(Turns out, the vehicles emit 10 to 40 times more pollution than advertised under normal driving conditions; see the sidebar on the next page.) The circus that has followed fits a familiar pattern. First, the apologies: "At this point, I don't have the answers to all the questions," Volkswagen's CEO, Martin Winterkorn, said in an online video. "But we're in the process of ruthlessly investigating the issue." Michael Horn, head of VW in America, appeared briefly at a launch event for the new Passat in Brooklyn on the evening of Sept. 21, where he said bluntly, "We have totally screwed up." By Sept. 23, Winterkorn was out. Next: the costs. Under EPA rules, VW faces civil penalties of $37,500 for each vehicle not in compliance with federal clean-air rules–or up to $18 billion in all. The U.S. Justice Department launched a criminal probe. And the fracas triggered a lawsuit filed by lawyers including Steve Berman, who is co-leading litigation against General Motors over faulty ignition switches.