MUNICH (September 3, 2023)– The covers are off for the CUPRA DarkRebel show car. Created from obsession, it is the maximum provocation of CUPRA design. A sports car that pushes the boundaries of design and performance, and questions the way cars will be imagined and created in the future. It’s the physical translation of the first car fully created in CUPRA’s virtual space, for a future generation of drivers. Continue reading
Herndon, VA(August 30, 2023) — Volkswagen of America announces the 2024 Golf GTI 380 today, a special equipment set standard on every 2024 manual-transmission GTI. Available exclusively in the North American market, this special-edition build combination celebrates the heritage of the manual transmission in VW’s hot hatches during the final year of three-pedal production for Golf GTI and Golf R. Continue reading
Herndon, VA — Volkswagen of America Inc. announced the start of production today of the limited 40th Anniversary Edition of the 2024 Jetta GLI, which will be available exclusively in North America. Since the GLI debuted in 1984, dubbed a “GTI with a trunk,” its mission has been simple: to deliver an accessible German performance sedan. To celebrate 40 years of delivering a fun to drive vehicle without sacrificing any of the usability and efficiency that drivers expect from the brand, a limited run of 1,984 units will be produced for the U.S. Continue reading
HERNDON, VA (June 2, 2023) — Volkswagen of America, Inc. unveiled the three-row ID. Buzz in Huntington Beach, California today. Paying homage to the iconic Volkswagen Microbus, the three-row ID. Buzz has been tailored specifically for North America. It offers a longer wheelbase than the two-row European vehicle that debuted in 2022, plus a bigger battery and more horsepower. Retro design cues—like the oversized VW logo, short overhangs, and available two-tone color palette—meet a tailored interior, cutting-edge EV technology, and advanced driver assistance features, clearly marking it as a vehicle of the future. The three-row ID. Buzz is planned for sale in the North American market starting in 2024. Continue reading
HENDRON, VA (March 2, 2023) — This Sunday, March 5th, Volkswagen’s original Type 2 Transporter will take center stage at one of the most prestigious collector-car events in the world, the Amelia Concours d’Elegance. To celebrate the upcoming North American debut of the ID. Buzz, the Concours is hosting a class for first-generation Volkswagen Type 2 Transporters. Continue reading
Outside of the weekend’s annual live auctions in Arizona, bidding continued on the online sites. Ans while there were a few surprises on sales prices of those crossing the block in Scottsdale, none were as shocking as the sale of this 1992 Volkswagen GTi 16V. Seventyfive bids drove its selling price up to $87,000.
Granted it is a beautifully preserved example, but with some curb rash and 53,000 miles, it isn’t museum quality. The MkII GTi 16V was by anyone’s estimation a fun little hot-hatch, but at eightyseven grand, we’re into air-cooled 911 territory.
It’s almost certain that this result will bring out more GTi owners hoping to cash in. Only then will we see if this is a remarkable outlier or the state of the market.
Herndon, VA (July 13, 2015) — Volkswagen of America, Inc., is excited to unveil the Unleash Your Rrrr site that allows Volkswagen fans to drive a virtual Golf R using only the sound of voice. The web app utilizes deep learning, an artificial intelligence subset of machine learning, developed by VW’s agency of record Deutsch LA, to analyze each user’s unique impression of the Golf R engine’s roar. It then generates a customized video of the 292-hp turbocharged Golf R model roaring through a race track, drifting, braking, among other cool stunts that correspond with the user’s voice recording.
“The idea behind the Golf R ‘Unleash Your Rrrr’ was simple – imagination. As children, we’ve all played with toy cars, and the power of our imaginations allowed us to turn rugs into expressways and wooden floors into slick racetracks. Our voice would act as the engine. Fast forward to today where we now have the power of technology to enhance our imagination, and to visualize the power of our voice.” said Vinay Shahani, Vice President of Marketing for Volkswagen of America.
Using the breakthrough artificial intelligence technology, Volkswagen has invited users to Unleash Your Rrrr, satisfying the desire that everyone has for high performance driving. To make this project even more shareable, there is a picture-in-picture feature that allows fans to see their friends in high performance mode.
The deep learning technology classifies each user’s vocal pitch and chooses a matching clip from a pool of hundreds of Volkswagen car videos. For example, if a user makes an acceleration sound, you might see the Golf R storming down a straightaway, or if a user made a screeching sound, the Golf R might be drifting through a tight turn.
The stunts in the videos are performed by professional racecar and stunt driver Tanner Foust, who is a member of the Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross Team during the 2014 and 2015 Global Rallycross Championship (GRC) seasons and was a stunt driver for various movies. Foust’s Unleash Your Rrrr video can also be viewed here. Fans can also check out the Golf Rrrr video by Michael Winslow, actor, beatboxer and comedian billed known as the “Man of 10,000 Sound Effects.”
To Unleash their Rrrr and create their personalized Golf R videos, users can visit http://rrr.vw.com/ on their desktops. Users share them via social media with their friends.
With 292 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque from its turbocharged and direct-injection EA888 TSI® engine, the Golf R has 36 hp and 37 lb-ft more than the previous version. The new R model is considerably more fuel-efficient than its predecessor with an EPA estimated highway fuel economy rating of 30 mpg with the six-speed DSG® transmission, up from 27 mpg for the previous, manual-transmission model.
The available six-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission offers a launch control feature, enabling the car to complete the 0 to 60 mph sprint in just 4.9 seconds. The top track speed is 155 mph.
Wolfsburg (09 July 2015). A new Golf for the racetrack: Volkswagen Motorsport is developing its first racing car based on the seventh generation Golf. The production-based, 330-hp concept car is assembled in accordance with TCR regulations and is intended to help Volkswagen evaluate a potential customer racing programme from the 2016 season onwards. In order to accelerate the development of the car, the new Golf will be tested under competitive conditions between now and the end of the season: as cooperation partner, the Liqui Moly Team Engstler will run two cars at the eighth round of the Touringcar Racer International Series (TCR) at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg (A).
“The newly created TCR category provides a promising platform for customer racing – on a national and international level. With exciting races, production-based technology and reasonable costs, it offers a new outlook for private racing teams,” said Volkswagen Motorsport Director Jost Capito. “When developing the Golf-based concept car, we are able to fall back on the resources at Volkswagen. This reduces both development time and costs. We will also use the rest of the season to test the car under competitive conditions and evaluate a possible customer racing project from 2016.”
Dynamic appearance: new Golf epitomises racing genes
Visually, the racing genes are clear to see on the Golf developed by Volkswagen Motorsport: 18-inch racing rims, a chassis roughly 40 centimetres wider than that of the production Golf, and a striking rear wing give the Golf a “ready-to-race” look and first-class handling. An aerodynamically designed front splitter and carbon rear wing are also among the modifications for the racetrack. Among the components designed to protect the driver are a racing seat with head protectors, a racing safety cell, and a safety tank in accordance with FIA regulations.
Under the bonnet: the inner values of the new Golf for the racetrack
A powerful four-cylinder engine, DSG gearbox with shift paddles mounted on the steering wheel, a consistently developed racing chassis – even under the bonnet, the new Golf has been meticulously prepared for its outings at the racetrack. Volkswagen Motorsport is developing the car in cooperation with the sport department at SEAT, meaning it can call on SEAT’s experience with the Leon Cup Racer. As with the Volkswagen Group’s production vehicles, the MQB platform also offers many synergies for racing cars and reduces the cost of assembling and running the touring car. The two-litre turbo engine with direct fuel injection comes from the top sporting model, the Golf R. The racing version of this engine generates 330 hp (243 kW) and 410 Nm of torque.
Testing under race conditions: first start at the Red Bull Ring
In order to accelerate development, the concept car will be tested under competitive conditions at the remaining four race weekends in the international TCR series. The renowned Liqui Moly Team Engstler, which boasts decades of experience of touring car racing, will take responsibility for running the car during the remaining test phase.
Calendar for the Touringcar Racer International Series (TCR)
28–29/03/2015 Malaysia (Sepang)*
11–12/04/2015 China (Shanghai)*
02–03/05/2015 Spain (Valencia)
09–10/05/2015 Portugal (Algarve)
23–24/05/2015 Italy (Monza)
30–31/05/2015 Austria (Salzburgring)
20–21/06/2015 Russia (Sochi)
11–12/07/2015 Austria (Spielberg)
19–20/09/2015 Singapore*
24–25/10/2015 Thailand (Buriram)
21–22/11/2015 Macau
* on support programme for the Formula One World Championship.