2002 Volkswagen New Beetle Gls New! (1 Owner In Perfect Condition 28,000 Miles ) on 2040-cars

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2014 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible gets the R-Line treatment

Volkswagen just launched the topless Beetle Convertible at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November, but we're already seeing the next step forward in the topless Bug range with this, the R-Line. We'll admit, this treatment falls under the "all show and no go" category, but it's still a pretty potent little cutie.
The R-Line starts with a standard Beetle Turbo Convertible but adds unique 19-inch aluminum wheels on lower-profile tires, LED daytime running lamps and Xenon headlamps. Naturally, there are R-Line badges aplenty both on the interior and exterior, and we must say, the whole package looks pretty darn snazzy.
Pricing has yet to be announced, but when it goes on sale later this year, the hotter convertible will join Volkswagen's growing R-Line portfolio that now includes the CC, Beetle hatch, Tiguan and Touareg.

Rising aluminum costs cut into Ford's profit

When Ford reports fourth-quarter results on Wednesday afternoon, it is expected to fret that rising metals costs have cut into profits, even as rivals say they have the problem under control. Aluminum prices have risen 20 percent in the last year and nearly 11 percent since Dec. 11. Steel prices have risen just over 9 percent in the last year. Ford uses more aluminum in its vehicles than its rivals. Aluminum is lighter but far more expensive than steel, closing at $2,229 per tonne on Tuesday. U.S. steel futures closed at $677 per ton (0.91 metric tonnes). Republican U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is weighing whether to impose tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, which could push prices even higher. Ford gave a disappointing earnings estimate for 2017 and 2018 last week, saying the higher costs for steel, aluminum and other metals, as well as currency volatility, could cost the company $1.6 billion in 2018. Ford shares took a dive after the announcement. Ford Chief Financial Officer Bob Shanks told analysts at a conference in Detroit last week that while the company benefited from low commodity prices in 2016, rising steel prices were now the main cause of higher costs, followed by aluminum. Shanks said the automaker at times relies on foreign currencies as a "natural hedge" for some commodities but those are now going in the opposite direction, so they are not working. A Ford spokesman added that the automaker also uses a mix of contracts, hedges and indexed buying. Industry analysts point to the spike in aluminum versus steel prices as a plausible reason for Ford's problems, especially since it uses far more of the expensive metal than other major automakers. "When you look at Ford in the context of the other automakers, aluminum drives a lot of their volume and I think that is the cause" of their rising costs, said Jeff Schuster, senior vice president of forecasting at auto consultancy LMC Automotive. Other major automakers say rising commodity costs are not much of a problem. At last week's Detroit auto show, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV's Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne reiterated its earnings guidance for 2018 and held forth on a number of topics, but did not mention metals prices. General Motors Co gave a well-received profit outlook last week and did not mention the subject. "We view changes in raw material costs as something that is manageable," a GM spokesman said in an email.

How should Volkswagen deal with its diesel problems?

The hounds of hell are bearing down on Volkswagen in the wake of allegations of cheating on diesel emissions testing. In just a single day, Volkswagen's stock has dropped 23 percent and the German government has announced that it is going to investigate a far larger number of vehicles over emissions violations. The American storm is quickly becoming a global one. Volkswagen sells over a million diesel vehicles a year and also has more than 13 percent of the automotive market overall – it was the number one automaker in the world up until the scandal. Yet in a matter of hours, Volkswagen has also become a pariah with potential fines and recalls that may be dwarfed by how the alleged lies and deceit change how governments and consumers view the company. Consumers are really going to be the key to the company's survival. It's those consumers who are really going to be the key to the company's survival. Every single one of them now finds themselves with a product that was sold illegally and may not be registered until recall work is done. What's worse is that Volkswagen doesn't yet have a solution for the emissions issue to offer these customers. It should also be noted that this is not the first time Volkswagen has found itself in violation of EPA emission regulations. Volkswagen is in a world of trouble, so what now? As a car dealer and former financial analyst who took several companies public, I believe Volkswagen can and should consider three points of action that would make an enduring difference in the times to come. 1. Offer affected TDI owners a compelling reason to stay with the brand. Recall work and a cup of coffee at the dealership are not going to be enough to placate current owners. Volkswagen should provide compensation for customers at the earliest opportunity and offer some type of inducement that keeps them within the fold. This shouldn't be the industry's version of a Chuck E. Cheese coupon - a small discount on a new vehicle. Volkswagen needs to offer something along the lines of a strong warranty extension of the entire powertrain (not just the emissions system) or some type of valuable feature upgrade for these vehicles so that owners feel that they have been treated fairly. Perhaps a combination of a brand new navigation system, software upgrades for the infotainment components, or some type of basic free WiFi service would be a healthy act of generosity.