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Volkswagen Group previews its wares on eve of Geneva show

The Volkswagen Group is comprised of 11 brands producing 240 vehicles across 49 factories throughout the world. So the best way to show off the range of the VW family is to cram a few thousand journalists and VIPs into a massive makeshift stand to outline the Group's goals, what's in the pipeline and what you'll be able to buy later this year.
To that end, VW pulled out all the stops on the eve of the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, bringing along 10 vehicles from across the range. We'll be delving into the details of each over the next two days of show coverage, but before that happens, you can read all about what we saw tonight from the cheap seats after the break.

Low-rider Lamborghinis, motorcycle gangs and Yakuza make Underground Hero a must watch

Japan's Yakuza are some of the most dangerous and feared criminals on the planet, known for a disturbing level of commitment and honor. Just do some research on yubitsume to see what we mean.
Underground Hero: Love To Hate Me is a video from Luke Huxham, that takes a look inside Yakuza car culture, showing that these dangerous criminals aren't all that different from normal enthusiasts when it comes to their cars. Focusing on Shinichi Moroboshi, owner of a modified Lamborghini Diablo and someone we wouldn't be interested in angering, it focuses both on his life in the Yakuza and just what drew him towards the Diablo.
There's also an interesting look at Japan's modding culture, where neon chassis lighting is still alive and well. The effect it has on these cars, mostly from Lamborghini, is actually pretty dramatic, almost classy. The video also focuses on Bosozoku, in this case, Japanese motorcycle gangs. These aren't your Harley-Davidson riding Hell's Angels, rather, these riders lean toward tricked out Hondas and Suzukis (heavily modified cars are also a staple of Bosozoku culture).

VW makes $23K on every Porsche sold, more than Bentley or Lamborghini

It's a good time to be in the luxury car business. In Volkswagen Group's financial report for the 2013 fiscal year, it is revealed that that Porsche enjoyed an operating margin of 18 percent. That means the Stuttgart brand made on average about $23,200 per car sold, according to BusinessWeek. Bentley wasn't far behind, and Audi (which was combined with Lamborghini) posted a 10.1 percent margin. This compares to only around 2.9 percent for the Volkswagen brand.
"Luxury brands are on fire," said Dave Sullivan, an industry analyst at AutoPacific. He said that the average profit margin is between six and eight percent. Brands like Porsche and Bentley have the benefit of competing in rarefied markets. Buyers looking at one their vehicles have fewer models to shop against and don't care as much about price. They can also charge more for options, which further boosts income, according to BusinessWeek.
In a way, we should be more impressed by the continued success from Audi. Its models generally have direct competitors in every segment from the other premium automakers. Plus, their buyers aren't the captains of industry who are shopping for a Bentley. Still, the Four Rings is leading rivals in sales so far this year.