For reasons unknown Volkswagen Media Services have loaded 18 new images of their stunning 195kW Scirocco R. There’s no press release, just the images you see here. But, who are we to argue. The rest of the images are after the jump. To view wallpaper friendly 2000px super images simply click on the pics you like and voila!
For more on the Scirocco R check out what the reviews are saying.
Good news for Golf nuts, LED rear lights can soon be yours. According to the release below they will soon be fitted as standard equipment on the Golf R. Buyers of the GTI and GTD models will also be able to option the LEDs, first seen on the Wörthersee GTI, for €350.
As well as looking good, the LED tails illuminate 0.2 seconds quicker than regular incandescent lights. According to Volkswagen’s boffins, at a speed of 100km/h this could mean saving over 5 metres in braking distance.
Also available are bi-xenon headlights with dynamic cornering light. Yeah, the lights take a sneak peak around corners for you. I’ve used a similar system in an Audi a year or two back and it can be a very useful feature. Although, mostly, you don’t really notice they’re doing anything different to conventional headlights. Will be interesting to see if this later generation has improved. Costing a hefty €1295, let’s hope so.
Australian availability of these items hasn’t been announced yet, but one would expect the changes to filter through sooner, rather than later.
Volkswagen and Suzuki have begun a bit of a love-in. Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn probably explains it best, “Two of the world’s leading car makers are joining forces and preparing to meet the growing challenges that lie ahead. Together we can maximize our opportunities for growth. We are proud to be cooperating with such an esteemed and valued partner.”
In financial terms the partnership will see Volkswagen purchase 19.9% of Suzuki. In return, Suzuki will use up to half of the received funds to buy shares in Volkswagen. I’m sure that makes sense to greater financial minds than mine.
In production terms, well, nothing concrete is given away in the statement below, but expect the two companies to work together on producing cheap fuel efficient entry-level cars, with low CO2 emissions, for the developing world.
Two statements are available after the break, the first one from Suzuki, the second from Volkswagen.
Volkswagen’s new one-tonne light commercial foray, the Amarok, is still a couple of months away from its official launch. However, James Stanford from Australian website GoAuto has been given some time behind the wheel of a pre-production model while in Argentina. Here’s a few of his initial thoughts:
“Volkswagen appears to have nailed its first attempt at a workhorse one-tonner ute.”
“It is a far more comfortable vehicle to operate than any other workhorse ute on the market today and also introduces new safety features to the class.”
“Its smaller and more efficient diesel engine is also a highlight.”
It wasn’t all beer and skittles though, with criticisms reserved for some equipment issues and several queries remaining that will need to be solved once the production models are released. Make sure you follow the link below to read the full article.
Of interest, too, is the news that the Amarok will also be available with a simple tray top, replacing the familar tub shown in the photos to date.
[Source: GoAuto]
Towards the end of October Volkswagen announced it intended to finalise a 49.9% stake in Porsche by year’s end. This deal was confirmed overnight and Volkswagen are licking their lips at the thought of controlling the world’s most profitable car maker.
A full statement from Volkswagen AG can be read below, but here’s a small teaser, “The combination of the two companies follows a compelling strategic, industrial and financial logic.”
The release continues, “With a return on sales of 10.3 percent, Porsche AG is the world’s most profitable automobile manufacturer. Volkswagen will in future participate in this business success through its stake.
“As a result, the annual operating profit of the Volkswagen Group is expected to increase by some €700 million in the long term.”
Show me the money!
Volkswagen have already announced that the Amarok will take on support duties at next year’s Dakar Rally. Good idea, then, to release some official pics of the production ready model in advance, and here they are.
The Amarok will be built in Buenos Aires, Argentina and will go on sale in South America from January next year. European buyers can expect deliveries in mid-2010, while Australian customers will have to wait until the end of next year to get their hands on Volkswagen’s first serious foray into the pick-up segment.
Initially, the Amarok will be available only as a dual cab, but a single cab model is due for release in 2011. The SUV will be available in 2WD, switchable 4WD and permanent 4WD. The switchable system can be activated from inside the cabin with the touch of a button. The permanent 4motion system for the Amarok will utilise a Torsen diff set up and will distribute power to the wheels with a 40:60 rear bias.
Low gearing will be available for more heavy-duty off road duties, at which point electronic aids, such as Hill Descent Assist and an ABS system tuned for off road use, will start to do their thing.
From launch two engine options will be on offer, both 2 litre turbo diesels. The base spec 2.0 TDI will offer 90kW/340Nm, while a more powerful 120kW/400Nm will also be available. A bit under powered perhaps?
With a payload capacity of over 1 tonne and a towing capacity of 2.8 tonnes the Amarok should prove suitable for most needs in its target audience. Volkswagen boast the dimensions of the Amarok’s rear tray are the largest in its class and say a Euro sized pallet can fit in between the rear wheel arches.
Volkswagen Australia have been closely monitoring sales of Toyota’s Hi-Lux, which are very impressive, it must be said. For Volkswagen to cut deeply into the Hi-Lux’s customer base the Amarok will need to be priced competitively and pack a lot more punch under the bonnet. I just can’t see Volkswagen Australia entering the local market with a 120kW turbo diesel option, much less a 90kW version.
UPDATE 19 June 2010: Over 20 new photos added below.
Volkswagen’s new Polo has just been awarded the 2010 European Car of the Year award. The VW supermini edged out the Toyota iQ by a narrow margin but it was then daylight to the rest of the seven car field.
The full run down of points is as follows; Volkswagen Polo (347 points), Toyota iQ (337), Opel/Vauxhall Astra (221), Skoda Yeti (158), Mercedes-Benz E-Class (154), Peugeot 3008 (144) and the Citröen C3 Picasso (113).
The newest baby-Golf is due on Australian shores in the first half of next year. This news is sure to help the locals market the car down under. But, the news is so fresh that VW’s press team haven’t even had time to beat their chest. Nor has it made it to the Euro COTY website. I’ll be sure to update this article with Volkswagen’s press release once it comes to hand.
The European COTY sits nicely alongside the Golf’s current crown of Word COTY, which was awarded back in April.
UPDATE 1 December: Press release from Volkswagen AG added below and the European Car of the Year website now leads with the news of the Polo’s success.
This video from Autocar, featuring the Volkswagen Scirocco R and the Ford Focus RS is a bit of a tease really. You see, neither car is currently available in Australia. Worse, it doesn’t look like that situation is going to change anytime soon.
However, that minor inconvenience doesn’t make either car less desirable. Indeed, in the Scirocco I probably have something of an unhealthy infatuation. I was recently in the market for a new car and, were the Scirocco available to me, I dare say it would have been right at the top of my list.
Written reviews for the Scirocco R have been around for a few weeks now, but somehow, I managed to miss this video review.
Check out the clip after the jump and see what you think. Which would you buy—the Volkswagen or the Ford?
Volkswagen ambassador and former Formula One driver Hans-Joachim Stuck says the German auto giant is flirting with the idea of becoming an F1 engine supplier. “If you’re the world’s largest manufacturer is natural that we’re thinking about [F1], but not before 2012,” he said.
New rules which are set to change the way the sport is run are attractive to a company like Volkswagen. Speaking to Autosport, Stuck explains, “We’re looking for innovative things, and Formula 1 is the pinnacle of motorsport. Two years ago there was some talk that Volkswagen is going to buy the Red Bull F1 team, which we didn’t need to buy. Why should we stick with one team if we can give our engines to more teams?”
Stuck believes that purchasing a team is too costly and doesn’t suit a large manufacturer, whereas the ability to be a supplier for multiple teams has more appeal for all involved, “It’s like Formula 1 in my days. We had March, we had Lotus, and we had Ford engines. Then Renault came in as engine manufacturer, with a formidable engine. This was perfect.
“I followed Formula One for the last seven years with BMW and I always asked myself on the grid, with only 20 cars, what if we could have 30 cars? Now we’re getting back to this.”
While F1 is the ultimate, Volkswagen has enjoyed success in feeder categories of late, as well as being the current Dakar Rally champions. Of more relevance, are the British and German F3 titles recently won by Volkswagen powered cars.
[Source: Autosport]
Hard to believe it is almost a month ago now, but I still haven’t forgotten just how much fun it was fanging around Eastern Creek in Volkswagen’s finest. Their new Mk6 Golf GTI is a great package and improves on the already excellent Mk5 model.
If you missed out on the GTI Advanced Driving Academy here are a few highlights, courtesy of Volkswagen Australia. The first clip starts off with some hot laps, with another couple below showing the GTI on the skidpan and, again, on the track.
The clips aren’t really substantial enough to give too much away, but they do give a bit of an insight into how the day was run. Or, if you went to the day like me, you’ll have fun re-living the moment.
Well, Volkswagen to run Amarok at Dakar, to be precise. Volkswagen’s new pickup will be used as the official support and fleet vehicle of the 2010 Dakar Rally (1-17 January).
Continuing to suffer something of an identity crisis the Dakar will again be held in South America (Argentina and Chile), starting and ending in Buenos Aires. Twenty Amarok will be used to ferry officials around during the rally, while a further fifteen will be used for press and general shuttle duties.
Volkswagen, of course, have a strong recent history with the Dakar Rally. Earlier this year VW fielded a strong three car team running Touaregs. South African driver Giniel de Villiers won the event, with the Touareg of American Mark Miller finishing in second. Former WRC champion Carlos Sainz was leading the event before suffering an unfortunate crash that saw him retire from the race.
The support act is a sort of homecoming for the Amarok which will be built at Volkswagen’s Pacheco plant near Buenos Aires. Shortly after the Dakar the newest addition to Volkswagen’s commerical range will be launched in South America, followed by Europe.
The Pickup concept was seen in Australia at the Melbourne International Motor Show in February and, according to previous reports, the Amarok is due in local showrooms late next year, as well.
I went to buy a bike this week. Having realised I was starting to look like the bloke off those government adverts who gets progressively fatter as he ages, I figured it would only be a matter of time before I started looking like that big bopper with the cravat off Masterchef.
And I don’t do cravats.
So with the excuses of the last few months a fading memory I ventured into the unknown world of bike buying. It would appear that since the days of the Raleigh Chopper, things have changed. The Chopper pushed the envelope with a selection of three gears—slow, faster and fastest. Modern bikes come with a minimum of twenty one. Slow, bit faster, bit faster again, bit faster, touch faster—you get the gist. Where the Chopper had used the same steel as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, new bikes were taking the same stuff NASA are using to take machines to Mars and forming it into aerodynamic beasts designed to win you both a Tour stage and the girl on the podium.
What does all this mean? Well, the new bikes are faster, lighter, stronger and more reliable.
Does this help me? Well not exactly. See, if the bike is lighter and therefore supposedly better, then although I may reach my destination faster, I won’t actually be dropping more weight. What I really need, is the fat bastard spec Chopper, which hasn’t been made since about 1984, to make me really work for my kilometres.