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When it came time to advertise the updated Volkswagen Amarok V6 TDI in Australia, the brand wanted to find a special way to promote the new more powerful engine. “Ute advertising in Australia is typically all the same,” Carlos Santos, the director of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles in Australia, told motoring.com.au . So Volkswagen went to DDB Sydney, the creative agency that came up with  the naked ute, an Amarok without any body panels . They landed on the idea of giving the new Amarok to the same “mad genius” who designed the cars in Mad Max: Fury Road. After five weeks, he had a shell that VW describes as battle armor for the V6 Amarok. Volkswagen bolted the body onto an Amarok and took it testing, perplexing the Australian automotive media in the process. Really, Volkswagen says, the body was just a way to reflect the power and ferocity of its new diesel V6 (sigh), which makes 240 hp and 405 lb-ft of torque. “Having Mad Max: Fury Road’s mad genius design the Korama for us w

Despite dominating Red Bull’s Global Rallycross Series Volkswagen’s rallycross efforts across the pond were considerably harder fought. With the likes of former WRC legends like Sebastien Loeb and Petter Solberg in some of Europe’s best small hatches, the competition was always going to be tough. And, indeed, the race for second place came down to the last race of the last rallycross of the season, but Johan Kristoffersson eventually finished the FIA World Rallycross season with the second most points of any driver. Although he had no chance of reaching drivers’ champion Mattias Ekstrom—who took an Audi S1 fielded by a team that  he owned—second place in Sunday’s final race meant that Kristoffersson finished the season with 240 points, just one point ahead of third place Andreas Bakkerud in his Ford Focus RS. Before the race, Kristoffersson was clear that getting second place wasn’t his dream. “No,” he said when asked on the grid. The dream is “P1, baby.” Despite his insistence,

A court hearing scheduled for today, to discuss the settlement between Volkswagen and owners of 3.0-liter TDIs has been delayed. US district Judge Charles Breyer wrote in a court order that the delay could allow VW, regulators, and lawyers representing 3.0-liter TDI owners to work out  the final details of the settlement. Despite reports that VW and US regulators had agreed to the broad terms of a settlement for owners of vehicles fitted with 3.0-liter TDI engines, the finer points of the agreement, like how much to compensate owners, still need to be hashed out. It is still expected that VW will agree to buy back about 20,000 older cars and offer to fix the remaining 60,000 Porsches, Audis, and VWs. On top of buybacks, VW is expected to add more into its $2.7 billion environmental trust, which it agreed to set up in the 2.0-liter TDI agreement. This contribution to the fund, though, is expected to be less than $2.7 billion. Judge Breyer delayed the hearing until December 16, 2016.

[ See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com ] I’m normally not a fan of four-wheel-drive. As a rule, I think it’s a way for automakers to frighten people into buying cars that are heavier and no more capable. Today, though, that all goes out the window. That’s because today’s find of the day is this 1990 Golf Country that’s being sold in Hollywood. Endowed by its makers with a Steyr-Daimler-Puch 4WD system, and raised to get more than 8 inches of ground clearance, this is some full-on lovable German weirdness. Only 7,735 were produced and few ever made it to the US, but this one has already been registered here. And it looks to be in good condition, too. The interior looks great, and according the seller it runs well, too. The price, a healthy $12,500, is, unfortunately, right on the money for Golfs Country. The good news is that the price includes four extra OEM rims. Check it out at thesamba.com . The post Find of the Day: 1990 Golf Country appeared first on VWVortex . from VWV

[ See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com ] A few weeks ago we features a rad Mk1 Golf GTI project on LEGO’s user recommendation site. The project needed 10,000 supporters to be reviewed by LEGO, and boy did you guys come through. Not only has this project reached its target of 10,000 supporters , it’s the third most viewed project on the site. Only the Minecraft and Back to the Future projects have been viewed more. “That’s quite an impressive feat!” wrote LEGO in a message to the GTI’s creator, LEGO Ideas user hasskabal. The LEGO letter goes on to praise hasskabal’s “clever use of elements such as the rubber band to create the red accent on the front grills or the pistol that serves as the exhaust pipe.” Now that the project has reached its 10,000 supporter goal, the official review process can begin. Reviews are performed in batches, three times a year. Since this project gathered its supporters in the final third, the actual review doesn’t begin until January. According to

Long the fastest and most luxurious car in the Volkswagen fleet, the Type 34 Karmann Ghia is now something of a rarity. This beautiful, Italian designed VW is now getting some attention thanks to Petrolicious’ latest video. Like the more common Type 14 Karmann Ghia , the Type 34 was designed by Italian coach builders, Ghia. This one, though, was based on the Type 3 platform, and so packed the 1,500 cc flat four engine from that family of cars. As the owner of this Type 34, Matt Jacobson, puts it, Volkswagen took “a platform that you could trust and put a beautiful body on it.” The Type 34 can be pretty hard to find nowadays, since it was never officially sold in America. Despite that, some did trickle down over the border from Canada. For some, though, no amount of effort is too much. “I think it’s the most beautiful car Volkswagen ever made,” says Jacobson. The post Watch: Petrolicious Does the 1964 VW Type 34 appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVortex http://ift.tt/2fNsTy

The ink paper version of Top Gear has named the Golf and the Up! in its annual “Top Gear Magazine Best Cars in the World” issue. The magazine gave the Golf the “All the Car You’ll Ever Need” award, while the Up! gets the “Best First Wheels” title. “A Golf. Short of needing seven seats or some genuine off-road ability, those two words can answer just about any car requirement you care to throw our way,”  writes Top Gear Magazine. Even Top Gear admits that the equation isn’t quite so simple, though, since the Golf’s many variants make choosing the right one difficult. But not that difficult, because the English get the GTI Clubsport S, which the correct choice even if you have 13 children and live in a wooded county without roads. The Up! meanwhile earned the “Best First Wheels” title, despite not feeling like a first car. “The up! doesn’t really feel like a baby car: it’s refined and has supple suspension and runs true on motorways,” writes Top Gear Magazine. The Audi A4 was also

Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche are joining Daimler, the BMW Group, and Ford to create the highest-powered charging network in Europe. The network will establish a standard charging system for the brands and help speed up charging times. Using the Combined Charging System, all of the automakers’ battery electric vehicles will be able to charge at an initially planned 400 sites across Europe. The charging points, capable of power levels of up to 350 kW, will charge Battery Electric Vehicles faster than today’s most powerful charging points. “There are two decisive aspects for us: ultra-fast charging and placing the charging stations at the right positions”,   said Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche, in a statement . Together, these two factors enable us to travel in an all-electrically powered car as in a conventional combustion engine vehicle.” Volkswagen and its compatriots plan to start construction in 2017, and expect thousands of high-power charging points t

Filed under: Green , Audi , BMW , Ford , Mercedes-Benz , Porsche , Volkswagen , Electric You won't have that much time for your coffee break with these high-speed chargers. Continue reading New European charging network will offer speeds up to 350 kW New European charging network will offer speeds up to 350 kW originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Nov 2016 10:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2gEVqEe

Filed under: Design/Style , Geneva Motor Show , Volkswagen , Luxury Will flashy looks make US buyers forget about dieselgate? Continue reading This Volkswagen Arteon sketch previews a premium future for the brand This Volkswagen Arteon sketch previews a premium future for the brand originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Nov 2016 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2fJ2xxy

It’s no secret that Americans love crossovers . Like a husky preteen addicted to Butterfingers, our relationship with these car-based utility vehicles is completely unhealthy. And it’s a real shame because this fixation has blinded us to the viability of other automotive options, chiefly the humble station wagon. Once a staple of our nation’s roadscape , these supremely versatile autos have been driven to the brink of extinction in what was once their natural habitat . Gazing across the Atlantic, European drivers are still wise to the benefits provided by wagons. They understand that these models offer maximum versatility in a trim package that’s easy to park and cheap to fuel. What’s not to love? Well, for many Americans, probably a ride height that’s an inch or so too low, a lack of tacked-on body-cladding and the option of all-wheel drive. However, Volkswagen even has the most discerning of crossover buyers covered. Four-corner traction, extra cladding and a lifted suspension

Some poor German is having a very bad day. While any car accident would spoil your day, this one, involving a ditch and a multi-million dollar Bugatti Chiron, is especially bad. Pictures of the crashed Bugatti first appeared on GTBoard.com’s Facebook page , but a spokesperson for the brand later confirmed to Germany’s Bild newspaper  that inattention is what drove the Chiron into a ditch. Fortunately, neither the driver nor anyone else was injured in the crash, which happened in Wolfsburg, Germany, where Volkswagen is headquartered. Both the front and back of this Chiron are damaged, according to Bild, though, so the accident was anything but uneventful. At least now we know that the Bugatti is pretty good in a crash. [source: Road & Track ] The post Bugatti Chiron Crashes in Wolfsburg appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVortex http://ift.tt/2gzNOma via IFTTT

[ See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com ] We’ve already see LEGO kits of the Beetle and the Type 2, so naturally  the next step is a LEGO Karmann Ghia . This Ghia was made for LEGO Ideas by user Mandylion777. The site takes suggestions from regular people, and lets visitors to the site vote on which ones should make it into production. Although trying to translate the Karmann Ghia’s curvy lines into LEGO may seem foolhardy, this kit actually looks pretty good. Although it doesn’t have a working steering wheel, like on some kits, it does feature a removable roof, luggage, opening doors, and an opening trunk and frunk. The kit has more than 1,300 supporters right now, but it’s far from the 10,000 it needs to be officially reviewed by LEGO. If you want to help support the Karmann Ghia, and add another air cooled VW to the pantheon of LEGO kits, you can do so at ideas.lego.com . The post Complete the Air Coooled Trifecta with this LEGO Karmann Ghia appeared first on VWVortex .

Volkswagen wants you to keep calm and Arteon, with its new “top model,” the Arteon. The manufacturer has revealed design sketches of the new premium fast back ahead of the Geneva Motor Show, where it will debut. The Arteon is positioned above the Passat in the VW range and its name is designed to place it alongside the Phideon , Volkswagen’s premium sedan for the Chinese market. Likely to replace the CC, assembly of which has now reportedly stopped, this new model looks awfully similar to the Sport Coupe GTE concept that was unveiled in Geneva in 2015. The Sport Coupe GTE was based on the MQB platform and powered by a 3.0-liter V6 engine supplemented by two electric motors, kicking out a combined 374 hp. Just how the Arteon will produce its power remains to be seen, but a plug-in hybrid would jive perfectly with Volkswagen’s post-TDI scandal plans and luckily for us, VW expressed a desire to bring the car based on the Sport Coupe GTE concept to America. The Arteon is expected t

Filed under: Government/Legal , Green , Volkswagen , Renault , Emissions , Europe , Diesel Details, please. Continue reading France may still ban diesel vehicle sales France may still ban diesel vehicle sales originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 27 Nov 2016 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2gzNmps

Filed under: Etc. , Volkswagen Air-cooled Volkswagen Beetles once roamed every American road and clogged every American wrecking yard, but now sightings are rare. Here's an oxidized survivor that has been discarded in Colorado. Continue reading Junkyard Gem: 1973 Volkswagen Super Beetle Junkyard Gem: 1973 Volkswagen Super Beetle originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 26 Nov 2016 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2gsh3at

Normally we only run one Find of the Day per week—which I realize makes little to no sense, but such is life—but this week, while surfing Bring  a Trailer—as you do—this hilarious Sterling kit car popped up that was just dying to be called the find of the day. Built in Oakland in 1974, this quintessentially ‘70s body sits on a 1964 Beetle frame with a lowered floor pan. Under the hood it’s got a 1,600 cc VW flat four, connected to wheels through a four speed manual ‘box. But that’s all secondary to the Speed-Racer -esque design, which promises so much more than it can deliver. When you think about it, though, so do all cars that looked like this in the ’70s. Ferraris and Lamborghinis from the era aren’t exactly what you’d call fast. And they’re heavy, and they’re a pain to operate. At least this Sterling will be reasonably fuel efficient. Where you’ll really notice the difference, though, is inside the cabin, which on this Sterling appears to have been put together by someone who

Although the Volkswagen Group has shut down two of its major racing teams, marketing boss Juergen Stackman says the brand is still open to going racing. That racing will likely come in the form of electric motorsport, though. Audi has already established that it will invest itself more heavily in Formula E, but the Volkswagen brand has yet to make a commitment to any racing series. “We will see in the next years how we evolve, but I think there are some interesting aspects in electric motorsport,” Stackmann told carscoops . “It’s a young scene, which might show opportunities in the years to come, but it is way too early to make a call on that one.” Earlier in the year, though, the brand called on rallycross championships (the FIA World RX and Red Bull GRC) to establish an electric racing series, as the short, intense blasts of the series are perfectly suited to current battery technology. Since then that American  Red Bull Global Rallycross Championship  has announced that it wil

After blowing a rod through the block at the famous Waterfest event in New Jersey, USP Motorsports has bounced back with a vengeance. Even with all efforts in sorting parts, engine machining in high gear and assembly pushed till around the clock, the team missed World Cup Finals. Chris Green and team were motivated and wanted to push harder to get the USP Motorsports Audi S4 down the track for the last event of the year. After blowing a rod through the block at the famous Waterfest event in New Jersey, USP Motorsports has bounced back with a vengeance. Even with all efforts in sorting parts, engine machining in high gear and assembly pushed till around the clock, the team missed World Cup Finals. Chris Green and team were motivated and wanted to push harder to get the USP Motorsports Audi S4 down the track for the last event of the year. USPMotorsports.com is currently running their BIGGEST SALE OF THE YEAR this weekend with discounts on multiple brands unveiling everyday! Shop t

The Touareg is a Volkswagen like no other, and that comes with its pluses and its minuses. Given its aspirational subtitle, the “People’s Premium SUV,” not sharing its interior parts with its economy brethren actually suits it. For the 2017 model year, not much changes on the Touareg. With the exception of more standard driver aids, in fact, it’s almost exactly the same as the 2016 model. The big, soft 2017 Touareg, then, isn’t a terribly exciting car, but it is still a good one. The first thing someone like me (who drives Volkswagens almost exclusively) notices when he climbs into the driver’s seat is that almost none of the buttons, switches, or toggles are the same in the Touareg as they are in any other Volkswagen. For this premium SUV, Volkswagen has raided the parts bin of its higher end subordinates and so there are a bunch of buttons inside and they’re placed strangely. I’m told by people who cover a wider range of vehicles than me, though, that this is very much a Porsche

Why is it that going all-in at a poker table is more impressive than betting $5? The odds don’t change, just the stakes. It’s the same when it comes to drifting a Lamborghini in a parking lot. I suppose that the answer is that if you screw up with cones, you hit a cone, whereas if you screw up at a Lamborghini dealership you not only ruin your own hypercar, but a bunch of other peoples’ hypercars, as well. Fortunately for all involved, that didn’t happen. Instead we get a nail-biting drift video of hoonage that raises the stakes past the usual gymkhana fare. Let’s just give thanks that this wasn’t a Ford dealership , because this video would have taken on a tragic tone if the drifter had been driving a Mustang. #cheapshots The post Lamborghini Drifts Lot Full of Lamborghinis appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVortex http://ift.tt/2fWJfFM via IFTTT

[ See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com ] New spy pictures suggest that Volkswagen’s Spanish subsidiary, SEAT, might be cooking up a hotter Leon. The face-lifted Leon was already set for a hot version, known as the Cupra, but these shots show a heavily modified Leon that might be even more powerful still. Our photographer draws our attention to the fact that the front fenders are wider on the car pictured above, suggesting a wider track. And the four exhaust pipes coming out of the rear of the car, instead of the usual pair oval-shaped pipes that normally come with the Cupra, also suggest something hotter. This, of course, is of interest to us here, because the Leon and the Golf are sister cars, so any work done the one could conceivably make into the other. The post Gallery: Seat’s Cooking Up a Hotter Leon Cupra appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVortex http://ift.tt/2gkPZtP via IFTTT

Volkswagen’s Potsdam design center is being adapted to work on in-car user experience (an extension of infotainment) for the fast approaching reality of autonomous cars. That means that VW’s decade old design center will no longer be the home of Klaus Bischoff, VW brand design chief. Instead, the Potsdam center is being taken over by head of VW Group design, Michael Mauer. One of the main catalysts for the change is the creation of a digital UX (user experience). Effectively, VW wants to turn its drivers into users, and make its mobility devices more like smartphones that keep you entertained and connected on your journey. With the change, designers of the digital UX will be involved in the creation of new technology from day one. “The big issue is autonomous driving: How will we use our time,” said Peter Wouda, director of design at the new center. “[There are] lots of opportunities to shape the brands and provide clear differences in Audi and Bentley [products]. We will see conce

[ See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com ] VW Vortex was in Los Angeles last week for the Auto Show and before the show really took off, we stopped off at the Petersen Automotive Museum to take a look at all the ridiculously rare cars. Once there, we happened upon the Bugatti exhibition. For those who have never been, as soon as you enter the Petersen, before you’ve even paid for your ticket, you get see some pretty crazy cars, which in this case were the Bugatti Chiron and a wooden boat, which it turns out was made by one of the Bugatti family. Walk straight in and take a right past the one-off Ghia-bodied Cadillac built for Rita Hayworth , and you’ll find an enormous room full of a range of art, furniture, and cars made by the Bugatti family. The collection is, frankly, unbelievable. Whether you’re a fan of classic Bugs’ or not, it’s hard not to be impressed just by the enormity of the collective value of the room. If you are a fan of Bugatti, though, there’s so much there. From

Canadians will finally get to drive the e-Golf as the updated 2017 version will head to the great white north for the first time. Although it’s expected to arrive in the summer, the Canadian-spec e-Golf will come fully equipped for the country’s harsh winters and its people’s garrison mentality. To keep you warm without drawing down the battery, the Canadian e-Golf comes with a heat pump that takes ambient heat from the surrounding air, as well as drivetrain heat and sends it into the cabin. This alone, according to VW Canada, helps give you more than 30% more range in cold weather and will keep you from running out of power in vast emptiness of the Canadian wilderness. To keep you safe from the dangers of the outside world there’s also the e-manager. This feature allows you to set the cabin temperature of the e-Golf before you’ve actually gotten into it. Working a bit like a remote car-starter, this timed feature heats up the car while it’s still plugged into the grid to ensure

Roughly one million more Americans will hit the streets this Thanksgiving compared to 2015 says AAA. The association projects that 48.7 million Americans will trek 50 miles or more this year for that turkey dinner, a 1.9 percent increase in traffic over 2015. That is the highest level seen since 2007. The Thanksgiving holiday period stretches from Wednesday, Nov. 23 to Sunday, Nov. 27. AAA says that the extra travel is due to the economy’s strong second half which has seen increased consumer spending and wage increases. Combined with the still low prices for fuel, this is a recipe for lots of driving this Thanksgiving season. While many Americans will also be sitting on planes and trains to visit loved ones during Thanksgiving, the car still remains the most popular form of transportation, making up 89 percent of travelers. Based on AAA bookings, the most popular destination during Thanksgiving is Las Vegas, followed by San Francisco. San Diego, Orlando and New York City are the th

When it agreed to the TDI settlement with US regulators, Volkswagen agreed to spend $2 billion on zero-emission vehicle projects across the land, but nothing in the agreement  says that VW can’t profit from that investment. While regulators get to make sure that the money is being spent properly, VW drawing profit from its investments is considered okay. “The ZEV investment requirement will be a business investment made by Volkswagen,” writes Cynthia Giles, EPA enforcement chief, in a letter to Automotive News. “VW may see a benefit from mandatory ZEV investments, and that would not be inconsistent with the [consent decree.] Volkswagen could have decided to make these investments even without this enforcement case, but now it is required to do so.” The provision will be reviewed by republican leaders in the US House Energy and Commerce Committee, but as it stands that $2 billion part of the settlement may be more than just a cost. Despite that, VW can’t actually gain an advantage i

Filed under: Government/Legal , Green , Volkswagen , United States , Diesel But there will be a hearing next week. Continue reading VW will be able to make money off of its $2B diesel-scandal EV investment VW will be able to make money off of its $2B diesel-scandal EV investment originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Nov 2016 11:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2frxqXi

It sounds like  Volkswagen  plans to pull all of its diesel models out of the U.S. market.  “At the moment we assume that we will offer no new diesel vehicles in the U.S.,” VW brand chief Herbert Diess told  Handelsblatt. While that isn’t an entirely definitive answer, it seems like VW won’t be back in the U.S. with any TDI models . Instead, the German automaker has announced its “TRANSFORM 2025+” plans, outlining its future direction, which includes a big push into electric vehicles and larger sport utility vehicles. Its goals are big, too. By 2020, Volkswagen plans to have 19 SUV models on sale, up from the current two, while electric vehicle sales are targeting one million units by 2025. To pay for development of these new models, Volkswagen has already announced a new labor deal that will see 30,000 jobs dropped through attrition. The brand also says it will discontinue certain low-volume models and model variants. “From 2020, we will be launching our major e-mobility offensi

I will never stop being charmed by the discovery of unexpected V8s. I’m fully aware that American V8s, like whoopee cushions, are not appropriate in every situation. And yet, like putting a whoopee cushion under the queen’s seat, the more inappropriate their placement the more giddily I giggle. I don’t know if you could tell from its massively changed proportions or its wing that would put a Boeing to shame but this 1971 Beetle isn’t quite stock. In fact, under that easily missed Boeingian spoiler, there’s a Chevy small block attached to a 4-speed transmission from a twin turbo Porsche. According to the seller, “Bugzilla” could use a fresh coat of paint, but otherwise it’s fine. With fewer  than 1,500 miles on the clock it apparently  runs like a top. And best of all, it’s got green LED/strobe lights under it, so it won’t unnoticed at night. Bugzilla is being sold in Florida (because of course it’s Florida) for $15,000 obo. The post Find of the Day: 1971 Lt1 Swap ‘Bugzilla’ a

Lamborghini has filed a trademark to protect “Aventador S,” the name that will likely be used on the car when it is refreshed.  The Italian brand filed the trademark with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) to protect the name on November 18, 2016. Recent spy photos show that Lamborghini is testing a face lifted Aventador that is likely to be revealed at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show, a model that will likely wear this new ‘S’ badge. It appears as though the facelift has borrowed some of its looks from the more aggressive Aventador SV, including new air intakes on top of the rear fenders and a slightly revised from end. A new wing in the rear and the new front spoiler should help the car produce more downforce than before as well. Lamborghini is expected to give the revamped Aventador a slight power bump of somewhere between 20 and 40 horsepower. There is also a chance that this will be the last naturally aspirated V12 that doesn’t have any electrification, as the

The Volkswagen Brand today released the details of its plan for the next 14 years. The plan centers around electric vehicles, cost savings, and US market penetration. Like the VW Group’s Together 2025, the brand has named its plan Transform 2025+. It contains many promises about electrification, and a new tagline: “Volkswagen: Moving People Forward.” The move is partly a response to the emissions crisis that rocked the company. As senior management figures, such as VW North America’s CEO Hinrich Woebcken say though, the decisions made now could end up being a blessing. With increasing emissions standards in the European Union and around the world, the manufacture of electric cars may be more than a PR move. Morgan Stanley recently announced that it predicts that electric cars will make up a 15% bigger part of the global market than it had previously predicted. Despite concerns about the fate of fuel-saving vehicles in the US following the election of Donald Trump, Volkswagen seem

If you happen to be in Dresden, take a look at Volkswagen’s factory and you’ll see some action happening inside. The reason is twofold. First: the plant is transparent, so you can see everything that happens inside (along with their industry, Germans are known for the subtlety of their metaphors). And second: because the new e-Golf is being made there. The newly updated e-Golf is the first Mk7.5 Golf we’ll see in America, and it’ll go farther on a charge and faster than the model it replaces. Output will begin in April of this year, to supplement the production already happening at Volkswagen’s main plant in Wolfsburg, Germany. The glass plant used to be engaged in the making of Phaetons, but with the less than glorious demise of that model in March, production at the barely alliterative unobfuscated factory was put on hold. The post Volkswagen’s Transparent Factory to See new Life appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVortex http://ift.tt/2ghdWUp via IFTTT

Filed under: Green , Plants/Manufacturing , Volkswagen , Green Culture , Electric It's all in the name of "Volkswagen: Moving People Forward." Continue reading VW's Transform 2025+ plan includes building electric cars in North America VW's Transform 2025+ plan includes building electric cars in North America originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Nov 2016 10:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2fZdutd

With plans to massively increase the number of electric vehicles it sells, the Volkswagen Group is reportedly admitting that it would make business sense to produce its own batteries. “If more than a quarter of our cars are to be electronic vehicles in the foreseeable future then we are going to need approximately 3 million batteries a year,” Matthias Mueller, VW Group CEO told  Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung . “Then it makes sense to build our own factory.” The report is supported by Volkswagen’s recent announcement after sitting down with union leaders, that it would be adding 9,000 jobs in the area s of electric vehicles and  mobility in German factories. That announcement came along with another announcement that the Volkswagen brand would cut 30,000 jobs (though not through forced redundancies). New battery plants would cut Volkswagen’s dependence on the external battery suppliers that currently provide batteries for its electric vehicles, like the newly update e-Golf

Filed under: Government/Legal , Green , Plants/Manufacturing , Fisker , Volkswagen , Green Automakers , Transportation Alternatives , Electric Mueller says a VW battery factory "makes sense." US voters want transportation initiatives. The DOE must turn over secret documents to lawyers in a case against Fisker. Continue reading Recharge Wrap-up: VW CEO mulls battery factory, voters approve $201B in transportation funding Recharge Wrap-up: VW CEO mulls battery factory, voters approve $201B in transportation funding originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Nov 2016 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2f0nTb0

Despite having spent the latter half of the 20 th century as mortal enemies, it turns out that Russia and the USA have some things in common according to Volkswagen, as Russia may be next in line to get the Atlas. The Atlas is Volkswagen’s recently revealed seven seat SUV that’s designed to compete against the major players like the Dodge Durango and Honda Pilot. The Atlas is “at the sweet spot of the American market at the moment,” says Juergen Stackmann, which apparently is the same sweet spot as the Russian market. Automotive News reports that Stackman revealed that “Russia is one of the markets we’re considering” for the Atlas at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The Атлас will also likely feature a 2.0-liter TDI when it makes its way to the motherland. A slightly modified version of the Atlas, meanwhile, will be sold in China. Unlike the Atlas, this version, called the Teramont, will be made in China. [source: Automotive News ] The post Volkswagen Atlas Set to Move the Proletaria

Air Lift Performance is pulling out all of the stops this holiday season! For a limited time, Air Lift Performance dealers will be offering up to 25% off all products. This includes all complete performance air suspension kits and even the latest control systems. This Early Black Friday and Cyber Monday deal started at 12:01am EDT today (11/18) and will run through the conclusion of Cyber Monday (11/28), ending at 11:59PM EDT. That means there is no better time than now to slam all the rides! From bagged MK7, to R35 GT-Rs and S550 Mustangs – plus the Hyundai Genesis Coupe kit launching today – it’s time to lay it all down. “This is the season. Everyone is already thinking about getting on air before show season is upon again, and now is a great time to buy from one of our dealers,” says Devin Pringle, Air Lift Performance’s Marketing Manager. “This has been a winning year for us here at Air Lift Performance, with the continued love and positive feedback we get on 3H and the quality

Winning a race is hard. There are surprisingly few drivers who can even lay claim to winning a top-level professional race, and nearly none can say that they’ve won a race from the roof of their car, but following this weekend’s FIA GT Race at Macau, Laurens Vanthoor managed to win upside down. The Macau leg of the FIA GT series was weird race all over, in which only four laps were run. The day started well, though, for Vanthoor who took off from first place on the starting grid. After an accident involving an understeering Mercedes and a barrier, which, surprisingly, the Mercedes won, the race had to be stopped so that crews could fix the wall. It took the race team a while to fix the wall, but eventually the race was ready to restart. It wasn’t long, though, before Vanthoor was overtaken by a Porsche. On the subsequent corner, Vanthoor ran over the inner curb, which unsettled the car, sending him oversteering into the outside wall at the corner exit. Vanthoor’s R8 LMS tried to c

It was a bittersweet end to the WRC season in Australia, as everyone knew that the quadruple championship-winning Volkswagen Motorsport would not return for the next season. Its drivers, all—as far as we know—without a WRC seat next year were racing for their lives as they looked for employment next year. In  the end, Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen’s young gun put on the best performance racing his way to victory at the Kennards Hire Rally Australia, with his championship-winning teammate, Sebastien Ogier, behind him in second. Although Mikkelsen eventually won the race by a healthy 14 seconds, it was by no means an easy victory. With a healthy lead on Saturday, Mikkelsen’s brake pedal twisted and fixing it cost him nine seconds. With that, Ogier was back on his tail and drawing him in. Unfortunately, Ogier made a rare mistake on the last day of competition, spinning the car and dashing his hopes of catching his Norwegian teammate. “What a fantastic weekend, and what a wonderful

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs , Plants/Manufacturing , Volkswagen , Germany , Future Volkswagen's way forward lies in electric vehicles and mobility services, and these segments will be boosted by 9,000 new jobs in Germany. Continue reading Volkswagen details turnaround plan and will cut 30,000 jobs Volkswagen details turnaround plan and will cut 30,000 jobs originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Nov 2016 15:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2fcvJNe

The Volkswagen brand plans to get rid of roughly 30,000 jobs by 2021 in a bid to save about $3.9 billion annually.   According to Reuters  citing sources close to the matter, Volkswagen will let all of the employees go through attrition, as the company has agreed to no forced layoffs until 2025. This is a major step in Volkswagen’s plan to help it restructure after the massive diesel emissions scandal which cost the automaker at least 18 billion euros and its reputation. The cuts should help Volkswagen save $3.9 billion annually, helped by 23,000 jobs cut in Germany alone. Volkswagen’s workers also got the brand to agree to build two of its upcoming electric vehicles in Germany. Thanks to this, VW does plan to hire on 9,000 new employees for electric vehicle projects and to focus on future technology. In total, VW will spend about 3 billion euros at these German plants while another 700 million will be spent abroad. The official announcement of Volkswagen’s “future pact” with its

Get ready to see more electric and electrified Volkswagens, as the brand plans to prepare the market for its upcoming MEB-based cars. “When we come with the new electric platform we will come with a lineup and we will build towards that lineup,” said Hendrick Muth, VP of Product Marketing and Strategy, at the LA Auto Show. The brand unveiled the new e-Golf at the show, and Muth said that Volkswagen is actively looking for other ways to introduce more electrified vehicles into the lineup, calling e-mobility part of the brand’s DNA. In the aftermath of the TDI scandal, VW committed itself to converting a quarter of its sales to all-electric vehicles by 2025. In 2020 the brand plans to introduce a line of vehicles based on its new MEB platform, built from the ground up to underpin electric vehicles. “We’re still looking at all sorts of opportunities,” said Muth. “What else is there beyond the e-Golf? What is the market? What can we do potentially?” Rumors abound about an electric SU

Filed under: Green , 2016 LA Auto Show , Volkswagen , Hatchback , Electric The motor is more powerful, too. Continue reading Volkswagen introduces a freshened 2017 e-Golf with a bigger battery Volkswagen introduces a freshened 2017 e-Golf with a bigger battery originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Nov 2016 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2f5ph7A