No love lost between Audi and Porsche: The fight for power and R&D control is real

摘要

IF AN ACCOUNTANT OR AN armchair strategist ran the Volkswagen Group, Porsche and Audi would probably be strong allies rather than squabbling siblings. But the engineers are in charge of this conglomerate, so the brands keep fighting over the best concepts and most advanced technologies. A breakthrough engine or a milestone chassis trumps solid financial results any day. This R&D-dominated mindset has caused Audi and Porsche to invest approximately $4 billion in rival luxury-car platforms. The powers that be at VW Group should probably break up the fight, but they're not willing - or able - to curb the in-house battles.