1974 Volkswagen Beetle Classic on 2040-cars

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Volkswagen Golf R wagon promises to be fast and functional [w/poll]

Volkswagen's array of performance-oriented Golfs keeps getting bigger and bigger. What started with the GTI has since grown to include the diesel GTD, the hybrid GTE and the most powerful Golf R. But the additions haven't all come down to powertain. There's been cabrio versions of the GTI and Golf R as well, but before all is said and done, there will be one more bodystyle to join the lineup.
That, according to these latest spy shots, would be the Golf R Variant. For those unfamiliar, Variant is what Volkswagen calls the wagon version of the Golf (in some markets, anyway). It offers the Golf Variant with a variety of engines, but as the spy shots reveal, it is now working on bringing the Golf Variant and the Golf R together into one high-powered, long-roofed model.
The VW Golf R Variant would in all likelihood pack the same 2.0-liter turbo four as the hatchback, splitting 290 horsepower between all four wheels. Only in the wagon, it would offer that extra bit of utility. Of course there's no guarantee that Volkswagen would offer the Golf R Variant in the North American market, but considering that the Golf R hatchback will soon be joined in American showrooms by the Golf SpotWagen (as it's tipped to be called here) in place for the Jetta wagon, the possibility is definitely there.

Editors' Choice: Top Five 2013 Geneva Motor Show Debuts

We've returned from a very busy week in Switzerland, and in going back over all of our 75 stories from the Geneva Motor Show, our editors have gathered up their personal favorite debuts from the European expo.
The wonderful thing about the Geneva show is just how wide of an array of vehicles are on display - everything from funny little one-off EVs to the most exotic of supercars to, well, truly ridiculous displays of coachbuilding. And because of that, this list of our editors' favorites might not be as predictable as you think.
But we don't want to give anything away just yet. Scroll down to have a look at our team's favorites from Geneva.

Volkswagen Cross Coupe GTE is a sleek take on brand's future CUV

Volkswagen continues its long tease leading up to an eventual US-built, seven-passenger, three-row crossover with the Cross Coupe GTE at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show. While it's still affixed with the tinsel of a concept car, there are a lot of details that will arrive on VW's eventual production crossover. The wheelbase of the GTE is said to be identical to the production model, although this five-passenger CUV is actually about a foot shorter overall, Volkswagen's chief of design, Klaus Bischoff, told Autoblog. The overall shape of the GTE's greenhouse, meanwhile, will also be very similar to the car that'll come to market, although more progressive from the C-pillar forward (that's right kids, that sexy sloping rear end isn't for production). Despite the aggressive rake, a peek in the GTE's trunk revealed room for the CUV's third row. Beyond hinting at a new addition to the company's lineup, the GTE also gives us a look at future Volkswagen design, including the use of four-element LED running lamps. Body lines will be as sharp as is feasible. Look for the production version of Volkswagen's seven-passenger SUV at the end of next year. Until then, check out the two-row concept, courtesy of our live images from the 2015 Detroit Auto Show.