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UAW angered over VW workers getting right to defend anti-union vote

The United Auto Workers have called a decision by the National Labor Relations Board allowing anti-UAW employees at the Volkswagen factory in Chattanooga the right to defend voting down unionization at the plant "an outrage."
You'll recall that the union was defeated by a vote of 712 to 626 in a contentious February election. The UAW claims the outcome was unfairly swayed by pro-business, anti-union forces, including Senator Bob Corker and political advocate Grover Norquist.
This new decision by the NLRB essentially gives workers backed by the anti-UAW National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and Southern Momentum a formal voice in the impending hearing on the UAW's appeal of the vote.

Bentley considering diesel engine for new SUV

Turns out, in case you didn't know, the rich are just like regular people. They too are concerned about the environment, even when tooling around town in their super-luxurious Bentleys. So the automaker is weighing the idea of offering a diesel engine in its SUV offering, which could help satisfy customers' demands for more fuel-efficient engines.
Chairman and CEO Wolfgang Schreiber told Autoblog in a roundtable interview at the Geneva Auto Show that the automaker is researching whether or not a diesel engine makes sense for the brand. Bentley, owned by the Volkswagen Group, could in theory use a diesel engine from anywhere in the Volkswagen Group family. We at Autoblog have hopes they'll revive the V10 TDI used in the VW Touareg until 2010, but ever-stricter emissions laws would likely make that problematic.
But rich people aren't so much like us that they'll be worried about petty things like pricing. Schreiber admitted the diesel engine could be a $15,000 option, which he said customers would probably find "acceptable." Given that the cheapest Bentley today starts at $177,000, typical customers probably won't be diddling around worrying about an extra 15 grand.

Volkswagen debuts MkVII-based diesel Golf GTD

As Volkswagen prepares for the launch of the seventh-generation Golf, it continues to show off some of the car's different variants. With the standard Golf and the ultra-efficient BlueMotion Concept out of the way, now we're finally starting to see some of the sportier versions planned for the hatchback. Confirmed for a debut at the Geneva Motor Show, Volkswagen has now given us our first glimpse at the Golf GTD.
Just think of the GTD as a diesel version of the GTI with all the handling and styling upgrades, and then add a torquey engine to the equation. (We had the chance to sample the current GTD over the summer, so click here to read more.) To go with the new body style, VW also gave the GTD a new TDI engine consisting of a similar turbocharged and direct-injected 2.0-liter inline-four layout but with an output of 184 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque - that's an increase of 14 hp and 22 lb-ft over the current GTD. That's a pretty good oomph, but the GTD won't be setting any acceleration records with VW quoting a 0-62 mile per hour time of 7.5 seconds thanks to the car's 3,036-pound curb weight.
The styling of the MkVII Golf lends itself quite well to the more aggressive body kit found on the GTD (and likely matching the GTI). The new front fascia and blacked-out grille give the GTD a sporty look up front, while 17-inch sport wheels, rocker panel extensions and smoked LED taillights finish off the visual changes. The GTD will only be offered in three exterior colors: Tornado Red, Black and Pure White. As expected, the interior gets the plaid seat inserts and flat-bottomed sport steering wheel, but the car also gets stainless steel pedals, a black headliner, ambient cabin lighting and a specific gauge cluster readout.