Scandal! Dieselgate

The Volkswagen Group evening, the night before the Frankfurt Motor Show press day, was traditionally the biggest pre-show ticket in town. Europe’s largest and most successful car maker preened on its home turf, previewing a clutch of new models due to make their official debuts the next day. A host of German car bosses presented their new wares, somehow managing to look both ill-at-ease (most are not natural presenters) and smug (as German car bosses often do).

The 2015 gathering appeared much like previous years. There were some important cars making their debuts, including Bentley’s ugly new Bentayga, Porsche’s Mission E concept (precursor to the Taycan), and a facelifted Porsche 911 (the second-generation 991). Group CEO Martin Winterkorn spoke about EVs, connectivity and autonomous driving.

Unsurprisingly the VW grey suits appeared in ebullient form. The group was about to overtake Toyota to become the world’s biggest car maker. The success was highlighted in the upbeat presentations, brand by brand, from Volkswagen’s Herbert Diess through to Porsche’s Matthias Müller.