Wednesday, May 22, 2013

VW Extended Camper

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Vintage VW Pictures

This Bug has it share of flowers and bees, butterflies and birds. Is there room for one more Vintage bus with vintage bags Flower Power Flower Garden German Rail Transport? Smart Commuters Tri-bug Flower Power

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Volkswagen Grill

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Volkswagen Global Report

Volkswagen Strengthens Position In Global Markets In First Quarter -12.6 percent share of the passenger car market (January to March 2012: -12.2 percent) -Net liquidity in Automotive Division remains high at €10.6 billion -Winterkorn: 'The Group's strong, broad positioning is our greatest strength.' Wolfsburg, April 29, 2013 - The Volkswagen Group further strengthened its position in the global markets in the first three months of fiscal year 2013, despite the challenging conditions and intense competition. Including China, deliveries increased by 4.8 percent to 2.3 million vehicles worldwide. The Group's share of the global passenger car market rose year-on-year to 12.6 percent (12.2 percent). 'We made a healthy start to the year, but the coming months will be anything but easy. The current environment is definitely a tough challenge for the entire industry', said Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, in Wolfsburg on Monday. 'The Volkswagen Group's strong, broad positioning is our greatest strength. And this is paying off, particularly when times are difficult', stressed Winterkorn. Sales revenue in the first three months amounted to €46.6 billion (€47.3 billion). Operating profit was down on the high prior-year level at €2.3 billion (€3.2 billion). The consolidated operating profit does not include the €1.2 billion (€848 million) share of the operating profit of the Chinese joint ventures. These companies are included using the equity method and are therefore reflected in the financial result. Profit before tax amounted to €2.7 billion (€4.2 billion). The prior-year figure had been positively influenced by the remeasurement of the Porsche options. Profit after tax was €1.9 billion (€3.1 billion). CFO Hans Dieter Pötsch was guardedly confident. 'The Volkswagen Group has an attractive product range. It is present in all major regions of the world, it is extremely innovative and it has the necessary financial solidity and strength. Nevertheless, given the uncertainty of the current economic environment, we will continue to strive for a high degree of flexibility and stick to our disciplined cost and investment management in order to reach our goals.' Net liquidity in the Automotive Division remains high At €10.6 billion, net liquidity in the Automotive Division at the end of March was virtually unchanged as against December 2012. Investments in property, plant and equipment in the Automotive Division remained stable at €1.7 billion (€1.7 billion). The Volkswagen Group maintained its investment discipline with a ratio of investments in property, plant and equipment (capex) to sales revenue in the Automotive Division of 4.1 percent (4.0 percent). Source: Internet

Volkswagen Auto April Sales

- April sales total 33,644 units delivered- • April sales total 33,644 units, representing an 10.3 percent decrease versus the prior year • Chattanooga-built Passat delivered 9,069 units for the month, 30.8 percent TDI® Clean Diesel • Jetta Sedan achieved 11,110 sales in April • Best year-to-date sales of Tiguan with 10,439 units delivered through April and 2,488 for the month • High-mileage, TDI® Clean Diesel models accounted for 21.7 percent of sales in April and 21.5 percent of sales year to date, the best year to date on record. Herndon, VA - Volkswagen of America, Inc. (VWoA) today reported 33,644 units delivered in April, a 10.3 percent decrease over prior year sales. 'While it was a challenging month, particularly in the compact and midsize sedan segments, we remain solidly focused on our long term growth strategy,' said Jonathan Browning, president and CEO, Volkswagen Group of America. 'In spite of segment challenges with robust competition, the Jetta sedan and Passat showed strength in April and so far this year.' Jetta sedan, the volume leader for Volkswagen, delivered 11,110 units. Jetta SportWagen closed the month with 1,968 units. The Chattanooga-built Passat continued to deliver strong results with 9,069 units sold. Over 30 percent of the Passat's sold were TDI® Clean Diesels. Last week, Volkswagen announced it will begin offering a new, value-oriented Wolfsburg Edition later this spring. Building on the well-equipped S model, the Passat Wolfsburg Edition adds distinctive 16-inch alloy wheels, perforated V-Tex leatherette seating surfaces, a power driver's seat, heated front seats, satellite radio, and a Media Device-Interface (MDI) with an iPod® cable. The 2013 Passat Wolfsburg Edition is priced at $23,495, and will go on sale in late spring. The Beetle and Beetle Convertible delivered 1,980 and 1,699 units, respectively, for the month. The Beetle R-Line® Coupe is due to arrive in showrooms in early May, with a 210-horsepower turbocharged engine, an increase of 10 horsepower over the current Beetle Turbo with an anticipated fuel economy improvement. The Tiguan saw a significant increase in sales with 2,488 units sold, marking the best month ever for the vehicle. Total sales of the Golf (including Golf R and GTI) were 2,607 units. Volkswagen's high-mileage, TDI® Clean Diesel models accounted for 21.7 percent of sales in April, and 21.5 percent for the year, the best year-to-date ever.

1949 Volkswagen Beetle

Convertible Sedan Coachwork: Hebmuller Chassis Num: 1-0132694 Engine Num: 1-0163723 The owner of this early Volkswagen Beetle Convertible spent 10 years locating original parts and researching the history of this car for its restoration. The green and cream over Cognac car has not been shown for three years, but prior to that it appeared at the Art Center and the Quail, and it has been featured in Auto Aficionado magazine. As a 1949 model, this car is representative of the initial output of Volkswagen's revitalizing Wolfsburg factory after the war, when the capture facility restarted, initially under British Army control. Source: Internet

Tubeless Tires in 1957

The 1957 Volkswagen Beetle received tubeless tires for the first time. The horizontally opposed, overhead-valve four-cylinder air-cooled engine had a light alloy block and finned cylinders. It displaced 72.7 cubic-inches and produced 36 SAE horsepower. They had a four-speed manual transmission, worm and nut steering, and hydraulic drums at all four corners. Another new addition to the Beetle was the adjustable striker on each door. The front heater outlets were moved toward the rear which was done to improve heat distribution. The Volkswagen Beetle was available as a 2-door sedan, 2-door sedan with a sunroof, or as a convertible sedan. Pricing ranged from $1500 - $2000. By Daniel Vaughan

Volkswagen Wins Qualifying

Dream Start In Argentina: Volkswagen Wins Qualifying Dream-Start-In-Argentina-Volkswagen-Wins-Qualifying Jari Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN) finished qualifying for the Rally Argentina in first place in their Volkswagen Polo R WRC. The Finnish duo secured the best time by a whisker, coming in just three hundredths of a second faster than the record-breaking world champion Loeb and their team-mates Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F). Andreas Mikkelsen/Mikko Markkula (N/FIN) completed the team's strong performance at the start of the fifth event in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) by taking ninth place. Jari-Matti Latvala chose to start Wednesday and Thursday's special stages last, meaning that he will be twelfth to tackle the course. Sébastien Ogier – who won the rallies in Sweden, Mexico and Portugal in his Polo R WRC – will be tenth off the starting line. Andreas Mikkelsen will be the fifth driver to complete the first five special stages. Quotes following qualifying for the Rally Argentina Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #7 Dream-Start-In-Argentina-Volkswagen-Wins-Qualifying 'Of course I'm delighted to have recorded my first qualifying best time for Volkswagen, giving me first choice when it comes to starting positions. Generally speaking, there is an advantage in starting gravel stages as far as possible towards the back of the grid. It might be better to tackle the course first in heavy rain, but there's not much chance of rain tomorrow, which is why we picked the last starting position. Inspecting the stages has shown that the roads are tougher than they have been in recent years and will demand a lot of our Polo R WRC. I've managed to keep up with the speed pretty well here in Argentina in the past but have never achieved a really good result, so I'll be aiming for a place on the podium again.' Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #8 'Qualifying went well for us. Third place was good enough to be able to choose a good starting position for the first five special stages. Our goal is to get as much as possible out of Rally Argentina. The focus is on winning as many points as possible for the WRC, of course, but I'm a racer through and through so I always want to win too. At the very least, we want to achieve a place on the podium.' Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9 'The second rally for Volkswagen is a bit more like business as usual for me. Argentina offers me another opportunity to improve bit by bit. In Portugal, I was about one second per kilometre slower than my colleagues, so my goal is to close the gap. With that in mind, I've already changed some aspects of the system I use for pace notes and it will be interesting for me to see what difference that makes. Qualifying was the first step. I'm satisfied with my time because I was a bit cautious in one or two places, especially on one of the jumps. I'm ready for the rally now.' Jost Capito, Director of Volkswagen Motorsport 'This is a great team result. I'm particularly pleased that Jari-Matti Latvala was able to record the fastest time in spite of very stiff competition. And Sébastien Ogier put in a strong performance as usual to come in third. The first three are incredibly close, which emphasises how well matched the World Rally Championship teams are. One too many skids, and you'd finish qualifying two positions lower. I think we can expect the Rally Argentina to be an exciting event – the smallest things will make a big difference over the next three days. We are well prepared and think we have chosen the right starting positions in the light of the weather forecast.' And then there was ... ... the crucial difference. Volkswagen driver Jari-Matti Latvala completed the 4,590-metre qualifier 0.035 seconds faster than Sébastien Loeb in his Citroën – which is equivalent to a gap of just 106 centimetres. To put that in context, the Polo R WRC could comfortably fit this distance between its wheels with its track width of 1.61 metres. It is less than the height of the car, however, which stands 1,356 millimetres tall. Source: Internet

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

2014 Volkswagen iBeetle

VOLKSWAGEN DEBUTS THE iBEETLE AT THE SHANGHAI AUTO SHOW The iBeetle is first Volkswagen with newly developed docking station and a special iPhone® application Two iconic products will form an alliance later this year: the iPhone from Apple, and the Beetle from Volkswagen. The iPhone will interface with the Beetle and Beetle Convertible via a specially developed app and a docking station. The iBeetle is the first model line from the Volkswagen Group in which the iPhone will become an integrated component. Volkswagen offers two different ways to acquire the innovative interface between iPhone and Beetle: as an app or as a standard feature of the new iBeetle and iBeetle Convertible. Both special models will be launched at the beginning of 2014. The app, docking station and iBeetle will make their world debut at the 2013 Shanghai Auto Show (20th to 29th of April). The interface The newly designed docking station is located centrally on the dashboard of the Beetle: the iPhone simply snaps in to integrate it wîth the car. Essentially, all iPhone functions can be used in the Beetle; the iPhone can be used to navigate, make calls hands-free, listen to music, and much more. The Beetle app When this special app is launched on an iPhone, it can either connect the phone to the Beetle via the docking station or wirelessly. Each option allows for different app functions to be accessed: •Spotify: lets users stream media such as new songs, customized playlists or online radio stations into the Beetle. Those who wish can post their favorite music directly to friends. In addition, users in the Beetle can switch between 'Spotify' and 'iTunes' at any time. •Expert: offers five functions which make the iPhone an extended on-board instrument of the Beetle, such as a G-Meter (for measuring lateral acceleration), oil and coolant temperature gauges for the engine, a chronometer, and a compass. •Trainer: can be used to compare driving times, distances, and fuel economy values for different routes between any two destinations. Here, too, tips can be posted via social networks like Twitter and Facebook—such as which route is faster to the office. •Reader: lists the latest messages from social networks like Facebook, and reads iPhone messages aloud. •Postcard: Sends the current location of the Beetle to friends as a digital postcard wîth a map motif. •Photo: Sends photos taken inside the car to numerous social networks. Simply activate it, and the app does the rest. •Milestones: Available when the smartphone is undocked. Rewards its users wîth virtual 'milestone stickers' for the Beetle when certain tasks have been completed. The iBeetle The iBeetle is one of the first cars in the world to have a genuine integrative interface for the iPhone that was coordinated with Apple. As mentioned, the special model will be available as a Coupe and Convertible. The colors and equipment features of the iBeetle are stylistically linked to the Cupertino-based ÚS company, bringing its iconic smartphones into harmony with what is certainly one of the world's most iconic automotive designs. The iBeetle, which will be available in early 2014, will come with other customized features in addition to the standard iPhone interface. On the exterior, they include standard features such as 18-inch 'Disc' alloy wheels (painted in 'Galvano Grey' wîth chrome wheel covers), door mirror housings and side trim panels (above the sill) in 'Galvano Grey', black door sill plates wîth the 'iBeetle' signature, 'iBeetle' chrome badges (on the front fender) and a 'Chrome pack' (includes chrome trim strips on the sides). In a nod to the iPhone's color scheme, the new iBeetle can be ordered in 'Candy White', 'Oryx White Mother of Pearl Effect', 'Black Monochrome', 'Deep Black Pearl Effect', 'Platinum Grey', or 'Reflex Silver'. Inside, steering wheel accents and the dash pad are executed in 'Galvano Grey'. The iBeetle is also upgraded by a customized shift lever grip, black sport seats in 'Vienna' leather, and contrasting seams in light 'Ceramique'. Source - Volkswagen

Volkswagen Announces Passat Wolfsburg Edition

• Award-winning Passat receives value-oriented, competitively priced trim in mid-2013 • Pricing starts at $23,495 Herndon, VA - Volkswagen of America, Inc., announced today that it will offer a new, value-oriented edition of the Passat starting in mid-2013: the Passat Wolfsburg Edition. Sliding in between the new base S and the mid-level SE trims, the Volkswagen Passat Wolfsburg Edition offers a number of additional convenience features for a competitive price. Building on the features of the well-equipped S model with a six-speed automatic transmission— which already includes Bluetooth® technology, multi-function steering wheel with audio and phone controls, automatic headlights, power exterior mirrors and driver's seat lumbar support— the Passat Wolfsburg Edition adds distinctive 16-inch alloy wheels, perforated V-Tex leatherette seating surfaces, a power driver's seat, heated front seats, satellite radio, and a Media Device-Interface (MDI) with an iPod® cable. The 2013 Passat Wolfsburg Edition is priced at $23,495, and will go on sale in late Spring. Source: Internet