Volkswagen GTI as Car of the Year
February 14, 2010
Congratulations 2010 Volkswagen Golf GTI: Canada loves you. VW’s lovable little pocket rocket has been named the car of the year by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada. AJAC chose the GTI over nine other vehicles in the “best new” category, giving VW’s compact corner-cutter another feather in its cap. The AJAC car of the year award is determined by 70 journalists who judge 20 parameters and a reported total of “46,000 pieces of data in all.”
AJAC Car of the Year Chair Richard Russell seems fairly smitten with how the association chooses the winners of its awards. The AJAC press release quotes Russell as saying “by constantly adjusting the program and testing procedures to reflect what is important to Canadian consumers, we feel we have a more thorough, unbiased and meaningful award than any other.” Big words, those.
John White, President and CEO, Volkswagen Group Canada calls the GTI the “heart and soul of Volkswagen,” and added that the honor “represents the culmination of the hard work on the part of everyone in the Volkswagen Brand around the world.” The GTI won Automobile Car of the Year back in November; the same award the magazine awarded the car back in 2007 with the same powertrain and hard points.
MTM turns up the wick on Volkswagen GTI and GTD
February 13, 2010
Filed under: Aftermarket, Hatchback, Volkswagen
MTM has completed two more versions of the Volkswagen Golf, and with the pleasant power increases come what appear to be pleasant prices. The petrol-powered Golf GTI gets a maximum of 310 horses and 302 pound-feet of torque if you opt for the ultimate stage of tune. That gives it 40 more hp and 44 more lb-ft than the Golf R, plus the same 0-to-60 time, in a package that costs thousands less.
The GTD gets bumps of 35 hp and 22 lb-ft, with a sprint to 62 mph that shaves 0.7 seconds. MTM lists the price for the upgrades as just €800 ($1,086 U.S.), only it hasn’t said which upgrade that price applies to. Have a look at the company’s press release after the jump and a gander at the cars themselves in the high-res gallery below.
Gallery: MTM Golf GTI and GTD
[Source: MTM]
Continue reading MTM turns up the wick on Volkswagen GTI and GTD
MTM turns up the wick on Volkswagen GTI and GTD originally appeared on VW Top News on Sat, 13 Feb 2010 16:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
What would a new VW Corrado look like? Patrick Moczarsky thinks he knows…
February 12, 2010
Filed under: Concept Cars, Classics, Coupe, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Volkswagen, Design/Style
Just about every Volkswagen aficionado who knows the Corrado has thoughts about the chunky coupe. Introduced in 1988 to replace the aging-yet-still-cool Scirocco, VW first “full-blooded sports car” went nuts with tech and equally nuts with pricing. The Corrado’s VR6 engine and speed-reactive rear spoiler couldn’t get people past the steep cost of entry, and the car was dead six years later.
The car still maintains a strong cult following, however, which is why graphic designer Patrick Moczarsky has envisioned what a new Corrado would look like, even though VW itself has released a new version of its predecessor, the Scirocco. The original car isn’t a bad looker, which is why we aren’t surprised that Moczarsky’s concept looks almost exactly like the new VW corporate face on an old Corrado body. Moczarsky’s other nod to the original: this one is also described as “expensive.” Follow the jump for his thoughts on the car, and have a look at it in serial and tuned form in the gallery of high-res photos below. Just for fun, we’ve also embedded a bonus video of a VW Corrado G60 ad circa 1988, so be sure to check that out as well.
[Source: Miranda Media]
Continue reading What would a new VW Corrado look like? Patrick Moczarsky thinks he knows…
What would a new VW Corrado look like? Patrick Moczarsky thinks he knows… originally appeared on VW Top News on Fri, 12 Feb 2010 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
2011 Volkswagen Touareg
February 10, 2010
Filed under: Hybrid, SUV, Volkswagen, Diesel
We weren’t expecting to see the new second generation Volkswagen Touareg until the beginning of March at the Geneva Motor Show, but VW rolled out its big SUV at an event in Munich earlier today. The basic shape and proportions of the exterior haven’t changed much, but the body sides are now more sculpted than before, making it a bit more planted and – dare we say – sporty. At the front the Touareg has picked up the new horizontal VW family face that debuted on the latest Golf and Polo, finally discarding the more vertical and heavily chromed fascia of the original.
Fuel efficiency was of paramount importance in the redesign, and weight reduction plays an a key role. The original Touareg was always porky for its size, so VW put the ‘ute on a diet and the new base Touareg is now nearly 460 pounds lighter than its predecessor. Of course, a weight loss program only gets you so far, so the powertrains needed an upgrade too.
The new Touareg brings with it Volkswagen’s first ever mass produced hybrid drivetrain. The hybrid combines the VW Group’s supercharged and direct injected 3.0-liter V6 with an electric motor and an eight-speed automatic transmission. The Touareg hybrid gets a combined rating of 28.6 mpg (U.S.) on the EU cycle, a number that will probably be closer to 24-25 when it arrives Stateside. The diesel powered TDI does even better now with a rating of 31.8 mpg (U.S.). The Touareg is also available with a normally aspirated 3.6-liter gasoline V6 and for the first time the awesome 335 horsepower 4.2-liter TDI V8. Even the diesel V8 is rated at 25.8 mpg (U.S.). Unfortunately Americans won’t be able to get that powerplant.
All the engines are mated with an eight-speed automatic transmission as standard equipment, a first for the class. Overall the new Touareg is about 20% more efficient than before and 80% more handsome. See for yourself in the gallery below and hit the jump for the press release and three videos of the all-new Touareg.
Gallery: 2011 Volkswagen Touareg
[Source: Volkswagen]
Continue reading Officially Official: 2011 Volkswagen Touareg [w/videos]
Officially Official: 2011 Volkswagen Touareg [w/videos] originally appeared on VW Top News on Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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