car.kak.net

To mark the annual Wörthersee Show in Austria, Volkswagen has honed the Golf GTI to create a new concept. The aptly named Golf GTI Excessive is formed from a series of small but effective modifications to the vehicle’s running gear to create a sharper, more focussed iteration of the iconic GTI. This comes as a result of firmer springs and dampers and a wider track, requiring the addition of a set of wheelarch extensions each measuring 30 mm. Uprated 370 mm diameter brake discs (310 mm rear) are fitted behind new 19-inch flow-formed BBS motorsport-derived alloy wheels complete with a 35 mm offset fitted with 235/35 ZR19 track-orientated tyres.

(more…)

Volkswagen has unveiled the revised Phaeton at the Beijing Motor Show. Featuring a new look and technologies, the updated Phaeton builds on what is already one of the most advanced and thoroughly engineered cars on the road today. Built in a state of the art transparent factory in Dresden, the new Phaeton features a new face, comprising a pair of bi-xenon headlight units complete with LED running lights and a new grille featuring two pronounced horizontal bars to lend the car a more imposing stance.  Elsewhere, new front wings and a reprofiled bonnet are joined by a revised front bumper, complete with chrome strips and a set of LED foglights.

(more…)

The new Milano Taxi concept has made its debut at the Hanover Trade Show. The concept, finished in the traditional green and black of Milan taxis, is presented as a study into the viability of a mass-market, emission-free taxi powered by an electric motor. The motor, which is capable of generating a peak of 115 PS, is fed through a lithium-ion battery integrated into the underside of the vehicle with a storage capacity of 45 Kilowatt-hours.  This, combined with a kerb weight of 1,500 kg, allows the Milano Taxi concept to travel at speeds of up to 74 mph and up to 186 miles between charges.

(more…)

The new Touran has been unveiled at the Leipzig Motor Show.  Featuring fresh styling, pioneering technology and a range of efficient new petrol and diesel engines, the new Touran is set to build on the strong reputation of the 1.13 million examples of the compact MPV sold across Europeto date. The new Touran features styling that takes inspiration from the design direction established by the Polo, Golf and new Touareg.  The new grille features strong horizontal lines that are replicated in the new front bumper while at the rear, revised tail-lights featuring intricate LED bulbs are fitted along with a new tailgate and bumper.  Completing the revisions are a set of new alloy wheels and chrome-edged rubbing strips running down the side of the vehicle.

(more…)

Volkswagen AG and Volkswagen of America, Inc. are proud to announce that the Polo has been honoured as the 2010 World Car of the Year. With 59 of the top automotive journalists from around the globe judging, the Polo surpassed a total of 29 other nominees. Announced this morning at the New York International Auto Show in New York City’s Jacob Javits Center, the annual World Car of the Year awards recognize the year’s most outstanding vehicles based on merit, value, safety, environmental impact, significance, and emotional appeal.

(more…)

Production of the Volkswagen Transporter van officially started in March 1950 and during the 60 years since then it has become one of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ best-selling models globally, the number one imported van in the UK as well as one of the most iconic and popular vans in the world. With over 10 million produced, the Volkswagen Transporter has evolved through five generations of functional and practical bodystyles, each representing the ultimate multi-purpose vehicle of its time and loved by business and private users alike for transporting goods or people for work or leisure.  This unique heritage is the focus of the current ‘Evolution of Van’ advertising campaign for the new Transporter which was launched in the UK in January.

(more…)

The new Polo GTI has been unveiled, promising to be the fastest, most focussed and cleanest performance Polo yet produced. The original performance variant of the Polo was unveiled in 1986 in the form of the G40 Coupé – a car that mixed a fast-revving, 113 PS, supercharged engine with a low kerbweight and sharpened responses. Fast forward 24 years and the new Polo GTI bears similarities with the G40.  At its heart is a 1.4-litre TSI engine that uses a supercharger from idle through to 3,000 rpm at which point the turbocharger cuts in to provide boost.  The result is an output of 180 PS at 6,200 rpm and 184 lbs ft of torque from 2,000 rpm which, when aligned with a 1,184 kg kerbweight, allows the Polo GTI to accelerate from rest to 62 mph in 6.9 seconds before reaching a top speed of 142 mph.

(more…)

The all-new Touareg has been unveiled – a car which is up to 200 kg lighter and up to 20 per cent more fuel efficient than the model it replaces.  It’s sharper, cleaner and yet, in Hybrid form, able to out-accelerate many hot hatches while returning 34 mpg on the combined cycle.  The new vehicle maintains all the same virtues of space, comfort, refinement and off-road and towing ability that have led the original Touareg to build up a loyal following since its launch in 2003. Clean new styling which draws inspiration from the design direction established by the Golf Mk VI, the new Polo and the New Compact Coupé concept lends the new Touareg greater presence and a lower drag coefficient without sacrificing the functional requirements of short front and rear overhangs for off-roading.

(more…)

Volkswagen has unveiled the New Compact Coupé, a concept that delivers the seemingly contradictory mix of a petrol-engined, practical, performance-orientated coupé with extraordinary economy and sub-100 g/km CO2 emissions. The New Compact Coupé, unveiled for the first time at the 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, is capable of delivering economy and performance at the same time thanks to the adoption of a highly efficient 1.4-litre TSI engine developing 150 PS and 177 lbs ft of torque linked to a seven-speed DSG gearbox and an electric motor powered by a lithium ion battery.  The electric motor, which generates 27 PS, can either work independently of the engine to make the New Compact Coupé a Full Hybrid or in tandem to provide a useful boost for overtaking.

(more…)

From next year, the Volkswagen Scirocco will be available to order with an efficient new entry-level engine.  From 4 January 2010, it will be possible to order the two-door compact coupé with the 1.4-litre TSI 122 PS engine, with prices starting at £18,860 RRP on the road. The 1.4-litre TSI 122 PS unit develops 147 lbs ft of torque channelled via a six-speed manual gearbox, through the front wheels.  Acceleration from 0 to 62 mph takes 9.7 seconds before reaching a top speed of 124 mph. Thanks in part to the engine’s small capacity, the Scirocco returns a healthy combined economy figure of 44.1 mpg and CO2 emissions of 146 g/km, making it the cleanest petrol model in the range.

(more…)