🇩🇪 Germany’s automotive empire is way more tangled than four badges make it look. Volkswagen Group alone controls a massive portfolio that includes Volkswagen, Audi, Škoda, SEAT, CUPRA, Porsche, Lamborghini and Bentley, while Bugatti no longer belongs on that list. BMW Group is simpler, controlling BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce, with BMW ALPINA officially joining the portfolio as a standalone brand in 2026. Mercedes-Benz sits above Mercedes-AMG and Mercedes-Maybach, but smart is different because the company behind the brand is a 50/50 joint venture between Mercedes-Benz and Geely. Then there’s Porsche SE, which isn’t a traditional automaker at all but an investment holding company tied directly into both Volkswagen and Porsche. Porsche SE owns 53.3% of Volkswagen AG’s ordinary voting shares and 31.9% of its total share capital. It also directly owns 25% plus one ordinary share of Porsche AG, while Volkswagen indirectly holds the majority of Porsche AG itself. That creates one of ...