2001 Volkswagen Jetta Gls Vr6 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Pontiac Aztek enjoys rebirth thanks to Millennials

Apparently, Millennials – those between 18 and 34 – aren't afraid to look different on the road, and they like performance, too. A new study by Edmunds is discovering some surprising vehicle choices by this group. Among them, the long-derided Pontiac Aztek is getting a new day in the sun with 25.5 percent its buyers coming from this generation in the first half of 2015. For comparison, Millennials represent an average of 16.8 percent of used car purchases. The Aztek is slowly shaking its reputation as a styling abomination, which seems tied to its appearance on Breaking Bad. The show premiered in 2008, and the Pontiac has been on this list for four of the past five years, according to Edmunds. It even led the pack in 2010. A recent Retro Review from MotorWeek also showed that the crossover wasn't always so hated. While it's still a shock to see the Aztek on any popularity list, the awkward-looking crossover only ranks sixth among Millennials. The vehicle with the biggest portion of buyers from the generation is the Dodge Magnum with 27.6 percent. According to Edmunds, the bluntly styled wagon is especially popular in Detroit and Chicago. The Chrysler Pacifica comes in a close second at 27.3 percent. When it comes to used cars, value and utility appear to trump just about anything else for many Millennial buyers," Edmunds analyst Jeremy Acevedo said in the report. Young buyers aren't afraid of sporty rides, either. The Subaru WRX has 26.4 percent Millennial buyers to rank third place on the list, and the Volkswagen R32 takes fifth at 25.7 percent. Just a few points lower in seventh place is the Nissan GT-R at 25.4 percent, and the final performance machine in 10th place is the Lexus IS-F with 24.7 percent. Related Video:

Recharge Wrap-up: Tesla charging times compared, VW's 70s hybrid tech

A video shows the difference in Tesla Model S charging speeds with different chargers. The video compares the 60- and 80-kWh versions of the car using a Tesla Supercharger, a CHAdeMo fast charger and Tesla's High Power Wall Connector (HPWC). With the Supercharger, both models charge from to 80 percent in 44 minutes. It's over an hour and a quarter for both cars with the CHAdeMo, but they're about neck and neck in terms of time. The HPWC takes the longest, with the 60-kWh car finishing long before the 85-kWh version. See the video above, and read more at Teslarati. Volkswagen had prototype hybrid technology back in the 1970s. A book called The Complete Book of Electric Vehicles by Sheldon Shacket describes the technology used in Volkswagen's Hybrid-Electric City Taxi prototype, which was based on the Type II microbus. It used the automaker's 1.6-liter air-cooled flat-four (borrowed from the Beetle) along with a Bosch DC shunt electric motor and 11 lead-acid batteries. Interestingly, the hybrid taxi prototype also featured an electric sliding door and a bulletproof bulkhead separating the driver from the passengers. Read more at Jalopnik, and at Green Car Reports. Country music star Lee Brice is going on tour fueled by biodiesel. Partnering with nonprofit environmental organization Reverb, Brice is using the biofuel to travel to college campuses. "We're hoping to offset the environmental impact of the tour by supporting clean energy projects and using buses and trucks fueled with locally produced biodiesel," says Brice, who is personally focused on natural preservation and water conservation. Read more at Domestic Fuel, or at The Boot. Related Gallery Tesla Model S: Quick Spin View 33 Photos News Source: Teslarati, Jalopnik, Green Car Reports, Domestic Fuel, The BootImage Credit: Copyright 2015 Drew Phillips / AOL Celebrities Green Tesla Volkswagen Alternative Fuels Biodiesel Electric Hybrid Videos recharge wrapup

2015 VW Golf R ready for your pre-order on January 8

If you want to be the first person on your block with Volkswagen's latest Golf R parked in your garage, you need to clear some time from your schedule on January 8. On that day, VW is opening the pre-order books for the first 500 Stateside examples of the new hot hatch, and they come with some neat accessories, too. Don't worry about specing just the right Golf R because all 500 early models are identical. In addition to the obvious 2.0-liter turbocharged engine with 292 horsepower 280 pound-feet of torque and 4Motion all-wheel drive, the six-speed dual-clutch gearbox is the only option here. Every one of these hot hatches comes in Lapiz Blue Metallic paint with 19-inch wheels covered in summer performance tires. Based around the DCC and Nav trim, each of them also has VW's adaptive damper system, bi-xenon headlights with LED running lights, a Fender audio system, parking sensors and navigation. Beyond just being the first ones to own VW's latest hot hatch in the US, the deal for these 500 folks also includes a Volkswagen R watch, carbon fiber and stainless steel keychain and a certificate. All three items are serialized to match the VIN of the buyer's Golf R. The total price for each one of these 500 Golf R's is $39,090, plus $820 destination and delivery. But potential buyers don't have to come up with all of that on January 8. They just need to visit VW's Golf R site and pay a $500 reservation fee to get in line, which goes toward the purchase of the car. The money is refundable for anyone who backs out, and any additional orders are put on a waiting list in case of any cancelations.