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Porsche Is Reportedly Asking Audi Cousin For $234 M Dieselgate Compensation

You'd think family matters should be discussed behind closed doors without anyone from the outside knowing about them, but Porsche is allegedly having none of that.
2017 Porsche Cayenne 1 photo
Photo: Porsche
Some brands inside the Volkswagen Group have felt the Dieselgate blowback more than other, with SEAT and Skoda cruising almost unharmed despite sellings loads of diesel-powered models (albeit not in the U.S.A.) and Volkswagen and Audi taking the brunt of the damage.

Porsche, however, did not go unscathed, and for a brand of its type, image is oh-so-important. Sure, some might argue that having a diesel model wasn't the best idea in the first place, but sales figures would immediately contradict that person. The Cayenne Diesel SUV fitted with the 3.0-liter V6 TDI engine was a huge success, combining decent performance with low fuel consumption.

Unfortunately for the Zuffenhausen outlet, it was the engine developed by Audi that was identified by the EPA to include a defeat device meant to hide its real-world emissions during testing. Audi admitted to installing the software, so Porsche was forced to recall the models it was equipped on and fix the problem.

The overall Dieselgate for the Volkswagen Group is in the tens of billions now, but Porsche might get its losses back from Audi. German publication Bild (paywall) claims the 911-maker is determined to ask 200 million euros ($234) from Audi as compensation for its expenses related to the affected engine.

This may sound surprising considering they're all part of the same larger family. However, the two brands have had a brief but fierce competition in the World Endurance Championship Le Mans 24 Hours, and that didn't shock anyone. It's not the same thing, but it does show there is a high degree of freedom for every brand inside the VW Group.

Perhaps even more revealing is Volkswagen's plans to ask for a higher margin out of Skoda's profits for the privilege of using the German technology. Afraid the more affordable Czech brand might be stealing some of its own customers with similar products at more affordable prices, Volkswagen will raise Skoda's contribution to make sure it capitalizes one way or the other: either by a higher income from Skoda's profits or by forcing the Czechs to raise their prices.

At this point, it's not clear whether Audi will comply or this whole thing will go to court. That would definitely be an unwanted and unneeded escalation, so we expect things to settle quietly behind those closed doors we mentioned earlier.
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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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