Q: what's a million dead volkswagens at the bottom of the ocean?

A good start.

It's interesting that you brought up both Bosch and Asian car makers actually. I was going to compare how people view Bosch and NGK sparkplugs and how one is distinctly German and the other distinctly Japanese and people feel that there is a real, quantifiable difference in quality. On spark plugs. Seriously. In the realm of complexity, they're one step above light bulbs. The difference is there though.

Similarly, bringing up Japanese car makers and their difficulty with making diesel engines, a lot of people harp on Toyota for pursuing hydrogen fuel cells. A lot of people seem to be making fun of them, saying their pursuing a technology that has lost the race before it even left the starting line. I wonder if it's because Toyotas engineers figured diesel was a lost cause and wanted to look at something where they at least had a chance. If I had to guess, cars with hydrogen fuel cells will be a lot like cars running on compressed natural gas. It's something that works and has its place, but it's not something that can be readily used by everyone.

I worry though. About the people who work in VW's factories and supply VW with parts. I have a few friends that used to work in manufacturing for a company that made car parts. The restructuring of GM cost them their jobs. It was painful to watch and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Maybe if everything goes through, VAG will be drawn and quartered and their assets distributed to other car companies, such as Ford, GM, Toyota, etc. At the very least, they could take advantage of their distribution network.