The results are in for 2011 and it looks like last year was especially good to Volkswagen. The German automaker says that it more than doubled its profits last year and its global sales rose an impressive 14.7 percent, according to The Detroit Bureau.

The improved sales figures are indicative of Volkwagen's shifting focus toward becoming a global power in the auto industry. For instance, it has placed an emphasis on emerging markets such as China. It also set its sights on the United States, where it is expected to release an all-new mid-size Passat specifically for the country.

To fully appreciate the sales boost Volkswagen had in 2011, one need look no further than where it ranked among the world's automakers. Its 7.2 million vehicles sold put it in second place – ahead of longtime number one car company Toyota – and behind only General Motors, which experienced a resurgence of its own as the economy improved slightly, the news source reports.

Another good indicator of the upward trend VW is experiencing is how well it fared against European competition. Sales rose 11 percent in its native Germany, while it had a 7 percent jump in the rest of Western Europe.

"We know the car business is a volume and scale business and today Volkswagen is the only carmaker in Europe that has that scale," Philippe Houchois, head of European auto industry research at UBS in London, told The New York Times.

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