Following the departure of Volkswagen Group of America CEO Jonathan Browning, VW of America has disclosed that another high executive will be leaving the company. According to Automotive News, Frank Trivieri, the Volkswagen brand’s executive vice president of sales since 2011 is no apparently history at the company. Trivieri, 51, leaves VW following a year in which VW’s U.S. sales declined 7% in a market that grew by 8%, amid reports of strained relationships with American dealers. (Read More…)

The U.S. version of the 2015 Golf R will be a five door, unlike the three door Euro spec model.

Volkswagen of America confirmed that the U.S. spec 2015 Golf R will debut at the Detroit auto show next week. While at 290 horsepower, it’s down 6 HP from the Euro spec Golf R shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show last September but that still will be enough power driving through all four wheels to tick off 5.3 seconds in a zero to sixty run with a six speed fully manual transmission and an even quicker 4.9 seconds in the DSG dual clutch equipped R. That’s correct, U.S. consumers will finally have a choice of gearboxes in the R. Starting with the 2004 R32, VW has only offered either the six speed manual or the DSG transmission on American versions of the Golf R. (Read More…)