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VW stripped of Green Car Of The Year awards for Jetta, A3 diesels

In the wake of the ongoing VW diesel scandal, Green Car Journal has announced it will rescind the two Green Car Of The Year awards that the Volkswagen Group won with diesel vehicles that have been since been proven to not meet the stated emissions levels. The two vehicles are the 2009 VW Jetta TDI, which won in 2008, and the 2010 Audi A3 TDI, which won in 2010. Green Car Journal (GCJ) did not say if it would retroactively name any replacement winners. This is the first time in the history of the Green Car Of The Year Awards that the honor has been taken away from the winner. In a statement announcing the change, GCJ publisher Ron Cogan wrote that, "this award rescission should not cast a negative light on advanced diesel technology in general. Many diesel models from a variety of auto manufacturers meet EPA and CARB emissions standards, bringing with them higher fuel efficiency, decreased petroleum use, and lower carbon emissions – all important environmental goals." VW AND AUDI RETURNING GREEN CAR OF THE YEAR® AWARDS, VEHICLES DEEMED INELIGIBLE SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif., Sept. 30, 2015 – Green Car Journal is rescinding the Green Car of the Year® awards previously honoring the 2009 VW Jetta TDI and 2010 Audi A3 TDI, the first time this has occurred in the award program's decade-long history. Audi of America President Scott Keogh has informed Green Car Journal that Audi will return its 2010 Green Car of the Year® award in the wake of Volkswagen Group's admission that it deliberately deceived government authorities about emissions from the Audi A3 TDI. Volkswagen of America has also informed Green Car Journal it will return its 2009 Green Car of the Year® award for the VW Jetta TDI. "Rescinding the Green Car of the Year® awards for the VW Jetta TDI and Audi A3 TDI is unfortunate but appropriate," said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of the Green Car Journal and CarsOfChange.com. "These models were selected as Green Car of the Year® above others for compelling reasons, including high fuel efficiency, reduced carbon emissions, a fun-to-drive nature, and the ability to meet 50 state emissions requirements with advanced diesel technology." However, VW Group has now admitted that its software programming intentionally caused in-lab emissions testing to read significantly lower nitrogen oxide emissions than these vehicles actually produced on the road.

Daimler says straight up it doesn't cheat on emissions tests

Distancing itself from VW and its diesel emissions scandal, Daimler has put out a statement saying that it has never installed devices on their vehicles that would artificially reduce emissions during a testing process. The company added that it "actively" supports European regulators' efforts to improve emissions-testing methods to better measure emissions during "real" driving conditions. BMW put out a similar statement last week, saying that its diesels are programmed to be tested properly. While Mercedes-Benz diesels were a fixture on US roads in past decades, the company's diesel sales are now concentrated overseas. "We categorically deny the accusation of manipulating emission tests regarding our vehicles," Daimler said in Friday's statement. "A defeat device, a function which illegitimately reduces emissions during testing, has never been and will never be used at Daimler." There's a reason for that sort of straightforward statement. Namely, heads continue to roll at VW after the automaker admitted it manipulated software in its diesel vehicles to pass US emissions testing. VW followed up by saying that as may as 11 million vehicles worldwide may contain that software and has set aside $7.3 billion to address the issue. VW CEO Martin Winterkorn stepped down as well. Take a look at Daimler's press release below. Daimler AG categorically denies any and all allegations of manipulation Stuttgart, Sep 25, 2015 In light of the ongoing assertions from the Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH), a non-government organisation, and the related speculation, Daimler AG once again clearly states that: We categorically deny the accusation of manipulating emission tests regarding our vehicles. A defeat device, a function which illegitimately reduces emissions during testing, has never been and will never be used at Daimler. This holds true for both diesel and petrol engines. Our engines meet and adhere to every legal requirement. In light of the written request by the DUH, which was sent to us this morning with a deadline to respond by 3:00 pm (CET), and the seven questions they posed, we can confirm that none of the allegations apply to our vehicles. The technical programming of our engines adheres to all legal requirements. We have no knowledge of measurements that indicate our vehicles did not meet legally required standards.

2015 VW Golf R caught getting a flogging on 'Ring

The upcoming version of the Volkswagen Golf R is nearly ready for prime time, if this video of the car flying around the Nürburgring is any indication. The all-wheel-drive R seems to make quick, neat work of the corners we see here, and sounds pretty devilish in the process.
Expectations are that the new Golf R will run a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder (what else?), tuned to produce even more than the current car's 256 horsepower. (Some sources have indicated outputs as high as 286 horsepower, with 280 pound-feet of torque. It's still not clear if Volkswagen will bring the six-speed dual-clutch transmission to the US-spec Golf R in this next go-round or if we'll stick to having only... eh... the stick.
In either case - watching the video below will only whet your appetite for the new, highest performing member of the Golf family.