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The VR6-Powered Audi B5 S4 has been USP Motorports’ ace in the hole for quite some time. The pure amount of passion and dedication that has been channeled through this car is unfathomable. Fitted with a brand-new Precision 7685 Generation 2, the ole’ B5 is looking to break some hearts yet again! Laying down it’s fastest times back to back, USP has a lot of confidence she will produce some incredible times in the near future. Join USP Motorsports as they take over Palm Beach International Raceway for the day. Giving them the ability to test a variety of shop vehicles and parts for their customers! Race About USP Motorsports USP Motorsports has been setting the bar in the community since 2000 and continue to do so today. USP’s goal is to exceed expectations for vehicle service and performance on Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche platforms. Shop USPMotorsports.com for all your performance, service, and OEM needs! The post USP Motorsports VR6 Becomes Fastest Audi/VW In The Country, Aga...

Filed under: Reviews , Volkswagen , Quick Spins , Crossover , SUV This is the right model for Volkswagen at just the right time. Continue reading 2018 Volkswagen Atlas | Drivers' Notes 2018 Volkswagen Atlas | Drivers' Notes originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Jun 2017 13:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2tuvDYL

[ See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com ] Porsche has finally taken the cover off of its new 991-based 911 GT2 RS. The highly anticipated car first appeared during the Microsoft Xbox E3 2017 press conference earlier this month, where we learned it will serve as the cover car for  Forza Motorsport 7 . But strangely, Porsche never really acknowledged that as a debut, keeping details about the car under wraps until today. It even went so far as to keep it under a cover at the Goodwood Festival of Speed prior to its debut – as if no one had seen or heard of it by now. As the fastest and most powerful street-legal 911 ever produced, the 2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS produces 700 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque from a 3.8-liter twin-turbo flat-six engine and tips the scales at 3,241 pounds (1,470 kilograms) with a full tank of fuel. The result is a zero-to-60 mph time of 2.7 seconds, with a top speed of 211 mph (340 km/h). As previously reported, the powerplant is paired to a ...

[ See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com ] With pre-war Grand Prix cars, championship-winning F1 cars and high-dollar supercars moseying around, it’s hard to make an impression at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. If there’s an automaker that knows how to turn heads, though, it’s Bugatti. The purveyor of 1,000+ horsepower hypercars showed up to this year’s edition of the annual celebration of speed with seven Veyrons and two Chirons – which together produce a staggering 9,404 horsepower. The Veyrons in attendance are a good representation of the model. There are six early run Veyron 16.4s, one of which is a pre-series car from 2005, along with a Veyron Super Sport World Record Edition and a Veyron Vitesse. One of the two Chirons is the first customer car for the UK, while the other, which will be running up the hill during throughout the weekend in the Supercars category, came directly from Bugatti’s category in Molsheim. Be sure to tune into the Goodwood Festival of Speed live st...

Volkswagen has revised its electrification plan to include more disadvantaged areas in California. As part of its dieselgate settlement, VW agreed to spend $800 million in California to build up clean car infrastructure. Critics of the agreement, though, suggested that VW might avoid low-income areas, but the new plan, released Thursday, says that 35% of the funds will be spent in those areas. That jives with California’s stated intentions to promote clean cars in more than just affluent areas, where expensive electric cars mostly exist currently. Electrify America will build community charging stations in six disadvantaged communities, according to CEO Mark McNabb. He also said that the brand is working on ways to open the charging network up to owners of used electric cars. Additionally, more than half of the funds set aside for charging stations on the highway will be dedicated to stations in low-income areas. This plan is actually a revision of an earlier draft. Dean Florez, a...

[ See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com ] The car still won’t be officially unveiled until July 1 at the 2017 Goodwood Festival of Speed. Although the 2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS “debuted” during the Microsoft Xbox E3 2017 press conference earlier this month, the German automaker still hasn’t officially announced it. That means specifications and details on what’s being called the most powerful 911 ever made are being kept under wraps. But the car is likely under the cover at Porsche’s booth at the 2017 Goodwood Festival of Speed , and the company promises everything will be uncovered on July 1 in the U.K. But that hasn’t stopped photos from leaking ahead of time, courtesy of user Loess on Rennlist , giving us our best look yet at the new 911 GT2 RS . There’s plenty of carbon-fiber inside the interior, along with Weissach branding, and  a lot of contrasting red elements, including the majority of the steering wheel. We should finally know more about the 2018 Porsche 9...

Many of you may be aware, thanks to his appearances on Jay Leno’s Garage, that Comedian Gabriel Iglesias is a fan of VW Transporters. A big fan. His collection includes a whole row of buses, including one that’s been turned into an aquarium. In this video, he does a quick walk through of his garage. Iglesias’ collection spans the first two generations of Transporter, and even includes a 1952 model, a 15-window, and a 23-window model. Odd comments about the geography of VW’s production network aside, the collection is great. You can watch it all above. The post Watch: Fluffy Talks About his Bus Collection appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVortex http://ift.tt/2ttuuke via IFTTT

Filed under: Reviews , Volkswagen , Hatchback , Performance It's the perfect combination of performance and features. Continue reading 2017 Volkswagen GTI Sport is the perfect enthusiast special 2017 Volkswagen GTI Sport is the perfect enthusiast special originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Jun 2017 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2ur3AGU

Volkswagen says that it will start adding car-to-car communication to its cars in 2019. The technology allows cars that are within 500 meters (1,640 ft) of one another to share information about driving conditions, traffic, and accidents. As VW, puts it, it makes it possible for cars to effectively, “look around the corner.” The system will run on the pWLAN standard, allowing it to communicate with vehicles from other brands as well. Car-to-car technology is widely seen as an important stepping stone toward autonomous driving. With cars sharing information about the road, they can account for things that are hard to detect with sensors—or eyes for that matter—in real time. “We want to increase road safety with the aid of networked vehicles, and the most efficient way of achieving this is through the rapid roll-out of a common technology,” said Johannes Neft, Head of Vehicle Body Development at VW. “What matters most is that the technology is used consistently, and by as many manufa...

[ See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com ] Much like Spider-Man, the new A8 is constantly showing up in disguise and with a camera (several, in fact). Much like J. Jonah Jameson, I’m constantly yelling at my employees for more photos of both and smoking giant cigars at my desk (HR and I do not get along). Fortunately for us all, the latest shots of both came at the same event at Hollywood’s TCL Chinese Theater, when both the A8 and the Spider-Man showed up to the premiere of the latest eponymous film in the series, A8: Homecoming. The star of the film, the A8, can be partially seen in the film, ahead of its official reveal on July 11. According to Audi , parts of the front and side are visible in the film, as is the car’s level 3 autonomous driving function, which allows Happy Hogan (played by Jon Favreau) to take his hands off the wheel, freaking out Peter Parker (Tom Holland). At the premier, meanwhile, Tom Holland was ferried in by a specially camouflaged A8. Dropping the usual...

[ See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com ] Perched atop the ancient Pyrenees Mountains is the tiny Principality of Andorra. In winter, it’s surely a wonderland playground for the wealthy skiers and snowboarders who visit from neighboring France or Spain. But we’re here in the summer and the slopes are all covered in lush foliage, with the only apparent sign of life in the sleepy villages being a few random mountain bikers or motorcyclists . A glimpse at the GPS shows a network of roads in Andorra that looks more like a pot of cooked spaghetti than a means by which to get people from point A to point B. In other words, it’s paradise for those who enjoy a good automotive flogging. As luck would have it, we were there to do just that with Audi’s newest high-performance RS 5 coupe . Mourning the V8 There will be more than a few folks (and you can count me among them) who’ll mourn the previous generation RS 5’s ferocious, high-revving, naturally aspirated V8 , replaced now with a twin-...

[ See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com ] Sometimes you’re just in the right place at the right time. While flying to Europe last night I, unfortunately, got re-routed with a five-hour layover in Dublin, Ireland. Normally that would basically suck, but a friend who works for the VW Group contacted me to extend an invitation for coffee and donuts in the city center, which instantly made the situation much better. Then, while walking through the streets of Dublin, I was able to gatecrash the national launch event for the new SEAT Ibiza, before the press and social media movers and shakers were able to enter for their first viewing of the car. Now, I can already hear you saying, “Oh good, another supermini/subcompact/whatever segment car that we’ll never see in the USA.” Well, stay with me.. The all-new Ibiza is significant because it’s the first VW Group car to ride on the MQB A0 platform, which means it’s got some significant shared DNA with most of the other VW range. The Ibiza is...

The Volkswagen Group’s ability to repay debt has improved, according to UK-based credit rating agency Fitch Ratings. The agency raised the VW Group’s debt outlook to stable, from negative. It also reaffirmed the Group’s BBB+ long-term debt rating. Volkswagen had been rated at A, but with the 2015 dieselgate scandal it was lowered to BBB+. At the time, Fitch gave the Group a negative outlook. Now that the financial risks have largely been accounted for, Fitch saw fit to raise the rating. “In particular, we believe that the group could accommodate several billion euros in additional fines and/or recall and repair costs and still sustain its current ratings,” said the rating agency in a statement. It also added that VW has shown “strong resilience” since 2015. Fitch acknowledges that the risk of further lawsuits and the associated costs are, though. That likely means that the VW Group’s rating won’t improve in the near future. Fitch is one of only four credit rating agencies reco...

I have a confession to make: I don’t really understand how a transmission works. I’ve seen the animated gifs, I’ve watched that old Chevy video from the ‘30s, and read about them, but my brain sorta shuts down before I can get a really solid grasp on what’s being said. I get that gears are just circular levers, and I understand why transmissions exist, but the actual clockwork of it all and how gears are actually selected still mystifies me for some reason. That’s why I was so excited when I saw this video about a LEGO transmission by Dgustaffson13 . I didn’t fully understand what was going on in an engine until I built one of those see-through models of a V8, but I totally get what everything’s doing in there and how it all comes together to turn the crank. There’s something about the tactility of actually making something that explanations can’t match. And thankfully, the builder has put up instructions online . So get ready LEGO store, I’m coming to empty your Technic buck...

By now we’ve all seen the footage of the monumental crash that The Grand Tour’s Richard Hammond had while driving a Rimac 1 Concept at a Hill Climb event in Switzerland. Now, you can watch the man himself, and the man who made the car discussing exactly what happened. If this half hour video, available exclusively on Drive Tribe , proves nothing else, it certainly proves that Richard Hammond is a very good-natured and entertaining man. To be fair, he has a very interesting story to tell, but he tells it well and with a smile. That he’s around at all to tell it is kind of miraculous and, according to Hammond, a testament to the strength of the car. But as he was heading off track he says “there was a moment of dread—‘Oh God, I’m going to die.” Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve also seen some of Hammond’s recovery process—he’s improved his own crutches, and added holsters for them to his boomer buggy—but all things considered, the host got away reasonably unscathed. As his daughte...

[ See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com ] For generations, Hot Wheels have been the best toys a young car buff could get. From an early age, kids can accumulate a vast fleet of the little metal cars with the smooth rolling wheels. Kids love the candy colors, the wild styling, and the great speeds they could reach on a smooth floor or table. Adults loved the high quality and low price. My own parents promised my brother and I a new Hot Wheels car every Sunday; rewards for proper behavior in church. “The best $2 I’d spend every week,” says my dad to this day. The love of these miniature motorcars probably still drives us to this day. Well here’s your chance to own a life-sized Hot Wheels. This 1979 Volkswagen panel van will definitely catch everyone’s attention. The van has a long list of slick features. The custom interior features custom gray vinyl front bench seats and two-tone door panels. The cargo area has a matching gray vinyl bench seat and rear parcel shelf pad. It’s unclear ...

It’s hard to imagine anything more unnecessary and hilarious than a bright green Lamborghini Aventador SV, but I guess it’s not that hard if you’re rich. Maritime machinery, as ever, has come to the rescue, with an even more unnecessary, even more hilarious, and even more green solution designed specifically for one Floridian, who is now, kindly, giving you the opportunity to own this truly special pair, with the help of James Edition . Scientists and philosophers have long argued about whether a notion could be calcified and turned into a solid chunk of reality, and we now know that yes, avarice and excess can, indeed, be plucked from the ether and made real. Coming in at a healthy $2.2 million, this 740 hp Lamborghini and this 1,500 hp (on race gas, but why would ever sully this thing with pump gas?) custom-made MTI 52’ Super Veloce, and its trailer ($100,000 value) can now be yours. The Aventador has only 700 miles on the clock, while the boat has an unknown number of miles....

Volkswagen plans on reducing the number of management staff it employs through early retirements. The plan is aimed at reducing the number of managers, flattening hierarchies, and encouraging entrepreneurial thinking at the company. The scheme is similar to the one that was recently offered to VW’s blue collar staff. By incentivizing people to go into retirement early and not replacing them, VW hopes to cut thousands of jobs. Ultimately, the aim is to improve annual productivity in Germany by 25% by the end of 2020 and improve profit. “We are expecting our management levels to become younger and slimmer,” Herbert Diess, the brand’s CEO said in a statement   on Monday. New managers, meanwhile, will be selected differently. Typically, VW used Assessment Centers, which subjected applicants to a battery of tests over the course of a day. Now, junior managers will have to prove their mettle over the course of a year. [source: Automotive News ] The post VW Thinning Management...

Audi’s newly minted head of R&D, Peter Mertens says that price of making EVs is still too high to make volume offerings possible. At €100/kWh ($112), the money spent on batteries is still high enough, Mertens tells Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport, that Audi believes high-end models are currently the best way to turn a profit on battery powered vehicles. “We opted for a top-down strategy because most buyers will be found there today in this segment,” said Mertens. “Currently, a kilowatt-hour costs about 100 euros depending on the model.” That, unsurprisingly, means that next year’s e-Tron, an electric SUV that uses a 95 kWh battery, will be a premium offering for customers willing to shell out some cash. With parent company VW working on bringing the cost of batteries down, and other manufacturers getting in on the fun, too, prices are likely to drop quickly. Still, Mertens thinks the price will have to drop substantially before an electric A3 equivalent can be made. “Only whe...

For a company that went all-in on air cooling early on, Volkswagen has taken to water cooling with gusto. The company’s latest trick, available on the new Golf Alltrack, is integrating the exhaust manifold into the engine block. That allows the cooling system to work on the exhaust gasses before they go into the turbocharger. Engineering Explained’s Jason Fenske, in the above video, goes through the advantages and disadvantages of this system and may not come as a surprise to you that the host of “Engineering Explained” is pretty excited about this new engineering development. To be fair, though, it is pretty neat. With the exhaust manifold contained in the engine block, Fenske explains that the third gen 1.8-liter EA888 engine benefits from faster warm ups, which leads to less engine wear; a cooler catalytic converter, which leads to a leaner air/fuel ratio, which in turn leads to better fuel economy (up to 20% better on the highway according to VW), and more. The new tech does m...

Filed under: Etc. , Videos , Chevrolet , Volkswagen , Green Driving , Technology , Hatchback , Electric , Technology of the Year It's no contest. Continue reading Chevy Bolt drag races VW Golf GTI - and there's a clear winner Chevy Bolt drag races VW Golf GTI - and there's a clear winner originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Jun 2017 15:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2tcum8X

Embattled Japanese airbag supplier Takata has officially filed for bankruptcy protection in Japan and the United States. The company, which supplied VW with airbags, said Monday it would sell off the majority of its key assets to Key Safety Systems Inc. of Lansing, Michigan. The company paid $1.59 billion for nearly all of Takata’s global assets, save for some of the operations related to its defective airbags. Takata’s airbags were the subject of the largest automotive recall in U.S. history. In 2013, the company issued a recall for vehicles equipped with airbags that used ammonium nitrate in the inflation process. The company said the airbags may explode with too much force, sending shrapnel into the cabin and potentially injuring vehicle occupants. At least 16 deaths and 180 injuries worldwide were linked to the faulty airbags. The supplier made matters worse when it was discovered it had purposely withheld information in regards to the recall and altered airbag test data. It pl...

Testing at the Nurburgring isn’t really big news anymore, since all the cool kids are doing it, but for a car that’s currently on sale to be there during an industry day to be there raises some eyebrows. As Motor1 points out , there could be any number of reasons for this and some sound mighty interesting. This is all, of course, speculation, but it’s entirely within the realm of possibility that Bugatti is preparing for a lap record or testing some new bits for a Super Sport model. Sadly the list of possibilities doesn’t end there, so it could also be a deeply boring test. Whatever the case, the car sounds pretty fabulous going around the track. As we’ve learned before , just having a nice engine doesn’t mean that it will sound good going around the Nurburgring. But Bugatti’s bassy, 1,500 hp W16 does a pretty good job of not being drowned out by the tires or the other cars. The Chiron also looks stable on track. The occasional wiggle notwithstanding, the dramaless performance here...

Bumblebee may once again transform into a Beetle and find a starring role in the upcoming Transformers movie. Fans of the series doubtless know that before Michael Bay turned Transformers into a surrealist CGI art-house movie franchise, Bumblebee was, in fact, a Beetle. Bay even joked about it in the first Transformers film, but now that the series is returning to its ’80s roots with a Bumblebee stand-alone movie, the Beetle may return. “You might even see a VW Bug,” Transformers producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura told Entertainment Weekly. “You never know.” The movie will not be directed by cinematographic nihilist Michael Bay, but will instead be taken over by Travis Knight, director of Kubo and the Two Strings . The prequel will take on a very Herby-esque quality, too, as Bumblebee and the movie’s human star, currently rumored to be  True Grit ‘s Hailee Steinfeld, will become fast friends who grow together. “It’s the story of a 17-, 18-year-old girl who, through a seri...

Filed under: Government/Legal , Audi , BMW , Mercedes-Benz , Porsche , Volkswagen , Emissions , Diesel It could cost billions of dollars. Continue reading Berlin demanding costly German recall of 12 million diesel cars Berlin demanding costly German recall of 12 million diesel cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Jun 2017 09:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2tdD0Vf

We’ve long known that VW planned on releasing more electric concepts than the three currently in existence and now, thanks to a leaked slide from a presentation, we have a better idea of what they will be. The I.D. Lounge and the I.D. AEROe will be the next concepts revealed, according to the document first published on Groen7.nl . Better yet, these two new MEB-based electrics will apparently be designed specifically for the US and Chinese markets. So far we’ve seen the I.D. (a hatchback), the I.D. Crozz (a crossover), and the I.D. Buzz (a van). Volkswagen has reportedly decided to produce the Buzz, though, when this slide was made that must not have been a certainty because its market was undetermined. As for the I.D. and the Crozz, they seem to have been designed for the European and the European and Chinese markets respectively. Whether this means they will be exclusive to the markets is unknown, though, given America’s affinity for SUVs and VW’s determination to give us more of...

Five former VW employees are reportedly being sought by Interpol after the US issued arrest warrants today. German daily, Sueddeutsche Zeitung reports that the five former managers are accused of conspiracy to commit fraud and violation of US environmental laws. The ex-employees, including two former executives, are unlikely to be apprehended for the time being, reports the Sueddeutsche Zeitung, because the German constitution only allows extradition to Europe or an international court. If they travel outside of Germany, though, they may face extradition. Oliver Schmidt, another former executive indicted by the US government, was arrested back in January while visiting Florida. He is now in prison awaiting trial. [source:  Reuters ] The post Report: US Issues International Arrest Warrants for Five Ex-VW Execs appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVortex http://ift.tt/2t0VXJS via IFTTT

New German Performance is now the official distributor of ABT Sportsline styling and performance upgrades for Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware. ABT Sportsline’s product offering consists of striking exterior and interior styling upgrades as well as performance-focused suspension systems. ABT’s products are some of the best in the business and we are thrilled to be bringing their product lineup to the Mid-Atlantic! For those unfamiliar with ABT Sportsline, the Abt family has been involved with automobiles for more than 100 years and as tuning became wildly popular in the 70’s, ABT was there. Starting with the VW Golf, Scirocco, and Audi 80 and 100, ABT increased their involvement in racing and the tuning aftermarket as both grew in popularity, and are now revered as one of the top VW and Audi tuners in the land. New German Performance is in the midst of adding the entire ABT Sportsline catalog to their website. As their website is updated, it is best to email info@ngpracing.com for ...

Up until today, VW has had a firm policy of not buying back European cars equipped with cheating TDI engines. That position softened today as the company decided not to appeal decisions made in courts in Arnsberg and Bayern, Germany. The rulings, that VW must buy back the TDIs, is now legally binding as VW waived its right appeal. According to the automaker, these two court cases and the decision not to appeal them is exceptional, because of how small the value of the two cars is. Volkswagen doesn’t expect these two rulings to have any bearing on other cases in Europe. While VW will pay billions in America to buy back cheating diesels, VW has long argued that differences in emissions regulation meant that the cars were only illegal in America. It, therefore, argued that buying back vehicles in Europe, where many more TDIs were purchased, was unnecessary. The automaker has faced criticism in Europe for that position, but an American style deal would be many times more expensive on ...

[ See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com ] Volkswagen has an America problem. One that stretches back years. Apart from this little community of enthusiasts and oddballs, the land hasn’t really understood what makes the automaker great for a long time. And, to be fair, the automaker hasn’t quite understood the land, either. Now VW is back, trying to show America why it belongs here with the Mk2 Tiguan, one of the most important vehicles this administration has put together. While the Atlas was important for VW because it showed the scale the brand was capable of achieving, the Tiguan is arguably more important, because it slots into the highly competitive and lucrative compact SUV segment. With battle-hardened competitors like the Honda CR-V, the Ford Escape, and the Hyundai Tucson, the Mk2 Tiguan has its work cut out for it. As far as I can tell, it’s going into the fight with all the necessary tools to succeed. Based on the MQB chassis, the Mk2 Tiguan, despite being new from the g...

Filed under: Etc. , Government/Legal , Volkswagen , Emissions , Diesel No admission of wrongdoing in Europe, however. Continue reading VW waives appeal, agrees to buy back dieselgate cars in Germany VW waives appeal, agrees to buy back dieselgate cars in Germany originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Jun 2017 08:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2rYJJCk

The internet rumor machine is exploding today after a report from Reuters indicated that Harley-Davidson has expressed interest in purchasing Ducati . The only source of this information is from anonymous Reuters sources. We contacted the Motor Company and were awarded exactly what we expected: “Harley-Davidson does not comment on future speculations.” Our Ducati media rep has yet to return our calls. Also in the Reuters report is another anonymous source stating that Goldman Sachs has been hired to negotiate the transaction and that an offer for Ducati could be made as soon as next month. It’s been nearly two months since it was revealed that Ducati might be on the block as a way to help parent company, Volkswagen/Audi, to pay off the billion-euro fines for its Dieselgate emissions debacle. Early potential suitors included various Chinese firms and, from India, Bajaj, Hero MotoCorp and even Royal Enfield . Also interested were several private equity funds, including Ducati’s old ...

Lamborghini’s equivalent of the microbus—a beloved classic whose image has inspired many concepts—is the Miura and now the brand’s boss, Stefano Domenicali, is invoking the name again. Domenicali was once again discussing Lamborghini’s post-Urus future when he told Automotive News that he was open to the possibility of creating a new Miura. The comment was anything but a commitment as he immediately clarified that it would definitely not come in the next five years. But we do know that the company is thinking about the next 10 to 15 years. “When this first wave that concludes around 2022-2023, more or less, we will be stable, then it’s our vision that we are already thinking of what will be the next step for the world of Lamborghini – so what will be the right way, if we are stable enough, to get to 10,000 cars? We do believe that a brand like us can have that potential,” Domenicali told CarAdvice in May. In pursuit of that goal, Domenicali said Lamborghini’s design language will...

“I’m not drunk, I’m just avoiding potholes,” is the bumper sticker that adorns the rear of many a lowered car. Scanning the road for bumps need no longer concern the owners of Audi’s upcoming A8. Tied to the car’s 48-volt “mild-hybrid” electrical system, the A8’s suspension will predict bumps to level them out. “Predict,” might be a little overblown, but it will actually see them and react to them before they even arrive, by using its front-mounted cameras to look down the road. Scanning the street 18 times a second, the A8 looks for bumps and prepares the right amount of suspension travel through its active actuators. Effectively, the car sees a bumps, softens the suspension as it’s hitting it, and lets little to none of the jolt into the cabin. A side benefit of the A8’s Electronic Chassis Platform (ECP) is that it allows the car to be taut and stiff when that’s what you want. So, if you’re driving enthusiastically, the car stays level and stiff, but on your commute home, the A...

What a difference 12 years can make. For our second “Throwback Thursday,” and on the cusp of an all-new model hitting dealerships, let’s take a look back at Volkswagen’s first foray into compact SUVs, the Tiguan. We all know that VW is quite cautious when it comes to automotive trends. When SUV and CUV sales started to climb, execs carefully entered the ring in 2006 with a concept car called the Tiguan. A combination of “tiger” and “iguana,” Tiguan was chosen through a contest handled by Germany’s Auto Bild magazine. If that name didn’t seem odd enough, another name in the contest was the very Napolean Dynamite-esque, Liger . It was abundantly clear that the “concept car” was a thinly disguised production model. Only the chunky wheels, the two-tone front fascia, and some exterior and interior trim were changed when the actual model was revealed. Even the strange name was carried over from the concept. Looking back, it’s easy to see what the original Tiguan was: a tall Golf. Or a t...

It’s been a while now since Bugatti debuted the Chiron and still we don’t know what the top speed is. Rumors abound and the speedometer goes all the way to 310 mph, but we may not know the car’s true top speed until tire technology catches up with this speedy machine, according Bugatti test driver Andy Wallace. Although its current, limited top speed of 261 mph is faster than almost anything else on the road (or the track for that matter), Wallace implied to Popular Mechanics that it reaches that speed without much difficulty. It seems, therefore, that there’s more in it. But we won’t know if it’s capable of bending the speedometer needle for a long time, because there’s no road legal tire that can handle the forces involved in spinning at 300 mph. As Popular Mechanics writes, the 2.5-gram valve cap on a Chiron’s wheel weighs about 16 lbs when it’s centrifuging at 261 mph. And as speeds increase, the forces increase exponentially, so every mph is harder than the last and 300 is a ...

As dawn broke on the May morning, USP Motorsports made the 500-mile trek north toward Savannah, Georgia. They set their sights on the Hutchinson Island mile marker, the home oasis for European Experience. EuEx spawns from the world-famous SOWO — Though it isn’t the fabled street burnouts and chaos, this event has turned into an incredible experience for attendees and our team. Savannah is home to some incredible restaurants + bars, laying the guidelines for a memorable weekend alongside the car show.  Join them for their journey through European Experience, as USP wraps up the week in a few short minutes! About USP Motorsports USP Motorsports has been setting the bar in the community since 2000 and continue to do so today. USP’s goal is to exceed expectations for vehicle service and performance on Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche platforms. Shop USPMotorsports.com for all your performance, service, and OEM needs! The post USP Motorsports Drops Aftermovie for European Experience 20...

[ See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com ] The MKII GTI will forever be revered for winning Motor Trend’s Car of the Year in 1985 . To put things in perspective, the CoY award for the hot hatch was sandwiched between the 1984 Chevy Corvette (not too shabby) and the 1986 Ford Taurus (wait, what?). Volkswagen’s big win was quite a surprise and probably caused more than a few subscribers to threaten cancellation: the GTI won in the domestic class and not the import one. Shocking! Since all ’85 Golfs and GTIs were built in Westmoreland PA, the hot hatch qualified as American iron. I’m betting Ford, GM, and Chrysler execs were not too happy with Motor Trend’s editors. Since its introduction, the GTI has been celebrated for its practical form and lively performance. It was sensible fun back in the ’80s; something to carve up back roads and haul all your bargains from Zayre (remember Zayre ?). The MKII GTI hit dealerships with a torquey 8-valve engine, and later the high-revving 16-valve...