2011 Volkswagen Tdi W/nav on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Volkswagen caught testing hotter Golf R 400

We're getting closer, folks. Last we heard, Volkswagen gave its super-hot Golf R 400 the green light for production. And before that, we were told that if the car got the go-ahead, it would be offered in the United States. So here we are, with a fresh set of spy shots showing what we believe to be the R 400 out testing. Here's one dream that might just be coming true. The prototype seen here sports bigger brakes, different wheels, very low-profile tires, a front lip spoiler, and a wing around back – that last bit looks to be borrowed from the GTI Clubsport. It's not nearly as outrageous-looking as the original R 400 concept, but that's okay with us. Volkswagen's production hot hatches have always been pretty subtle. We love a good sleeper. Under the hood, expect a turbocharged powertrain tuned up to over 400 horsepower. It'll be mated to a dual-clutch transmission and 4Motion all-wheel drive – two parts of the current Golf R package that work very, very well. There's no telling exactly when we'll see the production Golf R 400, assuming it's actually, really, finally happening. All we can do now is wait. And salivate.

Volkswagen Group previews its wares on eve of Geneva show

The Volkswagen Group is comprised of 11 brands producing 240 vehicles across 49 factories throughout the world. So the best way to show off the range of the VW family is to cram a few thousand journalists and VIPs into a massive makeshift stand to outline the Group's goals, what's in the pipeline and what you'll be able to buy later this year.
To that end, VW pulled out all the stops on the eve of the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, bringing along 10 vehicles from across the range. We'll be delving into the details of each over the next two days of show coverage, but before that happens, you can read all about what we saw tonight from the cheap seats after the break.

France may scrap diesel fuel subsidies in wake of VW scandal

Now that a particular German automaker has sneezed, it appears that French automotive subsidies will catch a cold. Count France among the growing legion of countries not happy about Volkswagen's admission that some of its diesel vehicles contain software that will artificially reduce emissions levels during testing. As a result, the French government is talking about reducing or eliminating diesel subsidies that make diesel fuel about 15 cents per liter (roughly 89 cents a gallon) cheaper than gas. The change would tax gas and diesel at the same rate. France may end the diesel tax credits as soon as the next fiscal year, Bloomberg News says, citing comments from French Environment Minister Segolene Royal this week. About two-thirds of the cars on France's roads are diesel, according to the CCFA, the French automaker association. In fact, diesels accounted for more than half of the new light-duty vehicles sold in Europe last year. That may drop to 35 percent by 2022 in part because of the scandal, according to automotive consultant LMC Automotive. Things could change even more France is considering letting more vehicles qualify for the 10,000-euro incentive for switching from old diesels to new plug-in vehicles. Last month, VW said that its cheater software might be installed in as many as 11 million vehicles, forcing the German automaker to set aside $7.3 billion to address the fallout from the scandal. Among other issues, VW and its Audi division were stripped of its Green Car of the Year Awards for the first time in the history of the awards bestowed by Green Car Journal. The scandal also forced Martin Winterkorn to resign as VW's CEO last month after eight years on the job and is delaying a number of the automaker's upcoming projects. Related Videos: News Source: Bloomberg NewsImage Credit: Mic V./Flickr Government/Legal Green Volkswagen Emissions Diesel Vehicles vw diesel scandal France subsidies