1971 Volkswagen Super Beetle Base 1.6l on 2040-cars

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Renault to name VW manager Luca De Meo as CEO

PARIS — Renault's board is set to meet later on Tuesday to approve the nomination of Luca de Meo, the former head of Volkswagen's Seat brand, as its next chief executive, two sources familiar with the matter said. The Italian-born executive, who stepped down from Seat earlier this month, is not due to take up his post at the French carmaker until towards July, due to negotiations around his contract, according to one of the sources. Renault declined to comment. De Meo is not expected to face any last minute hurdles in his nomination, and has already won tacit backing from parties including the French government, a Renault shareholder. His appointment fills one of the major gaps left at the firm as it tries to move past a year of turmoil following the 2018 arrest in Tokyo of former boss-turned-fugitive Carlos Ghosn, and reset its strained alliance with Japan's Nissan. Ghosn, who forged and oversaw the Renault-Nissan partnership for almost two decades, has since fled Japan and resettled in Lebanon, from where he has contested the financial misconduct charges against him and said the alliance was at risk of collapse. De Meo, along with Renault Chairman Jean-Dominique Senard, brought in last January from tire maker Michelin, will have his work cut out to turn around the firm. Like rivals, Renault is grappling with a downturn in demand, and has said it expects a slight decline in the car market in Europe, Russia and China this year. The firm has also presented 2020 as a make-or-break year for the alliance with Nissan and is under pressure to deliver on cost savings and joint projects. Automakers face pressure to meet stringent new emissions targets with less polluting models, and are also competing to produce innovations such as self-driving cars, which require large investments. De Meo, who speaks French, will be one of a growing handful of outsiders in senior company jobs in France. The 52-year-old started his career at Renault and has worked at Fiat and Audi among other brands. He is credited with revitalizing sales at Barcelona-based Seat, imbuing it with a more sporty image, though his portfolio will be markedly larger at Renault, whose brands include Dacia and Lada. Renault's finance chief Clotilde Delbos has been CEO on an interim basis since last October, when Thierry Bollore, a former Ghosn ally, was ousted by the board. Related Video:     Hirings/Firings/Layoffs Rumormill Volkswagen Renault

France may scrap diesel fuel subsidies in wake of VW scandal

Now that a particular German automaker has sneezed, it appears that French automotive subsidies will catch a cold. Count France among the growing legion of countries not happy about Volkswagen's admission that some of its diesel vehicles contain software that will artificially reduce emissions levels during testing. As a result, the French government is talking about reducing or eliminating diesel subsidies that make diesel fuel about 15 cents per liter (roughly 89 cents a gallon) cheaper than gas. The change would tax gas and diesel at the same rate. France may end the diesel tax credits as soon as the next fiscal year, Bloomberg News says, citing comments from French Environment Minister Segolene Royal this week. About two-thirds of the cars on France's roads are diesel, according to the CCFA, the French automaker association. In fact, diesels accounted for more than half of the new light-duty vehicles sold in Europe last year. That may drop to 35 percent by 2022 in part because of the scandal, according to automotive consultant LMC Automotive. Things could change even more France is considering letting more vehicles qualify for the 10,000-euro incentive for switching from old diesels to new plug-in vehicles. Last month, VW said that its cheater software might be installed in as many as 11 million vehicles, forcing the German automaker to set aside $7.3 billion to address the fallout from the scandal. Among other issues, VW and its Audi division were stripped of its Green Car of the Year Awards for the first time in the history of the awards bestowed by Green Car Journal. The scandal also forced Martin Winterkorn to resign as VW's CEO last month after eight years on the job and is delaying a number of the automaker's upcoming projects. Related Videos: News Source: Bloomberg NewsImage Credit: Mic V./Flickr Government/Legal Green Volkswagen Emissions Diesel Vehicles vw diesel scandal France subsidies

VW GTI Clubsport Concept celebrates model's 40th birthday with 261 hp

Volkswagen is celebrating the four-decade milestone for the GTI with the world debut of the GTI Clubsport concept at the annual Worthersee festival in Austria. While the version in these sketches is just a prototype, European buyers at least are set to get a production model in early 2016. The Clubsport is essentially a way for VW to split the difference between the already well-liked GTI and the hotter Golf R. In concept form, it packs 261 horsepower, compared to 220 hp from the standard version in the US with the Performance Package or 292 hp from the R. A temporary overboost function even lets the Clubsport make about 10 percent more power for short periods. Beyond just the mechanical upgrades, the concept in these sketches also wears a revised lower air dam at the front with a mesh grille and big strakes at the corners, and there's a new roof spoiler and rear diffuser at the back. VW also promises a more "individualized" interior. Unfortunately, the North America might not be getting this more powerful GTI. "There are no plans to bring the car to the US currently," VW spokesperson Mark Gillies told Autoblog. At this time, VW only has info about the Clubsport in German, which you can take a look at below. Related Video: Weltpremiere des Golf GTI Clubsport am Worthersee Exklusives Jubilaumsmodell zum 40. Geburtstag des GTI Golf GTI Clubsport debutiert mit 265 PS und Boost-Funktion Im kommenden Jahr feiert der Golf GTI seinen 40. Geburtstag. Volkswagen wird dieses historische Ereignis mit einem progressiven Jubilaumsmodell adeln: dem neuen Golf GTI Clubsport. In Form einer seriennahen Studie wird Volkswagen den Golf GTI Clubsport bereits am 14. Mai 2015 als Weltpremiere im Rahmen des legendaren GTI-Treffens am Worthersee prasentieren. Mit einer Leistung von 195 kW / 265 PS (plus 35 PS gegenuber dem Golf GTI Performance*) sowie einer temporar dank Boost-Funktion nochmals um rund 10 Prozent hoheren Spitzenleistung soll der Golf GTI Clubsport Anfang 2016 als der bis dato starkste jemals in Serie gebaute „GTI" durchstarten. Das Jubilaumsmodell wird nicht nur mit einem extrem leistungsstarken Motor, sondern mit einem individualisierten Interieur und exklusiven Karosseriedetails auf den Markt kommen. Zu den Design-Modifikationen gehoren ein komplett neuer Frontstoss-fanger, neue Seitenschweller, ein ebenfalls neuer und aerodynamisch hoch innovativer Dachkantenspoiler sowie ein eigens entwickelter Heckdiffusor.