2008 Vr6 Fsi Used Cpo Certified 3.6l V6 24v 4xmotion 4wd Suv Premium on 2040-cars

Auto blog

VW still set on Phaeton redux despite cost-cutting drive and losing $32k per car

While critically well regarded, the Volkswagen Phaeton has proven to be a vehicle largely unloved by luxury buyers around the world. Despite this, it refuses to die. While VW's luxury sedan hasn't been sold in the US since 2006 due to low sales here, it has soldiered on in Europe with occasional updates. As the model's long lifespan has been winding down, VW has decided to keep pushing the Phaeton into a new generation, despite in-house alternatives like the Audi A8 and Bentley Continental Flying Spur. The move might not make much business sense, but Volkswagen executives are determined to make the Phaeton work. According to market analysts speaking to Reuters, developing the next-gen luxury sedan on the MLB platform could cost as much as 650 million euros ($737 million), despite relying on the same underpinnings in the A8. It's not like the Phaeton is leading the luxury sedan sales ranks, either. Reuters notes VW produced just 5,812 of them in 2013 (the most current year with data), and from 2002 to 2012, the automaker reportedly lost 28,000 euros ($32,000) on each example sold. Conversely, Mercedes-Benz sold 103,737 units of its new S-Class in 2014, an astonishing 82.2 percent jump over the previous year. The decision to keep the Phaeton going doesn't seem to square with the VW brand's cost-cutting strategy. Boss Martin Winterkorn announced last year a plan to save 5 billion euros ($5.7 billion) annually in the coming years. That plan reportedly also includes killing off less profitable models. Apparently, VW can't just rip off the band-aid and get rid of the Phaeton. Even some VW bosses seem somewhat perplexed at the sedan's business case. When Reuters asked the company's US boss Michael Horn about selling the Phaeton here, he said. "That's a dangerous question. It's an image bearer with no relevance for volume." The next-gen Phaeton is scheduled to go on sale in Europe in 2017 or 2018, according to Reuters, which is about a year later than previous rumors. A US launch will reportedly follow in 2018 or 2019 with the plug-in hybrid and potentially even diesel versions on offer. A starting price around $70,000 is estimated. Featured Gallery 2011 Volkswagen Phaeton View 15 Photos News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Volkswagen Plants/Manufacturing Volkswagen Luxury Sedan vw phaeton cost cutting

Tesla tires turning on Stretchla Vanagon EV conversion project

It is one thing to say you are going to Frankenstein a Tesla Model S with a pair of Siamese-twinned Volkswagen Vanagons and quite another to actually start taking your newly-acquired, smashed-up electric sedan apart in an effort to bring it back to life. Otmar Ebenhoech is doing just that, and having no small successes along the way. The Stretchla project, as it is being called, has officially started and our protagonist has put together another bit of video to document his progress and let us know about some of the different challenges he's encountered and conquered. While our original post about this endeavor featured video of the stretched Vanagon's drivetrain removal, this latest installment focuses on the Model S. Otmar received the Tesla in less-than-operable condition. Otmar received the Tesla in less-than-operable condition and has been tackling some of the basic problems one might expect to encounter: lots of error messages and an electrically disconnected battery pack. Without the aid of a manual or technical diagrams, he's removed the battery pack and discovered why it wasn't sending power to the car. Scroll below to watch the ten-minute presentation and celebrate some initial victories. You can also check out the official Stretchla blog for more photos and updates, including the most recent one that discusses how he talked himself into paying (*spoiler alert) $42,000 for a wrecked, non-functional electric car, along with more recent struggles with the steering rack. Hit us up in the comments to let us know what kind of trouble you would get into with a Model S drivetrain of your own. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

VW looking to MAN up, ditch Mercedes van deal

Unlike the US, the commercial truck market throughout the rest of the world is chocked full of competitors from many different automakers. Since 2006, Volkswagen has had a fullsize van called the Crafter that was a result of a partnership with Daimler AG and based on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. This partnership is supposed to last through 2016, but Reuters is reporting that VW might be looking to end its relationship with Daimler and create its own van in cooperation with German truck and bus maker MAN.
The article says that VW AG has more than a 75-percent stake in MAN, which would essentially be keeping the new commercial vehicle in-house. Even if VW bolts, Daimler still has a deal worked out in the commercial truck industry between its subsidiary Mitsubishi Fuso and Renault-Nissan to supply the other with different trucks.