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Audi engineering boss Wolfgang Durheimer could be getting replaced by Volkswagen engineering boss, Ulrich Hackenberg following a very shocking dismissal. The head of the technical department at Audi was asked to step down. A source within the Volkswagen group has confirmed that Durheimer will be leaving fairly shortly and very abruptly. Durheimer has only worked for the company for the last ten months and has held previous positions as a member of the board at Porsche, along with more recent positions as CEO of Bugatti and Bentley. He was also tipped to move swiftly through the Volkswagen Group's higher ranks and to eventually replace Dr Martin Winterkorn in the top job at the company.
The Source explained that he wanted to move things forward and he wanted innovation, though a system must be in place to achieve this and he realised that the organisation may have to be changed, that idea was not taken to by a number of people. In the end it was the strong ambition of Durheimer and the putsuit of perfection in engineering, regardless of the cost, that proved to be his undoing. The source has explained that Durheimer wanted to fast track the first generation A1 e-tron project, fitted with a wankel rotary engine, though he was told by Winterkorn that it was not feasible financially, which apparently became a source of friction between them both.
Durheimer was extremely open with regards to a number of high profile projects that he was trying to push through. Some of which included, a low weight but high performance coupe that was previewed by the Audi TT ultra quattro concept and a diesel electric hubrid hypercar, that was designed to bring technology from the company's winning Le Mans prototypes, directly to the roads.
Durheimer is known as very highly knowledgeable engineer, with a great eye for detail. The source went on to say that Durheimer is known to do whatever it takes and then tell what he has found without necessarily thinking about the politics. The source also said that maybe it was this lack of politics that didn't fit in very well with Audi.
It is unknown what the next move will be for Durheimer. There has been no word officially on who is going to be the successor to the role either, though a report in a German newspaper, indicated that Dr Hackenburg may be the replacement.