Volkswagen certainly has their nitch here in the US.  I know that anytime I think of some one sipping a latte in a Starbucks while checking out the lastest episode of “The Office” on their mac, I further know that when that person leaves, they will be driving away in a VW.  The automaker has some pretty unusual beginings.  Many people may not know that Hitler more or less created the VW beetle, and that it was meant to be the “people’s car” for Nazi Germany.  It is with this in mind that I always get a chuckle when I see the modern day yuppie, or 1960s Hippie driving around in a VW bug.

Interesting background aside, VW is hoping to keep ontop of the market by making better cars.  The AP is reporting that:

Wolfsburg-based Volkswagen is Europe’s biggest automaker. Its brands include VW, luxury car makers Audi and Bentley and mid-range brands Skoda and Seat.

The company’s ongoing efficiency program, dubbed “18 plus” aims to keep the car maker ahead of its rivals by using the “strength of the company’s brands,” with an emphasis on designing more efficient and ecologically friendly models in the future.

VW said it plans to spend 8 billion euros ($10 billion) annually on investments and the development of new models and automotive technologies.

Keep your eyes on VW to see what they roll out next.

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