1963 Volkswagen Beetle Baja...modified To A Convertible on 2040-cars

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Volkswagen kills planned 10-speed DSG

If there are two things in this wild and crazy industry that keep growing, they are the size of cars and the number of gears in their transmissions. It wasn't ten years ago that cars with six forward gears – either manually or automatically shifted – were a relative rarity. Now, there are a multitude of sub-$30,000 cars with at least a six-speed automatic. But while eight- and nine-speed automatics are becoming increasingly common, no automaker has delivered a production ten-speed automatic (which may be a good thing, considering the reception to most nine-speed gearboxes). Ford and General Motors were collaborating on one as recently as April 2013, and Hyundai has was allegedly working on one way back in 2011. Most recently, though, Volkswagen announced a ten-speed, dual-clutch automatic in November 2014. And now, less than two years later, the project has apparently been shelved. That's according to our Vegemite-loving friends at Motoring.com.au, which report that both the cost and complexity of project has proved unfeasible for VW. "In the end, we had to balance what our priorities were with our transmissions and other things are more important and more urgent," an unnamed source at the Frankfurt Motor Show told the Aussie website. The ten-speed DSG was slated for a number of three- and four-cylinder models from VAG's entire range of affordable vehicles. It was also, allegedly, to feature in the ultra-high-performance Golf R400, Motoring reports. It's unclear how its cancellation will impact the company's future projects, if VW will look elsewhere for its small-car gearboxes, of if there's another – perhaps conventional – new transmission in the pipeline. Currently, VW's highest gear-count dual-clutch is the seven-speed DSG, shown above with company CEO Martin Winterkorn.

Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn resigns amid diesel scandal

Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn is stepping down amid charges the company manipulated its diesel-powered cars to meet emissions regulations around the world, the automaker announced Wednesday. No successor was immediately announced, though recommendations will be made at VW's board meeting Friday. Winterkorn, 68, has led VW since 2007 and oversaw the German automaker's staggering growth around the world. His departure comes less than a week after the EPA alleged the company has been cheating on diesel emissions testing for years, and that its cars might emit 40 times more pollution than legally allowed. The EPA says about 482,000 vehicles are affected in the United States, and VW estimates at least 11 million vehicles globally might have the software that allows the vehicles to cheat emissions regulations. "As CEO I accept responsibility for the irregularities that have been found in diesel engines and have therefore requested the Supervisory Board to agree on terminating my function as CEO of the Volkswagen Group," Winterkorn said in a statement. "I am doing this in the interests of the company even though I am not aware of any wrongdoing on my part. "Volkswagen needs a fresh start – also in terms of personnel. I am clearing the way for this fresh start with my resignation." Winterkorn stepped down after an executive committee meeting of the VW Supervisory Board Wednesday. The committee agreed Winterkorn had no knowledge of wrongdoing. "The executive committee has tremendous respect for his willingness to nevertheless assume responsibility and, in so doing, to send a strong signal both internally and externally," VW said in a statement. Volkswagen is conducting an internal review and expects more "personnel consequences" in the coming days. It also will voluntarily submit a complaint to the state prosecutor's office in Brunswick, Germany, and cooperate with the expected criminal investigation. Winterkorn's departure is the latest development in VW's burgeoning diesel emissions scandal. It came to light last week after the work of researchers at West Virginia University detailed the software manipulation designed to skirt EPA tests, and it has resounded as governments around the world examine Volkswagen's diesel vehicles. The company set aside $7.3 billion to deal with the fallout and has retained the law firm that defended BP during its oil spill.

What the Volkswagen I.D. concept tells us about the post-TDI future

If you've been paying attention, 2016 hasn't been a great year for Volkswagen. The TDI scandal removed VW's last crutch between our internal combustion present and the electric future, and so the company found itself scrambling to shift resources to show what's next right now. It's naive to assume that this is truly the sort of fairytale comeback story that VW's spin doctors would have us all believe, but it's notable that instead of flinching or pointing fingers, the engineers got to work. What they've produced is the I.D. concept, the third wave in VW's volume car history after the Beetle and Golf. The transaxle Golf was more than simply an updated Beetle, and likewise the I.D. is more than an electrified Golf. VW says the I.D. won't replace the Golf, but they said the same thing about that car replacing the Beetle. It's only a matter of time. VW says the I.D. won't replace the Golf, but they said the same thing about that car replacing the Beetle. It's only a matter of time. The I.D. approach is refreshingly simple: no carbon fiber chassis, no exotic battery chemistry, no outrageous concept car styling. The MEB chassis (the German acronym for modular electric platform) is made out of a traditional mix of high-strength steel grades to save costs and utilize existing factories. The battery is integral, not swappable, to reduce complexity and increase structural rigidity. It's also uses lithium-ion chemistry because of a proven track record and an existing (albeit deficient) supply chain. Contrast that with the e-Golf, which shares its chassis with the conventional internal-combustion cars. Fitting the battery and its ancillary systems became complicated and expensive. The skateboard installation in the I.D. will allow the pack to be optimized for the space available, reducing costs. As we've already reported, MEB will be shared across all VW Group brands to achieve an economy of scale, and the modular platform can be stretched to the size of roughly a Passat and down to a car slightly smaller than the I.D. It can be given all-wheel drive, although VW's e-mobility chief Christian Senger is quick to point out that the standard rear-drive configuration provides plenty of traction because of optimal weight distribution achieved with battery in the middle of the chassis. It makes all-wheel drive more of a bonus rather than a necessity in bad weather.