10/08/2008 19:42. Volkswagen holds a handful of other new-product plans. But for moxie it's tough to top VW's campaign to surpass both General Motors and Toyota to become the world's largest car maker.

About a year ago, Martin Winterkorn, the chief executive of Volkswagen Group in Germany, slipped out word of the plan. My first reaction was, that's like the NFL's Houston Texans announcing that they're going to knock off the reigning Super Bowl champs, the New York Giants. Sure, it could happen. But shouldn't Houston aim to top its division first?

But after more reflection, VW's goal doesn't seem so outrageous. Sure, when you look beyond current turbulence here and in the international auto trade, Toyota is experiencing quite a rise. This year the Japanese company stands to knock off GM as the... // Eagle Tribune