Vorderman Volkswagen

Filed under: Audi , Buick , Subaru , Volkswagen , Volvo , Crossover , Wagon , Comparison We see how the latest wagon compares to its rivals. Continue reading 2018 Buick Regal TourX vs. wagon competitors: How it compares on paper 2018 Buick Regal TourX vs. wagon competitors: How it compares on paper originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 31 Jan 2018 15:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2DRUQPd

A hardcore variant of the Lamborghini Aventador has been caught testing prior to its debut sometime this year. The Aventador was first introduced for the 2011 model year, meaning it will turn seven years old in 2018. That means a replacement is due in just a couple years’ time, but before that happens, Lamborghini will send its V12 flagship out with a bang. The track-ready Aventador variant was first spotted testing late last year. Now a prototype for the mystery model has been seen again, but this time it’s adopted a large, slightly bowed rear wing. Also setting it apart from a standard Aventador is an aggressively styled front end, a vented hood, exaggerated side air intakes, a restyled engine cover and an absolutely massive rear diffuser. A pair of exhaust pipes mounted halfway up the rear of the car also replace the center-exit exhaust found on other Aventador models. Little is known about this special Aventador, although it’s been rumored to adopt the ‘Performante’ badge f...

LEGO Technic is making a Bugatti Chiron kit and it will be better than the real thing, I guarantee you. The kit isn’t out yet, but Bugatti took to the internet today to tease it and also provide us with some beauty shots of the full-size Chiron. Achievement unlocked. #BUGATTI partnering with @LEGO_Group to strive for #LEGOTechnic excellence #Chiron pic.twitter.com/iZIJJyPq8U — Bugatti (@Bugatti) January 30, 2018 The Chiron is a 1,500 hp having, potentially 300 mph going, $2.5 million costing hypercar and as such sounds pretty exciting. And I’m sure it is, but in order to afford it you likely have to be the root of depthless human suffering (either in yourself or others. Probably both). This Technic set, on the other hand, barely requires any human suffering at all. No information on price is available yet, but the Technic 911 GT3 RS set costs $300, which is a lot for a toy. $2.5 million is even more for a toy. And when you pay $2.5 million dollars for a toy, you tend to o...

Seat’s performance subbrand, Cupra, is taking the “sub” out of its identity and spinning off into its own car brand . Rumors that Cupra would spin off into its entity first hit the internet last summer after a trademark application was found bearing the name. Now, Cupra and SEAT have officially announced the decision in the video below. Mmmm, yes. Crystal clear. Just what that means as far as products are concerned, though, remains to be seen. But will be revealed February 22, at Cupra’s official debut. Cupra has promised that models (note the plural) will be introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in March. Currently, the only Cupra available is the hot Leon Cupra R, which is roughly similar to the Golf R. That car was designed by the Cupra Engineering team, though, which is responsible for the Leon Cupra Cup car, which is the basis for both the Golf GTI TCR and the RS3 LMS. With more models on their way, though, a degree of that performance focus will likely be lost. Currently, t...

This week’s Find of the Day comes to us from the land of hipsters: Brooklyn, New York. But any hipster worth his weight in trim cut flannel shirts wouldn’t be caught dead in this car. Heck, he wouldn’t even like it ironically. Today’s FOTD is pure performance: a low priced 2004 R32. To the casual observer, this Volkswagen may look like any sensible hatchback. Your own mother might think it’s a completely rational and practical car. But enthusiasts see the more aggressive front air dam, the large multi-spoke alloy wheels, and the dual exhaust and know this is no simple Golf. No, this is the highly revered R32 Golf. That one letter and two numbers denote a real performance machine. To start, the star of the show here is the 3.2 liter narrow-angle 24-valve six-cylinder engine. This robust power plant puts out 240 horsepower and 236 lbs of torque. The VR6 is known not only for its grunt, but also for the melodious sounds it makes, and a downright gorgeous growl from the exhaust. To add ...

We just returned from the launch of Ducati ’s all-new Panigale V4 , and it’s no exaggeration to describe it as one of the best sportbikes ever made, perhaps even the best. Its new four-cylinder engine is melodious and powerful, it handles with agility akin to a much smaller bike, its electronics are leading-edge and fully customizable, and it looks sensational in person. Ducati says the Panigale V4 is the biggest investment the company has ever made in a single product, four years in development, and that claim is perfectly believable after riding the bike at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Spain. Here, in bite-sized chunks, is why its technology and performance will take the superbike class by storm. Don’t be surprised if it takes top honors in sportbike shootouts around the world in 2018. Ducati says the Panigale V4 is the biggest investment the company has ever made in a single product, four years in development, and that claim is perfectly believable after riding the bike at th...

The Lego 1973 Volkswagen Beetle is pretty cool. And it looks pretty good for being made entirely out of bricks. But what’s even cooler than a Lego Bug? This stop-motion video of building that Lego Bug. Watch as Hagerty builds the Bug brick by brick, finishing with the surfboard and cooler. We’ll bet it ends with you looking at the Beetle kit on Lego’s site. The post Watch: 1973 Lego Beetle Built Brick by Brick appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVortex http://ift.tt/2DXweYO via IFTTT

The weekend of racing at Daytona may have been a forgettable one for VW and Audi (DNFs and a race-killing penalty), but for the fellas over at Sant’Agatha Bolognese, it was one for the books. Not only did Grasser Racing Team’s Lamborghini Huracan recover from a dream-crushing penalty, they went on to win Lamborghini’s first ever 24-hour victory. “It’s a big day for us, definitely. Coming from the back of the field, makes it even more special, I guess,” driver Mirko Bortolotti told motorsport.com . “I don’t know if this happened before but I don’t care – coming from last position, winning such an important race, it’s great.” The #11 Huracan was competing in the GT Daytona class with drivers Rolf Ineichen, Frank Perera, and Bortolotti behind the wheel when it failed a mandatory stall test after qualifying. That failure meant that the lime-green Huracan had to start from the back of the pack. Undeterred by this setback, the team set to work crawling its way back up the timin...

Back in May Volkswagen’s legal department was hard at work trademarking the name Australia for some reason and now the same team (I assume) is hard at work trademarking some suffixes. The names Australia Ocean , Australia Coast , and Australia Beach were all trademarked at the European trademark office last week. Although there’s little to be gleaned from the filings, the suffixes do shed some light on what VW is planning here. Thanks to Germany’s love of order we can guess that the Australia will be broadly similar to the California camper (pictured). The pop-top camper also bears the names California Ocean and California Beach. For the California, the names simply indicate the trim level, with Ocean being the highest. So we’re assuming that these will be trims for a camper of some description. The larger question, of what new vehicle the Europeans are planning on attaching the names to, is still a mystery, though. And it’s interesting to think that VW wants to add a new campe...

Filed under: Etc. , Hirings/Firings/Layoffs , Volkswagen , Emissions , Technology , Diesel VW suspends chief lobbyist over monkey diesel tests. CEO apologizes for misconduct of people involved. Calls exhaust tests "unethical and repulsive." Admits VW still has long way to go to regain trust. BERLIN — Volkswagen said on Tuesday it has suspended chief lobbyist Thomas Steg amid steps to clear up the circumstances of lab tests in which monkeys were forced to breathe diesel fumes and similar study that involved humans. The laboratory tests were sponsored by the carmaker. The Continue reading VW diesel monkey tests 'unethical, repulsive,' CEO says; lobbyist suspended VW diesel monkey tests 'unethical, repulsive,' CEO says; lobbyist suspended originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Jan 2018 08:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2GxsDPI

Filed under: Etc. , Green , Volkswagen , Electric Electrify America plans to build more than 4,800 charging stations nationwide, with half of them in operation in 2019. Continue reading VW's Electrify America plans nationwide network of 4,800 EV chargers VW's Electrify America plans nationwide network of 4,800 EV chargers originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 29 Jan 2018 18:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2BDDHXH

AWE announced this week the release of a new carbon fiber intake line called  “AirGate”, starting with the new MQB AirGate Carbon Intake for VW and Audi MQB vehicles. The products feature a unique “convertible” design that allows user-changeable sound and performance levels. “VW and Audi owners wanted more sound, and they wanted more options. That’s where the AirGate line was born. You’ll be seeing a lot more AirGate products from AWE, as we aim to meet both the sound and performance needs of the enthusiast market,” stated Jesse Kramer, VP of Marketing at AWE. Overview of the AWE MQB AirGate Carbon Intake: Designed, engineered, and tested in-house at AWE Available with or without AirGate Lid Max gains of 16 hp and 9 ft-lbs of torque at the wheels (GTI, stage 2 software) Max gains of 9 hp and 9 ft-lbs of torque at the wheels (Golf R, stage 2 software) Durable and washable high-flow AWE S-FLO Filter included Perfect integration with OEM air inlet Retains stock mounting...

Over the weekend, it was reported that German automakers funded research  where monkeys were exposed to diesel exhaust fumes  from an emissions-cheating VW Beetle.  Volkswagen Group, Daimler, and BMW all condemned the study — saying they were appalled by the logistics employed for research they were funding. On Monday, German newspaper  Stuttgarter Zeitung  expanded on EUGT’s unsavory research practices — claiming it not only exposed animals to exhaust gasses but people as well. The German government is up in arms over the revelation. “These tests on monkeys or even humans cannot be justified ethically in any way,” said Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman, Steffen Seibert, on her behalf. Social Democrat Stephan Weil, who is a VW supervisory board member, called the testing “absurd and abhorrent … Lobbying can be no excuse whatsoever for such testing.” We are conscious of our social and corporate responsibilities and are taking the criticism...

Filed under: Government/Legal , Green , BMW , Mercedes-Benz , Volkswagen , Emissions , Safety , Technology , Diesel The notion that VW was exposing humans to diesel tailpipe emissions makes for a great headline with powerful historical connotations, but it's simply not true based on the information we have right now. Continue reading No, humans weren’t forced to breathe dirty VW diesel exhaust in a study No, humans weren’t forced to breathe dirty VW diesel exhaust in a study originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 29 Jan 2018 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2Gv8oSM

Gaaaaaaah I want one, I want one, I want one, I want one. Last week the worst continent in the world  was allowed to drive the Up! GTI, a car whose desirability ranks somewhere between “keeping me up at night” and “looking for employment in Europe” (you know, the universal scale for these things). It’s so small, so rolly poley, so endearing with its tiny little-engine-that-could and its lack of weight. And it’s cheap! Please, please, please waste all sorts of money bringing this little delight to my driveway, Volkswagen. The post Watch: Nnnnnnngh the Up! GTI Reviewed appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVortex http://ift.tt/2nopqcn via IFTTT

It’s time once again for another Ratty Rescue: a crusty and musty Volkswagen in need of a new home. Today’s find comes to us from tropical Lincoln Nebraska. For just a little coin and a lot of elbow grease, you could get this Golf back on the road and have a heck of a ride. A lot of exciting things happened in 1995 : eBay was born, Amazon sold its first book, and Starbucks served their first Frappucino. In the automotive world, the Ford Explorer was taking off. It seemed like 90% of these trucks were Eddie Bauer models in the most iconic color combination of the day: hunter green and tan. Every automaker soon offered their cars in the same outdoorsy colors. This 1995 MK3 Golf four-door wears its era’s colors well and is the epitome of mid-90’s auto fashion. Before we lose you: this humble looking hatch is hiding quite the secret. The current owner, VWVortex member vwsnaps , stuffed a VR6 motor in the engine bay. That’s right, this little grocery-getter has the heart of a GTI. You see...

Filed under: Etc. , BMW , Mercedes-Benz , Volkswagen , Emissions , Diesel "Volkswagen Group explicitly distances itself from all forms of animal cruelty." Continue reading Automakers condemn use of monkeys in diesel fumes study Automakers condemn use of monkeys in diesel fumes study originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 28 Jan 2018 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2nlskOZ

Filed under: Green , Read This , Volkswagen , Diesel The Beetle tested was outfitted with a defeat device, unbeknownst to the scientists. Continue reading 10 monkeys in gas chamber can attest VW diesel cheating worked 10 monkeys in gas chamber can attest VW diesel cheating worked originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Jan 2018 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2GnK45e

Audi has confirmed it will bring the RS5 Sportback to the United States, along with another mystery RS model. Speaking to Roadshow during the 2018 Detroit auto show, Audi of America president Scott Keogh revealed the RS5 Sportback will eventually arrive in North America. The full-blown RS version of the A5 Sportback has yet to actually debut, but thanks to the RS5 Coupe, we already know what to expect. The RS5 Coupe is powered by a 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine making 444 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque, so you can expect it to appear along with a ZF-supplied eight-speed automatic, AWD, beefier brakes, retuned suspension, different wheels and a bunch more RS equipment. Keogh also said the company “has one other surprise” they are working on, adding that “it’s a “cool European model we haven’t brought in yet.” That doesn’t really narrow things down, but the European RS product that’s most likely to arrive in North America, we’d say, is the RS Q3. In a perfect world, Ke...

When bankruptcy ended Bugatti’s EB110 production run early, there were still a handful of carbon chassis left over. Now 15 of them will see the road with new bodywork and a new name. It’s called the SP-110 Edonis Fenice, and Las Vegas-based Casil Motors is helping to bring production to reality. 17 of the leftover chassis were purchased by a group of former Bugatti employees who started a company called B Engineering. They unveiled the Edonis, built on those leftover chassis, for the first time in 2001. Not long after, the company went silent. Now Casil Motors has worked with B Engineering to bring the SP-110 Edonis to life. The company says the car is in the “final stages of development.” They will sell 15 of the cars. Each one has a real EB110 tub as the chassis, along with a version of the original V12, and covered with aluminum bodywork. Since performance requirements have gone up since 1991, the V12 gets a boost. Up from 3.5 to 3.8L and with the quad-turbos dropped in favor o...

Filed under: If you have a large family, lots of cargo to haul, or big stuff to tow, you might need a fullsize SUV. These are our favorite large utility vehicles. Continue reading These are our favorite large utility vehicles of 2018 (for now) These are our favorite large utility vehicles of 2018 (for now) originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 25 Jan 2018 14:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2FhJvsj

It has all the makings of a movie plot, with three Porsche Panamera Turbo Sport Turismos transporting nearly $14 million in gold. Last week Baird & Co., one of Britain’s leading bullion merchants and gold refiners, needed to organize a shipment of gold from its refinery to its new London showroom in Hatton Garden. A total of 24 bars needed to be moved, each weighing about 27.5 pounds (12.5 kilograms), with a combined value of approximately $13,787,800 (£10,000,000). But instead of sourcing a security company, Baird invited Porsche to assist with transporting the shipment. Getting to the vault was a 12-mile journey across London, a trip that obviously carries an inherent risk. In order to reduce the risk, Baird & Co. wanted the gold to be transported with great efficiency, under careful watch, and that time was of the essence. The longer it would take the gold to reach its destination, the greater the risk, said Porsche. [ See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com ] So three Pana...

Jeremy Clarkson once famously said that there is no earthly way to explain torque. The thing is, though, torque is actually simple. Horsepower is the really confusing one. But Jason Fenske from Engineering Explained is here to break it down. As he explains, torque is just distance times force. Usefully, torque wrenches are a great example of how to measure torque. If you have a foot-long handle and you apply 5 lbs of pressure, you’re generating 5 lb-ft of torque. See? Simple. Power, meanwhile, is a measure of distance times force, with the added wrinkle of speed. To make matters worse, the unit we use to measure it is based off a weird and deliberately incorrect system. Imagine that you’re noted Scottish inventor, James Watt and you need to convince miners to get rid of hungry, dangerous, and not very tasty draft horses and use your steam engine instead? A catchy jingle? A hilarious witticism? Some sort of BOGO deal? Nope. You use this sexy little formula instead: Watt was in...

It should hardly come as a surprise, but it surprised us, all the same, to find out that the Volkswagen Group makes five of the 22 least fuel-efficient supercars on the road. Now, supercars are designed to do one—maybe two things. Go fast, look cool. Everything else falls by the wayside and expecting a supercar to also sip fuel is like expecting Arnold Schwarzenegger to fit into a clown car. That’s not to say, though, that the results aren’t entertaining. It probably won’t come as a shock to find out that the Bugatti Chiron is the least economical supercar on Jalopnik’s list of fuel burniest supercars, based on EPA data . Its 8.0 liter W16 is, after all, simply enormous. The engine follows in Bugatti’s rich tradition of making elephantine engine s. Weighing in at 880 lbs, the engine alone weighs nearly as much as a whole 1962 Lotus 25 F1 car . Add to that all the leather, metal, and frippery that adorn the luxurious Bugatti and you get a mile per gallon rated at just 11, combi...

Filed under: Earnings/Financials , Plants/Manufacturing , Chrysler , Fiat , Ford , GM , Jaguar , Land Rover , Volkswagen , SUV , Truck Aluminum prices have risen 20 percent in the last year and nearly 11 percent since Dec. 11. Continue reading Rising aluminum costs cut into Ford's profit Rising aluminum costs cut into Ford's profit originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Jan 2018 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2rBnzGC

Daytona is going to be extremely busy this week, but among all the rolling thunder there will be a first. For the first time ever an all-female team will race for the chequered flag in the Grand Sport class. The racers are Ashley Freiberg and Gosia Rdest, whose surname is missing at least one vowel. The pair will race one of Audi’s brand spanking new R8 LMS GT4s for the 4 Hour Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge in Daytona on Friday. “I feel very privileged and honored to drive progress for women in motorsports,” said Rdest. “I have always thought that it’s not the gender, but the passion, endurance and hard work that are the mainstay of any winner.” The pair comes to the event with no shortage of experience. Rdest finished first at the Dubai 24-hour race just two weeks ago racing in the GT4 class. Freiberg, meanwhile, was the first woman to win an overall race in Daytona in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge. “Women are few and far between in motorsports, so the opportunity...

Take note automakers: you don’t necessarily have to showcase a car to get your point across. Audi has teamed up with Candide Thovex, a French professional skier and filmmaker to create a unique campaign promoting the German automaker’s quattro all-wheel-drive technology. The focal point of the campaign is that “all conditions are perfect conditions for Audi quattro,” and to prove that, Thovex goes skiing without needing an inch of snow. The commercial is simply titled “Ski the World,” and as you can imagine, it showcases Thovex taking on the world with his skis, hitting up famous landmarks such as the Great Wall of China. Since the video is 4.5 minutes long, it isn’t your typical 30-second or even 60-second spot. But the video is effective in getting its point across, despite never showing a single vehicle. It’s entertaining and mesmerizing to watch, also acting as a strong endorsement to go out and travel the world. This post first appeared on AutoGuide The post The Coolest Car ...

For Volkswagen fans, the Autostadt Museum definitely holds a spot on their bucket list. The museum is actually adjacent to the main Volkswagen factory in Wolfsburg, Germany, and its ultramodern architecture hides some of the greatest milestones in VW history. This year it reached another — in December of 2017, the museum set a new attendance record, bringing in the highest number of visitors in the building’s 24-year history. Sales Numbers The museum’s proximity to the VW factory also means that people often visit the museum to purchase a new VW right off the assembly line.  In the last year, 1 out of every 4 Volkswagens sold in the country was delivered to the museum for pick up. In 2017, that amounted to more than 142,000 vehicles total , which definitely helped to contribute to the record-breaking numbers that the location experienced. Summer and Winter Events There are two big events that usually provide the greatest draw at the Autostadt Museum — Cirque Nouveau in the sum...

Who hasn’t dreamed of careening over trails and zipping through forests in an honest-to-goodness race car? Now’s your chance to own your very own rally Rabbit: a highly modified 1984 Volkswagen GTI. This hopped-up hot hatch is our latest Find of the Day. Volkswagen invented a whole new class of cars when the original GTI debuted. It had a high-compression engine, sports suspension, beefy anti-roll bars, wide alloy wheels, and a close-ratio 5-speed manual transmission. This FOTD takes the hot hatch concept to a whole new level. [ See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com ] Looking at the photos, you can quickly see this car is not a daily driver. It is a purpose-built rally car. Outside, there’s a raised suspension with Hot Bitz rally struts. Rally lights line the front bumper. It has functional hood pins. Louvers race across the hood. And those have to be air vents for cabin ventilation on the roof. Finally, rugged off-road tires mounted on OEM snowflake wheels make the true intentions ...