2008 Volkswagen Jetta Wolfsburg Edition Sedan 4-door 2.0l 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.

Recharge Wrap-up: Tesla charging times compared, VW's 70s hybrid tech

A video shows the difference in Tesla Model S charging speeds with different chargers. The video compares the 60- and 80-kWh versions of the car using a Tesla Supercharger, a CHAdeMo fast charger and Tesla's High Power Wall Connector (HPWC). With the Supercharger, both models charge from to 80 percent in 44 minutes. It's over an hour and a quarter for both cars with the CHAdeMo, but they're about neck and neck in terms of time. The HPWC takes the longest, with the 60-kWh car finishing long before the 85-kWh version. See the video above, and read more at Teslarati. Volkswagen had prototype hybrid technology back in the 1970s. A book called The Complete Book of Electric Vehicles by Sheldon Shacket describes the technology used in Volkswagen's Hybrid-Electric City Taxi prototype, which was based on the Type II microbus. It used the automaker's 1.6-liter air-cooled flat-four (borrowed from the Beetle) along with a Bosch DC shunt electric motor and 11 lead-acid batteries. Interestingly, the hybrid taxi prototype also featured an electric sliding door and a bulletproof bulkhead separating the driver from the passengers. Read more at Jalopnik, and at Green Car Reports. Country music star Lee Brice is going on tour fueled by biodiesel. Partnering with nonprofit environmental organization Reverb, Brice is using the biofuel to travel to college campuses. "We're hoping to offset the environmental impact of the tour by supporting clean energy projects and using buses and trucks fueled with locally produced biodiesel," says Brice, who is personally focused on natural preservation and water conservation. Read more at Domestic Fuel, or at The Boot. Related Gallery Tesla Model S: Quick Spin View 33 Photos News Source: Teslarati, Jalopnik, Green Car Reports, Domestic Fuel, The BootImage Credit: Copyright 2015 Drew Phillips / AOL Celebrities Green Tesla Volkswagen Alternative Fuels Biodiesel Electric Hybrid Videos recharge wrapup

Volkswagen reveals Golf GTI Clubsport concept at Worthersee

The various brands under the Volkswagen Group umbrella are bringing a slew of hot hatch concepts to the GTI-Treffen in Worthersee, Austria, this week – but the gathering wouldn't be complete without a version of the headline Volkswagen Golf GTI. And here it is. Previewed with initial details and a trio of design sketches last week, VW has now released a proper array of images showing the GTI Clubsport concept. The enhanced GTI packs an upgraded version of the stock version's 2.0-liter turbo four with 261 horsepower on tap, favorably splitting the difference between the standard GTI with the Performance package and the more potent Golf R. An overboost function even kicks in an extra 10-percent more horsepower to bring peak output up to 287 hp – just a few horses shy of the R's 292, but driving only the front wheels. As you can see, the Clubsport concept also features a more aggressive aero kit as well as upgraded rolling stock with semi-slick rubber. Most, if not all, of these enhancements are earmarked to find their way onto a 40th anniversary edition GTI, but we're unlikely to see that model in US showrooms. World premiere of the Golf GTI Clubsport at Lake Worthersee - Exclusive anniversary model for 40th birthday of the GTI - Golf GTI Clubsport debuts with 265 PS and boost function Next year, the Golf GTI celebrates its 40th birthday. Volkswagen is marking this historic event with a progressive anniversary model: the new Golf GTI Clubsport. Volkswagen will be showcasing the Golf GTI Clubsport on 14th May as part of the legendary GTI meet at Lake Worthersee, when it will make its world premiere in the form of a near-production concept car. With a power output of 195 kW / 265 PS (35 PS more than the Golf GTI Performance) and top performance temporarily increased by around a further 10 per cent thanks to a boost function, the Golf GTI Clubsport is set to take off at the start of 2016 as the most powerful production 'GTI' yet. The anniversary model is being launched not only with an extremely powerful engine, but also with an individualised interior and exclusive bodywork details. The design modifications include a completely new front bumper, new side sills, a new and aerodynamically highly innovative roof-edge spoiler and a specially developed rear diffuser. All of these features were designed with the aim of further enhancing the GTI's performance and of thereby bringing form and function into perfect harmony.