2008 Volkswagen Touareg Vr6 Awd Sunroof Leather Nav 52k Texas Direct Auto on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Autoblog Podcast #327

New York Auto Show, Jim Farley interview, 2014 Chevrolet Silverado fuel economy, Ford fuel economy app challenge
Episode #327 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Zach Bowman and Jeff Ross talk about this year's New York Auto Show, Chevrolet's latest assault in the pickup truck fuel economy battle, and Ford's reward for developing a better fuel economy app. Dan also has an interview with Ford's Jim Farley about the future of Lincoln. We wrap with your questions and emails, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Keep reading for our Q&A module for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!
Autoblog Podcast #327:

2016 VW GTI Clubsport is a new breed of forbidden fruit

And this, friends, is the closest we'll ever get to the Volkswagen GTI Clubsport. As we were sad to report, this middle child between the standard GTI and the high-performance Golf R will not be coming to our shores, no matter how much we beg and plead. For those that need a refresher, the Clubsport was inspired by a concept originally shown at Worhtersee earlier this year. Its positioning means it's up on power – there are 261 (probably underrated) horsepower in this compact – although mum's the word on any upgrades to the suspension. As we previously noted, the extra 51 hp over stock will get the mid-level hot hatch to 60 in just 5.9 seconds, if you opt for the dual-clutch automatic, or an even six seconds with the manual trans. Loathe as we are to admit it, aside from the extra horsepower, most of the stuff about the Clubsport appears to be aesthetic. The body kit is all new and significantly more aggressive than the what's found on the GTI, while new 18-inch wheels are standard, although 19s can be optioned. Also larger, the twin chrome exhaust tips. In the cabin, there are far more aggressive sport seats, which are quite simply too cool to be sold in the US (just kidding, it's probably some silly federal regulation). We just had to mosey on down to the Volkswagen stand and check out the new GTI Clubsport. You can view all of our shots of the new hatch up top. Related Video:

Volkswagen Golf R Evo may debut at Beijing Motor Show

If a report in Auto Express is correct, a lighter, faster brother to the Volkswagen Golf R will be shown to the world at the Beijing Motor Show in April. Said to be called the Golf R Evo, the even harder hot hatch would be unveiled as one of those concepts that's practically a de facto presentation of the genuine thing. The Evo in its name will come from having a carbon fiber roof and CF in the bodywork, lighter wheels, thinner bucket seats up front and a roll cage instead of rear seats.
If there's a power increase, it's been described as "a small bump." However, as the report mentions, if the Jenny Craig regimen can drop 100 kilograms (220 pounds) from the the 3,247-pound weight of the European Golf R, then the Golf R Evo will do about the same damage on the scales as the Golf but have at least 50 more horsepower and 44 more pound-feet of torque.
Since we still don't have the current Golf, this isn't something that should keep you awake even if the 'concept' does become a production model. But it is good to know that the Golf R is really going to start pushing its boundaries.