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Volkswagen bringing production GTI Clubsport to Frankfurt

"No plans for the car to be sold here." It's probably good I read that part of the email from Volkswagen before I looked at the photos and read the release for the car you see above. It's the production-spec GTI Clubsport. It's coming to the Frankfurt Motor Show. It's awesome. And I want one. I know, I'm kind of a GTI fanboy, but really, there's a lot to like here. The special-edition hot hatch is essentially a road-going version of the concept Volkswagen brought to Worthersee this year, complete with a more powerful engine. It produces 261 horsepower – a healthy increase over the 210 hp of the base GTI (or 220 if the car is fitted with the performance pack) – and can even crank out 286 hp for short bursts, thanks to an overboost function. Hitting 62 miles per hour takes six seconds flat with the six-speed manual gearbox, and that time is reduced to 5.9 seconds should you opt for the six-speed dual-clutch automatic. Even with these upgrades, VW says the GTI Clubsport will still return nearly 34 miles per gallon with the manual transmission. Volkswagen doesn't specifically mention any chassis upgrades, however. In its press release, VW simply says that the GTI Clubsport "has groundbreaking handling properties at high speeds and breathtaking cornering speeds." Cool. I'm sure it'll be a riot. A lot of the exterior is new: the front bumper, side sills, rear diffuser, roof spoiler, and aluminum wheels are all unique to the Clubsport. Buyers can choose between 18- or 19-inch rollers, the tailpipes are larger than those on a standard GTI, and the LED lights out back have a black/red, dark finish. Inside, the Clubsport comes with racing buckets covered in tartan fabric (of course) and there's Alcantara everywhere. Fellow GTI fans, get excited about this one – even if it's just another delicious piece of forbidden fruit. Still, I can't wait to see it live in Frankfurt next week. Related Video: VOLKSWAGEN TO UNVEIL MORE POWERFUL GTI CLUBSPORT AT THE FRANKFURT INTERNATIONAL MOTOR SHOW New anniversary model celebrates the GTI's 40th birthday - 265 PS special edition accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in 5.9 seconds - An overboost function increases power to more than 290 PS for a short time - Expressive exterior design features new front bumper, side skirts, rear diffusor and multi-part roof spoiler Wolfsburg, September 9, 2015 – At the beginning of 2016, the iconic sporty compact—the Golf GTI— celebrates its 40th birthday.

EPA message to automakers: You're on notice

With top administrator Gina McCarthy speaking about the "moral obligation for climate action" on Friday, the Environmental Protection Agency announced it would ramp up its oversight of the auto industry in the wake of Volkswagen's emissions cheating. In a letter sent to manufacturers Friday, the agency said it would begin examining cars to see whether they contained defeat devices "in addition to the standard emissions test cycles." "We are putting vehicle manufacturers on notice." Exactly how the agency plans to test for these devices – which are not devices per se, but algorithms contained in millions of lines of software code that govern vehicle functions – remains unclear. Christopher Grundler, the director of the EPA Office of Transportation and Air Quality, divulged few details in how the agency would uncover so-called defeat devices used by cheaters. "Not today – or actually ever – I'm not going to be describing what new ways we'll be using to detect these defeat devices." Later, he said engineers will have to "come up with some clever ways to do this." The only insight he offered was that the EPA, California Air Resources Board, and Environment Canada would partner on testing more cars for emissions and anomalies. Grundler also said the EPA would diversify its testing fleet. In addition to relying on vehicles provided by manufacturers, the federal agency will now also borrow cars from "private citizens" and utilize rental cars for tests. "We are putting vehicle manufacturers on notice," he said. Joint investigations between EPA and CARB have "been very successful in protecting human health and the environment," said Janet McCabe, the agency's acting administrator in the Office of Air and Radiation. "But we also know, and the Volkswagen violations before us now make it clear, we need to adapt and step up our oversight." That may include an increase in on-road testing in addition to the five emissions tests now more relied upon. The EPA owns and maintains 23 portable emissions-monitoring systems like the one used by West Virginia University researchers who first detected elevated levels of nitrogen oxide emissions from two Volkswagen diesel vehicles. Right now, they're almost exclusively deployed to monitor emission from heavy-duty vehicles, whose NOx emissions "dwarf" the amount produced by light-duty vehicles, which produce less than 2 percent of the total, according to the agency's figures.

VW “Tip of the Iceberg” in Diesel Emissions Scandal | Autoblog Minute

Some are calling Volkswagen just the tip of the iceberg in the diesel emissions scandal. Autoblog's Adam Morath reports on this edition of Autoblog Minute. Volkswagen Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video emissions scandal