2001 Volkswagen Cabrio Glx Convertible 2-door 2.0l on 2040-cars

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BMW, Ferrari, VW cars use tungsten mined by terrorists

Bloomberg Markets is reporting that BMW, Volkswagen and Ferrari have been using tungsten ore sourced from Columbia's FARC rebel terrorists. The extensive story focuses on Columbia's illegal mining trade and calls into question the provenance of the rare ore that is used not only in crankshaft parts production, but is also found in the world's computing and telecommunications industry for use in screens.
The ore is mined by the FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, or Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - People's Army), and exported to Pennsylvania, where it is refined. The refined ore is then sent over to Austria, where a company called Plansee turns it into a finished product. Now, it's important to note that we aren't talking about the world's supply of tungsten here. In 2012, Plansee's American refinery purchased 93.2 metric tons of tungsten, valued at $1.8 million. That's peanuts, with the entire Colombian tungsten mining industry producing just one percent of the world's supplies.
That doesn't make indirectly supporting FARC any more acceptable, though. BMW, VW and Ferrari are all committed to not accepting mineral supplies from the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is also in the grips of a guerrilla insurrection funded, in part, by illegal mining. The same commitment would figure to extend to Colombian mining, but as BMW points out, it's difficult for a multi-national manufacturer to know where every item in its supply chain comes from. A company spokesperson says as much, telling Bloomberg, "These few grams out of the billions of tons of raw materials passing through the BMW supply chain are of no practical relevance."

Volkswagen's 261-mpg hand-built XL1 headed for Geneva

After years of rumors, development and testing, the Volkswagen XL1 is finally about to become a reality. The project that began life as a daring 1-Liter concept car in 2002, will finally get its production-ready curtain call at the Geneva Motor Show in just a few weeks.
As soon as it hits the streets, the two-seat XL1 will instantly become the most fuel-efficient and most aerodynamic production car in the world. The car uses a plug-in hybrid system to achieve mind-blowing consumption of just 0.9 liters of diesel fuel consumed every 100 kilometers (and average of roughly 261 miles per gallon). Plus, the XL1 can go up to 50 kilometers on its battery power alone. Coefficient of drag is a miniscule 0.189, thanks to a tiny frontal area and an obviously slippery shape.
XL1 power comes from a two-cylinder diesel motor connected to a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, while the 20 kW electric motor is fed by a lithium-ion battery. Both combine to give the XL1 performance figures that are, while not stirring, not shabby considering its extreme frugality: 0-62 miles per hour comes up in 12.7 seconds and top speed is nearly 146 mph.

2015 VW Golf SportWagen priced from $21,395*

Now known as the Volkswagen Golf SportWagen in the US, the long-roof version of the platform gets larger for its new generation in 2015, but it also sheds up to 137 pounds and cuts some money off the price of some models. The base now begins at $21,395, plus $820 destination on all versions, when they arrive at dealers in April. Volkswagen claims that with all of the extra standard content, buyers actually save $700 compared to the previous-gen Jetta SportWagen, despite its lower $20,995 starting price. The S trim is the least expensive model and comes with a five-speed manual and 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder making 170 horsepower. Paying an extra $1,100 adds a six-speed automatic. The SE for $26,995 gets the auto as standard and also includes a panoramic sunroof, front foglights, push-button start and a rearview camera. The top SEL for $29,345 further features chrome roof rails, navigation, a 12-way power driver's seat and more. In addition to the gas engine, buyers can choose the 2.0-liter TDI with 150 hp and 236 pound-feet of torque, and VW quotes EPA estimates of up to 43 miles per gallon highway fuel economy for it. All of the trims with the oil burner come with a six-speed manual, but a six-speed DSG is a $1,100 extra. The base TDI S trim starts at $24,595, which is nearly $2,000 less than the last-gen Jetta SportWagen with a diesel, and buyers also get standard push-button start and a rearview camera. The SE and SEL trims offer similar upgrades as their gasoline counterparts and ring up for $27,995 and $30,345, respectively. Of course, many buyers want extra tech for their cars, and VW is offering two packages of options for the SE and SEL trims with either engine. One adds collision warning, automatic post-collision braking and front and rear parking sensors for $695. The Lighting Package includes adaptive Bi-Xenon headlights, LED running lights and LED interior lighting for $995. VOLKSWAGEN ANNOUNCES PRICING OF 2015 GOLF SPORTWAGEN ? New TDI® S model reduces base Clean Diesel pricing by almost $2,000 ? Newly available driver assistance technology includes Forward Collision Warning and Automatic Post-Collision Braking System ? Larger interior than outgoing Jetta SportWagen rivals compact SUVs for size ? Car will be offered with 1.8-liter turbocharged TSI® gasoline and 2.0-liter TDI Clean Diesel engines ?