1978 Vw Bug Covertable Very Nicely Restored on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Touring the Volkswagen Museum in Wolfsburg

Forgive the ribbon up top - this isn't so much of a Read This as a Look At This. Ran When Parked took a tour of the sprawling Volkswagen Museum in Wolfsburg, and while there's a spot of text about the different and unique vehicles on display in the rotating exhibits, it's largely the collection of pictures of odd, one-off VW-badged cars and vans that excites. If you're a fan of the weird and wild, this is a post you'll want to look at.
As RWP points out, this is the larger, but less busy, museum targeted purely at Volkswagen products. The smaller AutoStadt museum, meanwhile, covers a much broader swath, with products from other Volkswagen Group members. Click on over to view the extensive gallery of high-quality images from Ran When Parked.

Volkswagen Golf GTE Sport Concept debuts at Worthersee

Do you like hot Volkswagens? So do we. And that's why the annual Worthersee festival in Austria is a treat. It's where the Volkswagen Group shows off some performance-minded concept cars, like the GTI Clubsport or the 600-horsepower Audi TT. But VW wants to show that it's possible to increase performance while still maintaining some eco-friendly dignity. And that's where this striking Golf GTE Sport Concept comes in. The concept is powered by a three-motor plug-in hybrid system. There's a 1.6-liter turbocharged inline-four up front, with electric motors mounted at each axle. Total output is said to be 396 horsepower, which is enough to move the all-wheel-drive hatch to 62 miles per hour in 4.3 seconds, on its way to a top speed of 174 mph. It can drive under full electric power, act as a traditional hybrid, or go into full "GTE" mode, where the engine and both motors are on full assault. Its styling is definitely forward-thinking, with angles and creases abound. But it still retains that signature Golf C-pillar design, with a two-tier adaptation first seen on the outrageous GTI W12-650 concept from 2007. The body is largely constructed from carbon fiber and has doors that swing forward and up (think BMW i8). Volkswagen says the Golf GTE Sport Concept "bridges the gap between road cars and racing sport cars." That's evident inside the car, too. There's a rakish dashboard with a three-tier instrument display setup, and a very aggressive cockpit design for the two-seat cabin. Five-point seatbelts on each chair and a racing-inspired steering wheel really drive home the performance mindset of this concept. There's a lot more to learn in the detailed press release below. Check it out, but not before scrolling through the image gallery above. This one's certainly a looker. World premiere of the Golf GTE Sport: Plug-in hybrid sports car catapults the GT idea to the future - Lightweight and high-strength body of the Golf GTE Sport is made of carbon - Concept car with a top speed of 280 km/h is a zero emission vehicle and a race car in one Five key facts about the Golf GTE Sport: 1. Golf GTE Sport is powered by a 295 kW / 400 PS plug-in hybrid system 2. Progressive Golf GTE Sport bridges the gap between road cars and racing sport cars 3. Avant-garde exterior design of the Golf GTE Sport perfects the idea of C-pillars with two-level construction 4. Golf GTE Sport debuts with digital instruments arranged on three levels and tailored to motor racing 5.

Defying Trump, major automakers finalize California emissions deal

WASHINGTON — The California Air Resources Board (CARB) and major automakers on Monday confirmed they had finalized binding agreements to cut vehicle emissions in the state, defying the Trump administration's push for weaker curbs on tailpipe pollution. The agreements with carmakers Ford Motor Co, Volkswagen AG, Honda Motor Co and BMW AG were first announced in July 2019 as voluntary measures prompting anger from U.S. President Donald Trump. A month later, the Justice Department opened an antitrust probe into the agreements. The government ended the investigation without action. The Trump administration in March finalized a rollback of U.S. vehicle emissions standards to require 1.5% annual increases in efficiency through 2026. That is far weaker than the 5% annual increases in the discarded rules adopted under President Barack Obama. The 50-page California agreements, which extend through 2026, are less onerous than the standards finalized by the Obama administration but tougher than the Trump administration standards. The automakers have also agreed to electric vehicle commitments. Volvo Cars, owned by China's Geely Holdings, said in March it planned to join the automakers agreeing to the California requirements. It has also finalized its agreement. The settlement agreements say California and automakers agreed to resolve "potential legal disputes concerning the authority of CARB" and other states that have adopted California's standards. In May, a group of 23 U.S. states led by California and some major cities, challenged the Trump vehicle emissions rule. Other major automakers like General Motors Co, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV and Toyota Motor Corp did not join the California agreement. Those companies also sided with the Trump administration in a separate lawsuit over whether the federal government can strip California of the right to set zero emission vehicle requirements. Ford said the "final agreement will reduce emissions in our vehicles at a more stringent rate, support and incentivize the production of electrified products, and create regulatory certainty." BMW said "by setting these long-term, predictable, and achievable standards, we have the regulatory certainty that is necessary for long-term planning that will not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions but ultimately benefit consumers as well."