2004 Volkswagen Passat Gls 4 Motion Sedan 4-door 1.8l on 2040-cars

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New Volkswagen Beetle is on the way

Recent reports have suggested that the future of the Volkswagen Beetle could be in jeopardy, but those rumors have now been squashed. Dr. Heinz-Jakob Neusser, member of the board of management responsible for development at Volkswagen, confirmed to Autoblog that not only will the Beetle live on, a new generation will arrive in "the next up to three years." The next Beetle will move to Volkswagen's scalable MQB architecture. These bones currently underpin the Golf in the US, as well as a range of products available in Europe and other markets. That's not really surprising, given the MQB architecture's flexibility. But what's interesting is that, according to Neusser, using the MQB platform opens the door for electrification possibilities in the Beetle. That could mean a hybrid drivetrain, or even a fully electric example like the e-Golf hatchback. The Beetle "will remain an emotional design," Neusser told Autoblog. That said, it will be "developed in a new design language," in keeping with Volkswagen's plans to offer "much more dynamic, much more emotional" designs on its future cars. "We would like to support more emotional potential [for the Beetle]," Neusser said. This can certainly be seen here at the New York Auto Show, where Volkswagen is rolling out four showcars that demonstrate the potential for unique versions of the Bug. Even beyond that, Volkswagen has already confirmed that the Beetle Dune concept will see production, and Neusser hinted that while the New York showcars are still being evaluated, the Denim convertible will likely come to market. So the future is anything but grim for the Beetle. And in fact, there's a whole lot of potential for Volkswagen's iconic two-door. Related Video:

Volkswagen NMC production guise caught in China

Chinese car site Autohome has what are said to be the first pictures of the Volkswagen New Midsize Coupe concept in production form. VW's NMC was just introduced at the Beijing Motor Show, while background chatter indicated it would go on sale in China, Autohome says that production version will be built at the Shanghai-Volkswagen plant in Ningbo, and the retail guise could be introduced at the Guangzhou Motor Show in November and go on sale that same month.
Assuming this is the production car, its main lines have made the jump from the concept but with less fine detailing, a silver hue and with conventional VW wheels it's lost a little bit of oomph. Still, a few checkmarks on the option sheet can fix most of that, the shape remains handsome and the 2.0-liter turbo underhood keeps performance peppy and mileage frugal enough. You can head to Autohome for a couple more photos of a sedan we'd be happy to make room for over here.

Ten of the greatest Super Bowl car commercials of all time

With an average of over 100 million viewers each year, the Super Bowl always has advertisers bringing out the big guns. And for those among us who don't know the difference between a safety and a touchback, those commercials can be one of the most compelling aspects of the annual ritual. Car companies, in particular, have a long history of making the most of the huge Super Bowl audience by debuting some of the most memorable advertisements that have ever aired on television. So, in preparation for the new batch we'll be seeing this coming Sunday, here's a collection of our favorites from the past. 10. Audi – The Godfather When Audi created this homage to the quintessential gangster movie to promote its newest sports car, the company managed to make a commercial that was simultaneously funny, a little bit disturbing, and most importantly memorable. 9. Maserati – Strike This one might start out slow, but it delivers not only with the wicked sound of the third-generation Ghibli's engine, but with an interesting message about hubris in the auto industry as well. 8. Nissan 300ZX Twin-Turbo – Dream Directed by none other than Ridley Scott (Blade Runner, Alien), this dystopian spot has centers around a narrator who explains that in his dream the bad guys are unable to catch him despite their best efforts by way of street bikes, race cars, and supersonic jets. While the twin-turbocharged 300ZX car was certainly a performance powerhouse to be reckoned with in its day, the concept and execution of this one does come off a little bit campy now – but in a good way. Then again, it is a dream, after all. 7. General Motors – Robot This one is unique in that it's genuinely depressing on a profound level. Who would've thought that the simulated suicide of a lovable, anthropomorphic car-building robot who has fallen on hard times could be such a downer? 6. Nissan – With Dad Although the debut season of its new LMP1 racer didn't exactly turn out how the team hoped it would, there's no denying that Nissan's depiction of a strained father-and-son relationship that eventually leads to redemption (and the introduction of the 2016 Maxima) tugs at the heartstrings. 5. Volkswagen – Big Day A surprisingly poignant advert, this one might be low on dialogue but it certainly gets its message across. And just as the dramatic soundtrack begins to lull the viewer into a sense of security, our expectations are upended. 4.