volkswagen

The New Rallycross Series – ARX Americas Rallycross

May 23, 2018 by ponycargirl Leave a Comment

As one series dies a rather ignominious death, another rises. Red Bull Global Rallycross quietly cancelled its 2018 calendar earlier this spring after a last-ditch effort to save the series by adding Polaris and changing over to spec cars couldn’t save it from financial issues. Through the ashes comes ARX Americas Rallycross, a new series from IMG, a large marketing corporation that boasts UFC in its portfolio and partners with diverse clients such as the international Frieze art fair.

Americas Rallycross Championship will launch May 25-27, 2018 at Silverstone’s Speedmachine Festival in the UK. Two teams from GRC will be racing in the debut – Subaru Rally Team’s Patrik Sandell, Chris Atkinson, and rally driver David Higgins, as well as Andretti Rallycross’ Tanner Foust and Scott Speed, returning in the Beetles. Rounding out the field are Philippe Maloigne, Andy Scott, Liam Doran, Timo Scheider, and Rene Munnich.

Other teams have indicated that they will join future races – Steve Arpin with Loenbro Motorsports announced he looks forward to racing in select races in partnership with Ken Block’s Hoonigan racing team. Arpin said, “The support from our owners, Paul and Jon Leach of Loenbro, our sponsors and our fans during our GRC run has been unbelievable. We have accomplished so much as a small, private team. We’ve earned a tremendous opportunity to work closely with Ken Block and Hoonigan.” He will continue racing in the Ford Focus RS RX.

The inaugural race will be streamed live – https://www.facebook.com/ARXRallycross– with highlights shown on CBS Sports.

The remaining races on the 2018 calendar will be in the Americas:

Round Two travels to Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas July (TBD)

Round Three is in Trois Rivieres, Quebec August 4-5

Round Four is back in Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas September 29-30.

VW Beetle Not Long for This World

March 15, 2018 by Tom Williams Leave a Comment

After teasing the car buying public with concept cars of the iconic Beetle for the better part of the 1990’s, North American car buyers made it clear to Volkswagen they wanted their beloved Beetle back. And in 1997, VW gave us the New Beetle. While it certainly evoked the look of the original, this time around the Beetle was front engined, water cooled, and front wheel drive to suit its Golf underpinnings.

The New Beetle was a runaway success. The Baby Boomers who drove them in the 1960’s and ’70’s and feeling nostalgic flocked to the showroom. Young buyers were instantly drawn to the unique styling the New Beetle’s vanilla competition lacked. Such was the success of the New Beetle other automakers jumped on the retro bandwagon. Anyone remember the Plymouth PT Cruiser, Chevy HHR and the reborn Ford Thunderbird?

Predictably, the excitement eventually wore off. Everyone who was clamoring for a New Beetle had already run out and bought one. The addition of a convertible provided a much needed shot in the arm, but that too soon faded. The occasional special edition here and there was just not enough to keep buyers coming back and getting the car much media attention. After a long fifteen year run-unheard of these days, with practically no development, the New Beetle was replaced.

In 2012, now just called the Beetle, assured the faithful that VW had not abandoned the car, as many had speculated. A redesign also gave VW an opportunity to address a polarizing feature of the New Beetle. With its super cute, super curvy lines, many dismissed the New Beetle as a chick car, which is enough for some male buyers to not even consider it. A car with a flower vase did not help either. While still maintaining the Beetle look, this new car was lower, wider, and more serious. Being less cartoonish and the flower vase long gone, this Beetle certainly Yet, it seems the new look did little to attract new buyers. And six years later, the car has seen little change.

So, in a recent article from Autoblog, it was revealed from a VW exec at the Geneva auto show that there will not be a third generation Beetle. VW is shifting focus to crossovers and EV’s. Apparently, the idea was floated for an EV Beetle, which could have allowed designers to get even closer to the original Beetle’s appearance, but that notion was scrapped. For their ‘nostalgia’ car, Vee-Dub fans will eventually see an EV production version of the Microbus inspired concepts we’ve been seeing.

So, if everyone loved the Beetle so much, what happened here? Well, the Baby Boomers got their nostalgia fix, and soon moved on. The young buyers it attracted got married, started families and needed something more practical. In 1997, the New Beetle was in a league of its own. Eventually, the MINI Cooper came along, and then the Fiat 500. While Fiat and MINI were able to expand their line to encompass different body styles for different buyers, doing the same with the Beetle just didn’t seem possible. Also, VW seemed extremely limited in regards to what they could do to evolve the Beetle, so they just didn’t bother. VW had painted themselves into a corner, and with no evolution of the car, it simply faded from memory. VW knows we are looking forward to the Bus, but this time around, let’s all hope that constant development and improvement will be needed, otherwise it will suffer the same fate as the reincarnated Beetle.

Global Rallycross Switches to Homologous Cars

February 28, 2018 by ponycargirl Leave a Comment

In a surprising move, Red Bull Global Rallycross announced that a single, spec-series type rally cross car will replace Super Cars in the 2018 season. Now called Gold class, seven events will feature the cars. Looking forward to 2019, a Platinum-class purpose-built rallycross car will be introduced. The Gold series car has been created to level the playing field, so to speak, and highlight driver skill. The move may be perplexing to many fans of the series, however, as rallycross was originally launched with factory-built street cars bought from dealers then modified for racing. This approach appealed to brand enthusiasts and casual car fans alike, with a nod to the series’ roots in rally. The past three seasons have been dominated by Scott Speed of Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross winning the championship – perhaps Volkswagen’s recent domination of the series was an impetus for the switch – but previous to Volkswagen’s championship streak, Ford consistently topped the podium.

Red Bull GRC is definitely expanding the series and horizons having introduced the off-roading Polaris RZR® RS1 and the new Polaris class debuting in 2018. The series is also putting “outside of North America” back into the Global part of its name by announcing the season finale at Lydden Hill, UK, the birthplace of rallycross.

The 2018 season kicks off June 9-10 at Lancaster National Speedway in Buffalo, New York, the only east coast venue within shouting distance of Canada. It then heads to New Orleans, Los Angeles, Indianapolis, Atlantic City, Seattle, then Lydden Hill.

Review: 2017 Volkswagen Passat

March 30, 2017 by Tom Williams Leave a Comment

What is the best selling Volkswagen of all time? Beetle, right? No. Ok, the Golf? Wrong again. It’s the Passat. As an American, I was shocked at this news. While the rest of the world was happily snapping up Passats, here in North America VW’s mid-size car has lived in relative obscurity, save for a small but dedicated cult following. How was this possible? See, the Passat was a little bit smaller, a little bit pricier, and rode a bit firmer than the Accords and Camrys we were buying in droves. That was enough to relegate the Passat to the sidelines this side of the Atlantic. VW realized that if they were ever going to be competitive here, there was no option other than to build us a Passat that suited the tastes of the North American mid-size car buyer.

And in 2012, VW did just that. With a brand new factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee, VW rolled out a Passat especially for North America. The Garage was quick to check out this completely different Passat, but that was five years ago. It was time to check in, and see what is new with the Passat. Almost shockingly, remarkably little. For 2016, the Passat received an exterior refresh. Although the hood, front fenders, front and rear bumpers and trunklid are completely new, it will take a sharp eye to notice any noticeable difference. While most of the Passat’s competitors have introduced completely overhauled cars since the Passat went on sale, VW stuck with a mild refresh. Depending on your tastes, that can be a good or bad thing. Uncomfortable with the stigma of a ‘boring’ midsize car, the competition is leaning towards swoopier, edgier styling. In contrast, the Passat, with its simple, broad styling forgoes today’s fads in favor of a classy, clean look. Exciting? No, but over time the Passat’s no nonsense styling will likely stand the test of time.

The design philosophy of keeping it simple carries over to the interior. Gauges are large and easy to read. All controls are simple and intuitive to use. This works fine if austerity works for you, as nothing more than a sliver metal band sweeping the dashboard is all there was to break up the black and grey interior. While simple enough to use, the newer cars from the competition offer larger and slicker infotainment systems. What the Passat does have going for it are the things buyers want in a mid-size car-chiefly a large, roomy cabin with excellent visibility. It is comfortable with plenty of room for four adults to ride in comfort. In fact, when asked to recommend a car this size, and I’m told they have two growing teenagers, the exceptional rear seat room puts the Passat at the top of the list. Buyers are also treated to a large trunk. Add in excellent build quality and a quiet cabin at speed, it is these areas where Passat is clicking off all the right boxes.

The other notable change from its 2012 introduction is in the engine bay. Gone are the 2.5L inline five and 2.0L four cylinder turbo, replaced with a 1.8L four cylinder turbo rated at 170hp, paired to a six-speed automatic. That may sound like a modest amount of grunt for a car this size, but the Passat feels quick and never strained. Fuel economy is EPA rated at 23/34 MPG city/highway. Respectable numbers, but the Passat’s economy figures trail the competition. VW continues to offer a 2.8L VR6 rated at 280hp. Since the four cylinder seems to offer all the motivation most buyers will ever need, unless you really have to have a six, I find it hard making an argument for the extra cost and the hit you will suffer at the gas pump. Currently no diesel is available while VW continues sorting out the TDI scandal. With ride comfort taking priority, buyers expecting a German sport sedan driving experience are going to come away disappointed.

The Passat is offered in four trim levels. Our test car was the top-spec SEL Premium. Standard equipment includes 18″ alloy wheels, LED headlights and taillights, foglights, power folding side view mirrors, rain sensing wipers, power sunroof, dual zone auto climate control, power heated front seats, leather interior, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, park assist, blind spot monitor, navigation, Fender premium audio, and VW Car Net for smartphone integration. Including destination, our Passat carries an MSRP of $31,815USD, which is a reasonable price for this class of car thus equipped.

VW’s experiment worked. By building a mid-size car featuring the qualities North Americans want, the Passat has been a success. What works in Wolfsburg was never going to work in Waco. It may not offer much in terms of thrills, but the Passat offers a great little engine, comfortable, roomy interior, a generous trunk, quiet comfortable ride at a fair price. In other words, what North Americans always want in a mid-size car. Is it truly a German car though? Well, think of it as a car built in America with a German accent.

This GTI hillclimb car bends the laws of physics

March 17, 2017 by Gary Grant 3 Comments

Anyone who has ever competed in a first generation Volkswagen GTI at any level (my first autocross was in one, way back in 1983), knows that the cars were great fun to toss around and had a penchant for cornering on three wheels. Sometimes, if you were really crazy, you could get them up on two. European hillclimb driver Daniel Wittwer is not like the rest of us.

In this video, shot by the folks at MPZRACEVIDEO on YouTube, Wittwer pushes the limits of his 2.0L 16V powered hatch to the absolute, laying down a master class in the manipulation of the laws of physics. He also proves that he is more than a little bit nuts, just tagging the armco barriers ever so slightly a couple of times.

2016 Volkswagen Passat Launched in New York City

September 24, 2015 by ponycargirl Leave a Comment

September 21, 2015

Amidst plummeting stock and other corporate chaos from the recent scandal involving Volkswagen’s TDI emissions testing fakery, a refreshed 2016 Passat was launched in New York.

From the mouth of Volkswagen of America CEO Michael Horn – “…we have totally screwed up.” The very contrite executive was frank in admitting the multinational corporation’s dishonesty, and pledged that the company would fix the problems the affected cars – VW and Audi models with 2.0 liter turbocharged TDI engines sold from 2009 – 2013 and 2015. It’s a screw up that will cost the company billions of dollars and untold reputational damage reverberating through Europe and Asia, and has triggered the resignation of CEO Martin Winterkorn. But business is business, and Mom always said that the best way to confront your problems is head-on, so Volkswagen did just that.

Most obvious in the refresh is ridged hood and thinner headlights, giving it a sleeker look. The four bar grille is more prominent and squared off, geometric fog lamps integrated below.

In back, chrome, chrome, chrome. North America likes chrome, and chrome accents were added between the tail lights and along the back bumper.

The 2016 model will be the first Passat available with an R-Line® version. Black accents, rocker panels… sporty.

The diesel dust-up will hopefully be settled for the 2016 Passat with a 2.0 liter TDI, but the 1.8 liter four-cylinder and the 280 hp 3.6-liter VR6® engine are out of the scope of the emissions issue.

While pricing for the full 2016 Passat line will be released later in the year, the Chattanooga-produced base 1.8T S model starts at $22,440.

: Michael Horn

: 2016 VW Passat

: 2016 VW Passat

: 2016 VW Passat

: 2016 VW Passat R-Line

: Lenny Kravitz on a 2016 Passat

: 2016 VW Passat R-Line

: 2016 VW Passat

: 2016 VW Passat

: 2016 VW Passat

: Lenny Kravitz 2016 Passat Reveal

: Lenny Kravitz 2016 Passat Reveal

: Lenny Kravitz 2016 Passat Reveal

: Lenny Kravitz 2016 Passat Reveal

: Lenny Kravitz 2016 Passat Reveal

: Lenny Kravitz 2016 Passat Reveal

: Lenny Kravitz 2016 Passat Reveal

Red Bull Global Rallycross Mid-Season Update

August 11, 2015 by ponycargirl Leave a Comment

As the Red Bull Global Rallycross is heading to Washington D.C. – presented by Volkswagen – this weekend, there have been some exciting mid-season developments from the series.

It was announced earlier in the week that both Dave Higgins and Travis Pastrana will be competing in the September Los Angeles double-header alongside their Subaru teammates Bucky Lasek and Sverre Isachsen. Higgins is currently unstoppable on a rally winning streak, most recently taking the podium at the New England Forest Rally in Maine this past July. Pastrana is right on his tail, too, having taken P3 at the same really – this despite missing a stage with mechanical issues. It will be very competitive on the course in California with four Subies on the course – watch out, Ford.

Dave Higgins | Craig Drew rallying to a win in the 2015 New England Forest Rally

Travis Pastrana | Chrissie Beavis competing in the 2015 New England Forest Rally

While Dave Higgins has been tearing through forests in a Subaru, Rhys Millen won Pikes Peak this past June 2015 in an electric car. After Hyundai pulled sponsorship from Rhys Millen Racing after the 2014 GRC season, Millen decided not to compete in the series for 2015. But now he’s hinting strongly, in figurative all caps really, on social media that he just might bring the Hyundai out of retirement and rejoin the competition in LA. In fact, he’s begging people on Instagram to start a rumor that he will be racing in LA, so here you go, Rhys. Here’s a reminder of what his GRC Veloster sounds like:

Rhys Millen on the GRC podium in Los Angeles 2014

Back to this weekend in D.C. – all eyes will be on Tanner Foust and Scott Speed in their manufacturer’s home territory. Foust just finished third at FIA World Rallycross in Trois Rivieres August 7. Speed took P2 in both finals of the GRC double-header in Detroit, so the Beetles will be primed to give some fierce competition to the dominating Ken Block – but don’t overlook Patrik Sandell who won the second day in Detroit, and also won last year in D.C.

Tanner Foust, GRC-Detroit, 2015

If you’re in the US, keep your eyeballs on NBC Sports for the Supercar live broadcast Saturday August 15 at 3:00PM EST, and he Supercar Lites will be shown Wednesday August 19 at 4:30PM.

Gallery: The Desert Dingo Class 11 Beetle

August 3, 2015 by ponycargirl 1 Comment

As one of three automakers supporting drivers in Red Bull Global Ralllycross, Volkswagen brought a special display of racing and off-road vehicles to the Detroit doubleheader July 25-26, 2015. Scott Speed and Tanner Foust both compete in VW Beetles with Andretti Autosport. While the record-setting Jetta Hybrid LSR and Jetta TDI Cup Car were both pretty cool, they didn’t catch the eye quite like the Desert Dingo Class 11 Beetle.

This isn’t the actual 1107 – according to the Desert Dingo blog, it’s currently being prepped for Vegas 2 Reno – but it’s 1115 wrapped with the same graphics and dubbed 1107B. No matter – the air-cooled 1.6L four-cylinder 1969 Beetle is beyond cool. With some changes to the engine and transmission, 1107b is equipped with desert racing tires and Bilstein suspension to handle tough off-road desert races such as the Mint 400 and Baja 1000.

If you’re going to GRC in Washington DC August 15, be sure to check it out as it will be there as well. In the meantime, here’s a full gallery.

Red Bull Global Rallycross Detroit Double-Header

July 31, 2015 by ponycargirl Leave a Comment

It may seem like a no-brainer for a series such as Red Bull Global Rallycross to bring their bombastic brand of motorsport to the traditional center of the American automobile, Detroit – but after a few failed attempts, they finally made it happen. What’s more, the .757 mile course – one of GRC’s longer, faster courses – was set up on Belle Isle, incorporating part of the Grand Prix track which IndyCars more commonly zoom around. The counterclockwise course wrapped around the fountain in four turns, with the Joker Lap a quick turn around the fountain’s north side on the inside of the course loop. After traversing the jump, drivers headed into the dirt hazard at turn 8 – then a fast straightaway to gradual turns 9 and 10 to finish. Across the Detroit River loomed the Ford-funded, General Motors-owned Renaissance Center.

This season, instead of using truck loads of packed dirt, the trademark jump was constructed with scaffolding and wooden planks. Arriving for practice on Friday, things were a bit tense as workers rushed to complete the already behind schedule jump. Things got a bit more worrisome when practice began and whole planks had to be replaced after being torn up and broken by the cars on each run. Dirt was packed onto the jump entrance and exit for smoother, more solid transitions, but GRC Lites qualifying was eventually cancelled to get the jump truly race-ready.

The jump was in much better shape for the first of two days of finals on Saturday. A muggy day threatened rain, but thunderstorms were thankfully avoided. 18-year-old Alex Keyes was a favorite in GRC Lites, and Brian Wong was stepping in to represent Rhys Millen Racing in Detroit. 16-year old Austin Cindric – slated to race a Lamborghini Gallardo R-EX in the upcoming Pirelli World Challenge in Mid-Ohio – held on in the final to place third, while Californian Miles Maroney came in second. GRC Lites rookie Tanner Whitten, supported by DirtFish rally, took first place.

Fresh off a second-place overall finish the previous weekend at the New England Forest Rally in Newry, Maine, Ken Block maintained his momentum to win his first round heat. Patrik Sandell, racing in a Ford Fiesta, led the final until he ran into some mechanical issues. Block took over the lead for the top spot on the podium in his sixth career win, and Scott Speed prevented a Ford trifecta with his Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross Beetle wedged firmly in second between Block and Sebastian Eriksson (driving a Red Bull Olsbergs MSE Ford Fiesta) in third.

Sunday was hot, hot, hot, and primed for some shaking up. The Lites heats saw some carnage, ultimately knocking four cars out of competition. There was some tight competition between Miles Maroney and Alejandro Fernandez, with Maroney besting his previous days podium to come in first. Fernandez placed second, and Austin Cindric once again took third.

Sandell was back with a vengeance, winning the Supercar semi-final. The entire field, in fact was even more competitive than on Saturday, and a first-round pile-up in the final rendered Tanner Foust’s Beetle too damaged to continue. The final was started over with Sandell shooting to the front, as points leader Block incurred a controversial (to him) penalty for rough driving. Sandell jubilantly won the race, with the rest of the podium not changing at all from Saturday; scrappy Scott Speed with his Beetle still sandwiched in second between the Ford Fiestas of Sandell and Sebastian Eriksson.

Detroit marked Red Bull Global Rallycross’s mid-season, and heads next to Washington, DC August 15, 2015. Patrik Sandell won in DC last year – so it will be interesting to see if he can do it again this year. Or, will the dominant Ken Block come back to win his seventh GRC victory? Will the VARX Beetles edge the Fords off the top of the podium? Can the scrappy Subaru Rally Team, well, rally and regain the competitive edge they honed last year, and we saw glimpses of in MCAS New River? The competition is itchy – tune in this August.

: The D

: Lasek Inspects Jump Friday

: Debris behind Deegan on the jump Friday

: Starting Grid

: Sandell and Block duel on the jump

: Isachsen takes Joker Lap

: Tanner Foust

: Fire!

: Lites Podium Saturday

: Supercar Podium Saturday

: Brian Deegan

: Supercar Heat Start

: Nur Ali

: Lites Podium Sunday

: Supercar Podium Sunday

World’s Fastest Car Review: Enviro Dad and the VW Touareg TDI

May 26, 2014 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment

It has been a couple of weeks since I last posted an episode of the World’s Fastest Car Review, so I figure I had better get going on some production!

Today’s episode comes to us from Eric Novak, who is also known as the Enviro Dad. His kids are having a tough time figuring out how to say the name of Volkswagen‘s SUV.

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