Volkswagen has announced that it is offering three all-new 2010 special edition models at its dealer showrooms nationwide.

“Volkswagen constantly looks for ways of providing our customers special limited edition models that provide the opportunity of owning something unique,” said Mark Barnes, Chief Operating Officer, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “The CC R-Line, Jetta TDI Cup Street Edition, and Red Rock Edition New Beetle demonstrate our brands ability to provide our customers something truly special.”

Prices for the 2010 Volkswagen CC R-Line start at $29,590, while the Jetta TDI Cup Street Edition stars at $24,990 and the new 2010 Beetle Red Rock Edition starts at $20,390.

Source: eGMCarTech

Unveiled to the public for the first time at last year's Frankfurt motor show, the Golf R comes with a 270HP 2.0-liter turbo engine and all-wheel drive and is the most powerful and fastest series production Golf ever made. We've already shared with you all the basic details on the new 'R', but today, VW released some new photos of the car shot during the international driving presentation in Ellmau, Austria.

The hottest Golf leaves the 100km/h (62mph) mark behind it in 5.7 seconds when equipped with a manual gearbox, and 5.5 seconds when shifted with VW's optional DSG dual clutch transmission. In both cases top speed is limited to 250km/h or 155 mph.

Source: CarScoop

Sangyup Lee, designer of the acclaimed Chevrolet Camaro, has recently resigned from General Motors to accept a position as Chief Designer of Exterior at the Volkswagen/Audi Advanced studio in California. Lee is scheduled to begin work mid-January 2010, reporting to Jens Manske who was appointed Executive Director earlier this year. His role is to inspire a newly merged Volkswagen and Audi design staff in the Santa Monica studio.

Mr. Lee resigned after 10 years at General Motors. In addition to working in the headquarters at Warren, MI, Lee's tenure included several international assignments: the Camaro production program for Holden, Australia; a joint venture program for Subaru and GM in Japan; and a project between Bertone and GM in Italy where he developed the 2004 Buick Velite Concept car. The latter project established the brand aesthetics of current Buick products.

In early 2005, GM Design held a company wide competition to determine the direction of the Camaro brand. This included the advanced studios in the UK, Australia, Europe, Michigan and California. Tom Peters, Director of Design, was tasked to create a counter proposal, and this is when Studio X was created, and nick-named 'the skunk works'. Peters assigned Lee to the Lead Designer position in this secluded, anti-corporate but vibrant and creative environment. More in the jump!

Lee explained how he and his team entered the competition to design the new Camaro later than the rest of GM design staff: "We had only two months to develop a full-size clay model out of my sketches, and those done by Vladimir Kapitonov and Steve Kim". In the final presentation to Bob Lutz and Ed Welburn, the decision was made to accept the Studio X proposal.

After the Camaro Concept debuted at the 2006 Detroit Auto Show, the car was so well received by the public that Rick Wagoner asked for the car to go into production as quickly as possible. The car was originally based on the Zeta platform, which was developed by Holden.

As Design Manager, Lee was asked to develop the production exterior in Australia over the next year and a half. He gives high praise and credit to the Holden Engineering and Design Team for the success of the program.

Lee is also the exterior designer of the 50th Anniversary Stingray concept, a project that actually started before the Camaro and while Lee had been working on the C6 Corvette.

Before devlving into car design, Lee earned a Bachelor's degree in Fine Art at Hongik University, where he studied sculpture. He later attended the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA, and graduated with honors in 1999. While at Art Center, he had internships at Porsche and Pininfarina, and worked as a contractor at Porsche for approximately six months upon graduation.

Source: Car Design News

Volkswagen announced today that it is extending its Tiguan range with a new special-edition model – the 2010 Tiguan Track & Avenue. The special-edition model includes high-end material touches to its interior with subtle exterior body modifications including 19-inch alloy wheels.

The 2010 Volkswagen Tiguan Track & Avenue will be priced at 2,000 Euros above the base price of the Tiguan and is available in two exterior color options including “Oryx White Pearl Effect” and “Island Grey Pearl Effect”.

Buyers can order the Track & Avenue package on four different engine/transmission combinations.

Source: eGMCarTech

Want to be teased early in the morning? Volkswagen is here to help. The automaker just dropped more than a dozen pictures of the new 2009 Volkswagen Scirocco R to make us jealous since we won’t be getting the sexy hatch in the U.S. anytime soon (if ever).

Source: eGMCarTech

Volkswagen's head of R&D, Ulrich Hackenberg, says he will find out in the next few months if the VW Bluesport roadster will be given the production go-ahead.

“It’s a personal favorite car of mine,” he said at the LA motor show, “and I would expect a final commitment to its future to be made by the VW Group within the next few months.”

If it is given the go-ahead, the VW Bluesport roadster would go on sale within the next three years.

Powered by a transversely mounted 2.0-litre, four-cylinder diesel engine, the VW Concept Bluesport is a sports car designed with current emissions and budget-sensitive times firmly in mind.

With a curb weight of less than 1200kg, the roadster has been conceived to appeal to keen drivers. It’s capable of cracking 62mph from rest in 6.6sec and hitting 140mph flat out. More in the jump..

And yet, thanks to its advanced diesel powertrain and modest weight, the car should also be capable of around 50mpg on the combined cycle and better than 60mpg while touring.

Exhaust emissions should be modest and clean too, with VW’s Blue TDI technology bringing CO2 emissions down to just 113g/km. It should keep NOx and particulates emissions low too.

At just under four meters in length, the VW Concept Bluesport is a little longer than a Lotus Elise, but within centimeters of the British roadster’s width and height. Its diesel engine provides 178bhp and 258lb ft of torque.

The VW Concept Bluesport is fitted with a six-speed DSG gearbox and both auto stop-start and brake energy regeneration, which will also be fitted to the Bluemotion version of the latest Golf. Lightweight construction and aluminium panels contribute to the Bluesport’s low kerb weight.

As is still the norm for roadsters at the affordable end of the market, the Bluesport has a manually operated cloth roof that stows behind the seats.

VW claims that, with 112 litres of storage space in its nose and another 70 in the rear, the car can swallow a weekend’s worth of luggage. Boosting its touring credentials is a 50-litre fuel tank, which gives the car a range of more than 700 miles.

Source: AutoCar

After 11 years in production, the New Beetle will soon find a place in the books of automotive history. To mark the forthcoming end of the current generation New Beetle, Volkswagen announced the launch of a special Final Edition version at the Los Angeles motor show. Available in coupe and convertible forms, the Final Edition models will arrive in U.S. showrooms in the Spring of 2010 with production limited to 1,500 units each.

Both models receive a small number of upgrades and touches that include a special Aquarius Blue paint with a painted black roof on the coupe, and a two-tone Aquarius Blue and Campanella White paint scheme with a white top on the convertible.

The Final Editions also get individually numbered badges, fog lights, a sport suspension and unique 17-inch alloy wheels.

Interior upgrades concern the individually numbered Final Edition steering wheel and in the case of the convertible, a white interior that matches the top.

There are no changes under the hood with both models powered by VW's 150 horsepower 2.5-liter inline five-cylinder gasoline engine matted to a six-speed automatic transmission with Tiptronic.

Source: CarScoop

Underneath its attractive new sheetmetal, the GTI is pretty much the same car as it was before, but a bigger rear antiroll bar effectively eradicates the car's understeer on the racetrack. VW also added so-called XDS programming to the stability control system to mimic a limited-slip differential, helping the GTI put its power down more efficiently. And as good as the GTI is on the road, with crisp steering, a supercommunicative chassis, and a firm but well-damped ride, on the track the car is a revelation.

During our Automobile of the Year and All-Stars evaluation drive program, we drove a rich selection of the hottest new cars for 2010 during a day at GingerMan Raceway in southwest Michigan, including a Chevrolet Camaro SS, a Ford Mustang GT, a Porsche Panamera S, a Jaguar XFR, a BMW Z4, and a Porsche Cayman S. As exhilarating as they all were, the GTI was not in the least bit out of its league as it jostled among them on GingerMan's entertaining road course. Check out the logbook commentary from pit lane: "Remarkably competent on the track," said tech editor Don Sherman. "Superb handling and good feedback," seconded road test coordinator Mike Ofiara, who has a Mark 3 and a Mark 5 GTI at home. "Oodles of fun," enthused contributor Preston Lerner, adding, "front-wheel drive never seemed to be an issue."

Copy editor Rusty Blackwell ordained it "the best slicer and dicer on the market today," while editor-in-chief Jean Jennings succinctly called it "a superb little rocket." Before we hit the track, Cammisa bemoaned the fact that stability control cannot be fully switched off, but even he admitted, at the end of the day, that "it's really a nonissue, as it still lets you get away with murder." Full read at the source...

Source: Automobile Magazine

Volkswagen of America released a sketch of its forthcoming new mid-size sedan, which will be produced at the company’s new plant in Chattanooga, TN. The sedan will be introduced to the market in late 2011. Volkswagen has yet to release the official name of the sedan, which will replace the Passat in the United States.

CEO of Volkswagen Group of America, Stefan Jacoby, said that Volkswagen expects to sell about 100,000 units of the sedan annually. Volkswagen also has plans to export the new U.S. built sedan.

Source: eGMCarTech

Porsche is prepared to share the Panamera and 911 platforms with other Volkswagen Group brands, according to new boss Michael Macht.

Macht said Porsche will pursue co-operative projects now that it
is part of VW. “Porsche needs to become a strong pillar of VW, as well as having its own production and research and development capabilities. It is important to 
use synergies as well as having independence,” he said.

These synergies include Porsche components being offered to sister firms. “The Panamera platform could be used by other brands for models that are in development and at the concept stage,” Macht said.

When asked if the 911 platform was also on the table, Macht said it “could be made available to other VW brands”. But apart from the Cayenne’s V6, Porsche will not use any other VW Group engines. “Engine development is a core value for Porsche,” Macht said.

Source: AutoCar

Volkswagen will make Porsche the 10th brand in its stable with a $5.8 billion acquisition of a 49.9 percent stake in the sports-carmaker. The deal was announced in August, was completed Tuesday, and will end in a complete merger by 2011.

The consummation of the merger is the final chapter in a saga that started when Porsche tried to buy Volkswagen — but was unable to raise the money amid a collapsing global auto market. It's also a larger-scale buyout than VW had been expected to make. Porsche had agreed in August to sell 42 percent of Porsche AG to Volkswagen in a $4.9 billion deal.

The 49 percent stake will be effective by year's end, with the full "integration" of the companies effective in 2011.

To finance the deal, The Wall Street Journal reported today, VW will ask shareholders for the go-ahead to issue some $15 billion in new preferred stock. VW will also reportedly put into motion a $6 billion capital increase in the first half of 2010. The Journal says these plans have "revived speculation" that VW has "set its eyes on further expansion."

Source: InsideLine

Volkswagen probably will drop the Passat sedan and wagon in 2011 when VW's new U.S.-built mid-sized four-door is expected to go on sale.

"We are looking at it in detail," Stefan Jacoby, VW Group of America CEO, said this month at a press event here.

The U.S.-built sedan, which has yet to be named, will be larger than the Passat but priced lower.

"We'll have two sedans coming out at the same time, and the smaller one will cost considerably more than the bigger one," said a VW spokesman.

The Passat sedan is 188.2 inches (4789mm) long. VW has not released dimensions for the new sedan.

VW has said it can afford to price the new sedan lower because it will be built at the new factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Unlike the Passat, it will be less affected by currency exchange rates.

Source: Autoweek

Spotted in the Walmart parking lot. Huh!

In late July Porsche announced Wendelin Wiedeking would be leaving his position as the company's CEO to be replaced by Michael Macht, clearing the way for the supervisory board at Volkswagen to lay the foundation for an integrated company with Porsche under VW leadership. Today that merger has moved forward, and reports indicate the Auto Union name could be revived to brand it.

According to a statement released by the VW Group on the announcement of the acquisition, "The integrated automotive group will be formed from the progressive participation of Volkswagen in Porsche AG and the subsequent merger of Porsche Automobil Holding SE and Volkswagen AG. Porsche will remain an independent company headquartered in Stuttgart."

Today's report re-affirms Porsche's independence, and the Auto Union name is apparently being considered to help preserve the idea that it's not Volkswagen running the whole show.


The Auto Union name was originally given to a merger of four German carmakers - Horch, Audi, DKW and Wanderer - in 1932. The brand went on to fame in motorsports through the 1930s, but was disrupted by World War II, and subsequently went through a number of reformations, eventually ending in a renaming to Audi AG in 1985.

Volkswagen is buying a 49% stake of Porsche AG, the company's sports car business, however, with final valuations to be set on Thursday, reports Automotive News. Qatar, which has recently sought a share of Porsche and VW both, has also been welcomed into the deal as well as a key shareholder.

VW board chairman Martin Winterkorn described the company's plans in July, saying, "Volkswagen and Porsche have excellent know-how at their disposal and can use their resources even more efficiently by combining them. For this reason, we expect additional growth opportunities, safeguarding existing jobs and creating new ones.

"At the same time, we can call on our considerable experience in the integration of proud and successful brands rich in tradition. Like Audi today, Porsche can also continue its independent development under the aegis of Volkswagen and preserve its own identity. We have great respect for the achievements of the Porsche workforce and are convinced that Porsche can enrich the Volkswagen Group – just as Volkswagen can vice versa enrich Porsche.”

The comparison to Audi may be the most apt of all, as it will be the balance between Audi and Porsche in the mass market that will likely shape both brands' future product lineup.

Source: MotorAuthority

Volkswagen is usually known for its simple, basic, iconic styling; the classic Beetle and the previous-generation Jetta are perfect case studies. Which is why the svelte and streamlined CC – known overseas as the Passat CC – has come as a refreshing change of pace for the German automaker. We're not the only ones who think so, either, as the four-door coupe from Wolfsburg has been accumulating design awards the world over.

Adding to the list that already includes the coveted iF Product Design Award and the Australian International Design Award, the Volkswagen CC has now been awarded the prestigious Red Dot Design Award. The prize has bestowed annually since 1955 by the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen, the legendary design museum housed in the reclaimed Zollverein coal mine.