Having a lot of say in design, and keeping secret an intentional violation of government regulations from your entire international company are two pretty different things.<p>I&#x27;m making assumptions, and I believe this story is pure, unadulterated bullshit from top to bottom.<p>Is it likely that the heads of R&amp;D and engine development at VW are hands-on and writing code themselves? No, its <i>extremely</i> unlikely. Having worked in several large companies, there are 0 people at that level of management that perform hands-on work.<p>It is likely that those particular positions benefit and are motivated to cheat on regulations for the benefit of the company? No, the bottom line of the company is affected, and it is far more likely that business people are applying pressure.<p>Is it likely that they could make those changes in a company that size, without anyone noticing? No, not really. Software in a large organization leaves trails everywhere and requires explanation, they had to interface with other systems, and people had to interface with theirs.<p>Is it likely that the same narrative structure that our government attempted to use to excuse torture, is something VW is also trying? &quot;Oh, we had no idea, it was one deranged guy who did this.&quot; Yes, it is highly likely that prominent executives are scrambling to get out of the way, and highly likely that the company is trying to come up with a story that makes it look less corrupt than it is.