Volkswagen – Page 30 – Automobiles Review

2014 Volkswagen Jetta GLI Edition 30

Volkswagen has presented the new 2014 Jetta GLI Edition 30. The model is specially designed to celebrate the model’s 30^th anniversary in the US.

The exterior boasts a trunk-mounted spoiler, special badging and 18” Laguna-style alloy wheels. There are also some red accents and will be available exclusively in Deep Black Metallic, Pure White, Tornado Red and Reflex Silver Metallic paint.

The interior features V-Tex leatherette seats, also some red accents and contrast stitching. Other highlights include faux carbon fiber trim, special floor mats and “Edition 30” sill plates. There is also a leather steering wheel and an infotainment system with Bluetooth connectivity and SiriusXM satellite radio.

The engine is the well-known 2.0 liter TSI – 210HP (156 kW) and 280Nm (207 lb-ft). It is connected to a 6-speed manual or a dual-clutch automatic transmission.

The Jetta GLI Edition 30 will hit the US market in the beginning of the next year.

Source: Volkswagen

December 19, 2013

Volkswagen CUP Special Editions – Up, Golf, Beetle, Eos, Touran, Tiguan and Sharan

Volkswagen is going to offer CUP Special Edition variants of the Up, Golf, Beetle, Eos, Touran, Tiguan and Sharan. Optionally, the Open Sky or the R-Line Exterior CUP package can be co-opted. For customers, this results in a maximum discount of up to €4,700.

The CUP Special models have in addition special optical elements such as alloy wheels, decor and seat covers on a comprehensive model-dependent equipment package with, for example, the radio Composition Colour or RCD 310 and the air conditioning “Climatronic”. Clearly visible are the new special models of the CUP logo.

There are also two special option packages: Open Sky and the R-Line. The Open Sky packages are adapted model specific for the Golf Cabrio, the Beetle convertible and the Eos. The R-Line Exterior CUP package is available for the Golf, Golf Variant models, Beetle and Beetle Convertible available.

Source: Volkswagen

December 19, 2013

JMS Upgrades For The Common Volkswagen Golf VII

JMS-Volkswagen-Golf-VII-shadow JMS-Volkswagen-Golf-VII-medium Those of you that are stuck with a Golf VII that’s not a GTI or an R will be pleased to know that JMS has this small enhancement pack which might bridge the commons with the performers. Maybe.

It certainly doesn’t sound glamarous. The pack employs a frontlip spoiler “with an integrated diffuser” that is supposed to be screwed and glued on the stock bumper – quite DIY if you as us. There’s also a color-coded diffuser at the back, which again – we suspect – has to be bolted onto the stock rear.

There is, however, the presence of a menacing-looking stainless steel exhaust system with two beautifully rounded 90 mm pipes. You may have also noticed that they sit quite close to the ground. That’s because the Germans at JMS have installed a KW coilover suspension kit which lowers the Golf with 50 mm at the back and 45 mm at the front.

To round things up (no pun intended), JMS have also thrown in four Italian made 1-piece OZ-Racing wheels. The ultralaggeras (super lights) are 8×19 big and wear 225/350-19 tires.

Source: JMS

December 17, 2013

Volvo Tease The Concept XC Coupe Ahead Of NAIAS

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First there was the Volvo Concept Coupé, and it was very good. Now, or in a month or so later, we get to meet the second of three design studies that are based on the Swedish company’s Scalable Product Architecture – it’s the Volvo Concept XC Coupé. Before its world première on the 13th of January at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), here are some pictures and a video to get the main idea behind it.

Volvo say that the purpose of this particular concept is to showcase how the company’s famous safety technology can go hand-in-hand with the contemporary Scandinavian active lifestyle. It’s a Volvo with a ski-box. We see what you did there.

If we have to be honest, the XC looks like an uncanny merging of the Volvo Concept Coupé and the back end of a Volvo C30. It is obviously going to be an SUV-ish type of thing (hence the X in the name). Maybe Volvo also want a piece of the sub-compact pie? We are looking at you, Volkswagen and Audi.

More (if not all) information on the Volvo Concept XC Coupe will be available on the 8th of January.

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httpv://youtu.be/P6cOJxGGuzg

Source: Volvo

December 11, 2013

Audi Show Car At 2014 NAIS In Detroit

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Because the world clearly needs more crossover SUVs, Audi’s setting up the mood for a compact, high ground clearance, sports car. They plan is to fully unveil it at the 2014 North American International Auto Show which will be held next month in Detroit.

It will have two doors only, a “Shooting Brake” body type with a slanting and low roof line, and a pronounced C-pillar. It’s essentially a coupé on steroids. If at this point you are thinking of the Crossblue Coupe from last month, you are on the right track. However, the Audi is going to be 165-inches in length as opposed to the substantially longer VW which measures at 192.5 inches.

Every other aspect, though, sounds mighty familiar: short overhangs, a honeycombed singleframe grille and a “striking side tornado line” to the back.

The sketches suggest humongous wheels, but actually, we should be expecting a 19-inch set which is okay.

Will it actually be capable of going off the road as well as on it? Supposedly, yes. There are massive guards underneath it to keep the boulders out of the engine bay and without a doubt, it will be using Audi’s quattro system has seen decades of development now.

More on Audi’s show in the near future.

Sources: Audi

December 6, 2013

Volkswagen Releases Touareg X Special Edition

The Touareg model was introduced for the first time ten years ago. Since then, 700,000 have been sold around the world. In order to celebrate its anniversary, Volkswagen introduces Touareg X Special Edition models model which will be produced in only 1000 examples and will be based on the TDI Clean Diesel Lux trim.

On the top of the standard Touareg TDI Lux, the X Special Edition adds also 19-inch “Moab” aluminum-alloy wheels, striking Moonlight Blue Pearl paint, LED taillights, and Touareg X-specific badging.

The interior of this SUV features Vienna leather seating surfaces in Black Anthracite and a complementing black headliner. Other accents throughout the interior include Engineered Ebony Wood on the dashboard and doors and a piano black center console. Aluminum door sill scuff plates with front illumination, aluminum-appearance pedal covers, and ambient lighting round off the luxury treatment.

Powered by 3.0-liter turbocharged and direct injection V-6 TDI Clean Diesel engine the Touareg X is effortlessly producing 240 horsepower (177 kW) and a stout 550 Nm (406 lb-ft) of torque. The unit is coupled with an eight-speed automatic transmission which delivers EPA estimated 29 mpg on the highway. As a standard the model is equipped with a 4MOTION all-wheel-drive system is standard.

Furthermore, Touareg X has features a wide range of standard equipment: panoramic powered sunroof, keyless access with push-button start, Bi-Xenon headlights with LED Daytime Running Lights, front fog- and cornering lights, sophisticated RNS 850 navigation system with an eight-inch color touchscreen, 60GB hard drive, and rearview camera, Bluetooth technology, Climatronic dual-zone air conditioning, 12-way powered and heated front seats with driver seat memory and power adjustable lumbar and a leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel.

2014 Volkswagen Touareg X is priced at $56,170 USD.

Source: Volkswagen

December 3, 2013

MTM’s Polo and Audi Lineup at The Essen Motor Show

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From the 30th of November until December the 8th the city of Essen, Germany will become the venue of motoring nirvana. Mostly after market companies will be showcasing their crowning achievements amidst a swirl of classic cars, accessories, tools, racing cars, fuels, lubricants etc.

One of the stands on the Essen Motor Show will be taken up by MTM; and, wouldn’t you know it., we are talking about a yet another road-going Polo R WRC. It’s supposed to have 315 hp (just as much as the rally version) and do 0 to 60 in just above four seconds. In a bid to tame that power, MTM have bolted on their own 4-piston brakes and provided KW absorbers. The car sits on 8 x 18-inch Nardo wheels wearing 215/35 ContiSportContact 5 P tires. Oh, and if you don’t find that enough, they can amp the power up to 380 hp.

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If such “feeble” is not your cup of tea, then move on to the next MTM item – 722 hp Audi RS6 R TFSI 4.0. Sounds ludicrous, but this monstrosity of a car is actually able to put all that power on the road. Its 0 to 60 is deemed insignificant, its 0 to 124 mph is quoted at just below 11 seconds. You’ll eventually hit the limiter at 211 mph. In order to cope with these forces, the MTM Audi RS6 has a few tricks up its sleeve. For starters there are the massive 295/35 ZR 20 Michelin Pilot Supersports. The front brakes are equipped with mtm-defined Brembo monoblovk six-piston callipers and 405 x 36 mm brake discs. As a final party piece, the RS6 employs a custom-made stainless steel exhaust system with flaps in the front and main silencer for those special guttural sounds that will make ears bleed all around. MTM-Audi-S3-BBS-XA-Wheels-medium

There will also be another Audi (MTMs S3) on the stand that will showcase exclusively BBS’s new “XA”-type wheel, with 235/35 ZR 19 Pilot Super Sport tyres – an appropriate complement to a car that can do 60 mph from a standstill in 4.9 seconds and reach 205 mph.

Source: MTM

November 28, 2013

B&B Automobiltechnik Beef Up the Volkswagen Polo R WRC Street

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The Volkswagen Polo R WRC Street is, and there is no other way to put it, a rally car that can do grocery runs. It is truly an exceptional specimen that is limited to only 2500 units worldwide. The one you see here, however, is different from its brothers and sisters. B&B Automobiltechnik have taken up the job of creating something mad from an already mad thing.

Take its 2.0 TSI engine for example. It normally develops 220 hp which is already well above sensible (for an FWD car). The guys at B&B can buff that output up to 362, depending on which stage you want to draw the line. The first stage is a package of performance tweaks that includes ECU modifications and optimization of the air guides and suction paths. That’s how you get 310 hp and 450 Nm of torque. Stage two adds to that a larger front exhaust pipe and the charging air’s pressure gets increased by 0.25 bar – 326 hp and 457 Nm. To get to 362 hp and 510 Nm, stage three consists of a high-pressure fuel pump, a high-performance charging air cooler and a special oil-cooling system.

The suspension, on the other hand, can be treated with a height, compression and rebound-adjustable B&B coilover kit that’s supposed to be perfectly in tune with the VW Polo R WRC; and a set of 20/30 millimeter springs. Cough up a little bit more money and you can get the optional B&B front and rear axle stabilizers.

The final touches on the Polo R concern the exterior – an aerodynamic package brings the Street closer to its prototype, namely the Volkswagen Polo R WRC rally car. Oh, and don’t forget the wheels. We are talking 8×18 inch alloys with tires of 225/35R16 all around. Delicious.

Source: B&B Automobiltechnik

November 26, 2013

Volkswagen CrossBlue Coupe Concept Debuts in US

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Remember Volkswagen’s hunky CrossBlue SUV concept that looked thoroughly American? Well, it will now decorate the German stand at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show, but because this one is a “coupé” it is technically a “U.S. Debut”. Welcome to the Volkswagen CrossBlue Coupé concept – a sleeker, less roomy version of the original. Could this five-seater bring something fresh and exciting to the table?

Here are the basics: 192.5 inches long and 79.3 inches wide and 66.1 inches high, the Coupé features sporty design motives: 22-inch wheels with five V-shaped double spokes, a massive hood, short A-pillars, a long and sloping roof-line, and a swept-back C-pillar. There’s also a fascination with horizontal lines (Volkswagen DNA they say):

“The designers have combined a dominant line—one that starts in the upper area of the rear lights and runs at the height of the door handles—with a second line that begins beneath the rear lights and ends in the front fender.”

Let’s get to the real straight talk though. Because of the MQB platform on which the Coupé is based, pretty much any four- and six-cylinder Volkswagen engine will fit inside. This current concept, however, is a plug-in hybrid with two electric motors and a turbocharged direct-injection (TSI) 295 hp V6 petrol engine. The bottom line is 415 hp of combined power. By default, one also gets Volkswagen’s MQB front suspension and four-link rear suspension; electro-mechanical steering, and a six-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission. Electrically speaking, there’s a 54 hp motor at the front and a 114 hp one at the back, while the li-ion battery pack that powers them can be found in the center tunnel.

Despite its still prominent size, the CrossBlue Coupé manages a 0 to 60 time of just below six seconds and a top speed of 147 mph. Yet, because of all the clever bits underneath, it has a manufacturer estimated combined fuel consumption of 70 MPGe and a “theoretical” range of 570 miles in hybrid mode. The default mode of driving is quoted as “Eco”. It is supposed to cleverly manage the power output from all sources in a bid to achieve an ideal balance of power and efficiency. Want to give it the full beans? Go for the “Sport” button which utilizes everything this SUV holds. Other modes include an all-electric one (the rear electric motor only) that holds for about 13 miles with speed of no more than 75 mph. If you run out of juice, you can switch on the “Charging” mode which sees the V6 TSI engine giving propulsion and charging the battery. Offroad mode is where it get’s complicated. Obviously, it’s an AWD mode but the back wheels are powered by the rear-electric motor, which in turn is being fed with energy from the front motor, which in turn acts as a generator powered by the engine, which in turn also provides power to the front wheels.

Inside, Volkswagen are especially proud of their (horizontal) dasboard that “extends into the side door trims”. For materials, do not expect anything less than soft Nappa leather in outlandish-sounding colors like Authracite Pearl and Asphalto. There are also chrome surfaces, wood accents and Graphite colored Alcantra for the roof pillars and headliner.

Don’t be fooled by all that trendy glamor as this is not your average H&M store. There are also enough gadgets inside to make even the most hardcore techie tingle with excitement. Take the “programmable” instrument cluster for example. Whilst driving in Eco mode the left side of the gauge shows the “Powermeter” and battery status. On the right you get your current speed and fuel level. The center panel can be used to display widgets such as gear selection, driving range, date and time, the weather and navigation data. In “Sport” mode, the left-hand instrument displays torque and battery status within a circling tachometer. The backseat audience also has access to the infotainment/multimedia system through two iPad minis mounted on the back of the two front-seat headrests.

The 10.1-inch touchscreen navigation also tends to adapt in accordance with the current driving mode. In Sport mode all the surrounding buildings represented on the screen are “suppressed” so that the image becomes less busy and thus the focus being on the actual road. Switch to “Eco” mode and the buildings will rise on the horizon Inception-style. (not our simile, VW’s).

There we are then. Expect more excitement starting on the 22th of November within the LA Auto Show, within the Los Angeles Convention center, within Los Angeles.

Source: Volkswagen

November 18, 2013

2013 Volkswagen CC R-Line – Price £29,505

Volkswagen has announced the price list of the 2013 CC R-Line. The R-Line offers even higher level of equipment than standard and GT trims. It also gives the CC a unique styling and appearance.

The R-Line builds on the already generous equipment list of the GT, adding a distinctive R-Line front grille with round fog lights, R-Line front bumper, R-Line logo in the radiator grille, sill extensions, LED daytime running lights and 18″ Mallory alloy wheels. The interior features an R-Line multi-function steering wheel and trim adds a distinctive touch to complete the look. Despite the additional kit, the R-Line commands a premium of just £650 over the equivalent GT, with prices starting at £29,505.

Two engines will be available with R-Line trim – a 2.0 litre 210HP TSI petrol and a 2.0 litre 177HP TDI with BlueMotion Technology which includes battery regeneration and Stop/Start systems. Both engines come with a choice of either a 6-speed manual or smooth-shifting DSG gearbox. The petrol engine returns up to 38.7 mpg UK on the combined cycle, while the manual TDI returns a very frugal 58.9 mpg UK.

The CC R-Line is available to order from Volkswagen Retailers from tomorrow, with first customer deliveries due in late January.

The CC R-Line line-up:

Engine	Price, OTR RRP, £	Combined mpg	CO₂ emissions, g/km
2.0-litre TSI 210 PS 6spd manual	29,505.00	38.7	169
2.0-litre TSI 210 PS 6spd auto DSG	30,905.00	36.7	179
2.0-litre TDI BMT 177 PS 6spd manual	30,045.00	58.9	125
2.0-litre TDI BMT 177 PS 6spd auto DSG	31,520.00	54.3	137

Source: Volkswagen

November 8, 2013

Volkswagen Twin-Up Diesel-Electric Hybrid

Volkswagen has announced the Twin-Up diesel-electric hybrid concept. The super-efficient small car will probably become a production model.

The Twin-Up has two-cylinder 0.8 liter common-rail diesel engine from the XL1 – 47HP (35 kW) and 120Nm (88 lb-ft) of torque. There is also an electric motor with 47HP (35 kW) and 140Nm (103 lb-ft). The combined power is 74HP (55 kW) and 214Nm (158 lb-ft), which is sent to the front axle through a dual-clutch 7-speed gearbox. 0-100 km/h in 15.7 seconds and a top speed of 140 km/h (87 mph) – electronically limited in hybrid mode. Still, this car is not about performance, it is about low fuel consumption – 1.1 liter / 100 km (257 mpg UK or 214 mpg US) with CO2 emissions of only 27 g/km. Furthermore, it has an all-electric range of up to 50 km (31 miles).

The Volkswagen Twin-Up is 1,205 kg (2,656 lbs), which is 410 kg (904 lbs) heavier than the revolutionary XL1. It has an 8.6 kWh battery pack and 33 liters diesel fuel tank, which is 23 liters bigger than the one in the XL1.

The manufacturer has announced plans to show a more production-oriented Twin-Up concept later this month at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show.

Source: Volkswagen

November 7, 2013

STOPTECH Brake System – Volkswagen Golf VII based cars

Stoptech now offers uncompromising big brake systems for Volkswagen Golf VII based cars. Most of Stoptech exchange braking systems have a technical components MOT certificate.

The new STOPTECH One-Piece-BBK-brake offers about 5 meters less of brake path, reached by use of 328 x 25 mm slotted or perforated one piece brake discs, 4-piston fix brake caliper, steel flex pipes and adequate brake pads.

The price for the braking system is €1,490 plus €189 Euro for mounting, including professional running-in.
A test over 10 braking actions of two Golf VII-GTI high performance vehicles, each one with KW coilovers, 19” aluminum rims and equal tires in head-to-head record – the one with serial braking system, the other one with one-piece Stoptech brake – has shown the following measuring results as presented in the following overview for wet and dry lane:

Measuring                  GTI Series                     GTI STOPTECH
1 – cold / wet                 41,20                             38,50
2 – cold / wet                 40,40                             37,60
3 – wet                            38,30                             35,20
4 – wet                            37,10                             34,10
5 – dry                            35,50                             30,20
6 – dry                            34,60                             29,50
7 – dry                            35,20                             29,80
8 – dry                             35,30                            30,00
9 – dry                            35,50                             29,40
10 –dry                           35,60                            29,70
Total average               Q = 36,87                      Q = 32,40

Averaged on wet lane:
GTI serial brake 39,25 m vs. GTI STOPTECH = 36,35 m = 2,90 m less

Averaged on dry lane:
GTI serial brake 35,28 m vs. GTI STOPTECH = 29,76 m = 5,51 m less

In total averaged:
GTI with serial brake 36,87 m vs. GTI STOPTECH = 32,40 m = 4,47 m less of brake path.