We Love Volkswagen's Past, Present And Future..,: February 2013

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

1991 Volkswagen Vario I

This was an attempt to build a fun open top vehicle based on the Golf platform, a sort of Golf version of the old VW Safari of the 1960's. Source: Internet

The Futura - How cool is a people carrier with gull-wing doors The VW Futura was a compact van (VW could have got ahead in the MPV market with this one) with gull wing doors opening up, not out, giving way to both rows of seats. It was an all wheel drive vehicle. The 82 hp engine, had a mechanic supercharger and an original evaporation cooling system. This is not a lot of power for modern engines, but the Futura weighed only 1000 kg. The evaporation cooling system made it unnecessary for the car to have a pump and ventilator. It also featured a new electronic system of reducing noise inside the vehicle consisting of several loud speakers that cancelled out the engine noise (useful in a Beetle or Bus no doubt). Source: Internet

1988 Volkswagen Scooter

the Scooter - maybe they got cold feet after the Sinclair C5 A more ambitious attempt at a frugal city vehicle, and not dissimilar to the present VW concept 3 wheeler seen in this magazine "the scooter was a future car with sporty performance and the coolest styling idea of the 1980's" gull wing doors, as seen on the DeLorean. An idea that was not realised at the time - but is being revisited by Volkswagen today.

Source: Internet

1982 Volkswagen Student

Aptly named the Student was Volkswagens second attempt at a sub Lupo budget city car. Powered by the Polo’s 1.1 litre engine and drivetrain, this little car was shown off to the press but the idea was never realised. Source: Internet

1981 Volkswagen Auto 2000

The Volkswagen designers equipped the Golf platform with a lightweight body, bringing the experimental vehicle down to 750 kilos. Powered by a 3 cylinder diesel engine, the Auto 2000 could reach 95 miles per hour, but at a more sedentary pace could achieve 60 miles per gallon. A more practical spin on Volkswagens long time advocacy of frugal diesel engines that survives unto this day. Source: Internet

1977 Volkswagen Prototype (Colani)

Development of a successor to the Beetle for VW – positioned between Polo and Golf Source: Internet

1976 Volkswagen Turbo Polo (Colani)

Colani Turbo Polo, 1976 Introduction of a record-breaking Colani racing Polo Source: Internet

1975 Volkswagen Chicco

Designer - Herbert Schafer The Chicco prototype was developed by VW Design like formal research of livability and development. The Chicco prototype was a study for: a new body assembly concept, and extremely compact structure, ideal expressionof utilization, increased performances, reduced consumption and the most effectiveapproach to production costs. Not to be confused with the Chico Golf "the mark1 Golf still in production in South Africa, this Chico was VW's first attempt at a small city car" a sub Polo (a four seater car a foot shorter than the Polo). The idea was never realised, but was the first of many sub Polo designs that were shelved, until the 1990's when VW’s acquisition of SEAT gave it the tiny Arosa "the basis for the modern Lupo." Siyrce: Internet

1971 Volkswagen Karmann Cheetah (ItalDesign)

Presented in March 1971 at Geneva Autoshow. In the early 1970s, German coachbuilder Wilhelm Karmann GmbH was already responsible for building the slinky Karmann Ghia and drop-top Beetles for Volkswagen -- but it also helped build a small, conceptual sports car for VW and Italdesign. As was the case with the Karmann Ghia, the coachbuilder had virtually no say in the Cheetah project. The sleek, angular lines -- fitted over a modified Beetle floorpan -- were entirely the product of Giugiaro's imagination. Karmann did, however, have a part when it came time to design the roof. A soft top, which sported a translucent sunroof panel over the cockpit, slid down the length of the car's sidebows and could be neatly tucked between the seats. Obviously, the Cheetah never made it into production -- a pity, for Fiat found a fair amount of success with its Bertone-styled X1/9 facsimile, which came to market a year after the Cheetah premiered at the 1971 Geneva motor show. Source: Internet

1969 Volkswagen Golf Concept EA276

The EA276 - good job they went with the Golf instead From 1969, with the idea of a front wheel drive, front-engined philosophy well in place, Volkswagen made its first steps, ironically with an aircooled prototype. Somewhat boxy in appearance, the EA276 was a hatchback design with a front mounted aircooled engine as the powerplant and MacPherson strut suspension. Again, it never made it into production in Germany, but was used as a test bed for the up and coming Beetle killer „ the Golf. The basic design was eventually shipped to Brazil and adapted into the VW Gol (not a spelling mistake). This was a hatchback between the Polo and Golf in size, which began life with a front mounted aircooled engine. Subsequently its appearance morphed so that it looked more like the Golf (though smaller) and was converted to use watercooled powerplants. Source: Internet

1955 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia

VW Karmann Ghia (1955-1974) #32 - The 100 most beautiful cars (The Daily Telegraph)

Beneath the surface it’s just a VW Beetle, but you’d never guess as much (until someone switches it on, when an air-cooled warble gives the game away). Source: The Daily Telegraph

1937 Volkswagen Beetle (Kafer)

#4 - The Car of the Century In Germany, the people’s car took the form of Hitler’s Volkswagen, which literally meant "people’s car "Its design complete with a strong, platform chassis, four-whreel independent-suspension system, air-cooled horiyontally opposed, four-cylinder engine, and an RR drive system, was worthy of Ferdinand Porsche’s attention. Sales were conducted using fixed installment payments, but until the end of World War II, almost no vehicles were provided to the public.

Source: Internet

Monday, February 25, 2013

Volkswagen Crossblue SUV

The Volkswagen Crossblue is a concept diesel hybrid-electric midsize SUV that slots between the less expensive Volkswagen Tiguan and the more expensive Volkswagen Touareg. It is meant to replace the slow selling Volkswagen Routan minivan, and is meant to be sold exclusively in the American and Canadian markets, however Volkswagen of Australia is currently trying to convince Volkswagen executives to have the concept appear in Australian Auto Shows. In the American and Canadian markets, it's targeted competitors are the Toyota Highlander, Toyota 4Runner, Ford Explorer, and Honda Pilot. Source: Internet

Volkswagen Aqua Concept

Source: Internet

Volkswagen 1-Litre Car

The Volkswagen 1-litre car is a two-person concept car produced by Volkswagen. The 1-litre car was designed to be able to travel 100 km on 1 litre of diesel fuel (280 mpg-imp; 240 mpg-US), while being both roadworthy and practical. To achieve such economy, it is produced with lightweight materials, a streamlined body and an engine and transmission designed and tuned for economy. The concept car was modified first in 2009 as the L1 and again in 2011 as the XL1, with limited production of the XL1 slated to begin by late 2013. Prototype The prototype VW 1-Litre concept car was shown to the public in April 2002 when Dr. Ferdinand Piech, then Chairman of the Board of Management, drove the concept between Wolfsburg and Hamburg as part of the Volkswagen annual meeting of stockholders. For aerodynamics, the car seats two in tandem, rather than side-by-side. There are no rear view mirrors and it instead uses cameras and electronic displays. The rear wheels are close together to allow a streamlined body. The total aerodynamic drag is minimal because both the drag coefficient and frontal area are small (see drag equation). The drag coefficient (Cd) is 0.159, compared to 0.30 - 0.40 for typical cars. The external dimensions of the car are 3.47 m (11.4 ft) long, 1.25 m (4.1 ft) wide and 1.10 m (3.6 ft) tall. There is 80 L (2.8 cu ft) of storage space. The car features an aircraft-style canopy, flat wheel covers and an underbelly cover to smooth the airflow. The engine cooling vents open only as needed. For light weight, the car uses an unpainted carbon fibre skin over a magnesium-alloy subframe. Individual components have been designed to be low weight, including engine, transmission, suspension, wheels (carbon fibre), brakes (aluminium), hubs (titanium), bearings (ceramic), interior, and so on. Empty vehicle weight is 290 kg (639 lb). The body and frame are designed with crush/crumple zones and roll-over protection, and the tandem seating means large side crush zones. Volkswagen claims protection comparable to a GT racing car. The car has anti-lock brakes, airbags with pressure sensors, and stability control. The engine is a one-cylinder 299 cc (18 cu in) diesel producing just 6.3 kW (8.4 hp). It drives through a six-speed transmission that combines stick-shift mechanics, weight, and drive efficiency with automatic convenience and efficiency controls. There is no clutch pedal. The gear selection (forwards, reverse or neutral) is made using a switch on the right-hand side of the cockpit. The engine is switched off automatically during deceleration and stops, and auto-restarted when the acceleration pedal is pressed. According to Volkswagen, the vehicle consumes 0.99 L/100 km (238 mpg-US),285mpg(imp), giving it a 650 km (404 mi) driving range on one tank of fuel. Towards production At the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show senior VW exec Ferdinand Piëch claimed the car would be available by the end of the decade. Around June 2008 car magazines were reporting a powerplant change to a two-cylinder diesel-electric hybrid. Volkswagen only expected the car to be a limited production run, and prices were expected by one industry insider to fall somewhere between €20,000 and €30,000. 2009 model

Volkswagen L1 The second Volkswagen 1-litre car, named L1, was first shown to the public at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. Limited production of the VW L1 was expected to start in 2013 but with the announcement of the XL1 in 2011 this was considered unlikely. The L1 continues the two-seater tandem concept first shown in the 2002 1-litre concept. It has a curb weight of 381 kg (840 lb), with a low coefficient of drag of 0.195. It is 3.813 m (12.5 ft) in length, 1.143 m (3.8 ft) mm tall and 1.2 m (3.9 ft) wide. Frontal area is 1.02 m2 giving a CdA of 1.99m2. It uses one half of a 1.6-litre TDI engine in a hybrid installation. The 800 cc, twin-cylinder, common-rail, turbodiesel is joined by a 10 kW (13.4 hp) electric motor and has a CO2 emission 39g/km. The engine operates in two modes: "eco" mode, giving 20 kW (27 hp), and "sport" mode giving 29 kW (39 hp). The electric motor provides extra acceleration and can power the L1 on its own for short distances. Volkswagen claimed the L1 can achieve a top speed of 158 km/h (99 mph), with 0–100 km/h (0-62 mph) acceleration in 14.3 s. 2011 model The XL1 is the third iteration of the Volkswagen 1-litre car, unveiled at the 2011 Qatar Motor Show. The diesel plug-in hybrid prototype is branded as a "Super Efficient Vehicle" (SEV). According to Volkswagen, the XL1 can achieve a combined fuel consumption of 0.9 litres per 100 kilometres (310 mpg-imp; 260 mpg-US) and CO2 emissions of 24 g/km. Like the L1, the XL1 uses a two-cylinder turbo-diesel. Displacing 800 cc, it is rated at 35 kW (47 hp) and 121 Nm (89 lb-ft) of torque and transmits power to the rear wheels through a seven-speed DSG transmission. The electric motor pitches in with 20 kW (27 hp) and 100 Nm (74 lb-ft) of torque, and can work in parallel with the diesel or drive the car independent of it. Fully charged, the XL1 can travel up to 35 km (22 mi) on electric power.

Volkswagen XL1 The XL1 has a curb weight of 795 kg (1,750 lb), and a drag coefficient of 0.186 (a similar drag coefficient to the General Motors EV1 electric car). Just 23.2% of the car (184 kg (410 lb)) is made out of either steel or iron; the drivetrain weighs 227 kg (500 lb). The XL1's length and width are similar to the Volkswagen Polo, with a length of 3,970 mm (156.3 in) and width of 1,682 mm (66.2 in). However, the car is much lower with a height of only 1,184 mm (46.6 in), and has a coupe-like roofline, reducing interior volume. The design incorporates gull-wing doors, with the interior seating layout using a staggered side-by-side arrangement similar to a Smart Fortwo, rather than the previous versions' tandem seating. Performance credentials include a governed top speed of 158 km/h (98.2 mph), with acceleration to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 11.9 seconds. Production In February 2012, Volkswagen confirmed that it would build a limited series of XL1s starting in 2013. In February 2013, Volkswagen confirmed that limited production would start at the end of 2013, with claimed fuel economy to be 0.9 l/100 km (260 mpg-US) and emissions of 21g/km of CO2. The test cycle allows for a re-charge of the battery every 47 miles so results in a high mpg value. Using diesel alone the car is capable of un to 140 mpg-imp (2.0 L/100 km; 120 mpg-US). As with the 2011 concept XL1, it is powered by a 800cc two-cylinder diesel engine with 47 bhp (35 kW; 48 PS) and a 27 bhp (20 kW; 27 PS) electric motor, delivering power to the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The drag coefficient has increased slightly from 0.186 to 0.189. The production version is expected to deliver an all-electric range of 50 km (31 mi) and the plug-in diesel-electric hybrid is scheduled to be unveiled at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. Source: Internet