Report: VW to release 235-hp 35 Edition GTI to U.S. dealers

Filed under hatchback, Volkswagen 02-06-2011

Does this storyline look familiar? A German or Japanese automaker announces some hot-sounding variant of a vehicle we already love, but then they follow that news up by telling us that the new model won’t be making its way to the U.S. We thought this tired and disappointing plot was once again unfolding with the recent announcement of a Volkswagen 35 Edition GTI, but Car and Driver cites sources who say we’re likely to receive the hot hatch after all.
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Report: Volkswagen Group’s roadster program coming into focus

Filed under Audi, Convertibles, Others, Porsche, Volkswagen 02-06-2011

These days, an auto giant like the Volkswagen Group can hardly justify a new platform unless it can amortize the cost across numerous variants. Fortunately, VW has enough brands in its portfolio to do exactly that.

Just as the same platform underpins the Volkswagen Polo, Audi A1, Skoda Fabia and Seat Ibiza (none of which, of course, are available in North America), and another underpins the Volkswagen Touareg, Audi Q7 and Porsche Cayenne, so will the company’s next mid-engine roadster platform be distributed into numerous models across the corporate tree. The project has been several years in the making, but as development speeds towards production, Autocar has some details on what to expect.
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Report: Volkswagen Tiguan to be built in North America?

Filed under Others, Volkswagen 31-05-2011

 

Volkswagen is reportedly seriously considering moving production of its compact Tiguan crossover to this side of the pond in an effort to cut costs. If the Tiguan moves to North America, it will likely be built alongside the Jetta and Passat. By moving production of the small CUV here, Volkswagen would cut down on shipping and labor costs, as well as put its plants closer to some parts suppliers. Read More »


Report: Volkswagen WRC program to lead to street-legal Polo R?

Filed under hatchback, Others, Volkswagen 18-05-2011

It’s been an on-again, off-again affair with rumors of a possible R version of the Volkswagen Polo. But according to the latest from the Old World, things are looking up for the prospective pocket rocket. Read More »


Pics Aplenty: 2012 Volkswagen Golf Cabrio gets flirty with its top

Filed under Convertibles, Volkswagen 04-05-2011

Have you been dying to pour through images of the all-new 2012 Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet? Good news, everyone Volkswagen fans! The automaker has just released this mega-gallery of its all-new drop-top.

It’s certainly a handsome little convertible, this Golf, but right now there’s only enough room in the United States for one redesigned Volkswagen with a disappearing roof. The U.S. has been designated an Eos-only country for the time being, meaning our high-res image gallery is the closest you’ll get to ever seeing one of these cuties in person.

To the Point: The new Golf Cabriolet
Put the car roof down and bring on the summer!
New Golf Cabriolet debuts with classic soft top

Golf’s top opens fully automatically (standard) in just 9.0 seconds
Versatile Golf Cabriolet designed for all 4 seasons

Wolfsburg / St. Tropez, 02 May 2011 – Put the car roof down and bring on the summer! Now, it will once again be: Put the Golf’s roof down and bring on the summer. Because Volkswagen is introducing a new generation of its open air bestseller to the cities, streets and beaches. It offers all the advantages of a Golf – the most successful car in the world. And one more advantage as well: the soft top opens fully automatically in 9.0 seconds, and this can be done while driving up to 30 km/h. And what happens in autumn when the Golf top is closed and summer is over? The answer is clear: the four-seat Volkswagen is a versatile, year-round cabriolet thanks to its practical traits and the sophisticated design of its soft top. And that’s how it has always been.

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Besturn B30 looks remarkably current for a 30-year-old VW Jetta

Filed under China, Others, Volkswagen 18-04-2011

From the outside, China’s upcoming Besturn B30 looks like an appropriately modern, cheap, and cheerful econocar. Under the modern skin, though, lurks the skeleton of the second-generation Volkswagen Jetta. That’s right, China’s newest widely-affordable small sedan is little more than a rebodied 30-year-old German sedan.
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Porsche Boxster + vintage Volkswagen Bug = Bugster

Filed under Coupes, Others, Porsche, Volkswagen 05-04-2011

This is a melding of two seemingly very different cars we can get behind. The melding of one car’s running gear and another’s body isn’t a new practice, but so often it turns out terribly. Need an example? Check out the dozens of F-Body Chevrolet Camaro coupes with 4×4 running gear that haunt the depths of the world’s internet forums.

This isn’t a hack job, this is is the sort of hybrid we can throw our enthusiastic support behind. The body started life atop a humble 1973 Volkswagen Beetle chassis, while the running gear saw duty under a 2000 Porsche Boxster convertible’s skin. The car was created by Siegfried Rudolf, who owns CarMaxx, an Austrian company that restores and customizes Porsche and Volkswagen cars.
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