2006 Volkswagen Beetle Diesel - Tdi Hatchback 2-door 1.9l on 2040-cars

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Fully Charged rolls into season 3 with VW XL1 and electric Land Rover

It's been some time since last we visited with British actor and electric car proponent Robert Llewellyn and his web-based video series, Fully Charged. The show, now sponsored by Ecotricity, has started rolling out its third season and now has available two episodes featuring a pair of truly unique – and diametrically opposed – vehicles. The first installment starts with some interesting numbers involving the host's Nissan Leaf and its energy consumption over the past 36,000 miles, but soon moves on to the ultra-aero, ultra-expensive Volkswagen XL1. Now, if you've already seen the footage from our own XL1 first drive review, there's not a lot new here except, perhaps, more enthusiasm and a better listen of the two-cylinder diesel kicking in. Still, it's a great reminder of a truly unique vehicle and we enjoyed the segment. The second episode features an electrified Land Rover Defender 110. This is a vehicle you'd more likely see on an African safari than at the local mall. It's not a home-built conversion either, but rather, something the company has put together "for the boffins to create the ideas and see if they work." Boasting a 50-mile range, it's certainly something we like to take on an off-road adventure. Llewellyn is given the chance to do just that, and though the course is somewhat milder than what we might attempt, it does feature a stretch of river and some rough, rutted tracks. You can watch both episodes by scrolling below let us know which vehicle you'd prefer in the comments. This writer is going with the four-wheel-drive. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: Fully Charged Green Land Rover Volkswagen Technology Emerging Technologies Electric Videos robert llewellyn fully charged vw xl1

2013 Volkswagen Golf R Cabriolet

The Golf VI's Last Hurrah Is Pure Niche
This was in the heart of the ultra-chic Côte d'Azur during winter. The car to be tested was the not-for-North America 2013 Volkswagen Golf R Cabriolet. Prevailing weather conditions here this time of year are bizarrely pleasant, as though a dome of Swarovski crystal has been placed over the entire region to protect it from any real winter spoiling things. And the zippy Golf R Cabriolet is a sports car designed precisely for this area's preciously narrow winding streets, as well as for the lofty budgets of its property owners.
So then why was it snowing like we were in northern Michigan? The weather front hit from the north like a swift kick to the Jordaches. The roof was open on this Candy White Golf R Cabrio and I, as is my wont, was determined through thick or thin to keep it retracted. It had been raining and sometimes sleeting like the End of Days, but I kept the lid cracked because the 261-horsepower cabrio - the most powerful convertible ever built by Volkswagen - was snipping along nicely as the bad weather blew over my head and wetted only the rear headrests.

This Or That: 1987 VW Vanagon Syncro vs. 1987 Land Rover Defender [w/poll]

As I scoured auction sites and classified ads for the perfect vehicle to take into battle with Autoblog Associate Editor Brandon Turkus, I knew I needed to find something unique. You see, I'm currently 0-2 at winning a round of This or That, in which two of our editors agree on a category, choose a side, and argue it out over a (mostly) friendly chain of emails.
The first time we did this, my chosen Fiat 500 Abarth took about a third of the popular vote in our reader poll. The second time, my lovely 1980 Oldsmobile 442 did just a little bit better against a 1989 BMW 635 CSi. Despite holding the opinion that my automotive choices, though perhaps a little bit more... obscure than my fellow editors, are still better, an outright win would go a long way toward boosting my vehicular self worth a few notches upward.
With all of that out of the way, even if three isn't my lucky number after all, I go into battle against Brandon knowing full well that I've made the perfect choice: A 1987 Volkswagen Vanagon Syncro. My rough-and-tumble van/'ute has a formidable opponent in the form of a 1987 Land Rover Defender, which, truth be told, is exactly what I was expecting from Turkus, a self-proclaimed Rover aficionado.