Volkswagen Motorsport International Newsletter

With Volkswagen participating in so many forms of Motorsport around the world, it’s often difficult to keep track of their performance. Luckily for us, Volkswagen Motorsport goes through the trouble of rounding up all of the key information from their various race series, and puts it all in one press release. Let’s get started.

FIA World Rally Championship

2015 Essen Motor Show: World Champion Ogier crowned rally driver of the year

Sébastien Ogier (F) was crowned rally driver of the year at the Essen Motor Show (D). The three-time World Rally Champion received the award presented by “Auto Bild Motorsport” in front of more than 600 guests at the “Race Night”. Ogier’s co-driver Julien Ingrassia (F) was awarded best rally co-driver. This was the third time in as many years that the French duo received this award. “It was an exciting season that we were able to round off by winning the title,” said Ogier. “To be crowned best rally driver here again is a great honour. Many thanks to the fans who supported us throughout the season and voted for us.” Ogier and Ingrassia staked their early claim on the world championship title at the Rally Australia in September. Volkswagen was the most successful manufacturer in the WRC for the third time. The two Frenchmen will make their next appearance in the Volkswagen Polo R WRC at the 2016 season opener, which will be the legendary Rally Monte Carlo (22/01–24/01/2016).

FIA World Rallycross Championship

Kristoffersson clinches third place

Johan Kristoffersson (S) of Volkswagen Team Sweden clinched third place in the drivers’ standings at the season finale of the FIA World Rallycross Championship in Rosario (RA), Argentina. The Swede was eliminated in the semi-final at the Circuit Juan Manuel Fangio, but the two championship points he picked up were enough for him to assert himself over Andreas Bakkerud (N, Ford) in the World Championship. The two drivers were separated by just two points at the end of the season. Meanwhile, Petter Solberg (N, Citroën) clinched the World Champion title and relegated Timmy Hansen (S, Peugeot) into second place. Toomas “Topi” Heikkinen was the best Marklund Motorsport driver in Rosario. The Finn in the Volkswagen Polo RX finished in fourth place in the semi-final, which saw him narrowly miss out on making the final. Heikkinen finished ninth in the championship standings.

Volkswagen Vento Cup India

Reddy clinched title win – Vaidyam best junior driver

Excitement down to the final race of the season in the Volkswagen Vento Cup India: Anindith Reddy (IND) had to wait until the final in Greater Noida (IND) to clinch the title win. Two podium positions in the three races held were enough for last year’s winner of the junior standings to win the championship. “I am extremely happy with the 2015 title and looking forward to the next steps in 2016,” said Reddy. “The competition was tough and I knew it was going down to the wire for the final title honours.” Meanwhile, the award for best junior driver of the season went to Pradeep Rao Vaidyam (IND). This victory sees Vaidyam secure a starting position in the 2016 season of the Volkswagen Vento Cup.

The post Volkswagen Motorsport International Newsletter appeared first on VWVortex.

from VWVortex http://ift.tt/1PWbYq7
via IFTTT

Watch: The Stig Drives (nearly) Seven Generations of Golf GTI

With Volkswagen announcing “major” updates to the Golf, it seems an appropriate time to look back on what we’ve had so far. And who better to guide us through the rich history of the most popular European car ever made than Ben Collins, the former Stig? Some say he’s never met a GTI he doesn’t love, and that he can’t grow any of his own facial hair. All we know is … Ben Collins is actually a pretty solid presenter. Working his way through seven generations of the GTI (skipping over the Mk6) Collins tells us a little bit about each one and matches each mark to its corresponding facial hair craze. The Mk1 GTI for instance, is light and quick, but can lose traction under hard acceleration (in heavy rain). Despite that, Collins calls the Mk1 a “pure gem.” The Mk4, meanwhile, is a powerful return to form after the perhaps too sensible Mk3. Collins ends in the only way he could, with the Mk7, which accelerates faster than a Lamborghini Countach and is all kinds of wonderful. Watch, ...

Watch: The Story of the Ads that Made VW Big in America

The ads for the original Beetle are almost as famous and well-loved as the Beetle itself. Looking back now it’s easy to forget, though, just how easily things could have wrong. A new short from Dial M Films tracks the history of those early Volkswagen ads that sold America on the people’s car. The story, of course, begins with the visionary agency that made the ads: Doyle Dane Bernach (DDB). As a popular agency for Jewish products, no agency was more aware of the implications of Volkswagen, and no one, it seems, was more skeptical of the brand than DDB. “Remember Those Great Volkswagen Ads?” from Dial M Films on Vimeo . William Bernbach, though, was adament that the firm take the client, probably as a way of attracting other lucrative automotive clients. Saddled with a client that he didn’t want, art director Helmut Krone says in the film that he originally came up with ads that were all wrong. Krone tried to do what other manufacturers did and was intent on selling the Beetle ...

Watch: The Zerouno Cruis’n USA

ItalDesign is drumming up excitement for its new supercar based around the same 5.2-liter Audi V10 that powers the R8. Naturally, it hit the road for a cruise around California last week to celebrate Monterey Car Week. There isn’t much in the way of V10 noise—which is a real shame given the sound it makes—but you do at least get a good look at the car inside and out in this video. With a body made entirely of carbon fiber and designed to be as aerodynamic and light as possible, ItalDesign figures that it will be good for a 0-60 time of just 3.2 seconds. “We put it our best skills into the production of the first car,” said Massimo Bovi, head of pre-series production, when the Zerouno was first unveiled in Geneva earlier this year. “Using some of the finest productions methods and engaging our high-skilled workers.” The car features clever aero tricks gleaned from single-seat racing, like a y-duct up front to improve downforce and turn-in. Available in a number of trim levels, the...

Vorderman Volkswagen

Search This Blog