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. 

These special editions are called the ’50s ’60s and ’70s models, and feature age appropriate details that coincide with the decade of the model.

You can expect to see different wheels and upholstery as well as special paint jobs. There’s even a possibility of whitewall tires. The special editions are expected to make the trip to the U.S. so we can look forward to seeing these retro-looking Beetles on the road.

It’s always interesting to see how modern cars interpret their history, so these special editions might truly be special. Volkswagen is looking to launch them alongside the convertible at the L.A. auto show in the fall.

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. 

When the concept convertible version of the Golf R debuted at the Worthersee GTI meet in Austria last year, it was with the intention of collecting customer feedback which would be used to decide if the car should be produced. The feedback was positive, and the sales of the Golf R and GTI have been good, so VW filed these patent images in China, all but confirming that the car will be built.

The Golf R Cabriolet will utilize the same turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder as the standard Golf R, making 265-hp and 258 lb-ft of torque, enabling a 0-62 mph time of under 6.0 seconds. The convertible Golf R will also get some aesthetic upgrades, including color themed sport seats, 19-inch wheels, black carbon and piano black accents and LED running lights. Center mounted tailpipes will also be outfitted on the cabriolet.

Volkswagen is saying that we will not get a current generation Golf R Cabriolet on our shores, but that does suggest that there is a chance we will get the next generation here in America.

[Source: China Car Times]

The last couple days have been a storm of spy photos with the latest to come our way picturing the 2013 Volkswagen Golf GTI.

Last time we saw pictures of the two-door hatchback it was going through winter testing. When it arrives, the 2013 model will be the first car built on VW’s new MQB architecture. The new GTI is shaping up to be the hottest hatch to come from the German automaker yet. With a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine making 260 hp it will already be the more powerful version to date.

That paired with the fact that it will lose weight thanks to being build on the MQB platform means it’s shaping up to be a real rocket. In the latest batch of photos we see the car’s actual headlights and what appears to be its production side mirrors.

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.

That, at least, is the opinion of chief designer Jae Min who says no compromises have been made. “We didn’t take anything out,” said Min, speaking at the Wards Auto Interiors Conference in Dearborn, MI. “It was a rebalancing of where things go, and there are still a lot of features available.” Instead VW credits much of the cost savings to a new, less expensive platform, with the Jetta no longer sharing its underpinnings with the Golf.

The proof says VW rep Darryll Harrison lies in the numbers, with consumers voting with their wallets. According to Harrison, despite the significantly lower starting price for the new Jetta ($16,495), the average transaction price is roughly $22,000. The same goes for the new Passat, which while listing for $19,995, sells on average between $26,000 and $27,000.

While Volkswagen did anticipate significantly higher volumes (which has happened), the increased price consumers are willing to pay at the dealerships has come as a surprise, with Min even admitting that, “Ironically the transaction price is higher than before.”

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

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.

The German automaker will be heading to Wörthersee with a total of five vehicles, including the WRC Race Street, Golf GTI Cabriolet, Polo R-WRC race car, GTI Black Dynamic, and Golf GTI ‘White Concept’.

The most exciting of course is the WRC Street, the first time Volkswagen is debuting the model which is set to be launched in late 2013. On the outside, the WRC Street sports a rear spoiler, diffuser, sport-tuned suspension, and an inscription with R-WRC logos. Of course it has its requisite graphics but overall the WRC Street looks like a fun package.

The WRC Polo race car will also be present at the annual meet, and the two GTI concepts contrast one another by exterior shade – black and white.

GALLERY: Volkswagen Polo R WRC Street Concept

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.

The former SVT director for Ford has wasted no time reaffirming the German automaker’s motorsports goals lie in WRC and nothing else. Three years ago, Volkswagen had revealed that it would evaluate a possible entry into Formula 1 after 2014, when the sport’s engine rules will change. But Capito has gone on the record to say that a future presence in grand prix isn’t even under consideration: “Definitely not. At the moment we don’t even think about it because we’re thinking WRC,” said Capito in an interview with Autosport.

Currently VW has a pair of S2000-spec Skodas participating in WRC, gaining valuable data and experience for its full-time campaign with a WRC car next season.

[Source: Autosport]

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.

With sales up 18 percent globally, Toyota moved 2.49 million vehicles, putting the Japanese auto giant just ahead of GM’s 2.28 million tally. Germany’s Volkswagen AG, which has said it will become number one on the list by 2018, currently sits third with 2.16 million units for the first three months of the year.

Toyota first claimed the top spot as the world’s largest automaker in 2008, aided by low sales for GM as it underwent bankruptcy protection. The Japanese automaker then managed to hold on to its number one position for the following two years before last year’s Japanese earthquake and tsunami significantly impacted production, dropping Toyota from first to third.

Along with restored production, Toyota is seeing improved sales as it begins to significantly revamp its lineup, rolling out a new version of it’s top selling Camry mid-size sedan, while also introducing new versions of the Prius hybrid like the Prius c and Prius v.

[Source: Bloomberg]

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.

A REPUTATION EARNED

Part of the reason for the misconception about German engineering is that German automakers did, at one time, earn it. When Consumer Reports started its Long-Term Reliability Tests and Initial Quality Index tests way back in 1972, German brands like Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz came out on top. The initial quality of even the lowly VW Beetle topped many domestic vehicles from Ford, Jeep, Pontiac and Mercury.

For a while afterwards, Mercedes and VW managed to stay near the top in reliability rankings. But their Japanese rivals weren’t sitting idly-by. In the 1980s and 90s the most reliable models ended up coming from Honda, Toyota, Acura, Infiniti and Lexus.

“Back then, the cars like the Beetle were pretty simple. But then came stronger competition, the Japanese [automakers], especially Toyota and Honda got their problems per 100, down to a science,” Said Gabriel Shenhar, an automotive engineer at Consumer Reports.

A REPUTATION LOST

In the late ‘90s Mercedes had released the dismally unreliable M-Class SUV (left) and the brand’s initial quality scores have plummeted since. Other German brands had similar experiences. Even though they stayed at the forefront of new technology and engineering practices, their new gizmos were prone to failing.

“They’re quick to adapt new technologies but rely on suppliers that supply these technologies and in a lot of cases what we see is problems with the electrical systems, the entertainment systems and other interface,” said Schenhar

According to Consumer Reports, Mercedes boosted its reliability a bit in 2011, but is still inconsistent. The same can be said for Mercedes’ German competitors, Audi and BMW. In Consumer Reports last five annual reports, the last time these German brands have been above average in reliability was back in 2007. Since then, they’ve all slumped below the average in the industry.

Consumer Reports’ Long-Term Reliability test documents a car’s reliability over the course of three years, while the Initial Quality Index is based on consumer feedback from the first few months of a new cars ownership.

Consumer Reports also has a report card that ranks automakers based on their average car score, reliability score and the percentage of recommended vehicles. The average score for these carmaker report cards over the past five years (when they started the report cards) of the German brands doesn’t crack 68/100, below the industry average and the competition from the top Japanese automakers.

These results are reflected in numbers released by J.D. Power & Associates as well. In the both of the latest J.D. Power Surveys, the German brands can’t match up to their luxury peers. In the most recent vehicle dependability survey, Mercedes-Benz only gets a four out of five, which is “Better than most” rating, while Audi and BMW get 3/5 or “About Average.” Volkswagen falls below average with 2/5, what J.D. Power describes as “The Rest.” Porsche is also ranked “Better than most” in J.D. Power’s dependability survey, which give Mercedes-Benz some nice company. It’s important to note that only one car maker had a score of 5/5, and that’s Lexus.

Nothing changes in J.D. Power’s Initial Quality rankings. Mercedes and Porsche have 4/5 ratings, BMW and Audi get just 3/5 and VW only achieves 2/5. Lexus tops that ranking as well with a 5/5.

The J.D. Power ratings are based on consumer surveys. Initial Quality is measured after 90 days of a new car’s purchase. Vehicle Dependability Ratings are surveys based on the past 12 months of original owners of three-year old cars.

POOR RANKING NOT JUST ABOUT QUALITY

Some of the reasons why German cars struggle in J.D. Power’s rankings in the past are entirely trivial and are not related to actual vehicle quality at all says Karl Brauer from Total Car Score.

“German cars didn’t offer cup holders for years, and while this isn’t a mechanical failure it was often noted as a dissatisfaction point for buyers on J.D. Power and Consumer Reports surveys, and this drove down their scores” said Brauer. “Most German cars (even Porsches) now have cup-holders because the manufacturers realized they were suffering in terms of owner satisfaction scores by not having them,” he added. The same thing could be said about some of the complicated technologies and infotainment systems like BMW’s first generation iDrive system (pictured right).

SACRIFICE FOR PERFORMANCE

Along with these more trivial complaints and technology issues, Shenhar of Consumer Reports tells us that German automakers, by their own admission, sometimes come up short because of their singular focus on performance. When and if they cut costs, the likely areas that will get cheaper quality parts will be with some of the stuff the customer might not notice.

“They are susceptible to cost-cutting and anywhere they can, in the hopes that the customer won’t know, they use suppliers that will deliver and sometimes won’t,” says Shenhar.

While the phrase “German Engineering” has become synonymous with reliability, Shenhar suggests it should more accurately be a reference to performance. And in regards to performance, there’s little doubt they have some high standards. In fact, looking away from initial quality and reliability, German vehicles rank quite well.

GERMAN CARS STILL APEAL-ING

In J.D. Power’s Automotive Performance, Execution & Layout (APEAL) study, which looks at how gratifying a new vehicle is to own and drive, based on owner evaluations, Porsche comes out on top, as the only automaker to get 5/5. Audi, BMW Mercedes and VW all achieve a 4/5 in this survey as well, showing that these cars are no slouch when it comes to performance and execution.

With its new 3-series, BMW has set the bar even higher for sport sedans, and the new Porsche 911 has again solidified the automakers place in automotive history for making the best sports car in the business. It’s no surprise then that both cars were in the running as finalists for the 2012 World Car of the Year Award.

Neither won, however, but that accolade did still go to a German car: the VW up! In fact, it’s VW’s fourth win in the past five years. Winners are selected based on overall merit, value, safety, environmental responsibility, emotional appeal, and significance.

It’s clear then that there are plenty of reasons to buy a car from automakers like BMW, Mercedes, Audi and Volkswagen, but if reliability is your top concern, don’t be fooled by the myth of “German engineering”.

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.

GALLERY: Volkswagen Beetle Fender Edition

[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.

GALLERY: World Record Setting VW Passat Diesel

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.

After garnering over 119,000 ideas on the People’s Car Project’s website, the German automaker picked three to show off as concepts. The Hover Car was one that we mostly read about, a two-seater city car that hovers just above the ground while emitting zero emissions. Volkswagen went the extra mile to showing off how the concept would work in a world with electromagnetic road networks.

The concept was designed by Jia Wang, who wanted to help propose a solution to all the traffic congestion in the city of Chengdu. The Hover Car is no doubt a small urban vehicle, but its spherical shape is what makes it interesting; giving it the versatility to maneuver around tight spaces and parking lots.

Could it become a reality? Probably not in the near future, but it’s definitely an interesting idea.

Watch the video of the Volkswagen Hover Car after the break. Just a heads up, it’s in Mandarin Chinese and doesn’t make any sense.

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[Source: Technologic Vehicles]