Porsche to expand control of VW; Take over Audi?

Porsche may be behind Volkswagen CEO Bernd Pischetsrieder's forced resignation, according to analysts cited by Reuters. "We conclude that his departure could be the result of significant differences on group strategy or resistance to the growing influence of Chairman Dr. Piech and Porsche CEO Dr. (Wendelin) Wiedeking," Goldman Sachs wrote in a research note.

There is speculation Porsche may be trying to secure a third seat on VW's board by raising its stake to just below 30 percent. "A combination of Porsche's shareholding and supervisory board seats, together with Piech's continuing clout at VW, may have forced VW to accept deals on the Cayenne 2 or Panamera production contracts for Porsche that were not 100 percent acceptable to VW operational management," Credit Suisse wrote.

Some analysts say Piech and Wiedeking may be plotting to swap Porsche's stake in Volkswagen for control of Audi. It's unclear what the purpose of such a move would be, but the consensus seems to be that Porsche has something up its sleeve.