Volkswagen News
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Volkswagen and Romain Dumas achieved a tremendous feat when they teamed up to set a new record at the Pikes Peak Hill Climb in late June with a run of 7:57.148. While we all eagerly await footage taken from the cockpit of the electric ID R race car, for now, we can appreciate the run via aerial footage. It's not really settling, though, because this is tremendous video. While the action on the ground is amazing, we can't help but come away wildly impressed with the work of the helicopter pilot and camera operator. Tracking the VW ID R on the hill must have been tough work considering how...
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VW's MOIA mobility group wants to take on Uber and Lyft
The Volkswagen Group has lagged behind in the mobility segment, but the automaker jumped in with both feet in 2016 with the launch of the MOIA mobility unit, which last December rolled out an electric ride-sharing concept. But VW doesn't want MOIA to just provide ride-sharing and carpooling...
Sean Szymkowski -
Former Audi and Porsche exec Wolfgang Hatz released from jail
Veteran Volkswagen Group engineer Wolfgang Hatz has been released after nine months in jail after providing $3.5 million in bail money, German prosecutors have confirmed. He was arrested last September during investigations into the VW Group's diesel scandal. Although he is yet to be charged, the...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
VW, suppliers form alliance to help standardize self-driving car tech
As numerous automakers and technology companies continue to race toward the commercialization of self-driving cars, some fear a lack of standardization will harm innovation. The Volkswagen Group and a number of suppliers hope to remedy that with a new alliance. Called the Networking for Autonomous...
Sean Szymkowski -
Ford and VW Group explore potential of joint vehicle development
Ford and the Volkswagen Group announced last week plans to discuss various partnerships, including the joint development of vehicles. The two auto giants specifically mentioned joint development of a range of commercial vehicles, which has led to rumors that next-generation versions of the Ford...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Why VW tackled and shattered Pikes Peak electrically
For want of a $12.24 ball joint in 1987, Volkswagen might not be here. That year, the twin-engine, 652-horsepower Golf driven by Jochi Kleint broke a front ball joint a mere three turns from the finish line, therein sowing the seed of revenge. So, if not for that bit of bad luck, VW might not have...
Jim Resnick -
Solid-state batteries have the potential to realize a major step up in performance and safety of electric cars, which is why every major automaker worth its salt is investigating the technology. The latest to make its endevors known is the Volkswagen Group, which on Thursday announced a $100 million investment in Silicon Valley battery research company QuantumScape and the formation of a joint venture whose aim is to commercialize solid-state batteries. In a statement, the VW Group said it aims to start production of solid-state batteries by 2025. Rival auto giant Toyota last December said it...
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VW ID R electric racer smashes Pikes Peak record
Volkswagen has done it. The German automaker's ID R electric race car has not only broken the record for electric cars in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, it's also broken the record for all classes by setting a blistering time of 7:57.148 during the 2018 running held on Sunday. The...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
VW to tackle Bonneville speed record with 2019 Jetta
Volkswagen will take on the Bonneville Salt Flats this August with a specially prepared version of its redesigned 2019 Jetta. The car's mission? Break the current speed record for the class. VW said Friday that its compact sedan will compete in the Southern California Timing Association’s...
Sean Szymkowski -
VW details the engineering behind charging ID R Pikes Peak racer
Volkswagen will attempt to set a new record at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb for the electric-car class with the ID R electric racer on June 24. But even before the car hits the course, an incredible amount of planning has gone into ensuring the ID R is a has every chance to compete...
Sean Szymkowski -
Meet the crazy twin-engine Golf that VW used for its last Pikes Peak attempt
It might look like nothing more than a Golf that's been prepped for motorsport duty, but this VW packs a twin-engined, high-altitude secret. The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is a torturous test of man and machine. Today, the route to the top is fully paved but it wasn't always that way...
Jeff Glucker -
VW to use quantum computing to develop tailored batteries for its EVs
Volkswagen says quantum computers may help the company develop batteries customized to future electric vehicles, the German automaker said June 8. The news last week came after VW announced a partnership with Google over quantum computing last November. The automaker said it planned to develop the...
Sean Szymkowski -
Paramount Pictures on Tuesday released the first trailer for the new Transformers spinoff movie “Bumblebee.” Heading to cinemas this Christmas, the movie, as its name suggests, focuses on the Autobot character Bumblebee. It's set in the year 1987 and gives some backstory on what Bumblebee was up to prior to meeting Sam Witwicky in the first of the Transformers live-action movies. This time around, Bumblebee's vehicle mode is an original Volkswagen Beetle, just like in the cartoons. His voice is still missing and he sports a number of scars from some unseen battle. In the trailer...
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Volkswagen ID R hits Pikes Peak for first test run
Volkswagen's lightweight electric racer, the ID R, has taken to Pikes Peak for its first test run. VW announced on Friday that the ID R had taken to the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb for test runs ahead of the 2018 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on June 24. Behind the wheel is Romain...
Sean Szymkowski -
Will the next VW Golf R dish out 400 horsepower?
Volkswagen is hard at work prepping the MkVIII Golf, which should arrive sometime in the next year or so. That also means we'll have a fresh take on the GTI and the hot hatch Golf R. It seems, however, that VW is eager to turn the Golf R from a hot hatch into a scorching one. And by scorching, we...
Jeff Glucker -
Volkswagen goes lightweight with the I.D. R Pikes Peak electric race car
Aerodynamics and power are two very important focus points for any race car. Another is dropping as much weight as possible. If you have a vehicle that doesn't weigh much, offers substantial power, and grips the road, then you have a recipe for success come race day. Volkswagen is hoping it's...
Jeff Glucker -
Report: Apple to use VW vans for first self-driving service
Apple and the Volkswagen Group have reportedly forged a deal that will see VW's Transporter van, the modern version of the iconic Microbus, used by Apple for its first self-driving service. The news was reported on Wednesday by The New York Times which cited people familiar with the project. The...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
VW commits to new Americas Rallycross series
Volkswagen has thrown its support behind the newly minted Americas Rallycross series (ARX) and announced it will enter the competition with its Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross team, which previously participated in the now-defunct Red Bull Global Rallycross (GRC) series. Returning Volkswagen drivers...
Sean Szymkowski -
Volkswagen's Golf-sized electric hatchback due in 2020 will closely resemble the show car that previewed it: the ID concept rolled out in 2016 at the Paris auto show. The information was revealed by VW brand design boss Klaus Bischoff in an interview with Autocar published Tuesday. “The proportions, the design cues and the wheel size are the same as the concept,” he said. “It looks like the show car.” It won't be an exact match, he stressed, explaining that regular side mirrors will replace the camera-based system of the concept due to legal reasons, and that regular...
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Volkswagen chases extreme downforce for its ID R Pikes Peak racer
Volkswagen returns to the the International Pikes Peak Hill Climb on June 24, and the German automaker is going high-tech with its new race car, the ID R. This all-electric race car packs plenty of power to help it silently scoot to the mountain's 14,115-foot summit. However, as this video shows...
Jeff Glucker -
Volkswagen bringing enthusiast-focused concepts to US car shows
Volkswagen has prepared a traveling circus packed with five intriguing enthusiast-focused models. Each one has been prepared with a different sort of automotive fan in mind. These five models make up the bulk of VW's current lineup, and you can get your eyes on all of them if you live near one of...
Jeff Glucker -
2018 Volkswagen California first drive review: forbidden fruit you can live in
Our ideal garage is full of weird French hatchbacks, Japanese kei cars, German wagons, and Volkswagen vans. But as North Americans, we’re stuck admiring these wondrous oddities from afar. Aside from the tragic Volkswagen Routan, the U.S. hasn't seen a new VW van since the Eurovan disappeared...
Brandon Turkus -
290-horsepower VW Golf GTI TCR road car previewed by concept
Volkswagen's Golf GTI race car developed for the TCR International Series is about to spawn a road-going version. To be called the Golf GTI TCR, VW previewed the new range-topping GTI with a thinly veiled concept version on Thursday at the 2018 Wörthersee Tour, a tuning fest with a focus on...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
VW premieres a pair of Golf concepts for Wörthersee
Wörthrsee is mecca for Volkswagen enthusiasts. Every year, VW fans flock to Lake Wörthersee to share their love and appreciation for the brand. Volkswagen lets its hair down a bit here and offers up some delightful concept vehicles. A number of these cars are designed and built by VW...
Jeff Glucker