Washington, Oct 14 (IANS/EFE): Leonardo DiCaprio purchased the rights to a yet-to-be-written book about the Volkswagen emissions scandal, with an eye toward producing a film about the firm's attempt to deceive regulators, a media report said.

The production company Appian Way, which DiCaprio owns, and Paramount Pictures acquired the rights to the publishing project by New York Times journalist Jack Ewing about the business philosophy behind the scandal involving diesel emissions by vehicles of the German automaker, EFE reported on Tuesday.

In early September, US regulators revealed that VW for years had used software that hid the true emissions put out by its diesel engines.

VW, which became the largest auto manufacturer in the first half of this year, acknowledged that it had used a computer system over the past seven years to show lesser emissions during testing of its diesel engines in its biggest markets.

The firm is facing a potential fine of up to $18 billion by the US Environmental Protection Agency.

The rights to the book about the scandal, about which details are still being uncovered, were sold at the beginning of October to the Norton publishing house for several million dollars.

The book will investigate the philosophy of "more, faster and better" behind the scandal.

DiCaprio has produced successful films such as "The Wolf of Wall Street", "Runner Runner" and "Out of the Furnace".

He will next appear in front of the camera in the latest film by Mexican director Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu, "The Revenant".