Volkswagen seems to have a history of launching cars with special editions right away. That’s exactly what they’re planning to do with the new Volkswagen Beetle Convertible, which will be bowing with three special editions, each inspired by the styling of a decade.
The Volkswagen Golf R Cabriolet is the drop top version of the powerful Golf R, and we now know thanks to patent drawings that the cabriolet concept we saw last year will be put into production, although it likely won’t make it the the States.
The last couple days have been a storm of spy photos with the latest to come our way picturing the 2013 Volkswagen Golf GTI.
Contrary to the unanimous opinions of the automotive media (read our Jetta review here), Volkswagen insists the interior quality on its new, more affordibly priced models, has not been compromised.
Volkswagen is heading to the annual GTI Meeting at Wörthersee this year with a street concept version of its Polo R WRC race car.The Polo R WRC Street will be powered by a 2.0-liter TSI four-cylinder engine with 220 hp, 40 more than the street 180 hp GTI.
Google Street View cars roam the world, snapping photos freely to give its users an accurate depiction of the location they’re looking for. As a result, sometimes you may be smiling on candid camera unknowingly when Google passes by.
Fiat on the under hand, wanted to smile knowingly to the cameras when the Google Street View car was snapping photos outside of Volkswagen’s Södertälje Swedish headquarters. The Italian automaker paid close attention to when Google’s Street View cars were driving around the German automaker’s headquarers in Sweden and decided to park its 500 model at the front door for the Google Street View photo.
The more interesting question is how Fiat knew when to plant its 500 model outside the headquarters’ front door for the photo and how long it’ll be staying up on Google’s Street View website. Of course the Italian automaker has no comment on how it happened, but we’re sure they’re having a bit of a smile over it.
Barely two weeks on the job, Volkswagen‘s new motorsport director Jost Capito, has already ruled out Formula 1 at least for the foreseeable future.
After losing its crown as the world’s largest automaker in 2011, Toyota looks to regain its position at the top of the heap, out-selling rivals General Motors and Volkswagen through the first quarter of this year.
There are a lot of car stereotypes out there, like that Toyota builds dull appliances. While true on many fronts, the Japanese automaker does also make exciting sporty cars like the Scion FR-S, and Lexus LFA, both praised for their exhilarating rides, edgy styling and pulse-raising performance. But there’s another stereotype that needs to be dealt with.
Likely you’ve heard the phrase “German engineering” more than a few times in your life and there’s a popular misconception that it equals good reliability. German cars are well engineered, sometimes to be amazing performance machines and sometimes to be incredibly high-tech (and often both) but, Porsche aside, German cars don’t have the best track record for reliability.
At last year’s Frankfurt Auto Show, Volkswagen displayed a Beetle “Fender Edition” concept car that paid homage to the legendary guitar brand based out of the U.S. A year later, the German automaker has decided to offer the package to interested buyers.
Unfortunately the production model won’t be as cool as the concept, which featured the ability to connect an electric guitar to a subwoofer of the Fender sound system. A subwoofer will still be in the production model, but musicians will have to plug it in via an aux-in port or through Bluetooth by means of a smartphone app. Missing will also be the auxiliary tube amplifier located on top of the dash.
What buyers will get however are 19-inch wheels and a leather-coated roof along with a high-gloss black paint job with red accents. The door mirror covers, handles, side sill accents, VW badge, exhaust tips, and trim strip beneath the side windows will be finished in chrome. The Beetle Fender Edition concept was also lowered 1.2-inch, though we expect the production model won’t be as drastic. On the hood is a guitar pick decal while the original Fender signature can be seen underneath the VW badge on the trunk.
Inside the Fender Edition Beetle, what will remain is its unique ‘Sunburst’ two-tone wood design pattern that’s seen on many Fender guitars. And of course there will be a high-end stereo system to enjoy your beats while driving around town.
[Source: Car and Driver]
Volkswagen continues to flex just how efficient its diesel models are, with a 2012 Passat TDI SE claiming a new world record by traveling 1,626.1 miles on a single tank of ultra-low sulfur diesel.
The record was previously held by another Passat, – a 1.6 BlueMotion diesel model out in Europe – at 1,526.6 miles. John and Helen Taylor were the two drivers behind the wheel of the world record-setting journey traveling from Houston to Sterling on May 3rd to the 5th. The couple added 120 pounds of luggage to the vehicle in order to replicate normal driving situations and each took turns driving but never more than 14 hours per day.
Doing the math, the six-speed manually equipped diesel Passat averaged an astonishing 84.1 miles per gallon. The Taylors claimed they traveled exactly 60-mph on the highway in order to hit the mark. But don’t bother trying this yourself, the Taylors are self-proclaimed driving efficiency experts and have over 90 fuel economy and driving records around the world. In fact, they make a living conducting fuel-efficient driving workshops.
“We’re excited to have broken the record for the longest distance driven on one-tank of fuel. The Passat TDI was the perfect car for the trip. It offers plenty of interior and cargo space, yet is frugal enough to help us achieve this record,” said a jubilant John Taylor.
The Volkswagen People’s Car Project brought a trio of concepts to Auto China 2012 in Beijing, two of which were realistic, one of which seems more out of this world than we originally assumed.
Conversation about a Porsche 550 successor swings back and forth between production dates and delays. According to the latest from the brand, the newest projected year could be 2017.
Almost a year ago, the People’s Car Project launched in China to garner ideas for concepts that would further be developed by German automaker, Volkswagen.
The Volkswagen Jetta will see a new top-of-the-line trim level called the SEL Plus later this year, though the more exciting news is that Volkswagen plans to replace its 2.5-liter inline-four with a 1.8-liter turbo-four next year.
The new high-end SEL Plus trim will see softer-touch materials in the interior, and like the GLI model, the American counterpart will more closely resemble all the upgrades and refinements seen in the European version, including electric power steering.
The Volkswagen E-Bugster Concept debuted back at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show, showing off an electric, modified Beetle that could be getting closer to reality.
Now the E-Bugster Concept is dropping its top, revealing a Speedster variant that is heading to the 2012 Auto China Show in Beijing. The topless E-Bugster Concept shows off the versatility of an electric Beetle, perhaps hoping to convince the public that electric could be sporty as well.
Powered by an 85kW electric motor with a maximum power output of 114 hp and 199 lb-ft of torque, the concept hits 62 mph in 10.9 seconds. The real world concept has a range of around 110 miles and could be recharged in as little as 35 minutes.
The E-Bugster Concept sits over 3.5 inches lower than the new Beetle model and is almost 1.2-inch wider. The electric convertible also gives us a look at what the upcoming Beetle Convertible will look like that is expected to arrive in early 2013.
Watch a video on the E-Bugster Convertible Concept below.
In the quest to find a new car, there are a lot of questions that need to be asked. Questions about cargo room, technology, options, luxuries and other various elements will come up more than a few times while shopping for a new car. However, from the car driver’s perspective, there are just three main questions:
How comfortable is the driving experience?
How fun is it to drive?
How good is the car on fuel?
A major factor in answering those three questions has to do with the right transmission. Let’s face it, manual transmissions aren’t for everyone. They require familiarity and a level of perfection to get just right. With a traditional automatic transmission, drivers have been able to experience a fairly comfortable, yet less engaging experience. Still, an automatic transmission can leave any driving enthusiast unsatisfied. Luckily, progress has been made in the world of automatic transmissions that can help alleviate those woes.
Normally a car commercial shows dramatic driving, talkgin about the new features or somehow otherwise tries to turn your attention to the latest model. One of Volkswagen‘s latest commercials throws that out the window in favor of shock value.
Partnering with a YouTube how-to makeup artist, the the spot shows viewers how to bedazzle their faces and apply makeup to recreate the look shown in the clip.
Ward’s Auto has released its top 10 picks for best interior in 2012 today, though in no particular order. Here they are with brief notes on each car’s engine specs and starting price.
The 2012 Mazda CX-5 crossover is powered by 2.0-liter Skyactiv inline four cylinder that makes 155 hp and 150 lb-ft of torque with a starting MSRP of $20,695 with front-wheel drive.
In celebration of the most powerful performance car it’s ever sold in the U.S., the 2012 Golf R, Volkswagen is launching a fan contest to reward one lucky enthusiast.
“The Golf R has an incredibly loyal following of fans, and this is a way for Volkswagen to say ‘thank you’ for their passion and enthusiasm,” said Jonathan Browning, President and CEO of the Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. “We are delighted to reward one lucky Golf R fan with the ultimate enthusiast travel experience, including an adrenaline-pumping driving experience on a legendary track.”
Price, looks and size… these are the few factors that used to decide what vehicle you’d park in your driveway. Looking for a cheap and small car? A Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic will do. Need something bigger, perhaps a mid-size Hyundai Sonata or an SUV. Things used to be pretty easy.
With increasingly high gas prices and an overall movement towards green, fuel efficient vehicles, fuel economy has become more important. In fact, for many price, looks and size are now completely trumped by fuel economy.
“Buyers just look at the MPG on the sticker,” says IHS Automotive Analyst Devin Lindsay commenting that car buyers are now completely mesmerized by the EPA sticker label.
Take a look at the Toyota Prius, for example. It’s not terribly big, is fairly expensive, and looks… well… weird. But that didn’t stop three million of them from being sold, all thanks to a hybrid gas-electric engine that provides excellent fuel economy.
The Prius isn’t the only option for someone looking for a fuel efficient car, however; especially those in search of a more engaging driving experience. If you want to cut down on trips to the pump, and still drive a fun, powerful, good looking car, your best bet might just be in a diesel powered vehicle. That does mean you’ll almost certainly have to drive German, although a flood of new diesel-powered vehicles are about to hit our shore.
Last year, we reported that Volkswagen was considering a second generation successor to the controversial Phaeton and now it looks like those plans might become reality.
Despite being an unmitigated flop in the US and not doing too much better in Europe, VW’s flagship has found a much better reception in China, where long wheelbase sedans are proving a hit with more affluent consumers. In fact this has led to certain manufacturers introducing LWB versions of smaller cars, notably BMW with it’s 3-Series.
Given the relative popularity of the Phaeton in China, as well as VW’s long established presence there, a second generation model makes more business sense now than it did before.
As we previously reported, much of the car’s engineering will be shared with the next generation Audi A8, which will mean some form of aluminum monocoque construction. That said, despite the reduction in mass and smaller displacement engines, likely four and six-cylinder motors, plus the possible option of a Plug-in Hybrid driveline, the new Phaeton will actually be dimensionally larger than the old, with even the short version sporting a 196-inch wheelbase.
The next generation Phaeton is set to bow in 2015 and aimed at the same kind of buyer as its predecessor. It’s “a sedan for the person who’s successful but doesn’t feel the need to show it,” remarked a VW spokesperson. “Volkswagen doesn’t change course between generations of a car. It’s always easier to keep the customers you have than to lose them and go find new ones.”
Whether sticking to the same principles proves a wise move for the second generation Phaeton, remains to be seen. Nonetheless, you can’t help but admire VW for doing so.
[Source: Auto Motor und Sport]
The last generation Volkswagen Scirocco coupe didn’t make its way across the ocean to the US, but thanks to hints from VW’s North American CEO, we now have hope that the newest generation model will be offered here in the States.
“That’s a piece of the lineup that I would dearly love to see here,” said CEO of VW Group of America, Jonathan Browning when asked about the newest version of the Scirocco.
The Scirocco coupe was last sold here in 1988, and was only produced until 1992 when it was replaced by the Volkswagen Corrado. When the car was reintroduced in 2008, there was to much risk for Volkswagen to export them to the States thanks to the recession, and the fact that the Scirocco would likely steal sales away from the GTI.
A facelifted Scirocco coupe is expected sometime in 2013, and hopefully when the car is revealed we will find out more about VW’s sales plan.
When speaking with Automotive News, Browning also revealed that there is a chance the diesel powered Volkswagen Alltrack might make its way to North America as well, as it was displayed at the 2012 New York Auto Show strictly to gauge customer reaction in America.
[Source: Automotive News]
