Apparently it will be just a matter of time before VW overtakes Toyota as the best-selling car company in the world, and according to the Financial Times the changing of the guard is set to happen by the end of the year. Business consultancy JD Power forecast VW will have sold 7.8m vehicles worldwide to General Motors 7.2m by year end; key to their success has been strong sales in China where it remains the best-selling automaker.

Production here is set to double to three million cars by 2014 and two factories have been built as part of their £5.3 billion expansion plan. VW has also increased sales by 8 percent in Europe and is making good progress in the US; by contrast Toyota has suffered with supply difficulties due to the Japanese earthquake. Volkswagen's plan of selling 10 million cars by 2018 could now be achieved at least three years earlier. However, analysts expect Toyota to regain top spot by 2012.