VW eyes bike market, KTM partnership

Speaking to German magazine Stern last month Piech said, "I would still like a small, valuable motorcycle manufacturer, I myself drive a Ducati. 180 horses and more power per kilogram weight than a 1,001hp Bugatti." He then went on to express regret for failing to acquire Ducati in the ‘80s when it was nearly bankrupt.

Auto Express now claims that VW is in negotiations with KTM for a deal that would result in a range of Volkswagen bikes and possibly a production version of the GX-3 trike. That vehicle was originally rejected over liability concerns and other legal hurdles.

KTM already collaborated with VW on some of the engineering that went into the X-Bow sportscar.

It’s unclear to us what benefit such a deal would give to VW or KTM. Volkswagen is already one of the most diverse and successful carmakers while KTM, with fresh capital from Bajaj, is on target to become Europe’s largest bike maker by 2020. Its motorcycles already compete directly with BMW’s key models in the market that VW is rumored to be targeting. It seems more likely to us that VW would use KTM’s expertise with carbon fiber and small production runs to create the 1-liter ultra-high-mileage vehicle, investing in the Austrian company in the process.

via Auto Express