Fast vs. Fast - Volkswagen GTI vs. Beat Boxer

This video highlights the 2012 Volkswagen GTI hatchback on a closed course as a driver competes against one of the world's fastest beat boxers, J-Flo. The VW driver of the GTI hatchback has to complete one lap around track before J-Flo completes his tune, Lickety Spit.

Volkswagen named top green brand

Volkswagen, a company that prides itself on its environmental-friendliness, made a list of 2012's best global green brands. 

Auto brands made eight of the top 21 on the list on the Interbrand study. 

VW is No. 4, with Honda, Johnson&Johnson and Toyota in the top three spots. 

Volkswagen officials announced in December that they reached an important milestone as the first U.S. auto manufacturer to obtain LEED Platinum Certification—the nation's top green building standard. 

LEED certification is an internationally recognized green building certification system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council in March of 2000.

At that time, leaders said that they began planning for an environmentally friendly building in the design stages, which helped them achieve the platinum status. He also said it was a cost-effective way to implement the green standards.

LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, provides building owners and operators with a framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.  

The ultra-clean paint shop alone will save 50 million gallons of water in 10 years, leaders said.

The Volkswagen Academy was also certified by the U.S. Green Building Council as a LEED Platinum facility.

According to the Interbrand study, VW wants to be the most sustainable automotive company by 2018. 

The company aims to increase fuel efficiency for every new vehicle generation by 10 to 15 percent, also according to Interbrand. 

VW leaders have said their green efforts go beyond green to blue. "Think Blue" is the name of VW's sustainability program.

Successful heart surgery for VW's "Little Vader" [w/video]

Automotive News reports Max Page, the young actor behind the wildly popular Volkswagen "Little Vader" character, has undergone successful surgery to correct a heart issue. Page was born with a defect called Tetralogoy of Fallot, which can cause low oxygen levels in the blood. Surgeons replaced Page's pulmonary valve in an operation that took around two hours without any complications or incidents. Tetralogy of Fallot is only treatable with surgery, and while doctors had worked to preserve Page's pulmonary valve, it deteriorated over the course of the actor's young life to the point of needing replacement.

The 7-year-old star has already racked up an impressive resume. In addition to his role in the now famous Volkswagen Super Bowl ad, page has also seen screen time on TV shows like "The Young and the Restless" and "Prime Suspect."

Page will recover at Children's Hospital Los Angeles over the next week and is expected to make a full recovery in another six to eight weeks.

Compact Crossovers are on the Rise

Americans don't buy hatchbacks (except for Minis), and Europeans don't understand why not. Western Europe's most popular model is the Volkswagen Golf, with hatchback versions of the Ford Focus, Opel Astra, and Renault Megane among best-sellers. Meanwhile, in the U.S. auto market, the compact crossover/utility vehicle is emerging as midsize family-sedan alternative.

"When they're looking for a car, they start in either the C/D-segment (midsize) or in the compact utilities segment," says Samantha Hoyt, marketing manager for the new Ford Fusion. "We're calling this the supersegment, because people cross-shop these so much. It'll be Camry-Escape, Camry-Fusion, Escape-Accord, that whole CR-V-Escape, they're all shopping each other."

The segment has been around for a long time, with the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, and Ford Escape the dominant models. Bigger families looking for minivan alternatives need three-row crossovers like the Honda Pilot and Chevy Traverse. But the success of the latest Chevy Equinox, for one, has put more attention on the compact CUV. Meanwhile, as it tries to clear dealer lots to make room for its all-new '13 Escape, converged with the European Kuga, Ford has been selling boatloads of the old model. Through last November, it sold 228,719 Escapes to 226,445 Fusions (11-month Focus sales totaled 161,436, a combo of '11 and '12 models).

Is the compact CUV becoming our answer to Europe's compact hatchbacks? While suggested retail prices of the Escape, CR-V, RAV4, and Equinox are higher than their midsize sedan counterparts, like the European hatchbacks, they offer the kind of flexibility for cargo space the sedans cannot match, and FWD versions generally outsell the more-expensive, less fuel-efficient AWD-equipped CUVs. In our new age of frugality and tight credit, American consumers are finding the same kind of one-vehicle-does-all economy in a CUV that Europeans find in a four-door hatchback.

The VW Golf remains Europe's most popular model, with 413,156 sold through October, one month short of the figures above. As these specs show, however, the compact CUV is still large American economy sized next to a compact Euro hatchback.

Saturday Drive: 2012 Volkswagen Golf R

The car: 2012 Volkswagen Golf R

The power: 256 horsepower and 243 pound-feet of torque from a 2.0-liter, turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine that routs power to all four wheels via a six-speed manual transmission.

The speed: 5.7 seconds, according to Road & Track

The bragging rights: Fastest Golf around.

The price: $34,760 for base 2-door; $36,860 for loaded four-door as tested

The details: Sitting at the top of the pile in Volkswagen's Golf lineup, the 2012 R picks up where the previous generation (then known as the R32) left off. The biggest difference is where a 3.2-liter V-6 once sat, a turbocharged inline four-cylinder now resides (hence the loss of the "32" in the R's name). Yet horsepower sneaks up by six while fuel economy hits 19 in the city and 27 on the freeway.

Eagle-eyed fans of the slightly lesser Golf GTI will notice both cars have 2.0-liter, direct-injected, turbocharged engines. But don't think GTI owners can get an R powerplant just by adding a little more turbo boost. The cars don't have the same engine; the one in the R is actually an older unit that VW uses elsewhere in its, and Audi's, product lineup.

All-wheel drive is still standard on the Golf R, coming again from a Haldex clutch pack. In normal operation, the R is essentially a front-wheel drive car. VW says this is for fuel economy's sake, and I can attest to its functionality; on several highway jaunts, I had no trouble averaging above 27 miles per gallon.

Should R drivers run into situations where the front wheels are starting to slip -- and I have a sneaking suspicion they will -- more of the R's torque can be diverted to the rear wheels, up to 100%.

Other mechanical upgrades include brakes that have larger, vented rotors and a steering ratio that's been quickened over the unit used on the GTI.

The aesthetic changes to the Golf R were kept discreet, despite the car's spicy potato status. New, slightly more aggressive front and rear bumpers have been added, as have twin, center-mounted exhaust pipes. Other changes include a unique grille; LED lights; side skirts; a larger rear spoiler; black brake calipers; 18-inch alloy wheels and the odd R logo sprinkled here and there.

Inside, you almost wouldn't know the difference between this car and a GTI. Only the flat-bottomed steering wheel, R-embossed seats, and the blue needles in the instrument cluster say this is the boss Golf.

Other features on my tester included heated leather seats; a touchscreen navigation system; premium audio system; Xenon headlights; moon roof; keyless entry and pushbutton start; and climate control.

The drive: Though it may be powered by an older engine, you wouldn't know it to honk on the Golf R. Your immediate impression is just how smooth this engine -- and, indeed the entire car -- is. Think the Dos Equis guy in Hugh Hefner's grotto.

The engine's smoothness happens no matter how deep into the RPMs you push it; it just keeps smiling back at you and pulling harder. This tendency, combined with a smidge of turbo lag and less than tons of low-end torque, means the car is best enjoyed at high RPMs.

Equally smooth is the six-speed shifter's movements around the H pattern, though pure enjoyment of this gear box was tempered by its lack of precision during shifts.

After a week of testing, including some hard slogging around the canyons of Malibu, the R revealed a balanced nature with a lingering habit of understeer. Adapt to this trait and you can have some real fun tossing the car around tight turns, though the steering could use a whisker of additional feedback. Meanwhile, the R's suspension splits nicely the difference between daily comfort and enthusiastic control, and the brakes stop you with all the alacrity of an electronic dog collar.

As a whole, the Golf R's ethos will likely appeal to a more mature enthusiast looking to avoid the boy-racer persona of stated competitors like Subaru's Impreza WRX STI and Mitsubishi's Evo. Though it can't match those models' direct, manic responsiveness (or their power), the R doesn't seem like it wants to. Instead, it's content to trump them on refinement.

The quieter trim on the inside and outside of the car underscores this, though the heavily bolstered front seats in the R were so fantastic, they'd make drivers of any car jealous.

What no one will envy is the R's cost. Yes, its asking price is about the same as those of the aforementioned competitors. But consider that for about $6,000 less than this Golf R's $36,860 sticker, you get a loaded Golf GTI that's only down 56 horsepower and an all-wheel drive system. The R is certainly a refined, engaging way to go fast AND enjoy daily driving. But a GTI already does that so well, you really have to want those little R badges to justify the extra yogurt.

2012 Southern Worthersee

The sixth annual Southern Worthersee gathering was by far the biggest yet, with 3,800 cars and 8,200 people in attendance. "SoWo" is patterned after the Wörthersee Tour in Reifnitz, Austria, the largest annual gathering of Volkswagen enthusiasts for over twenty years.

We Hear: Next-Gen Volkswagen GTI Gets 260 HP, Trick Front Differential

Volkswagen’s next hot hatch will catch up to the pack…and perhaps then some. New reports suggest the next-gen Volkswagen GTI will pack close to 260 horsepower, along with a sophisticated front differential designed to help handle the power increase.

In the years since the Mark V Volkswagen GTI (2006) debuted, the sub-$30,000 sport compact segment has gotten some serious upgrades. Today’s GTI will have to face off against new competitors like the Hyundai Veloster Turbo (201 hp), Fiat 500 Abarth (160 hp), and Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ (200 hp), and battle old rivals like the Hyundai Genesis Coupe (274 hp), Mazda MX-5 Miata (167 hp), Mini Cooper S (181 hp), Mazdaspeed3 (263 hp), and Subaru WRX (265 hp).

Wading into battle with just 200 horsepower from a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine may not be good enough anymore, so Autocar says that the Mark VII (2013) GTI will pack a 260-horsepower punch. That’s enough to vault right over the Ford Focus ST, the upcoming 247-horsepower hot hatch that’s already aiming to steal the GTI’s lunch. It’s also a healthy 60 horsepower more than before, and 40 more than we previously thought.

Autocar also says that Volkswagen will look to a new type of front differential to keep the power boost from making the GTI too much of a handful. The differential, dubbed VAQ, is an electronically controlled clutch-type unit, and is similar to those employed in a Haldex all-wheel-drive setup in cars like the Golf R.

While the GTI will be based on the same MQB architecture that will underpin the Volkswagen Golf and Audi A3, we also hear that the car will use aluminum, not steel, in the floorpan and roof to keep weight low.

Expect to see the VW Golf and GTI bow at the Paris Motor Show later this year, with an early-2013 sale date, and perhaps a Golf R variant to follow. We can’t wait, but what do you think: Is 260 hp and a trick diff enough to push the GTI to the top of the heap? What does the next GTI need to be a success? Send your thoughts to us in the comments section below.

 

Courtesy of MotorTrend.com

Volkswagen eyes Audi Q5-sized SUV

Volkswagen is keen to add a new midsize SUV to its US range, filling the void between the Volkswagen Tiguan and Volkswagen Touareg.

Volkswagen America CEO Jonathan Browning revealed to the Automotive Press Association that, “There’s a great opportunity for us for a midsize SUV in the US.”

“If you could give it to me tomorrow, I would take it tomorrow,” Browning said.

While a new medium SUV would undoubtedly find a home in the US, it would almost certainly be designed as a global vehicle to be sold throughout Europe and other markets.

Late last year, Volkswagen Group design director Walter de’Silva admitted the brand was looking to expand its SUV range with new models in different segments, potentially including a sub-compact SUV positioned beneath the Tiguan.

The next-generation Tiguan, expected in 2015, is believed to answer criticisms the current car has received for a lack of space. Two variants are believed to be on the table; one with improved space, and one based on the Cross Coupe Concept from the 2011 Tokyo motor show aimed at a younger audience .

With VW Australia currently offering both the compact Tiguan (from $28,490) and the full-size Touareg (from $62,990) the price gap is significant, particularly for those with families. This suggests a Volkswagen medium SUV competitor would be closer in size to the Mazda CX-5 and Honda CR-V but at a premium approaching that of the even the larger and hugely popular Ford Territory starting at $39,990.