Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Happy New Year


Thursday, December 25, 2014

Merry Christmas


Monday, December 8, 2014

Government Money Vehicle vs VW Tourareg SUV

It is always funny when the underdog wins in a competition. You are able to see here two proper competitors: Duramax from Chevy and Touareg V10 TDI from VW. They both consume diesel. In this amazing bumper battle between the SUV and truck it is always interesting to see who wins. - Source: youtube.com

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

1963 Volkswagen Transport

1963 Volkswagen Transporter - Image 1 of 27

Click Here to read all about the Transporter. It is For Sale and when you follow this post you can read all about it.

Source: Hemmings.com

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Monday, November 3, 2014

2015 Volkswagen Jetta TDI SE First Drive

2015 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Front Three Quarter

Click Here to read the post from Automotive.

Source: automotive.com

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

The New Concepts

The Concept D is VW's design study for its next luxury class flagship car, which is aiming to attract business customers and buyers of sporting luxury cars.. This luxury saloon will be built in Volkswagen's brand new transparent factory in the centre of Dresden, the capital of the state of Saxony, from the beginning of the next millennium.

undefinedThe car will likely feature a V10 direct injection diesel two banks of five cylinder giving an engine capacity of 5.0 litres. The proposed Bi-Turbo TDi engine gives an output of 313 bhp at 4000 rpm. This massive engine powers all four wheels via a Tiptronic automatic gearbox.
The car has been styled by VW Germany's top design team to give the car a sleek professional, yet sporty look to attract the sort of high flying business customers who also want a luxury car with obvious performance underpinnings. Amongst its many top of the range features are: air conditioning, stereo system, navigation system and the reversing camera, which is integrated into the VW symbol on the boot lid.
The concept D represents Volkswagen Group’s diversification into the luxury market, while VW continues to produce mass market cars with its renowned engineering, the Concept D is definitely one for the board room boys (and girls).
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Another concept from Volkswagen is the W12 concept car, (above) a first for Volkswagen, being a pure performance sports car. Called the W12, because it has a compact 12 cylinder / 5.6 litre engine, it is essentially two 6 cylinder engines with a shared crankcase in a 'W' layout, producing 420 bhp at 5800 rpm.
The engine is positioned just in front of the rear axle and drives all four wheels via the Volkswagen Syncro six speed gearbox. The body is a monocoque construction with scissor-type upward swinging doors.
As far as Volkswagen are concerned this is a major departure from their peoples car image, this is certainly a car for the few.

All Volkswagen Group communications and photos reproduced with permission of Volkswagen UK

VW Clocks Up 511,000 Miles

Cab driver Brian Sanders is halfway to his first million - in miles travelled in his trusty VW. Brian has driven his J-registered dark red 1992 VW Caravelle people carrier 511,000 miles - further than a trip to the moon and back - in just six years. He has worn out three clutches and a gearbox, but the original engine is still going strong. Proud Brian, 56, said "By all accounts she's clocked up more miles than any other VW on the road in Britain. She's been my pride and joy for six years and she's never once let me down. The engine sounds as sweet now as it ever did." His main route is taking holiday-makers between Doncaster, South Yorkshire, and Manchester Airport, has taken good care of his vehicle since he paid £14,000 for it. He said "The gap between services is only 5,000 miles and sometimes I do that in 10 days, but I've never missed taking her in to be checked over. I've gone through five service manuals, and in return she's just run and run." Brian, who started driving after being made redundant from his job as a colliery under-manager, added: "I just fell in love with the Caravelle when I saw her parked on the dealer's forecourt. The way she's running now, I reckon she'll reach a million miles without any problem at all."

Source: ltv-vwc.org.uk

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Golf SportWagen 4Motion Concept

All-wheel-drive TDI® Clean Diesel concept version of VW's popular SportWagen model previews a bigger, more spacious, and more fuel-efficient replacement for the Jetta SportWagen
• Thrifty TDI® Clean Diesel, and 1.8-liter turbocharged Golf SportWagen models will be offered
• Úses the new MQB modular architecture, like the 2015 Golf and Golf GTI
• Golf SportWagen will go on sale in the Ú.S. in the first quarter of 2015
• New SportWagen model is estimated to have fuel economy improvements of up to 17 percent
New Golf SportWagen offers increased cargo volume, matching compact SÚVs for size and versatility

Herndon, VA – Volkswagen of America, Inc. will debut a concept version of the latest SportWagen model that features a 4MOTION® all-wheel drive system and the new EA288 TD®I Clean Diesel engine at the New York Auto Show. The concept previews the all-new Golf SportWagen that goes on sale in early 2015. Based on the new MQB (modular transverse matrix) architecture, the Golf SportWagen will continue the trend introduced by the seventh generation Golf whereby it is lighter, bigger, roomier, more fuel efficient and more powerful than the outgoing SportWagen model.

Thanks to the extensive use of high and ultra-high strength steels, the new SportWagen bodyshell is lighter than the current Jetta SportWagen and offers an enhanced crash structure. Throughout the car, incredible attention to detail has optimized components—such as the seats, air conditioning unit, and even the electrical architecture—to help save weight.

The Golf SportWagen is 1.1 inches longer and 0.7 inches wider than the current SportWagen model. It is also 0.9 inches lower, which benefits both aerodynamic performance and the car's proportions: the CdA number has been reduced by almost 10 percent compared wîth the previous generation. The interior package has been optimized to give more rear-seat leg- and shoulder room. Although the new SportWagen's overall height was lowered by nearly an inch, front and rear headroom has been improved by 0.4 inches.

The SportWagen has long been a top choice for customers who want a car that's fun to drive and offers a large cargo area that is truly versatile. This new SportWagen is even more appealing, offering nearly 10 percent more cargo room wîth the rear seats folded than the outgoing model. Essentially, the Golf SportWagen provides a sportier alternative to compact SÚVs.

The new SportWagen will be offered wîth two powertrains. The Golf SportWagen will be powered by a 170 horsepower, 1.8-liter turbocharged and direct-injection four-cylinder TSI® engine, mated to five-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmissions. These powertrains offer manufacturer highway fuel economy that's improved by as much as 17 percent compared to the 2.5-liter Jetta SportWagen.

The TDI Clean Diesel model will be powered by the new EA288 2.0-liter common-rail, turbocharged and direct-injection diesel engine that makes150 horsepower, an improvement of 10 hp over the current SportWagen model. The TDI model will have a choice of six-speed manual or DSG® dual-clutch automatic transmissions.

Design

The design team, led by Walter de Silva (Group Design) and Klaus Bischoff (VW Brand Design), created a timeless and sophisticated new SportWagen, using the principles of Volkswagen's Design DNA. Thanks to the MQB architecture, which dictates a fixed relationship between the front wheel centerline and the pedals, the car's proportions have changed. The front wheels, for example, are now 1.7 inches further forward than on the current SportWagen design. This has created what Bischoff calls ''a cab backward impression'. That's what we call the proportions of premium-class vehicles, where the hood is long and the passenger compartment is a long way towards the back.'

Compared wîth the previous generation SportWagen, the new car's front end looks completely different, thanks to the way that the hood slopes down into the front fenders instead of the fender peaks being higher than the hood. This new SportWagen features more angular horizontal design cues, wîth a slender radiator grille.

At the back, the clean surface around the VW badge, the wide rear window, and the geometric taillights are typical SportWagen features, even though the lines are completely different. The tailgate, for instance, allows for a lower load height than before, while the overall effect emphasizes the additional width of the new car.

Features

Along the lines of the new Golf 7, the SportWagen will bring a number of available new features to market including a panoramic sunroof, 12-way power driver's seat, Climatronic® automatic climate control, Bi-Xenon headlights wîth LED DRLs and the Advanced Front-lighting System, Park Distance Control, and available 18-inch aluminum-alloy wheels.

In addition, the new SportWagen features a new standard driver assistance system called the Automatic Post-Collision Braking System. This system automatically engages the vehicle's brakes after it is involved in a collision in order to help reduce secondary collisions and to help bring the vehicle to a stop. The system is triggered when the airbag sensors detect a primary collision and it is limited to a maximum retardation rate of 0.6g by the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) unit. The driver can effectively override the system at any time; for example, it is disabled if it recognizes that the driver is accelerating. The system is also deactivated if the driver initiates braking at a higher rate than 0.6g.

Source - Volkswagen

Friday, August 1, 2014

1959 Karmann Ghia

VW Power


Bonneville Salt Flats Speed Week 2011 - 2914cc VW power, Bob Stahl

VW Bus With Model Of James Dean's Porsche 550 Spyder

2012 Volkswagen E-Bugster Concept

1951 VW Beetle

Antique VW's

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1967 VW Beetle


Blue Beetle


VW Bus 


Split Window VW on Fyksesund Bridge in Norway 

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Early 50's In Norway 

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

VW Clocks Up 511,000 Miles

The Sun (UK) - July 10, 2000

Cab driver Brian Sanders is halfway to his first million - in miles travelled in his trusty VW. Brian has driven his J-registered dark red 1992 VW Caravelle people carrier 511,000 miles - further than a trip to the moon and back - in just six years. He has worn out three clutches and a gearbox, but the original engine is still going strong. Proud Brian, 56, said "By all accounts she's clocked up more miles than any other VW on the road in Britain. She's been my pride and joy for six years and she's never once let me down. The engine sounds as sweet now as it ever did." His main route is taking holiday-makers between Doncaster, South Yorkshire, and Manchester Airport, has taken good care of his vehicle since he paid £14,000 for it. He said "The gap between services is only 5,000 miles and sometimes I do that in 10 days, but I've never missed taking her in to be checked over. I've gone through five service manuals, and in return she's just run and run." Brian, who started driving after being made redundant from his job as a colliery under-manager, added: "I just fell in love with the Caravelle when I saw her parked on the dealer's forecourt. The way she's running now, I reckon she'll reach a million miles without any problem at all."

Source: willspin.com

Englishman Who Saved Volkswagen Dies At The Age of 84

Major lvan Hirst, the British army officer who played such an important part in the resurrection of Volkswagen after the war, died last Friday 10 March 2000 at the age of 84.

He was posted to Germany as a member of the British REME in the summer of 1945, with responsibility for the management of the Volkswagen factory. He once said: "Nobody gave me a real brief - I was just told to go there and do something."

In difficult conditions, and against the predictions of prominent members of the British motor industry, Hirst
was successful, not only in re-starting production of the Volkswagen Beetle, but placing Volkswagen on a commercial footing for the first time as a motor vehicle manufacturer. In 1947 he appointed Heinrich Nordhoff, who took over as General Director and steered the fate of the factory from 1 January 1948.

lvan followed the fortunes of Volkswagen and its products right up to the very end of his life. He maintained frequent contact by telephone and in writing with his friends at Volkswagen in the UK and in Germany and was among the first people in Britain to try the New Beetle.

He frequently welcomed to his home authors, TV producers and motoring historians keen to speak to a living legend. These visitors, encountering lvan for the first time, always reported meeting a highly intelligent man who talked factually and with great warmth and modesty about the part he played. From his background in optical and mechanical engineering, accuracy was important to him. This quickly became clear to any journalist who interviewed him for their reporting would be challenged if was riot faithful to the truth.
Major Hirst's last letter to Volkswagen, received at the end of February, made constructive comments on a recent document on the history of the Volkswagen Transporter in which he was credited with developing the first Volkswagen load carrier, the Plattenwagen, and told Volkswagen how happy he was with the Golf V5 automatic which he bought last year.
 
Though he played an amazing part in the history of the Volkswagen Beetle, awarded "The Car of the Century" accolade at the Auto 1 Awards In Geneva this month, it was not his style to talk about these things unless asked. Many local shop keepers and cafe owners who would know this dignified and friendly old gentleman as their regular customer would not have known of his legendary status as the saviour of what is now Europe's largest car company.

Source: wheelspin.com

Life As A Billboard

Carissa Green is now used to the honking, waving and cheering she normally gets when she drives around town in her Volkswagen. But the film choreographer says taking her silver New Beetle to a movie premiere can be quite embarrassing.
Web ad for using the New Beetle as a billboard  
About a year ago, she hooked up with Freecar.com and had her brand new car wrapped in Jamba Juice advertisements. What once was a shiny metallic vehicle now has the company's mascot, "Super Wheat Grass Dude," and colorful logos completely enveloping the frame. 

Freecar.com started up in October 1999 but really only picked up clients and customers in the last few months. There are now nearly 200 cars in Los Angeles wrapped in advertisements for such corporations as Sprint, Rawlings, Yahoo, Lycos, Sega and others. 

Drivers pick what kind of advertisement they want their car wrapped in or they may opt to receive a new car, the most popular being New Beetles and SUVs, from Freecar.com, said Keith Powers, the company's co-founder. The cars are wrapped in sheets of adhesive vinyl film that are removed upon completion of the contract. Freecar.com pays for any damage because of the graphics. 

A global positioning system is placed inside each vehicle so sponsors know the exact location of their rolling billboards. In turn, advertisers pay anywhere from $750 to $1,200 per month for the service. 

Since Carissa Green started driving her juiced-out car, all of her friends have signed up for the program, although she admits they were a little leery at first about the ostentatious look of her New Beetle. 

"Any embarrassing moments I may have had, like going to a premiere, are completely negated by all the positive things the car has brought to my life," says Carissa, who has worked on the film "The Shadow" and various television programs. 

"My friends thought it might be cheesy. But now they see it's a real hip thing to do for some extra cash
Pete Frost

Source: wheelspin.com







 
 

Monday, June 2, 2014

A tall man in a small car Restoring Lindbergh's Beetle

The Star Tribune (Minneapolis/St. Paul, USA) July 8, 2001

It's such an ordinary car, this bedraggled 1959 Volkswagen Beetle, with its dents and rust spots and an odometer that couldn't register all the miles.

That ordinariness is a great part of its charm, considering it belonged to world-famous aviator Charles Lindbergh. He spent boyhood summers in Minnesota and donated the Beetle to the Minnesota Historical Society.

"Most of our visitors are amazed to learn that Lindbergh drove this sort of car, considering the fact that he could afford to be driven around in a limousine anywhere he wanted," said Donald Westfall, manager of the Lindbergh historic site in Little Falls, Minnesota.

Lindbergh preferred to travel without being recognised as a celebrity, and he wasn't one to seek out physical comforts, Westfall said. Rather, "He would appreciate the challenge of not being so comfortable." Lindbergh, a tall man at 6 feet 4, even slept in the small car on trips to Egypt, around the Mediterranean and throughout Europe.

The gray VW is being prepared for display at the Minnesota History Centre in St. Paul, starting in mid-July. It will return to Little Falls next summer as a focus of a new exhibit at the Lindbergh House. It's not being restored; the scrapes, dents and rust will stay. It's being conserved; the Historical Society is trying to prevent further deterioration and keep the car as well-maintained as its owner did. The German VW engine is considered very well-built, and pilot Lindbergh, of course, appreciated that.
Lindbergh's Trans-Atlantic ?Spirit of St. Louis?  

Added seat belts

Lindbergh was 25 years old when he made his historic solo flight across the Atlantic in May 1927. After the 1932 kidnapping and murder of his first child, he and his family kept a distance from the public. They lived in England from 1935 to 1939.

He paid about $1,000 for the Volkswagen when he bought it new in Paris in 1959. It came with no radio, and he never put one in. He did add a ski rack and seat belts and operated it under a French tourist license for several years. In his book "Autobiography of Values," he wrote an anecdote involving the car:

What is it like to live the life of a Masai? Driving along a one-track dirt road in southern Kenya once, I overtook two spearmen and offered them a ride. They accepted solemnly and started to climb into my small Volkswagen, but their sharp-bladed weapons were too long to take inside. Seeing their confusion, I switched off the engine, walked around to their open door, and held out my hand. Each man handed me his spear. I motioned one to the back seat and the other to the front, then placed the spears, point forward, against the side of the car. The man in front held them there, through the open window. My Volkswagen must have looked like an armed knight as it rolled through the dust and sand.

When he was 68, he drove the Beetle to Little Falls from his home in Connecticut, stopping at the Lindbergh historic site. John Rivard, then site manager, left notes about the 1970 visit:

"Surprise was expressed that he would drive all the way from Connecticut in this small battered car. He said that he loved the car. It had been on four continents, and he had even slept in it on occasions. When someone seemed to doubt this possibility, he proceeded to take the right front seat apart and set it up again in a lengthened-out position. He then placed himself on it full length, like a boy showing off his toy."

The next evening Lindbergh made a phone call and announced that he would have to fly to New York to attend a meeting of the Pan Am board of directors, on which he served. He left his VW in the tuck-under garage at the Lindbergh house. Rivard noted, "He locked the car, being careful to leave one window slightly open, then gave me the key for safekeeping until he returned."

But he never picked up the car. He donated it to the Historical Society in 1972, two years before his death. He wrote in September 1972, "In signing the paper of transfer for the Volkswagen, I am surprised at the nostalgia I encounter."

Save the dents

During the past few months, the VW has been transformed from simply a vintage vehicle into a museum artifact.

In March 2001 the car was removed from the Lindbergh House garage. It had been a popular feature of the house tours. (So is the Lindbergh family's 1916 Saxon car, in which Charles Lindbergh took his first driving adventure. At age 14, he drove the Saxon to California as chauffeur for his mother and uncle.)

From Little Falls, the Beetle went to a VW specialist in Stillwater, where mechanics cleaned the car's mechanical parts and removed the fluids.

Aaron Novodvorksy of the exhibits staff said, "The car's running gear, drive train and engine were completely disassembled, and the fluids were replaced with Cosmoline wax." This is the process the military uses when it "mothballs" vehicles, such as jeeps and trucks, he said. Although the car has not been started since the 1970's, someday the wax could be removed and the car made to run again.

Conservator Paul Storch is working on the car in his Historical Society lab. (Next to the VW is an 1880's horse-drawn buggy, once owned by former Gov. Alexander Ramsey.) A rust inhibitor was applied to all concealed parts. The car will be cleaned, hand washed and given a wax coating to protect the finish.

Storch will save the little dents, such as the one Lindbergh's daughter Reeve wrote about in her memoir, "Under a Wing." Recalling her first visit to the Lindbergh House in 1975, she wrote, "I was amused to see our old Volkswagen, the one I had learned to drive in, with a dent still in the left front fender where I'd run into the stone wall at the curve of our driveway."

A collection of items shows that he planned his trips carefully. He carried maps with hand written notations. Inside the car were: two suitcases, a flashlight, gas can, canteen, machete, inflatable air mattress, whisk broom, small shovel, plastic canteen, miscellaneous tools, wire, metal tubing, spoon and cans of dried beef, sardines and baked beans. Under the Connecticut license plates, which expired in October 1972, are European ones, probably French. The odometer reads 30,051, but Lindbergh said the car had about 130,000 miles.

"It's an early-model Beetle, and in reasonably good shape, so a collector would buy it," said researcher Paul Blankman. "But its real significance comes from the fact that Charles Lindbergh drove the car on four continents and personally donated it to the Historical Society.

Disney's Movie Rumour

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Herbie the Love Bug

Release Date: Unknown

Title Note: The title, Herbie the Love Bug, is tentative, as the title may change when Disney decides upon a script.

Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures Cast: None announced yet. It's unknown if Dean Jones, who has played Herbie owner Jim Douglas in all versions except 1980's Herbie Goes Bananas, and 1974's Herbie Rides Again, will be returning in any capacity.

Director: Unknown.

Director/Screenwriter Note: Back in 1999, it was announced that J. Max Burnett (1998's Possums) was working on a script titled Herbie & Millie, but it appears that Disney isn't going ahead with that project, as they are currently seeking a writer to start from scratch.

Screenwriter: Daniel Gerson (copywriter of Monsters, Inc.), Robert Baird (debut; he and Gerson have worked together on TV's The New Addams Family and 1999's Misguided Angels); rewrite by David Berenbaum (debut; he's also working on the movie version of Disney's ride attraction, Haunted Mansion)

Based Upon: This will be the fifth feature film in the Herbie series that started with The Love Bug (1969), followed by Herbie Rides Again (1974), Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977), and Herbie Goes Bananas (1980). These movies were followed in 1982 by a very short-lived TV series called Herbie the Love Bug, and in 1997 by a Wonderful World of Disney movie, The Love Bug.

Car Note: Though this is the first Herbie movie in 20 years, and that time has seen the advent of The New Beetle, Disney is currently leaning towards keeping Herbie an older model car, with racing stripes, labelled with the number 53, though they're still open to a possible redesign. The Hollywood Reporter quoted Disney sources as saying they don't want this movie to merely serve as ¿a commercial for the new VW Beetle (10/18/00).

Premise: There are no details yet known, as Disney has not yet hired a writer. The only thing we can count on is that this will be about a VW Bug, Herbie, that can drive itself.
Filming: 11/26/00 - Though there is no script yet, Disney does hope to get filming started sometime in the spring of 2001 before the expected SAG strike. (5/8/01) Well, it looks like that isn't going to happen, and there's no word about when it will... it could be a while.

Source: wheelspin

New Beetle To Be Run By Windows XPZ

Seattle, Washington:

Microsoft founder and president, Bill Gates, has announced in a press conference that all VW ´New Beetles' sold from August 1998 will be fitted with the new Windows XP computer operating system.

Gates has timed his announcement to restore consumer faith in the New Beetle at just the moment that VW would want. No prior details of any cooperation between VW and Microsoft have been released to the press.

"I have greatly admired the New Beetle since VW revealed the Concept 1 several years ago," Gates said at the press conference. "It represents a triumph of media hype, rumour and marketing promotion over substance, something Microsoft has done for years.

"It was only natural that we work together to provide a more suitable means to travel the information superhighway. From August 1998, all New Beetles will come standard with Windows XP, not just on monitors in the cabin but controlling every facet of the car.

"Not just the engine, gearbox, brakes, fuel system, electrics, hydraulics etc. will be done on computer; everyone does that. On the New Beetle, you'll actually OPERATE the car with Windows XP - to buckle up, start the car, steer, turn, brake and stuff all through an easy-to-use, Microsoft Windows interface."

No members of the press were able to test the system at the launch, nor were any brochures available. However, several pages of the VW-Microsoft operation manual were leaked:

Instructions For MS New Beetle XPŽ

You must first unlock the door. By doing so you agree to accept and honour Microsoft rights to all Volkswagens. You may not let anyone else drive your New Beetle (which would infringe Microsoft's rights). You may, however, let others look at your New Beetle and are encouraged to tell them to buy their own copy.

Sit behind the control monitor. To start the New Beetle, boot the operating system, wait for the desktop to load, then enter the following keystrokes at the command prompt: <\msvw.-car.//01drv@cncpt1//. Wait for the software to load, then enter start.motor_coldgocar#startme. When this has finished scrolling, click and hold the Key icon and drag it to the Switch button. When the short diagnostic routine has compiled and run, a dialog box will appear. Enter your User ID and password, then Click OK. Wait until the hourglass has disappeared.

Note: Some Beta test cars were fitted with Macintosh software. If your New Beetle has this superseded version, sit in the car and press Start. The engine will then start.

Should the engine fail to start, shut down, exit and re-enter the car to reset the sensor, then enter msvw.car.nogood//startme. This simple process may have to be repeated. Try unplugging the engine interface module then doing a complete cold start IMPL. If this doesn't work, contact the Microsoft Helpline (wait calls charged at £1 per min).

Similarly, to slow the car down simply enter slow~stop#hit.brakes:. When the window appears, click on the Brake Now button. To the prompt "Do you wish to Brake Now?", click Yes. When the message "Are You Sure?" appears, click OK.

Some users have complained that the dashboard of the New Beetle contains switches which have no function. These are for future software releases. Microsoft promises an entertainment package with every New Beetle from 1999. However that version has yet to be released. Microsoft New Beetle 98Ž may be incompatible with other cars in your garage, causing your house's electrics to malfunction. This is a feature, not a bug. Your other cars will have to be upgraded anyway.

Source: wheelspin

Friday, May 2, 2014

2014 Volkswagen Dune Concept


A Baja Bug for the 21st Century, the Dune Concept looks production ready
• Innovated ski rack built into the roof and rear spoilers
• Based on a Beetle R-Line with 210-horsepower EA888 TSI® engine
• Longer, wider, and taller than a Beetle R-Line, with two inches of additional ground clearance

Wolfsburg/Detroit – The Beetle is a phenomenon, regardless of where it shows up in the world: People are always happy to see this car, whether it's the coupe or the Convertible. With the world premiere of the Beetle Dune at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Volkswagen is giving the public the chance to see a Beetle with a cool offroad look.

The Dune concept shows the potential for a new production version of the sportiest Beetle ever. The concept is painted in 'Arizona', a yellow-orange metallic, with two-part wheelarch extensions that are offset in black. Like the Cross Golf, these extensions are rugged looking elements with a matte finish. There's one subtle difference here, though: integrated on top of the main matte parts are 0.06-inch-thick gloss black 'blades' that appear to hover above the massive wheel housings, because they do not make direct contact. The wheel housings widen the body by 1.1 inches per side to give a total width of 73.4 inches, an increase of 2.2 inches over a stock Beetle. Overall, the Dune has grown compared with the R-Line model on which it is based. The overall length has increased by 0.5 inches to 168.9 inches and the car is both 2.0 inches higher off the ground and 0.8 inches taller.

In keeping with its wider body, the car's front and rear tracks are increased by 1.1 inches at the front and rear to 63.3 and 61.9 inches respectively. As a result of the four-square stance and its reduced wheel travel, the 19-inch wheels and 255/45 tires fill out the wheel housings. Visually, the wheels look similar to the18-inch 'Twister' design with their five aluminum spokes, black-painted inserts, and polished aluminum rims. The VW logo at the center of each wheel is embedded in a three-dimensional housing that's painted in the car's exterior color.

The wheelarch extensions transition into brushed aluminum sill trim panels, between which there's a chrome-plated underbody skidplate. The top part of the sills are painted in high-gloss black and above them are side trim strips, again finished in a high-gloss black, that are reminiscent of the original Beetle's running boards. The distinctive Dune logo, meanwhile, is placed in front of the rear fenders. The bottom of the door mirrors are in black, with the rest of the mirror being vapor-coated in aluminum.

Vital Stats
Engine : 2.0 L., 4-cylinder
Power: 210 hp
Torque: 207 ft-lbs

6-speed DSG
Front-end design: The iconic basic design and Bi-Xenon round headlights were preserved, but the front end's dynamic has been changed by the adoption of a new hood, which has a raised center section flanked by prominent air vents, which have a honeycomb appearance with a central chrome strip.


The front apron, which has also been redesigned, features a large central air intake, a typical design feature of the Volkswagen Cross models. The intake widens towards its bottom edge, highlighting the front end's sporty look: the black honeycomb screen has a chrome-plated surround that morphs into the underbody protection.

To the left and right of the central air intake and the aluminum underbody protection are the foglight housings: trapezoidal in shape, they have gloss black frames and contain innovative LED foglights. Semi-circular, the LED rings have a matte finish, resulting in a uniform light band. Above the rings are three slender cross ribs and a narrow chrome strip that is 0.4-inches high and serves as an LED turn signal.



Rear section: The Beetle Dune demonstrates that it is possible to reverse the design maxim 'form follows function'. This latest iteration of the Beetle would allow someone to escape wintertime by sandboarding in Florence, Oregon or skiing in Aspen, Colorado, depending on your preference. Anywhere skis or snowboards need to be transported, the Dune will happily oblige.



The skis are mounted to the outside of the trunk lid. To do this, the outer parts of the rear spoiler swivel; the skis are then placed in the spoiler, then it is closed to clamp them in place. At the top, the skis slide into a receptacle in the specially developed roof spoiler, where they are secured by an 0.8-inch-wide belt. The roof spoiler is painted in high-gloss black, like the entire surface surrounding the transparent panoramic tilt/slide sunroof. The meticulous attention to detail is also reflected in the skis for the concept car, which are painted in shiny black. The Dune signature and Volkswagen logo are offset in matte black. Even with skis mounted, the trunklid can be opened easily at any time.

The contrasting matte and gloss black theme continues on the rear bumper, with the surfaces around the license plate and the wrap-around extension of the wheelarches being painted in gloss black and the lower part of the bumper in matte black. The chrome-plated underbody protection also functions as a diffuser and integrates the twin tailpipes.

Interior:

The Dune team also revamped the interior, with two particular areas of attention. First, the dashpad—painted in the 'Arizona' exterior color—doesn't have the classic 'kaeferfach' (or Beetle bin) on the passenger side. In this car, it has been replaced by another classic original Beetle feature, a grab handle that features contrasting black soft-touch material with 'Arizona' and aluminum accents.

Second, the entire infotainment system incorporates a digital interface with a high-resolution 7.7-inch touchscreen. An AMOLED (Active Matrix Organic LED) display is used to render extremely fine detail. The digital display of the car's pitch and roll is a tribute to the New Beetle Dune of 2000, which integrated the functions in the main instrumentation.

The Beetle Dune Concept integrates the 'Volkswagen Sideways' app—a program that proactively integrates POI's into the navigation system. For example, the touchscreen not only displays the types and numbers of restaurants nearby, but also whether your friends are there. Upon request, the navigation system can guide the driver and the Dune right to the restaurant. The Sideways app also integrates information such as the weather in the POI instructions, so the driver would not be guided to an outdoor swimming pool in winter, for example.



The seat design is sophisticated and sporty. The outer surfaces of the front sport seats and the two rear seats are upholstered in 'Titan Black' leather, while the center surfaces are made of 'Ceramique' colored 'Gobi' breathable sport fabric. The leather and fabric areas and the front and rear of the head restraints have decorative stitching in the 'Arizona' color



Mechanically, the Dune uses the running gear from the Beetle R-Line. Underhood, there's a 210-hp turbocharged and direct-injection TSI® 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. Combined with a six-speed DSG® dual-clutch automatic transmission, the Beetle Dune has a manufacturer estimated fuel economy rating of 23 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway. The car retains the Beetle's front-wheel-drive layout and strut-type front suspension and multilink rear arrangement. As with all U.S. Beetle R-Line models, the electronic XDS® differential is standard.

About Volkswagen of America, Inc.
 
Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc., an operating unit of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (VWoA) is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. VWoA's operations in the United States include research and development, parts and vehicle processing, parts distribution centers, sales, marketing and service offices, financial service centers, and its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Volkswagen Group is one of the world's largest producers of passenger cars and Europe's largest automaker. VWoA sells the Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Eos, Golf, GTI, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, Passat, CC, Tiguan, and Touareg vehicles through approximately 630 independent U.S. dealers. Visit Volkswagen of America online at www.vw.com or media.vw.com to learn more.


Source - Volkswagen

2015 Volkswagen Golf SportWagen 4Motion Concept


All-wheel-drive TDI® Clean Diesel concept version of VW's popular SportWagen model previews a bigger, more spacious, and more fuel-efficient replacement for the Jetta SportWagen
• Thrifty TDI® Clean Diesel, and 1.8-liter turbocharged Golf SportWagen models will be offered
• Uses the new MQB modular architecture, like the 2015 Golf and Golf GTI
• Golf SportWagen will go on sale in the Ú.S. in the first quarter of 2015
• New SportWagen model is estimated to have fuel economy improvements of up to 17 percent
• New Golf SportWagen offers increased cargo volume, matching compact SUV's for size and versatility

Herndon, VA – Volkswagen of America, Inc. will debut a concept version of the latest SportWagen model that features a 4MOTION® all-wheel drive system and the new EA288 TD®I Clean Diesel engine at the New York Auto Show. The concept previews the all-new Golf SportWagen that goes on sale in early 2015. Based on the new MQB (modular transverse matrix) architecture, the Golf SportWagen will continue the trend introduced by the seventh generation Golf whereby it is lighter, bigger, roomier, more fuel efficient and more powerful than the outgoing SportWagen model.




Thanks to the extensive use of high and ultra-high strength steels, the new SportWagen bodyshell is lighter than the current Jetta SportWagen and offers an enhanced crash structure. Throughout the car, incredible attention to detail has optimized components—such as the seats, air conditioning unit, and even the electrical architecture—to help save weight.




The Golf SportWagen is 1.1 inches longer and 0.7 inches wider than the current SportWagen model. It is also 0.9 inches lower, which benefits both aerodynamic performance and the car's proportions: the CdA number has been reduced by almost 10 percent compared with the previous generation. The interior package has been optimized to give more rear-seat leg- and shoulder room. Although the new SportWagen's overall height was lowered by nearly an inch, front and rear headroom has been improved by 0.4 inches.

The SportWagen has long been a top choice for customers who want a car that's fun to drive and offers a large cargo area that is truly versatile. This new SportWagen is even more appealing, offering nearly 10 percent more cargo room with the rear seats folded than the outgoing model. Essentially, the Golf SportWagen provides a sportier alternative to compact SUV's.




The new SportWagen will be offered with two powertrains. The Golf SportWagen will be powered by a 170 horsepower, 1.8-liter turbocharged and direct-injection four-cylinder TSI® engine, mated to five-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmissions. These powertrains offer manufacturer highway fuel economy that's improved by as much as 17 percent compared to the 2.5-liter Jetta SportWagen.





The TDI Clean Diesel model will be powered by the new EA288 2.0-liter common-rail, turbocharged and direct-injection diesel engine that makes150 horsepower, an improvement of 10 hp over the current SportWagen model. The TDI model will have a choice of six-speed manual or DSG® dual-clutch automatic transmissions.

Design


The design team, led by Walter de Silva (Group Design) and Klaus Bischoff (VW Brand Design), created a timeless and sophisticated new SportWagen, using the principles of Volkswagen's Design DNA. Thanks to the MQB architecture, which dictates a fixed relationship between the front wheel centerline and the pedals, the car's proportions have changed. The front wheels, for example, are now 1.7 inches further forward than on the current SportWagen design. This has created what Bischoff calls ''a cab backward impression'. That's what we call the proportions of premium-class vehicles, where the hood is long and the passenger compartment is a long way towards the back.'




Compared with the previous generation SportWagen, the new car's front end looks completely different, thanks to the way that the hood slopes down into the front fenders instead of the fender peaks being higher than the hood. This new SportWagen features more angular horizontal design cues, with a slender radiator grille.



At the back, the clean surface around the VW badge, the wide rear window, and the geometric taillights are typical SportWagen features, even though the lines are completely different. The tailgate, for instance, allows for a lower load height than before, while the overall effect emphasizes the additional width of the new car.

Features

Along the lines of the new Golf 7, the SportWagen will bring a number of available new features to market including a panoramic sunroof, 12-way power driver's seat, Climatronic® automatic climate control, Bi-Xenon headlights with LED DRLs and the Advanced Front-lighting System, Park Distance Control, and available 18-inch aluminum-alloy wheels.



In addition, the new SportWagen features a new standard driver assistance system called the Automatic Post-Collision Braking System. This system automatically engages the vehicle's brakes after it is involved in a collision in order to help reduce secondary collisions and to help bring the vehicle to a stop. The system is triggered when the airbag sensors detect a primary collision and it is limited to a maximum retardation rate of 0.6g by the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) unit. The driver can effectively override the system at any time; for example, it is disabled if it recognizes that the driver is accelerating. The system is also deactivated if the driver initiates braking at a higher rate than 0.6g.

Source - Volkswagen

Thursday, April 17, 2014

1953 Volkswagen Beetle

1953 Volkswagen Beetle

1953 Volkswagen Beetle

Auction Results: Sold at a price of $24,200

36bhp, 1,192 cc horizontally-opposed air-cooled four-cylinder engine, Solex one-barrel carburetor, four-speed manual gearbox, independent front suspension with transverse torsion bars, rear suspension by swing axles with tailing arms and torsion bars, and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. Wheelbase: 94.5"

This attractive 1953 Volkswagen Beetle shows less than 31,000 kilometers from new, and was formerly part of a German museum collection. Built in June 1953, it is a very early oval-window example and is offered complete with a period correct roof-mounted luggage rack and period luggage, as well as zippered protective luggage covers, known as "travel suits". The car is offered in highly detailed, correct and remarkably original condition. Although the original engine is no longer with the car, it was replaced with a correct, documented unit, featuring correct finishes and labels, as well as the original carburetor tag. The luggage compartment, engine bay and underbody are clean and well detailed, with correct finishes and components throughout.

With just one repaint in its original Sahara Beige in 1997, the Beetle includes European-specification headlights and turn signals, a driver's side rearview mirror, semaphores, the original glass and windshield, "heart" taillights, pop-out rear quarter windows, and two-tone painted steel wheels with bright hubcaps. The original interior retains its excellent, original tan cloth upholstery and headliner, a Petri banjo-type steering wheel, a Blaupunkt multi-band radio, a large dash-mounted speaker and coat hooks with grab handles. The carpeting has been renewed with factory correct square weave carpeting and correct controls and knobs are visible throughout.

In its heyday, the Beetle was praised around the world as a model of affordable yet delightful practicality. This 1200 cc example will continue to receive the highest acclamation wherever it is showcased.

RM Auctions
Automobiles of Amelia Island
March 14, 2009
Website: www.rmauctions.com
Sold at a price of:  $24,200
Lot #: 214

1953 Volkswagen Beetle Additional Pictures

1953 Volkswagen Beetle



1953 Volkswagen Beetle
Source: RM Auctions