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[ See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com ] The mother ship is calling . Every year, some of Europe’s finest hoonigans and car nuts get together at a little lake in Austria to celebrate the brand they love: Volkswagen. This year, it’s your chance to go thanks to Volkswagen and Orchid Euro. Devotees might remember that friend of the site, Jamie Orr, took his 1996 Golf Harlequin from Pennsylvania to Austria last year to attend the annual show, and this year he’s going back and he’s bringing friends. If you own a VW and want to take it all the way to Wörthersee, this is your chance. The trip will ship up to seven vehicles and their owners to Europe for a 12 day road trip across four countries, to stay at a luxury apartment on the banks of the aptly named, lake Wörthersee. Everyone who goes can bring a co-pilot, with whom they’ll take tours of museums in Wolfsburg, Ingolstadt, Gmund, and more. Best of all, though, the organizers are taking care of all the logistics. They’ll figure out ...

Volkswagen has decided to get its rallycross act together and hired former World Rally Champion Petter Solberg to help the team become the FIA World Rallycross Champions. His first test with the car just found its way onto YouTube. Despite dominating in the American Red Bull Global Rallycross Championship, VW has had more trouble finding success in Europe’s WRX series. Volkswagen Motorsport worked with Sweden’s Marklund Motorsport last year to create Volkswagen Team Sweden. Although the team’s top driver, Johan Kristoffersson finished the season in second place overall, the team finished in third, well back of Peugeot and EKS. Petter Solberg, meanwhile, ended the season tied for third, only one point back of Kristoffersson. With Solberg, though, VW isn’t just getting another world class driver into its Polo RX, it’s also getting team leader with proven ability. Solberg’s team, PSRX, finished the 2016 season in 5 th place. Not an especially outstanding result, until you account fo...

Unitronic is pleased to announce the official worldwide release of its Performance Software* for the North American 1.4 TSI engine. With baseline figures and data collected, Unitronic interprets the data and adjusts the engine control unit parameters for optimal performance. Research and development of Unitronic’s Performance Software continue with further dyno and track testing, while closely monitoring running conditions through live high-speed data logging tools, and further optimizations are made to ensure maximum performance is achieved while maintaining complete OEM-like drivability; increasing throttle response, and improving overall fuel efficiency. Unitronic spent significant additional time in R&D and Testing on its Performance Software for this engine platform to ensure its official Performance Software offerings provide reliable operation for its Clients. With hundreds of dyno runs and countless hours spent with a multitude of empirical data collected, analyzed, and r...

Volkswagen is looking for go a little fancier with its replacement for the CC, the Arteon. First teased a few weeks ago, the new flagship model headed for the US market, will debut in Geneva in March. “As a completely freestanding car on the modular transverse matrix, it is neither a successor to the CC nor a Phaeton,” Elmar-Marius Licharz, head of the mid-and full-size product line, told Automotive News . “It stands right between these two model lines.” Based on the MQB platform, the 191 inch long Arteon will be three inches longer than the outgoing CC and will have a 5 inch longer wheelbase. That means more interior volume than the CC, the Passat, BMW 4 series Gran Coupe and Audi A5 Sportback, the latter two it intends to compete with. In other areas, it will be more like the Euro Passat with identical engines (meaning 150-280 hp) and comparable infotainment and assistance equipment. t Despite that, customers will have to pay up to 10% more to get their hands on an Arteon. [...

[ See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com ] A disproportionate number of professional racers were in Florida this weekend, but not all of them for the 24 Hours at Daytona . Some were quite a bit farther south in Miami for the Beetle Fun Cup, which came to the States for the first time ever. The Beetle Fun Cup is a European race series that uses fiberglass bodied race cars powered by a Volkswagen Motorsport inline four placed in the middle of a tubular chassis, powering the back wheels. The purpose-built race cars are designed to be cheap(ish), reliable, accessible, and most importantly fun. There are a few series in Europe, but the French one decided to organize a trip to Miami for a weekend of racing on American soil. And just for kicks, Tanner Foust and Scott Speed, who race Beetles anyway, decided to join in the fun. We’ll have full coverage of the race why it was so much fun later in the week, but for now enjoy a gallery of racing prepped Beetle making their way around Homestead-...

Airbag defects and overheating coolant pumps have led Audi and Volkswagen to recall nearly 600,000 vehicles in America. The recalls affect the Golf, e-Golf, and Tiguan, as well as the Audi Q5, A5, A6, and A4. The first recall relates to the driver’s side airbags, which may not deploy properly in some VWs and Audis. The brands will simply replace these airbags on 2017 VW Golfs, e-Golfs, and Tiguans as well as on Audi A7s, A4s, and A6s. Meanwhile, the seat belt pretensioner may not deploy on some Audis. All told, these recalls will affect about 5,900 cars. The next recall affects only Audi Q5s made between 2011 and 2017. On those vehicles, the drainage system on the sunroof can allow water to soak foam surrounding the side-curtain airbags. This corrodes the airbag canister, which can cause it to rupture and spray shrapnel. The recalled vehicles will have the foam removed, while corroded canisters are replaced. Audi has changed its production process to better protect the canister. ...

Everyone wants to be the best, whether it’s the fastest, smartest, strongest or biggest. This is especially true in the automotive world, where brands are always battling for bragging rights. And one of the most important things they fight for is the title world’s largest carmaker, something Toyota has owned for the last four years. But in 2016, the Volkswagen Group surpassed its Japanese rival to steal the sales crown. The VW Group delivered some 10.3 million vehicles last year, a figure including cars, trucks, and buses from all its brands. That performance represents a 3.8 percent year-over-year gain. Making this performance even more impressive is that VW was facing backlash from the diesel emissions scandal, which came to light in late 2015. It had the potential to decimate their deliveries, but sales continued to be strong. Toyota’s global sales also grew in 2016, but a much lower rate, increasing by just 0.2 percent. Overall, they were right on their German competitor’s he...

The Bentley Bentayga is indisputably the world’s fastest and most powerful SUV, however German exotic and luxury car tuner DMC felt the need to go ahead and inject it with an additional 100 horsepower anyway. DMC has dubbed its take on Bentley’s first-ever SUV the ‘Bentayga Gigante’, with the latter half of that nameplate likely referring to the monstrous amount of power being pumped out by the 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged W12. The engine churns out a significant 600 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque from the factory, but after DMC’s exhaust and engine management tune is applied, it gets a bump to 700hp and 778 lb-ft. Acceleration stats stay the same, however the top speed rises from 187 mph to 193 mph. DMC has also tried its hand at improving the appearance of the Bentayga with forged alloy wheels ranging from 22-inches to 24-inches in size and carbon fiber accents for the hood, rocker panels and rear liftgate. The treatment continues inside with carbon fiber steering wheel accents...

A new study says that electric vehicles are causing pollution in the Midwest. The study, published in American Economic Review , asserts that because the Midwest relies heavily on coal for electricity, the region sees higher pollution due to the increased presence of EVs. This is so, it says, at least when compared with other regions, which don’t use coal to produce electricity. The study was carried out by a team at the University of North Carolina. The researchers looked at air pollution caused by vehicles and how it varied from region to region. “In many locations, the comparison between a gasoline vehicle and an electric one is really a comparison between burning gasoline or a mix of coal and natural gas to move the vehicle,” the study says. The researchers were comparing pollution by both region and type of vehicle in order to figure out what value subsidies for EVs have. In the case of the Midwest, the researchers found that subsidies for EVs didn’t reduce pollution, but incr...

The V12 engine won’t go in favor of small displacement turbocharging thanks to mad scientists at Lamborghini. Like Luke Skywalker, the Aventador and its successor will fight the good fight with their breathing unassisted. With the industry (read: Ferrari) moving increasingly towards Darth Vader-like turbocharging, there were fears that Lamborghini, standard bearer of old fashioned vehicular fun, would cut the V12 from the lineup like a limb. That turns out, though, not to be the case. “Our position in the [Volkswagen] group must be different, and a naturally aspirated V12 engine is part of that difference,” Domenicali told Australia’s Car Advice.  “I don’t think we will be left behind at all by not adopting turbo charging. There is space for us to be different.” Not only does this apply to Aventador, though. Domenicali revealed that the next big Lambo will have a V12 heart. “The Aventador has more than five or six more years to run and the next platform also has a V12 at the ce...

Filed under: Government/Legal , Volkswagen Continue reading Ex-VW CEO Martin Winterkorn named in German fraud investigation Ex-VW CEO Martin Winterkorn named in German fraud investigation originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Jan 2017 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2jn2XIH

German prosecutors say their investigation into Volkswagen’s dirty dealings now includes the company’s former CEO, Martin Winterkorn. The long-running probe into the diesel emissions scandal recently expanded from 21 suspects to 37, Reuters reports, placing Winterkorn solidly under the microscope. Winterkorn stepped down just days after the scandal went public in September 2015. The former top boss recently emerged from the shadows to tell a German committee he knew nothing of the decade-long conspiracy under his watch, though prosecutors suspect he may have known more than that. After moving off the media front burner for months, the diesel scandal hit a rolling boil again when a Volkswagen executive was nabbed by FBI agents at Miami Airport earlier this month . Soon after, the U.S. Department of Justice indicted six current or former execs for their role in the conspiracy. Top company brass have reportedly been warned to avoid travel outside the country. While the criminal ch...

It’s the Newport Folk Festival all over again as the GTI is embracing the Volk revival and going electric. The next generation GTI’s traditional gas engine will reportedly be backed by a 48V electrical system. The mild hybrid system will boost performance while improving economy. Set to launch in Europe as a 2020 model, Autocar reports that the R&D department have set a hp target of 260 hp, similar to the current GTI Clubsport. The 48V electrical system will integrate a starter motor and might also allow VW to bin the traditional turbo in favor of an electric compressor, a la Audi SQ7 TDI . The electric compressor would allow for torque that comes lower down in the rev range and sustains longer. There could also be a boost button, to give you a little more juice at the top. Europe’s current 1.5-liter Golf TSI Bluemotion already uses a similar system, but it uses twin 12V electric motors. This allows for cylinder deactivation and engine-off coasting. The coming 48V is set to im...

The master of lateral movement, Tanner Foust, has been out and about again in his specially modified Formula Drift spec Passat. The 1,000 hp beast was behind the wheel of one of his favorite VWs in this Donut Media filmic presentation. Although there’s a lot to love here, possibly the best part of the video is the in car shot that reveals that this Passat retains its OEM door handle, if nothing else. Hey, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Other highlights include the brutal speed this Passat is capable of. It should hardly come as a surprise that 1,000 hp leads to speed, but it’s still amazing to see how fast Foust comes out of the first corner, even though it’s on dirt. Aprropriately, the video ends with a giggling camera man asking Foust “What kind of ridiculousness have we gotten ourselves into?” The best kind, camera dude. The best kind. The post Watch: Foust Drifts Up a Hill in his 1000hp Passat appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVortex http://ift.tt/2jWgLf0 via IFTTT

Fresh off his class win in a Skoda at Monte Carlo , Andreas Mikkelsen says he hasn’t given up on racing the 2017 VW Polo R WRC this year. While it’s certain that the car won’t race the full season, Mikkelsen hopes he can get the car into three rallies this year. “The aim is to be back in a factory car and fighting for the world championship next season,” Mikkelsen  told Autosport. “But this year, we’re looking at three rallies in the Polo ’17 car.” Mikkelsen revealed that he had initially hoped to enter the Polo into Rally Sweden (February 9), but that the trouble homologating the car has caused him to give up those ambitions. Instead, he’s focused on entering the Vadofone Rally de Portugal in mid-May. “I have done so much testing in the Polo, it’s the only car I know how to drive!” Mikkelsen told Autosport. “I want to drive this one, it would be nice to make that the reality. I have to find sponsors and we have to find out what is possible for the homologation.” Following VW’...

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs , Audi , Volkswagen , Emissions , Diesel It seems there was a difference of opinions on how to handle the situation. Continue reading Head of dieselgate clean up set to leave Volkswagen after a year on the job Head of dieselgate clean up set to leave Volkswagen after a year on the job originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Jan 2017 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2ko4QGz

District Judge Charles Breyer has given final approval to a $1.2 billion settlement agreed to by both Volkswagen and its dealers. The sum will be paid to 650 dealers over the course of 18 months, which averages out to about $1.85 million per dealer. Judge Breyer said that the settlement is “fair, reasonable, and adequate.” Under the terms of the agreement, VW will continue to make volume-based incentive payments to dealers, and dealers will have the option to defer capital improvements for up to two years. As a result of these stipulations, the full value of the settlement is closer to $1.6 billion, according to law firm Hagens Berman, which represented the dealers. The agreement with dealers is “a very important step in our commitment to making things right for all our stakeholders in the United States,” Hinrich Woebcken, VW North America CEO, has said in the past. “The Volkswagen-branded franchise dealer class-action settlement finalized today represents an outstanding result f...

Few things in life are more entertaining than watching Finns drive in the snow. Throughout the history of motorsport, humble Finland has produced a disproportionate number race winners and in this video we see what happens when they get their hands on aircooled VWs. As with anyone, Finns seem to like nothing more than a good crash. Few people are quite as quick to jump into action, though. The giggling, the teamwork, the just get back on the road and finish the stage attitude are all deeply charming. And then there are the cars. Beetles and a Fastback wail bassily in the frigid, snowy stage of the Rengon JM-Putki Rally. As if these cars weren’t desirable enough already, watching a Beetle with rally lights powerslide through the forests of Lapland just pushed an aircooled VW up from idle desire to irrepressible need. The post Watch: Aircooled VWs Frolicking in the snow appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVortex http://ift.tt/2jBi1TM via IFTTT

Andreas Mikkelsen was the unfortunate victim of some bad luck this season. The former VW World Rally Championship driver and last year’s driver’s championship runner up found himself without a ride this season the WRC. The reason may have been his loyalty to the team, but whatever the case he raced the Rally Monte Carlo, the first race on this season’s calendar, in a Skoda Fabia R5 in WRC2. Racing the Skoda as a guest driver Mikkeslen took first place in Monte Carlo, marking the 40 th anniversary of the Skoda 130 RS’s first victory at the same rally. Jan Kopecky and Pavel Dresler, meanwhile, also in a Skoda Fabia R5, finished second. WRC2 is the slightly less intense, less powerful rally series that follows the World Rally Championship everywhere it goes. Meanwhile, Sebastien Ogier, who won four WRC championships with VW, won his first race ever with M-Sport, who hired him after VW’s surprising exit from the sport. The good news for VW fans is that although there won’t Polos in...

We’ve been talking about the upcoming Lamborghini Huracan Performante a lot over the past few months, and though we knew it would be quick, we didn’t fully appreciate the speed that was coming. The new baby Lambo will be faster than its big brother, the 12-cylinder, 740 hp Aventador SV. That’s according to Lamborghini’s R&D chief, the very Italian Maurizio Reggiani, who spoke to the mildly Autstralian  Motoring.com . “I can tell you we discovered something that is big news, it doesn’t exist [yet], we invented it,” said Reggiani. “What we achieve is something unique and fantasti. And, yes, you can say that it’s better than the Aventador SV.” In itself, this is a hilarious example of Lamborghini’s inability to give expletives . No automaker in its right mind would make its cheap car (we’re speaking in relative terms, remember) better than its expensive car. It just doesn’t make sense. What’s more, though, the Aventador Super Veloce (which, remember, is Italian for “Aventado...

Matt Farah’s been on a bit of a VW kick recently. He recently featured a Westy Rabbit , then a 914 (that struggled at altitude) and now he’s driving a 16V Scirocco. The Scirocco has undergone some maintenance work, but with 340,000 miles covered in its life, this is the automotive equivalent of Bill Shatner: much older than it looks. The owner, Steven, says that he gave up his Mk3 VR6 Golf to buy the Scirroco and doesn’t regret it. Although the VR6 made more power, the weight gain made it less fun in the corners than this 2,300 lb car. “This car is really cool, though,” says Farah. “I really get this car,” he adds, saying that it handles well and is light on its feet. Read a bit more on this Scirocco at  wheelwell.com. The post Watch: The Smoking Tire Drive an ‘86 Scirocco appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVortex http://ift.tt/2k05sEL via IFTTT

[ See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com ] Volkswagen’s attempts to renew the Beetle have never really been as successful as they likely hope. Although the New Beetle saw its fair share of early excitement, neither it nor the new Beetle (uncapitalized) never really captured hearts and minds the way the Type 1 did, few cars, if any, ever have. Still, they aren’t without their charm, and having attended ze Beetle Sunshine Tour in Germany, I’m in a position to say that they’re every bit as modifiable as the Golf or the Jetta. Case in point, this 2013 Beetle from the forum . According to the seller, it’s the first Beetle APR ever took to the third stage, so they had to build new files for the launch control, NLS, and more. This super Beetle is a rolling ad for the APR catalog (APR Stage 3 GTX2867R Turbo  System, APR 93 octane and 100 Octane files, APR No Lift Shift and Launch Control Files, APR Catch Can System, APR Cast Downpipe, APR Carbon Fiber Intake, APR Mobile Dongle, APR...

Christmas may have just passed, but we already have something on our wish list. Hasbro has announced the Nerf Nitro that is destined for stores this summer. And instead of shooting darts or other random foam projectiles, the Nerf Nitro shoots little foam cars and it looks awesome. What makes the Nerf Nitro blaster unique compared to other Nerf guns is that it’s designed to be placed on a flat surface, shooting foam cars out at incredible speeds with their plastic wheels. There’s also a built-in safety button at the bottom to make sure the blaster can only be fired while placed on a flat surface – although we’re sure people will find a way around that. There will be several Nerf Nitro kits available, starting with the $20 Longshot Smash that has a single-shot, spring-powered blaster that fires one car at a time. Then there’s the $30 Flashfury Chaos set, which has a blaster that can hold up to three cars at once. At the top of the lineup is the $50 MotoFury Rapid Rally kit, equipped w...

Barrett-Jackson just wrapped up its 46th annual Scottsdale auction, which set all kinds of records, including the sale of Kindig-It Design’s 1965 21-Window Deluxe Bus for $302,500 (pictured above and below). Not only did that bus set an auction record, it was the highest priced Volkswagen in Scottsdale that week. While it outdid the next closest VW by quite a margin, it wasn’t the only high priced VW at the show. Here, are the highest priced VWs from the auction: 1. $302,500: 1965 Type II 21-Window Deluxe Bus  Featured on Velocity Channel’s Bitchin’ Rides, this microbus was completely restored by Kindig-it Design and repainted in Mercedes Black and Bentley Magnolia White. With a 1915cc 120 hp flat four out back and a 4-speed transmission, this bus sits on 17″ wheels. 2. $143,000: 1967 21-Window Deluxe Bus Not sure if you noticed a theme here, but we have another 21-window bus in black and white, but this time the colors are flipped and it has a 2,027 cc engine. Comes with a ...

Good Housekeeping is apparently doing car of the year tests , and it turns out that they have pretty good taste, as this year’s winner for compact car of the year is the Golf GTI. The housekeeping magazine enlisted the help of Car and Driver to assist its in house engineers in deciding which of the hundred cars they started with was best. They then winnowed the competition down to just 25 cars and chose which of those was best in seven categories. The testers were, of course, impressed by the GTI’s performance and handling, but also by its utility. “GH’s engineers have never tested a more practical compact,” said Good Housekeeping . “The Golf won on combined miles per gallon and also got top marks for visibility, a sleek but roomy interior and a tight suspension that helped it hug the road, even going over bumps.” The GTI is in good company, too. With winners in other categories, like the BMW M240i and the Audi A4, the people at Good Housekeeping might just have a knack for this. ...

As with most things in life, the windshield is a double edged sword. Not literally, that would be dangerous, but in the sense that although it protects you from debris, like low flying birds and errant fruit, it can also catch snow, impairing your vision. Until now, the solution was either a defroster, a fine filament in the windshield, or getting out and using a stick like some sort of neanderthal. The defroster was slow and indirect, the fine filament was quicker but visible, and the stick needn’t be spoken of. Now VW thinks it’s found a better way. By installing a thin, invisible layer of silver in the glass, the windshield can warm up internally without obstructing visibility. Using only 400 to 500 watts of electricity, snow and ice melt right off the windshield quickly. And better still, lower down the windshield, under the wipers, VW has installed traditional filaments out of view of the driver. This heats up the wipers, insuring that they aren’t themselves frozen, in what can ...

Don’t be surprised if you look up to the sky and see Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May’s heads floating above you. The huge heads have been sighted in Los Angeles, California, and Amazon showed off a photo of them flying past the iconic Hollywood sign. The company has also been touring them around downtown Los Angeles, stopping by locations like the Mann’s Chinese Theater. Amazon promises that the three heads will be making stops at other tourist sites around the city, including Sunset Boulevard and the Santa Monica Pier. Don’t be surprised if the heads make stops at other cities in the U.S., since they’ve been sighted in other countries around the world. If you’re wondering why Amazon is floating around three giant heads of Clarkson, Hammond and May, there’s no definitive answer. But it’s likely just another cog in the massive marketing machine for  The Grand Tour. This article first appeared  on autoguide.com The post What Are These Giant Grand T...

Volkswagen says it will be the first automaker to offer Amazon’s Alexa smart home system to its vehicles. Although Ford, Hyundai, and BMW offer Alexa via a smartphone app that can be run through the car, VW wants to offer the service through the car’s own infotainment system. Alexa users can control their smarthome through their smartauto to change the temperature, for instance. Working in concert with VW’s own “next gen” voice commands, people will soon talk more to their cars than to their children. “We have several that we programmed that customers can choose from,” said Volkmar Tanneberger, head of VW electronics development. “So you can say for example ‘Hey Buddy, ask Alexa how warm is it at home?’ and then it channels the command through to Alexa and Alexa reports back that it’s 20 degrees.” The biggest advantage of having the app work through the car, though, is that users can also ask their home about the state of the car. You could, for example, ask Alexa about how much ga...

Imagine, if you will, that you were Italian, lived near a mountain, and were in possession of a Lamborghini Miura. Would you take any, even the flimsiest, excuse to drive it? This guy certainly did. And now it’s an excuse to watch gratuitous shots of a beautiful car in a beautiful place. Lamborghini ft. COOPER COPTER from COOPERCOPTER on Vimeo . In the rich tradition of C’etait un Rendez-Vous and Chris Harris’s Testarossa bread run , this video has only the faintest whiff of narrative, but that’s enough to drive this three and a half minute automotive ballet. The plot, such as it is, follows a driver who shows up to a café just as it closes. But he really wanted that cup of coffee, so he and his twelve cylinders go up an alp to a mountaintop café. As he arrives, the barista gets the espresso machine ready so that the driver can his tiny cup of coffee. But let’s be honest, even a drop of coffee would be reason enough to take that car up that road. The post Lambo Driver Goes Mi...

The I.D. family, Volkswagen’s upcoming range of all-electric cars, is set to use the cellular network to drive its autonomous functionality. The 5G network will allow the cars to communicate with each other and local infrastructure to warn them about driving conditions ahead. “All future solutions for individual mobility rely on the ability to handle large amounts of data inside and outside the car,” said VW’s head of electronics development, Volkmar Tanneberger, at CES. “5G is the key enabling technology to accommodate big data, enhance the user experience and transform the transportation system as a whole.” The 5G network is an important step in the approach of autonomous driving because of its higher capacity. Unlike the 4G network, 5G is focused on increasing bandwidth, not peak speed, allowing for more users on the network. That should allow for the so called Internet of Things, in which all sorts of everyday items will be connected to the internet. The result of all of this co...

Filed under: Videos , CES , Volkswagen , Technology Three-dimensional gauge clusters are pretty cool. Eye-tracking tech that doesn't work isn't so cool. Continue reading The Volkswagen Interactive Experience at CES was promising, but not quite perfect The Volkswagen Interactive Experience at CES was promising, but not quite perfect originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 22 Jan 2017 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2jFZFC3

If you missed the North American International Auto Show, and are regretting not having seen the I.D. Buzz, good news! You can take a look inside the concept with Volkswagen USA’s new 360 degree video. Not only does the video show you the handsome interior of the futuristic microbus that VW really, really wants to make, swearsies! but you can also see some of the features that make it special. Features like the steering wheel that retracts into the dash so as not to take cabin space away from the driver. You can also see the tablet-like infotainment screen, the wooden floors, and most importantly, the yoga gnome that rotates gently, hovering above the dash. Apart from being nifty, the 360 video does give you a  pretty honest appraisal of what the I.D. Buzz is like inside, which is nice. The post Take a 360 Degree Look Inside the I.D. Buzz appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVortex http://ift.tt/2jDyxGj via IFTTT

In his first public appearance since the TDI scandal broke in September 2015, Martin Winterkorn, former CEO of the Volkswagen Group, maintained that he had no knowledge of emissions cheating before the company admitted to it. According VW, the top brass were informed of diesel emissions manipulation in August of 2015, and told the world in September. Winterkorn’s reputation for attention to detail, though, has raised questions about how in the dark he was. When asked by the German parliament’s inquiry committee whether he knew about the cheating before August 2015, he responded by saying “That is not the case.” According to Winterkorn, who stepped down a day after publicly admitting to the manipulation, a “rogue group” of software engineers were responsible for the emissions cheating. He went on to say that “software applications represent a very specific area of work in engine development,” an area about which he had little knowledge. “It’s incomprehensible why I wasn’t informed e...

Following Volkswagen’s surprise decision to exit the World Rally Championship late last year, it was revealed that the automaker wanted to homologate the Polo R WRC so that a privateer team could race the car. Now, though, the other teams have raised concerns about the Polo, making the car even less likely to hit the dirt this year. The WRC’s teams met with the FIA today in Monte Carlo to discuss allowing the Polo R WRC to race this season. While some teams were perfectly alright with homologating the car, others felt that VW didn’t abide by the WRC’s rules. “At the moment, as the regulation is written, it’s not possible,” said Michel Nandan, Hyundai’s team principal, according to Motorsport.com. “I have nothing against Volkswagen, but for me it’s a bit strange that this big decision came and then suddenly they need to homologate the car.” Others however, like Toyota’s Tommi Makinen, felt that the more cars the better for the series. “Our feeling  is that the championship is st...

If we’re to believe a source inside Volkswagen, 2022 could bring a latter-day Summer of Love. The company’s latest Microbus concept — the eye-rollingly named I.D. Buzz — might not stay a concept for long, an insider claims, stirring hope in eco-conscious Germanophiles and fans of the original hippie wagon. VW’s all-electric I.D. Buzz concept, which debuted at the North American International Auto Show, is in the running as a possible future model spawned from the company’s common EV architecture. The first model, the compact I.D. hatchback, is due out in 2020. More electric models should follow as VW pushes ahead with its long-term green car plan. According to Automotive News Europe , the Buzz/Microbus concept has a strong supporter in the company’s upper echelons. VW brand chief Herbert Diess is reportedly a fan. When prodded about the I.D. Buzz, a company source stated, “I know what you’re going to ask and the answer is 2022. Diess wants it.” Now, before you quit your job, grow...

Netflix is getting its own car show. With Amazon Prime outbidding Netflix for Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May’s  The Grand Tour , it seems Netflix turned its attention towards comedian  noted VW enthusiast Jerry Seinfeld and his  Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee . After spending nine years on Crackle, Seinfeld will debut a new season of his show late this year with 24 episodes. The streaming service will also offer previous episodes. Seinfeld’s move to Netflix is part of a major production deal the comedian has signed with Netflix that also includes two new stand-up specials filmed exclusively for Netflix. The show originally launched on Sony’s Crackle service in 2012 and just premiered its ninth season. This article first appeared on autoguide.com The post Netflix Forgets About Jeremy Clarkson, Lands Jerry Seinfeld appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVortex http://ift.tt/2k1gdmV via IFTTT

It’s no secret that sales of the Beetle are less than stellar and that’s led to rumors about the car’s future. Volkswagen doesn’t want to drop the idea of the Beetle altogether, because the nameplate holds such a special place in its history. Klaus Bischoff, head of VW design, called the current Beetle one of his favorite designs for the brand and recent reports have suggested that an all-electric version is in the cards. “We are fighting hard [for it] and considering a new electric bug,” Bischoff told VW Vortex at the Detroit auto show. “Let’s see what we can do on that one.” Bischoff said much the same thing to Automobile Mag , adding though that “there have been no decisions so far.” Whether that means a current Beetle retrofitted with batteries (like the e-Golf) or an all new electric Beetle on the MEB platform (like the I.D.), Bischoff did not say. While an all new Beetle may be an expensive solution for a car with middling sales numbers, a rear engine, affordable, electric...

Just look at it. The Mk6 Jetta has been accused of lacking visual flare and personality. Anyone who says that is, of course, blind, but they do still say it. However you feel about the Jetta, though, it’s hard to argue that with it’s golden proportions and it’s clean lines, it takes remarkably well to modifications, and that’s  why this heavily modified 2012 Jetta SE is our Find of the Day . With only 75,000 miles on the odometer and lots of new bits, this Jetta from Chicago is a daily driver that scares local children. It currently sits on Rotiform KPS wheels (comes with a spare set of steelies), fastened to the car by way of a GLI rear end and Airlift suspension, but it’s gone through several iterations over the years all of which you can see on the car’s build thread . The owner, forum user cdwalls, says that the only issues with the car are minor (missing speaker piece and a ding or two), but that the car was maintained fastidiously, so he’s asking $14,000. The post Fin...

Mr Regular is not known for being especially fond of Volkswagens, but his latest Regular Car Review is surprisingly kind to the 2012 Golf TDI. Ultimately, his view can be summed up with something he says near the end of the video: “The Golf TDI is the dailiest daily that ever dailied.” That borders on a slight to a charming, fuel efficient car, but it is at least an honest appraisal of why many regular car buyers actually bought the car. As Mr Regular says, the car shows up every day and performs, just like Keanu Reeves, who got his two biggest gigs by being more available than bigger stars. The video also brings up another issue that surely has been nagging at the faithful, and that’s the particular time and place that the EPA decided to wield its power: when a foreign automaker broke the rules. Of course, VW deserves a punishment for the fraud it committed. And it’s probably a good thing for executives to know that their decisions have consequences, but when Harley Davidson is g...

Ducati and fashion brand Diesel are collaborating once again, this time with a limited edition Diavel model. Ducati will produce only 666 units featuring a Mad Max-style post-apocalyptic look jointly created by Diesel Creative Director Andrea Rosso and the Ducati Design Center. This marks the second Diesel-branded limited edition Ducati following the 2013 Diesel Monster 1100 EVO . “The collaboration with Diesel enabled us to explore original stylistic and technical aspects whilst staying within the Ducati brand and fully respecting its values,” says Claudio Domenicali, Ducati Motor Holding chief executive officer. “In this case we worked with Diesel on an already uniquely original bike like the Diavel and the result was surprising to put it mildly. The details characterizing the Diavel Diesel cannot fail to captivate connoisseurs of special bikes but also people from different walks of life, such as fashion. It’s always stimulating for us to move outside the world of motorcycl...

We’ve all seen cutaways and gifs of engine operation, but seeing inside a real engine as it runs 150 times slower than reality is something else altogether. Not only does this video from Warped Perception go into the correct operation of a four stroke Briggs and Stratton engine, it also goes into incorrect operation. Using gas, rubbing alcohol, and acetylene the video shows what happens in the engine chamber when things go right and wrong. Not only is it entertaining to watch an engine run with fuel that doesn’t quite combust (alcohol), it drives home the point that internal combustion engines are miraculously complex, requiring a perfection of timing that, if it weren’t so normal, would seem impossible. Watch the beautiful, fiery clockwork of the four stroke engine above. The post Watch: A See Through Engine Combusting in Slow Mo appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVortex http://ift.tt/2jkKpun via IFTTT

Bentley says plug-in hybrid drivetrains make the most sense for its elite-class customer base – enough to offer them as an option for all its ultra-luxury vehicles. Speaking last week at Automotive News World Congress, held in Detroit in conjunction with the auto show, Bentley CEO Wolfgang Durheimer said that all Bentley models will have a PHEV variant. That will be added as an option beginning in 2018, he said. A lot of owners around the world have a chauffeur driving them around in their Bentley. The high-end luxury automaker doesn’t see all-electric vehicles making any sense as an alternative powertrain offering. Corporate executives will want their drivers to get them out of the city to their mansion in the countryside without having to stop for a charge, for example. It’s much more viable to do that with a long-range plug-in hybrid running off of battery power and an internal combustion engine, Durheimer said, versus a limited-range battery electric vehicle. For Durheimer, PH...