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Volkswagen Group looks to add ridesharing brand to portfolio

Filed under: Green , Paris Motor Show , Volkswagen , Skoda , Autonomous , Electric Electric cars and autonomous vehicles go hand-in-hand. Continue reading Volkswagen Group looks to add ridesharing brand to portfolio Volkswagen Group looks to add ridesharing brand to portfolio originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Sep 2016 17:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2cHCW3p

Future Tech: Race Trainer

Perhaps the most interesting of the new technologies shown to me on my day at Volkswagen’s test facility was Race Trainer. The technology allows for the car not only to drive a hot lap of a given track, but also to teach the driver how to lap the track faster. By sharing the controls with the driver and using a heads up display, the car effectively becomes “easy mode” in Forza Motorsport. The HUD puts arrows over the track to show the best line that turn red when you reach the braking zone. Then, depending on your setting, the Race Trainer equipped Golf R will brake for you or turn the wheel for you as need be. The steering control, especially, is odd. But it’s not so strong that you can’t overpower it if you really don’t want to be on the racing line. At this point, I’m sure the age old debate of whether or not this a teaching tool or a crutch that keeps you from actually learning to drive properly will come up, and to be honest with you, I’m not totally sure where I land. On t

What the Volkswagen I.D. concept tells us about the post-TDI future

Filed under: Paris Motor Show , Volkswagen , Hatchback , Autonomous , Electric , Future Continue reading What the Volkswagen I.D. concept tells us about the post-TDI future What the Volkswagen I.D. concept tells us about the post-TDI future originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Sep 2016 11:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2dsKyrd

Gallery: The Volkswagen Stand

[ See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com ] The Volkswagen stand at the Paris Motor show this year wasn’t only dedicated to the newest concept, the I.D. it was also a showcase for some combustion engines and hybrids. Here, some of the finest new Volkswagens from the show floor. More to follow in the coming days. The post Gallery: The Volkswagen Stand appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVortex http://ift.tt/2dfmP0L via IFTTT

e-Golf Will be Sold Nationwide

Volkswagen of North America’s CEO Hinrich Woebcken today revealed that the e-Golf will be sold nationwide. The 2016 e-Golf is only available in select states, like California, Connecticut, Massachuessets, and more. The move follows the announcement that the e-Golf will now come with up to 300 km (186 miles) of range. We are also now learning, though, that the e-Golf is not long for this world. It was revealed today at the Paris Motor Show that Volkswagen’s latest concept, the I.D., is intended to eventually replace the e-Golf (but not the Golf). Part of the appeal of introducing all of America to the e-Golf, though, is as a means of getting consumers used to driving and seeing electric Volkswagens on the road. For all you Canadian fans of electric cars, more information is soon expected on the state of the e-Golf north of the border. The post e-Golf Will be Sold Nationwide appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVortex http://ift.tt/2d9f4sA via IFTTT

Volkswagen Reveals ID Concept at Paris Motor Show

[ See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com ] The first car on the MEB platform that is headed for production has been launched today in Paris. Volkswagen’s chairman, Herbert Diess, was on the stage early this morning to unveil the new concept, dubbed I.D., at the Paris Motor Show. That I.D. won’t be available for purchase until 2020, unfortunately, but it is a look into the future of the brand and the Group. It has now officially been confirmed that the Volkswagen I.D. will be rear engined and rear-wheel-drive, much like the original Beetle. This fact has not been lost on Volkswagen, whose press releases have made the comparison a number of times. That said, unlike the Beetle, the I.D.’s engine is actually between the wheels, which is part of what gives it a 47/53 weight distribution, front to back. That figure is helped by the battery packs, which sit in the middle of the car, under the passengers. These come in units that can be attached added easily in the factory, to give the I.

VW I.D. arrives in 2020, will go full autonomous in 2025

Filed under: Green , Paris Motor Show , Volkswagen , Emerging Technologies , Concept Cars , Electric , Future This is what happens when an automaker puts all of its future ideas into one concept. Continue reading VW I.D. arrives in 2020, will go full autonomous in 2025 VW I.D. arrives in 2020, will go full autonomous in 2025 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Sep 2016 09:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2dtTLVI

Volkswagen Establishes 13th Brand for Car Sharing

Volkswagen AG today announced that it has established an as yet unnamed subsidiary to handle car sharing and logistics. The so-called 13 th brand will be based in Berlin, Germany, and according to CEO Matthias Muller will help bring VW into the future. “Our new group brand is to rank among the leading mobility services providers and become the market leader in Europe by 2025,” said Muller at a Volkswagen press conference Wednesday, ahead of the Paris Motor Show. According to the CEO of the unnamed 13 th brand, Ole Harms, the new brand will focus on OnDemand mobility, with the help of Moscow’s number one ride hailing app, Gett , into which VW recently invested $300 million. Volkswagen, through this new brand will have direct contact with the customer. Harms says the brand will be a way of crowd sourcing transit. It was suggested that Volkswagen’s recent partnership with the city of Hamburg  would make it the perfect place to introduce the service. No timeline has yet been given,

Volkswagen I.D. Concept Promises up to 370 Miles of All-Electric Range

[ See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com ] Volkswagen has set a goal of selling 25 million electric cars by 2025 and the new I.D. Concept is the very first signpost revealing what the brand’s new range of EVs will be like.  The I.D. is wearing an entirely new design DNA which VW will use with its electric cars to set them apart moving forward. Powering the concept is an electric motor with 167 horsepower which will be capable of travelling between 248 miles (400 kilometers) to 372 miles (600 kms). On the inside, the concept has a new “spatial experience” that Volkswagen calls Open Space. No photos of the interior have been revealed but the name does seem self explanatory. VW expects to sell a production version of the I.D. by 2020, while a fully autonomous drive mode is said to be available by 2025. When the I.D. is driving itself, its steering wheel will be able to tuck back into the dashboard. Finally, Volkswagen says that the I.D. will be able to receive parcels using a delive

Here is Volkswagen's all-electric MEB with 373 miles of range

Filed under: Green , Paris Motor Show , Volkswagen , Electric This EV signals Volkswagen's new direction and focus. Continue reading Here is Volkswagen's all-electric MEB with 373 miles of range Here is Volkswagen's all-electric MEB with 373 miles of range originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Sep 2016 11:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2d6RhN5

VW patents autonomous tech that puts the driver in control

Filed under: Volkswagen , Germany , Technology , Autonomous Driver input works in tandem with self-driving tech. Continue reading VW patents autonomous tech that puts the driver in control VW patents autonomous tech that puts the driver in control originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Sep 2016 08:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2dzjyYw

Future Tech: Trained Parking

VWVortex is currently in Germany with Volkswagen to talk about future technology. The trip will culminate later this week in the launch of VW’s first MEB concept that’s headed for production, but as a teaser to that, they’ve been showing a cadre of journalists new technology that you may soon see on your car. The first of these technologies is Trained Parking and though it was premiered at CES in 2015 Volkswagen says it’s nearly ready to go. The technology is like an autonomous valet: you teach your car a short route—say, from the door of your office building to your parking spot—and it can repeat that route without you. The system works by using the forward and backwards facing cameras that many new Volkswagens come with anyway (for park assist, more on that in a later article) to create a 3D map of a short route. The car can then go from any place on the map to either end of the route you programed. So, in the case of our test, it ran from one parking spot to another spot across

Audi's CEO might not have known of VW emissions scheme

Filed under: Government/Legal , Green , Audi , Volkswagen , Diesel 3.0-liter diesel engine in question is featured in Audi models such as the A6, A7, A8, Q5, and Q7. Continue reading Audi's CEO might not have known of VW emissions scheme Audi's CEO might not have known of VW emissions scheme originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Sep 2016 09:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2dwke0B

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Highly Interested in US Market: Report

The Amarok may some day come to our shores if recent comments from Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ CEO are anything to go off. According to a recent report from Reuters , CEO Eckhard Scholz told reporters last week that the US is “still a highly interesting market.” VW’s commercial brand has been selling cars at a searing pace as of late, improving by nearly ten percent this year, as compared to 2015. “Orders are at a level that some would wish for,” Reuters reports Scholz saying at a truck show in Hanover. “We are probably the brand with the best sales and order figures.” Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles may therefore be looking to continue their sales pace. That said, when asked about whether the brand would consider selling cars in America, Scholz answered “”A lot of things come to mind but at the moment I have nothing concrete to say.” [Source: Reuters ] The post Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Highly Interested in US Market: Report appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVortex

Syncro-Nined: An Ennead of Surprising All-Wheel-Drive Golfs That Predate the R32

The recent news that Volkswagen is pondering an all-wheel-drive Golf for U.S. customers surprised many. “All-wheel drive is now part of the Volkswagen DNA,” commented Dr. Hendrik Muth of Volkswagen at the U.S. launch of the Alltrack. That means Volkswagen will be taking on Subaru, the reigning king of all-wheel drive for the masses in the U.S. And since the Golf is already fairly dear in price, adding an all-wheel-drive option to the hatch will make Volkswagen’s compact a near-luxury item. At that price, why wouldn’t you just buy an Audi? It’s the brand with the all-wheel-drive expertise in the VAG clan. But the reality of an all-wheel-drive Golf is now 20 years old. Let’s take a look back at nine of the more interesting pre-Alltrack, pre-4Motion versions of the Golf that most U.S. customers have never even heard of. All-wheel-drive Golfs far predate the 2004 introduction of the R32 to U.S. customers. European customers have long enjoyed a full and diverse range of Golf models w

Watch: Matt Farah Drive a 1927 Bugatti Type 35 on the Road

So, I might be cheating here, because I’m, like, 90% sure Volkswagen wasn’t actually involved in this car’s construction. For one thing, they hadn’t even bothered to become a company yet in 1927. For another thing, this particular example isn’t exactly a Bugatti. It is exactly like a 1927 Bugatti Type 35 Grand Prix Racer, except that it was built by Argentina’s PurSang. But by God, if posting pre-war Grand Prix cars that are tenuously related to VW to the site is wrong, I don’t want to be right. These things have been featured on Jay Leno’s Garage before, and Farah even drove PurSang’s Alfa Romeo 8C, but driving footage of such an elemental and elegant car never gets old. To hear Farah say it, this Type 35 isn’t all that hard to drive on the road. It moves, it stops, and although it’s a bit small, it performs all of its automobilic duties without fault. So celebrate the beginning of the weekend with this legendary Bugatti. The post Watch: Matt Farah Drive a 1927 Bugatti Type 35 o

Passat Alltrack is the Caravan Club’s Towcar of the Year 2017

The Volkswagen Passat Estate (read wagon) Alltrack and the Golf Estate Alltrack each took class awards in this year’s Caravan Club Towcar of the Year 2017 awards. The Passat, though, wasn’t satisfied with just one award, and went on to win the “Under 1,800 kg” prize for four-wheel-drive tow cars and then the overall Towcar of the Year 2017 award. The UK’s Caravan Club considered more than 47 cars in the competition, awarding prizes by price class. Among the winners were a Peugeot, a Citroen, a Mercedes, and also the Skoda Superb SE L Executive. Winners were chosen over the course of four days of rigorous testing at the top secret Millbrook Proving Grounds , just outside Bedford, off the M1. Seven judges evaluated each car for its dynamic abilities, ergonomic qualities, hill starts, and high speed stability. “Rigorous reversing examinations” were also conducted to determine the best of the best. And after all of that, it was the Passat Estate Alltrack that won it all. The Caravan C

Report: Volkswagen to Start Electric Push with Three RWD Compacts

The Volkswagen Group is looking to have six all-electric vehicles on the road by 2025, starting with three modestly priced compact cars, reports Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport . But a little line near the bottom is what caught my eye, because it says that the first electric vehicles will be rear-wheel-drive. Volkswagen’s first concept car to sit on the Modular Electric Drive Kit (MEB platform), the Budd-e, was four-wheel-drive and the e-Golf sends power to the front wheels, but Auto Motor und Sport is reporting that the first three compacts will all share the same drive unit, which they say powers the rear wheels. The first of the three cars will be Golf-sized and we’re expecting to see a concept of it in Paris next week. It will be followed by a Jetta-style sedan and a Tiguan- or Tiguan-XL-sized SUV. The latter, reports Auto Motor und Sport, could seat up to seven people thanks to the MEB platform. Electric cars have no big engine taking up passenger space, so VW can squeeze more

Report: Investigation Finds no Evidence Against Audi CEO

An internal investigation into the emissions scandal has yet to find any reason to dismiss Audi CEO and Volkswagen Group board member Rupert Stadler. That’s according to a report from Automotive News , going off information from three unnamed sources. There were questions about the CEO’s job security following an article from German newspaper Der Spiegel reporting on allegations that Stadler had known about emissions manipulation since 2010. “So far nothing has been relayed to the company that would suggest to dismiss Mr Stadler,” one source told Automotive News. Stadler has been Audi’s CEO since 2007 and a member of the Volkswagen board since 2010. [ source: Automotive News ] The post Report: Investigation Finds no Evidence Against Audi CEO appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVortex http://ift.tt/2cXce99 via IFTTT

VW electric concept looks like a Tesla crossed with a BMW i3

Filed under: Design/Style , Green , Paris Motor Show , Volkswagen , Hatchback , Electric The electric vehicle will be revealed at the Paris Motor Show. Continue reading VW electric concept looks like a Tesla crossed with a BMW i3 VW electric concept looks like a Tesla crossed with a BMW i3 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Sep 2016 09:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2d9TpTB

VW Group Pledges to Fix All EU TDIs by 2017

In a year’s time (or there abouts) the Volkswagen Group says it will have fixed all scandal-affected TDIs in Europe. The European Union announced the automaker’s pledge today following a meeting with it to ensure that enough is being done for European owners, reports Automotive News. The announcement comes in the wake of reports claiming that VW has only fixed 10% of affected cars so far. The automaker has also been criticized for not offering European TDI owners a settlement like they did in the US. At the EU meeting, VW board member Francisco Javier Garcia Sanz also committed to a plan to inform customers of the need for a technical fix by year’s end. “Volkswagen committed to an EU-wide action plan today, which is an important step towards a fair treatment of consumers,” said Vera Jourova, EU consumer commissioner in a release. Jourova added that it was not the commission’s place to impose fines or compensation, but rather the job of national courts and authorities. [ source: A

Volkswagen vows to fix affected diesels in Europe by 2017, EU claims

Filed under: Government/Legal , Green , Videos , Volkswagen , Emissions , Europe , Diesel European diesel owners are finally get their cars fixed. Continue reading Volkswagen vows to fix affected diesels in Europe by 2017, EU claims Volkswagen vows to fix affected diesels in Europe by 2017, EU claims originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Sep 2016 13:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2cGhDzT

Volkswagen Reveals Electric Delivery Van Concept

A year after the emissions scandal first rocked Volkswagen, early electric vehicles are now coming through the pipeline. The latest concept, the e-Crafter, is an all electric delivery van designed for cities and towns. With a top speed of only 80 kmh (about 50 mph) the e-Crafter won’t be tearing it up on the salt flats, or even the highway, but the idea is for it to be a short haul delivery van. Even though its floor has been lined with 312 battery cells that can be recharged to 85% in 45 minutes, the cargo capacities are unchanged from the regular Crafter. The e-Crafter can haul up to 3,700 lbs and has a cargo capacity of 399 cubic feet. Apart from the terrible decals along the side, the C-shaped headlights, and the unique Reef Blue Metallic paint, the e-Crafter basically looks just like a regular Crafter. For now, it has a range of 200 km (nearly 125 miles), but Volkswagen says that the e-Crafter was designed to accept future electric technology. As a result, they predict future

Bentley’s First Diesel Model is the World’s Fastest Diesel SUV

Bentley has introduced its first diesel model ever. Considering the gasoline-powered Bentley Bentayga claims the title of world’s fastest and most powerful SUV, it’s no surprise the Bentley Bentayga Diesel is also the world’s fastest diesel SUV. Sporting a 4.0-liter triple-charged diesel V8 engine, the Bentayga Diesel delivers a class-leading 429 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque. As a result, it goes zero to 62 mph (zero to 100 km/h) in 4.8 seconds and boasts a top speed of 168 mph (270 km/h). The engine is paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission with permanent all-wheel drive. The British automaker promises the luxurious diesel SUV delivers a range of more than 621 miles (1,000 kilometers) and has the lowest CO2 emissions of any Bentley model . The powertrain has also been developed to deliver “an authentic Bentley driving experience,” with peak torque available at 1,000 rpm, helping the Bentley Bentayga Diesel drive effortlessly. To further differentiate itself

Find of the Day: 1981 Slammed Rabbit Pickup

As country singers have been saying for years, there’s something about a truck. The Rabbit pick up is just one more chapter in the story of Volkswagen’s star-crossed relationship with America. First built at the ill-fated Westmoreland Assembly plant, the Rabbit Pickup—later Caddy—was how Volkswagen responded to its American wing’s request for a pickup. This is a 1981 model , when “Rabbit Pickup” was still its name. At that time you still couldn’t buy them in Europe. A New Jersey car, this particular Pickup has been lowered and rolls on a set of Fuchs. Up front, it comes with Raceland coilovers, and out back it’s got air shocks and the rear axle has been narrowed and blocked. The underside is a virtual autoparts store of new materials, while the diesel engine has been freshened up with new pistons, rings, bearings, gaskets, injector lines, and more. According to the owner, it fires right up. Although this Pickup is from cooler climes, it looks remarkably clean and rust-free, if no

VW e-Crafter van one more example of e-mobility pivot

Filed under: Green , Volkswagen , Green Automakers , Commercial Vehicles , Concept Cars , Electric VW's e-Crafter van, which was unveiled at IAA Commercial Vehicles, is nearly ready for production. Continue reading VW e-Crafter van one more example of e-mobility pivot VW e-Crafter van one more example of e-mobility pivot originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Sep 2016 09:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2d3PBjT

SEAT Teams up with Cosmo to Pander to Women

Oooooooh boy did SEAT ever screw up. Earlier in the week they revealed the SEAT Mii by Cosmopolitan, a purple car designed for women and it is not going over well. The Mii is SEAT’s version of Volkswagen’s Up!, so it’s actually a pretty good little car. Turns out, though, that when your design inspiration is harmful stereotypes, that doesn’t really matter. SEAT teamed up with Cosmopolitan magazine to design the Mii for London Fashion Week. It has champagne-toned bismuth mirrors (pretty harmless), a purple exterior (where are you going with this SEAT?), eyelined headlights (uh-oh), and is “easy to park” (oh God, no). Twitter has not responded well. @SEATofficial so what’s special about it? Or don’t women care about anything but a pretty colour and makeup?! #ThisIsMii it really isn’t! — Clair (@magenta_witch) September 19, 2016 @SEATofficial Thank you for this! Normally when I get in a car my little ladybrain short-circuits and I have to call a man to help me drive. — Malia

Federal Government Considering New Powers to Regulate Self-Driving Cars

The federal government doesn’t want to leave the issue of autonomous vehicle safety for states to decide, and may create new powers of oversight and approval for autonomous technology. After president Barack Obama laid out his goals for the industry in a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette op-ed yesterday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a set of voluntary guidelines to manufacturers today, asking them to prove their vehicles are safe before entering public roadways. In the piece, Obama called for a “flexible” policy to ensure that autonomous vehicles conform to proper safety standards from state to state. A new list of rules would provide “guidance that the manufacturers developing self-driving cars should follow to keep us safe,” Obama said. He added, “And we’re asking them to sign a 15-point safety checklist showing not just the government, but every interested American, how they’re doing it.” That checklist would require manufacturers to provide information on ve

Volkswagen Going Pink for Red Bull GRC Final Weekend

To celebrate the team’s first manufacturer’s title in the Red Bull Global Rallycross series, Volkswagen is painting its Beetles pink to help raise awareness for breast cancer. Designed to look like Volkswagen’s new #PinkBeetle, points leader Tanner Foust and reigning world champion Scott Speed will trade in their liveries for new pink ones. Speed will drive the No. 41 #PinkBeetle Beetle GRC. Foust, meanwhile, will be looking to steal Speed’s championship in the No. 34 Rockstar Perfectberry Beetle GRC. “We’ve had a lot of success with our Beetle GRC this season, so it will be fun to mark the end of the season with a fresh coat of paint,” says Scott Speed in a press release. “The #PinkBeetle already has lots of eager fans across the VW community, so I’m looking forward to adding some excitement to the launch of this special car with our 560-horsepower version.” Volkswagen’s pink Beetles are about more than just the #FuschiaFusca, though. They’re also about helping Giuliana Rancic’

Investors storm Volkswagen with $9 billion in lawsuits

Filed under: Green , Hirings/Firings/Layoffs , Audi , Volkswagen , Emissions , Diesel In other news, the head of Audi is under investigation for the emissions-cheating software. Continue reading Investors storm Volkswagen with $9 billion in lawsuits Investors storm Volkswagen with $9 billion in lawsuits originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Sep 2016 11:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2db8pAT

Watch this Electric Beetle Conquer the Welsh Countryside

I’m sensitive to the fact that some people may call this sacrilege. The air cooled flat four is such a big part of Volkswagen lore that its disappearance marks the distinction between the classic and modern eras of VW. That said, there’s something appealing about replacing it with an electric motor. First and foremost, classic cars look great. Secondly, they’re light. And thirdly, they’re simple, so adding a new drivetrain is relatively (massive emphasis) simple. The Fully Charged Show has now released a video on YouTube about Electric Classic Cars ’ electric classic Beetle. The Beetle has been restored and then had an electric motor bolted in. The motor powers the wheels through the stock transmission, weirdly, and will get this old-timer up to 60 in just 8 seconds ( which we know isn’t all that quick for an electric Beetle ). The Beetle wooshes as quietly as you’d expect and according to Richard Morgan, of Electric Classic Cars, it’ll do 100 miles on a charge. As the video bri

Volkswagen Patents Adaptive Self-Driving Tech in Germany

Volkswagen has filed a patent application in Germany for a new autonomous driving technology that allows for driver input without disengaging the self-driving mode. The main feature of the technology is a touch-sensitive control on top of the gear shift knob which allows the driver to input instructions to the automatic drive. The driver does so by swiping or tapping the input commands on the small screen that is the touch-sensitive device. The self-driving technology will ask the driver for input in certain situations too. For example, if the car comes up to a slow-moving vehicle ahead, the computer will ask the driver if they’d like to pass the vehicle or remain in the lane. The small touch screen will then display a button to tap in order to pass the vehicle ahead. The patent filed by Volkswagen shows various input commands that can be made by the driver by different swiping gestures. Putting a palm over the gear shift knob will disengage the self-driving mode. It isn’t known wh

Bentley, Lamborghini Drops Out of 2016 Paris Motor Show

The Volkswagen Group is continuing to cut costs amid its massive diesel scandal and as a result, Bentley and Lamborghini will not be on display in Paris later this month. Bentley said it will be skipping the show to focus on small events where it can market directly to buyers, while Lamborghini said it is revising its auto show strategy and is taking a closer look at which locations it wants to be on display. Bentley and Lamborghini aren’t the only ones skipping the 2016 Paris Motor Show. Ford , Volvo and Aston Martin  have also announced they will not be in attendance. The Paris Motor Show happens every two years and at the 2014 event, Lamborghini unveiled the Asterion plug-in hybrid concept car while Bentley debuted the Mulsanne Speed. [Source: Reuters ] This story first appeared on autoguide.com . The post Bentley, Lamborghini Drops Out of 2016 Paris Motor Show appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVortex http://ift.tt/2cAT5Zk via IFTTT

Paul Walker’s Character Could Return in Future Fast and Furious Movies

Brian O’Conner’s last ride might not have been in  Furious 7 . After Paul Walker’s untimely death in 2013 while being a passenger in his Porsche Carrera GT , his brothers Cody and Caleb stepped in to help finish filming his role in the most recent  Fast and the Furious movie. That entry in the series finished with a touching note to Walker and his character and it was widely believed that meant the end of O’Conner as we know it. But that might not be the case after all. In a recent interview with  Entertainment Weekly , Paul’s brothers revealed that Vin Diesel has been in contact with them and has brought up the possibility of bringing Paul’s character back for future movies with Cody and Caleb’s help. “I had a phone call with Vin for about an hour and we really discussed this a while back. He wanted [our] blessing,” Caleb said in the interview. He also added that Diesel asked if and when they thought it “would be acceptable to maybe bring Paul’s character back… to really kind of l

Report: Most Brands’ Diesels Worse than VW

“Every major car manufacturer is selling diesel cars that fail to meet EU air pollution limits on the road in Europe.” That’s the conclusion from a European environmental watch dog called Transport & Environment  following a study of European diesel vehicles. Of these, Volkswagen is among the least polluting, the report finds. Under Euro 6 regulations (the latest legal limits) Volkswagen is at the bottom of the list of polluters, T&E finds. Euro 6 regulations allow for 0.08g per kilometer of NOx, a pollutant that has been linked to 23,500 early deaths per year in the UK alone, according The Guardian . While automakers conform to European regulations under testing conditions, T&E argues that these cars exceed NOx limits as soon as they get out onto the road. That’s because the tests don’t account for cold weather, diesel particulate filters cleaning themselves, and more. As a result, T&E concludes that automakers like Fiat and Suzuki are emitting more than 14 times

VW pulls Lamborghini and Bentley from the Paris Motor Show

Filed under: Paris Motor Show , Bentley , Lamborghini , Volkswagen The VW Group will be focusing on electric vehicles and electromobility. Continue reading VW pulls Lamborghini and Bentley from the Paris Motor Show VW pulls Lamborghini and Bentley from the Paris Motor Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Sep 2016 18:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2cXJbCU

Recharge Wrap-up: Faraday Future snags VW exec, Trump's RFS blunder

Filed under: Celebrities , Government/Legal , Green , Hirings/Firings/Layoffs , Misc. Automakers , Tesla , Volkswagen , Alternative Fuels , Ethanol , Electric Motev car service caters to high-profile clients. FF hires VW Senior VP Jeorg Sommer. Trump campaign says RFS position was posted in error. Elio updates on binding reservations. Continue reading Recharge Wrap-up: Faraday Future snags VW exec, Trump's RFS blunder Recharge Wrap-up: Faraday Future snags VW exec, Trump's RFS blunder originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Sep 2016 16:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2cLMCfr

Volkswagen Brand Worldwide Sales Rise in August

Although the Volkswagen Group sales have grown since the TDI scandal of a year ago, the Volkswagen brand has had less success. This August, though, the brand saw worldwide sales rise 4.7%.   This is “a good result given the present conditions,” says Jürgen Stackmann, VW brand board member for sales. “The new Tiguan is developing particularly well, with orders already topping the 100,000 mark.” Stackmann went on to call the growth “an impressive achievement.” Even with August growth, 2016 sales have shrunk by 0.2%. Despite that, this is a promising sign for the namesake brand, which has struggled the most of any of the Volkswagen Group brands since news of the scandal broke. Sales were buoyed in August by China and Europe, where they rose 20% and 3% respectively. The North American market, meanwhile, did relatively well in August, only dropping 3.8%. The Volkswagen Group, meanwhile, saw sales increase by 6.3% in August, which means it has sold 6,662,700 cars so far this year (1.8%