Archive for Volkswagen

Motoren Technik Mayer, or better known as MTM, has pimped out the Volkswagen Scirocco with both aesthetics and performance tuning and the result is what you see above - the MTM Volkswagen Scirocco R.

The stock power figures of 200 PS from the 2.0 liter TFSI engine is taken up to 272 horsepower via a reflash, and MTM even gives you the option to upgrade this to 380 horsepower, though that kind of power is beyond just a rechip and requires a few hardware upgrades. The 272 PS is achieved at 6,080rpm while torque is up to 350Nm at 3,480rpm, not very flat anymore but its the price to pay for higher performance. A torque peak like that should also give a nice “boost kicked in” surge. The 272 PS engine upgrade kit costs 5,285 Euros and also comes with a MTM exhaust system.

The aesthetics kit actually only consists of one hardware part - the MTM bimoto 20 inch wheels which cost 5,500 Euros. Additional stopping power is provided by a brake kit which costs 4,427 Euros and gives you VA 380mm x 34mm discs with 8-piston brake calipers. For tighter handling, an MTM sports suspension is available for 1,489 Euros.

So, with the base price for the 2.0 TFSI Scirocco at 31,160 Euros and all the MTM kit slapped on, the MTM Scirocco R should cost you a total of 47,871 Euros. Lose the wheels (which I personally would - 20 inches is just to much) and its cheaper at 42,361 Euros.

More images can be found after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of MTM Volkswagen Scirocco R with 272 PS

A total of 5 Volkswagen cars have managed to get the US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Top Safety Pick award for 2009 - the Volkswagen Tiguan, the Volkswagen Rabbit (called the Golf outside of the US), the Volkswagen Jetta, the Volkswagen Passat and the Volkswagen Eos.

IIHS says the winners offer superior overall crash protection among the vehicles in their classes, and to quality it must earn the highest rating in the IIHS front, side and rear crash tests. It also must have some form of stability control, and IIHS says it is now a trend for ESP to be standard on all trim levels in a model range. The EuroNCAP also recently announced that it has revised its rating system to make it impossible to get 5-stars if ESP is not a standard feature.

This kind of puts into perspective how far behind Proton is in terms of its safety feature offerings in Malaysia. Nevermind as standard, what about optional? We’re still waiting for some form of stability control to be offered at least as an option on a Proton car… and you can say the same about side airbags.

Unlike most other car manufacturers who usually procure hybrid and electric drive components from third party manufacturers (Tesla is one company that acts as a supplier), Volkswagen intends to produce all of its hybrid components excluding battery cells on its own, so that the company can master the technology and increase chances for a competitive edge.

A concept hybrid Volkswagen was unveiled earlier this year based on the Mark 5 Volkswagen Golf. It featured a combination of an electric motor backed by lithium ion batteries as the main method of propulsion, assisted by either a TSI petrol engine or a TDI diesel engine whenever needed. According to Volkswagen, a 100km test journey from Potsdam to Berlin took only 8kWh of electricity and 2.5 liters of fuel.

Source

Volkswagen’s entry for the 2009 Dakar rally is the Volkswagen Race Touareg 2. Four units of these offroad racing monsters will be piloted by Spaniard Carlos Sainz and his French navigator Michel Perlin; Giniel de Villiers (South Africa) and Dirk von Zitzewith (Germany); Mark Miller (USA) and Ralph Pitchford (South Africa) and Dieter Depping partnered with fellow German Timo Gottschalk.

The Race Touareg 2 is built from an aluminium tube frame, with the body panels fitted over it, much like how the Racing Lancer is constructed. The racers will be supported by a team of support and service trucks. The racers and the support trucks together with parts and equipment will be shipped to Le Havre, France for scrutineering before being shipped over to South America for the Dakar race.

Powering the Race Touareg 2 racers are 2.5 liter TDI engines which can produce 280 PS, build by Volkswagen Motorsport in Hanover, Germany.

Look after the jump for photos of the tube frame.

Click here to read the rest of Volkswagen Race Touareg 2 for Dakar rally

The Volkswagen Bora for the Chinese Market goes on sale today, priced between 107,800 to 143,00 yuan, which translates to about between RM55,900 to RM74,570. This particular Bora was designed for the Chinese market and is about the same size as the Volkswagen Jetta it is based on.

Volkswagen says the car’s design is inspired by Chinese elements such as the front end of the car which is apparently inspired by the Chinese lion dance. The Bora is 4540mm long, 1775mm wide and 1467mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2610mm and a boot space of 450 liters. It will be produced by Volkswagen’s JV partner First Automotive Works.

Two engine options will be available at launch - both gasoline engines. Either a manual or a 6-speed automatic is available. Two equipment levels are available - a Trendline and a Comfortline. Standard features on the Trendline include ABS, dual front SRS airbags, power steering, power windows, climate control and a MP3 capable CD player with radio.

The Comfortline package adds 15 inch alloy wheels, a sliding sunroof, a chrome trim package, an alarm, cruise control, and parking sensors. An additional “highline” package can be specified which includes leather seats, side and head airbags as well as a GPS navigation system.

Look after the jump for more photos of the new Chinese market Volkswagen Bora.

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Belgian Tuner Caractere has been known for adding some aggressive yet not completely over the top touches to Audi and Volkswagen vehicles, and this is their kit for the Volkswagen Tiguan, which was recently launched in Malaysia. Anyone who can afford RM250k for what Volkswagen calls the “GTi of SUVs” can now rest assured that if somehow all their peers get to decide Tiguans as well, theirs can still look different. Look for more shots after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Volkswagen Tiguan styling bodykit by Caractere

We’ve already seen photos of the Mark 6 Golf GTI (which Volkswagen calls a concept BTW), but there’s nothing like watching a car in motion, looking at how its wheels spin, how the sky plays tricks on its shiny paint, and most importantly listening to its engine note. Look after the jump for over 4 minutes of video footage of a red Volkswagen Golf GTI Mk6 being put through its paces in the countryside.

Click here to read the rest of VIDEO: Volkswagen Golf GTI Mk6 Driving Shots

Volkswagen Malaysia has unveiled the Volkswagen Tiguan to the press yesterday, a prelude to a nationwide launch that will be held on this coming 18th of October. The Tiguan was launched in the European market in the mid of 2007 and has since entered other markets to other countries such as Russia and Singapore.

Now you may be wondering what Tiguan means. It’s apparently derived from from two animals - Tiger and Iguana. The power of a tiger and the off-roading capabilities of an iguana, it seems.

Look after the jump for more details on the new Volkswagen Tiguan.

Click here to read the rest of Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0 TSI on sale in Malaysia!

Abt Sportsline has announced a tune-up kit for the Volkswagen Scirocco comprising of both aerodynamics and performance upgrades.

The performance upgrades takes the 1.4 liter TSI engine from the standard 160 horsepower up to 200 horsepower, an amazing horsepower to displacement ratio that lets the small 1.4 liter motor equal the power put out by the EA888 in the Mk5 Golf GTi.

The 2.0 TDI engine gets a power boost from 140hp to 170hp. Abt says a 2.0 TFSI equipped Scirocco will be available with an upgrade kit that takes it up to 240hp from a standard 200hp. To cope with the extra power, upgraded brakes with 345mm discs are also available.

The full bodykit consists of a new front and rear bumper, with quad rear mufflers arranged in pairs with vertical alignment, flanking the diffuser. The suspension kit also lowers the car by 30mm. The standard wheels for the package are 19 inch AR diamond-machined black alloys with wheel spacers, but drivers can also opt for either 18 inch or 20 inch wheels.

Look after the jump for a rear shot of the Abt Scirocco.

Click here to read the rest of Volkswagen Scirocco tuned by Abt Sportsline

Autocar UK reports that performance versions of the Mk6 Volkswagen Golf will go beyond the GT, GTi and the R32-replacing higher-powered version of the Golf GTi.

According to the report, the Mk6 range will also gain a turbodiesel-powered GTD as well as possibly a top of the line high performance Golf that in conventional R nomenclature would be called the “R40″. This would be powered by a turbocharged inline-5 engine that will also be slotted into cars like the Audi TT-RS, producing 350 horsepower with decent fuel economy and emissions to boot. This seems a little hard to swallow at the moment, does Volkswagen want to take the Golf that far?

The much more realistic Golf GTD will be powered by a new twin-turbo version of the company’s 2.0 liter inline-4 TDI turbodiesel, a concept that BMW (204hp 2.0L twin turbodiesel) and Mercedes-Benz (204hp 2.2L twin turbodiesel) have also done.

The GTi will produce about 210 horsepower while the R32-replacing GTi “plus” will have a Haldex all-wheel drive and produce nearly 270 horsepower, equalling the new Audi S3 in performance and even the number of cogs, as the 7-speed S-Tronic DSG is expected to roll out in this range of Volkswagens.

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