a big enough desk (or shelf) to display it on. Going big allowed designers to make the plastic Sian surprisingly realistic. Opening the scissor doors reveals a detailed cockpit with a steering wheel that turns the front wheels and a pair of shift paddles connected to a fully functional eight-speed sequential gearbox. Up front, there's a frunk containing a Lamborghini-branded bag and a unique serial number that unlocks special content, though neither Lego nor Lamborghini has shed light on what buyers will be able to access with it. Most of the space behind the passenger compartment is hogged by a naturally-aspirated V12 engine with movable pistons, carbon fiber-like trim, and a plaque showing its hypothetical firing order. Builders will also need to mount Lamborghini-branded calipers onto the discs and assemble a movable suspension system on both ends. Lego's version of the Lamborghini Sian FKP 37 will be available on its website and in its stores on June 1. Other retailers (like toy stores) will begin receiving the model on August 1. Lamborghini told us it will cost $380. For context, the life-sized, 819-horsepower Sian is strictly limited to 63 examples worldwide and every example was spoken for before the model made its public debut at the 2019 Frankfurt auto show. Lamborghini hasn't revealed pricing for it, either, but it's reasonable to assume that it landed well into seven-digit territory. 2020 has been a good year for fans of scaled-down Italian cars sold with some assembly required. Lego Technic's first Ducati, a Panigale V4 R, made its debut in April as a 12.6-inch long, 646-piece kit with a two-speed transmission. In March, the rear-engined Fiat 500 joined Lego's Creator Expert catalog in a box with 960 pieces. Related Video:    

Recharge Wrap-up: Energica Ego drag race video, GM recycles Flint Crisis water bottles

Watch the electric Energica Ego streetbike face off against a race-spec Kawasaki and Lamborghini. First, the street-legal EV bike takes on the Pedercini Racing World Superbike Kawasaki ZX-10R. While they're about equally matched in 0-62 mph acceleration (at three seconds), the race-spec Kawasaki appears to finish first. It's a closer finish compared to the stock version of the bike. The Energica, however, leaves the Lamborghini Gallardo LP570 Super Trofeo far behind in the quarter mile. Watch the video above, and if you're hungry for more, watch the Energica Ego take on a Tesla and a Ferrari in an earlier video. GM is recycling 2 million water bottles from the crisis in Flint, Michigan to make coats for the homeless, engine covers, and air filters. The bottles are an addition to the automaker's ongoing Do Your Part recycling program. Of the 2 million bottles being transformed into other products, a number will become engine covers for the Chevrolet Equinox V6, while others will be turned into air filters for 10 GM manufacturing facilities. The most novel and noble use, though, will be to turn the recycled plastic fleece into coats for the homeless. The coats themselves – which are made by formerly homeless women through The Empowerment Plan – transform into sleeping bags. Read more from GM. An urban mobility organization called the Transit Center is calling for simpler bus routes to make riding more bearable. Using the hastag #StraighterIsGreater, the group has called upon citizens to share the most convoluted routes that lead to long, boring, inconvenient, and inefficient travel. The Transit Center believes smarter, simpler bus routes would improve commute times and help convince more people to use public transportation. There are certainly obstacles to streamlining routes while continuing to accommodate the most riders, though, but many people are sharing their favorite successful examples on Twitter. Read more from CityLab. Related Gallery Energica Ego: First Ride View 26 Photos News Source: YouTube: ih8u2be, GM, CityLab Green Motorsports GM Lamborghini Automakers Green Automakers Transportation Alternatives Motorcycle Electric Videos recharge wrapup