Miniature collectable models for the VW Campervan

VW Campervan continues to have a fan following, so does the English rock band “The Who”. German manufacturers Wiking and Schuco decided to bring both on the same platform in the shape of the “Magic Bus”. The bus will have two variants, a larger one with only 1000 pieces, built to 1:43 on the scale. The smaller model will be on the scale of 1:87.


These would make great Christmas presents, but if you had the larger model in mind, you’re out of luck. It won’t reach the market till February 2009. But if you are thinking of the smaller model, go ahead and buy it from Volkswagen dealership store where it will be available December 15 onwards.

2009 Volkswagen Tiguan

Volkswagen Australia has completed the Tiguan range by launching two petrol variants to complement the existing Tiguan TDI which has been available since May.

 The new range puts the Tiguan at a remarkably low starting price of just $33,990,  making Volkswagen a serious contender in the Compact SUV segment in Australia.

To give you a brief overview, both the petrol and diesel variants come with either six-speed manual and automatic transmissions, plus standard equipment across the range includes VWs 4MOTION all-wheel-drive system.

Safety is taken care of by six airbags and Electronic Stabilisation Program (ESP) as standard, this results in a EuroNCAP five-star safety rating.

Other standard features include alloy wheels, roof rails, cruise control and multi-function steering wheel. Options range from Park Assist technology, an electrically operated panoramic glass sunroof and Volkswagen’s new RNS510 satellite navigation system with Rear View Camera (RVCPlus).
The new variants now mean three engine specifications are available, two petrol with TSI technology (125kW and 147kW) and one TDI (103kW).

Volkswagen Scirocco R

The hottest-ever Scirocco has just blown in - and it should go down a storm when it comes to the UK in 2010!

Volkswagen wowed visitors to Italy's Bologna Motor Show with this striking concept car, called the Studie R. Auto Express can now reveal that it previews a new performance flagship Scirocco which will rival Ford's Focus RS, and is effectively a roadgoing version of the GT24 racer.

When the model joins the line-up, it's likely to be badged R20T - as Auto Express revealedin Issue 1,041. It will come with a 2.0-litre TFSI turbocharged petrol engine,giving 262bhp.
This powerplant has been shoehorned into the Studie R, andis a development of the current Audi S3's unit. It promises to shave about a second off the Audi's 0-62mph time, giving a figure of around six seconds. The VW Group's dual-clutch DSG box is also likely to feature.

The Studie R's racing genes are much in evidence, with sports suspension, four-pot brake calipers and what VW says is a 'sound-optimised' exhaust system. If this makes it to the production version of the car, your neighbours will certainly hear you coming!
To appeal to showgoers at Bologna, VW added red and green flashes to the sparkling white paint job,making up the Italian tricolour flag.

The Studie R also gets a sporty bodykit, while a deep front splitter incorporates three large air inlet openings to cool the brakes and engine. This is also designed to minimise the aerodynamic lift of the front axle. Further intakes feature in the car's bonnet.

At the back, there's a large integrated rear wing, as well as a diffuser in the lower section of the bumper. These combine to reduce lift at the rear axle and keep the Scirocco firmly planted on the road.
New side skirts and a set of highly polished 19-inch alloy wheels, each with five sets of triple spokes, provide the car with a dramatic profile.Inside, there's softblack Nappa leather onthe steering wheel, front armrest, gearlever trim and floor mat, with white stitching to reflect the exterior colour.
The Recaro racing seats are also upholstered with a carbon-look deep blackhide, finished off with white leather piping. More carbon fibre appears throughout the cabin, while there's a set of special aluminium pedals, too.

Volkswagen is playing its cards close to its chest with regard to pricing, although UK buyers can expect to pay around £25,000 when the car arrives in showrooms.

Top five VW execs earn combined $32 million, give 10% to charity

Martin Winterkorn, along with four other VW board members, earned a combined €25 million ($32 million) last year.

Five board members of the Volkswagen Group are donating a total of €2.5 million ($3.2 million) of their personal income to a German charity, 10% of their combined total income for the year. While currently American carmakers are under fire for excessive executive remuneration, the five VW board members, which includes CEO Martin Winterkorn, made a total of €25 million ($32 million) last year.

The €2.5 million will be given to the Bürgerstiftung Wolfsburg charity, which was set up in early 2007. Located in Wolfsburg, where VW is headquartered, the civic foundation fosters charitable social and cultural projects, with a special focus on supporting children.

The large executive payouts were largely a result of VW's share price spiking in Germany. In late October of this year, VW’s stock briefly touched €1,005 ($1,261), making the company the most valuable in the world at roughly €295 billion, or $369 billion, temporarily exceeding Exxon-Mobil's $343 billion market capitalization at that point.

In early October, VW's share value had risen by almost 55% to give the firm the largest market value of any carmaker in the world at $127.5 billion, exceeding even Toyota's valuation by about $3 billion. The large share price rises also saw Porsche post record profits as it had begun to amass large amounts of VW stock as a precursor to its takeover of the German manufacturer. For the financial year ending July 2008, Porsche recorded a profit of €8.57 billion ($10.9 billion) – a 46% rise on last year’s result.

Passat TSI EcoFuel sedan concept unveiled at Bologna

Volkswagen has unveiled another variant of the Passat TSI EcoFuel, in the form of a sedan unveiled at the Bologna Motor Show. Using natural gas as the primary fuel, the vehicle’s 1.4-l TSI engine can generate 150 PS of power and 220 Nm of torque, both translate into impressive figures for a car running on natural gas. The car takes 9.7 seconds to reach the 100 kmph mark, and can go all the way to a top speed of 210kmph.

To accommodate the changes that came in with using natural gas as fuel, the valves, pistons and piston rings were reinforced and the turbocharger was made smaller. A new control module was developed to oversee the switching between modes.

The car requires about 4.38 kg of natural gas to cover 100 km, carrying the gas in stored in tanks under the vehicle floor, which can hold 22 kg of gas. A 31-liter gasoline tank is also provided, and once full, the vehicle can cover 900 km, of which 500 km can come from running on natural gas alone.
Volkswagen plans to introduce this range in the market early next year, with a six-speed manual transmission, and an optional seven-speed DSG.

Courtesy: Volkswagen

Volkswagen Robust Pickup spied

While the new Volkswagen Robust may have already made its unofficial debut as the Search and Rescue ‘Pickup’ concept, engineers are still adding the final finishing touches to the production model before its release.

Despite the fact these spy images were captured in the US, industry insiders speculate that it won’t be sold in the North American market - or perhaps even Europe.

Instead the new Robust - which should adopt a new name for its production debut, is expected to be sold in Latin American markets and in very low volume across Europe.

This is supported by the fact that all production is anticipated to take place in Pacheco, Argentina rather than VW’s local Hannover operations in Germany.

Volkswagen is expected to make roughly 90,000 examples of the Robust annually, maintaining strong speculation that it will eventually be sold locally here in Australia.

Volkswagen i-car concept is high on imagination

The Volkswagen i-car concept is a design entry that studies what the future of Volkswagen may look like. Integrated in the concept are designs that actually have been considered for future cars since long: AI, interactive communication with the driver and the surroundings. An interesting and unique concept, offers the driver to customize the “face” of the car, as in wallpapers on computers and emoticons.

The concept has a variable geometry, allowing it to contract when in traffic, and spreading out for greater speeds in open areas. Frontal portion of the concept has been designed for enhanced safety, but looking at the position of wheels and the cockpit, it seems the designer didn’t give any thought to lateral or back-end collisions.

Via: Cardesign.ru [Machine Translated]

Volkswagen Golf used for spit-roasting a lamb

 

To many Eastern Europeans, the only way to enjoy barbecue is the tradition of spit-roasting a lamb. You might not like it, but if you're Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Bulgarian or Lithuanian, spit roasting is one of the most delicious meals. Bosnian's roast lambs are often part of many celebrations. This photo was taken a few days ago in Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
 

To spit-roast a lamb the guys on the photo have come up with this unusual idea. Rotating the lamb on the spit for some people is very boring. You have to sit by the hot fire and rotate the lamb on spit for almost 4 hours. So, these guys decided to use a 12 volt car battery to power a small motor which then rotates the lambs on the spit.

The car they used is the second generation Volkswagen Golf, still one of the most popular cars in Bosnia where Volkswagen has always had the reputation for solid built-quality and reliable engineering.

Ten Cars That Looked Better Before Their Makeovers

Caption:

LINCOLN NAVIGATOR

Last Generation: 2003 - 2006
Current Generation: 2007 - Present

It's no secret that the chrome-happy electric razor schnoz of the Navigator has not made friends within the automotive media. The simpler, more polished look of the previous Navigator wasn’t subtle, but it was a great deal classier on a vehicle that was one of the pioneers of the full-size luxury SUV segment.

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BMW 5-SERIES

Last Generation: 1996 - 2003
Current Generation: 2004 - Present

When Chris Bangle took his designer's pen to the 5-Series for 2004, it stirred a lot of mixed emotions amongst the automotive media, with some outlets even proclaiming it as the ugliest 5-Series ever made. Many of Bangle’s design cues (first seen in the 7-Series) have been showing up in other brands, however, so perhaps he’s having the last laugh. Still, as the 1996-2003 was one of the most balanced sedan designs we’ve yet seen, we’re not buying any of it.

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INFINITI FX

Last Generation: 2003 - 2008
Current Generation: 2009

The former FX was a bold statement for Infiniti: a crossover vehicle skewed toward high performance and high art at the expense of outright functionality. The new FX still carries that theme, but the new front end’s contrived grille and awkward headlamps has lost the clean look that made the first FX so popular.

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DODGE VIPER

Last Generation: 1996 - 2002
Current Generation: 2008 - Present

We know, we know, we technically skipped a generation, but the styling of that particular model was hardly changed when the 2008 Viper made its debut. Although it's a bit hard to tell in pictures, older models were more aggressive and less bulbous. Although still attractive, the new Viper's styling is a bit too soft and rounded-- it simply doesn't look as raw or cutthroat as its predecessor.

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SAAB 9-5

Last Generation: 1997 - 2005
Current Generation: 2006 - Present

While the original Saab 9-5 was a simple case of evolutionary design, the current 9-5 looks like a bad bit of rhinoplasty has been grafted onto an older car (which it has). The chrome surrounds on the headlamps and the grille look out of place, and the front overhang looks far more pronounced than its predecessor, giving the 9-5 an oddly nose-heavy look.

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CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE

Last Generation: 2004 - 2007
Current Generation: 2008 - Present

While we wouldn't hand out any design awards to the last-generation Chrysler Sebring Convertible, the current model's front and rear ends look like they were designed in two completely different rooms. The 2004-2007 iteration may have been less imaginative, but it looked more balanced. While the sedan bodystyle won’t win any awards, the big raspberry is reserved for the convertible model, whose lengthy rear proportions and awkward trunk lid shut-line make it look like a quasi-pickup from some angles.

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NISSAN MURANO

Last Generation: 2003 - 2007
Current Generation: 2008 - Present

Among the NextAutos staff, putting the Murano on this list was a really tough sell for at least a couple of us. Still, the detractors won out, claiming that the first-generation Murano's shape was boldly rounded and wholly original, while the styling of the new Murano seems overwrought, especially in the headlight/grille area.

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ACURA TL

Last Generation: 2004 - 2008
Current Generation: 2009

A lot of controversy has been stirred over the contrasting chevron grille that Acura has put on most of its new models, and while the last-gen TL wasn't necessarily a huge step forward in sporty expression, we prefer its cleaner lines and less-contrived aesthetic.

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VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

Last Generation: 1999 - 2004
Current Generation: 2005 - Present

While the last-generation Jetta’s simple forms, clean bodysides and rounded wheel arches screamed class-above European refinement, the current Jetta was a step in the wrong direction. The chrome grille, larger proportions, and bloated design even strikes us as a bit derivative-Japanese from certain vantage points.

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SCION xB

Last Generation: 2004 - 2007
Current Generation: 2008 - Present

The original Scion xB had an iconic cubist design that really helped kickstart the Scion brand in America. But when the new, bubbly, bulgy, blind-spotty xB debuted for 2008, Scion started to lose sales traction in the U.S., while resale value on the original xBox continues to be the stuff of owner dreams. Coincidence?

Most of the time, when an automaker completely overhauls one of their models, it's a good step forward for not only the car, but for the brand it represents. However, there are other times where the design teams make some questionable decisions and the new products end up looking worse than their predecessors.

Thus, we present our list of ten cars that, from a design standpoint, we think looked better in their previous generation. Scroll through our gallery to see all of the contenders, and leave a comment with any cars that you think we may have missed, and/or maligned.

VW Bus with Porsche Turbo Engine

What if your Porsche 911 just doesn’t have enough leg room for you, your kids, and some groceries? But you still like getting around to your errands lighting turbo quick. Well if you have lots of money and I do mean lots, you can get the best of both worlds. TH Automobile will take a VW bus and swap a 3.6L turbo Porsche engine and also throw in an AWD system from the 996 all for $213,300. All these upgrades will allow you to get those groceries from 0-62 MPH in 5.2 seconds. Then if I understand it correctly for some extra money they will even throw another engine up front. I know after reading this your next question is “What if I want to transport something larger?” Well they also have you covered with a 4 door flat bed version for only $249,200.

Something tells me money would be better spend buying one 911 turbo and one VW bus and just switch between them. But I guess if you have the amount of money to seriously considered buying this, then the last thing on your mind is frugal spending.

Volkswagen’s newest green car!

EcoFactor: Volkswagen’s most fuel efficient and cleanest version.

Volkswagen is known for producing some of the best cars in the world. The newest concept car to make its debut is the Golf BlueMotion, which is also known as the most fuel efficient and cleanest version of all. Apart from the stunning looks, this automobile is also extremely fuel efficient.

The fuel consumption on this car has been reduced by a full 0.6 litres compared to the original model. Similarly, CO2 emissions have been reduced from 135 g/km to 119 g/km. The car also has a 1.6-litre TDI common rail diesel engine that kicks out 105 horses along with the 184 lbs ft of torque which has already achieved recognition as an efficient engine at a low 2,000 rpm. To ensure that the TDI engine still gets enough cooling air, the Golf BlueMotion has an effective dual fan. The car also relies on light-running tires optimized for rolling resistance.

The base price of the Golf BlueMotion Trendline is 20,615 euros. Thus, purchasing the Golf BlueMotion pays off because of its reasonable price, high efficiency and most importantly, for being eco-friendly.

Dark Side:
The Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion is wisely crafted, but the only minute drawback is that the car is still in the conceptual stage. The automobile will be available in the UK market in the coming months, but will take quite some time before it gets launched worldwide!

Via: The Scoop

VW busts 74mpg with Bluemotion Golf concept

VW is launching a new Golf that hits dizzy heights of fuel economy. The Bluemotion Golf concept goes on-sale mid 2009 and should clock a stonking 74.3mpg, better than the Prius and VW's existing Bluemotion Polo.

The current Bluemotion Golf already manages a respectable 62.8mpg, but VW says it's bumped the economy of the new model through low resistance tyres, new gearing and other efficiency tweaks. It'll pack a 1.6 litre diesel engine and do 0-60 in 11.3 seconds. Pricing is to be confirmed.
If you're after a green VW right now, check out our reviews of the Bluemotion Polo and Bluemotion Passat.

The new Bluemotion Golf Concept's rated at 99g CO2 per km

VW Caddy Topos Sail Concept Features A Wooden Deck Up Top

I enjoy a slick looking concept car as much as the next guy, even though most concept vehicles are nothing but over-designed eye candy that I really couldn’t see myself driving. But leave it to Volkswagen to come up with a concept that’s more utilitarian than easy on the eyes. Unveiled at the recreational and commercial vehicle show in Düsseldorf, Germany, the VW Caddy Topos Sail concept features an actual wooden boat deck built in to the roof. The Topos Sail is based on the smallest model in the VW commercial van fleet, and besides the real wooden decking it also features aluminum safety rails running along the sides of the roof, flip-up panels that serve as back rests and a matching wood and aluminum ladder built in to the tailgate. Perfect for those days when the local beach or park is too crowded to find a place to have a picnic or just lounge about.

[ Autoblog - Lounge on deck of VW Caddy Topos Sail Concept ]

T-6: A Volkswagen for the future brings office to wheels!

There are many concept cars that are out there which claim that they are the future of automobile world and each of them makes a valid claim for the title. The T-6 Volkswagen Concept is something that takes technology of the future and puts it in a design of the future. The T-6 is a brilliant design that was conceived by the designer Alexander Zhukovsky as it amalgamates a wonderful external structure with beautiful and astonishing interiors.

The shape of “T-6″ is an attempt to bind functional demands of a modern society with new technologies (technical advances) and aesthetic tendencies of a new millennium. “T-6” is a mobile office, which combines the functions of a working place with comfort of a business-class car. “T-6″ is a mobile office, which combines the functions of a working place with comfort of a business-class car. The main morphological constituents of this concept are two cylinders, connected with a transformable section in the form of a hinge. The wheels are removed onto the periphery of the car body and revolve around the two cylinders. Such assembling in “T-6” made possible to save enough space in order to expand significantly the passenger compartment.

Now to get in a car one doesn’t experience any discomfort with high thresholds. The peculiarity of “T-6” is that it enables one to work on his own and can turn the car saloon into a conference-space if required. It makes possible to organize business meetings both when driving and when standing in traffic jams. Besides “T-6″ is equipped with all the necessary things for conducting presentations. A transformable monitor is mounted into the ceiling. While the concept is great I really dread the thought of my office following me on wheels!

Via: cardesign