The world would be considerably less entertaining if we could all predict the future. Even so, the classic car gurus at Hagerty Insurance have cast a few chicken bones in an attempt to figure out which vehicles produced today might eventually turn collectible.
The company restricted entrants to hardware with a price tag of less than $100,000, so the list isn’t populated with too many wild exotics. While vehicles like the Nissan GT-R Black Edition, Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca Edition, Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and Porsche 911 are low-hanging fruit, the list also featured a few surprises. Read More »
Volkswagen has confirmed to Autoblog that the oil-burning 2013 Beetle TDI will make its public debut at the Chicago Auto Show next month.
No specific details have been released at this time, but you can bet that the automaker’s slick 2.0-liter turbo-diesel four will be underhood. In the Golf, Jetta and Passat, the mill kicks out 140 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque, and both six-speed manual and DSG transmissions will likely be available. This engine is already good for as high as 43 miles per gallon highway in the Passat (and we’ve routinely hit as high as 50 mpg in our long-term Jetta TDI), so we expect exceptional fuel economy out of the diesel Bug, as well.
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A Black Knight stalks the ramparts of corporate castles, he carries a shield decorated with a wreath of beans, he swings a double-edged spreadsheet and he rides a terrifying black mare called The Bottom Line. His name is The Business Case and if a new report from Autocar is accurate, he’s done his foul work again, this time dealing another blow to the already-long-delayed Volkswagen Bluesport Roadster. Even though the engineering work for the two-seater convertible is reportedly finished, it appears no one can come up with a way to support the necessary sales projections of 50,000 units annually.
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The Volkswagen R performance sub-brand isn’t just a niche cog in the massive machine known as the Volkswagen Auto Group. If R GmbH’s heads are to be believed, it’s an instrumental component of the German automaker’s push to offer something for everyone. And after speaking with the two men shepherding R into the future, it appears that good things are on the way.
With the Golf R set to go on sale in the U.S. early next year and R-branded performance parts already proliferating throughout VW’s core products, Ulrich Riestenpatt gt. Richter, R’s Executive Director, and Dr. Hendrik Muth, R’s marketing head, are looking to the future. Fortunately, they were thoughtful enough to provide Autoblog with a small glimpse into what’s on the way.
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We may have to wait a while for Volkswagen to release a Polo R – in fact it may never reach American showrooms at all – but as a stopgap measure VW has released a pair of R-Line packages for its diminutive hatchback that at least make it look the part.
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We’ve never won a free car, but we bet it would be one helluva good feeling. But waiting a year for that very new ride? That has to be plenty painful. A year has passed since Oprah gave away 275 2012 Volkswagen Beetle models during her final “Favorite Things” episode, but those audience members didn’t drive off the lot with their new ride. Since the Beetle was still a year away from production, audience members didn’t even get to see what their new car looked like.
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Typically an automaker releases information on its latest concept cars in the days and weeks running up to the auto show where it’s set to be unveiled. But when we got to Frankfurt this year, Volkswagen had a few surprises up its sleeve that were neither previewed beforehand nor unveiled at the VW Group event the night before the Messe opened its doors to the gathered press.
Not only did Volkswagen unveil the new production Up! city car, it also showcased a whole mess of Up-based concept cars as well. Included on the company’s sprawling show stand were the Up! Azzurra, the Cross Up!, GT Up!, Eco Up!, e-Up! and this, the Buggy Up!, which the German automaker has just now detailed to satisfy your curiosity.
Drawing its inspiration from the iconic Meyers Manx and other such Beetle-based beach buggies, the Buggy Up! concept takes the new urban hatchback’s mechanical bits and covers them in a new shape that has no doors. Instead, there’s a waterproof cockpit with two neoprene bucket seats, drain holes, a grab-handle for the passenger, a removable infotainment module and a fabric roof. The hatchback, meanwhile, has been replaced with a trunklid that splits to fold up and down for easy access.
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