#DrMartinWinterkorn

Just two days after apologizing for cheating on US emissions procedures, Volkswagen CEO Dr. Martin Winterkorn has been reportedly removed from his position as the man in charge of the world’s largest automaker.

After days of silence following a shocking revelation that Volkswagen cheated US emissions rules, the CEO of Volkswagen AG has released a statement offering an apology and a commitment.

Volkswagen‘s plan to triple its U.S. sales by 2018 and return to profitability after 8 consecutive years of losses may need to be revised suggests a new report by Automotive News. VW’s already lofty goals may now have become further out of reach with the recent news that the head of U.S. operations, Stefan Jacoby, has left the automaker to take the helm of Volvo.

With Audi‘s recent unveiling of the A8 Hybrid at the Geneva Auto Show and news the Q5 Hybrid is on its way, Audi has made known plans to add more hybrid models, starting with the A6. According to a report by AutoWeek, the next-generation A6 will be offered in full hybrid form late in 2012 as a 2013 model.

Porsche has officially confirmed that it is looking at bringing a baby Boxster model to market. Rumored to have been in the works for some time, VW Chairman Dr. Martin Winterkorn told the U.K.’s Autocar that such a sports car is under considreration.

A rumored deal between Volkswagen and Suzuki has been revived after the VW CEO Dr. Martin Winterkorn told a German magazine that Suzuki would make an “interesting partner.”

Porsche’s new CEO, Dr. Martin Winterkorn, has declared that he expects Porsche to double its annual sales in the next four years.

Volkswagen continues to call it an “integration”, but the company’s business relationship with Porsche is undeniably a takeover. Today VW agreed to buy a 42 percent stake in the sports car maker, paying $4.7 billion for the huge chunk of Porsche.

Volkswagen and Chinese automaker BYD (Build Your Dreams) have signed a “memorandum of understanding” announcing that the two car manufacturers will seek ways to work together to bring electric vehicles and hybrids to market.

Volkswagen recently announced its TwinDrive diesel-electric hybrid system and we recently reported on a rumor that the German automaker will bring an electric car to the Frankfurt Auto Show in September. BYD, which is now part-owned by Warren Buffett, already has a two plug-in gasoline-electric hybrids (the F3DM and the F6DM) on the road in China and plans to bring a full electric car (the e6, shown above) to market soon.

After an informal meeting in Germany, where BYD representatives had the chance to see VW’s facilities and drive the TwinDrive Golf (as well as the still-under-wraps electric car), the agreement was signed by Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG, Dr Martin Winterkorn, and the Chairman of the Board of Management of BYD, Wang Chuanfu.

Official release after the jump: