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  • Volkswagen Scirocco Cup China – racecar driving experience at Sepang International Circuit

    In Cars, Local News, Motorsports, Test Drive Reviews, Videos, Volkswagen / By / / 9 comments

    Last weekend was a rather exciting one for the local motorsport scene. The Super GT made a stop at Sepang, the one and only race outside the land of the rising Sun. As always, it brought along the much anticipated GT race queens and some interesting support races as well. As mentioned earlier, the Volkswagen Scirocco Cup China made its debut right here in Malaysia and even had local hero Hammond Lai crowned as winner of race 1 on Saturday.

    As the top eight grid positions were reversed for race 2, spectators were entertained with an uphill battle as quicker drivers were fighting their way up the field and who can forget the ‘delicious’ on-track squabble between the top two drivers. Overall it was definitely a successful stop over for the series.

    Us journalists who were covering the progress of the series at Sepang were delighted to find out what Volkswagen Malaysia and Scirocco Cup China had in store for us, after Sunday’s race! Yes, as the title suggests, we were given the opportunity to try out an actual Scirocco Cup China race car on track. The event took place on Monday while the Super GT guys were packing their bags en route to Japan.

    Furthermore these were the actual race cars, the cars that were raced a day before with some still carrying minor damage as result of on-track collisions. So when I was told that I will be part of this, I said bring it on! Continue reading to check out my driving experience.
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  • Wang Jian Wei wins race 2 of the 2010 Scirocco Cup China at Sepang

    In Cars, Local News, Motorsports, Volkswagen / By / / 8 comments

    The Malaysian round of the 2010 Scirocco Cup China just ended and we have the final results for race two. Despite being the quickest man in practice and winning yesterday’s first race, Malaysia’s Hammond Lai failed to get onto the podium, after starting from eight place thanks to a reverse grid arrangement for today’s race.

    First place went to China’s Wang Jian Wei who started the race from pole position. The 25 year old was fighting for the top spot with eventual second place man Kevin Tse from Hong Kong who started from the same position. It was an interesting battle between the two as both drivers exchanged positions a number of times within the eight-lap race.

    China’s Zhang Da Sheng secured the final podium position after starting the race from fourth place. Hammond who was struggling behind his competitors up front only managed to finish in fifth place ahead of Italian Andrea Reggiani. Stefano Montesi was only the retirement of the day, following a problem that is most probably related to his Scirocco’s steering system. The Italian finished yesterday’s race in second place and started today’s in seventh.

    The 2010 Volkswagen Scirocco Cup China will now head to West China to race at the Chengdu International Circuit on July 31st. The Scirocco Cup China is a nice addition to the motorsport scene here and hopefully the organizers will make Sepang a regular stop for the series. This will encourage more participation from Malaysians, like Hammond Lai and Eric Koh.

    Eric took part in the first race of the season in Zhuhai and became victorious in race two. The entry fee for a whole season costs 360,000 Chinese Yuan which translates to about RM 171,438. Not bad since everything including the race car is part of the package.

    As always you can check out an image gallery after the jump. You can also view the results in full.
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  • Volkswagen Scirocco Cup China makes a stop at Sepang during Japan GT weekend

    In Cars, Local News, Motorsports, Volkswagen / By / / 21 comments

    This weekend is another special one for the local motorsport fraternity. Considered by many as the second largest high-octane event after the Malaysian Formula 1 Grand Prix, the Japan GT is back in town for the tenth time. Along with a group of high-powered race machines and gorgeous race queens, the event is also made up by two support races including the Toyota Vios One Make Series and the Volkswagen Scirocco Cup China which makes it’s debut in Malaysia.

    For those of you who have not heard of the Scirocco Cup, allow us to break it down for you. The first ever Scirocco Cup was held in 1976 in Germany and it evolved into the Golf Cup, which then turned into the Lupo Cup. This series was subsequently replaced by the Polo Cup. The Scirocco Cup was recently re-introduced and in Europe for the 2010 season, the series races the 261hp Scirocco R fueled by bio-compressed natural gas or Bio-CNG. This “eco-friendly” Scirocco R race cars output less carbon dioxide, by up to 80% compared to its gasoline counterpart.

    The Chinese version of the event was introduced in 2009 and now enters it’s second year. The Sciroccos that are used in this Asian series are based on the non-R Sciroccos and are fueled by conventional gasoline. Each car uses the usual 200hp 2.0 litre 4-potter TSI linked to a 6-speed DSG transmission. Being a race car it features track-friendly amenities such as a full roll cage, a fire extinguisher system, racing brakes and an AIM data logging system, among others.

    All cars are identical and the rules state that no setup modifications are allowed for the drivers. A typical race weekend consists of two 30 minutes practice sessions, one 30 minutes qualifying and two races. Each race is 50 kilometers (or 25 minutes) in length and for Sepang, that equals to eight laps each. Grid positions for the first race are determined by the performance in qualifying. There is a twist for the second race though. The top eight finishers of race one will be positioned in a reverse order for the second race. Meaning the winner of the first event will start the next race in eight. This is of course to keep things more competitive as quicker drivers will try to make their way through the field.

    Each participant would need to compete in at least three races to be included in the championship battle where his or her best seven results will be taken into account when calculating total points. The 2010 Scirocco Cup China is mostly made up by Chinese and Hong Kong drivers but they are also joined by drivers from Japan, Canada, Italy, UK and France. For this weekend’s Sepang round which is the second this season after Zhuhai, a Malaysian entry is included as well.

    Representing us is Hammond Lai, a familiar face in the local motorsport scene. Despite this being his first ever Scirocco Cup entry, Hammond went on to win Saturday’s first race. He managed to keep pole sitter Stefano Montesi from Italy and Hong Kong’s Kenny Lo at bay.

    With the win Hammond who has six years of racing experience under his belt will start the second race from eight place. When asked if he intends to continue with the championship this year, he said that it is unlikely however he hopes to secure a full season entry next year. Our best wishes are with him for Sunday’s race and it would be interesting to see if he can repeat his success.

    Meanwhile you can look for image galleries of the event after the jump, enjoy!
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  • Long wheelbase Volkswagen Tiguan for Chinese market

    In Cars, China, International News, Volkswagen / By / / 20 comments

    To fulfill the Chinese market’s need for ample rear legroom, Volkswagen has released the Tiguan in a long wheel base (LWB) format. From the standard car’s 2,604 mm, the LWB variant’s wheelbase grows by 80 mm, bringing overall length to 4.54 metres, 113 mm longer than the standard Tiguan.

    The LWB Tiguan features the new VW corporate front-end along with new headlights, bumpers and grille, as shown at the Guangzhou Motor Show late last year. The European facelifted Tiguan is expected to be showcased at the Geneva Motor Show next year, and could wear a different appearance from this Chinese version.

     

  • Volkswagen planning estate version of Passat CC?

    In Cars, International News, Volkswagen / By / / 3 comments


    Click for enlarged image

    For some reason Americans do not ilke wagons but they have no problem going around driving ‘crossovers’ which are essentially wagons with sloping rooflines that severely limit luggage area versatility. Which is why cars like the Honda Accord CrossTour, the Acura ZDX, the BMW 5-Series GT and the Toyota Venza were born.

    Word is that Volkswagen wants to join in the party with what can be described as an estate version of the Passat CC. In typical Volkswagen speak it would be considered a ‘Passat CC Variant’. But it’s not a done deal yet, according to Autocar, the VW board is expected to vote on whether its a go or not in September this year.

    Photo Source: Theophilus Chin

     

  • 2011 Volkswagen Jetta revealed – no surprises!

    In Cars, International News, Volkswagen / By / / 72 comments

    Volkswagen has pulled the wraps off the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta, which is the sedan version of the Mk6 Golf hatchback. The Jetta, which received an American premiere at NYC’s Times Square will be priced from around $16,000, which is lower than the base price of its predecessor and should see it go head on with the Chevrolet Cruze and Ford Focus sedan in the US. The launch tagline is “great, for the price of good.”

    VW has high hopes for the Jetta in the US, which is understandable as the car is said to offer best in class rear legroom, a premium interior and a driving experience from the class above. “The 2011 Jetta is a class-up driving experience with the kind of styling, design and power under the hood normally found in more expensive luxury cars. At an extremely attractive price, this car is sophisticated, fun to drive and practical,” gushed Stefan Jacoby, CEO of Volkswagen America.

    As with all new models, the Jetta has grown from the Mk5 Golf based car. Width and height are unchanged, but the new car is longer by 86 mm to make 4.64 metres. The familiar Golf 2,578 mm wheelbase has been extended to 2,650 mm for this application. Not so much a luxury as a must, as classmates like the Honda Civic have set the benchmark at 2,700 mm.

    In terms of looks, the Jetta wears VW’s latest design theme with sharp lines and clean surfaces. They call it “timeless elegance and dynamic styling”, we say it’s a handsome car, if a little conservative. But that’s what people love and expect from VW; those looking for bold, avantgarde design will have to look elsewhere. Accurately previewed by the Detroit 2010 NCC show car, notable design cues include the gloss black long grille, well defined but not aggressive wheelarches and the prominent shoulder line or “tornado line” in VW speak. Rims can be up to 18 inches in size.

    Inside, most will think that the Jetta’s dash is lifted straight from the Golf; it looks so, but that’s not the case. Although the layout is familiar, the main dash moulding is squarer in the Jetta. Here, the instrument binnacle hood “flows” into the centre stack while the Golf’s is independent. The air vents in the Jetta are rectangular. VW has also moved the wing mirror controls back to the door panel, which is less intuitive than in the Golf. Like the C-segment hatch benchmark, material build quality should be top notch.

    North American Jettas will come with four engines, including a 2.0 TDI Clean Diesel with 320 Nm, good for 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 8.7 seconds. The others are a 2.0, 2.5 R5 (5-pot diesel) and the 2.0 TSI. All engines will come with a manual as standard, but a six-speed auto is an option. The 2.0 TDI and TSI can be had with a 6-speed DSG.

    Would this have been the next-gen Waja if Proton-VW talks didn’t go down the drain? Gallery and a video after the jump.
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  • 2011 Volkswagen CrossPolo – more details released!

    In Cars, International News, Volkswagen / By / / 44 comments

    Volkswagen has released more details on the new CrossPolo. As previously previewed, the CrossPolo is essentially a five-door Polo hatch with SUV looks and 15 mm higher ground clearance.

    The petrol range of engines include a 69 hp 1.2-litre, 84 hp 1.4-litre and a 104 hp 1.2 TSI, while the diesel front comprises of a 1.6-litre trio of 74 hp, 89 hp and 104 hp TDI motors. 6-speed manuals are standard, while the higher powered units get 7-speed DSG as an option.

    Prominent exterior changes include the anthracite coloured front apron with integrated front fog lights, black honeycomb insert with chrome trim and anodized roof rails, which have become a signature for the Cross range. Responsible for the SUV looks are the lower half of the body in black (including wheel arch extensions) and silver “stone guards” at both ends. It will ride on 17-inch alloys with 215/40 tyres. Silver too dull for you? Six body colours are available including CrossPolo exclusive Magma Orange and Terra Beige Metallic.

    There’s a two-tone theme going on inside too. The fabric covering the seats and door trims can be had in Hot Orange, Orange, Latte Macchiato and Grey coupled with anthracite, which is the standard colour for the outer areas of the seats. Other neat features include height-adjustable sport seats, an asymmetrically split rear bench and backrest, pockets on the backs of the front seats with sliding drawers under them, leather-trimmed steering wheel, front centre armrest with storage compartment and aluminium look pedals.

    Space wise, the CrossPolo’s 280-litre boot space can be expanded to 952 litres by folding the rear seats. Along with that, the incorporation of the dual cargo floor which can create a levelled loading surface and has straps that hold cargo in place, makes moving around with a full boot a breeze.

    The new CrossPolo will be a welcome addition to the VW range in Malaysia. Prices for the previous generation fully imported CrossPolo (read our test drive review) started at around RM108,888. It would be interesting to see where VW plans to price this car should they bring it to Malaysia. Let’s be greedy and hope that they’ll also bring here the Polo GTI!

    Have a closer look. Gallery after the jump.
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  • Volkswagen to open another plant in China, aims to double output to 3 million cars by 2013

    In China, International News, Volkswagen / By / / 35 comments

    Volkswagen will build a new factory in Foshan, China, which is in line with plans to double production in the world’s largest auto market to 3 million vehicles per year by 2013/2014, as announced by chairman Martin Winterkorn. Construction of the plant will begin at the end of this year on a 170 hectare plot of land.

    When it’s ready to function in mid-2013, the facility will employ around 4,000 people to achieve an annual production capacity of 300,000 units. VW and its Chinese joint venture FAW-Volkswagen will pour in 520 million euros into this project.

    Europe’s biggest automaker, together with local partners FAW-Volkswagen and Shanghai Volkswagen, have nine plants in China churning out 20 VW, Audi and Skoda models. VW is betting heavily on China, recently announcing that it will boost investment in China operations by 1.6 billion euros to 6 billion euros.

    It has plans to launch seven new or locally produced models this year, to make a total of 20 new models by 2012. Wolfsburg also wants to produce electric cars there by 2014. In the first five months of the year, the Volkswagen Group has sold around 778,000 vehicles in China, a 48% increase over the same period last year.

    VW will be smart to take note of recent developments in Foshan, where Honda’s exhaust supplier is facing a labour strike demanding for higher pay.

    Source

     

  • Volkswagen Malaysia signs LOI to add 3 more dealerships

    In Cars, Local News, Volkswagen / By / / 65 comments

    Volkswagen Group Malaysia have just signed Letter of Intents with three new dealers which will operate full 3S dealerships in Jalan Ipoh (Azumoto Sdn Bhd), Kuantan (Okuan Sdn Bhd) and Kota Kinabalu (DKV Automobil Sdn Bhd).

    These 3 new dealerships will add to the existing list of 6 dealers operating 10 sales outlets and 8 services centers nationwide. The following is a list of the dealers and service centres:

    • F.A. Wagen 3S Jalan 222 Petaling Jaya

    • F.A. Wagen 3S Johor Bahru
    • Cergaz Autohaus 3S TTDI
    • Euromobil Sdn Bhd Service Centre Glenmarie
    • Wearnes VW 1S Jalan Ampang
    • Wearnes VW 1S Bangsar
    • Wearnes VW Service Centre Sg Besi
    • Veemer Motor 1S Jalan Klang Lama
    • Goh Brothers Motor 3S Penang Mainland
    • Goh Brothers Motor 3S Penang Island
    • Goh Brothers Motor Ipoh
    • Ismaco Automotive Kuching Sarawak

    Just to share with the rest of the public, how many of you are Volkswagen owners and how has your experience been with Volkswagen service centres in Malaysia? Sharing is caring :)

     

  • GALLERY: Facelifted Volkswagen Phaeton looks good

    In Cars, International News, Volkswagen / By / / 16 comments

    The facelifted Volkswagen Phaeton was launched at the recent Auto China 2010. The initial images were typical studio photos and now VW has released a gallery of the Phaeton in action on location in China, where the brand’s flagship is expected to do well. It will be launched in Europe this month while China will get it in August.

    The refreshed limo will come with a choice of four engines. The base V6 FSI engine produces 280 PS, while the V8 and the top line W12 produce 335 PS and 450 PS respectively. The 240 PS V6 TDI model sips diesel at a slow rate of 8.5-9.0 litres/100 km.

    The front end design has been brought in line with VW’s current look and it features more chrome than before. New bi-xenons and LED driving lamps, indicators and fog lights bring more flash to equation, making it look much more eye catching than the plain Jane look of old. Not much has been changed at the back apart from the smoked out LED tailights and a modified back bumper.

    Among the new features are Dynamic Light Assist (camera-based dynamic main beam control) and a navigation system that uses Google Maps’ satellite view. Other nifty gadgets include an optional front camera that recognises traffic signs and speed limit signs, displaying them on the instrument cluster. This will also be the first system in the world to recognise and display no passing zone markings.

    Click below for a picture gallery
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