Jonathan Browning will direct Volkswagens U.S. growth strategy for transition to volume brand |  |
- Jonathan Browning will direct Volkswagens U.S. growth strategy for transition to volume brand
- Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz set pace and now lead the Silk Way Rally
- LMS: Porsche wins 3 Championship titles at the 1000km of Silverstone
| Jonathan Browning will direct Volkswagens U.S. growth strategy for transition to volume brand Posted: 14 Sep 2010 05:21 AM PDT Volkswagen Group of America announced today that Jonathan Browning, 51, has been named President and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America effective October 1, 2010. He is currently responsible for the global directing of the Volkswagen Group’s National Sales Companies (NSC). “Volkswagen will play an even stronger role in the important U.S. market going forward, said Christian Klingler, Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG for Sales. “Jonathan Browning is an acknowledged expert on this market, its customers and its sales structures.” Jonathan Browning succeeds Stefan Jacoby, who has left the company. Browning has held numerous executive sales and marketing posts worldwide at General Motors (GM) and Ford Motor Company. He was vice president of European sales, service and marketing at the GM Group from 2001 to 2008, and simultaneously chairman of Vauxhall Motors from 2006 to 2008, becoming GM vice president of global sales, service and marketing in 2008. Browning worked for the Ford Group from 1997 to 2001, first as executive director of marketing for Ford Europe and then as the global managing director of Jaguar. He moved to the Volkswagen Group in June 2010. “The U.S. will always be one of the largest and most important markets for automobiles,” said Klingler, adding that this affords the Volkswagen Group significant growth opportunities. Klingler also reiterated the target to sell 200,000 Audi brand models and 800,000 Volkswagen brand models in 2018. “Volkswagen and Audi will become leading brands in the U.S.” Volkswagen Group is investing one billion dollars in the new Chattanooga plant, will be launching a unique marketing offensive in the U.S. and recently celebrated the world premier of the Jetta in New York’s Times Square. According to Klingler: “The Group’s board and top management fully support this market and its customers.” - Volkswagen Group Related posts:
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| Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz set pace and now lead the Silk Way Rally Posted: 13 Sep 2010 07:00 AM PDT
A brilliant competitive debut for the new Volkswagen Race Touareg 3: right on the second leg of its “Dakar” dress rehearsal the 310-hp cross-country rally prototype decided the first special stage in its favour. Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz (E/E) completed the second leg of the Silk Way Rally through Russia in the AWD vehicle’s first competition by setting the fastest time overall. On the split special stage between Staraya Russa und Vyazma their Volkswagen team colleagues Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk (Q/D) had to admit defeat by just a narrow margin. Both pairings are now leading the overall classification of the Silk Way Rally. Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA) after having lost some time on yesterday’s opening leg improved to seventh overall after finishing today’s special stage in third place. Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz set the fourth-best time on today’s 173-kilometre special stage. The 2009 “Dakar” winners are now ranking in third place overall. The first part of the route of the second special stage took the entrants from Staraya Russa to Vyazma along many water passages and sodden stretches through woods. Quick gravel passages that resembled sprint rally stages and thanks to long flat-out sections featured a high average speed of more than 150 km/h were on the agenda of the second part. Kris Nissen (Volkswagen Motorsport Director) #100 – Carlos Sainz (E), 1 st place leg / 1st place overall #101 – Giniel de Villiers (ZA), 4 th place leg / 3rd place overall #102 – Nasser Al-Attiyah (Q), 2 nd place leg / 2nd place overall #104 – Mark Miller (USA), 3rd place leg / 7th place overall Standings after leg 02, Staraya Russa (RUS)–Vyazma (RUS); 173/751 km SS 02/Total Pos., Team, Vehicle, Leg 02, Total time Related posts:
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| LMS: Porsche wins 3 Championship titles at the 1000km of Silverstone Posted: 13 Sep 2010 06:18 AM PDT
With a lot of focus being placed on the Audi vs Peugeot battle in LMP1, the GT2 class has been a highlight in both LMS and ALMS racing. A total of six manufacture brands went at it with Porsche coming out on top in all three. Leading up to Sundays race, we saw the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR’s in the top 5 and showing great potential. During qualifying, Marc Lieb set the #77 Team Felbermayr Proton in third, splitting two AF Corse Ferrari’s. Richard Westbrook of ProSpeed Competition pulled up into 5th. In the end, it would be the team of Marco Holzer and Westbrook who finished second in GT2. Marc Lieb and Richard Lietz would go on to place 5th and defend their Championship title. Reliable technology, faultless driving, perfect teamwork. This is how Porsche won all three championship titles in the GT2-class of the Le Mans Series. With fifth position for Porsche works drivers Marc Lieb (Germany) and Richard Lietz (Austria) in the 911 GT3 RSR at the 1,000 kilometre race in Silverstone they successfully defended the title. The German Felbermayr team under the direction of owner Christian Ried (Germany) celebrated a convincing win of the team title for the first time. And in the fiercely-contested GT2 category with six renowned brands, Porsche secured the prestigious manufacturers’ title. With an excellent second position at the finale, Porsche-Junior Marco Holzer (Germany) and Richard Westbrook (Great Britain) rounded off the perfect race Sunday for Porsche. The three championship titles in the Le Mans Series demonstrate once again that the best GT cars in the world are built in Weissach. They perfectly continue this year’s success story, in which the Porsche teams already won the 24 hour races at Dubai, Le Mans and Spa-Francorchamps. And in the American Le Mans Series, the 911 GT3 RSR also leads its classification. “It’s fantastic that we’ve defended the championship title,” said an enthusiastic Marc Lieb, who is the most successful pilot in the Le Mans Series with four championship titles under his belt. “And we’re particularly thrilled that our Felbermayr squad was also rewarded with the team title, because one of the keys to our success was the perfect teamwork of the crew with the pit stops and our strategy. Everything fitted together like cogs in a wheel.” Richard Lietz, for whom this marks his second championship title after 2009, was also delighted. “What a year!” summarised the Austrian. “The fight in the GT2 class was even harder than last year, the Ferraris in particular were unbelievably strong. We had to fight hard at every race from the first to the last minute. In qualifying we were hardly ever the fastest, but thanks to the reliable technology of the 911 and the great teamwork we achieved three victories, and have now crowned the season with all titles for Porsche. We are truly proud of this.” Lieb and Lietz had taken up the finale from third on the grid and had initially held back in the 45-strong field in order not to take any risks on the way to claiming the title. When the sole remaining rival in the drivers’ classification, the Ferrari with ex-Formula 1 stars Jean Alesi and Giancarlo Fisichella, were thrown well down the field with problems, a huge weight fell from the leading Porsche pair. Celebrations as well in the pits of ProSpeed Competition. After securing the FIA GT Championship last year with Richard Westbrook, the Belgian crew were new to the Le Mans Series this season. “The adjustment was harder than expected. Everything was new for the team and the drivers,” said Westbrook. “We improved from race to race, but only here at the final did we manage to make a breakthrough.” Heading into the race from fifth, Westbrook and his 22-year-old teammate Marco Holzer gradually worked their way to the front. “Man alive!” sighed the Porsche-Junior at the finish. “I was so nervous but at the same time concentrated. It’s very important for our team to finish the season with such a great result. For me, the most difficult thing in the Le Mans Series was getting used to the faster sports prototypes which weren’t exactly considerate to us drivers from the lower classes in overtaking, while we were busy fighting for positions in our own category.” For the French IMSA Performance Matmut team, sixth place at the final race was a conciliatory end to a season of mixed fortunes. After clinching third place at the previous round in Hungary, Porsche works driver Patrick Pilet and his French compatriot Raymond Narac again had the podium in sight, but Narac was suffering from a bad bout of the ‘flu. For this reason, the Porsche dealer and gentleman driver from Rouen wasn’t able to follow on with his strong performance from the previous rounds. “Patrick had to do the bulk of the work,” said Narac. “The race was indeed strenuous,” stated Pilet. “But especially because the prototype drivers were very aggressive. Still, it was great fun to fight against our rivals on this super circuit. And our team can be proud, because we were always amongst the fastest in pit stops.” In tenth, the second Felbermayr squad rounded off Porsche’s winning durability at the final of the Le Mans Series, but were not totally satisfied. “Unfortunately, that was our worst result this season,” said Martin Ragginger. The Austrian joined forces with team owner Christian Ried for the season, with the two regular pilots receiving support at the final from Porsche factory driver Romain Dumas (France). The highlight for the second Felbermayr-911 was second at the season-opener in Le Castellet. But at the end in Silverstone, delight was the overriding emotion: In their first season together in the Le Mans Series, Ried and Ragginger brought home third place in the GT2 drivers’ classification.                                         Statistics: 5th and final race of the Le Mans Series in SilverstoneResult GT2 class Points’ standings GT2 class Manufacturers Related posts:
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