2002 Volkswagen Jetta Tdi Auto. Rare on 2040-cars

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New Volkswagen Beetle is on the way

Recent reports have suggested that the future of the Volkswagen Beetle could be in jeopardy, but those rumors have now been squashed. Dr. Heinz-Jakob Neusser, member of the board of management responsible for development at Volkswagen, confirmed to Autoblog that not only will the Beetle live on, a new generation will arrive in "the next up to three years." The next Beetle will move to Volkswagen's scalable MQB architecture. These bones currently underpin the Golf in the US, as well as a range of products available in Europe and other markets. That's not really surprising, given the MQB architecture's flexibility. But what's interesting is that, according to Neusser, using the MQB platform opens the door for electrification possibilities in the Beetle. That could mean a hybrid drivetrain, or even a fully electric example like the e-Golf hatchback. The Beetle "will remain an emotional design," Neusser told Autoblog. That said, it will be "developed in a new design language," in keeping with Volkswagen's plans to offer "much more dynamic, much more emotional" designs on its future cars. "We would like to support more emotional potential [for the Beetle]," Neusser said. This can certainly be seen here at the New York Auto Show, where Volkswagen is rolling out four showcars that demonstrate the potential for unique versions of the Bug. Even beyond that, Volkswagen has already confirmed that the Beetle Dune concept will see production, and Neusser hinted that while the New York showcars are still being evaluated, the Denim convertible will likely come to market. So the future is anything but grim for the Beetle. And in fact, there's a whole lot of potential for Volkswagen's iconic two-door. Related Video:

Autoblog Minute: Porsche goes after Tesla

Volkswagen Group Night kicks off the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show. Autoblog's Adam Morath reports on this edition of Autoblog Minute with commentary from Autoblog's Editor-in-Chief, Michael Austin. Show full video transcript text [00:00:00] Volkswagen Group Night kicks off the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show. I'm Adam Morath and this is your Autoblog Minute. In keeping with tradition Volkswagen Group Night will take place before the first press day of the Frankfurt Motor Show. It's here that VW will unveil all the latest innovations for each of the brands in the group's extensive portfolio. For more we go to Autoblog's Mike Austin: [00:00:30] [Michael Austin Interview] Autoblog staff is on site in Germany [00:01:00] for comprehensive coverage of the events. To check out all of our short cut videos of Volkswagen Group Night head over to Autoblog dot com slash short dash cuts. For Autoblog, I'm Adam Morath. Autoblog Minute is a short-form video news series reporting on all things automotive. Each segment offers a quick and clear picture of what's happening in the automotive industry from the perspective of Autoblog's expert editorial staff, auto executives, and industry professionals.

VW Golf R 400 reportedly green-lit (again)

After speaking to Volkswagen powertrain boss Dr. Heinz-Jakob Neusser at the 2015 New York International Auto Show, we uncovered that the Volkswagen Golf R 400 would be sold in the United States... if it ever made it to production at all, that is. That prerequisite looks like it's about to be fulfilled, as the same good doctor that said the super-powered GTI would come to the US has confirmed to Car that development is currently underway. This follows up on reports from late 2014 that the 400-horsepower car would make production. "We have the Golf more sporty than ever before, since we soon will have the Golf R 400 – we will do this car," Neusser told Car. "We are in fact in development of it right now." That is, we think you'll agree, splendid news. Of course, it also begs the question of when the new car will arrive. According to Car, it'll be just "a few short months," indicating that the Frankfurt Motor Show will likely host the Golf R 400's debut later this year. Whether that proves correct, though, likely won't be clear until later this summer.