Piech hopes to bow out on smell of an oily rag

VOLKSWAGEN Group CEO Dr Ferdinand Piech (pictured) has revealed he plans to drive into retirement in an experimental 1.0-litre car.

That's 1.0L/100km fuel consumption rather than a reference to engine size. VW has been at the forefront of fuel consumption improvements in petrol and diesel engines, already retailing a 3.0-litre car based on its Lupo mini.

Speaking at the launch of the new Polo in Sardinia recently, Dr Piech revealed his plan after being asked if VW would build a 2.0-litre car.

"Never, we are going for the 1.0-litre car," he said. "Hopefully, Dr Martin Winterkorn (VW's product development chief) gives me the chance to drive the first one before I retire on April 16.

"My ambition is to go from my home in Braunschweig to the shareholder meeting on April 16 with just 1.5-litres from 160km.

"That would be the same fuel consumption as an engine idling in downtown Tokyo while waiting for a person in the middle of the city." But while the 1.0-litre car will be an appropriate technological exit for the man who resuscitated VW to go out on, do not expect it to be the basis of a production car or offer future styling clues.

VW styling boss Hartmut Warkuss said: "I don't believe the styling of this car is going to set a trend for future VW vehicles. I think basically it is just proof of the fact that a 1.0-litre consumption car is indeed possible, that's the background to that.

"There are of course limitations on that type of car that just consumes 1.0-litre over 100km. It can't be a four-door vehicle, it can't be a four-seater vehicle." What the 1.0-litre car will do is promote VW group's ability with petrol and diesel piston engine technology, having just launched a range of direct injection petrol (called FSI) engines.

Dr Winterkorn said that would be where VW would concentrate its engine research in the short term, rather than on fuel cell or hybrid engines.

"All manufacturers are working hard on fuel cells, but we don't believe in the near-term future - and by that I mean prior to 2010 - there will be large quantities of fuel cell cars out on the roads.

"As regards hybrid cars - we know how to build them but we're not working on those types of vehicles with the same intensity that the Japanese are. We believe over the course of the next 10 to 20 years that FSI and TDI will be the most widespread technology."

Making waves

DR Piech's replacement as CEO at VW, former BMW boss Dr Bernd Pischetsrieder, is already making waves as he moves to restructure the organisation.

According to reports in trade publication Automotive News, Dr Pischetsrieder is pushing to divide Volkswagen into a "classic" northern unit comprising VW, Skoda and Bentley, and a sporty or "southern" unit that includes Audi, Lamborghini and Seat.

The new structure is supposed to be signed off this Friday by the VW supervisory board, with a commercial division to be created at a later date.

Two executives are expected to be appointed to run the multi-brand units.

European reports indicate the restructure is likely to result in the departure next month of Franz-Josef Paefgen as chief executive of Audi, with Dr Martin Winterkorn taking his place.