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We love Volkswagen builds because it’s incredible to see what both amateur and professional mechanics do with these versatile vehicles. Forum user mxrider9239 surpassed all our expectations with his recent Mk7 Golf R build. Let’s take a look at this epic project that he’s been working in since 2015 and see where he started, what he’s done so far and where he hopes to go from here. The Build Mxrider started with the aesthetics first – carbon fiber mirror caps and an upgraded license plate frame and front and rear emblems. He also had a transparent film and tint installed on the windows to protect the beautiful gray paint and give the car a clean look. The next step was to put a new upgraded diverter valve and a turbo muffler delete in place. A new carbon fiber shift knob, black billet dipstick and aluminum valve caps soon followed. He then added a carbon fiber intake to make the engine compartment look sleeker and more streamlined as well as a set of mud flaps to help keep the ca

Porsche has broken the all-time lap record at the Nurburgring Nordschleife, with driver Timo Bernhard lapping the 12.9-mile circuit in a ridiculous 5:19.55 in the Porsche 919 Evo. The 919 Evo, for those who don’t know, is Porsche’s heavily modified LMP1 car. The German automaker was forced to pull out of the FIA WEC, the series in which it once raced the car, but figured that it still may as well take the hybrid Le Mans prototype, modify it, and try to break some all-time lap records. First, it smashed Lewis Hamilton’s Formula 1 record at Spa and now it’s broken the all-time record at the Nurburgring – a time of 6:11.13 set by Stefan Bellof in a Porsche 956 in 1983. “This is a great moment for me and for the entire team – the 919 programme’s icing on the cake,” Bernhard said after climbing from the 1,200 hp 919 Evo. “The Evo was perfectly prepared and I have done my best on this lap. Thanks to the aerodynamic downforce, at sections I never imagined you can stay on full throttle. I’m

If you need more brakes on a car today, you have two main choices. Call up the wheel department and fit some monster wheels to cover those pizza pan rotors or switch to carbon-ceramics. But in 1988, big wheels and fancy composites weren’t an option. So Audi developed a braking system that was out of this world. Audi UFO brakes. How (and why) do they work? First, though let’s dive in to why bigger brakes matter. Larger diameter brake rotors have a few benefits over smaller rotors. The larger diameter gives the brakes a longer lever for stopping the car. Like using a longer wrench to tighten a nut, only in this case, you’re stopping the nut not tightening it. Bigger diameter rotors also give you more pad area without designing some strangely long caliper that curves around the hub. Bigger pads can mean more clamping force. Ultimate braking force is limited by the tires, though. It doesn’t matter how hard you can clamp down if the tire has been locked up since your foot hit the pedal.

We all regret the loss of the VR6 in the Golf R, but even the most jaded among us have to admit that the EA888 is a pretty solid engine. It may not have the emotional or audible appeal of the wookie, but it also is relatively easy to make gobs of power with it. Case in point, this 75-year-old Brit’s sleeper. From the outside, there’s nearly nothing to hint at its performance. If you didn’t know any better, you’d be certain that it was completely stock even though it’s making nearly twice as much power as it should. A massive turbocharger is how the power is made but, amazingly, you could even see the car with the hood open and miss it. Shoehorned behind the engine, the owner didn’t want it to look too different from stock. So it doesn’t. Obviously, you can tell that something has happened in the engine bay, but it really wouldn’t be obvious to a casual observer. Best of all, the owner says he hasn’t had to do much but the bare minimum to get the car up to 600 hp. His last car, a s

“Supercars just don’t excite me anymore.” These words, spoken to me over a month ago by another journalist, friend, and (so-called) enthusiast were echoing in my head for far too long, but they’ve finally been drowned out. Drowned out by the wail of a naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12 engine mounted in the middle of the new Lamborghini Aventador S Roadster. My friend’s point is that back in the good old days, there was a crop of supercars that captured the imagination with amazing style, sounds, performance, and more. Today, it seems like everything is capable of supercar performance, with large luxury sedans outdoing some of the best and most dedicated teams of car nuts, while former pillars of automotive excellence are suddenly pumping out family-friendly SUVs. Beyond that, another league of supercars, dubbed hypercars have cropped up with hybrid gas-electric powertrains that make magical things happen quickly, but at the cost of the acoustic drama, visual flair, and engagement fac

Americans and Canadians don’t always get exactly the same cars, but they’re normally near enough for any reasonable purposes. That’s we’re excited to see that VW Canada’s Arteon configurator is now live. Currently only able to build 2.0-liter models with VW’s 8-speed Tiptronic transmission and 4Motion, the site does at least allow you to see the colors and trims being considered for another North American market. And you can build in virtual reality! It’s almost like being in a real Canadian VW dealership. You can practically smell the maple, can’t you? Check it out a vw.ca. The post Arteon Configurator Now Live (in Canada) appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVortex https://ift.tt/2lBODj5 via IFTTT

The Trump Administration’s proposed 25 percent import tariff on vehicles manufactured within the European Union could lead to low-volume European models being axed in the US. An anonymous senior executive at an unnamed European carmaker spoke to Reuters this week, telling the news agency that Trump’s 25 percent tariff would ruin the business case for many niche luxury models. Convertibles, which sell in low numbers in the US and are expensive to manufacture, would be hit the most heavily. If the tariffs were implemented, European automakers would likely be forced to consolidate production of their convertible models in order to reduce costs and make up for lost sales. Further putting the future of luxury convertible models in jeopardy is the fact they don’t sell well in the world’s largest car market, China. This is mostly due to pollution levels and heat, Reuters points out. One solution would be to move production of convertible models from the EU to the US, but this too presents

Did you check out this week’s Find Of The Day ? That seriously rad VR6 Jetta GLI is an amazing car, but the $9200 asking price might be a bit high for most. If you’ve got the time and skill, today’s Ratty Rescue is your chance to make your own MK2 monster. And for a much lower price. This 1991 Jetta has a ton of potential. To start, it’s a running a driveable car. That’s always a plus when working on a project car. A 2.0L ABA engine sits under the hood along with a Megasquirt electronic fuel injection controller. The battery is located in the trunk to help with weight distribution. There’s an upgraded exhaust system and a whole bunch of other mechanical goodies. [ See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com ] Inside there are Recaro seats up front with matching rear seats. The radio is from a Mk3 and features an aux input. Up front are single-round headlights and an aggressive lower lip. The Jetta rides on H&R springs and Bilstein shocks. Out back there’s a rear spoiler. And while they

Old cars are like farts. They sound funny, sometimes they leave embarrassing stains, but quietly we all like our own. That’s why we’re onboard with Car Throttle’s restoration project on an early Skoda Octavia (read: Mk4 Jetta). Currently sitting at more than 430,000 miles (which means its been to the moon and most of the way back), it has been a noble friend for longer than anyone could have reasonably been expected. And now “Miles the High Mileage Hero” is getting the restoration it so richly deserves. With a new interior from an Octavia vRS (read: GLI) and a fresh coat of paint (as well as some much-needed rust repair) the Skoda is like that Bowflex grandma who’s in the “best shape of her life.” And to make sure that the improvements are more than skin deep, Miles gets new suspension components, new brakes, and some new wheels. As the owner of more than one old car, it warms the cockles of my heart to see an aging car the treatment its years of dedicated service have earned it

We’re moving things around this week by putting Find Of The Day up at the start of the week. Today’s car is begging for long summer drives. If you’re in the market for a new ride, this 1992 Jetta GLI VR6 should find its way into your garage. You read that right: there’s a VR6 engine stuffed under the hood of this MK2 Jetta. The 2.8L engine is from a ’93 Passat and it’s mated to a 5-speed transmission. You’ll drive everywhere with the (crank!) windows rolled down to hear the engine growl as you unleash all 172 horsepower. The two additional cylinders bring substantial horsepower increases: 72 more than the 1.8L “standard” engine and 38 more than the 16V GLI. The engine isn’t the only exciting thing in this Jetta. To start, there’s the Rallye headlights and grille. Early “small bumpers” replace the original “big bumpers.” Out back there’s a wide rear wing on the trunk lid, Euro plate tub, smoked cherry taillights, and a Jetta GLX badge. It even has upgraded pull-style door handles. [

Filed under: Audi , BMW , GM , Hyundai , Volkswagen , Emerging Technologies , Smartphone , Technology Car Connectivity Consortium wants personalized, transferable keys for future mobility. Continue reading More automakers working to turn your smartphone into a shareable digital car key More automakers working to turn your smartphone into a shareable digital car key originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Jun 2018 12:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen https://ift.tt/2K4RoYV

Filed under: Green , Motorsports , Volkswagen , Electric , Performance , Racing 7:57.148 is the new time to beat. Continue reading Romain Dumas breaks Pikes Peak record with VW I.D. R electric racecar Romain Dumas breaks Pikes Peak record with VW I.D. R electric racecar originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 24 Jun 2018 12:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen https://ift.tt/2toRQXl

Romain Dumas has set an all-out record at Pikes Peak today, running the course in 7:57.148. He becomes the fastest driver ever to run the course in any car and the first driver to run a 7 minute time. With clouds rolling in over the mountain concerns grew at the base about whether or not a record was possible, but Dumas was allowed to take off just before the worst of the weather hit. Although the team only set out to break the electric record—a record that Dumas shattered by almost a minute—rumors on the mountain suggested that the VW might be fast enough to break the overall record. As of publication, the second fastest time for the day is an 8:37.230 in a gas powered Unlimited class car. The results remain unofficial until tomorrow. Still, VW Motorsport staff we spoke to just after the race were also impressed by the paradigm-shifting result. Stay tuned for more coverage from Pikes Peak. The post Volkswagen ID R Becomes First Ever Car to Run 7 Minute Pikes Peak Time appeared

Set to take off on a record attempt at Pikes Peak on Sunday, the I.D. R has been meeting all of Volkswagen Motorsport’s expectations. Late this week, it qualified well ahead of the rest of the pack and with temperatures expected to stay cool in Colorado Springs, things are looking good for the car. That’s even despite the very short timeline that VW Motorsport had to put the car together. According to the team, they really did only have nine months to build this car from scratch. Which might explain why it isn’t quite built from scratch. The car, according to Francois-Xavier Demaison, Technical Director at Volkswagen Motorsport, is an amalgam of parts from other projects, arranged especially for Pikes Peak. As has been reported, Volkswagen got a lot of help from Porsche for its aero kit, with some going so far as to claim that its aerodynamic elements are effectively copy-pasted—with everything set to 11—from Porsche’s Le Mans-winning car. The monocoque, meanwhile, is borrowed fr

The Lamborghini Miura is one of the most beautiful designs ever committed to steel, but its beauty and rarity mean that once you’ve seen one, you’ve pretty much seen them all. Well, not quite all. The Miura SVR started life as Miura body number 383. Born a Miura S, it was delivered to a dealer in Turin in 1968 after being the display car from the 50 th Turin Motor Show. It changed hands a few times, before coming into the ownership of Heinz Straber. The German immediately took it back to the factory and asked them to make it truly special. [ See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com ] Inspired by the Jota, a special race car developed by Lamborghini test driver Bob Wallace, the SVR you see here took 18 months of work to complete. Straber then sold it to Hiromitsu Ito, who took the car back to Japan, where its legend was cast then diecast. The car was eventually featured in “The Circuit Wolf” manga and famed toymaker Kyosho later made a scale model of it. Beloved by readers of the ma

If you’re in the market for a very small (for its class) German crossover that demands premium fuel, you’ll soon be out of luck. Volkswagen says the Tiguan Limited — the old model kept in production alongside the newer, much larger Tiguan  — will not return for the 2019 model year. Instead, buyers who can’t go without a Tiguan badge on their vehicle will have to come to grips with knowing they’ll need to spend just over two grand more to satisfy their urge. Alas, we all knew it couldn’t last long. Volkswagen spokesman Mark Gillies confirmed the looming discontinuation to CarsDirect . By offering the old model alongside the new one, VW was able to lure buyers into showrooms with the promise of a lower MSRP. The 2018 Tiguan Limited carries an after-delivery entry price of $23,150; the regular Tiguan, with its 11 extra inches of wheelbase and available (or standard, depending on trim) third-row seat, starts at $25,495. That’s a smaller price gap then when the next-generation debuted in

Volkswagen announced today that it will take a modified version of the 2019 Jetta to Bonneville this summer with a view to setting a class record. The Jetta will compete in the BGC/G class and will need to go 208.472 mph in order set a record at the famed Bonneville Salt Flats. Although it will be fitted with a roll cage, racing seat, and emptied of any unnecessary weight, the Jetta will still run with its 2.0-liter ea888 engine, albeit a modified version. The car, built by THR Manifacturing has also been lowered and fitted with special wheels, tires, a limited slip diff and even a parachute for duty on the flats. “We are delighted with the reception for the all-new 2019 Jetta in North America,” said Hinrich J. Woebcken, CEO of the North America Region. “With the attempt on the Bonneville speed record with the Jetta, we want to underline the Jetta’s sporty credentials and get customers excited for the more performance-oriented Jetta GLI on the way.” To be sure it looks the part

Filed under: Motorsports , Volkswagen , Racing , Specialty VW's Bonneville Jetta is shown at the Pikes Peak Fan Fest. Continue reading VW Bonneville Jetta built for speed record attempt VW Bonneville Jetta built for speed record attempt originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Jun 2018 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen https://ift.tt/2K0vK8a

Jerry Seinfeld is a fan of all things air-cooled and that’s never clearer than on his show Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee . In fact, the trailer for the next season features no fewer than four air-cooled (or at least originally air-cooled) cars. The next season is set to start on July 6 on its new home, Netflix. Comedians that Seinfeld will be talking to and drinking coffee with include Zack Galifianakis, John Mulaney, Kate McKinnon, Dave Chappelle, and in the spirit of Seinfeld’s brevity-is-the-soul-of-wit message we won’t bore by extending the list any further. Watch the trailer. Enjoy the VWs. Move on with your life. The post Seinfeld Reminds you that Simple is Better with a Beetle appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVortex https://ift.tt/2JZqstp via IFTTT

The new EA888 engines that come in the Passat, Beetle, and old-body Jetta, as well as the new Tiguan, have some pretty neat features. Some of them are to make more power, and some–like the 2.0-liter Tiguan’s modified Miller-cycle–are to boost fuel economy. There are electric wastegates, a lighter cylinder block, plastic oil pans, thinner cylinder walls, aluminum fasteners, and more. But the coolest on the third-generation of the engine is the integrated exhaust manifold with liquid cooling. Why on earth would an automaker want to cool the exhaust? Especially on a turbocharged engine? This is how (and why) it works. It starts with an exhaust manifold that’s integrated into the cylinder head. Instead of the four separate exhaust ports you’d expect to find on a four-cylinder engine, there are just two holes in the center of the head. That’s because the exhaust passages meet up inside the head instead of outside, in a separate manifold. Ditching the old-fashioned exhaust manifold is g

Filed under: Green , Motorsports , Videos , Volkswagen , Electric , Racing Does it have enough to take the electric record? Continue reading Watch the Volkswagen I.D. R EV rocket its way up Pikes Peak Watch the Volkswagen I.D. R EV rocket its way up Pikes Peak originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Jun 2018 20:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen https://ift.tt/2M9dMNi

Ford and VW announced yesterday that they had signed a memorandum of understanding allowing them to talk about making commercial vehicles together. The pair explicitly denied any chances of ownership stakes trading hands, so the deal will be limited to working together on individual vehicles. “Both companies have strong and complementary positions in different commercial vehicle segments already,” said Dr. Thomas Sedran, Head of VW Group Strategy. “To adapt to the challenging environment, it is of utmost importance to gain flexibility through alliances. Volkswagen runs a successful and profitable commercial vehicles subbrand in Europe but has failed to break through in the US market. The European giant also owns MAN and Scania trucks, which recently created an alliance with Hino Motors, one of Toyota’s affiliates. Together, those brands will be working together on diesel and gas-electric hybrid engines, connectivity, and self-driving technology. Unfortunately, the nature of the ag

When searching for potential finds, we sometimes across cars that stop us dead in our tracks. This is one of those finds. If you’re looking for an immaculate MK1 GTI, today’s Find Of The Day is for you. How can we heap more praise on a car that created an entirely new model class? Volkswagen’s engineers took Detroit’s tried-and-true formula, stuff a hot engine in an everyday car, and added a Germanic spin. While the GTI is no muscle car, it did put serious performance in an affordable and practical package. And they didn’t stop with the engine; performance struts, thicker roll bars, and wider tires helped the car handle the corners. An icon was born. This 1984 GTI is spectacular. It looks like it could have rolled off the Pennsylvania assembly line yesterday. The silver paint is shiny, the trim is correct, and the black lower side stripes are perfect. The (brand new!) OEM snowflake alloy wheels are shiny and corrosion free. They’re wrapped in brand new tires. [ See image gallery at

The Volkswagen Tiguan is all-new in North America for model-year 2018 and here’s what’s up with this straight-laced crossover. Now in its second generation, the Tiggy has grown a fair amount compared to its predecessor, gaining a couple hundred pounds in the process. New features, more efficiency and a revised combustion process in the engine make for a more appealing vehicle than ever. 5. Built Like a Swiss Watch [ See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com ] Staying true to its Germanic roots, the 2018 Tiguan is built with precision. Even after a cursory glance, you get the sense that Volkswagen’s designers and engineers really care about the products they create, at least outwardly. There’s a sense of quality to this vehicle that’s lacking in many others, even ones that command much higher prices. The exterior panel gaps are laser-straight and crisper than the pleat on a freshly pressed pair of slacks. This obsessive meticulousness is carried through the interior as well, where ever

Filed under: Government/Legal , Green , Hirings/Firings/Layoffs , Audi , Bentley , Bugatti , Porsche , Volkswagen , Emissions , Diesel Scandal pits Porsche-Piech families against labor, regional interests Continue reading Audi CEO's Dieselgate arrest threatens fragile truce among VW stakeholders Audi CEO's Dieselgate arrest threatens fragile truce among VW stakeholders originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 19 Jun 2018 09:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen https://ift.tt/2LZSzp1

The new 2019 Audi RS7 has been spied undisguised and out in the open, giving us a sneak preview of the high-performance five-door ahead of its arrival later this year. Denoting this A7-based prototype as an RS7 are its widened front intakes, pronounced fender flares and massive oval-shaped exhausts. The grille is from a standard A7, but we expect to see a large black honeycomb mesh grille similar to what’s seen on the current Audi RS5 when the production car debuts. The lightweight wheels seen on this prototype are also for testing purposes only and will be replaced by a more aesthetically pleasing wheel set on the production car. [ See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com ] Under the hood of the new RS7 is expected to be VW Group’s new twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8, which appears in the Porsche Panamera Turbo, Porsche Cayenne Turbo and the Lamborghini Urus. The ‘hot-vee’ eight-cylinder should make over 600 hp in the new RS7 as Audi looks to top the current RS7 Performance Package, whi

Cities with a strong car culture: Los Angeles, Detroit,…Cleveland? On Saturday, June 16, ECS Tuning hosted a Cars and Coffee event at their headquarters in Wadsworth, Ohio. This gathering brought a wide variety of vehicles from the Cleveland and Akron area. ECS got into the event by opening up their garage space for cars and they even sold some “scratch and dent” items to attendees. Check out only some of the cars brought out that morning in our gallery. [ See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com ] The post Gallery: Cars and Coffee at ECS Tuning appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVortex https://ift.tt/2I10HDp via IFTTT

There’s a lot of information out there about the VW Atlas, but one piece of information that’s been difficult to get a hold of is the width of child seat it can handle. That’s leading to a recall of 54,537 Atlases. According to the recall, owner’s manuals didn’t provide a maximum width (12.6-inches) figure for child seats. If surpassed, a child seat could damage the buckling mechanism, which could increase the risk of injury to a child in any child seat. Volkswagen is notifying owners now and will conduct a free inspection of center and left outboard seat belt buckles to ensure that they’re undamaged. If necessary, VW will replace the buckles free of charge. An owner’s manual with the maximum width figure will also be provided to owners. The recall is expected to begin on August 3, 2018. The post 55,000 Atlases Recalled for Potential Child Seat Damage appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVortex https://ift.tt/2lfkMwF via IFTTT

Audi’s head of sales and marketing, Bram Schot will reportedly take over as interim leader for the company after CEO Rupert Stadler was arrested early Monday. Schot is the brand’s favorite, reports Blomberg citing an unnamed source, because the path to his current position leaves him untainted by the diesel scandal. Hired in 2011, Schot worked at Audi’s commercial vehicle department and only joined Audi’s management board last year, which should keep him beyond suspicion, making his hands steady enough to steer the ship. No decision has officially been announced yet, but Audi is expected to comment on the situation soon. Stadler was arrested this morning after a judge ruled that he could suppress evidence. So far no judgments have been made on his innocence or guilt, but prosecutors announced last week that they were investigating him. Since the arrest, prosecutor Stephan Necknig has said that Stadler has agreed to be questioned later this week and his lawyer will not challenge

The Bugatti Veyron is a pretty impressive beast. Now a generation out and quite a few years old, it’s still among the fastest cars in the world. But for all its sophistication you still need to use the brakes, as this video proves. Published on the LK Horizon YouTube channel, the video was shot at a runway in England where the Veyron was taking people for high speeds runs. Reportedly hitting 2018 mph, the Veyron was apparently performing happily. The driver seems to have experienced what James May reported when he drove the Veyron to its top speed in Germany. The speed of the car makes going any slower feel like a snail’s pace, which may explain why the driver of this Veyron tried to enter a 90-degree corner at 110 mph. As you might expect, the car understeers, hits a barrier, and that’s the end of its day at the track. Despite the accident, the Veyron doesn’t look too badly hurt, though we still wouldn’t want to be faced with the bill that comes from replacing all the pieces that