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Volkswagen Group, BMW Z4 top Total Value Awards by Strategic Vision

It was just nine months ago that Strategic Vision announced its 2011 Total Value Awards, but you don't have to wait until next year for the 2012 awards. The Volkswagen Group keeps its lead as the number one brand, with seven products taking top category spots: Golf, Jetta Wagon, CC, Eos and Audi A3 Wagon, Q5 and Q7. Strategic Vision says "true innovation" - "rich and impactful, intuitive, motivational, in-depth and is able to trigger description by the user in great specificity" - is the open secret of the brands with the strongest showings. Results are culled from 77,153 owners covering more than 350 new cars bought between September of 2011 and 2012 ranked in the Total Value Index (TVI).
Other notable winners are Hyundai-Kia following VW in the brand category and having the Hyundai Elantra and Kia Sorento among category winners, the BMW Z4 taking the premium roadster category and the highest overall score of any vehicle, the Chevrolet Volt continuing to gather silverware in the Special Category, nabbing the second-highest score of all and representative of "nearly perfect innovation," and Chrysler and Dodge being most improved.
Check out the press release below for your day's dose of jargon and all the winners.

Jay Leno brings a rotary-powered VW Beetle to the garage

It takes something really unique or inventive to pique Jay Leno's interest. His show, Jay Leno's Garage, has featured everything from concours-worthy classics to completely custom, home-built machinery. How do you get Leno to feature one of more than 20 million Beetles on his program? Stick a turbocharged rotary engine under the hood. The Beetle's owner, Mario Markakis, swapped the car's stock flat four-cylinder for the Wankel engine from a 1990 Mazda RX-7 Series 5 Turbo. The engine's 250 horsepower are fed through a reinforced version of the Beetle's stock four-speed transmission. That's about five times the original engine's output. It works well, with the car putting down some impressive times at the drag strip. Markakis did most of the work to the Beetle in his garage. In addition to the engine swap, he's modified the car's brakes, suspension, and interior. Check out the video to hear all the details of this custom Wankel-powered Volkswagen. Related Video: Celebrities TV/Movies Mazda Volkswagen Classics Videos Jay Lenos Garage rotary mazda rx-7

Volkswagen reveals Golf GTI Clubsport concept at Worthersee

The various brands under the Volkswagen Group umbrella are bringing a slew of hot hatch concepts to the GTI-Treffen in Worthersee, Austria, this week – but the gathering wouldn't be complete without a version of the headline Volkswagen Golf GTI. And here it is. Previewed with initial details and a trio of design sketches last week, VW has now released a proper array of images showing the GTI Clubsport concept. The enhanced GTI packs an upgraded version of the stock version's 2.0-liter turbo four with 261 horsepower on tap, favorably splitting the difference between the standard GTI with the Performance package and the more potent Golf R. An overboost function even kicks in an extra 10-percent more horsepower to bring peak output up to 287 hp – just a few horses shy of the R's 292, but driving only the front wheels. As you can see, the Clubsport concept also features a more aggressive aero kit as well as upgraded rolling stock with semi-slick rubber. Most, if not all, of these enhancements are earmarked to find their way onto a 40th anniversary edition GTI, but we're unlikely to see that model in US showrooms. World premiere of the Golf GTI Clubsport at Lake Worthersee - Exclusive anniversary model for 40th birthday of the GTI - Golf GTI Clubsport debuts with 265 PS and boost function Next year, the Golf GTI celebrates its 40th birthday. Volkswagen is marking this historic event with a progressive anniversary model: the new Golf GTI Clubsport. Volkswagen will be showcasing the Golf GTI Clubsport on 14th May as part of the legendary GTI meet at Lake Worthersee, when it will make its world premiere in the form of a near-production concept car. With a power output of 195 kW / 265 PS (35 PS more than the Golf GTI Performance) and top performance temporarily increased by around a further 10 per cent thanks to a boost function, the Golf GTI Clubsport is set to take off at the start of 2016 as the most powerful production 'GTI' yet. The anniversary model is being launched not only with an extremely powerful engine, but also with an individualised interior and exclusive bodywork details. The design modifications include a completely new front bumper, new side sills, a new and aerodynamically highly innovative roof-edge spoiler and a specially developed rear diffuser. All of these features were designed with the aim of further enhancing the GTI's performance and of thereby bringing form and function into perfect harmony.