The New VW GTI @ 2008 Paris Motor Show

Powering the latest incarnation of the GTI is VW's new EA888 four-cylinder engine in turbocharged 2.0-liter form. Developed by Audi as part of a world engine program, the transversely mounted unit kicks out 210 horsepower, which is 10 hp more than the current GTI. Torque, however, remains the same, rising to a peak of 206 pound-feet at just 1,800 rpm.



As before, drive goes to the front wheels via either a standard six-speed manual or an optional six-speed double-clutch gearbox that has steering-wheel-mounted paddles and a full automatic mode.

The 2010 GTI gets an electronic differential for the first time, called XDS, that operates through an enhanced electronic stability program to help power get to the road cleanly and efficiently.

Volkswagen claims the new car will sprint from zero to 60 mph in under 7.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 149 mph. Combined fuel consumption averages better than 30 mpg on the European cycle. CO2 emissions, on which some European markets base road tax, have dropped to 178g/km.

The underpinnings are a development of those used in the old GTI with a combination of MacPherson struts at the front and multilinks at the rear. It sits 0.8 inch closer to the ground than the standard Golf and rolls on unique 18-inch wheels shod with 225/40ZR18 Michelin Pilot Sport tires.

The new GTI also gets adaptive damping as on the Scirocco. Known under the name DCC (dynamic chassis control), it provides three levels of suspension stiffness: normal, comfort and sport. The system also alters mapping of the steering and throttle for sharper and more immediate responses in sport mode.

Picture of the Day: Vdub with Sporty Appeal

A picture says a thousand words.

Picture of the Day: Tricked Out Vdub Truck!

Here is my picture of the day. Click to view and/or download a larger version of it:

Dancing F&F Vdub Golf R32's at Universal Studios Hollywood

If you make it to Universal Studios Hollywood, check out the Studio Backlot tour. I was pleasantly surprised by the dancing VW Golf R32's from "The Fast & the Furious: Tokyo Drift". Here is my personal video:



Click Image(s) for Larger Picture:

Volkswagen Confirms $1 Billion Dollar Manufacturing Plant in Tennessee

As other automakers cut back, Volkswagen says it will invest almost a billion dollars in a new plant near Chattanooga, Tennessee. The factory will make a new midsize car designed for American drivers. Great news for us here in the States! And it is expected to cost $1 Billion to build and employ around 2,000 employees.

New Tank or Just Volkswagen's New Armored Truck ?

When you think of armored trucks, the first thought that probably comes to mind is an image of the boxy blue and gray behemoths that are the International trucks Brinks uses to haul around their bricks of cash and gold. It doesn’t really get more gangster than that unless you’re pushing a tank or Volkswagen’s new 9.150 ECE armored transport vehicle.

Made for the Brazilian market, the 9.150 ECE either looks like an extra from the Transformers movie or an ice cream truck…if the truck was owned by T.I. and he was peddling automatic weapons. Details on its security technology are scant, but from the looks of it, we’re sure it can make big guns go ping ping. Word to Curtis. It’s powered by a 4 liter turbocharged diesel engine that puts out a paltry 150hp, but then delivers a whopping 405 lb-ft of torque. That grunt is needed to haul the bricks, ya dig? Brinks needs to holler at VW immediately.

Check out a gallery below.

Send This VW GTI to Indy -- Or Better Yet, My Home!

Given it is Indy Weekend, it seems a little wrong -- but only a little -- to tout a non-Indy car. But when you see this Volkswagen beauty, it is impossible to resist!

• GTI 650 one-off ditches rear seats for W-12 engine.

This is the VW Golf GTI W12-650, and I want one. If you wanted a faster GTI, you would probably think about getting it chipped or chopping it in for an R32.

But fortunately for us dreamers the VW works created it. The downside: the GTI W12 is a one-off creation, built to show at the Woerthersee VW/Audi modified car gathering in Austria.

Not surprisingly, the GTI W12-650 has a fair amount of power from its twin-turbocharged W12; 641hp, to be precise, or 650PS (hence the name). It also packs 553lb-ft of torque. VW reckons it will run from 0-62mph in 3.7sec, and head on to 202mph, which is pretty much on a par with a Porsche 911 Turbo.

• Performance numbers are similar to a Porsche 911 Turbo.
  

The engine is mounted longitudinally behind the front seats, and powers the rear axle through a DSG gearbox. The wheels are based on the GTI’s standard items, but at 19" they are larger and the tires much wider – 235mm up front and 295mm at the back.

The track is 160mm wider than standard, so there are vastly exaggerated wheelarches, giving the GTI W12 the look of a DTM car.

The bodywork is a bespoke steel and carbon-fiber affair, styled under VW design boss, Klaus Bischoff. “We strived to retain a classic GTI appearance,” said Bischoff. “The biggest challenge was to provide the mid-mounted engine with sufficient air without upsetting the silhouette to any great degree.”

That means that there are gaping vents in the side, and the rear side windows slope dramatically inwards, leaving the rear pillars as a kind of Ferrari 599-style flying buttress. The whole carbon-fiber roof acts as a spoiler.

This baby looks fantastic! Please, Mr. Winterkorn, can I have one? Pretty please!