Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche. All the news and motorsport, in one place.
As of 9/01 my New Beetle is paid off. Even though I purchased it used it still was $15,500. Compared to my last car, a 90′ Jetta GL that I paid $3000.00 cash for, this is a big deal!
This also means all of our cars, a 1965 Buick Skylark, 98′ Honda CR-V and a 00′ VW New Beetle are all paid off. WE HAVE NO CAR PAYMENTS!
08/2002:
Today:
2007 VOLKSWAGEN GTI RECEIVES “AUTOMOTIVE EXCELLENCE AWARD” FOR DRIVING FUN FROM POPULAR MECHANICS
Volkswagen of America, Inc. today announced that they are among the recipients of Popular Mechanics 2007 Automotive Excellence Awards. The award was giving to the 2007 Volkswagen GTI which won the “Driving Fun” category.
That the GTI is fun to drive can be attributed to its high-tech, 200 horsepower 2.0T four-cylinder engine, a new fully independent, sports-tuned suspension, a standard six-speed manual transmission, and aggressive exterior styling with a practical interior that equally mixes functionality, flair and a preoccupation with a driver-first focus and layout.
The 2007 GTI is a legendary sports sedan with a unique manual DSGTM transmission that utilizes direct shifting, which essentially automatically depresses clutch-shift points more efficiently and quicker than even a professional driver can. But the GTI today is all purity, and for those who want the unique control of a clutch, the all-new GTI comes with a standard six-speed manual transmission. Top speed is electronically governed at 130 miles per hour in the U.S.
Popular Mechanics chose the winners after test driving over 100 of the newest cars, trucks and SUVs, amassing more than 100,000 miles in the process.
Technorati Tags: Volkswagen, GTI, VW, Popular Mechanics, Automotive, Excellence, DSG
The Touran is coming with a new look, new technologies and a new top TSI engine. The next generation of the bestseller will be presented in a world premiere at the Paris Auto Show on September 28. The market launch will be taking place in the middle of November. The van will be the first Volkswagen available with “Park Assist”, unique in its technical design; the parking system that makes parking a snap, even in tight quarters.
- Bestseller with new design and innovative technologies
- Crest radiator grill and headlights in Eos style
- Park Assist enables automatic parking
- Only van in the world with dual charged TSI engine
At first glance the new Touran is recognizable from the front by its Volkswagen crest radiator grill in chrome design, a new bumper and precisely cut headlights; the optional lights available as bi-xenon adaptive headlights follow the stylistic design of the Eos. At the back the new rear lights and the bumper modified along the lines of the front section allude to the second Touran generation. Numerous interior modifications and expanded standard equipment top off the extensive package of measures. Starting in spring 2007, the highest performance gasoline direct injection engine, a Twincharger with 125 kW / 170 hp, will be employed in the Touran for the first time. The gears of this sporty as well as thrifty 1.4 TSI are changed via the standard DSG direct shift gearbox. The 103 kW / 140 hp strong Touran 1.4 TSI, whose Twincharger is also optionally available with DSG, will get started right at market launch.
Park Assist guides the Touran into that space under 15 seconds
Another technology highlight of the Touran is the optional parking guidance assistant (including Park Pilot / distance warning front and back). Developed by Volkswagen, “Park Assist” enables automatic parking. “Park Assist” is activated at the push of a button. While driving by at speeds of up to 30 kph an ultrasonic sensor system detects all parking spaces on the right and left that are parallel to the driving lane; a control unit calculates the ideal path for parking. “Park Assist” notifies the driver about the starting position via display in the instruments. After engaging reverse gear the van maneuvers into the parking space in under 15 seconds. During the entire parking process the driver only has to accelerate and brake – the Touran does the steering.
The latest generation of the van bestseller starts at 20.460 euros
The Touran is regarded as the all-round talent for private and/or business use due, among other things, to its unrivaled range of innovative engines and gearboxes as well as its great interior versatility and capacity. From a standing start the first generation introduced in 2003 advanced to the most successful van series in Germany (approx. 8,000 new registrations per month); in Europe the Touran is also one of the most sold models of its class (11% market share in the segment). The new Touran should strengthen this position. At a purchase price of 20.460 euros (Touran Conceptline, 75 kW / 102 hp) it can be recommended in terms of economy.
Stainless steel, new materials and uncompromising safety features
New upholstery fabrics and appointments breath new life into the interior of the next generation Touran, lending it a more refined feel. The middle plate of the instrument panel, for example: It is now crafted in a stainless steel design. The same is true for the area around the standard storage compartment above the middle console. In addition, the basic “Conceptline” version is refined by the new “Media” interior trim. The “RCD 300″ radio-CD system with integrated MP3 mode is standard on-board equipment. Also true in terms of safety: no compromises. Front, side and head airbags are included as standard features, as well as the ESP Electronic Stabilization Program including counter-steering feature and trailer stabilization.
New features also refine “Trendline” and “Highline”
The stainless steel theme is even more enhanced in the next highest equipment version: The décor strips here also exhibit this design. It has a sporty character matching the new “Energy” interior trim. The Touran Trendline now comes with the semi-automatic “Climatic” air-conditioning system as standard equipment (previously a Highline equipment feature). Taken from its predecessor are practical details such as the folding front passenger backrest with table and load-through facility.
At Volkswagen “Highline” traditionally refers to the most exclusive equipment version. In the case of the updated Touran this includes, among other features, newly designed 16″ light-alloy wheels (”Magny Cours” design), the refined “Mando” interior trim, an air-conditioning system (Climatronic instead of Climatic), the most powerful version of the “RCD 300″ audio system with eight speakers and ParkPilot for the back.
Innovative extras for an all-round automotive talent
In addition to “Park Assist”, “Hill-Starting Assistant”, daytime running lights and bi-xenon headlights with cornering light, the new optional equipment for the second generation Touran includes a variable luggage compartment floor with two integrated storage compartments and a DVD-based radio navigation system (”RNS MFD DVD”).
140 hp Twincharger with DSG direct shift gearbox
The new top gasoline engine is, as described earlier, the Twincharger 1.4 TSI with 103 kW / 140 hp, first used in the Golf GT. In combination with the new Touran the dual charged high-tech engine (charged via compressor and turbocharger) enables a top speed of 198 kph while running on an average of only 7.5 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers. The basic version engine Volkswagen offers for the Touran is a 1.6 liter gasoline engine with 75 kW / 102 hp.
A 125 kW / 170 hp TDI engine is at the top of the diesel engine range. The entry level here is a TDI with 66 kW / 90 hp. In the next TDI performance levels Volkswagen offers the new Touran with 77 kW / 105 hp and 103 kW / 140 hp. Another innovative way of saving without forgoing driving pleasure is the 80 kW / 109 hp natural gas version of the Touran, the “EcoFuel”, that will also be available at market launch. A world-wide novelty in the van segment: All TDI and TSI engines (at least 77 kW / 105 hp) can be combined with the DSG direct shift gearbox – in the eyes of many experts and customers the sportiest and most economical automatic transmission in the world.
Interior concept with up to seven seats and 1,989 liters of storage volume
The innovative seating system of the Touran shows the way in terms of versatility. The three light-weight seats arranged next to one another in the second row can be quickly and easily moved – lengthwise and offset diagonally, folded down or removed. The Touran can be optionally equipped with a third row of seats; when not in use the two full-fledged individual seats can each be easily lowered separately into the luggage compartment floor. The luggage compartment of up to 1,989 liters (depending on seat configuration) is also a hallmark of versatile and efficient usability.
A team of turbodiesel Volkswagen Golf-driving privateers is celebrating an impressive 15th place finish in the UK’s major endurance race, the Britcar Silverstone 24 Hours.
The Golf TDI crossed the line yesterday third in its class - and the only diesel-powered finisher - just 62 laps behind the winning BMW sports racer.
Lead driver Ken Lark, from Peters Green in Hertfordshire, is delighted by the team’s performance: ‘It was an excellent race, very hard work but really enjoyable. I think it has to go down as the best racing weekend of my life.
We had only one real drama, when the battery exploded at 3am out on the circuit. That lost us around six laps and without it we might have made the top 10.
Nonetheless the amateur squad - comprising Lark, John Quartermaine and his son Adam, Michael Neuhoff and Nick Starkey - claimed some notable scalps, including all three Mazda RX8s entered by the British importer.
The Golf TDI was able to stay out on track for the maximum permitted three hours at a time before pitting for a driver change, while its much more powerful rivals had to stop every hour to take on petrol. ‘It was great to pass all the big sports cars while they were stationary in the pits,’ added Lark. ‘We stopped a total of only seven times… I think the winner made 20-plus pit visits.’
The TH Motorsport-prepared Golf was powered by a standard 1.9 TDI engine from a written-off road car. Lark and his comrades are now planning an assault on the 2007 Nürburgring 24 Hours.
Also in action at Silverstone was a Beetle RSi piloted by Dave Turner, Terry Flatt Nick Beaumont, Alex Frick and Mike Gorton, which was classified 28th despite losing around three hours in the pits with a broken driveshaft. Fifty-two cars started the race and there were 35 classified finishers.
Technorati Tags: VW, Volkswagen, TDI, Golf, New Beetle, RSi
How’s that for green, bishes!
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Volkswagen of America, Inc. is the industry’s most environmentally friendly automaker according to J.D. Power and Associates’ just-released, 2006 “Alternative Powertrain Study, ” which includes the Automotive Environmental Index. Volkswagen places three products on the automotive researcher’s list of low emission vehicles—including the Golf, Jetta and New Beetle. The study includes gasoline, diesel and hybrid powered vehicles.
The new study combines U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data with voice-of-the-customer information to scrutinize 37 automotive brands relative to a range of environmental factors, including fuel economy, emissions and air quality. The vehicles are then ranked to determine an Automotive Environmental Index (AEI), with Volkswagen topping the list as the product leader in environmental performance.
Said Dr. Wolfgang Bernhard, chairman of the Volkswagen brand: “The “Alternative Powertrain Study” is testament to our intensive and global commitment in the area of economic engines. And this innovative strength continues to have an impact, via our range of TDI vehicles.
No other manufacturer has sold more diesel cars in the United States and that upward trend continues.
The J.D. Power and Associates study also recognizes Volkswagen and its products as strong performers in the diesel arena. Volkswagen is the leading manufacturer of diesel cars in the United States, including the new Touareg V10 TDI— the first turbodiesel SUV in America with a particle filter, and the Jetta TDI, the industry’s top selling diesel vehicle.
Technorati Tags: VW, Volkswagen, TDI, Jetta, New Beetle, Golf, diesel, biodiesel, J.D Power, environment, green,
New Beetle dash cleaning files
As part of its fuel and powertrain strategy, Volkswagen is backing innovative second-generation biofuels and is calling on politicians to develop a sustainable tax model providing a secure framework for investing in the development and market launch of these new fuels.
“The present assessment regarding the sustainability of first and second-generation biofuels is entirely unsatisfactory, both in economic and environmental terms. One biofuel is not the same as another: some first-generation biofuels can best be described as a ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’. Some of them have a worse CO2 balance than conventional gasoline fuels, but nevertheless still bear the name of ‘biofuel’”, Dr. Bernd Pischetsrieder, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, commented in Berlin on Thursday. “First-generation biofuels receive tax incentives from scarce budget resources and consequently constitute a bad investment. That cannot be considered sustainable in either the ecological or the economic sense of the word.”
Volkswagen has for many years been working intensively on concepts for reducing fuel consumption and substituting fossil energies. “Our fuel concept is based on second-generation biofuels which can be produced from biomass, are to a large extent CO2 neutral and do not compete with food production,” Pischetsrieder added. Continue reading ‘Volkswagen calls for preferential status for second-generation biofuels’
Son of a bitch! This just ain’t right. Quit making it out to be a cute toy. It’s an icon for god’s sake!
I guess this gives me more trash talk abilities when my Beetle whips yo ass! 
We’ve brought you the Mitsubishi’s Hello Kitty i, and now, in our never-ending quest to provide complete coverage of all children’s-toy-themed automobiles, we present the Mexican-market Volkswagen Beetle Barbie. No battery-operated kiddie toy, mind you, the Beetle Barbie is a bona-fide VW New Beetle, finished in a retina-searing hot pink paint job decorated with strategically-placed Barbie logos. Detail fanatics take note: even the lug nuts are pink.
Inside, the theme continues, with pink accents and inserts finding their way onto the leather seats, door trim, floormats, and steering wheel. Only 13 will be built, and they’ll be sold through specially-selected VW dealers. The price? 262,500 Mexican pesos ($24,368 USD / 19.012 €). No word on whether or not Ken will be seen riding shotgun.
- Autoblog
well here it is on video along with a one hot Marisa M. 
The vid is more about her than the New Beetle but who cares!
Read about Uncle Phil’s RSI here
technorati tags:VW, Volkswagen, Beetle, NewBeetle, RSI, 1.8T
Wow. I think I will only buy Keetle brand chips from now on! It’s nice to know that there are companies out there like this. Not only are they involved with biodiesel and producing it with their own waste, they rely on solar energy and wind power, co-exist with the environment and giveback to the community.
At Kettle Foods, we consciously use the healthiest sunflower and safflower oils, which is why we think it’s fitting that we run a growing fleet of company vehicles on distilled vegetable oil, known as biodiesel. In fact, 100% of the waste vegetable oil from our production process is converted into biodiesel. This rich nectar that we like to call “Flower Power®” is a natural alternative to petroleum diesel fuel. Its use benefits all of us by saving as much as 8 tons in CO2 emissions every year.
Q: How many Kettle™ brand chips does it take to run a car?
A: On average, for every 7,600 bags of Kettle™ brand potato chips we produce, we create one gallon of waste vegetable oil. This waste vegetable oil is stored in a tank and, when enough accumulates, it is picked up and taken to a biodiesel production facility. That facility can make one gallon of 100% biodiesel for every gallon of waste oil we give them. 100% biodiesel can be used in any diesel engine, like in our fleet of bio-beetles!
Technorati Tags: Kettle Foods, potato chips, diesel, biodiesel, vegetable oil, VW, Volkswagen, TDI, bio-beetles, New Beetle
