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Volkswagen Concept BlueSport

Volkswagen's Concept BlueSport should go a long way towards making the term "diesel performance" a household name. While it might seem to be an oxymoron to some, seeing it at the Detroit Auto Show, we can tell you that if it reaches production, everyone will be a believer. While officially just a concept for now (and the interior is a dead giveaway this isn't production-ready), the two-door roadster sports a 2.0-liter turbodiesel four mounted amidships. It puts out 180 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque and pushes just 2,600 pounds via a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Expect a 0-60 of 6.2 seconds and a top speed of 140, all while returning about 35 mpg on the European cycle and upwards of 62 mpg in "Eco" mode.

The BlueSport might look a lot like an Audi TT with a Scirocco nose, but unlike its corporate sibling, the mid-engine layout provides a 45:55 front-to-rear weight distribution. It's also a tidy package at just over 13 feet in length, with a 96-inch wheelbase, a front track of 58.5 inches and a rear track of 60 inches. So it's about the same size as the TT, but in reverse. In person it seems much smaller than the Audi and reminds us of the Porsche Boxster more than anything, which isn't a bad thing. Stylist Walter da Silva explained his design inspiration in great detail for the assembled masses, unfortunately he did it in Italian, without subtitles, so we have no idea what he said. We did understand what Volkswagen Chairman Martin Winterkorn said, and that was that VW is officially committed to growth with cars that will continue to offer maximum excitement with minimum consumption, and the BlueSport is a perfect example of that philosophy. We say build it and bring it, ASAP. Hit the jump for all the details in the pres release.

Volkswagen Bluesport

The term "diesel performance" is an oxymoron to the majority of the public, but if the Volkswagen Bluesport makes it to production, these two diametrically-opposed words could have new meaning.

Later today at the Detroit Auto Show, Volkswagen will take the wraps off the Bluesport concept, a two-door roadster packing a mid-mounted 2.0-liter turbodiesel four putting out 180 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. With around 2,600 pounds to motivate the Bluesport, VW estimates a run from 0 to 60 in 6.2 seconds, a top speed of 140 and, just as importantly, 35 mpg on the European cycle. UPDATE: According to official numbers from VW, we're actually talking an amazing 57 mpg in Eco mode.

The power from the mid-mounted diesel will be sent to a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox mounted closer to the front of the car and resulting in a 45:55 front-to-rear weight distribution. The overall length is just over 13 feet, with a wheelbase of 96 inches, a front track 58.5 inches and a rear track of 60 inches. Two storage areas - one frunk and another mounted behind the engine - result in 182 liters of cargo area.

It's a compelling package that we're looking forward to scooping out in person. Check back this afternoon for more.

[Sources: Auto Motor und Sport, MotorAuthority]

Volkswagen Polo GTI in our hi-res image gallery

VW Race Touareg 2

This is Volkswagens entrant in this weekend's Baja 1000: a spaceframe-chassis Touareg TDI with 75 cm of suspension travel competing in the top-dog Trophy Truck class and utilizing an oil-burning V12 with nearly 550 hp. That's a long way from the first VW win in 1967 that came courtesy of a VW Beetle converted into one of the soon-to-be-ubiquitous dune monsters. Driver Mark Miller won the Baja 500 last year in the first Race Touareg. Aided by helicopters and eight support vehicles, we'll find out on Sunday if he and navigator Ryan Arciero can take The Big One this year.

A gent named Chris at VW of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, just received the order guide for the Touareg V6 TDI, and the numbers reveal that it will arrive on our shores in January with a base price of $42,800, or $43,490 with the destination charge. That base price is $3,500 more than the Touareg V6 FSI, money that will get you slightly less horsepower but about 150 lb-ft. more torque and about 4.5 more mpg. Options include the Luxury Package for $2,700, Tech Package for $3,350, and Luxury Plus for $5,400. If you want to do something with your Touareg other than go get hotdogs, the rear locking diff is $700, a trailer hitch runs you $500, and you can throw in the silkiness that is the four-corner air suspension for $2,750. There's no word yet on invoice pricing, and it will be interesting to see if people stump up for the premium without getting huge deals on the lot.

[Source: Club Touareg]

Click above to watch video after the jump

Jetta:

factory Bluetooth added as option

touchscreen NAV optional on SE models

power recline seats for passenger and driver

2 limited editions models to be released in 09 (2.0T sport and TDI cup)

EOS:

factory Bluetooth added as option

Passat:

End of production: WK 51/08 for Sedan only


CC :

factory Bluetooth added as option


Tiguan
two tone interior available on SE


Source: VWvortex

When designing a retro-style automobile like the revived MINI, Mustang or VW Beetle, the first generation is the easy one. The second go-round, on the other hand, is a tougher nut to crack, and the easy thing to do is to maintain the status quo. Volkswagen did just that when it revised its New Beetle back in 2006, but the third-generation of today's Bug is expected to ratchet things up a bit design-wise. We're expecting something more mature, perhaps along the lines of the Ragster concept from 2005, which emphasized its low-slung bodywork with a chopped top reminiscent of the Porsche Speedster. Flashier lights and more angular sheetmetal are also distinct possibilities.

Whatever the case, it won't be an easy redesign. VeeDub could stay the course by keeping the cute and charming nature of the current New Beetle intact or it could spice things up with something much more sporty. Could the German automaker do both? That's an option for the future, and current rumors indicate that VW has considered at least two separate Beetle models, one based on the Golf and another using the underpinnings from the yet-to-be-released Up! microcar. The current state of the economy, though, makes a plan like that much less likely to bear fruit.

[Source: Car Magazine]

It was only a matter of time before the Audi and VW specialists over at MTM got their hands on a Scirocco. The results are what we would expect from the German tuner: up to 272 horsepower, a sporty suspension, better brakes, and handsome 19- or 20-inch wheels wrapped in Michelin tires. The boost in power comes from a re-mapped ECU combined with a new exhaust system that runs out of a modified rear fascia. The upgraded suspension system includes lowering springs and sport-tuned shocks, and the brakes come with eight-piston calipers with up to 15-inch discs. Full details in the press release after the jump.

Anyone paying attention to the world economy shouldn't be surprised to hear that Volkswagen is the latest company to feel some financial discomfort. Automotive News cites Automobilwoche, which says about 2,000 VW managers will meet Thursday in Dresden with CEO Martin Winterkorn to discuss the company's future plans.

A source tells the German magazine that several things are on the agenda. Production cuts are almost a given and plans for future models are not safe. Automobilwoche specifically mentions the plant currently being built in Chattanooga as one that will be under review.

Hopefully this is not the end of the on again/off again U.S.-bound Scirocco or the Mk VI GTI we were looking forward to. But don't get your hopes up for that mid-engined roadster debuting in Detroit.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req. via Automobilwoche]

The Passat CC has received an outstanding customer reception here in the U.S. so Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn is urging his team to move the Passat facelift to next year instead of 2010 - a total redesign of the Passat has been brought forward from 2014 to 2012 according to CAR.

Don't expect any radical changes to the facelift for the Passat. According to CAR, the facelift for the sedan will features a lot less chrome, new headlamps, a new front and rear bumper and a lot more technological features. However, CAR says that the redesigned 2012 Volkswagen Passat will be so radical that it will make us think twice about buying a BMW 3-Series or an Audi A4.

A more powerful 204-hp 2.0 TDI diesel is in the works for the European market and we wouldn't cancel any plans for it to make it to the U.S. since Volkswagen is already considering a diesel Passat CC for the U.S.  Passat will never go the V8 route so don't expect the current V6 lineup to change much either.

The 2012 Volkswagen Passat will make its world debut in early 2011.

Volkswagen's new Scirocco is rapidly becoming a popular canvas for customizing, and Wolfsburg itself is getting into the act. The Bologna Motor Show has been graced with the Scirocco Study R, which could be a preview of a production version called the Scirocco R20T. The Study R is a derivation of the ideas laid down by the GT24 race concept, with a sneery front end and a wing out back. The Study R is more understated in white with subdued striping, red mirrors and a nostriled hood. Power is provided by a 2.0 liter TFSI engine that twirls the cogs in a six-speed DSG gearbox. Suspension and braking systems have also been tweaked to deliver on the image's sporty promise, and a less restrictive exhaust offers some bark to underscore the bite. With the death of the R32, Volkswagen might bring the R20T to the North American market, and if it's anything like the Study R, we'll be saying R-thirty-who?

[Source: Motor Authority]