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VW apprentices prep Golf GTI Dark Shine, Variant Biturbo for Worthersee

Volkswagen not only cooks up some pretty tempting concepts of its own for the GTI-Treffen at Worthersee every year (and encourages its sister brands to do the same), but also gives its apprentices the opportunity to do it. And here's what they came up with this year. Called the GTI Dark Shine edition, the show car features an upgraded 2.0-liter turbo four, pumping out 389 horsepower and 359 pound-feet of torque through its dual-clutch transmission. But that's not all. As you can see, it also has a striking two-tone livery of metallic gray and yellow pearl, along with a stainless steel exhaust, carbon air box, an upgraded aero kit, a 3,500-watt audio system with eight speakers and a thoroughly reworked interior done up to match the bodywork in black Alcantara and carbon leather with yellow trim. The team of 13 apprentices built the show car from a body-in-white over the course of nine months. It follows in a long line of GTI concepts done each year by VW apprentices that stretches back to 2008. This year, however, another team of 14 interns at the plant in Zwickau, Germany, worked up a blue Golf Variant wagon called the Biturbo Edition with the twin-turbo diesel from the Passat good for 236 hp and 368 lb-ft. Another team in the Czech Republic was responsible for the Fabia FUNstar pickup concept. And of course the automakers themselves showcased the radical Golf GTE Sport, GTI Clubsport, Skoda Fabia Combi R5 and Audi TT Clubsport. The lake is calling ... world premiere: Volkswagen apprentices present their Golf GTI Dark Shine at Worthersee event - Other show car premieres: Golf Variant Biturbo Edition (Zwickau) and SKODA FUNstar (Mlada Boleslav) They have followed the call of the lake: 13 Wolfsburg apprentices from Volkswagen and group company Sitech Sitztechnik have traveled to the 34th Worthersee GTI meeting today to present their 395 PS (290 kW) Golf GTI Dark Shine to the public for the first time. Their sporty two-door Golf features a two-tone color scheme. The front is painted in dark Daytona Grey Metallic and the rear in unique R-yellow pearl effect – giving rise to the name "Dark Shine". The Golf GTI Dark Shine is impressive confirmation of the high-quality practically oriented training provided by Volkswagen.

Recharge Wrap-up: AutoNation CEO calls anti-Tesla laws unnecessary, Common Pence donates subway money

Volkswagen has presented a list of near-term technologies to improve fuel economy and decrease emissions. The list includes an addition to a coasting function in its stop-start system, a 10-speed DSG transmission and a more power-dense four-cylinder TDI engine. Volkswagen aims to be the world's most sustainable automaker by 2018 through electric mobility, improved design and increased environmental performance from internal combustion vehicles. Volkswagen also announced other technologies for increased interactivity and connectivity in its vehicles. Read more at Green Car Congress. Commence Pence is a system that allows subway riders in London to donate their unused transit money to charity. People visiting the city often load up enough on their subway card (called Oyster Card) to get them through their trip and end up with unused funds leftover. Zander Whitehurst, a British designer, has created a device that can use the card's RFID to accept leftover funds, which then get diverted to charity rather than reverting back to the agency in charge of running the subway fare system. See the video below or read more at Wired. Mike Jackson, CEO of AutoNation has called Michigan's efforts to ban Tesla's direct sales in the state "unnecessary protectionism." The statement comes as a bit of a surprise, as it dissents from the majority of auto dealers who support a franchise model, as well as laws that forbid automakers selling directly to the consumer. "If Elon Musk wants to make a mistake and go with an inefficient distribution system, that's his right as an American," says Jackson, showing he feels he has little to fear from the electric automaker. Jackson has more to say on the matter, which you can read over at Green Car Reports. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery Tesla Stores Around The World View 22 Photos News Source: Green Car Congress, Wired, Green Car ReportsImage Credit: Rick Bowmer / AP Government/Legal Green Tesla Volkswagen Fuel Efficiency Transportation Alternatives Electric recharge wrapup

VW's Winterkorn tells 20,000 staffers of big cost-cutting plans

During a gathering of 20,000 Volkswagen Group employees at company headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany on Wednesday, CEO Martin Winterkorn dropped a bombshell. The boss stated that the automaker isn't operating efficiently enough and admitted the company needs to radically start cutting back to raise its profit margins. To right the ship, Winterkorn has proposed killing off less profitable models and spending less on research and development.
According to Reuters, Winterkorn wants to raise the VW brand's profit margin from about 2.9 percent in 2013 to a target of 6 percent. To make that possible, his plan amounts to increasing cost cutting until Volkswagen reaches about 5 billion euros ($6.7 billion) per year to get things back in order. "Over the short-term, we urgently need more efficiency and higher profit," the CEO said during his speech, according to Reuters.
However, Winterkorn can't make these decisions unilaterally. Volkswagen's works council also has a seat on the supervisory board to represent laborers, and it isn't likely to take the proposed cuts sitting down.