BMW R&D Chief Moves to VW Group, Will Lead Volkswagen Cars
BMW has lost a true car guy and outstanding executive to Volkswagen. Herbert Diess, BMW’s board member for research and development, will take over from Martin Winterkorn as head of the Volkswagen brand on October 1, 2015. Winterkorn will carry on as chairman of the Volkswagen Group and thus oversee not only VW, but also Audi, Porsche, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda, as well as motorcycle manufacturer Ducati and truck makers Scania and MAN.
At BMW, Diess put emphasis on lightweight technology and downsized engines. He oversaw the launch of the i3 and i8 electric and hybrid vehicles, and he worked on a new generation of front-wheel-drive vehicles. His background is with motorcycles; the stunning S 1000 RR is his baby. Described as intense, impatient, and highly detail-oriented, Diess will fit right in with the engineering-driven culture at Volkswagen. Diess has personally owned supercars and is obsessed with high-speed vehicles. A BMW executive once told this writer: “He reminds me of Piëch.”
http://blog.caranddriver.com/bmw-rd-...lkswagen-cars/