on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Volkswagen finds CO2 'irregularities' for 800k vehicles

The latest issue for Volkswagen affects another 800,000 vehicles, and this time its for irregularities in CO2 emissions certifications. VW estimates this issue could cost the company $2.2 billion to fix. The company officially makes no specific mention of which engines are covered, the models they are in, or even where they are located. VW discovered the situation during its ongoing internal investigation, and, according to the automaker, "it was established that the CO2 levels and thus the fuel consumption figures for some models were set too low during the CO2 certification process." Most of the affected vehicles are diesels, and the company is now reaching out to "the responsible type approval agencies" to figure out the next step. While VW isn't officially confirming which models and engines are involved, Automotive News reports that it affects some 2012 and later VW, Audi, Seat, and Skoda models with the company's 1.4-, 1.6-, and 2.0-liter diesel engines, as well as the 1.4-liter ACT gasoline engine. The issue mainly affects vehicles sold in Europe. "The Board of Management of Volkswagen AG deeply regrets this situation and wishes to underscore its determination to systematically continue along the present path of clarification and transparency," CEO Matthias Muller said in the announcement. Volkswagen Group of America spokesperson Jeannine Ginivan was able to provide some further clarification to Autoblog. "This is not related to US-certified vehicles," she said. Clarification moving forward: internal investigations at Volkswagen identify irregularities in CO2 levels Matthias Muller: "Relentless and comprehensive clarification is our only alternative." Around 800,000 Group vehicles could be affected Initial estimate puts economic risks at approximately 2 billion euros The Volkswagen Group is moving forward with the clarification of the diesel issue: during the course of internal investigations irregularities were found when determining type approval CO2 levels. Based on present knowledge around 800,000 vehicles from the Volkswagen Group could be affected. An initial estimate puts the economic risks at approximately two billion euros. The Board of Management of Volkswagen AG will immediately start a dialog with the responsible type approval agencies regarding the consequences of these findings. This should lead to a reliable assessment of the legal, and the subsequent economic consequences of this not yet fully explained issue.

Seinfeld's Porsches and VWs command $22 million at auction

Jerry Seinfeld sold off parts of his private collection last weekend at the Gooding & Company auction at Amelia Island, and the comedian's prized possessions garnered an impressive $22 million. Seinfeld is a passionate collector of Porsches, and the top lot which Gooding moved from his collection was a 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder, which sold for $5.35 million – right in the middle of its estimated range. Others inline with their pre-sale estimates included a 1990 962C racer ($1.65 million), a '94 964 Flatnose Turbo ($1 million), a '66 911 ($275,000), and a '64 VW Camper ($99,000). A few lots exceeded expectations, notably a '74 911 Carrera IROC RSR that went for $2.3 million (over an estimate of $1.2-1.5 million), as did a pair of 911 Speedsters from 1989 and 2011 and a 356 Speedster from '57. Jerry's 1960 Volkswagen set a new record for Beetles sold at auction when it went for a top bid of $121,000, well exceeding its estimated $45,000 value. The '73 Porsche 917/30 Can-Am Spyder, however, sold for $3 million – which might seem like a lot of money until you realize that it was estimated to fetch upwards of $5 million. A '59 718 RSK went for only $2.86 million when it was valued at $4 million. A pair of 356s sold for $825,000 (instead of $1.25 million) and $1.5 million (instead of $2.25 million). A 993 Cup and a '58 Jadgwagen fell below expectations as well. Altogether, CNBC notes that the $22 million brought in by the collection fell well below the $28-32 million it was anticipated to raise. Far be it from us to count someone else's money, but something tells us Seinfeld won't be hurting too much after the sale. This is the guy, after all, who turned down an offer from NBC that would have netted him $5 million per episode for another 22-episode season of the eponymous show that made him famous. Related Video: Gooding & Company Sets Amelia Island Record for Single Lot and Celebrates More Than $60 Million in Sales from its 2016 Amelia Island Auction 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider Fetches $17,160,000, a Gooding & Company Record Selections from The Jerry Seinfeld Collection Total More Than $22.2 Million AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. (March 13, 2016) – Gooding & Company, the auction house acclaimed for selling the world's most significant and valuable collector cars with the tradition of presenting some of the greatest collections to ever come to market, realized $60,162,150 in a single day at the company's 2016 Amelia Island Auction.

VW brings back the bus, and Jeep might be on the block | Autoblog Podcast #524

On this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Associate Editor Joel Stocksdale. We discuss the week's news including the introduction of the VW T-Roc, the confirmed production of the VW I.D. Buzz and the Hyundai Santa Cruz truck. We also cover the cars we've been driving, talk about whether the Woodward Dream Cruise is better than the Pebble Beach Concours, and we try to spend your money. The rundown is below. Remember, if you have a car-related question you'd like us to answer or you want buying advice of your very own, send a message or a voice memo to podcast@autoblog.com. (If you record audio of a question with your phone and get it to us, you could hear your very own voice on the podcast. Neat, right?) And if you have other questions or comments, please send those too. Autoblog Podcast #524Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Topics and stories we mention Rundown Volkswagen T-Roc reveal Volkswagen I.D. Buzz confirmed for production Chinese automaker interested in FCA and Jeep Ferrari celebrates 70th anniversary at Pebble Beach Hyundai Santa Cruz confirmed for production What we're driving Unpopular opinion Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show on iTunes