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Volkswagen scores dominant 1-2-3 finish at Monte Carlo Rally

Racing calendars change from year to year, but most series have that one race they just couldn't do without: the Monaco Grand Prix for F1, Le Mans for endurance racing, Dakar for rally raid, the Indianapolis 500 for Indy, the Daytona 500 for NASCAR... and for the World Rally Championship, it's the Monte Carlo Rally. Winning the Monte brings with it its own measure of bragging rights, but locking out the podium is another story altogether. And that's just what Volkswagen did this weekend on the Cote d'Azur. The hard-fought season-opener saw nine-time world champion (and seven-time Monte Carlo Rally winner) Sebastien Loeb return with Citroen, but ultimately it was the VW team that won – and won big, taking a commanding 1-2-3 finish. Sebastien Ogier (with Julien Ingrassia) finished first, followed by Jari-Matti Latvala (with Miika Anttila) in second and Andreas Mikkelsen (with Ola Floene) in third, all of them in the Volkswagen Polo R WRC that was just updated in time for the start of the season. The rally passed right through the Forest Saint Julien where Ogier was born, and at the end of it all, Mikkelsen walked little more than 50 steps from the Volkswagen garage to his condo at Quai Antoine 1er in Monte Carlo. It was only the second time VW has locked out the podium since hitting the scene two years ago, following the German team's 1-2-3 finish in Australia last season en route to its second consecutive world championship. This also marked the second year in a row that Ogier and VW have won the Monte, after narrowly losing out to Loeb in '03. The achievement in Monaco this weekend made VW only the fifth manufacturer to take the top three spots in the Monegasque capital: Renault-Alpine became the first in 1973, followed by Lancia (with the Stratos) in '76 and then again (with the Delta Integrale) in '89, Audi sandwiched between in '84 and Citroen with the "dream team" of Loeb, Colin McRae and Carlos Sainz in 2003. (Peugeot achieved the same in 2009, but that was when the Monte Carlo Rally had left the WRC and was run as part of the less prominent and lower-spec Intercontinental Rally Challenge.) Not even Subaru, Mitsubishi, Toyota or Ford - all dominant forces in their time - can claim that feat. The victory secures the Polo R WRC's place as the most dominant car in the championship, winning over 85 percent of the rallies in which it has been entered since its debut in 2003. FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Rally Monte Carlo One-two-three!

2015 VW Golf R ready for your pre-order on January 8

If you want to be the first person on your block with Volkswagen's latest Golf R parked in your garage, you need to clear some time from your schedule on January 8. On that day, VW is opening the pre-order books for the first 500 Stateside examples of the new hot hatch, and they come with some neat accessories, too. Don't worry about specing just the right Golf R because all 500 early models are identical. In addition to the obvious 2.0-liter turbocharged engine with 292 horsepower 280 pound-feet of torque and 4Motion all-wheel drive, the six-speed dual-clutch gearbox is the only option here. Every one of these hot hatches comes in Lapiz Blue Metallic paint with 19-inch wheels covered in summer performance tires. Based around the DCC and Nav trim, each of them also has VW's adaptive damper system, bi-xenon headlights with LED running lights, a Fender audio system, parking sensors and navigation. Beyond just being the first ones to own VW's latest hot hatch in the US, the deal for these 500 folks also includes a Volkswagen R watch, carbon fiber and stainless steel keychain and a certificate. All three items are serialized to match the VIN of the buyer's Golf R. The total price for each one of these 500 Golf R's is $39,090, plus $820 destination and delivery. But potential buyers don't have to come up with all of that on January 8. They just need to visit VW's Golf R site and pay a $500 reservation fee to get in line, which goes toward the purchase of the car. The money is refundable for anyone who backs out, and any additional orders are put on a waiting list in case of any cancelations.

Ecotricity offering 1,000 free EV miles to new customers

Ecotricity is offering electric vehicle drivers in the United Kingdom an lengthy incentive for using green energy: 1,000 miles of free fast charging per year. Called "Green Electricity + Car," the program will power customers' homes with renewable power allow them to charge their cars through Ecotricity's national network of fast chargers, which the company has named the Electric Highway. It makes complete sense for Ecotricity. "To get the greatest environmental benefit from an electric car, it needs to be charged using 100 percent green electricity from the wind and the sun – otherwise you're still powering it from dirty fossil fuels," wrote Dale Vince, founder of Ecotricity. Ecotricity, a UK-based producer of green energy, wants to bring fast charging to 90 percent of highway service stations around the UK in the near future and four fast chargers are installed per week under the Electric Highway campaign, the company says. Users can fast charge their EVs in 20-to-30 minutes. Ecotricity recently instituted a price freeze for all gas and electricity customers until April 1, reducing energy costs below what's being billed by the country's "Big Six" energy companies. Green Electricity + Car coincides with Volkswagen bringing its electric e-Up! to the British market. Volkswagen Group (UK) Limited imports VW, Audi, SEAT and Skoda brand vehicles and has signed a deal with Ecotricity as its official green energy supplier. Volkswagen Group customers purchasing an EV through one of its brands can take advantage of a new, reduced-cost Ecotricity tariff and a free smart meter installation. 08 February 2014 Green Electricity + Car Drivers of electric cars will receive 1,000 free miles every year with a new electricity tariff being launched by green energy company Ecotricity. Green Electricity + Car – will not only power customers homes with green energy but also their cars (either 100% electric or plug-in hybrids), plus they'll get free access to Ecotricity's national network of fast chargers[1] – the Electric Highway. This latest move comes after Ecotricity announced a price freeze for all gas and electricity customers until the end of winter (April 1st), making them cheaper[2] than the standard tariff of the Big Six energy companies.