2003 Volkswagen Eurovan on 2040-cars

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Audi investing $30.3 billion through 2018 for product expansion

How does Audi plan to reach two million units in annual sales and pay for the 11 new models it's adding to its lineup - an expansion that may include models named SQ2, Q9 and F-Tron? By increasing its investment to 22 billion euros ($30.3 billion US) between now and 2018. That figure represents an increase of about 500 million euros over the previously planned outlay, according to a report by Automotive News, and that could be due to Audi wishing to goad the momentum that pushed it to 1.5 million annual sales two years ahead of schedule.
It's also about staving off the challenges from BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Now that BMW has been able to turn some of its attention away from its "i" series of Megacity cars, it will reportedly spend more than planned in 2014 as it continues the rollout of ten all-new vehicles and 15 new-generation vehicles through the end of next year. Mercedes, having been dropped to third in the sales race, is preparing to add 13 new cars over the next six years.
Audi's money is going into technology, into product like the next-generation TT and the Q1 and production expansions and upgrades all over the world. The expenditure represents just under a fourth of Volkswagen's 84.2 billion-euro ($115.7 US) outlay devoted to taking the number-one global automaker title away from General Motors and Toyota by 2018.

VW builds 250,000th Passat in Chattanooga in just two years

It hasn't been without incident or union organizing drive, but the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, TN has built its 250,000 Passat in just a little over two years. The Night Blue Passat TDI with black leather has come just two years and five weeks after the first customer car came off the line on April 18, 2011.
In the last year the plant operated at the 150,000-unit capacity that it was intended for, but the downturn in Passat sales and subsequent worker layoffs mean it will be a challenge to repeat the feat. The plant does have the world's largest solar park, though, and you can't take that away from them.
You'll find the official hand-clapping in the press release below.

Volkswagen formally introduces super-efficient XL1

Lightweight and low drag are hallmarks of great sportscar design. But when paired with a super-efficient, hybrid powertrain, you have the Volkswagen's XL1 that has been formally introduced in Geneva today.
When the 1,700-lb, carbon-fiber-bodied two-seater hits the road, its claimed 261 miles per gallon will make it the world's most-fuel-efficient production car. Though "production car" might be a stretch since VW said in a February press release that the XL1 would be built using "handcrafting-like production methods." We translate that to mean you won't be seeing many of these cars on the road. Though no one at VW has mentioned pricing yet, early rumors suggested a six-figure price tag.
That's supercar budget for a vehicle that has a 47-horsepower, two-cylinder diesel engine and a 27hp electric motor. With numbers like that, owners can expect 0-62 mph times of 12.7 seconds and top speed near 100 mph.