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Want to race Lamborghinis when you grow up? Squadre Corse’s got you covered. Lamborghini Squadra Corse is deepening its commitment to motorsport by introducing a new partnership with DR Racing Kart. The company released a press release today saying that it will seek to find the GT champions of the future with its new talent program. The Sant’Agata auto maker has seen success lately in GT and endurance racing and with this latest announcement the company hope to groom drivers along every step of their career. DR Racing Kart was founded by five-time kart world champion Danilo Rossi, who is involved in all aspects of the karting world. The  full press release follows: Lamborghini Squadra Corse has announced the Kart Drivers Program, an initiative investing in the GT champions of the future that further broadens its programs dedicated to young motorsport talent. This program represents a further step to the existing Young Drivers Program, Formula Junior Program and GT3 Junior Progra

I am a simple man with simple tastes and roadcars sailing through the air is always, inherently, ineffably entertaining. Exhibit A: This Thing catching air on a dirt road. There is no crappy music, no overlong explanation, no weird camera action. The video, simply titled “Jumping a bone stock 1974 thing,” delivers on every one of its promises and then has the decency to end after 12 seconds. So join me in applauding  Youtuber “chokemotorcycleshop” and treat yourself to a Volkswagen Thing defying gravity. The post Watch a Thing Jump appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVortex http://ift.tt/1RNiNJj via IFTTT

The TCR International Series season opener is set for this weekend at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir. Four Golf GTI TCRs will be racing with two teams. The cars will be racing under the Leopard Racing and Engstler Motorsport banners. Stefano Comini and Jean-Karl Vernay will be racing for the former, while Davit Kajaia and Mikhail Grachev will be driving the Team Engstler cars. The drivers come to the car with lots of experience. Comini is the reigning series champion, having won six TCR Championship victories in his Seat Leon last year. Vernay raced an Audi R8 LMS in the Blancpain Endurance series last year. Kajaia, meanwhile, is a former European Touring Car Championship driver and Grachev returns from a strong season last year with Engstler Motorsport. The GTI TCR hit the track for the first time earlier this month in Valencia. Tests there, and in France more recently, were promising. “There were some teething problems, but we were still able to learn more about the

UK Volkswagen enthusiasts will be able to get their orders in for the rugged new Beetle Dune as of April 5. Engineered and styled as an homage to “Baja Bugs,” the Beetle Dune combines classic Beetle styling with off-road ruggedness. The car has been raised 10 mm and comes with 18-inch mythos alloy wheels, front and rear wheel arch extensions, and new bumper designs. The car comes as both a hatch and a cabriolet. Five colors that match the bold design are offered: Sandstorm Yellow metallic, Dark Bronze metallic (both of which were designed exclusively for this car), Deep Black pearlescent, Black (non-metallic), and  Pure White (non-metallic). Prices start at £21,300 (RRP OTR) with both petrol and diesel engines available. Deliveries start in June. Read the full press release below. The Volkswagen Beetle is renowned as an automotive style icon with, perhaps, the most well-known silhouette of any modern car.  Original Beetles have been modified in small numbers over the years to suit

Part-time television personality and full-time destroyer of tires Tanner Foust has announced that he will race in select Formula DRIFT events in 2016 after partnering with Nexen Tires. Foust, who has won his fair share of Formula DRIFT events, will drift his Rockstar Energy Drink/Nexen Tire Volkswagen Passat at events in Atlanta (May 6-7), Seattle (August 5-6), and Texas (September 9-10). “The cars on the Formula DRIFT circuit are some of the wildest motorsport builds on the planet right now and maximizing grip is a critical part of having the right package,” said Foust in a statement. Foust’s first appearance under the new partnership was earlier this month at the Leadfoot Fesitval in New Zealand. Last year was his first year back in Formula DRIFT after a five year hiatus, during which time he focused rallycross. Foust is the only driver to ever win back-to-back Formula DRIFT championships (in 2007 and 2008). The Formula DRIFT Passat debuted last year. It produces more than 900 h

[ See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com ] What’s sexier than Brazil? Brazil in the ‘70s. And that’s where today’s Find of the Day, the SP2, got its start. Way back in the day, VW do Brasil was bored. Trade restrictions prevented them from getting the Karmann Ghia, so there was nothing sporty available for the Brazilian people. A lack of sports cars for such a sultry people simply wouldn’t do. In ’69 Volkswagen do Brasil decided that they could design something themselves and so Project X was launched. At a trade fair in 1970, the result was revealed and the Brazilian press fell in love with the SP2. Few of these car, produced between 1972 and 1976, were ever exported, so your chances of meeting another are slim. Even if you do, though, the one you meet is unlikely to be in this condition. The car only has 45,000 miles on the clock and appears to be in original, and excellent, condition. It was, until recently, part of am exclusive collection, evidence of which can be found in the

A bodyless VW. An Australian wearing a Crocodile Dundee hat. Unnecessary shots fired at politicians. Utes! This video truly has it all. In this review from 4X4 Australia, Dave Morley, certified Australian, runs down all the reasons that you want to live in a market where the Amarok is sold. This Amarok isn’t just any Amarok, though, this is the “naked ute.” VW stripped their car of all its body panels to show users how it works and all the clever design decisions that went into the making of the vehicle. Normally these things just rotate on a turntable at a car show, though. Seeing one run, and seeing it run off-road at that, is a special treat. So let this Aussie with a healthy distrust of politics run an embarrassed ute off-road for your viewing pleasure. The post Watch an Australian Drive a VW Amarok Superleggera appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVortex http://ift.tt/25wvdN2 via IFTTT

“If you want to win hire a Finn” goes the old saying, and that’s just what Eklund Motorsport has done. Finnish driver Joni-Pekka Rajala has been given a seat in an Eklund Motorsport Volkswagen Beetle Supercar. “It’s really nice to work together with Eklund Motorsport again this season,” says Rajala in a press release posted on the FIA World Rallycross Championship website. “I want to fight for a podium finish in the European Championship with the Volkswagen Beetle.” Rajala will be racing in the European Rallycross Championship’s (Euro RX) Supercar class. This is the fastest class in Euro RX, featuring 4WD cars with upwards of  550 hp. Rajala raced with Eklund Motorsport last year in a Saab and finished the Euro RX season in fourth place. The Finn joins Alexander Hvaal, who will drive the team’s other Beetle Supercar. “I promised [Rajala] that he could use the Beetle this year if he wanted to stay with us,” says Per Eklund, team principle. Eklund goes on to say that the team has “m

It was raining Volkswagens in Hong Kong on Saturday, as a parked Golf was pushed off of the second story of a parking lot. The car was empty when a man identified as Dr. Fung ran into the vehicle. The 76-year-old Doctor was leaving the lot when he says his car accelerated by itself, sped up to nearly 45 mph, and crashed into the parked Golf. The VW then went through a fence, off a ledge, and onto the sidewalk on Tin Hau Temple Road. Perhaps most amazingly of all, someone was hit by the falling car (or its debris, the report is unclear), but EJI Insight reports that he sustained only minor injuries. The front ends of both cars were pretty substantially damaged, but the back end of the Golf looks remarkably unharmed given the height it fell from. Admittedly, though, the picture is pretty small, so it’s possible that the full extent of the damage is hidden. Although it sounds like Dr. Fung and the pedestrian who considers a falling car only a minor annoyance had a pretty bad morning,

It’s not uncommon to see Beetles in the sand. Modifying bugs for the dunes is a tradition that has been with us since the dawn of time. What’s less common is seeing an unlifted Beetle tackle the dessert. That, apparently, is why Qatar was invented. Youtube channel Qatar Offroaders recently uploaded this video of a 1974 Beetle playing in the sand. They say it’s unmodified, but we can all at least agree that it’s ill prepared for dessert duty. Or so you might think. These guys prove that taking any extra time and spending any extra money on tires, suspension, engine, or even on an SUV is just a waste. A Beetle just belongs on the sand. The post Watch Offroaders Prove that All Beetles Belong on the Sand appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVortex http://ift.tt/1RI5ved via IFTTT

Filed under: Government/Legal , Green , Volkswagen , Emissions , United States , Diesel The FTC has announced a lawsuit against VW over its 'deceptive and unfair practices' as it advertised its 'clean diesel' vehicles. Continue reading FTC sues VW over 'clean diesel' advertising campaign FTC sues VW over 'clean diesel' advertising campaign originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Mar 2016 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/1USRuRl

Following Volkswagen’s sales reports for the first two months of 2016, Forbes is reporting that the auto making giant is neck-and-neck for the title of most sales . The close sales race, they say, is likely to continue all year long. Although Volkswagen’s worldwide sales figures haven’t grown by much, they have grown by 1.4% over 2015. The company’s main competition, Toyota, has seen an overall sales decline as compared to last year. China seems to be where Volkswagen could gain an advantage. The automaker has been eagerly building plants there and now has eight production sites, with two more under construction. VW is anticipating big sales in India, too. The company recently revealed that it would be adding a third production shift at its Pune Plant to keep up with demand for its new compact sedan, the Ameo. In America, meanwhile, global brand CEO Herbert Diess will be meeting with dealers to discuss the future. America has never been Volkswagen’s strongest market, but the compan

Comfort isn’t always the first word that comes to mind when we talk about customizing, but at Custom-Bus it’s what matters most . Pair it with Teutonic minimalism and what you get is pretty cool. Now Custom-Bus have taken their customizing to a new level by teaming up with designer Nils Holger Moormann. Together they’ve created a bus that you want to curl up in as much as you want to drive. The team started with a T6 Multivan and got rid of everything they could. They then added laminated wood cabinets that are edged with oak, a stainless steel sink and gas stove, and oak floors, sides, and even ceiling. There’s also a sofa bed upholstered in merino wool that fits two. “The camping buses available on the market are often influenced either by exuberant luxury or too many fake materials,” Holger Moorman tells German magazine Dezeen . “We enjoyed the challenge to find a new way with honest and high quality materials, and worked with a mixture of traditional natural and modern high-tech

Filed under: Green , Recalls , Volkswagen , Safety , Hatchback , Electric Volkswagen will recall the 2015-2016 e-Golf to fix the electric motor shutting down unexpectedly. Continue reading Volkswagen e-Golf recalled for battery software problem Volkswagen e-Golf recalled for battery software problem originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Mar 2016 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/1UY0YJM

In a new internal events series, Chairman of the Board for the Volkswagen brand Herbert Diess fielded questions from Volkswagen employees. In the series, dubbed “Straight Talking with Herbert Diess,” the chairman talks about his goals and the future of the brand. “My goal is to make Volkswagen the Group’s shining star,” says Diess, going on to say that the process of achieving this is already in motion. With the launch of the newest Tiguan, as well a new long Tiguan and a midsize SUV coming soon, Diess is optimistic that brand sales will accelerate in the Americas. The plan does not revolve around any individual moment or product, though, says Diess. “The automobile industry is … like a marathon,” he says, arguing that consistent progress across the whole range of products is more important than a narrow or grand plan. “We don’t need a huge vision,” he says, “we just need new goals every day. And that’s we’ve got.” The chairman still has his eyes on the future, though, and safety

Volkswagen has released part 2 of their ongoing series celebrating the 40 th anniversary of the GTI and the 35 th anniversary of the Worthersee Meeting. This time the video focuses on the community that has formed around its legendary hot hatch. The narrative follows a group of enthusiasts who call themselves Turkish Delight and who go so far as to describe themselves as a family. Like last time these GTI owners are preparing themselves for the 35 th annual Worthersee Meeting, which brings together VW enthusiasts from around the world. The story is interesting and well conceived, but the main attraction here is the wealth of GTIs, which this time around span the entire history of the car. Everything from the Mk1 to the Mk7 is represented here, and it’s a great reminder of just how consistently excellent the car has been for 40 years. You can find part 1 here  and watch part 2 below. The post Watch Volkswagen Celebrate the GTI appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVortex http

The SEAT Leon Cupra 280 Ultimate Sub8 has been deemed one of the UK’s best track car’s by Evo magazine. In a recently released video, the editors do a good job of explaining why the hatchback belongs on track with 1200 hp supercars. The Leon Cupra Sub8 was born on the Nurburghring, where it broke the lap record for front wheel drive cars in March of last year. Although it is rated at 276 hp—less than its sister, the Golf R—Contributing Editor Richard Meaden says that it feels like SEAT are being modest. Meaden also says that the car is easily handled, “it doesn’t have that edge that old FWD cars had.” It’s civilized, he goes on to say, but focused in the areas that you want it to be. It has sticky tires, big brakes, and brilliant balance. It must be said, the car looks like oodles of fun. It turns in quickly and the back end steps out regularly in this rainy video. You can watch the Leon devour the Blyton Park Circuit below—its portion of the video begins at 4:56. The post SEAT

Bentley Motorsport races across the globe in 2016 Works team adds Blancpain Sprint Series to calendar Wolfgang Reip becomes latest Bentley Boy Crewe – Bentley Motorsport will contest more than 90 top-level GT races around the world in 2016, as both its works and customer team programmes expand. The Bentley Team M-Sport works outfit will now enter the full Blancpain GT Series and welcomes Wolfgang Reip to the Blancpain Endurance Series line-up. Following success in the 2014 and 2015 Blancpain Endurance Series, the Crewe-based operation will now enter the Blancpain Sprint Series aiming to retain the Continental GT3’s championship title and enabling it to contest the full Blancpain GT Series. In addition, it will contest the inaugural SRO Intercontinental GT Challenge, which comprises Bathurst 12 Hours, Spa 24 Hours and Sepang 12 Hours. The Bentley Boy line-up sees two changes for 2016, with the promotion of Vince Abril from a customer team driver to full works team position and

Strategic partnership between Volkswagen and Pivotal in Berlin Objective: Digital solutions for networked customers and their cars Volkswagen Group IT consistently uses agile workstyles and intensive cooperation with universities, technology partners and Volkswagen Group departments to develop digital solutions. At the new Volkswagen Digital:Lab in Berlin, the Group is working on this in a strategic partnership with software developer Pivotal. IT experts from Volkswagen and Pivotal jointly develop innovative software and mobility solutions for networked customers together with specialists from Technical Development and Sales. “In our Digital:Lab we are working on a digital ecosystem that offers our customers a new user experience, new mobility services and a raft of networked vehicle services”, Volkswagen Group CIO Dr. Martin Hofmann said. “We are creating completely new products for our customers, and are therefore turning Volkswagen from a car manufacturer into a mobility prov

Milestone in German-Czech economic history: ŠKODA has been part of Volkswagen Group for a quarter of a century 25 years of successful cooperation: development of a modern model range, sixfold increase in sales figures, high investments in development and production capacities Internationally successful: from regional market leader to an attractive brand in over 100 markets worldwide Mladá Boleslav – One of the most successful mergers in automotive history is celebrating its 25 th  anniversary in the coming days:on 28 March 1991, the contract was signed that made ‘ŠKODA, automobilová akciová společnost’ part of Volkswagen Group.The agreement came into force on 16 April 1991.   Within a quarter of a century, the brand developed from a regional manufacturer into a dynamic car manufacturer of international calibre.Today, ŠKODA is producing more than one million vehicles per year and is present in over 100 markets worldwide.The widest model range in the company’s history is manufacture

Filed under: Government/Legal , Green , Volkswagen , Emissions , Europe , Germany , United States , Diesel Volkswagen's deadline to come up with 'fix' for diesel emissions issues was set in late February. Continue reading Volkswagen misses US deadline for diesel scandal agreement Volkswagen misses US deadline for diesel scandal agreement originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Mar 2016 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/1Ue169c

Filed under: Recalls , Porsche , Volkswagen , SUV , Luxury Volkswagen and Porsche recall Touareg and Cayenne worldwide because a clip in the pedal assembly could be missing. Continue reading Volkswagen and Porsche recall Touareg and Cayenne Volkswagen and Porsche recall Touareg and Cayenne originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Mar 2016 15:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/1WM7xy4

In a sort of spiritual follow-up to Tuesday’s story about a bizarrely camouflaged SUV , we bring you more camouflage fun. These pictures of one SUV disguised as another were brought to our attention by forum user Ryukein. The pictures, that this time reportedly come from China, show an SUV that looks suspiciously VW-like covered in fake body panels. The SUV’s appearance with camouflage was compared to a “Tiguan by Kia” by one forum commenter. Again, given that the car is under camouflage we don’t really know what it is, but there are some hints. Oblong badges have been placed on top of big circular badge-indentations and again the shape is very VW-esque. Regardless of what this is, this kind of camouflage is at least more effective (and more fun) than the regular dazzle camouflage that is so common. The post Another Suspiciously Camouflaged Possibly VW SUV appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVortex http://ift.tt/1PtL4QH via IFTTT

The Lamborghini Huracan does not come from the factory slow. It’s the third fastest car that Motor Trend has ever tested around Willow Springs’ Big Willow track, so it takes a special kind of madness to think that it ought to be faster. But Heffner Performance thought just that and make it faster they did. The car is claimed to run the quarter mile in 8.3 seconds and to be the first Huracan to ever even get into the 8s. The team that made the car reach the 8s is Heffner Performance, who are well known for their supercar antics. They’re purveyors of twin turbo supercars that can make up to 2500 hp and regularly appear in at big power shootouts and 1/2 mile drag races. This particular Huracan is equipped with a stage 2 Twin Turbo system running at 18 psi and attached to a custom build of Lamborghini’s 5.2L V10. The transmission is stock, though the clutch has been modified. The car rides on Micky Thompson drag radials, but otherwise little has been changed here. It’s claimed that this

Volkswagen RX Sweden has unveiled the new Polo RX Supercar for the World Rallycross Championship. And it is a site to behold. The team is an amalgamation of Marklund Motorsport and Volkswagen Team Sweden, and they say the car will be ready for drivers Anton Marklund and Johan Kristoffersson by the World Rally Cross Championship’s first round in April. The livery was designed to remind fans of the Swedish flag, and so is mostly blue with some yellow highlights. The car shares a lot of of its other visual cues with the Polo R WRC, which races in the World Rally Championship. When the season starts in Portugal next month, the team will be looking for a repeat of last year’s winning season-opener. You can watch the new car in action below. The post New Volkswagen Polo RX Unveiled appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVortex http://ift.tt/1WLn3dE via IFTTT

Rumors are surfacing that Volkswagen intends to make an all-electric successor to the Pheaton. The full size luxury car started production in 2002 and the line only stopped this year. The German publication Auto Bild reports that a company spokesman was recently quoted as saying “The Phaeton is and will remain an essential project for Volkswagen.” Also contained in the rumors is the suggestion that the Phaeton successor will have an all-electric powertrain that will be developed alongside the Porsche Mission E. The rumors, however, come after VW announced that the “Transparent Factory,” where the Phaeton was made, will be repurposed and used as a showcase for the company’s latest technologies, with a focus on “electromobility and digitalization.” Despite no longer producing the Phaeton, VW remains in the premium sedan market, in China at least, with the Phideon. The luxury car will launch later this year and even shares its air suspension with the Phaeton. The post VW Phaeton May

Filed under: Design/Style , New York Auto Show , Volkswagen , Wagon The 2017 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack adds all-wheel drive and extra ground clearance to the Golf SportWagen. When it debuts this fall, the new model could be a challenger against the Subaru Outback. Continue reading 2017 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack challenges the Outback this fall 2017 Volkswagen Golf Alltrack challenges the Outback this fall originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Mar 2016 17:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/1MD06Ue

German tuners Donkey Tec have built the latest in their series of unreasonably powerful VWs. In the video below a black Mk2 Golf embarrasses a handful of performance cars on an old airstrip. You may be familiar with Donkey Tec from their Youtube videos featuring a white Mk2 Golf that they say produces over 1000 hp. Less information is provided about this monster, but the results speak for themselves. The tiny hatch leaves an Audi RS7, among others, in its dust. To put that into perspective, the RS7 (in American spec) reaches 60 in 3.3 seconds and costs nearly $130,000. The races are run with a rolling start, which might have benefited the turbocharged Golf, but which makes the achievement no less impressive. It is a little unnerving to see a car that looks so small next to these massive modern cars reach such high speeds. The Golf is faster than it has any right to be, but I guess it has to be to beat Goliath. The post Watch a Mk2 Golf Beat Modern Super Sedans appeared first on

There was a time when your car was basic. Boring. Forgettable. A dark time. But all that has changed now, because you’re behind the wheel of your very own golden Golf. Or you should be, because today’s find of the day is a golden brown 1996 four door Mk3 Golf from Norfolk, Virginia . The seller of this comprehensively customized Golf describes it as a “full blown show car” and calls it “basically brand new.” The car has been featured in magazines who, like us, noticed the exterior of this custom painted, bagged mk3 rolling on Porsche wheels. The wonders don’t stop outside, though. The interior of this car is also fully customized and rewrapped, so it barely looks like a VW anymore. Best of all, though, it looks like it’s been done well. The engine bay, too, has been cleaned and customized—which is actually a pretty good way to describe the car as a whole: Cleaned and customized. And also golden. For $12,000 the Golden Golf can help you stand out from the crowd. The post Find of

[ See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com ] VWvortex’s own Will Barber is on the ground at the 2016 New York International Auto Show and thanks to him we have pictures of some of the most exciting cars that Volkswagen has to offer. Of course, the usual suspects are there: the GTI, the Jetta, the Tiguan, and more. But VW have also brought along some of their special editions, like their toughest new creation, the Golf Alltrack. Volkswagen are also featuring the Beetle Dune, another tough car designed to go where others can’t, and the Tiguan GTE, a hybrid electric off-roader. Also on prominent display is the Budd-e concept, making its U.S. auto show debut. The futuristic van borrows design cues from the Microbus and shows off VW’s new Modular Electric Toolkit. Volkswagen claim that is what electric mobility could look like in as little as three years. Take a look through our gallery of pictures above. The post Gallery: New York International Auto Show Day One appeared first on VWVort

New York, March 2016 —Building on the successful unveiling at January’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, the Volkswagen BUDD-e makes its U.S. auto show debut at the New York International Auto Show. This is the first vehicle based on the all-new Modular Electric Platform (MEB) that is designed specifically for plug-in vehicles. With a range of up to 373** (estimate based on the New European Drive Cycle (NEDC), 233 miles estimate when based on EPA drive cycle) miles coupled with a charismatic, iconic design, this vehicle successfully incorporates Volkswagen’s heritage while providing a glimpse into the brand’s future. Completely and thoroughly networked, BUDD-e is a mobile interface which connects the vehicle with the world around it. With the BUDD-e Volkswagen has developed a vehicle that is more thoroughly connected with its surroundings than any car before it. An integral automotive component in the Internet of Things (IoT), BUDD-e is capable of seamlessly communicating

Volkswagen of America, Inc., is pleased to announce that the 2016 Volkswagen Golf R, commended for its “practicality and punch,” was named today to  Automobile’s “2016 All-Star” list. Automobile, a leading automotive lifestyle print and online brand, selects exceptional vehicles each year to its prestigious list based on style, class, importance, and desirability. This is the first time that the Golf R has been named an Automobile “All-Star”. “The Golf R has won the hearts of enthusiasts and everyday drivers since its introduction last spring, and we are honored that it has earned a coveted spot on Automobile’s ‘2015 All-Star’ list,” said Vinay Shahani, Vice President, Marketing, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “This award is a testament to the Golf R’s stellar combination of performance and value.” “Volkswagen Golf R wowed us with its potent performance on both road and track,” said Mike Floyd, Editor-in-Chief, Automobile . “But more than that, it’s also an incredibly practical pack

Filed under: Green , Plants/Manufacturing , Volkswagen , Sedan Volkswagen's Transparent Factory in Dresden is being repurposed as a technology showcase after production of the Phaeton has come to an end. Continue reading VW produces its last Phaeton at the Transparent Factory VW produces its last Phaeton at the Transparent Factory originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Mar 2016 14:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/1q0udjN

Drift. Foust. Passat. New. Zealand. These are good words. Words that promise something exciting. And the video below does not disappoint. Tanner Foust was in New Zealand in February for the Leadfoot Festival, a two day celebration of everything automotive. Rod Millen, who owns the grounds on which the festival takes place, hand picks competitors to race up his driveway, which doubles as a hill climb stage. Basically it’s New Zealand’s answer to Goodwood. Foust was among those to receive an invitation, and below he runs his drift spec Passat up the driveway. The car sweeps gracefully around the course, while the engine screams and the tires howl. It’s a Rhapsody in Hoon. The post Watch Tanner Foust Drift New Zealand in a Jetta appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVortex http://ift.tt/1UCS6dT via IFTTT

The 2016 British Touring Car Championship will have a full 32 car grid thanks to its newest team, Bubble and Kick Racing (Team BKR). The team announced this morning that it will race two Volkswagen Passat CCs and has hired Aaron Smith and Mark Howard to pilot the machines. The cars previously belonged to Team BMR, where Smith also raced, so he should be familiar with the machines. The Irish driver’s exit from BMR came on the heels of a public disagreement with his then teammate Jason Plato in last year’s final round. Smith was without a seat until this announcement and will now start his sixth season in BTCC and his third season in a CC. Mark Howard, meanwhile, enters the BTCC having won the Masters class title in the Ranault Clio Cup UK last year. This is a sort of new start for Team BKR as well, who are working out of a newly built workshop and who have a”professional new image [and] equipment.” When they aren’t preparing their race cars, Team BKR tune and track prep cars for cus

APR tuning announced their Stage 1 ECU upgrade for the first generation EA888 2.0 TSI and TFSI engines. APR is calling this the “best dollar-per-horsepower modification one can make to the 2.0T engine.” According to APR, the upgrade boasts gains of 71 HP and 101 without hardware modifications. Paired with their intake and exhaust systems, there are potential gains of 95 HP and 134 lb-ft of torque. The upgrade optimizes the factory engine management system to take advantage of its capabilites, without any end user adjustments. “Low torque” software designed to limit peak torque is also offered. This puts less strain on the clutch, for those using the factory unit. APR say they haven’t even sacrificed comfort. The upgrade is “calibrated to deliver smooth daily driving, with a snappy and responsive throttle during moments of spirited driving.” Find out more at APR’s website. The post Up to 95 more HP from APR Stage 1 ECU Upgrade appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVortex http://

Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft and the Dutch company Fleet Investments B.V. achieved closing on the sale of the world’s leading leasing and fleet management company LeasePlan Corporation N.V. to a consortium of investors. The total value of the transaction amounts to about EUR 3.7 billion. The transaction will have a positive impact on the net liquidity position of the Automotive Division of Volkswagen. LeasePlan is currently represented in 32 countries throughout the world, has a workforce of more than 7,200 people, with around 1.5 million vehicles under contract and is therefore the world’s largest provider of fleet management services. Through the Dutch joint venture Global Mobility Holding B.V., Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft and the Dutch company Fleet Investments B.V., an investment company of the German banker Friedrich von Metzler, each held an indirect stake of 50 percent in LeasePlan. The post LeasePlan Sale Completed for Volkswagen appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVor