1996 Volkswagen Passat Tdi Sedan 4-door 1.9l Turbo Diesel 5 Speed No Reserve on 2040-cars

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2015 Volkswagen Golf R [w/video]

Volkswagen hired a photographer to come shoot the handful of journalists that it brought to drive the 2015 Golf R at Buttonwillow Raceway north of Los Angeles. This fact, though unremarkable in and of itself, was something I hadn't noticed until I was well into my track time – probably ten laps deep on a day that would see me run twice that number. In any event, I noticed the intrepid shooter as he was sprinting from one side of the track to the other somewhere before Turn 2, while I was barreling down the main straightaway, still looking through Turn 1. In the roughly two-mile configuration of the track that I drove, Buttonwillow is a big, wide-open circuit, largely flat and with excellent overall visibility. On that layout, and just hours into my Golf R experience, I'd already become confident in endeavoring to push the limits of VW's latest blistering hatch. In fact, the easy nature of driving the thing quickly had me overestimating my pace. So when I saw the photog sprint across the tarmac I instinctively slowed way too much, way too early for Turn 1. Looking back at the incident after I'd pitted for the session, I laughed at myself, knowing I'd have had to be driving almost double my actual speed to put the camera guy in any real danger of being hit. But the experience crystallized what my full test of the R bore out: this is a car that makes you feel much faster than you otherwise would, at least in a competition setting. The 2015 Golf R is an uber hatch that will flatter those hyper-enthusiasts passionate enough to splash out on its steep price tag, but without threatening sales of core models like the GTI and its ilk. That's a good thing for the VW fanboys, to be sure, and, I'd argue, a great thing for the strength of the German brand overall. {C} The R felt both placid and comfortable while I clicked off highway miles in search of the racetrack. My test in California had at least two things in common with the First Drive feature that Steve Ewing brought us with the Golf R in Sweden. First, we both drove European specification cars (though mine didn't suffer from the same sticker abuse that Steve's did). Second, we were both somewhat limited in terms of driving the car in varied, real-world situations. My street route consisted almost entirely of tracking California's I-5 north out of Los Angeles; which any Angelino will tell you is a less-than-riveting mode of travel.

Auction for first US VW e-Golf raises $41,400 for Global Green charity

Would having Jay Leno on hand have changed the outcome? That's what executives at Volkswagen might be asking after the German automaker auctioned off the company's first electric car in the US for around $6,000 over MSRP. VW auctioned off the first Volkswagen e-Golf in the US to raise money for the environmental non-profit Global Green USA. Bruce Oberg, an EV enthusiast and previous VW owner, proudly cut a $41,400 check for the car, which has a 116 miles per gallon-equivalent rating and is said to be able to go about 80 miles on a single charge. At your local dealer (depending on where you live), the e-Golf starts at $35,445. Sales start later this month in 11 states: California, Massachusetts, New York, Vermont, Oregon, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Washington, DC. The $6,000 premium for first-dib rights for the e-Golf is nice, but it doesn't compare to what BMW worked out this summer. In August, the first i8 plug-in hybrid in the US was auctioned off at California's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance for $825,000 (to an unidentified buyer). That's about six times the car's sticker price, but this special edition came with Louis Vuitton luggage and was presented by noted car buff Leno. VW's press release below. VOLKSWAGEN E-GOLF RAISES MONEY TO BENEFIT GLOBAL GREEN USA AFTER A SUCCESSFUL CHARITY AUCTION Nov 4, 2014 Winning bidder claims first VW electric vehicle as the car begins to ship to select U.S. dealerships Herndon, VA (November 4, 2014) – Volkswagen of America, Inc. today announced that the auction of the first 2015 all-electric Volkswagen e-Golf has raised $41,400, with proceeds benefitting the national environmental non-profit Global Green USA and its efforts to advance smart solutions to climate change. The winner of the auction, which ran from October 8–29 on CharityBuzz.com, became the first U.S. driver to own Volkswagen's all-new, fully-electric vehicle. "Volkswagen's commitment to e-mobility and sustainability runs deep. We could not be more proud that the e-Golf has helped raise money to benefit the efforts of Global Green USA, an organization that shares in our dedication to the environment," said Michael Horn, president and CEO, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

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.