- The VW Group’s assertion does not essentially deny the rumors.
- All manufacturers sitting below the company umbrella should ‘remodel profoundly.”
- The automotive conglomerate admits its “enterprise mannequin not works.”
It looks like Porsche’s choice to stroll away from Bugatti Rimac went largely unnoticed, despite the fact that it actually shouldn’t have. It marked the top of an period, particularly for these of us who grew up seeing the Veyron as the last word automobile. With Porsche promoting its stake in Bugatti Rimac, Bugatti is not a part of the Volkswagen Group for the primary time since 1998.
A brand new report from a good publication alleges there could possibly be not less than another identify crossed off the listing of VW Group-owned manufacturers because the automaker appears to boost cash to fund its restructuring plan. The Financial Times (subscription required) alleges that the corporate’s advisers are pushing for extra companies to be put up on the market, together with the motorbike model Ducati.
Moreover, advisers reportedly need Lamborghini to transition from a privately owned enterprise, because it has been for the reason that VW Group acquired it in 1998, to a publicly traded firm. Why? The VW Group would nonetheless management the Raging Bull model via its Audi subsidiary whereas elevating capital by promoting shares to the general public.

Picture by: Lamborghini
The VW Group Responds To Rumors
Our sister website RideApart reached out to the VW Group for touch upon The Monetary Instances report. To their shock, and ours, a spokesperson for the German automotive big didn’t flatly deny the rumors. Whereas our colleagues rightly requested about Ducati’s destiny, the corporate’s response (full statement here) was broader, saying all of its manufacturers and subsidiaries should “remodel profoundly.” It additionally stated a “realignment of the corporate” is underway.
The complete assertion additionally explains that the “enterprise mannequin not works,” significantly the longstanding strategy of creating vehicles in Germany and constructing them in Europe for export markets. We’ve truly heard this earlier than. In July 2025, then-Porsche CEO Oliver Blume informed workers in an electronic mail seen by Bloomberg that the “enterprise mannequin, which has served us effectively for a lot of a long time, no longer works in its present kind.” Blume has since stepped all the way down to give attention to main the broader VW Group.
The VW Group Is Downsizing
Bugatti isn’t the one asset the VW Group is offloading. Final week, it introduced plans to promote its majority stake within the Everllence marine diesel engine enterprise, elevating round €7.4 billion (about $8.4 billion). Moreover, Bild (subscription required) experiences that the automated driving partnership between software program unit CARIAD and Bosch may come to an finish regardless of a €1.5 billion ($1.7 billion) funding.
The corporate’s organizational overhaul may additionally embrace shutting down 4 factories and cutting 100,000 jobs, in keeping with German enterprise publication Supervisor Magazin.
Suffice it to say, all indicators level to a storm brewing in Wolfsburg.
Motor1’s Take: It seems the VW Group is present process a dramatic transformation, shrinking its footprint to boost funds for a stronger future. Deep job cuts, a number of plant closures, and the sale of key property all appear to be on the desk, however nothing is official till the corporate confirms it. For now, the one confirmed strikes are Porsche’s exit from Bugatti Rimac and the VW Group’s choice to promote a 51-percent stake in Everllence whereas retaining the remaining 49 p.c within the medium time period.
The VW Group has already introduced plans to scale back its workforce in Germany by greater than 35,000 by the top of the last decade, however the cuts may finally run a lot deeper. Eliminating 100,000 jobs can be unprecedented for the automotive business and would underscore simply how dire the state of affairs has turn into for the German big.