The Volkswagen Group also recently announced that it was no longer satisfied with its "underperformance" in the United States and would seek to quadruple U.S. sales in the next decade to 1 million vehicles--800,000 VW-branded cars and trucks and 200,000 premium-segment Audis.

The U.S. is now described as VW's highest priority market. The company has hinted strongly that it is seeking a factory site. However, to sell 1 million cars in the United States, it really needs two or perhaps three plants. At the current rate at which VW is growing its U.S. sales and GM and Ford are losing them, VW can expect to surpass both firms in North America by 2010. A lofty expectation to say the least.