1978 Volkswagen Bus Black on 2040-cars

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Pope meets with family who drove 13,000 miles to see him

Pope Francis met Sunday with a family who made a 13,000-mile trip over 194 days from Argentina to Philadelphia in an old Volkswagen van. Francis spent time with fellow Argentinians Catire Walker and Noel Zemborain and their four children, talking about their visit and praying. Zemborain told the Associated Press that Francis told her that they were crazy to drive so far with their children. She said it was like meeting an old friend and Francis hugged the children. "We couldn't believe it. They called us this morning (and) we were like in shock," she said after Sunday night's Mass. "It is like being with an old friend. He was so warm. He told us we were crazy. He made jokes. "The children got to hug him a lot. They couldn't leave him. Not at all protocol, not at all formal, it was like being with a friend." Walker and Zemborain quit their jobs in food service and marketing to lead their children on the unforgettable tour of the Americas, using savings and soliciting donations to fund the trip to the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. Along the way they made 12 border crossings and stayed with dozens of host families, did lots of sightseeing and documented the trip online. They schooled their children — Cala, 12; Dimas, 8; Mia, 5; and Carmin, 3 — with the help of a distance learning program. The family said they got a call at 6 a.m. Sunday that Francis wanted to meet with them at the Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary, where he stayed this weekend. Francis told the family he had been following their trip, they wrote in a Facebook post. Zemborain, Walker and the kids plan to continue traveling until November, when they will fly home from Miami. They were going to send the van by ship, but then a relative volunteered to drive it back to Buenos Aires from Florida. Francis celebrated Mass on Sunday that drew hundreds of thousands to downtown Philadelphia. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

VW Passat GTE plug-in hybrid starts at ˆ44,250 in Germany

Want to know how much to put away for a new Volkswagen Passat GTE? Well, first you'll have to move to Germany, or another market where the model will be sold – because it's not being offered in the US. In fact, it's based on a Passat that's altogether different from the one we get in America. But, once you've arrived at a place where the Passat GTE is available, you'll need to shell out about ˆ45,000. That's equivalent to $50,000 US at current exchange rates, which is more than the starting MSRP on any VW currently available Stateside. VW just announced domestic pricing for the new plug-in hybrid, which starts at ˆ44,250 for the sedan and ˆ45,250 for the wagon. For that much scratch, you get a Passat with a 1.4-liter turbo four good for 154 horsepower paired with an electric motor good for another 113 hp. Working in unison, the hybrid powertrain produces as much as 216 horses, and will drive up to 31 miles on electric power alone. Combined with the 50-liter (13.2-gallon) gas tank, the Passat GTE will travel over 680 miles before needing to stop. Along with the GTE, the German automaker is also launching the new Alltrack version of the Passat. Based on the Variant wagon, the new Passat Alltrack packs all-wheel drive and more rugged styling inside and out for a treatment similar to what Audi does for its Allroad models, Volvo its Cross Country line, and Subaru its Outback range. In Passat form, the Alltrack will set German buyers back ˆ38,550. Launch of the new Passat GTE and Passat Alltrack Two new models added to the Passat range Volkswagen is extending its Passat range, adding the GTE and Alltrack. These models are available immediately at German Volkswagen dealers. For a year now, the three distinctive letters GTE have stood for plug-in hybrid models from Volkswagen. Following the Golf, the second GTE standard model is now going on sale, the new Passat. The Passat GTE is powered by a 1.4-litre TSI engine delivering 115 kW / 156 PS and an electric motor producing 85 kW / 115 PS. The two are perfectly coordinated and pool their resources to generate system output of 160 kW / 219 PS. The combination of turbocharged direct-injection engine (TSI) and electric motor brings together efficiency and sustainability. The lithium-ion battery that provides the e-motor with electricity is charged as the car drives along, including via regenerative braking.

Audi CVT suit settlement given green light, 64,000 cars covered

Audi drivers, listen up. If you bought or leased a 2002-06 model-year A4 or A6 with a factory-installed Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) that failed, you may be entitled to reimbursement under a recently settled class-action lawsuit with corporate parent Volkswagen.
According to Automotive News, the settlement covers about 64,000 vehicles and alleges that "manufacturing and design problems caused the transmissions to fail and left owners stuck with repair costs." While the suit also argues Audi was aware of these issues (going so far as to hide that knowledge from consumers), the settlement stops short of acknowledging any wrongdoing by the German automaker.
Audi drivers are eligible for a cash reimbursement if their CVT repairs occurred within 10 years or 100,000 miles of the date they bought or leased the vehicle before June 19, 2013. To be eligible for compensation, drivers must submit a claim form (found here) with supporting documents by November 18.