2014 Volkswagen Jetta Gli Autobahn on 2040-cars

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VW gets help from Daimler to deal with VW scandal

Volkswagen has hired Christine Hohmann-Dennhardt, a compliance officer, away from Daimler. Normally, this wouldn't be particularly big news. The reason you might care is summed up rather succinctly by Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, director of the Center for Automotive Research at the University of Duisburg-Essen, who said that Hohmann-Dennhardt is being tasked with helping the entire German automobile industry "clean up the collateral damage from the diesel deceit." Hohmann-Dennhardt had to be released early from her contract with Daimler in order to take on this difficult role with an inter-country rival. VW Chairman Hans Dieter Poetsch thanked "Daimler AG for agreeing to our request to the early termination of Dr. Hohmann-Dennhardt's contract." What makes this move even more interesting is that Daimler and Volkswagen have had a terse relationship in recent years due to the poaching of important employees from one side to the other. According to Bloomberg, Hohmann-Dennhardt's contract with Daimler had been secured through February of 2017, but with her early release, she will start her new role on VW's board of management in January of 2016. Daimler, for its part, released a statement suggesting the decision was made "in the interests of the good corporate governance of the German automotive industry." Prior to her employment at Daimler, Hohmann-Dennhardt served for 11 years as a judge. Reading between the lines, it seems VW's massive corporate scandal has rocked the German auto industry to its core. Enough so, in fact, that Daimler would be willing to let go of a highly talented and well-respected executive – the first woman ever appointed to the German automaker's board – who had served since there since 2011. Feel free to read through VW's entire statement, below. Related Video: Dr. Christine Hohmann-Dennhardt to move to Volkswagen AG in 2016 as Board Member for Integrity and Legal Affairs Daimler AG agrees to move of Board Member for Integrity and Legal Affairs to Volkswagen AG The Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Volkswagen AG, Hans Dieter Potsch, has requested the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Daimler AG, Dr. Manfred Bischoff, to agree to the early termination of the contract with Dr. Christine Hohmann-Dennhardt, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG for Integrity and Legal Affairs, which runs until February 28, 2017. She is to join the Volkswagen Group as of January 1, 2016 as the Board Member for Integrity and Legal Affairs.

Icon goes Derelict on a 1967 VW Bus

Jonathan Ward and Icon have an eye for the little details in everything they make, and that's especially true of the company's Derelict projects. This time they are turning their attention to the '67 Volkswagen Bus. The van might look a little tired at first, but Icon gives the VW a complete makeover to keep it on the road for decades to come. Ward's client for this build had owned VW Buses before but wanted to have a truly usable one. Making that harder, she requested that the final result remain true to the essence of these classic vans. To do that, Icon let the exterior remain almost entirely stock, except for a few minor additions like the roof rack, tent, and a 110-volt outlet hidden at the back. The interior was kept looking original too, but the builders installed custom walnut cabinets and a load of modern upgrades, including air conditioning. The air-cooled boxer engine was also dumped in favor of a 2.0-liter four-cylinder sourced from a Jetta. To really understand just how much is changed, let Ward take you on a complete tour of the overhauled, vintage VW in this clip to show off all of his team's impressive work. Related Video:

VW recalls another 6,700 vehicles over fuel leak [UPDATE]

UPDATE: An earlier version of this post suggested that the expanded recall involved an additional 44,658 units, when VW tells us that is in fact the total number - adding a further 6,679 to the original recall of 37,979. The text below has been updated accordingly, with our apologies for the confusion. It was a little over a month ago that Volkswagen issued a recall for some 38,000 vehicles over a potential fuel leak. Now the German automaker and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have expanded that recall, affecting even more vehicles for the same issue. The problem revolves around a sealing cap at the fuel rail, which could fail and cause fuel to leak into the engine compartment, thereby increasing the risk of a fire. This time around, VW is calling in a selection of Jettas, Passats, Golfs, GTIs, Beetles and Beetle Convertibles, all of them from the 2014 and 2015 model years (except the Golf and GTI, of which only 2015 models are being recalled). The recall now affects an estimated additional 6,679 units, which (in addition to the 37,979 recalled previously) brings the total up to 44,658 vehicles across the United States. RECALL Subject : Fuel Leaking Into Engine Compartment Report Receipt Date: JAN 23, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V028000 Component(s): FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE Potential Number of Units Affected: 44,658 Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. SUMMARY: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Jetta vehicles manufactured March 28, 2014, to November 24, 2014, 2014-2015 Passat vehicles manufactured April 7, 2014, to November 18, 2014, 2015 Golf and GTI vehicles manufactured July 1, 2014, to November 20, 2014, and 2014-2015 Beetle and Beetle Convertible vehicles manufactured March 31, 2014, to November 27, 2014. A sealing cap at the fuel rail may fail, allowing fuel to leak into the engine compartment. CONSEQUENCE: A fuel leak, in the presence of an ignition source, can result in a vehicle fire. REMEDY: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel rails with new parts, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in early February 2015. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 24BL. Note: This recall expands and supersedes recall 14V-809 (Volkswagen recall number 24Bi) and only affects vehicles not previously repaired under that campaign.