1964 Old Beetle on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Volkswagen showcasing latest emergency vehicles at RETTmobil

RETTmobil may not be the top show on our calendars, but it's the top destination for police and emergency vehicles in Europe. The show opens this week in Fulda, Germany, and Volkswagen has revealed some of the vehicles it'll be presenting to first responders there this year. Leading the charge will be the new Golf Alltrack that has been set up specially as a command car, with special lighting, graphics and equipment like an accident data recorder and unique control panel. It'll be joined as well by specially equipped versions of the Passat, Tiguan and Touareg. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles will also be on hand to showcase an Amarok pickup set up as a beach patrol car (you know, just in case Hasselhoff happens to be in town for the show), as well as a Transporter T6 van set up as an armored personnel carrier and a Crafter ambulance. Volkswagen prasentiert sich auf der RETTmobil 2015 - Golf Alltrack erstmals als Kommandowagen vorgestellt - Transporter T6 feiert Premiere als Mannschaftstransportwagen Hannover / Fulda, 4. Mai 2015 – Mit einer vielfaltigen Produktpalette prasentiert sich Volkswagen ab dem 6. Mai auf der RETTmobil 2015. Messehighlights sind der neue Volkswagen Transporter, der seine Premiere als Mannschaftstransportwagen feiert und der neue Golf Alltrack, der dort erstmals als Kommandowagen zu sehen ist. Bis zum 8. Mai konnen sich Besucher auf der internationalen Leitmesse fur Rettung und Mobilitat in Fulda uber Sonderfahrzeuge fur Rettungseinsatz und Krankentransport informieren. Am Volkswagen Messestand (Halle 3, Stand 303) prasentieren ein speziell ausgestatteter Golf Alltrack und ein Passat Variant 4Motion, das vielfaltige Leistungsspektrum der Marke Volkswagen Pkw fur den Rettungseinsatz. Beide Modelle sind als Kommandowagen aufgebaut und verfugen uber eine umfangreiche Sonderausstattung fur den Einsatz-betrieb wie etwa Digitalfunkvorbereitung, ein Sondertastenbedienfeld und eine Sondersignalanlage mit Blaulichtleuchte. Die Fahrzeuge sind ausserdem mit dem Unfalldatenspeicher UDS ausgestattet, der den Ablauf eines Ereignisses gerichtsverwertbar dokumentiert. Ein besonderes Messehighlight ist der neue Transporter T6 als Mannschaftstransportwagen. Das beliebte Einsatzfahrzeug von Feuerwehr und Rettung wird farblich passend in Rot-Weiss vorgestellt und bietet mit bis zu funf Einzelsitzen viel Platz fur das Einsatzpersonal und die notwendige Ausrustung.

Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale revealed, Dodge Challenger Black Ghost driven | Autoblog Podcast #796

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor John Beltz Snyder. John has been driving the 2024 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392, while Greg has been making noise in another last call from Dodge, the 2023 Challenger Black Ghost. John, along with Associate Editor Byron Hurd, recently tested the 2023 Honda CR-V and Kia Sportage hybrids for an upcoming comparison review. In the news, Felipe Massa seeks to overturn the 2008 F1 Championship in his favor through legal means; Ford might return to the street-performance truck scene with the F-150 Lobo; Volkswagen has been hinting at something interesting at the Munich show by tweeting a mysterious video of a rabbit (the animal); and while the podcast recording was underway, Alfa Romeo unveiled its beautiful 33 Stradale supercar. Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #796 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Cars we're driving 2024 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 2023 Dodge Challenger Black Ghost Additional reading: 1970 Dodge Challenger Black Ghost hammers for $975,000 at Mecum Spring Classic 2023 Honda CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid vs. 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid SX Prestige Massa vows to fight for Hamilton's 2008 Formula 1 title Ford F-150 Lobo reportedly coming as street-oriented performance truck Volkswagen teases Rabbit in mysterious video Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale supercar revealed with gas and EV versions, gorgeous either way Additional reading: Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale is a fast Alfa, developed fast Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related video: Green Podcasts Alfa Romeo Dodge Ford Honda Jeep Kia Volkswagen Truck Coupe Crossover SUV Electric Hybrid Luxury Off-Road Vehicles Supercars

VW makes $9.2B offer for rest of truckmaker Scania

Volkswagen owns or has controlling interests in three commercial truck operations: besides its own, VW began buying shares in Sweden's Scania in 2000 and now controls 89.2 percent of its shares and 62.6 percent of its capital, then bought into Germany's Man in 2006 - in order to prevent Man from trying to take over Scania - and now owns 75 percent of it. The car company has managed to work out 200 million euros in savings, but believes it can unlock a total of 650 million euros in savings if it takes outright control of Scania and can spread more common parts among the three divisions.
It has proposed a 6.7-billion-euro ($9.2 billion) buyout, but according to a Bloomberg report, Scania's minority investors don't appear inclined to the deal. Although effectively controlled by VW, Scania is an independently-listed Swedish company, and a profitable one at that: in the January-September 2013 period its operating profit was 9.4 percent compared to Man's 0.4 percent. Some of the other shareholders believe that Scania is better off on its own and will not approve the deal, some have asked an auditor to look into the potential conflict of interest between VW and Man, while some are willing to examine the deal and "make an evaluation based on what a long-term owner finds is good," which might not be just "the stock market price plus a few percent." The buyout will only be official assuming VW can reach the 90-percent share threshold that Swedish law mandates for a squeeze-out.
Many of the arguments against boil down to investors believing that Scania's Swedishness and unique offerings are what keep it profitable, and ownership by the German car company will kill that. (Have we heard that somewhere before?) If Volkswagen can buy that additional 0.8-percent share in Scania, perhaps its buyout wrangling with Man will give it an idea of what it's in for: "dozens" of minority investors in the German truckmaker have filed cases against VW, seeking higher prices for their shares. It is likely only to delay the inevitable, though. If VW is really going to compete with Daimler and Volvo in the truck market, it has to get the size, clout and savings to do so.