VW
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The global economic crisis has taken its toll on virtually every major carmaker around the globe but the effects have varied significantly between firms. General Motors’ financial predicament has been well documented, with the ailing Detroit carmaker teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. Toyota, too, has been hit hard by the crisis, with the usually unstoppable Japanese carmaker expecting its first loss this year after nearly seven decades of profit. Toyota announced last month that it has forecast a $4.95 billion loss for the past year – down from an $18.9 billion net profit the...
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VW considering ‘Bluesport’ efficient performance range
Lowering emissions and reducing fuel consumption has become a major goal for most major carmakers but the fact of the matter remains that the objective is being encouraged largely because of strict regulations imposed by government organizations rather than what consumers are actually demanding...
Kenneth Hall -
Caractere joins growing list of Scirocco tuners
The Volkswagen Scirocco is proving to be popular with tuners, with German performance shop Caractere also releasing its own hotted-up version of the svelte sports coupe. Caractere’s work on German cars has been well documented, especially some of its creations based on much more expensive...
Alex Kaufmann -
Volkswagen shows off 71mpg Polo BlueMotion concept car
Volkswagen is set to expand its BlueMotion range of fuel misers with the launch of a new version based on the recently revealed fifth-generation Polo hatchback. While the Polo BlueMotion isn’t due to hit the streets until next year, a concept version of the car has made an appearance at...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Porsche sales hit hard by economic crisis, Boxster fares worst
Porsche, the once unassailable leader in the sports car segment, has proven that it is not completely shielded from the current economic crisis sweeping the globe. In an official statement, Porsche has revealed that the first six-months of the 2008/2009 financial year have not exactly been smooth...
Jeremy Weber -
Audi: we will beat Mercedes and BMW in Europe by 2010
The bosses at Audi are gunning for their German rivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz, announcing this weekend a goal to sell more cars than either in Europe by 2010. Audi's continental domination will be followed soon after by the Volkswagen Group's rise to the number one spot in the world, if the company...
Nelson Ireson -
The new Mark VI Volkswagen Golf may not look much different from its predecessor, but VW is already working on offering a range of accessories to help spice the new car up and make it unique for each owner. To that end, it has released images of its new Sport & Design appearance options today. Two different sets of alloy wheels are available, one a five-spoke the other featuring five sets of triple spokes. Both sets are finished in Brilliant Silver color, and are available in 17in (split-spoke) and 18in (solid spoke) sizes. A Topaz Sterling silver optional color is also available for the 18in...
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Volkswagen and Toshiba working together on electric vehicles
Tesla's Roadster and Model S have garnered much of the hybrid and electric press of late, though new entries from Ford and Honda have also gathered some attention. Now Volkswagen is looking to share in the spotlight, announcing the signing of a letter of intent with Toshiba for cooperation on the...
Nelson Ireson -
Sportec joins growing list of Scirocco tuners with new SC 350
The Volkswagen Scirocco is proving to be popular with tuners, with famed Swiss performance shop Sportec also releasing its own hotted-up version of the svelte sports coupe. Sportec’s work on German cars has been well documented, especially some of its more outrageous creations based on much...
Alex Kaufmann -
Porsche sales fall sharply, profits still expected to rise
Porsche, coming off record sales and profits last financial year, has announced that for the first six months of the current year of business the company has experienced a 27.3% decrease in sales to approximately 34,000 units. Citing the downturn in the global economy as the key factor behind the...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Volkswagen claims first and second place at 2009 Dakar Rally
Volkswagen has taken the top two spots at this year’s Dakar Rally, which incidentally was hosted in South America due to terrorist threats in the event’s usual homeland of Northern Africa. This year also saw a diesel vehicle take victory in the automobile class for the first time in the...
Alex Kaufmann -
VW Bluesport could go to production if approved by Audi, Porsche
Moving forward with production of even the most interesting designs is difficult work in today's economic climate. Volkswagen's Bluesport roadster, for instance, was well-received at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, but it won't see production unless both Audi and Porsche agree to build versions of the...
Nelson Ireson -
The small-car surge in the U.S. was cut short in 2008 when once-high fuel prices dropped as suddenly as they'd risen, but the future of the market seems clear: prices will rise again, and small cars will be the best solution. To that end, Volkswagen now appears to be contemplating bringing the Polo to the U.S. to help meet the expected demand. VW's current smallest car in the U.S. is the Rabbit (Golf to the rest of the world), which sits around the middle of VW's global range. The smaller Polo could offer even smaller and more efficient engines, which could help bring a new premium entry to...
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Volkswagen execs hint at production possibility for Bluesport concept
Volkswagen has made no secret of its desire to revive the compact roadster market with numerous concept cars over the last decade. The most recent of these was the Bluesport roadster that was unveiled this week at the Detroit Auto Show. The latest design takes the compact roadster concept to a new...
Alex Kaufmann -
Preview: Next-generation Volkswagen Touareg SUV
The Volkswagen Touareg has achieved only modest sales since its launch in 2003, mostly because of its lack of seven-seater capability and premium price tag compared with many of its Japanese rivals. The second-generation model is now in the works and will hopefully address many of the issues of the...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Volkswagen sues California Lamborghini dealer for theft of $12 million in cars
Volkswagen has filed a lawsuit against Lamborghini Orange County for what it terms 'outright theft' of $12 million worth of Lamborghini vehicles. The dealership, owned by Vik Keuylian and his sisters Asdghig, Nora and Sossi, hasn't yet responded publicly to the accusations. The suit stems from the...
Nelson Ireson -
Volkswagen rolls out Touareg Lux Limited and V6 TDI SUVs at Detroit Auto Show
Diesels are quickly joining hybrids and plug-in electrics as the new show-car theme. The reasons are simple: efficiency, both in terms of fuel and finance, is driving carmakers and consumers to give diesel-fueled vehicles another chance. In keeping with this, Volkswagen is once again showcasing its...
Alex Kaufmann -
Porsche determined to acquire 75% stake in VW
Earlier this week we saw Porsche finally acquire a majority stake in the Volkswagen Group, with its direct ownership in the German giant moving up to 50.76%. While Porsche is no rush to increase its holding, the sports carmaker has confirmed that it is still planning to raise its holding to 75%. A...
Alex Kaufmann -
Yet another chapter of the Porsche-VW takeover saga has unfolded today as Porsche has finally pushed its holding in VW over 50%. Porsche has held an interest of 74.1% in combined stock and options in VW since late last year, but was waiting on more favorable economic conditions to further increase its stake. With the new acquisition of shares, Porsche's direct ownership in VW now totals 50.76%. Porsche acquired its majority by purchasing another $8.49 billion worth of VW stock. Even though the expenditure is large, it's about 25% of what it would have been late last year when a confluence of...
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VW and Porsche reach union agreement
The tension that has cast a backlight on the Porsche-VW acquisition found a particular intensity in the fight for seats on the joint works council. The board that represents the labor interests at the Porsche Automobil conglomerate will now have half its seats reserved for VW representatives, and...
Nelson Ireson -
VW adds 4MOTION AWD to Mark VI Golf
The Mark VI Volkswagen Golf is now available with the Wolfburg company's 4MOTION all-wheel-drive system, which has been added to the lineup as an option on the 2.0L TDI model. While usually the 4MOTION system is found in performance oriented models such as the Golf R32 and Golf GTI, adding the AWD...
Alex Kaufmann -
Top five VW execs earn combined $32 million, give 10% to charity
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...
Alex Kaufmann -
Volkswagen Scirocco Cup race car revealed in China
As U.S. and European car sales plummet, developing brand recognition and loyalty in the so-called developing markets of China, South America and Russia is becoming more and more important. To that end, Volkswagen is planning a six-event spec race series in China for 2009, and the company has now...
Alex Kaufmann -
JE Design takes on the VW Scirocco coupe
The Volkswagen Scirocco is proving to be popular with tuners, with famed German performance shop JE Design also releasing its own hotted-up version of the svelte sports coupe. JE Design’s work on German cars has been well documented, especially some of its more outrageous creations based on...
Alex Kaufmann