Has VW Changed The Rules Of Car Making With Its New Architecture?

Absolutely this is a massive cost saving game changer that will throw off mega bucks to plow back in their business or to profits. If I was a VW competitor I would be very worried. While I am far from a VW fan they have leap frogged the industry and created a competitive advantage not seen in decades.

What about the actual cars? Or now is it only the method in which they are made that matters? It doesn't matter how they build them, If VW continues to build the same lame boring cars that they build now, Why should the other makes have to worry?

Lexsucks -Well you can argue they are building cars everyone wants at a cost they can afford. Sales show that clearly.

A good question -

Let’s look at the industry approach for what it is.

Honda and others use a series of platforms to produce a variety of cars. A new or custom platform is needed if you want a longer or wider car. So you have a limited number of chassis and sizes available.

A Civic assembly line will only make Civic sized cars.

The MQB approach is like LEGO. You want it longer, bolt in longer middle or end pieces. Wider? Bolt in a different pan. The idea is that major retooling for a specific model is no longer needed. Just change up the parts to get a different sized car.

In theory the MQB will be used to create anything from a Golf to an A8 extend limo or Bentley. The assembly line is relatively the same for each. The rest is bolt in components which all go into the vehicle in a standardized way.

So if you need to switch out from a slow selling model for a better selling one, just change the parts, not the assembly line. You are down for a matter of a few weeks at minimal cost.

Can you provide the link? Also where powertrains are virtually plug and play as with the MQB.

I did find your 2008 article stating that Honda may be able to switch models on a dime. While it may be true. Don't confuse that with the fact that underlying components are not the same.

In Honda's case a large portion of parts would need to be swapped out requiring more effort in the switch over.

This is the primary factor. In the case of the current article you can see the engine bays of a typical MQB based VW would look almost the same in most models.

Something you can't say about Honda. Just look at the Fit engine bay and compare it to the CRV.


Fit:

http://buyersguide.caranddriver.com/media/eVox/stills_0640/8297/8297_st0640_050.jpg

CRV:

http://stwot.motortrend.com/files/2012/10/2013-Honda-CR-V-engine-1024x640.jpg

really? You can build any vehicle on any line.

But in your example to switch from a civic to say a suv typically requires a long shutdown for retooling. The MQB minimizes that aspect.

We reported this about a year ago:

http://www.autospies.com/news/Everything-You-Wanted-To-Know-About-Why-VW-Plans-To-Leave-Everyone-Behind-With-The-New-MQB-Design-Architecture-69323/

See above for the point with links. You just missed it by a few minutes.

Again I need your links though.

Building in the same factory doesn't mean parts are interchangeable. It just means the right parts arrive on the assembly line at the right time.

So while that is impressive, it isn't in the same league as the MQB conceptually.

What examples do you need?

I have owned a number of Honda model over the years. They are all great cars, but I can safely say while they they tend to be competent they are in no way cutting edge.

I would rate them highly for a beginner enthusiast. I guess sort of like a watch.

Both an Armitron bought a Walmart and a fine swiss timepiece. Both tell time accurately.

But one does it by cheaper and simpler methods, the other uses high technology and craftsmanship.

So do you prefer technology over simplicity?

There is an additional point that creates approximately a $1,200 cost advantage for every car VW produces over its competition (multiply $1,200 x millions ov vehicles to grasp the advantage) the front uniform section in front of firewall is uniform, identical in every respect (air conditioning, pedal box, electronic hookups, steering box, etc etc) for every vehicle. No one else in the industry does that...imagine the volume purchasing power with suppliers for uniform parts, ease of assembly and ability to make every model on every assembly line around the world not to mention improvement in quality thru repition.

Sorry about spelling...I think faster than I can type. Also think about the supply chain and dealer parts savings if all internal gut items are uniform...one air conditioning compressor for all makes/models versus maybe eight to ten different ones in a Chevy dealership/supply chain.

funny. Love the comment deriding the low-tech (and easily recycled) iron blocks in VWs. Ever think maybe that's the reason there are more 30 year old VWs on the road still than any Japanese brand (as % sold)?
Or why a car seen billowing blue smoke on the road is usually a Civic?
Honda makes great, fantastic engines, but without sleeves (like the Europeans employed back to the 60s) an aluminum block is a liability.
Unless you don't expect the rest of the car to last anyway...

Another laugh is anyone deriding VWs safety. If you look hard, you find one VW model in one year that isn't a top pick. And compare against your favourite brand, where you can find one model in one year that IS a top pick! Please check the stats. VW/Audi is the highest safety rated car manufacturer in the past decade period. When I bought the first TDI Beetle sold in Western Canada in 1998 it rated higher than the Camry and every police vehicle on the road: Impala, Crown-Vic, and even the Tahoe!
Highway patrol officers buy VWs at a much higher rate than the general public. They don't need gov't labs. They have their own gory test results.

Many say its not new to build multiple models on the same platform, its been done for years, and that is certainly correct. But I'm just starting to grasp the magnitude of this. Its not sharing a few models on one platform. Its having ALL your cars on just 3 platforms, ranging from small Skodas to Bentleys to Lamborghinis. And, in fact, MOST of your cars (well over 50% of production) on that single MQB platform.

When you toss pickups and vans and look at just cars, you'll end up with VWs MQB-based cars in numbers rivaling all of GM and Ford's cars put together ... and how many platforms is that?

And purchasing: looking at 2-L 4-cyl, 2.5-L 5-cyl, 3-L V6, 4-L V8, 5-L V10, 6-L V12 and 8-L V16 as an example. How many pistons are they buying?Based on a production cycle, they'll be looking at 150+ million pistons, and over 300 million each for intake and exhaust valves. (and springs and retainers, ...) Talk about "mass production"
Lets hope they don't have any ignition coil disasters like in the past. Everyone knows that VWs achilles tendon is their electrical connections. If they could only bring that weak link up to Japanese standards then they'll finally have the best vehicles on the planet to match their #1 sales spot.