71 Volkswagon Beetle on 2040-cars

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Tanner Foust checks out his new VW Beetle GRC rally car

Racing driver and Top Gear USA host Tanner Foust is a very busy guy. After all, he's competing in rounds of both Global Rallycross series and FIA World Rallycross Championship, not to mention his TV duties. However, we probably shouldn't feel too sorry for him, because his job puts him behind the wheel of some truly crazy machinery.
Case in point is his latest ride in Global Rallycross - the Volkswagen Beetle GRC. The German company claims that this all-wheel drive Bug makes around 540 horsepower from its 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder and can shoot to 60 in under 2 seconds. Plus, if this video is any indication, this Volkswagen sounds like a machine gun when throwing revs at idle, and it can do some wonderfully easy four-wheel drifts.
Previously, Foust was driving a VW Polo for Andretti Autosport in GRC, but the team unveiled the look of the Beetle GRC at the Chicago Auto Show. Now, Foust is finally getting to show off his new office to the public, and like VW's tagline for the new car claims, it's way hotter than Herbie.

Autoblog Podcast #370

Episode #370 of the Autoblog podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Michael Harley and Craig Fitzgerald of BangShift and Boldride talk about the 2015 Jeep Renegade, the Consumer Reports list of Cars to Avoid, and the Geneva Motor Show, which opened today. We start with what's in the garage and finish up with some of your questions, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Check out the new rundown below with times for topics, and you can follow along after the jump with our Q&A. Thanks for listening! Autoblog Podcast #370: Topics: 2015 Jeep Renegade Worst Cars of 2014 Geneva Motor Show preview In the Autoblog Garage: 2014 Volkswagen Jetta SE 2014 SRT Viper 2015 Subaru WRX Hosts: Dan Roth, Michael Harley Guests: Craig Fitzgerald Runtime: 01:28:37 Rundown: Intro and Garage - 00:00 Jeep Renegade - 27:28 Cars to Avoid - 41:46 Geneva Motor Show - 59:54 Q&A - 01:11:04 Get the podcast: [UStream] Listen live on Mondays at 10 PM Eastern at UStream [iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes [RSS] Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator [MP3] Download the MP3 directly Feedback: Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show in iTunes Podcasts Geneva Motor Show Jeep Subaru Volkswagen Concept Cars worst cars

Next VW GTI to get 10-speed dual-clutch gearbox

Following on Volkswagen's official announcement that it was working on a ten-speed, dual-clutch transmission, Auto Express has it on "good authority" that the new transmission will end up in the next GTI, GTD and Golf R. The brand's current seven-speed will be retained for lesser eight-generation Golfs. While the new gearbox won't be limited to just the higher-end Golf range, the new hatchback, expected in 2017, will be the first to get it, Auto Express reports. The new DSG is the same size as the Volkswagen Group's seven-speed dual-clutch, and will easily fit into VAG's MQB platform, so we should expect it to filter into the rest of the Group's vehicles, much like the seven-speed 'box has. The ten-speed is likely to see applications beyond even the small cars of the MQB platform. The gearbox can handle 405 pound-feet of torque, according to AE, making its application in larger offerings such as the gas-powered MLB cars and crossovers a likelihood. Beyond the new gearbox, Volkswagen is also toying with mild-hybrid tech for the standard Golf and better batteries for the e-Golf. As we said, expect the new Golf to arrive in European markets in 2017, with the current Euro-market Golf getting updated next year. As for the US, we wouldn't be surprised if VW followed the trail blazed by the Mark 7, with a North American arrival for the eight-gem Golf slated for a year or so after sales in Europe begin.