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Autoweek dubs GMC Canyon, VW GTI its 2015 'Best of the Best'

For kids around the globe, tis the season for Santa, reindeer and presents. For the automotive industry, the last quarter of each year is reserved for awards, whether they come from Motor Trend, Car and Driver, Automobile, or yes, Autoblog. The latest to get released comes from our friends at Autoweek. The magazine has echoed other outlets, naming a Volkswagen hatchback and a small pickup from General Motors as its Best of the Best. Unlike Motor Trend, which handed out its golden calipers to the Chevrolet Colorado and Volkswagen Golf range, Autoweek doled out its awards to the Colorado's twin, the GMC Canyon, while singling out the hottest version of the Golf, the GTI. "This is the best hot-hatch on the American market – and it may be the best car you can buy for less than $30K," one AW staffer said in the publication's article on the feature. Other staffers praised the absolute value provided by the GTI and the overall fun factor. The Canyon, meanwhile, was saluted for being "the perfect size," not to mention its excellent build quality, feature-rich cabin and overall practicality. "It's truly a truck in the most honest sense of the word," Autoweek wrote of the Canyon. Scroll down for the full press release on the announcement from Autoweek, which includes comments from both Volkswagen and GMC. And then head over and read AW's full feature on the awards. Autoweek names Best of the Best/Car and Truck for 2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI and GMC Canyon signal a strong year for design, performance and value DETROIT, Dec. 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Autoweek named the Volkswagen Golf GTI as its Best of the Best/Car for 2015, beating a group of finalists that includes the Alfa Romeo 4C, Ford Mustang and Mercedes-Benz C-class; and the GMC Canyon as its Best of the Best/Truck for 2015, besting the likes of the Chevrolet Colorado, Lincoln MKC and Porsche Macan. Autoweek evaluates every new or significantly updated model throughout the year and begins to identify the standouts. Performance, economy, fit and finish, design, value, significance to the auto industry and personal taste all combine to define the Best of the Best. Four cars and four trucks make the grade, and Autoweek editors put them through rigorous road-handling tests at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich. This is where a vehicle transcends the numbers and shows if design, performance and pure driving passion meld into an Autoweek Best of the Best pick.

Red Bull says VW deal in F1 now 'up in smoke'

The Volkswagen diesel scandal will likely have long-term repercussions, reverberating across the industry potentially for years to come – the likes of which we're only beginning to discover. And that could include Formula One. Now if you're thinking that VW doesn't compete in F1, you're right. Even between all of its various brands, the group has little history in post-war grand prix racing. But if was getting close. As we reported last week, the German auto giant and the Red Bull Racing team were nearing an agreement that would (or would have) seen the former take over the latter. The deal was said to include VW developing a new power unit (as the combined turbo engine and electric motor are referred to in the sport) and acquiring the multiple championship-winning team, with the energy drink company that now owns it transitioning back to a more traditional sponsorship role. It remained to be seen, though, just which of its many brands VW would choose to promote through the new program. Team principal Christian Horner, however, now says that the deal has "seemed to go up in smoke." That doesn't mean that it's off the table entirely and indefinitely, but it would follow logically that between the scandal it's currently facing, the ensuing change in leadership, and drop in stock value, the board in Wolfsburg has other problems to focus on and devote its resources. While ostensibly a logical move for Volkswagen, that would leave Red Bull in a difficult position. The Renault partnership that once led to utter domination with four back-to-back world championships has since fallen dramatically off pace. Although it impressively held on last season to come second in the championship with three race wins, it hasn't won a race yet this season – and heading into this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix, stood fourth in the standings... its worst position since 2008. "With the way the regulations are, unless you have a Mercedes or Ferrari power unit it is quite simply impossible to compete," said Horner. "And if we are not able to compete, then you have to question what is the validity of remaining in F1." If the Volkswagen deal does indeed fall through, the team will likely need to buy its power units from another supplier – with its chief rivals as the only likely candidates. Related Video:

Happy 60th to the VW Karmann Ghia

Volkswagen's product portfolio may be as extensive these days as any other carmaker in the business. But if you still think of the original Beetle as synonymous with the brand, that's probably because a) you're old and b) the Beetle was the company's only product until the mid-50s.
Sixty years ago Wilhelm Karmann (founder of the eponymous coachbuilder) was in Paris for the auto salon and met up with Luigi Segre and his team from Carrozzeria Ghia who showed him what was essentially a "Beetle in a sports coat." A month later they showed it to Volkswagen chief Heinrich Nordhoff who, setting aside his conservative tastes, approved it for production. And so the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia was born, giving the German marque a second product line. It still used Beetle mechanicals and was built at the same Karmann factory in Onsabrück that was already assembling the Beetle Cabriolet.
It took another couple of years to put the design into production, but from 1955 to 1974, Volkswagen and Karmann built 362,601 coupes and 80,881 of the subsequent convertible that arrived in 1957. Today the Onsabrück factory is part of the VW Group, handling production of the Golf Cabriolet, XL1 and Porsche Boxster and Cayman, and with that original Karmann Ghia prototype as part of its factory collection.