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VW to announce $1B investment in Mexico plant

Big news south of the border could be slated for later this week, as Automotive News is reporting that the Volkswagen Group will announce a $1-billion investment in the company's Puebla factory. The company officially declined to comment, but AN is claiming the investment in the Puebla facility, which has been operating for over five decades, will add 1,900 jobs to the nearly 16,000-strong workforce. According to AN, a person familiar with the situation in Puebla claims the investment will support production of the next-generation Tiguan, slated to arrive in 2017. The Puebla factory currently produces Golf, while total output last year nearly hit half a million vehicles, or about 15 percent of Mexico's total automotive output. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Susana Gonzalez / Newsmakers/ Getty Plants/Manufacturing Volkswagen Mexico vw tiguan puebla

Car and Driver shows off awesome 1960s ads

Someone must have recently rediscovered the keys to the archives at Car and Driver, and the access has been put to good use. Following last month's fantastic look at automotive ads from the '50s, there's now a new gallery running from March 1960 through December 1969. This collection provides a great overview of a decade full of iconic cars. If you're a fan of Carroll Shelby, particularly his Mustangs, then there's a lot to love among this group. One ad from July 1965 aimed to sell the GT350, but with an ocean of text and a tiny picture, it probably could've used a once-over by Don Draper's team. By December '65, the copywriters ironed out the problems with a spot proclaiming boldly "Shelby GT350 is 'Son of Cobra.'" The company offered some great accessories, too. For those into European motoring, there's a humorous attempt to sell the Alfa Romeo Giulia as both a racecar and family hauler. Toyota also boasts about the winning record for the 2000GT. Among the best text comes from BMW for lines like: "What's BMW got? The most advanced high-performance engine in any production car, for a cruising speed of 100 mph." Of course, Volkswagen's famous "Lemon" ad for the Beetle also gets its due here. Separately, each of these ads is fascinating, but taken together they tell the story of a great decade of motoring. Go give them all a read at Car and Driver. Related Video: News Source: Car and DriverImage Credit: GM Heritage Center Marketing/Advertising Read This Alfa Romeo BMW Ford Toyota Volkswagen shelby alfa romeo giulia shelby gt350 toyota 2000gt

2015 Volkswagen GTI: Driving into spring with just one regret [w/video]

If you only notice one thing in the video above, it should be this: that GTI is filthy. Yes, the grossness of winter took its toll on our long-term 2015 Volkswagen GTI, covering the Carbon Steel hatch in a mess of salt-and-slush-streaked grime. The GTI was a champ during the cold months With 225/40R18 Bridgestone Blizzak winter tires offering sure-footed grip, the hatch became a dear companion to editors slogging through unsavory weather. Front-wheel-drive cars are already pretty solid for wintertime driving, and with the added traction of these tires, the GTI plowed forward without any drama. Our biggest gripe about snowy driving involved the car's Driver Assistance Package – a $695 option that, knowing what we know now, we wouldn't have ordered. First, this option positions the front camera right in the middle of the lower grille, which looks pretty terrible. But more importantly, the system can't tell the difference between slush/snow and an actual obstacle, so it constantly feels the need to warn us that we might hit something when the camera is covered in grime. Clearing the camera off isn't a problem, but the practice grew more annoying as the season continued. The Driver Assistance Package gets you front and rear parking sensors that, honestly, we find to be a bit too sensitive. It's activated in any low-speed situation, so the car freaks out whenever you take it through a car wash, and beeps if you walk up to the rear (to, say, open the hatch) while the engine is running. And because the GTI S model doesn't get you a rear-view camera, there's no real added benefit to the noise-makers. Yes, they help while parking in tight places, but if you struggle to park a vehicle the size of a Golf with its already excellent sight lines, you've got larger problems to overcome. We have other issues with the system, too – like how the forward sensors will blink in the instrument panel to tell you you're too close to the vehicle in front of you on the road, even with a four-car-length separation between vehicles. In all, these issues just don't seem to outweigh the benefits of the safety system. To us, it's not $695 well spent. But enough complaining. Really, the Driver Assistance Package has been the only issue we've had with the GTI since its arrival in January. Now that winter has finally melted away, we've enjoyed nice, warm temperatures here in Detroit – just last week, we were took the winter tires off.