2007 Volkswagen Jetta 2.5 Sedan 4-door 2.5l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

VW GTI Clubsport Concept celebrates model's 40th birthday with 261 hp

Volkswagen is celebrating the four-decade milestone for the GTI with the world debut of the GTI Clubsport concept at the annual Worthersee festival in Austria. While the version in these sketches is just a prototype, European buyers at least are set to get a production model in early 2016. The Clubsport is essentially a way for VW to split the difference between the already well-liked GTI and the hotter Golf R. In concept form, it packs 261 horsepower, compared to 220 hp from the standard version in the US with the Performance Package or 292 hp from the R. A temporary overboost function even lets the Clubsport make about 10 percent more power for short periods. Beyond just the mechanical upgrades, the concept in these sketches also wears a revised lower air dam at the front with a mesh grille and big strakes at the corners, and there's a new roof spoiler and rear diffuser at the back. VW also promises a more "individualized" interior. Unfortunately, the North America might not be getting this more powerful GTI. "There are no plans to bring the car to the US currently," VW spokesperson Mark Gillies told Autoblog. At this time, VW only has info about the Clubsport in German, which you can take a look at below. Related Video: Weltpremiere des Golf GTI Clubsport am Worthersee Exklusives Jubilaumsmodell zum 40. Geburtstag des GTI Golf GTI Clubsport debutiert mit 265 PS und Boost-Funktion Im kommenden Jahr feiert der Golf GTI seinen 40. Geburtstag. Volkswagen wird dieses historische Ereignis mit einem progressiven Jubilaumsmodell adeln: dem neuen Golf GTI Clubsport. In Form einer seriennahen Studie wird Volkswagen den Golf GTI Clubsport bereits am 14. Mai 2015 als Weltpremiere im Rahmen des legendaren GTI-Treffens am Worthersee prasentieren. Mit einer Leistung von 195 kW / 265 PS (plus 35 PS gegenuber dem Golf GTI Performance*) sowie einer temporar dank Boost-Funktion nochmals um rund 10 Prozent hoheren Spitzenleistung soll der Golf GTI Clubsport Anfang 2016 als der bis dato starkste jemals in Serie gebaute „GTI" durchstarten. Das Jubilaumsmodell wird nicht nur mit einem extrem leistungsstarken Motor, sondern mit einem individualisierten Interieur und exklusiven Karosseriedetails auf den Markt kommen. Zu den Design-Modifikationen gehoren ein komplett neuer Frontstoss-fanger, neue Seitenschweller, ein ebenfalls neuer und aerodynamisch hoch innovativer Dachkantenspoiler sowie ein eigens entwickelter Heckdiffusor.

The VW diesel scandal is now a Halloween costume

Can't figure out what costume to wear at your upcoming Halloween party? Love cars? Have a bunch of auto enthusiast friends who appreciate a super timely joke? Well, fear not. You're set for this season. HalloweenCostumes.com presents the VW Diesel Scandal costume, complete with toxic gas mask, fuel canister, and a cute little car blowing a plume of smoke. It's a full do-it-yourself job, and the site shows all of the necessary parts you'll need to make your very own scandalous outfit. And no, we aren't sure why the male model isn't wearing a shirt. "I'm a car guy and a Passat driver before it broke down, so I never wanted to make light of the VW scandal. I actually really like the brand," HalloweenCostumes.com's Marlon Heimerl tells Autoblog. "But I'm also an environmentalist and marketing manager for a Halloween company. So fair is fair, just doing our job." "The biggest news stories and scandals in particular always find their way to the top of the list for the topical costumes of the year," HC's vice president of marketing, Troy Eaves, writes to Autoblog. "Sure, car scandals happen all the time, but on a much smaller scale both in terms of the total number of cars effected, and the actual parts in question are usually replaceable through a recall. This one was much larger scale, affected millions of consumers, and the damage can't really be undone. This rings 'big costume' for the Halloween industry." Credit where credit is due, this is pretty funny. Now, bring on the Sexy VW Diesel Scandal treatment.

Porsche-Piech buy 10% stake in VW's holding company

In August, 2009, as the scuttled merger of Porsche and Volkswagen had gone bad and Porsche was backed up against the ropes, Porsche Automobil Holding SE (PAHSE) relinquished a ten-percent stake in itself to Qatar Holdings as well as options it held on 17 percent of VW shares. The sale meant that, for the first time since the founding of the company 61 years before, an entity outside the Porsche and Piech families had a say in the running of PAHSE.
Buying that ten-percent stake back returns full ownership to the two families, the holding company's sole possession being ownership of 50.7 percent of VW's common shares. The price paid wasn't disclosed, but at market rates the purchase would be worth close to $1.25 billion. Qatar intends to hold onto the 17-percent stake it has in Volkswagen.